Rating: 
Summary: A gripping and haunting tale
Review: Jean is a photographer who is researching a 100 year old "crime of the century". Overlaying the story of the murder of two women on a remote island off the Maine coast, with the unraveling of Jean's own marriage, Shreve examines jealousy, passion, adultery and guilt and brings the consequences of a person's actions vividly to life. The story of Maren, the lone eyewitness to the murders, is very powerfully written. There were times when I felt I was living on the island with her. The story of Jean's suspicions about her husbands faithfulness, though not as compelling, helped to create a feeling of despair and sorrow that was at times painful to read. At the start of the book, I found the alternating voices of the two different tales a bit off putting, but the story eventually grabbed me, and would not let go. I devoured the last half of the book in one sitting, and haven't stopped thinking about it since. This is my second book by Shreve, and I hope to read more. She is rapidly becomming one of my favorite authors.
Rating:
Summary: Contrasting torments
Review: This is a carefully crafted and technically excellent book that will appeal to fans of widely varying genres: literary fiction, historical fiction, romance... I was given this book some time ago as a gift by someone who knew my penchant for historical fiction; I must admit to not having read the rest of Anita Shreve's novels, so I don't know how typical or atypical this book is of her work. "The Weight of Water" is told in first person by two women: Jean, the insecure wife of a washed-up alcoholic poet, and Maren, an unhappy bride with secrets ranging from the obscene to the deadly. It is perhaps a backhanded compliment to Shreve's writing skills that she managed to make Maren the more sympathetic character, at least for this reader. This is a highly situational novel that actually tells the separate stories of two dull and shaky marriages: that of Jean and Thomas Janes in our time, and that of Norwegian immigrants Maren and John Hontvedt in the 1870s. The gap of time between the two tales is bridged by Jean's discovery of Maren's handwritten notes explaining what really happened the night of a vicious 1873 axe murder on Smuttynose Island, a murder that Jean, as a photojournalist, is visiting the island to report on. Maren's story is interspersed with Jean's: the two women speak for themselves and while Jean injects a mass of historical detail into the overall story, she never paraphrases Maren's words. Maren's story is one of love and loss: Jean's, one of insecurity and jealousy. Maren shows us what led to her loveless marriage to John Hontvedt, her anguish at the thought of emigrating from Norway, her disappointment at her first glimpse of her new home, and just what a detestable shrew her spinster sister Karen really was. Jean also shows us a catalogue of her own disappointments, all of which seem to have been brought to the forefront by the trip to Smuttynose. Jean and Thomas and their daughter Billie have sailed there on a boat belonging to Thomas' brother-in-law Rich, who brings along his girlfriend, the seductive and well-spoken Adaline. In fact it is Adaline's attractiveness that seems to accentuate all of Jean's feelings of inadequacy: she's instantly jealous, afraid Thomas and Adaline are having sex when she's not around. At the same time she's disappointed by the boredom that characterizes their marriage, a boredom that may be to blame for Thomas' artistic burnout and that she both feels guilty for, and resents Thomas for feeling. The difference between the two women, in my mind, was that where Maren was led to madness by the buildup of a series of tangible pressures - her uprooting from Norway, her 5 years living in a foreign wilderness, her forbidden passions and perhaps most of all her infuriating sister - Jean mostly just comes across as paranoid and whiny. But we don't have to like a book's characters to enjoy the stories they tell, and this is a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: SPOILER ALERT.
Review: I bought this in the Parisian airport for my long flight from CDG to Atlanta and left it in the seat pocket. I only finished it to get my 15 Euros worth. Lesbianism that you can see from a mile away--was that supposed to be some plot twist?--a drowning kid, and the husband wasn't cheating. That sums it up. Sorry, but I fail to see why this woman is considered such a great writer. The novel drags and the plot twists are too easy to see in advance.
Rating:
Summary: Moody and atmospheric story within a story.
