Mad City: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Excellent character development
Review: This novel truly displayed the way a writer should write. Hamilton developed such fabulous characters with strength and feeling. I highly recommend this novel for the young and old.

Rating:
Summary: Well, it started out good...
Review: This book started out well, and I honestly sympathized with the characters and enjoyed reading about such a dysfunctional family. Yet when I finished the book, I was very disappointed. Hamilton's writing style is eloquent yet genuine. However, Hamilton's character development of Ruth left much to be desired. Hamilton couldn't seem to decide if she wanted Ruth to be retarded or a prodigy. Also, the second half of the novel did not live up to the first half's expectations. Rather than entertaining, the book became whiny and frustrating, especially after the climax of the book. What could have been a wonderful novel turned out to be only mediocre.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but a little bit pathetic.
Review: This book was an interesting one to read a little at a time. The characters and events were provoking, but not so much as to draw you to read the book in one or two sittings. The climax towards the un-escapable ending was very exciting and when the real personalities of the Aunt and the Brother were portrayed it was a real suprise. I would give a fairly high recommendation for this book.

Rating:
Summary: Where is the story?
Review: This book started of middling put quickly drift to the monotonous. I know understand why the book is marked down 50%. Hamilton has been on the farm to long.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing American story.
Review: Jane Hamilton has shared with us the very real story of a woman we all know. The clarity with which she spins her characterizations and sense of story are the essence of this book. The details of Ruth's surroundings became at once familiar to me in a mid-American sort of way, and I found myself at times ashamed at the presumptive nature of my thoughts and reactions in relation to her state of existence. Perhaps I am an exception, but I had not anticipated the events at the climax of this story. However, I found Ruth to be a character worthy of emulation in many ways. She solidifies our hope that the human spirit will prevail.

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad
Review: It was an ok book. I read it last week, and I really can't think of too much to write about it. I didn't actively hate it while I read it, and I did read it rather quickly. Story was a bit depressing. My willingness to suspend my disbelief wasn't achieved, but close enough. I may just not want to think that people can really be this mean and depressing, but I bet there are. Matt bothered me throughout the entire story.

Rating:
Summary: haunting, thought provoking, a good read
Review: I first listened to this by books on tape to relieve a long, boring commute. When I was able to read it, I savored many passages. The book contains real-people characters, portrays the humdrum life we all lead at times, draws a mother who is understandably unlikeable. I wanted to shake Ruth for being such an innocent fool, and I can't remember detesting a character as much as the husband. The ending comes not as a surprise, considering the interplay of characters. A book with the power to rile you, to be sure.

Rating:
Summary: Depressing does not equal bad
Review: This is a great book (yes, it's a sad story, but the fact that it has moved so many so profoundly is just further proof of what a good piece of work it is.) Beautifully crafted--even if you shake your head at Ruth and want to scream, I guarantee you'll get something out of this book.

Rating:
Summary: I hate this book
Review: This book started off good but later on it got boring and nothing exiting ever hapened until the end, which made completely no sence. I would not recomend this book not even to my worst enemy. The characters were boring and very dull.

Rating:
Summary: Excellently written, thought provoking.
Review: I feel sorry for people who read this book and think that everyone should be just like them. There are people in the world like this who actually experience and feel these things. At first I wanted Ruth to become more than she was...It wasn't difficult to accept her for who she was after I realized that she had accepted who she was. What makes me sad is that this book was not as thought provoking for some of the other readers. Maybe we should all seek the out the Ruths of the world and offer a helping hand. Jane Hamilton is an excellent writer. The Book of Ruth is an excellent novel.