A Thousand Acres

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Summary: I was in the heart and mind of the main character.
Review: I loved the book and the way the author put in pen the character of Ginny. Her struggles and how she saw the things that were going on around her. The things that had gone on in the past. You can't put this in a movie because it is emotions, feelings hurts and pains.

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Summary: Gripping
Review: An moving and (to use a cliche) impossible-to-put-down novel. Normally a book about women on a farm wouldn't be my cup of tea, but this book has changed my mind. Very highly recommended.

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Summary: Left me cold as the winter wind-swept prairie
Review: A disturbing look into the secret lives of a farmland full of dysfunctional human beings as told by one of the most dysfunctional of the group. Not only does Ginny not know why she feels as she does or sees life as she does, she impulsively just goes along with whatever she happens to do or have done to her as if she has no control over what happens to her. No one seems to mind hurting those closest to them and indeed many go out of their way to make sure they hurt each other in the most humiliating, public way possible including one character's plotting and carrying out a murder plan. Even the townsfolk are cold, and judgmental in their reactions to what they have heard about the main characters in the book

Many have reviewed this book better than I. However I want to ask one thing: Per the epilogue, how could Ginny have five children, ages 11-21 when the last thing we knew she was barren and unattached at age 37? Where did these children come from? Why were they casually mentioned with no reference to anything or anyone? Are they real or imagined? What?

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Summary: Good concept but flawed results
Review: My favorite Shakespeare play is King Lear, so I found the concept of transferring the Lear story into modern times extremely interesting. The author proposes on top of this a shift in the sympathies of the reader. In her view, it's the two older sisters, the villainesses in the play, who deserve our sympathy, instead of Lear and Cordelia. So in this book the father is a grumpy and whiny old man without many redeeming qualities (OK, none) and nothing like Lear's tragic greatness, and the younger sister is a young upstart whose daughterly concern is nothing but a disguise for her greed. That wasn't in itself such a bad idea either, but the problem is that the author cannot drum up much sympathy for Ginny and Rose, the older sisters, either. In fact, we cannot sympathize much with anyone in this book, but the author wants us to like her characters so bad. So in the middle of it she introduces right out of the blue, apropos of nothing, without any previous clue, the incest element. So, now we are supposed to feel for Ginny and Rose and understand their actions, but the actual result is, we no longer believe a word of it. We are left with the impression that at one point the author didn't know how to go on with the story. In the end of the book we are left wishing all the characters had eaten that poisoned preserves already on page 10.

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Summary: A Modern Lear
Review: The novel "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley is a novel that takes the story of King Lear and places it in modern times that is much easier for people to relate to. She takes the story and places it in rural Iowa on a farm with a family similar to Lear's family in the original Shakespeare play. By placing in modern times it enables the reader to understand the story that so many have a hard time with because of Shakespear's old language. The main characters are very usual for rural Iowa in that the women stay at home on the farm and take care of the home necessities while the men are out in the fields. There are a few characters that are not used as much in the novel as they are in the play. One such is the character of Lauren. In Shakespeare's King Lear, Lauren is Edgar and a major character of the story. Smiley places Lauren in the background and is hardly heard from at all. The most interesting part of the novel is the fact that it is hard to tell if the sisters are truly evil or if they are just normal people. It is very hard not to feel for them and understand the reasons behind some of their actions. Shakespeare clearly depicts the sisters as evil and does not give reason behind their madness, Smiley does not depict them as overly evil and does give them reason. You almost feel that Caroline is the evil one and that the other two are good. Smiley uses wonderful imagery and pays special attention to the details in this novel. You feel you can see and smell and touch every part of the farm in the way she uses Jinny to describe her surroundings. From experiencing Iowa first hand, I can picture this story happening on any farm I drive by on my way home. It is an excellent book that brings the old story of King Lear to this generation.

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Summary: A Thousand Acres both emotional and intellectual
Review: A Thousand Acres captivated me on several levels. Emotionally, I was engaged with the protagonist Ginny, and I think that her plight is an unfortunately common one, in Iowa and elsewhere. I've seen people recover their memories of childhood trauma, and Ginny's process of coming to terms with that was very moving for me.

On the other hand, it's hard for me to think about Ginny without equating her to Goneril in _King Lear_. I am intrigued on an intellectual level with the differences between Smiley's story and Shakespeare's play. It's significant that the perspective has changed, focusing now on the women of the story, and that the outcome of the tragedy is not quite the same. In _Lear_, the King dies but there are heroes who remain to 'pick up the pieces'; in this book, that legacy has shifted. Also, in _Lear_ there is a real sense that Lear comes to terms with Nature, and after the storm becomes wise. In _A Thousand Acres_, the last generation of farmers never really got wise; they had subdued the land with poison, and the damage was done. That, perhaps, is the tragedy of Lear itself -- that they thought what they were doing was the only way to do it, and once they figured out otherwise, it was too late.

Also, I thought the book gave fresh insights to the play. _King Lear_ has softened for me now after reading _A Thousand Acres_, because I think novels are more able to flesh out characters than unacted plays. Drama on paper is hard discuss except on a theoretical level -- you're not privy to motivation, really, unless there's an actor in front of you who can raise his eyebrows or silently shake her head. This prose version gives several fresh, intriguing twists on an old tale, and heightens the pleasure of the story significantly. This is romance and drama, but it's more than that, too.

Also, I really like reading about things that happen in Iowa, because that's where I live. Any book where 'home' is mentioned is good enough for me. :)

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Summary: brilliant characterization in a homespun setting
Review: I was reading A Thousand Acres, expecting a sweet and simple tale because of its farmland setting. However, the novel proves that human nature is universal, no matter where one lives. Realistic and haunting, A Thousand Acres depicts well-rounded characters in a twisting plot. Smiley's language and style is beautiful; she incorporates the prarie theme well into her prose. She also writes insightfully about families, secrets, and people's dark motivations. I was engrossed from beginning to end and identified well with Ginny, the noble protagonist.

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Summary: There is something profound here but it's fuzzy
Review: This book will just be read as a soap opera story if one is unable to think critically about the symbolism used in telling the story. The 1000 perfect acres, how they are always described as the pride of the family, how they have been built up, leveled flat and true over many years, the cornerstone of the family. And then at the end of the book we find out (and this isn't ruining the book don't worry) that it is the land that is KILLING the people--leaching into their lives through the water. That's something profound, something about the face human perfection, and its pursuit wears. I tremendously enjoyed this novel. From time to time I still think back to certain symbolism in it. It is complex at its deeper levels. If you love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc., and approach this book only as an exciting story it will dissapoint. Peel down the layers though and let it reflect yourself as you go and it is truly profound.

Rating:
Summary: King Lear was better
Review: Smiley makes a noble attempt at modernizing Shakespear's King Lear. She, however, fails to capture the eloquence and cadence present in Shakespearian Literature. It is a fine book, entertaining at times, but one I would rather not read again.

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Summary: You try to tackle this subject
Review: Jane Smiley has taken up some of the most taboo topics in the story "A Thousand Acres." I have never read another book which takes on child molestation, wife beating, alchoholism and other horrible topics with such power. I wouldn't recommend this book for light reading, but if you are serious about reading a great novel, this one is a must.