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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith, is one of America's timeless classics. The story of young Francie Nolan will touch your heart and forever change your view of life. A young girl growing up in the Brooklyn of the early 20th century, Francie had to face the many hardships of poverty as well as just growing up. Some of Francie's experiences are funny, and others almost brought me to tears. This book isn't famous for the phenomanal writing style of Betty Smith, because the book is written plainly and simply. Smith doesn't mince words getting to her points, but shows the life of Francie plainly and bluntly. From selling junk to earn a few extra cents, to an interesting fishing trip, Francie's life is just so different. This probably ranks number 2 on my list of all-time favorite books, right behind The View From Saturday. You haven't lived life completely until you have read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I would reccomend it to all girls over twelve or thirteen, because some of Francie's experiences are a bit inappropriate for some younger readers. A must-read!
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Summary: Betty Smith's Descriptive Style in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Review: In Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Smith uses the descriptive style to depict Francie Nolan's story about her life well. Throughout the novel, readers are able to get a vivid picture of the struggles, hardships, and joys in the life of Francie. As the novel progresses, Francie faces the usual struggles of a poor family, worrying about where the money for food for the week will come from, and if her as well as her brother Neely Nolan will be able to acquire a higher education. An example of this is when the Nolan's are at the soda shop Katie Nolan, says, "They never had enough to eat, never had right cloths. The best I could do wasn't enough" (351). This passage shows that the Nolan's do not have enough money for everything needed and at times their family would struggle making Katie feel that she had not done enough for her children. Smith enables Francie to tell her coming of age story in a way that makes the reader know just as much about Francie and Francie herself does. When Francie speaks it seems that she is speaking to you and wants you to understand her pain, and joys allowing Smith to let the world know just how life was for some families growing up. Even though the Nolan family had nothing in the beginning, through hard work and some suffering, their family was able to gain a higher status than the generations before them, thus showing the reader that if you have strong determination, good will, and a sense of direction about where you want your life to take you, you will succeed and gain even greater happiness. Throughout the novel, Smith captures the readers mind as she takes them on a journey through the life of a child in Brooklyn, as seen through the eyes of Francie. Betty Smith's novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, as an astonishing descriptive style. For that reason, the reader is able to make a connection with Francie as if they were her very own best friend and she was confiding in then all the memories of her childhood and teen life.
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Summary: New to Brooklyn
Review: Having just moved to Brooklyn my mother thought that I should read this book. The book arrived two days after my arrival, so after a long day of dish boxes I sat down and began to read. Several days later with few boxes unpacked I finsihed the book and loved every word. The adventure is amazing. This book is well written and has reason for being such a classic. The forward is terrific. This is a book for every shelf and should be cherished and shared.
Read it soon.
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Summary: One of the Five Best Books I've read in my whole life!
Review: There's a lot to be said about B.Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", but I will simply say this. There's nothing else like it anywhere. Without knowing it and - almost as instantaneous, you're thrown into this world (some can relate if they're from brooklyn and recognize the areas spoken of in the book) and you just can help falling in love ..utter love, with every character!! Mark my words: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be humbled by the story and inspired by Francie's and Katie's passion, your heart will go out to Johnny Nolan it's just so intense so deep so AMAZING!! Please, read this book - soak it in and love it forever, because this book will treat you well...this book is a dear friend to anyone who needs a little friendship. GET THIS BOOK AND READ IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
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Summary: Incredible!!
Review: I absolutley loved this story! It shows the penny pinching money problems of a poor brooklyn family. One of the most beautiful books I have ever read, everyone should read it!!
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Summary: One of the only books I've read twice!
Review: I read this book in the ninth grade and again in my 30's. It's a book I've always cherished. The characters are lovable and believable. An excellent story of growing up with too little. The apple of her charismatic drunken father's eye, pitied by her mother, Francie is an every day hero. Her parents try their dreadful best to give their children more than they had. You want to hate them but you can't. She is a piece of everyone we know. A young girl who is alone and loves to read to escape the life & circumstances she has little control over. So many who read this book feel that the book was written about them. I mentor an inner-city student who I will definately pass this book onto. It offers hope that no matter how we start out in life we can all survive and achieve. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger! A great book for teens.
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Summary: It rings true even for a middle-aged male
Review: "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is an America classic, so you probably already know the plot outline. The book is the story of Francie, a poor young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the early years of the 20th century. Francie is an intelligent girl who aspires to be a writer, but she has to overcome the predictable obstacles associated with poverty and absence of connections. But the author doesn't over-romanticize the story by inventing a too-good-to-be-true character who is single-mindedly ambitious. Francie has the same concerns as any young girl in the poor section of Brooklyn would have had during those years. She is no more honest, no more selfless, no more generally virtuous, than any other girl. That typical-ness, I believe, is the key to the book's popularity. The book has been more popular with women than men, I believe, because the book evokes powerful memories of what a girl's childhood is like. And the female readers whom I have talked to all say, "Yes. That's just what it was like." And it's probably not a bad idea for men - especially men with daughters - to have that vicarious experience by reading the book, either. Heartwarming, genuine, and well worth your time.
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Summary: It's not hype!
Review: This book has so many pearls of wisdom. It's very simply written, so do not expect this to be a typical NYT bestseller like the one you read last week. I believe this book was written in the '40s, and although much of the vernacular in the book is obviously of a different period in time, it has a timeless and universal appeal. I haven't even finished it yet, but have already decided, enough with the library version, I want my own copy so that I can use the advice it offers later on in life. Don't miss this one, and make sure you tell your friends about it, so that they can come and thank you later, and you can say "I told you so".
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Summary: Yes it sums up childhood but there is much more to it...
Review: This novel is as much a snapshot of the first twenty years of Brooklyn's twentieth century as it is a book about a family that anyone can sympathize with and relate to. This is Francie Nolan's story yet at the same time, through this girl, we become part of her family and part of her world. Betty Smith writes with such detail that I felt like I had lived the life she wrote for Francie and as I ate up the pages in between my first meeting with Francie up until I said good-bye to her as a grown-up, I was certain that I shared a special bond with her even though our worlds are years and states away. Not in the least a disappointment.
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Summary: Timeless Lessons for Life
Review: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a touching, coming of age story, about little Francie Nolan, growing up in poverty-stricken Brooklyn. I believe that what makes a novel a classic, is when it can be enjoyed and understood whether it is read one day after it is written or 50 years after it's release. Such is the case for Betty Smith's master piece. There isn't a lot of action and comotion in this novel, but there is a lot of life. It has it's moments of sadness, happiness and humor. There are issues that a young girl shouldn't have to deal with such as alcoholism, death...poverty but as in life the novel has it's ups and downs. It is impossible not to fall in love with delightful little Francie Nolan. A true relection of the highs and lows and the cracks and glitter of life.
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