Rating: 
Summary: Charming
Review: A Bell For Adano is heart-warming story set in an otherwise horrific period of history.Illustrating the charm of an American soldier and the filling of the voids in a war-ravaged Italian town, Hersey makes you smile and beg for more. While the tone is ethnocentric in its portrayal of the Italian vision of the Americans, A Bell for Adano is a read that I emphatically recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Very humorous
Review: A PURE FICTIONAL, WONDERFUL STORY OF AN AMERICAN MAJOR
Rating:
Summary: An enriching tale
Review: An enchanting saga about how a variety of characters react to a difficult time. An engaging view of a clash of cultures. The vigorous American culture versus the age-old Italian culture. An endearing cast of characters that will linger in your memory. From peasant buffoons to wise old men. From selfish to magnanimous. From simple to sophisticated. From despicable to saintly. An amazing portait of humanity. An enthralling quest of one Major Joloppo. His attempt to return civility to an incivil world. And it is all couched in a warm, humorous story line which will keep you interested to the last word. Not a "page-turner" or thriller, but you will want to know what happens to the Major on his quest and how all of the characters either help or hinder him along the way. I was very glad I followed the advice of the other reviewers and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: An enriching tale
Review: An enchanting saga about how a variety of characters react to a difficult time. An engaging view of a clash of cultures. The vigorous American culture versus the age-old Italian culture. An endearing cast of characters that will linger in your memory. From peasant buffoons to wise old men. From selfish to magnanimous. From simple to sophisticated. From despicable to saintly. An amazing portait of humanity. An enthralling quest of one Major Joloppo. His attempt to return civility to an incivil world. And it is all couched in a warm, humorous story line which will keep you interested to the last word. Not a "page-turner" or thriller, but you will want to know what happens to the Major on his quest and how all of the characters either help or hinder him along the way. I was very glad I followed the advice of the other reviewers and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: An unexpected delight
Review: As another reader has said, I also am making my way through Pulitzer winners. I'd intended to save this one until the end, because for some reason I was under the (much mistaken) impression that it was going to be boring. Boy, shows you first impressions aren't always right! This is a heartwarming and yet bittersweet story - you wish there were more people out there like the Major and less people like the General, and the types they represent. I read the novel in about three hours; it's that compelling and ultimately enriching. I'm glad I didn't wait!
Rating:
Summary: An unexpected delight
Review: As another reader has said, I also am making my way through Pulitzer winners. I'd intended to save this one until the end, because for some reason I was under the (much mistaken) impression that it was going to be boring. Boy, shows you first impressions aren't always right! This is a heartwarming and yet bittersweet story - you wish there were more people out there like the Major and less people like the General, and the types they represent. I read the novel in about three hours; it's that compelling and ultimately enriching. I'm glad I didn't wait!
Rating:
Summary: Great Story, Thought Provoking
Review: Back in high school, I made a vow to myself that I would eventually read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning novels. A Bell for Adano was one of the first that I read. Now, a few years later, I have read around 30 of those novels, and while many have been wonderful, few have matched the experience of reading A Bell for Adano, and I continue to return to it. The splendid novel is set during World War II, though it isn't really a war novel. The novel is about how very different people can, and should treat one another, especially when in a difficult situation. A Bell for Adano primarily concerns Major Joppolo. He is an American officer placed in charge of the city of Adano after the invasion. Joppolo is a wonderful, though flawed man. He's always practical but remains sentimental. He sets out to make the lives of the people of Adano the best he possibly can. He does so by not treating them as the enemy but as People. The "bell" of Adano refers his attempt to restore an historic bell to the city that it had lost during the war. I can never do justice to my favorite novels when I review them, and this is one of them. I can't say enough good about it. The characterizations are strong and the interactions between the characters are touching and thought-provoking. Joppolo's relationship to the city's people is truly remarkable. It makes one think about America's relationship with foreign countries. The story is heart-tugging and humorous. There are few novels written this century that can touch a reader as much as this one does, and this one can make you think a little, too. A Bell for Adano certainly deserved its prize, and it definitely deserves to not be forgotten.
Rating: 
Summary: read read read
Review: I had to read this book for a book report. Little did I know I would not be able to put it down. Set in Adano, Italy during WWII, it gives the reader a sense of another point of view of the war. The townspeople and the situations are hilarious, you'll laugh the whole way through. Keep this in mind, but keep some tissues nearby.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Pleasant
Review: I heard nothing but positive comments about this book prior to reading it. I concur with their (friends and family) assessment. This book was truly enjoyable. I suggest that if you are wavering on whether or not to read it...read it! You can thank me when you return here to add your review.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Pleasant
Review: I heard nothing but positive comments about this book prior to reading it. I concur with their (friends and family) assessment. This book was truly enjoyable. I suggest that if you are wavering on whether or not to read it...read it! You can thank me when you return here to add your review.
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