Rating: Summary: Characters rich in flavor Review: I loved this book right from the outset. The setting was dismally great, the characters dismally wonderful. I guess I seem to enjoy books that are rather narrow in story but deep in interesting, and realistic people and places. If you're looking for a fun book ro read, buy this one. P.S. I liked it much better than Where the Heart Is.
Rating: Summary: a slice of Americana served up well Review: Letts does it again with this tale about the "Honk" a rundown roadside diner and the paraplegic Vietnam vet who lives there. When Vena Takes Horse, a drifter, arrives, his life changes for the better and so do all the Honk's regulars.The tale is sweet and reads well, with humor and sadness. This is what makes all of Letts' works so captivating. I look forward to whatever she produces next!
Rating: Summary: Average writer with an average book Review: You will probably read other reviews before you read mine, so you'll probably be updated with characters and main plot in this book. So I won't be bothering you with those again. I wrote these lines on a hot summer day, and suddenly it comes to me - this book is exactly that. This book is a gauntlet of pages which you'll read on a beach, or a porch, and next day forget all about it. Really poorly written (some may criticize me when I say 'poorly' but that's becouse they like rather plain language), with shallow, stereotypicall characters (like Hooks, and Life), and without single deeper tought (deep tought = something you can not reveal at a first glance wile reading the book). Only thing this book has is atmosphere, thus the three stars. So, in these hot sumer days, if you have nothing else to read, read this book.
Rating: Summary: Billie Letts does it again! Review: After reading Where the Heart Is I took a reallyyyy long time getting around to Honk and Holler. I thought surely there was no way to top her first effort, but I've happily been proven wrong. Caney, a paraplegic Vietnam vet; Vena Takes Horse, a lonely drifter; MollyO, a lonesome, under-appreciated mother on the verge of love; and Bui Kahn, a dangerously misplaced Vietnamese man waiting for this family, all get wound up in each other's lives under the glow of a neon sign reading The Honk and Holler Opening Soon. The sign is a town joke and 12-year-old mistake, but nevertheless, this diverse group of people comes to call the restaurant home and each other family. In traditional Letts style the characters of this story are vivid, engrossing, and endearing. So often a cast of peripheral characters can pale in comparison to the main characters that the book focuses on, but that's not the case with Honk. Each character feels as if they fit equally into the framework of the story. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is a journey through love, loss, struggle, triumph, and heartbreak but it never seems sappy or overdone....just real. If you've ever lived in a small town you'll likely identify with many of Letts' characters and situations, and even if you haven't lived the life of the story you'll recognize their individual worth and inner beauty.
Rating: Summary: Love and Forgiveness, Upbeat and Hopeful Review: My father left when I was about five, resurfacing on rare occasion, the last I remember being an exchange of letters when I was 18 or so and upset about something, and got the only tidbit of fatherly counsel I can recall: "A year from now," he wrote, "you'll look back at today's troubles and relish the experience." Honk and Holler is one year of small-town Oklahoma life sliced to include two Christmas seasons decorated with recycled tinsel. The stage is a struggling café where regular patrons and a happenstance staff nurture one another with their idiosyncrasies. The story opens with a diversity of troubles progressively divulged, some of which are more or less resolved with love and forgiveness, while others evolve. You will recognize most of the characters and their plights, if you have lived long enough, and if you haven't, sooner or later you will encounter them. Perhaps they are a bit quirkier than the ones you know, or will meet, because they have been embellished, made vibrant by a good storyteller. A year later the characters have settled some troubles, or so they think, and confront new worries. They are upbeat and hopeful; life goes on. It's a good read and, like my daddy wrote, you'll look back and relish the experience.
Rating: Summary: simply kindness Review: "Honk and Holler," like Billie Letts' first book, "Where the Heart Is," requires some suspension of disbelief. She creates characters from a broad range of ethnic and social backgrounds and shows that, by simply being kind to each other, they form a true community. At times, it looks like they will not succeed in coming together because there is too much prejudice, too much hurt tucked away in their pasts. Not every character is a ray of sunshine, and not every story in the book is tied up neatly at the end. But basic decency and kindness does win. This is one of those books where I am afraid to elaborate because I don't want to ruin the sweet little plot twists for anyone. My only recommendation is that, if you like books with good character development and you are feeling a bit down about the human race, get yourself some hot cocoa and a blanket and spend some time with this book. You'll almost certainly feel better soon.
Rating: Summary: NyC Style Review... Review: If this book has recieved some 1 star reviews I would understand why or at least hope I do. For me this book is confusing at times but once you adjust to who is who and what is going on you aren't too confused anymore. This book is kind of confusing because at times the author will start talking about one person and then suddenly switch over to talking about someone or something else. I like how Billie Letts slowly lets you meet each character and what they are all about and what is going on with them. Letts allows you to get into the chaacter's mind and almost truly feel what they are feeling. This is my first time reading anything by Letts but I think that Letts is a great author and has an amazing mind. She displays her amazing love for writing in my opinion with this book. She aso displays her amazi creativiy with some of the names given to her charcters in this book. She adds some spce to this book though with the Indian girl who is in this book. She does this with the name she gives that character and with what has gone through and what is going through. I think this novel is very good but just needs a little more action to it. Even though, I still think that this book is a good read and well worth buying.
Rating: Summary: Re: Shannon's review of The Honk and Holler Opening Soon Review: I have to agree with almost everything Shannon said. Just like her I only choose the book because it was on the list both of us had to make a choice from, but I really did start to enjoy it after a while. All the characters do seem very real. The setting is very fitting, even though not one I would have chosen. I don't think I would recommend the book to everyone looking for a book to read but anybody who likes real settings with real storys will enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Brandon's Review of Honk and Holler Opening Soon Review: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is a very good book that I found very intertaining. I really didn't think that I would like the book at all, I only choose it because it seemed the most enteresting off a list I had to read, but about half way through I started to enjoy reading it. All the characters are done very well and show lots of depth even though they are used in a very one sided manner. Caney, the owner of the Honk, is a ver deep and likable character who I thought I would really hate due to most handicap characters in books just being their to generate sympathy. Bui, the short order cook, is the character I found most likeable in the whole book. Bui really is the character that shows the depth that Billie Letts can put in her characters. In closing, I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for something different.
Rating: Summary: Re: to Beverley Strong : The Honk And Holler Opening Soon Review: I agree with Beverley's review. I ,also, really like the characters in The Honk And Holler Opening Soon. They all seem so true to life, you really get to know them. They're all so funny, sweet, angry, mean, and trustworthy.
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