Rating: 
Summary: Weight of life
Review: Through the story of Walter, who wants to be a great ballet dancer, Hamilton explores the notions of family and friendship, and like the movie "In the Gloaming", it's more about the aftermath of a death in the family than about the death itself. When Walter's brother dies young, his entire family, as well as Walter's own friends, are affected in ways even they don't anticipate. Hamilton's writing is eloquent, although sometimes she veers into being tedious and saccharine, but overall the story is marvelous in its depth, pacing, and ideas. I can certainly see where some readers would be put off by the almost plodding nature of the storyweaving, but it takes on a rhythm of its own, and lends a semblance of grace to the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was very wary of this book because so many of the reviews were negative. I decided to read it only because I found it cheap in a second hand store. I'm glad I did. I thought it a much better book than A Map of the World (the only other of hers I have read). The lead character is, at times, detached and lacking in warmth but the book, overall, was beautiful, thought provoking and incredibly sad. There is a line where Walter says he feels 'erased' by society. You don't have to be gay to understand that! At the end of the book he says something like "I am among you", and I thought, "Yes, you are!" For those who read for more than entertainment, this book comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: More Than a Story About a Boy From a Small Town
Review: Walter McCloud is boy who has had to suffer the suppression and unjust treatment of living in a small community. Then why does he move to a small community to live when he's older? In an age where urbanisation seems to be the only safe-haven for gay men Walter is trying to achieve a normalcy amidst a world that has pre-labelled him abnormal. But it is not a gay-story (though that is a big part of the story). It is a tale of a young man trying to find his place in society and in his own family. Small town life is a major theme of Ms Hamilton's. What I think she is trying to get at is a desire of people in society today to achieve a state of normalcy that is almost a parody of what the ideal notion of normal is. It's trying to act and live in a way that is domestic and provincial in the face of a world that is continually pushing toward globalisation. The touching thing about Walter is that he has experienced many feelings that so many of us can relate to. The scenes between he and his brother dying of Hodgkin's Disease are some of the most intimate because the feelings portrayed are layered with hate and love. Also his secret desire for his childhood best friend is moving for anyone who has experience unrequited love. Sometimes the movement in time and range of characters will threaten to make you lose your place in the narrative, but the relationships Walter shares with others strike me a truly complex in his desire to leave them and become them simultaneously.
Rating: 
Summary: What happened??
Review: I loved the book of ruth, and liked A map of the world, but what was this?? I don't understand what Ms. Hamilton was trying to say here, what message she was trying to get across. If all homosexual men are this "eccentric" to put it nicely, then fine. But somehow I doubt all people living an alternative lifestyle would want to be portrayed in such a petty, pish-poshy. whiny manner. I did not find the characters to be believable or true. The only character who had any personality was Walter, the main character and narrator, and him I despised. I tried for two weeks to get through this book and found I could not. So, I gave up (something I never do!). I also RARELY leave negative reviews, especially for an author who has had so many successful works. But, forget about having to "life the life" of a gay man as some of the other reviewers have stated. This book is impossible to suck down. It is not one of her best. Long winded and whiny, it is a chore to read. Buy some of her others, you wont be disappointed with those.
Rating:
Summary: courage to be who you are
Review: this book is one of the best books i have ever read. and not just because jane hamilton is a great writer. i read this book while a lot of things were going on around me and it helped me through. i know it sounds cheezy, but it really helped me. it helped me accept who i am, and who i want to be. this book literally saved my life.
Rating:
Summary: I guess you had to live it to appreciate it
Review: For those readers who said they found the book lacking insight or compassion, all I can say is, I guess you had to live it to appreciate it. I went through a similar experience as Walter, and was astonished at how accuratelly she captured the highs and lows of being a confused teenager experiencing romance for the first time. How an adult heterosexual woman could so honestly express the feelings of a gay teenage male is nothing short of miraculous. It takes nothing but insight to pull that off. Granted, I am biased. Not only did I relate to Walter much more than others, but I had not read any of Hamilton's previous works to compare "Short Prince" to. But I urge others to give it another read and try to realize just how marvelous a job Hamilton actually did.
Rating:
Summary: Where were you when you matured?
Review: A riveting story that is a departure from her other female-centered novels, "The Short History of a Prince" may be Jane Hamilton's broadest work. While many readers and reviewers have noted Walter's sexuality as a central piece, I find the fact he is gay to be the least vital part of his character. This book winds together Walter's past and present to allow him to plot his course to the future. We the readers become aware of the components that make this man tick at the same time he reaches self-realization. We hate him for his flaws--his ego, his lust and his denial about his brother's illness. But we also grow through his awareness of these faults in himself. We feel his pain as he travels through life as an outsider. And we cheer his discovery of his rightful place in this world. While Jane Hamilton always has an underdog central character, Walter deviates from the norm. Other characters both pity and loathe him, as he does himself, but we see him grow. In my opinion, this is Jane Hamilton's finest work. Walter is flawed, but who isn't? The fact we seem him flawed and as a work in progress gives hope to all.
Rating:
Summary: Clever and moving
Review: This is an excellent effort from an author who should definitely keep those books coming. Among its many strengths are a structure which keeps us very much aware of the passage of time. The writing has a subdued tone that is bitterly effective. The characters do seem a little pallid as we watch the present timeline melt away under the pressure of the past, but don't we all feel helpless in the face of time occasionally? Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Beautiful Story
Review: This novel is one of my favorites of the last year. Hamilton uses a unique storytelling technique weaving together her narrative by alternating between the past and present. This technique makes the story very engrossing and hard to put down. Although one does not have to be an artist or gay to enjoy this novel, I feel that if you can relate to either of those things this story has added resonance. This story reminded me what it was like to be a teenager -- full of angst, dreams and passion. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly ambitious
Review: I had the privelige of meeting Jane Hamilton at my school in April and hearing her read from the book she will be releasing this fall. At that point I hadn't read anything of hers and my friends said this was the most disappointing of her work, but I am amazed by it. How brave of her to write from this point of view. She has the skill of pointing out base truths about people, and her skill in developing characters just as much as they need to be developed shows that she knows where to hold back. I always found myself wanting to see more of Daniel, but relegating him to the back shows that the story is about Walter and how he deals with the people and circumstances around him. A lesser writer would take advantage of the opportunity to dramatize Daniel's illness and suffering. Hamilton's diction is at sometimes thick, but always humorous and true. Altogether, this book follows an intriging path through the 70's and the 90's that knows where to start and stop with character development, plot, and time.
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