Review: I have read a number of Anita Shreve's books, and "The Weight of Water" resembles her other works in several ways. Shreve relies heavily on the atmosphere of the New England coast to set the mood of her novels. In "The Weight of Water," the setting is the Isles of Shoals, an archipelago near the coast of New Hampshire. The rocky and forbidding landscape, with its harsh weather and sudden squalls, is a mirror of the characters' stormy and often destructive feelings and actions. "The Weight of Water" follows a few days in the life Jean and Thomas Janes, a married couple who have become insecure in their relationship with one another. They, along with their young daughter Billie, are on a boat belonging to Rich, Thomas's brother, and Adaline, Rich's girlfriend. Jean, a photographer, is on assignment, taking photographs of a site on the Isles of Shoals where two Norwegian immigrant women were brutally murdered in 1873. Jean finds a diary written by a survivor of the murder, and this diary serves as a backdrop for the events of the present time. The story of the Norwegian woman who survives the murders, Maren Christensen Hontvedt, is a compelling one. Maren emigrates to America reluctantly with her husband, John. Shreve, through Maren's diary, beautifully portrays Maren's emotional torment as she leaves her native land and sets up house in this inhospitable climate. Later, Maren and John are joined by other members of their families. How did Maren's sister-in-law and sister come to be brutally murdered one horrible night? Shreve gives her own interpretation to these events, and it is ghastly as well as mesmerizing. The "main" story of Thomas and Jean cannot compete with the "secondary" story of Maren and her family in terms of emotional resonance and intensity. Still "The Weight of Water" is notable for Shreve's mapping of the landscape of the Isle of Shoals as well as of the human heart. Why do we destroy ourselves and others? How much suffering can we take before we snap? Shreve is an expert at dissecting the fragile heart of a woman. This book is a companion piece to "The Last Time They Met," Shreve's latest novel, since both books deal with the life of Thomas Janes.
Rating:
Summary: A Quick and Easy Read!
Review: This was a very enjoyable book. I read it in about two days. The plot was pretty suspenseful, and the way it was written really hooks you in and makes you want to keep on reading! I liked the historical references and murder-mystery plot, and I found the fictional parts of the novel to be interesting as well. I find the author to be a very good writer and look forward to reading more books by Anita Shreve. If I could change one thing about the book, it would be to make the transition between the fictional character Jean's thoughts and the historical character Maren's tale a bit more seamless. At times the switchover was very choppy and abrupt, without even a change of paragraph. Of course, perhaps the author wrote it this way because she was trying to show how intertwined and tangled-up Jean was becoming in Maren's tale, and how Jean couldn't separate her own emotional angst from the historical character's due to the fact that she identified so closely with her. This book was about love, jealousy, choices, and betrayal (but not in the way that you'd think!). I believe many women would enjoy this book and I recommend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: Still memorable the second time around!
Review: I read this novel when it first came out six years ago but had to reread it if I wanted to have a proper discussion about it during my book club meeting. Reading this book was a great reminder of how riveting it was to me when I first read it. Anita Shreve writes hauntingly beautiful books about important moments in our lives. The Weight of Water is a bewitching tale that without a doubt rings a bell in every woman's life. Instead of addressing the suspense and the poignant tale of family struggles, I grasped the protagonist's worries about infidelity this time. Hasn't every woman imagined her loved one having an affair? Maren had seen the signs and been absolutely sure that she was cheated on. Is it instinct or paranoia? Anita weaves these feelings in amidst a haunting tale of murder and intrigue during the 1800's. I have read all of Anita's books, but this one is by far one of my favorites. I found it hard to put down and the characters' emotions spoke to me. Shreve makes me care about her characters. There were times I wished I could reach into the book and shake some sense into Maren. The historical references and suspenseful plot add appeal to this irresistible novel. The Weight of Water is still riveting and memorable the second time around. I cannot recommend this beautiful novel enough!
Rating:
Summary: Normal Shreve Novel
Review: I have read several Anita Shreve novels. This one is like all the others a real good quick entertaining read. Nothing complicated about it just a good story. I have read better but I like when I need a break from more complicated authors to pick up a Shreve book. I liked Resistance the best our of her novels so far.
Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL
Review: Just could not get through this book!!!loved the pilots wife but this just dragged and dragged...sounded good but just couldn't read it
Rating: 
Summary: An okay summer read
Review: Anita Shreve's "The Weight of Water" Tells the story of Jean, a Boston freelance photographer hired to shoot a photo essay of famous 19th century murders. The novel also parallels Jean story with that of Maren the only survivor of the murder. Jean immediately identifies with Maren's bleak life and unhappy marriage. This is a very difficult book to review without giving away any plot points, I find it very hard to draw parallels between Maren's and Jean's life - except for the fact that they both fail to appreciate the value of what they have. The real link between the two women is their incredible selfishness. I have been a big fan of Anita Shreve's work since "Sea Glass," but didn't feel that her ability to make me sympathize with the characters showed itself in this work.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Page Turner!
Review: I could not get through this book.
Ended up skimming through it to find the juice...BORING! Another yuppie soap-opera about infidelity with a twist, ha ha - gee it's on a boat.
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