Rating: 
Summary: I just can't believe this crappy novel won a Pulitzer Prize!
Review: The reasons this novel sucked were many and varied:It was unbelievably, maddeningly slow-paced. The plot and characters were all very boring. The author switches back and forth in time, causing confusion to the reader. The author switches tenses; also confusing. Even for that time period the characters names were all stupid except Daisy. There was very little dialogue and much dull, overblown narration. The novel's pretension and silly names reminded me painfully of a Toni Morrison novel. I wasn't surprised that the audiobook was opened and closed by the stodgy puffed-up voice of George Guidall, but I was disappointed that the usually wonderful Alyssa Bresnahan narrated this colossal waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: All the warmth of a rock, strange style, but well written
Review: The first book I read by Carol Shields was "Larry's Party" which announced it was by the author of "The Stone Diaries", so I set off to hunt that book down, especially when I learned it was a Pulitzer Prize winner. I eventually located a Large Print edition, so don't know if the problems I had with this book were due to the discomfort a normally sighted person has in reading Large Print, or with the way the story was written. I suspect it was the latter. I remember reading in "how to write" books that you must choose your viewpoint and stick to it. Carol Shields bravely decided to flout that advice and instead changed her viewpoint from first to third person with dizzying abandon, making me realise the "how to" people are probably right. From the opening scene of Daisy Stone Goodwill's birth being told in the first person by the neonate, (how could she possibly know what her mother went through, since the mother died in unassisted childbirth?) I knew reading this book would present a challenge. Was I willing to accept it? Well, based on its prize-winning reception and my enjoyment of "Larry's Party", I pushed on. This book is the tale of Daisy Goodwill's life - from her unusual and unfortunate birth, through her adolescence, marriage, motherhood and old age. I'm not sure if she is a real person - the copy of the book I read contained many photographs of various people, purported to be children, grandchildren, friends, her parents, husband, etc., but none were of Daisy. It was full of information about masonry, letters, lists, recipes, and from her career as a gardening columnist, lots of gardening advice, but somehow, for me it lacked substance. I came out of it thinking, Okay, this woman had an eventful entry into the world, had a nice little family and had an interesting time with her gardening ... so? I might have been more satisfied had it claimed to be a biography (or autobiography), but a novel? Or maybe I completely missed the point. What did the Pulitzer Prize judges see that I missed? However, above all this is Carol Shield's beautifully descriptive writing, whatever the viewpoint, and that counts for much. And for the fact that my copy of the book announced it was by the author of "The Republic of Love". A much more satisfying book. I would give this 5 out of 10, but can only give it 2 out of 5.
Rating: 
Summary: The life story of a woman... enjoyed by a man
Review: I have no intention of being sexist when I say this, but this is a woman's book. Simply put, it tells the complete life story of a woman entirely from a woman's point of view. However basic I have made it sound, I do want to impress upon you that I was taken by its style nonetheless. It changes and matures with the main character until in the end as Daisy is growing senile, the writing becomes obscure. Her death is told in an 'obituary' format of sorts. I loved this idea. Even though I am not a woman, it helped me get into the character's head and 'live' her life just as she experienced it. Good writing. Worth a Pulitzer prize..? What else was written that year? I'll have to check.
Rating:
Summary: A Pulitzer prize winner?
Review: I have from time to time had friends who were aspiring to be great writers give me stories of their's to read. A common flaw with these works is that they often don't really have a story in mind, but are seeking to impress the reader with their wonderful sentences and elaborate metaphors. Stone Diaries seems to be an homage to that kind of writing. It is very clever and artsy, but very little of interest really goes on. Personally, I find the book over-written, and the style tedious. I also found that the writing style served to deaden any emotional impact the story might be trying to have. For example, when Mercy is found dead in the kitchen, the narrative rambles on about how the napkins were folded, or some such similar trivia. It's almost as if Sheilds were trying to prevent people from feeling involved in the book, or perhaps that the reader is supposed to stand at a distance and admire the artistry. I guess this style appeals to some people. I would say that you should be able to tell if you are going to like it or not after about 3 pages.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but Not that Good.
Review: It was technically well written, but the narrative is annoying. I wanted more dialogue. A lot of things were left unexplained. And when they were finaly explained, it was too late. Like Barker, you dont even find out how he died until Alice's theory in 'Sorrow'(chapter 7), when he actually died somewhere between Chapter 5 and 6. Carol Shields didnt give the reader enough information or detail when you want or need to know it. Instead, she waits until it doesnt matter any more. It didnt take me away from the world, books should grab your imagination, and take you away to another place or time. It would have been better if the book was written from Daisy's perspective, not how she thought other people perceived her. From the title, you would expect it to be like an actual diary, instead it is a bunch of thoughts on paper, about and from any random character. It wasnt a complete waist of time, but its not a book I would recomend anyone read in the near future, or that I will ever read again.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple story, Complex characters
Review: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Vintage Books 1993 Carol Shields has won several prizes for this book including the Governors General's Award for Fiction in 1993. This beautifully written story follows Daisy Goodwill throughout her life, her birth, her marriages, her death. It is a simple story but filled with wonderful characters who lead complex but mostly unfulfilled lives. Daisy's mother dies within minutes of her birth and while this fact is never faced directly by Daisy, it seems to be an essential aspect of her longing for fulfillment. Each member of the four generations of Daisy's family is treated with compassion and sensitivity. Even her spiteful and miserly father-in-law, Magnus Flett, manages to redeem himself by living to be115 years old and memorizing the whole of Jayne Ayre. Men do not come of well in this story but then neither do the women. A major theme throughout the story is the conflict between interior life and exterior life. The often rich interior life is never quite matched by reality and prevents any real happiness from bursting through the plodding heavy duty of their lives. In the end, sorting through Daisy's possessions we see the inconsequential nature of most of what we bring with us. The book is filled with beautiful language and striking images. I enjoyed the book immensely.
Rating:
Summary: Very mixed!
Review: At times, this was an enjoyable, very interesting journey through one woman's life, through each decade of the 1900s. At others, it becomes a little odd, with the tangents about some of the other family members and distant relatives. The writing style switches narrators and tenses quite often, until at the final pages there was a reference made in the first person by a narrator whose name I did not even know. It's never a confusing book, just sometimes frustrating. Overall, the journey through the lives of the characters is special and I did not feel the lesser for having read it.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best books I ever came across............
Review: This book gives one an incredible insight into the human psyche. Existencial questions are asked and looked upon from various standpoints. I enjoyed this book almost as much as "Indipendent people" by Halldor Laxness! Now I have ordered all the other books by Carol Shields. She certainly is a skilled and wise author.
Rating:
Summary: A really good book.
Review: And I can't understanding those who seemed almost afraid of what they seem to see as the ordinariness of Daisy's life. I thought it was page-turner --I neglected my own house work, exercise class and garden to read it until my eyes got tired. The characters were interesting -- especially the old father-in-law. I especially liked the way the characters experienced sudden changes that sent them in entirely new directions. This book doesn't provide easy, pop-psychology explanations for human behavior and emotions. I like that very much. It was extremely well-written too. Creative, "literary", but not limited to an arty audience.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I cannot for the life of me understand how this book won any prize, much less the Pulitzer. The only redeeming quality I found were words that made you want to eat them with a spoon. But, sorry, I need more substance in my diet.
| 
