Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the Paperback
Review: I was anticipating the arrival of book six...what a disappointment. First, take note that it does not pick up the story where we left of in the fifth book...it is confusing to stick this book in the middle of the series and make the reader go back in time. Could the font get any larger without being "large print"...huge margins = Karon didn't have time to write a full novel, but she wanted the money from one. Writing was ok, but clearly not as good as the past books. Disappointing...wait for the paperback if you buy it at all.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish that I could have given this one a zero!
Review: I have been an avid Mitford and Father Tim fan since the first wonderful volume. My disappointment in A Common Life is tremendous. why was this rerun even written? I sincerely hope that Jan Karon's Muse has not died. However, judging from this sappy retelling of a wedding that took place volumes ago her muse is indeed gone. I hope that it returns soon, for I am a true lover of all things Mitford. Jan, I sincerely wish that you could explain what has happened here.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money - wait for paperback
Review: I'm a huge fan of the Mitford series, and I have given copies of the first 5 books to several friends who now share my love of this wonderful series, but I was terribly disappointed by the brevity of this book. It's much too short to justify paying hardback book price - it's advertised at 208 pages, but if you discount the very wide margins, the double spacing of the text, and all the blank pages, one would end up with about 50 pages. I preordered the book but I should have waited to read the reviews on Amazon first!
Rating: 
Summary: Loved It!
Review: For anyone who has followed the delightful Mitford charachters, this book is a "must have." The wedding story is like a lovely slice of Esther Bolick's orange marmalade cake! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment - not up to par...
Review: ...okay, so Jan Karon said to expect a 'novella' rather than a full blown 'novel'. But, I found that this was a total letdown. The soul, richness and depth inherent in the other Mitford books is lacking in "A Common Life". Like many others, I preordered this book - not only for myself but for my mother and mother-in-law as well. I took my copy along on a trip to the UK, hoping that it would last me the trip - only took a few hours to read.Something else I missed - the wonderful illustrations that are so much a part of the earlier books. The bouquets throughout the book are nicely done, but I would have liked to see Cynthia, Fr. Tim, Dooley, Barnabas, etc. decked out in their wedding finery! Of course, most Mitford fans will purchase this book regardless - but I suggest you wait and get it at a much lower price. This book should have been list priced at less in my opinion. What a let down!
Rating:
Summary: A Charming and Beautiful Keepsake Book
Review: This was a charming and delightful keepsake book!! Beautifully presented!! We all love Mitford and Jan Karon, and yes, we always want more--- But, for those who are disappointed it was not longer and decided to be disparaging and trash the book because of its length and lack of chronology, I would like to make some points: This book was always promoted as a novella, for well over a year. Complaints that it is out of order, are to my reasoning, completely out of order themselves--I would much rather read this moving story out of order than not have the opportunity to read it at all. Those are our only choices, folks!! Future readers may of course read this between A Light in the Window and These High Green Hills. We can too, upon re-reading the series. I am delighted that Miss Karon has filled us in on this central, integral part of the Mitford saga. I especially liked the insight into each individual's personal trepidations/joys about love in his/her life, as well as the opinions of Tim and Cynthia's upcoming nuptials. Having read the series two times, I can say, this was not a rehashing of the previous stories. Miss Karon beautifully rounded out the characters we loved. We got a glimpse of their hearts in a way we never had before. Most importantly, she gave us exactly what we asked for, and exactly what she promised--"The Wedding Story". If one buys a book with that subtitle, please don't be surprised that is exactly what it is about. On a practical matter, it could not have been a continuation chronologically of the story unless Father Tim and Cynthia got married again. Now, we really wouldn't like that, would we? The format is beautifully done. I don't mind wide margins. Some of my favorite keepsake books and poetry and Christmas tomes all have wide margins. The fact is, there are exactly as many words as she wrote. If they were all scrunched into a small little cheap edition, people would also complain about that. A story about something so special deserves special treatment, which it got. It is of uniform size with the other harbacks, which is lovely for the bookshelf. The