Rating: 
Summary: Annoying
Review: This book starts out with lovely phrases, but the more pages I turned, the more distracted and annoyed I became by Shreve's abrupt transitions and lack of credible plot. To wit: During the entire book Jean suspects her husband of adultery, but in a casual half-sentence at the end apparently she's wrong. To wit: There's nothing revealed of Maren's personality that would lead her to actually kill two women, much less in such a manner. To wit: In spite of Shreve's promise, there's little evidence that either woman was pushed to the edge, either emotionally or through events.Shreve betrays the reader because her big climax seems like an after-thought. More detail is devoted to Adaline's falling overboard than to Billie's drowning. Without details, and having it happen "off stage," Shreve robs Billie's death of all meaning. I felt as though I was re-reading the Pilot's Wife--clever young daughter, distraught/numb/obsessed mother, betraying/distant husband, beach and water, doubts, suspicions, mysterious Irish woman, sudden dispassionate resolution of plot, and petering-off-ending. I'm done with Shreve. Back to Ursula Hegi for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing, if Nothing Else
Review: I read 40 or so pages into this book and decided I wasn't interested enough to finish it. Then over the course of a couple of weeks I started another book, but found myself thinking about this story. I came back to The Weight of Water and finished it immediately. I found the details leading up to the historical murder to be fascinating. It was hard to follow the author when she switched between the historical portion and the modern story of her book. I would read a paragraph or two thinking I was one place, and irritatingly discover the other character was in fact narrating. I don't see where Jean was pushed to the edge, especially as compared so directly to Maren! I was disappointed with the ending of Jean's story and was left wanting for a couple of missing details. Lastly, I didn't find Jean to be all that interesting of a character. I was interested in the progression of her marriage, but not really feeling for her individually like I did Maren. I liked this book in spite of my review, mostly because of Maren's story. This was a quick, easy book to read: a weekender. I would read another book by Anita Shreve; I found her use of language to be so beautiful. I would bookmark particular passages just to read again later, because they place you in the exact feeling she describes. That alone was worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Another Shreve...
Review: This was not one of my favorite Shreve novels, perhaps because of its jumpy nature or bizarre ending, or maybe becuase I felt no empathy for the main characters. However, no Shreve novel is without its strong points, and The Weight of Water is well worth the time to read. Jean is a photographer on assignment to capture a deserted island known for its role in the history of an ancient murder. Along with her husband, daughter, brother-in-law and his girlfriend, they spend an unforgetable weekend aboard a rather small vessel. The end is shocking, and certainly not welcome, not at all what I was expecting to happen. Perhaps this is Shreve's intention, for I'm sure the reader is left feeling reminents of the same feelings that Jean must have felt. Overall, it was another wonderul Shreve novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Weight Of Water
Review: A wonderful story. Sorry to have it end. SO much better than the "Pilots Wife."
Rating: 
Summary: Worse then Jane Hamilton's books,
Review: I finished this book only because it was going to be discussed in my book group. It has all the elements of a book I would avoid, a disgusting sexual relationship between brother and sister, ax murders, and the death of a child. If that isn't all bad enough, the murderer felt that God helped them comes up with the lies about the murders. The author goes back and forth in time, but when she is in the present time she writes facts about the murder trial in present time. One line she is talking about what is going on, on the boat, then we are back at the trial. This switching happens all the time and is very distracting, she could have at least used a different type when she switched, or spaced a line.
Rating:
Summary: breathtaking, an ingenious quick read...
Review: One of the best things I ever bought from amazon.com, this book looks at three key things: Feminism, Deception, Murder. Put these three things together and you have THE WEIGHT OF WATER, a weight so heavy you can't bear to have it on you. This is what writer Jean (Something, Something) discovers when she, her daughter, her husband, her brother-in-law, and her brother-in-law's girlfriend, travel to Smuttynose Island. Here she researches the events behind a famous murder that took place on the island and how when emotion and hate mix in one, every last bit of peace is wrecked. As we look at letters from an alternate time line from the survivor of the murders, we see that in a way the events that took place on the island are slowly taking place in reality when Jean starts believeing her poet husband may be having an affair with her brother in law's girlfriend Adaline... However, Sensational description and strong lead characters can not help the fact that the male characters are weak as well as some dialogue. A great quick read for all busy mothers.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite historical fiction
Review: Shreve is poetic, but the storyline of Weight of Water is silly and farfetched. I loved the description of the emotions felt by Maren the Norwegian immigrant as she lands on the desolate island of Smuttynose in the 1870's. I hated the back-and-forth between Maren's story and the present day. The attempt at parellelism didn't work, and ruined the story. The contemporary characters were annoying and the ending of the book is ridiculous. Readers should understand the real history of the Smuttynose murders. The Weight of Water would have been better if it simply raised speculation of a different set of circumstances around the murders and let the reader decide. Instead, Shreve implicates a real person who, now in their grave, was most likely an innocent victim of a miserable life.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this really the edge?
Review: I'm kind of at a loss as to how to start-this was definitely a unique book. I don't think I've read another quite like it. The author took a true murder story and built this novel around it, adding a parallel story of a current day character. I liked that. Although the transitions (or lack thereof) between the murder plot and the modern plot were quick and without warning, I did finally get used to it. The book kept me interested - I did look forward to picking it back up. I didn't, however, see the main character as being "pushed to the edge," nor did I see the climax on the boat as being something that she, ultimately, was responsible for. I felt a little betrayed by the very ending - I didn't feel that such a dramatic conclusion was necessary. I would suggest for anyone considering reading this book, that they check up on the actual historical accounts of the Smuttynose murders. It adds to the experience of reading the book, knowing that some of the characters were real people.
Rating:
Summary: A beautifully written book!
Review: I loved this book! I am amazed at the author's ability to write from the perspective of a woman living in the 1800's - The writing flowed so nicely. This book was full of suspense, intrigue and emotion. I was captivated by both the main characters - Jean and Maren - The ending for both main characters suprised me! I strongly recommend reading this book!
Rating:
Summary: Twin stories in spirit
Review: Anita Shreve's "Weight of Water" is no ordinary murder mystery. At its core is, of course, an old murder mystery just waiting to be dredged up for re-examination based on the diary of its sole witness, but what's intriguing about it is not its secret which isn't so spectacular - you sort of guess the truth half way through the novel - but its spiritual and emotional congruence with the contemporary story which runs alongside it. As the narrator peels away the layers that conceal the truth in the old mystery, she discovers chinks in her own marriage which awakens within herself feelings of sexual jealousy and responses which surprise even the narrator herself. Shreve's attempt to harmonise the edgy sense of discord overshadowing both stories by seamlessly shifting backwards and forwards in time isn't entirely successful or unique, but it worked for me. The ending is slightly anti-climactic but this small disappointment is more than made up by Shreve's writing which is excellent throughout and very effective. I found "Weight of Water" a compelling and highly enjoyable read. Definitely worth checking out.
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