Rating: 
Summary: Slow and plodding introspective look at a dying man's mind
Review: I was disappointed in Guterson's book set in the part of Washington where I was raised. His plot was almost non-existent and even the descriptions of the beauty of the place didn't ring true. It was not a memorable book, but worth reading if you are Veteran who enjoys hunting and thinking about death.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best
Review: I felt that the author was amazing in the details, ranging from picking and packing apples to the delivery of a baby. He obviously did his research well. I found the book to be interesting, fast moving, and educational.
Rating:
Summary: A book of strength and character
Review: This is an outstanding book that moved me from beginning to end. The character of Dr. Ben Givens is one that I will remember for a long time - - a man who devoted his life to saving others, yet in despair couldn't bear to live out the rest of his own due to a terminal illness. In East of the Mountains, his journey both into the wilderness and his past were basically one in the same, allowing him to face his impending death with strength, courage, and ultimately on his own terms.I must admit that I have not had the pleasure of reading Guterson's first book Snow Falling on Cedars (but I plan to right away). However, I think it is unfair for many of the readers to compare this book with his previous work, or any other. In my opinion, this book more than stands on its own merits. It is an introspective, insightful look at relationships and life.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasent Read
Review: I agree with the other reviewers that this is not "Snow Falling on Cedars," but where the book lacks the depth of Guterson's previous work, it makes up for it in charm and eloquence. I enjoyed this book and found it not only entertaining, but thought provoking. It may not have the intense, "heady" quality of "Snow," but it's the kind of book I like to read during the warmer months: a lighter, relaxed piece that's perfect on a sunny afternoon with a glass of iced tea.
Rating:
Summary: Givens Up
Review: David Guterson can write well; that much is evident in "Snow Falling on Cedars." But this book fails as a follow-up to that novel. In fact, about one hundred pages to the end, I've just given up. I find little to recommend in this novel. Most of the characters are cliched, two-dimensional creations, and the plot (what little there is of it) just plods along; about all that can be praised in the novel is Guterson's way with a descriptive phrase. I found Ben's wartime experiences jolting interruptions to the flow of the novel. The whole thing sort of seems just thrown together. I happened to read the last page, and am glad I didn't waste my time with the preceding hundred or so pages. Maybe Guterson will fare better with his third novel. Let's hope so.
Rating: 
Summary: From an advanced cancer patient
Review: Snow Falling on Cedars is one of my personal top 10 favorite novels, so when I saw that Guterson had written on terminal cancer, I snatched up East of the Mountains. I am most interested in exploring how others make sense of the fact of iminent death. Not an easy topic, to say the least, and as far as I'm concerned, Guterson got it just right. This book reminded me a lot of Hemingway, in its stark directness, its refusal to gloss over the pain of cancer or Ben's experience of the senselessness of war, its emphasis on the importance of place, and its slightly two-dimensional characters. Guterson spins a story that becomes another version of the mythical journey of the hero. I loved it. P.S.: I'm a dog lover; I think Guterson's portrail of Ben's dogs & his connection with them is masterfully done.
Rating: 
Summary: Climbing this Mountain
Review: I looked forward to this book the way I would a gourmet meal. After feasting on Guterson's "Snow Falling on Cedars," I set aside a weekend to savor every tantalizing flavor of his new literary meal. It smelled so good; alas, the taste couldn't match the promised delight. Guterson can write beautifully, evocatively, with keen perception into human relationships. He did this in his other "feast" while surrounding these basic nutrients of writing with the spices and herbs of strongly portrayed place and setting. Once again, he tries to season his wordy offering, but this time the herbs detract rather than enhance, the spices bite rather than tease. This journey from the mountains was barely worth the climb. But--golly gee--if Guterson sets the table one more time, I'm sure I'll sit down for a bite.
Rating:
Summary: Plot to rival Disney
Review: I approached this book with anticipation having enjoyed Snow Falling on Cedars so much. However, despite the fact that Guterson is obviously a great writer, he disappoints in this book because of the artificial plot. In a few days our hero accomplishes an awful lot, especially for a 73-year-old. Some of it is believable but towards the end, as he helps to save a Mexican boy from dying of Tb and finally ushers in a new life threatening not to arrive in this world, I am pushed to the limits of my suspension of belief. Next time a simpler, more believable plot.
Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: Like most others, I read this book, less for the dreary description on the dust jacket, than for the fact that I enjoyed "Snow Falling..." very much. Unfortunately "East" was a monumental disappointment. It's not just that "East" is poor when compared to "Snow Falling..." (though it is), but on the whole, it's a very unmemorable work. I like to see authors challenge themselves, but Guterson, as one reviewer put it, mainly coasts through this novel on "auto pilot." He recycles war scenes from his first novel, but they are far less affecting in "East," and loads on scenic descriptions with a heavy hand, smothering whatever momentum the plot has (which is very little). It's a short book, but the flimsy plot barely sputters across the finish line. One gets the impression that Guterson didn't have a real story for his second novel, so he wrote eight or ten short vignettes and tried to tie them loosely together with his "quest for life" claptrap. There's no denying he is a master of scenery. I've never been to the mountains of Washington State, but I certainly felt I had after finishing "East." Still, that's not nearly enough to make this book worth reading - cleave out all the scenic descriptions, and you'd have a novella of about 100 pages. Several times I found myself muttering "Just get *on* with it, already" under my breath.
Rating:
Summary: Personal conversation
Review: I do not believe that I would have stayed with this book if it had not been the audio-book. The writing is simply beautiful; the story is purely sad. It contains all of the elements of life and is a bit too realistic on the "dying" aspects. I was relieved when the final tape came to an end. Listening to this story is not a complete loss for me. Thanks to Guterson for some wonderfully vivid pictures of scenery, and the feel of "apple country." But the horrors of the transient pickers and colon cancer I found very distressing. I feel more hopeful at the end than at the beginning.
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