I enjoyed the large ensemble of characters. It was a "laugh out loud" kind of book. Good example of cause and effect. I very much enjoyed this book.

Has the tone, atmosphere, humour, and mystery of a good Murakami novel, except Toronto is the Tokyo, coastal Japan is coastal BC, and rural Osaka is rural Alberta. The short efficient sentences and short chapters make it a real gripper. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Interesting but difficult to read if one is not into magical reality style of writing

CBC's Dead Dog Cafe was my introduction to Thomas King followed by The Inconvenient Indian and now this book. others are on my 'to read' list.

I enjoy his seriousness mixed with humour as he presents difficult topics with an amusing twist, provoking us to new ways of looking at our country and our world.

Thomas King's The Back of the Turtle is impressively, even enviably compelling in both style and content. The prose is light and the characters, both sympathetic and highly interesting. The plot is neatly comedic in form. The subject matter, however, aside from the romantic journey of a suicidal scientist and a grieving artist, is an environmental disaster and corporate sociopathy. Without pleading for a Margaret Attwood to leave my conscience scarred and a prayer that it may not be already too late to fix the planet, I have to say King's anti-dystopian ending felt a little too much like someone gently singing, "Don't worry; be happy" to a faintly Reggae beat.

Environmental disaster and greed on the part of big business are contrasted with the humanity of the First Nations peoples. This book has good politics and, in writing a very readable story about these themes, King is doing good politics. Less complex and not as good as some of his other books, but still recommended.

Could not finish it. Storyline much too slow and too much mythology and not enough action and characters.

I found this a disappointing read. Perhaps I didn't "get" it. I am fairly well educated - should I feel inferior? Read and decide for yourself.

A childish story, horrible writing; reads like a biblical parable.

The author writes very well, the characterizations are effectively drawn and the flashbacks are integrated so that the book flows smoothly and is a pleasure to read. The plot has, however, substantial holes in it, which the author cleverly glosses over. The book is more like a morality play: good (nature-loving First Nations) vs. evil (white capitalists). The book is also implicitly anti-science.
One should keep in mind That science and technology has extended our life expectancy tremendously, provided us with ample food and other goods, enriched our lives by communications and entertainment (including this book).