publishers have struck a good compromise. The story is the story, no matter how many pages they put it on. Most descriptions on line give the number of pages of a book, so maybe check that out, if you are unsure. I am disappointed that so many people are disappointed in such a negative way-- Why don't you give it another chance, and review it for what it IS, not for what it ISN'T. No one forced people to buy this book. There were ample ways to find out about content before purchase. If you are unsure, there is always the library. For the future--there are two books coming out this fall--A book of Father Tim's quotations and a little stocking stuffer about the Snowmen of Mitford. There have been numerous comments on this site that indicate people are already grousing that if those don't continue the story line, they are going to be upset. Sorry, get real!!! If it says it is a book of quotes, by George, it probably will be. Stocking stuffers about snowmen are probably not going to be in the league of War and Peace. Please inform yourself before purchase, but don't malign Miss Karon because she delivers exactly what was advertised. It just isn't fair! Many authors write in several different genres. Please be gracious enough to allow Miss Karon to do the same. It is her gift to do with as she desires. You are not required to buy her books. As in life, pick and choose what you like. My closing comment is really a question: For those who feel so negatively about this book, would you REALLY rather have not had the opportunity to read about the wedding? I was delighted and bought an extra copy as a gift--a gift of love. That is what this sweet little book is. I encourage others to give this special little treasure another look. Anita in Maryland
Rating:
Summary: A Common Life
Review: The day this book came out I was at the store when they opened. The only hardback books I own are the books in the Mitford Seris. I left the store holding my book like a treasure. Each and every one of my Mitford Books are like treasures to me. I was gravely disappointed in "A Commom Life." The richness of Jan's characterizations were missing. The story did not have the depth of her first five books. When I began reading this series I made a quote book noting pages that had beautiful passages that I wanted to make reference to later. These books, and their beautiful passages have helped me through some rough times. In reading " A Common Life" I only found 3 passages to add to my book. I knew before it came out what it was about, and that it would be a novella but Ms. Karon seems to have been under pressure to get this book out. The characters and story lack everything that the other books gave us. There seems to be a lot of commercialization going on here which is totally oppisite of her Mitford stories. How about the marketing of items at Hallmark?? Her new book that is coming out in fall is also going to be short, and be about the Mitford Snowmen sold exclusively at Hallmark. Will that book only be available at Hallmark>?? I would imagine so. Too bad that it seems that money instead of loyalty to fans seems to be a motivator for Ms. Karon
Rating:
Summary: A Common Life - A Big Disappointment
Review: I loved her other books but feel this book was put together just to have another book. A big disappointment to me.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was also disappointed by the book. Jan Karron will have two new "money makers" out in the fall - a Christmas story and Father Tim's book of quotes. Please Jan go back to the series!
Rating:
Summary: More than meets the eye...
Review: I had not yet received my copy of the book when I read the first few reviews posted. My only response after reading the book now is, what did you expect? I read the promotional material, and I knew the book was a step back in time, to cover the events of the wedding, so I was not disappointed. Far from it! I think the writing was up to the usual high standard - intimate, genuine, and thought-provoking in its own gentle way. Perhaps it's because I was a bride myself a few months ago, but the details of the events (especially the personal thoughts of others, like Dooley and Esther Bolick) made it more special and real. Jan Karon reminded us that a wedding is not just an event between two people - it affects the community. I don't know how much of the groundwork for this book was laid at an earlier time, but I think Ms. Karon did a beautiful job of capturing the personality of the characters at that time in their lives. Father Tim hadn't been through the lesson in the cave, and his thoughts and fears reflect this. Not an easy task, but well done here. Overall, I was very pleased with this book. It made me smile, and even laugh out loud several times, and the bottom line is that I felt like I had spent some time in Mitford. One last parting thought to those who were upset that this book didn't pick up where "A New Song" left off: isn't it possible that this book was needed to fill in some gaps so that you will understand events in the book to come?
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