The river king

kristin

3.0

Mar 10, 2026

This is the first book by Alice Hoffman I have ever read, and from reading the other reviews, I see that some of my problems with the book are generally found in all of her works. The River King is truly splendid story telling, but suffers from an over-abundance of Omniscience. The first half of the book is a wonderful example of a well-done omniscient narrator, but it seems to come apart at the scenes after the body is found in the river. I have a prejudice against a lot of description, but I will say that Hoffman's prose makes the endless details bearable. Her characters are very well done, created authentically. These people seem real, if not terribly sympathetic. I don't have an inherent need to like the characters I read about, which is a helpful quality when reading The River King. I enjoyed the book overall and I liked exposing myself to a new author's voice. I doubt I will read more of Hoffman's work, but I am glad I read this.