Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: This wasn't at all what I expected. Once I was done I understand what the author was trying to do but while reading the book I was wondering what she was doing.It's not a bad book, just not what I expected. To be honest I wanted more of what went on in the club - not why they were there.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written but lacks any redeeming quality to the story
Review: What most disturbed me about this book is that the main character, Ruth, seemed not terribly upset about the horrific murder of her mother. In fact, the last few pages implied that she was set free by the murderer! While her mother was blindly devoted to the gifted brother, at Ruth's expense, she was not as bad towards her daughter as to deserve her indifference. The author writes well and has created authentic characters and their lives. One of her themes is "the meanness" that people are born with and have to overpower. She illustrates this beautifully in the relationships between men and women, parents and children. Still, I missed the "hope" that many reviewers found at the end of the book. I felt I had been in the presence of real evil in the last few pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Good!
Review: This is a very slow, boring, and depressing book. I don't even know how I managed to finish the book. The whole time, I had to tell myself to read on just incase something exciting happens. Bottom line, this book was a waste of money, and most importantly a waste of my time!
Rating: 
Summary: Great, But Take Heed
Review: This is a magnificent book, but women!, don't read it when you're on your period or you may succumb to bawling like a baby.
Rating: 
Summary: compassionate, dark but not without hope
Review: As a special education teacher, I associated Ruth's feelings of muteness with the helplessness of having a learning disability. Ruth was naive, and her lack of experiences also contribute to her feelings and inability to make good choices. The author includes many details that anyone who grew up in a rural setting can relate to. Yes, the story does turn dark. This has a greater shock value since we are absorbed in day to day events on an intimite basis. Like many who grow up outside of society, Ruth is unable to judge others using social norms.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful? Award-winning? No: Gruesome and Depressing
Review: It's hard to believe that a book like this could reach the bestseller list. The author should be ashamed of herself. No hope whatsoever is offered to Ruth, the main character. I had to think for days to decide what, if anything, good I could gain from this book. I finally decided that it is the perfect depiction of what a human life would be like if it were totally devoid of beauty. Since when has writing the darkest, most depressing book been something to brag about?
Rating:
Summary: Made me sorry to read this book
Review: I read this book about a year ago and still remember the feeling of fear and sadness to this day. I was on a trip to Europe, Poland to be exact and brought this book along thinking this would be a good read. NOT. This is too much for me and I just couldn't stand the horrible ending. I kind of liked it until the things got too horrible. I disowned this book after reading it. Just couldn't stand having it in my bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: A testimony to the power of poor parenting
Review: This is a beautifully written and powerful book. I found it unforgettable and spent days wondering what to think of the protagonist: was she stupid and naive, or was she so evolved that her acceptance of everyone else just as they are (with the exception of her brother) stands as a model of human compassion, showing what we are capable of if not too busy passing judgment. I finally decided that above all, this story is about the power of poor parenting and its effects on all the main characters. I couldn't help but think of how differently everyone's life could have turned out had they only come from stable backgrounds and loving families. The damage wrought by dysfunctional parenting had repercussions that carried on for generations and damaged numerous lives. This is a thought-provoking, important book...not as dreary as some have said, as I find Ruth's capacity to love, enjoy, and triumph over her life remarkable. The book also shows the power of having even a handful of positive, supportive people in one's corner, and how those few people can sustain and inspire.
Rating:
Summary: Ringing of Dark Truth
Review: The first book that I ever read by Jane Hamilton was Map of the World, which pulled me into the dreary world of its heroine and kept me too intrigued to put it down (although I wanted to many times). When I began reading The Book of Ruth, I thought that it would prove to be vastly different from Ms. Hamilton's other novel. It wasn't. Hamilton has a gift for drawing the reader into Ruth's life, a life full of disappointment and anger. The cycle of abuse that Ruth's mother creates creeps up on you gradually, until you are so disturbed that you wonder if this book could really be about monsters instead of human beings. After I closed the last page of the book, I threw it across the room. I wanted to hate it, but I found myself thinking about it more and more. The Book of Ruth is unforgettable because it is a complex portrait of an outwardly simple person. Everyone thinks that Ruth is stupid, but she possesses a keen awareness of something higher. Her character is a martyr, but also one of great dignity and strength.
Rating: 
Summary: Realistically fictional
Review: Hamilton makes a clear statement in this novel. She illustrates the life of a young and innocent girl who blooms into an experienced yet naive woman. Her younger life story touched me as no other book was able to do. She had most of the same feelings as me and it made me feel a bit less lonely and left out in the grand scheme of things. I can feel a little motivation to stop from making the same mistakes Ruth did as i have the rest of my life to look forward to. This book truly opened my eyes to the many masks we wear and the many ways we make excuses for out human nature. I quite enjoyed this novel and it will stick with me forever. And when i reread this book someday i hope i can look back on my life without the regrets Ruth had.
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