Rating: 
Summary: UGH!
Review: I'd been wanting to read this book since I read Ms. Julavits' article in Poets & Writers about the criticism she received for this work and the importance of getting historical fiction right.So...I started reading and would agree that it began nicely--though, at some point I couldn't figure out where the story was going and then I realized: Jeez. Is there even a story? In searching, I could find no great conflict, drama, or even mild tension. Nothing propelled this drivel. And so, after 243 pages, I called it quits (and believe me, I HATE giving up on a novel). Julavits is a so-so author. Some of her sentences read very nicely. Still, I just have to wonder, what on Earth inspired her to write this? What was the inspiration? Was she writing genre fiction, keeping a frame around her story of "women's historical fiction" or did she actually think that this idea was unique? I'll read Julavits again, only if the story itself seems clever. Shame on her for publishing such a mindless bore.
Rating: 
Summary: A debut to remember
Review: It is a mark of distinction in a novelist when she can pull such deep emotions from a reader. This novel is the first from an author reminiscient of Joyce Carol Oates in her darkest days. We have a semi-fictional era portrayed from generations ago full of dispair from monumental disasters, financial and otherwise, with hope a scarce commodity. Julavits shapes the edges of her story with gut wrenching visuals of animal cruelty. Not only do we see how such a deprived society is so afflicted to punish the most innocent among them, we also get descriptions of the animals inflicting suffering on themselves perhaps to escape the despair which is so evident. Julavits portrays men, at best to be suspicious of, and at worst, people not in control of their basest animal instincts. The reader is left to guess why such a seemingly established half of a couple with child is so enthralled by a seedier, but possibly without pretense existence. One in which the town whore is exhalted and the society ladies shunned. I'll leave the specifics for you to discover. An unbelievable novel that should be celebrated by all.
Rating:
Summary: Quit Crying, Pueblo
Review: It's a shame that some people love to gripe so much and are so offended for silly reasons that they're unable to see brilliant writing and wonderful storytelling. Who cares if this isn't *exactly* the Pueblo folks know/knew and love(d)? There's something called creative license. I've been to Pueblo (well, driven through it, actually) and don't give a rat's arse if Ms. Julavits is completely accurate in her research. I read fiction for the element of fiction. If I wanted research, I'd dig through some awful and boring dissertation. Man, I thought Literature PhDs were the only people so boring and critical and way off the mark with their approach to reading fiction. Ms. Julavits creates vivid, compelling, eccentric and believable characters, puts them in the middle of a stark (fictional) landscape, which really acts as another character, and puts sentences together like gnarled, expert quilters create a quilt that lasts and keeps its beauty for generations. Bena's trials and tribulations are real, tense and gritty. The way the town (and not just the people, but the landscape, too) acts upon her has as much of a hand in her decisions as she does. The scenes in the actual Mineral Palace are haunting, emotional and thought-provoking. The details, metaphor and imagery splendid. Overall, it was a novel I could not put down--both for the story and the wonder of the language. No disrespect to the older folks who've voiced their opinions on the shamefulness Ms. Julavits should feel, but, geez, they're narrow-minded and crazy. And sure, ban it in Colorado--all *great* literature gets banned.
Rating: 
Summary: Bleak, But Beautifully Written First Novel
Review: Nothing can thrive in Pueblo, Colorado, the town in which Bena and her family move when her physician husband's past deprives him of employment in more hospitable towns. New-born kittens are, upon closer inspection, writhing with maggots, mangy dogs have their backs broken by defiant vagrants who refuse to share their meals, and buffalos inexplicably opt for mass suicide. The human inhabitants of Pueblo do not escape misery -- women are barren, except for a prostitute addicted to laudanum, Bena's infant fails to thrive despite her husband's insistence that the child is healthy, and Bena's marriage flounders. The author skillfully evokes the despair and decay of a town that is blanketed with dust and populated with characters who are sad and pathetic. This is a difficult book to read but, like a traffic accident, it is impossible to look away and the images remain with the reader long after the story concludes.
Rating:
Summary: "Oh Please" Yourself, Sister
Review: Some of these reviews are unbelievably nasty. One indignant reader actually calls on her righteous allies to ban Ms. Julavits's book from the libraries. Swell idea, lady. Maybe we can burn them all in a bonfire, instead. If you're not old and grumpy you might enjoy this book. The writing is often beautiful, the story is fresh and powerful, and the emotional power is remarkable. Reviewers ought to know that opinions expressed in a novel, a work of FICTION, don't necessarily coinicide with the author's opinions. Anyway, you got to love a book that has all the vicious grandmas in Colorado up in arms. Yeah, go ahead, rate this review unhelpful!
Rating:
Summary: A Misfire
Review: Stripped to its basics, this novel amounts to little more than a series of concocted images of the macabre--all, I assume, to build a menacing atmosphere in an otherwise common-place story of an unhappy marriage. The effect, sadly, is the opposite. Rather than shudder at each pointed reference to blood, pus, feces, scabs, roadkill,and prosthetic limbs, the sheer redundancy of these images became an irritating distraction and prompted me to abandon the book halfway. Where, I wondered, were the editor's red pens, good sense, and bottles of white-out?...
Rating:
Summary: Layered and lovely
Review: The book opens with an acknowledgment of thanks to Dave Eggers. That sets up expectations. Will this be quirky and a bit melodramatic? Perhaps. But what is most impressive about this book is that with its quirkiness and sometimes dramatic plot, it never sinks into melodrama. Thie book is layered, with events connecting one to anothers in surprising ways. I left this book eager to turn around and reread it. But in my second read I want to read from cover to cover without putting it down so all of the layers can weigh heavy. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: One of the WORST books ever.
Review: The only reason I finished this book was to see if something interesting was EVER going to happen. It NEVER did. This book is a waste of time. The book was HORRIBLE. I think the author should look into a new career, maybe writing obituaries.
Rating: 
Summary: Unusual but interesting
Review: This book is somewhat dark and moody, but very atmospheric and interesting. I like the fact that it was different from other books I've read, and I found myself sympathizing with Bena and her struggles.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing First Novel
Review: This book passed my test for a good novel -- I didn't want it to end! It is one of those rare novels that is intelligent and well-written (the prose is often lyrical), yet it still manages to be an enjoyable read. The protagonist Bena is complex. She's not one of the cliched 'plucky heroines' that's so common in fiction nowadays. The reader can feel what it's like to be Bena as she tries to adapt to her new life in Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo in 1934 is an unrelenting place, full of dust storms, prostitution and corruption. In this harsh environment, Bena must protect her baby son and try to survive without any help or understanding from her husband or the community. There are a few parts of this novel that don't rise to the level of serious literary fiction, mainly the mini-drama surrounding the prostitute Maude. But taken as a whole, the novel is very successful. The ending of the book is heart-breaking, disturbing and unforgettable. It lingers in my mind even now.
| 
