Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother.
Review: I never bothered to read the middle. The ending was ridiculous and dumb; it was also depressing and made me wonder why we couldn't have a happier ending after the heroine had improbably survived several violent episodes. The beginning sounded too much like a sex and shopping novel, and the sex described sounded anatomically impossible. Too bad, because it might have been an interesting book if it had been less trendy and less materialistic.
I am once again thankful that I check out the endings to see if the book is worth reading. I find that a good book is still good when I know whodunnit or what happens.
Rating:
Summary: In this case, see the movie first
Review: Peter Hoeg displays some original insights during the reflective moments of this novel, however, this is neither a 'thriller' nor is it purposeful. As is often the case with poor storytellers, you never get a feel for where this story is going, and that alone makes for evenings of masochism with this book. I rate this as the worst book I read in 1997; Joseph Heller's 'Something Happened' was a close second
Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book.
Review: I can't remember when a character has touched me so deeply. I was filled with admiration for Smilla, her tenacity, her guts, her ability. I am sure the book goes down better for those who appreciate science fiction, not just because of the plot maguffin (which might easily be tomorrow's science fact) but for the notion that there are among us individuals with special gifts that can, given the right circumstances, make all the difference
Rating: 
Summary: A Book for those with lots of patience...
Review: For the most part, I enjoyed this book. But at 499 ice-and-darkness filled pages, it was a bit too long. I also found myself constantly flipping back and forth to understand what was going on in this mystery...the names and dates got a little confusing, but maybe I'm just culturally illiterate. Smilla herself was an interesting duck, but images of Julia Ormond kept flashing through my mind, spoiling her tough, self sufficient character. The end of this book was terrible! After slogging through hundreds of pages of scientific and oilfield-type data, I ended up with worms and a meteorite...what was Peter Hoeg thinking? I give this book a 6 for the great, new heroine and the interesting first half of this story. However, this isn't a book for skimmers, or those with light reading pleasure in mind
Rating: 
Summary: First half is great, Second half is horrible
Review: Once you get used to the time shifts in the plot, the book is engrossing. Unfortunately, just around that time the plot falls apart and goes way downhill leaving you with an ending that is disappointing. Not worth the time
Rating:
Summary: Translator Tiina Nunnally improved on Hoeg's style!
Review: All the other reviewers of this book should realize that they were reading the words of translator Tiina Nunnally, not Peter Hoeg. He wrote it in Danish. The translation won an award from the American Translators Association for the best translation of the previous two years.
Hoeg's book, however, left a lot to be desired. I read it both in Danish and in English, and it's a shame that Tiina Nunnally wasn't allowed to fix all the holes in the plot. The first third was extremely interesting, but as soon as Smilla got on the ship for Greenland, the plot started to fall apart. And the finale! You'd have to research the annals of 20s pulp science fiction for a more unbelievable ending. I think Hoeg just got tired and gave up trying in the last half of the book. He should have stayed in Copenhagen.
Smilla was not a believable female character for me either. But she was still a lot better than Julia Ormond's movie version, who spent most of her screen time in endless closeups of her in various fashionable outfits (and non-PC ivory jewelry) that the book's Smilla wouldn't have been caught dead in. Movie rating: Turkey.
If you liked this book, don't bother with his other ones; this one is by far his best effort to date.
Rating: 
Summary: How many emotions can Peter Hoeg make me feel?
Review: Wow! Smilla - What a gal! Now, if I had been Smilla, I would have died early on in the book.
Of course, as a woman reading this book, I have to put myself in the place of Smilla. This was not an easy thing to do. I related. I didn't. I hated and then in total admiration, I was awed by her courage, coolness and quick assessments of some pretty hairy situations. The fact that a man is choosing to depict a woman, especially as the central character, gives me many things to wonder about. I can say with assurance that Smilla is not like any woman I have met so far, although she does remind me somewhat of my former neighbor who could make me feel several ranges of emotions in a sitting of ten minutes or less. Just as I was ready to give up completely on Ms. Jaspersen, she revealed herself to be a very knowledgeable person on snow and ice and a few other things. I was amazed at her levelheaded handling of several near death experiences. Eventually, she wooed me to the end which I was not ready for and even though I knew better, I turned the page in hopes her story was not over
Rating:
Summary: 50 words for snow
Review: never knew there was somuch to know about snow.Gruesome,pittoresque and could't-stop-reading-but-had-to book.It took me longer than I had expected to read the book, because Hoeg's style is quite difficult. But since the story was so well developed I wanted to finish the book; I had to. Try reading Borderliners, by the same author; very gruesome
Rating:
Summary: Turgid
Review: Eager to read of places and cultures I know so little about, I was disappointed to be introduced to such an unsympathetic, arrogant creature as Smilla--whether or not she has a sense of snow! Perhaps I am missing something in the translation from the Danish, but I could not complete this book because its major character irritated me more and more with each turned page. Maybe this will be one of those rare stories that do better in film
Rating:
Summary: A man's image of a woman's mind
Review: I found this book to be very well written. Peter Hoeg's use of lanuage was wonderful. As an english major in collage I am very particular about what I read. I was kept interested through out the entire novel. And recommended it to several people.
However, I was bothered by Smilla. I don't know any women who would act the way she does, or who focus their attention on what she does. I think Peter Hoeg missed on that account. I was very aware through out that this was a man's image of a woman's mind.
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