Rating: 
Summary: ENDLESS LOVE WITH A TWIST
Review: I listened to this novel on tape so for me the twist at the end was so much more effective! I strongly recommend the audio format for an enhanced experience!Like other reviewers, I did have to rewind/review at times because of the flashback chronology. But I enjoyed the love story. The strong bond between Linda and Thomas still haunts me today. I think everyone can relate to a story about reconnecting with "the one that got away".
Rating: 
Summary: Deus ex machina - not hardly
Review: Having worked through this to an ending that doesn't even deserve the label of "gimmick", I'd advise you to save your money. Perhaps literature should stir the emotions ... but I don't think it should stir anger at the author for being lazy and/or cutesy.
Rating:
Summary: Last Time We Met
Review: I have never been so disappointed or angry as I was when I read this book. The ending is very upseting. I don't understand why the book was written to end like it did. I felt totally let down and a waste of precious hours of my time.
Rating: 
Summary: Engrossing story line but .....
Review: This love story was so engrossing that I could not put it down. The chronological reversal of time was a little challenging so I did find myself flipping back to re-read certain sections. The ending however, though unexpected and thought-provoking, did not ring true to me.It seems that the existance of certain important people in Linda's life, whom I shall not name, made the ending gimmicky. These people had specific names, personalities and lives with Linda. The author's intent was valid but it seems to me that all the "bases were not covered" to justify the conclusion of the story.Still, I enjoyed the book & will probably speed-read it tomorrow for clues!
Rating:
Summary: Hoax, ruse or skillful ending ???
Review: Because Anita Shreve knows how to manipulate a plot worth reading, ( though the beginning is slow and italized dialogue a bit annoying ) I was compelled to read on. Moving backward through time, the author details Thomas and Linda's entranced relationship in Africa at age 27 and in Massachusetts when they were in high school. Once seduced by their love affair & absorbed by the mystery surrounding them..., suddenly the events of their lives shifts, the truth is known and the story ends...just like that!?%?/ Personally I felt cheated & did not appreciate such an abrupt, mock ending. Did Shreve, just not know where to go with her story line or maybe did she intentionally choose to be crafty by using a skillful ruse in order to put one over the reader???
Rating: 
Summary: Lovely plot, very slow
Review: I purchased this month several months ago. I was enticed by the back and front covers. The story of a couple meeting after many years sounded wonderful. Unfortunately, after forcing myself to read it for two months and only getting a third of the way through the book, I had to put it back on my shelf. Perhaps I will pick it up again, but not for awhile
Rating:
Summary: Anita Shreve disappoints
Review: Just had to write my first review to express my complete dissappointment in this book. I am a big fan of Anita Shreve's writing and usually look forward to her books. This book was a major let down for two reasons. The first problem was the style of narration that she uses, particularly the way that she jumps back and forth in time. This is usually an effective literary device, however it did not work well in this novel. There was too much information left out, with no forshadowing. This left the reader way too confused about events referred to. In addition, the beginning section in the present time frame dragged on too long and was uneffective because without well developed emotional bonds to the characters (she did not effectively introduce the characters) it resulted in a confusing mishmosh. The second, and greatest flaw of this book was the ending of course. It left me angry, because I feel that it was way too unexpected and gimmicky. It was not a valid ending because it did not make a statement in relation to the rest of the novel. It was put in for shock value and did not have a purpose in relation to the rest of the story. All in all, this was a waste of my time. Buy it used or take it out of the library if you must waste yours.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad; it's been done better
Review: I thought the "gimmick" didn't make much sense. I do like the idea of writing about unrequited love and a long search for love extending over many decades. If you do too I'd recommend reading "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Marquez. I think it's a better book in every respect. Askold Wawryszyn
Rating: 
Summary: Shocking, but wonderful
Review: I really liked this book! I love a total shock at the end of books, even though this was not the ending I wanted (hence the 4 stars) or expected. The whole book weaves the story of linda and thomas so perfectly that you get to know them and it makes the ending so much harder to accept. The way the author drops small clues throughout the book for the ending is so subtle that you dont even pick up on them untill you are forced to re-evaluate the whole book at the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who can accept a not so happy ending, or likes to read thought provoking books.
Rating:
Summary: CONFUSED
Review: I have not finished this book yet. It is going to be hard to do so. The way the dialog is written, sometimes I can not tell who is speaking. Everything jumps around from past to future to now I am not sure what is going on. Nothing is clear, I can't figure out the characters or if I even care about what happens. I purchased it because of "The Pilot's Wife".
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