Rating: Summary: A true classic Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn starts slowly, but gradually pulls you into the mind of the wonderful Francie Nolan. And the other characters are great: Neeley, Katie, Johnny, Aunt Sissy, Evie, and the rest. What a heartwarming story! My favorite part is when Francie and Neeley talk about how their sister Laurie will be missing all the fun.This is a great book which you shouldnÂ't miss!!!!
Rating: Summary: Great Selection For Book Groups Review: In an effort to move away from books that are published to appeal to women's book groups, we decided to select a classic. No wonder "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" has endured! This book was so far ahead of its time, it pleases me no end to imagine that school students are still reading it and finding meaning in it. I would be hard put to decide which of the well-defined characters would actually be my favorite character. I think I will carry Francie Nolan, her mom, Katie and her aunts in my heart always. I also loved the way Johnny Nolan's alcolholism was treated. The author was so wise to just tell the story and not moralize as would be the temptation. The same can be said of the poverty of the people. It simply spoke for itself. I will simply never forget this book.
Rating: Summary: Great book!! Review: I was assigned to read this book for school, and thought it would be dull, despite its good reviews. As it turns out, it really interested me about New York during the time of World War I, and it was really hard for me to put it down. I reccomend it to any one of any age.
Rating: Summary: The "Tree" stays ever-green Review: It's wonderful that Betty Smith's classic "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is still being read enthusiastically. Betty Smith's character Francie Nolan is autobiographical. The detail with which Smith recreates life in a poor section of Brooklyn is memorable and meticulous: the small details such as dinner after dinner of fried eggs with onions (eggs and onions being what the family could afford) are reminscent of "Angela's Ashes." Francie is spirited, bright and unquenchable and it's this spirit that has inspired young readers for decades. Smith was able to write autobiographically while fictionalizing the events sufficiently to create a novel. This is a marvelous writing. I enjoyed reading it again to study the skill with which Smith blended the ability to recreate her past in detail, yet keep the writing spare and fresh. This is great fiction.
Rating: Summary: You feel as if you are Francie Review: I got this book off a reading list and put it on my own for the summer. This book is amazing. You feel as if you are a child in New York. Smith describes so well the life of a poor family scraping by in turn of the century Brooklyn. How much things were changing and things needed to get by in the world, not as much as we would like to think. I so enjoyed reading about Frnacie's life, I didn't want the book to end, and that generally means a good story.
Rating: Summary: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Amazing! Review: This book is so wonderful. THe author describes the life of the Nolans so well, you feel as if you are actually there, experiencing the things she describes. You are happy for Francie during the good times, sad during the bad. This book will make you laugh, cry, and really help you to get your priorities straight. It is a classic, and should be in every home in the country. By not reading it, you are depriving yourself of an amazing experience. It is great reading for teenagers as well as adults, although the readers should be mature enough to truly grasp the story's meaning. I know some 13-year-olds who get more out of this story than some 30-year-olds. Like I said, it all depends on maturity. To wrap this up, I believe that this is an amazing book, and everyone should read it at least once at some point in their lives.
Rating: Summary: a book every girl should read Review: This book is a wonderful treat, with a very poignant message to anyone who reads it. I think it's the perfect book for any pre-teen girl, and the lessons it teaches will stay with you forever. Every young girl should have this in her collection, to reflect on, and to grow with.
Rating: Summary: i didnt read it Review: i think it was really good, from the reviews i saw
Rating: Summary: a sour pickle of a book Review: Much like Franny, when all else seems dull and I can't get up the effort to read anything, this book is my sour pickle to suck on. Its a great read and a terrific re-read that always energizes me to start reading books again. A terrific look at a poor family in Brooklyn, NY at the turn of the century; a Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a classic novel of hope and imagination. Betty Smith is a fab. writer.
Rating: Summary: okay Review: i guess it was okay. it wasn't the best, but it wasn't a waste of time.
|