Mad City: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A great piece of literature with wonderful use of symbolism.
Review: I have read many of the Oprah selections and have been pleased with all thus far, with the exception of Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone". Considering the similar subject matter and somewhat slow beginning, I thought I might not enjoy "The Book of Ruth". On the contrary, I found this to be a great piece of literature. I'm surprised that none of the reviews/discussion questions mentioned the strong use of religious symbolism (snake/hands)throughout the book. I also enjoyed the parallels between Matt and Ruby. This book reminded me of one of my favorites, John Irwin's "A Prayer for Owen Meany".

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Summary: What about Artie?
Review: I've just read about half of the reviews and I'm surprised no one has mentioned Artie. He's the hero in this story and the person we should try to emulate. He was gentle, compassionate, fair, understanding. He was Ruth's first and only (until Justy) source for self-respect through her work and the bowling team. He gave jobs and promotions to people who probably didn't enhance his business. Can you imagine working or doing business with May?!!! He drove Ruth to her job and back; he allowed them to work split shifts when the baby came; he gave that slug Ruby a job and let him stay even though it had to be bad for business. He overlooked all their flaws because he was a decent human being. Without Artie where would they have been? I suppose you could argue that he was an enabler because if it wasn't for him they would have all had to try harder to make something of themselves. But I prefer to see him as someone we can strive to be--caretakers of one another regardless of a person's stature, intelligence, glamour, personality, etc. Overall I thought the writing was real and colorful. It was believable. Those who think it wasn't have probably never known people in those situations. My lack of 5 stars is due to the violence. I abhor violence in books and films and was surprised to read it in this book. The points could have been made less graphically.

Rating:
Summary: A very moving book
Review: This is the first Jane Hamilton book I have read and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.Ruth is a wholly likeable character who seems to try hard at everything she does.I felt so sorry for her being married to Ruby and trying to keep the peace at home constantly.This book,with its such diverse characters would appeal to a broad range of readers.

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Summary: Helped Understand My Sister's Dysfunction
Review: I finally can give up my guilt and confusion over my own sister's mild retardation and choice to live in a world I can only imagine. My brother and sister and I have been trying to change our mentally challenged sister's quality of life by giving her our ideals for a "good life", but to no avail. This book finally let me see that we all have choices, and those choices are based on our capacity to maintain that choice. My sister chooses to live with a husband who is also mentally challenged, and they consistantly make questionable decisions regarding their 4 children (who are slow) and themselves. I now can respect that their life-style is theirs, and my life-style is mine, and I am not responsible for changing her life to come up to my standards. It has been a long time coming to this peace of mind, but with the help of this book, I am at peace.

Rating:
Summary: Yuk!
Review: I can't put it anymore eloquently that that! A very disturbing novel of uneducated people with no ambition. This seemingly endless story of booooooring bowling and booze ends senslessly and tragically. A recommended book of similar family peril is "Black and Blue" by Anna Quinlan. It's much better written and worth your time.

Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: Characterization is excellent and dialogue is handled well

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Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: Yes, Hamilton has the talent to write, but she needs an editor to clean up her work. Chapter 6, time-framed in the early 1970s, features two glaring anachronisms. The first is a children's sermon. Children's sermons are brief interludes during the regular church service. The pastor calls the youngsters to the front of the church, engages them in simple reflection on a Biblical theme, and then dismisses them back to their pews . Children's sermons did not come into vogue until the early or mid '80s. Hamilton also has Ruth's brother Matt sporting a pocket calculator on his belt in this same time period; again, these were not common until about a decade later. But more annoying than the anachronisms is the embarrassing jam the author finds herself in at the end of the book. She intends for Ruby to go berserk and commit mayhem, but she needs a trigger event for his "snap." Hence we are suddenly told (and expected to believe) that for years May has been fashioning designer-quality Christmas cookies - "thirty different kinds," no less - for the church, but giving family members only crumbs, literally. And then we are asked to believe that a toddler with a full stomach remembers the location of cookies he has never even tasted, and demands them. Ah well, the book is fiction, after all

Rating:
Summary: flawed but great for a book group
Review: Despite the presence of one member in our book group who hates reading anything Oprah selects, we read this book and had a great discussion about it. (Sometimes it's worth reading an imperfect book just because it provokes such a good discussion.) I loved the book but couldn't argue with the many criticisms -- mainly about motivation, behavior, etc. Despite the fact that I couldn't picture myself in this family's situation in any way, I had a gut-level response to the book. On the whole, I think Oprah picks better than most people do. She may lean a little toward the politically correct, but there is usually something gutsy to the books she picks.

Rating:
Summary: Not one I've ever recommended to anyone
Review: I found this book to be boring and unbelievable. Esecially the ending, which I found felt very contrived. Even though I have had not trouble reading books of this nature in the past, I found myself disturbed by this one because horrible things were happening to a woman that I couldn't feel compassion for. I would find myself drifing off through most of it so when something caught my attention I had lost the context it was happening in. I would have to hear lots of amazing things before I would try this author again.

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Summary: I am using this text in a class on women's first voice.
Review: Moved and emotionally tied to this book in many ways, I have chosen it as one of the texts I will discuss in a class I am teaching spring semester. It is a class that will focus on women creating one's own voice. Jane Hamilton's ability to create a believable first person voice, enveloping the reader in a world that becomes (is) so real is remarkable. Especially interesting to me from a woman's perspective...choices made from experiential relatioships. Oh, how I would love to speak with the author..to know the heart of her creative process!