East Of The Mountains

Rating:
Summary: Rerad this Book
Review: If you really like to go into detail with your reading read this book. Guterson goes into specific detail with all of the scenes and when he gets into the accident he tells every little detail. He even talks about the detail of Ben's colon cancer all of the pain that he is going through with the treatment. I read this book for one of my high school classes and I recomended it to every one in my class who doesn't like gore , but likes very discriptive and thorough evidence backing up each scene.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely NOT "Snow Falling on Cedars"
Review: Guterson is a WONDERFUL writer. His use of words is absolutely beautiful. So ... after "Snow Falling on Cedars," which I adored, I really looked forward to this one. Alas and alack, I was disappointed. I was, let us say, a captive audience in the car while the tapes played, and after a short while I was beginning to get antsy for the book to have a storyline. The detailed descriptions of the gore (my friend said he'd never heard the word "viscera" used so much before) made me queasy. And it's so depressing! Eventually, I was sorely tempted to grab the steering wheel and ram the car into a tree to stop the horror, and by the end I was ready to rip my ears off to escape. My boss loved it -- recommends it to everyone he sees. I didn't love it -- and I'm not alone. Like I said, the writing is beautiful -- almost poetic. The plot leaves a whole lot to be desired. So give it a try. Just please be warned that it's definitely not like "Snow Falling on Cedars."

Rating:
Summary: An elegy for facing our mortality
Review: Like so many others, I bought this novel because of my captivation with "Snow Falling On Cedars", but delayed reading it when the air became filled with negative responses. There is a lesson here: if you relate to an author's way with a story, stay with him. Ben Givens, while a carefully drawn character in this novel, is really the creature that represents the spectre of mortality. By gradually letting us get to know this crusty old retired surgeon, revealing the pain of his loneliness, the agonies of his youthful experiences in war, his growing into the choice of Medicine, his lingering regrets for the tragedies of life that haunt him and make him choose to terminate his own cancer ridden body rather than burden his family with his dying...all these elements the author merges into a hero of compassionate understated nature. Guterson can describe a countryside, natural and unnatural vistas, draw passing characters with such clarity that we hate to see them depart at a chapter's end. But finish this book in an evening or two and you are rewarded with an understanding of why we exist on a planet populated with our own brethren.

After starting to read this book I thought about not finishing it: it didn't have near the atmosphere or universality of "Snow..". But thankfully I trusted the author and I grew into his far more personal journey. There is much food for pondering in this tender book.

Rating:
Summary: Bored to tears
Review: "Snow Falling on Cedars" is one of my favorite books of the past five years. The author's talent is truly amazing. I was anxiously awaiting this book, and told my mom that is was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. What a disappointment. It is without doubt one of the most boring books I've read (or tried to read - I quit half way through) in a long time. Do yourself a favor -- skip this and just read "Snow Falling on Cedars" again.

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable
Review: i read this book before reading 'Snow..'-to be honest I listened to most of it on PublicRadio's 'Radio Reader' then I got the book. I thought it created a very strong visual of the Northwest. Having never been there I felt as if I could picture sagebrush, chukars in flight, huge farm fields and mountains. I'll never claim to be an expert critic on books, but unlike some other reviews here, I look for a book I think I'll enjoy and find interesting. At times i felt sorrow for Ben and other times I envied him. Enjoyed the characters of the young couple who picked him up. GOOD book!

Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth the time
Review: I listened to the audio version of this book in my car. I have not read "Snow Falling on Cedars" yet, so I can't compare the two. The novels must be rather different given the reaction of some who have read both. I guess that it's a good thing for authors and other artists that there are so many different tastes out there. I do think thats some of the negative comments reflect a certain narrow-mindedness.

I personally enjoyed the book very much. I found it to be a fascinating reflection on the formative experiences of the main character's life. His "final journey" is also interesting and life-changing. I found Guterson's prose descriptive and insightful. I also thought that the reader was perfect for the story and must give credit to him as well for his entrancing performance.

Rating:
Summary: Review: East of the Mountains
Review: I would venture to say that this book is unlike Snow Falling on Cedars in that it places it's focus on one character in particular, Ben Givens, rather than the habits and lifestyles of many characters such as Ishmael, Hatsue, Kabuo, Nels, etc... The most striking and convicting issue in this book for me was the thing that we all must face; death. Ben had to realize that his life was of value to others, that suffering through cancer had it's reward and that in the end his family would grow more compassionate through watching him die. Ben also had to learn to let go of his memories. Induced by the marijuana that he smoked his memories came upon him fast and heavy. All of the things that he had latched onto in his life were coming upon him as he thought about death and he realized that he was afraid. Ben had to realize and come to a point in his life where he could face death with readiness, the reason for not taking his life...he was unprepared. We as people must learn to let go of this world and the things in it that hold us down. When death comes we must be prepared to face it without shame and without fear. And with faith we will reach the place on the other side that awaits us.

