Rating: 
Summary: not that great
Review: I enjoy historical fiction, but this book, which starts with such promise, becomes increasingly trite, and ends absurdly. I felt as if the author had a checklist of historical facts she wanted to include, and then randomly threw those anecdotes into the novel through hastily drawn situations or characters. However, if you're not too picky and want an engaging read, this book will do. I agree with a previous reviewer that some fans of Anita Shreve will like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A very worthwhile read
Review: Picture this: the city (or town) in which you live in is overcome by a fatal, ugly disease. The leader of your community (in this book's case, the pastor) asks you to quarantine you and your family--while you don't know how the disease is spread. Would you willingly sequester yourself with people who might spread the illness to you?Such is one dilemma that faces the characters in this book. It's not the only dilemma, by far, but the one that compelled me the most. This book is multi-faceted in the layers it explores. It is character- and plot-driven, but also manages to weave in historical aspects and, thus, credibility. And it reads like a novel! I don't like "historical novels" as a rule. They oftentimes take too much liberty with the history and focus on the characters. This one does in a way, too, but with a subtletly that belies the research and the well-written dialogue. It's a page-turner that you can read without feeling you've wasted your time on froth. In the end, it's a great story. I really, really liked it, especially for the psychological/historical angles.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: Haunting and beautiful! Year of Wonders is not only a tale of plague victims, but also a celebration of the simple wonders of life. I honestly can not remember being completely engrossed in a book. Thank you Geraldine Brooks for an unforgettable read.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have read this year!
Review: I read alot of different type books, mostly non-fiction or theatrical (plays). I read about this book in Entertainment Weekly of all places and my interest was piqued by the review. I was taken away to England in 1665 from the very first page. Don't let the subject matter turn you away. I hated to see it end.
Rating:
Summary: A LESSON TO BE LEARNED - THE VALUE OF LIFE
Review: When one sees the word, "plague" it conjures up images of those things to be avoided. Do not avoid this book for it tells the story of Anna Firth, and once the reader has come to the book's conclusion, it is impossible to put it down without having a deeper respect for life and the importance of not taking each day or those we love for granted. By eighteen years of age, Anna is a young woman already mature beyond her years. Surviving childhood abuse, the death of her husband and left to raise two young children, Anna can give us some very important lessons about love, life and death. The strong point of the book was Geraldine Brook's profound writing style. She has the unique gift to be able to make the reader feel each emotion she portrays through her characters. When the plague hits her English village, Anna pitches in with unfathomable heart and soul to help save her friends and neighbours. The characters are real and believable, the plague a reality and the story emotionally charged. Through Anna's eyes, we are left with a deeper respect for the meaning of life, the importance of living each day of it to the fullest, and how quickly and unexpectedly a loved one can be taken from us forever. This is a beautifully written book and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!
Review: A wonderful read. If you like historical fiction this is a story for you. I could not put this novel down.
Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic, terrifying, beautiful
Review: Gosh I loved this book. It was unlike anything I'd ever read before. You'd probably call it historical fiction, but it's just literature at its best, a seamless vision, amazingly free of artifice for something that is ultimately imaginary. Anna (the heroine) may have come from Brooks' head, but she's totally believable as a young widow whose home is invaded by plague. People start dropping dead right and left, but Anna's courage and resolve give the reader the emotional resources to face the terrors of the narrative. This book is a time-tunnel to an English village in 1666, a year of wonders. Jump in.
Rating:
Summary: The absolute best book I've read this year.
Review: I work at a bookstore while going to college. My manager was kind enough to place the advanced reader at my feet. From the moment I opened the cover...I was hooked. How can you not be? I fell in love the simple yet elegant writing style of Miss Brooks. I grieved along side Anna when she lost her family, her children, a potential love interest ( that we all secretly wanted to work out ), friends. I don't know how or where to begin describing how much I loved this book. But I do know this IF YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE ONE BOOK THIS YEAR PLEASE LET IT BE THIS ONE. You will not be disappointed with the writing style, character development, or the emotional commitment you can't help but have with the characters. Geraldine Brooks weaves an intricate web of humanity at it's worst and at it's best with Anna. One more thing. I hate to compare any author but if you love YEAR OF WONDERS then I suggest you pick up a copy of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by Tracy Chevalier or THE BONE HOUSE by Betsy Tobin. I definitely not would pass up the chance to read YEAR OF WONDERS. Hopefully you won't either.
Rating:
Summary: A Novel of Wonders
Review: Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders is a terrific novel. I encourage all to overcome the intimidating fact that the novel is about the plague and diver right in to the work. Year of Wonders is an intelligent, engaging, emotional read--very well done indeed. Anna Firth is a survivor, in many ways. She survives the plague which utterly decimates her village. When the plague arrives, she has already lived through much. Her father abused her and her husband has died in a mining accident, left her a widow with two young children, at the ripe age of 18. As disease rips through her village, Anna works with the minister's wife, trying to provide some solace, some comfort to the rest of the village. The plague is not the only killer in these times for several townspeople are killed by hatred, jealousy and prejudice. The plague ultimately leaves the village and Anna is a changed person, which sounds trite, I know, but in the novel, it's not. This novel is so fabulous, Anna's emotions so real. There were parts of this novel that literally had me in tears. I highly, highly recommend this novel. It is a wonderful and most enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: When I was first given this book, I thought, "Oh great, a book about The Plague. How depressing." To be honest, if it had not been lent to me, i probably would not have even picked it up. But by the third page, I was hooked. Not only is the story, about a small English village that tries to control the spread of The Plague, brought in by a bolt of fabric, by quarantining themselves, it is the story of a remarkable woman, Anna Frith. Anna is a widow (her husband being killed before the Plague) who loses nearly everything-her children, her friends, her sanity-to this terrible disease. While The Plague ravages her friends and neighbors, Anna does everything she can to save them, and completes feats (midwifery, iron mining) that she never thought hersef capable of. The book is incredibly well written; Brooks uses the vernacular of the time to great effect, but in such a way that it seems completely normal. It sounds cliched, but I truly could not put this book down. A truly surprising delight; I recommend it for any fans of Anita Shreve (who gives an endorsement for the book.)
|
