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| Name : | Marilyn C. |
My Reviews
I enjoyed figuring out the symbolism and the idea of the fable or parable elements in this story of Eargon's journey as he discovers himself and the good and the evil of his world.
After listening to the multiple ideas and views on this book at my group, I must read it again to see all that I missed the first time.
The description of the lake, a major character in the book, is well written and you can feel the cold air and hear the lake sad or terrified or threatening. Going back and forth between the present and twenty years ago you are involved in the story or the myth of the school and the lake. Unfortunately, it is like the author got bored or hurried at the end and tacked on an ending that was not worthy of the rest of the story. Seemed hurried and an afterthought. Overall a satisfactory read for the most part.
I loved the rememberance of what is remembered by me as a time of innocence and imagination and a time when we all felt so safe in absolutes as the end of the 50's. I loved the first person account of an imaginative and bright and loving little girl that was naive and knowing at the same time. Loved the story and the character development.
Would highly recommend this for a book club or just a personal read.
Death narrates the story of a German neighborhood during the Third Riech........
Finally it all pulls together at the very end but can be a bit confusing with all the characters and plot twists until the final few pages. We had a good discussion on it in our book group.
Many in my group found this a fun and good summer time read and others found it pointless. They found no plot or point to the book. So our group was divided on liking it and not even finishing it.
I found it a nice light read for summer and it seemed as if the characters were the Minnesota version of a Fannie Flagg type story.
I never knew that the Nazis had occupied any British soil. I never knew there was an island named Guernsey and I never knew that Gr Britian had islands in the English Channel with close ties to France. Very interesting book but also romantic too. I had trouble getting into it but then couldn't put it down. Glad I kept reading.
Seemed a bit contrived at times and some parts where interesting. Interesting ideas on what might have been and what might have happened. Parts seemed unbelievable at times.
Our group had a great discussion on this book. It was well written and pulled you into these women's lives and a very volitale and a time of shame and quiet bravery. I cared about all the characters.
Interesting book and interesting characters, time and culture.
When you read and then if you see the movie you keep getting different levels of insight into complex characters. Good mystery and story that holds your interest until the end and makes you want to read the sequel. You care about Lisbeth despite all her flaws...
Very interesting when Sarah's "voice" was used. Kind of lost focus after Sarah chapters left and then the current life of Julia took the stage. Covers a period not well known in French history.
All three elements in one book.
Loved the characters and the plot. I guess I am just an old romantic. Also loved learning about the history of the Japanese Americans during WWII and also about the beginning of the Seattle jazz. Good book for group discussion on many levels.
Wonderfully real but eccentric characters in Wisconsin. Big story about the little people of the midwest.
Sarah's Key was a much more interesting story. The characters in this book especially the main character was a very unsympathic person, shallow, self absorbed. The mortician was a too good to be true and unrealistic. Only finished because it was a book group choice. Expected more after Sarah's Key but didn't get it with this book
Interesting winter read. Some of material seemed to be a rehash of other books and resources that I have heard before in the last 30 years. She was smart enough to write them up and then shrewdly market them in a book she could sell. Also she had the resources and the luxury to try them.
Some good some mundane but a nice happiness refresher course for winter time reading.
Interesting concept of a group of diverse women trapped in an airport by an attack . Their survival and growth individually is the story. They evolve and grow as they share their stories and lives.
Read slowly and carefully so none of Jayber's wisdom and observations escape you. Funny, sad, insightful and just a good read overall. You learn about the people of Jayber's world and care.
A book that I wouldn't have picked up on my own to read but did because it was a book group pick I did read it. Very informative book about the American POWs in Japan during WWII. Interesting about their lives before the war, and the lives they had after the war. It also makes a point about how PTSD wasn't a new malady of current war veterans. Glad I read it though not an enjoyable book.
A warm and informed story of author's grandmother's year of adventure in early Colorado. Insightful about the hardships and community of the turn of the century Coloradians as seen by two adventuresome Eastern society girls that came to teach there for one year. Their observations and the pictures in book tell the legacy of independent women and ingenious homesteaders.
This is the second time that I have read this book. I liked it the first time I read it and this time I loved it. Her way of describing relationships, events and people are insightful. Her scene descriptions are great also. You come to see the complexities of each character as you read. The sections of the book that tell each character's story adds to the layers of the story of this turn of the century Missouri family as they go into the midfifties of century. This is a great read.
This book explores very dark themes of incest, additions, violence and sexual abuse. There were some characters that needed more development and depth. The ending was open ended on the fate of some of the characters and that was actually a good ending. Many in my group read this in one night and found it very absorbing.
At times it seemed that the author needed an editor.
Several of us in our group found that the writing was good but we just did not like the author. Appeared overly self involved and not the kind of person that we would like to know. She was very open and acknowledged her weaknesses but ......
Seemed like the whole adventure was goaled toward writing a book in the future.
This story has been told before and better.
It drew me in as I read and I really did care about the characters. Very good read and can see why it was a hit with young adult readers since it was well written and with a great story line that is almost mythical.
Good reading interlacing the past and present of two people and their lives.
Read this book before when it first came out and I liked it so well that recommended and read again for book club. Good discussion book and informative book about \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'the good old days\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' that weren\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t all that good or free of distrust or heartbreak and stubborn destructive traditions for both sides.
Chapters by different characters that give different points of view of the same information or incident. Dark but interesting and quick read.
I knew how it would end and every plot ending since it was very formula romance novel. Did leave one cliché out.
You will learn more about this sport and the Berlin Olympics than you knew was possible. It helped that two members had rowed and coached. Different perspective on book than I had read.
Dislikable characters, pointless plot and ...
History and current adventure combine for a great book.
Well written but dark topic. Showed numerous points of view and complex characters.
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