Rating:
Summary: East of the Mountains
Review: When I started this book, I fell in love with it just like I did when I started reading 'Snow Falling on Cedars'. David Guterson has a way of using words, to pull the reader into the book, and he did it again with 'East of the Mountains'. Ben, (the main character) learns that he has terminal cancer, he decides to not tell his family about it and decides to take his own life so he can see his wife again. As he leaves to take what he thought was going to be his final trip, he gets in a car accident and strikes out on a trip, where he remembers his past, present problems and the type of future he was going to be leaving for his daughter and her family. I haven't finished the book yet, but when I do, I know that I will still smell the apple fields and feel his pain everytime he does.

Rating:
Summary: East of the Mountains can stand on its own merits
Review: I just finished listening to Don Hastings' reading of "East of the Mountains" and felt compelled to write an on-line review for the first time ever. Maybe it was the excellent reading skills of Mr. Hastings or maybe because it has been a while since I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" that I thoroughly enjoyed wandering and wondering through this thought-provoking tale of one man's search for meaning in his life and/or his imminent death. Or maybe it is because I listened to the bulk of the story while walking my dog in Western Washington that I felt the full significance of Ben Givens' quest, for surely this tale is a hero's quest. Ben may not be all that endearing at times, but neither was Odysseus. Guterson may have included graphic details to the point that many people were turned off by the images, but so did Hemingway. Did anyone else get the religious symbolism in Ben's venturing into "the wilderness" and in the group of "wanderers" that accompanied him as he "healed" those along the way? And what about the symbolism of "going over the mountain" from an area of lush life to a place more desolate and lonely? Those folks who read the book and were put off by the lack of "action" completely missed the point. The "action" should have occurred in the mind of the reader as he or she interpreted the meanings of Mr. Guterson's words. There is much here to consider, but it is a different kind of consideration than is required of "Snow Falling on Cedars." Give this book a try on its own merits, not as a follow-up to a major commercial success.

Special kudos to Don Hastings, who deserves mention for his compassionate reading of a difficult text.

I also recommend "the country ahead of us, the country behind" by Guterson for additional insight into the many themes that emerge in "East of the Mountains."

Rating:
Summary: East of the Mountain's Falling into Despair
Review: I picked up East of the Mountain, David Guterson's new novel, in anticipation of the fine writing style and clear, compassionate point of view that I so loved in his first novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. Disappointingly, I discovered that while the novel is beautifully written, I found the point of view neither clearly thought out nor compassionate. I wonder if Mr. Guterson has any personal experience with cancer. It is a novel flawed by outdated theories about cancer and suicide. The main character , Dr. Ben Givens, of the western "medical establishment", believes there is no hope for his condition. He considers suicide and then in the end rejects it although he faces nine horrendous months of pain before death. He is locked into a "western" medical reality. In this reality there are no options available to him, he is advised in the end of the book to go home to die and have his daughter take care of his final days. . What is missing, is that today , cancer patients have a lot of choices for effective alternative care taking advantage of both western and eastern medicine. From acupuncture to chinese herbs there are many ways for cancer patients to free themselves of pain, relieve the debilitating aspects of chemotherapy, and often effect cures or long-term remissions. Patients that are told by western doctors "you have x months to go..." are living years and decades longer after rejecting this reality and opting for other forms of treatment.

These ideas are no longer on the fringe of the medical community. The popularity of clinics like Dr. Andrew Weil's and the institution of alternative care resources in some of our largest cancer centers, point to a wave of frustration sweeping across this country with the "traditional" point of view.

Finally, if the patient exhausts all other methods for maintaining quality of life, and is not improving, then suicide should be considered. And why not? Being able to "survive" 9 months of agony is not a strength. Making hard choices about quality of life is. It doesn't benefit anyone for the cancer patient to spend the final days of his/her life so high on pain killers that pain is all that is left for him/her to comprehend.

So while, I still love David Guterson's writing for its style and craft. I find that his view point in this novel is not only flawed, but potentially harmful. People may read this book who could have been helped by alternative care and would never have known there were other options available besides suicide, when all was said and done.