Rating: 
Summary: No Story
Review: A fitting title, but no story here other than the quiet life of a tomboy and her father. Nothing really happens, at least not in a way that was interesting to me. I enjoyed the book, I was relaxed by the book and I learned from the book. But in the end Lobster Chronicles was a bit lite for me. I never really got to know or understand any of the characters, the author included. I did not read her 1st book about sword fishing, but must assume it was better written than this one.
Michael Duranko
www.bootism.com
Rating:
Summary: No Story
Review: A fitting title, but no story here other than the quiet life of a tomboy and her father. Nothing really happens, at least not in a way that was interesting to me. I enjoyed the book, I was relaxed by the book and I learned from the book. But in the end Lobster Chronicles was a bit lite for me. I never really got to know or understand any of the characters, the author included. I did not read her 1st book about sword fishing, but must assume it was better written than this one.
Michael Duranko
www.bootism.com
Rating:
Summary: Not on the same level as "The Hungry Ocean"
Review: First time authors and musicians who experience success often have a problem: what do they do for an encore? Frequently, authors fail to be as successful with their follow-up effort; hence the term "sophomore jinx."Unfortunately, Greenlaw faces that problem. While her writing style remains engaging and welcoming, there' s just not a lot of substance to this recounting of her time on Isle Au Haut, the "very small island" of the title. Its not really her fault, there are items of interest here, its just the whole thing doesn't prove to be very compelling. The book possibly should have been shorter and it might have worked better. Unlike "The Hungry Ocean," which had the hook of her being the only known female swordfish boat captain, and offered the danger of sailing the ocean in sometimes dangerous waters, lobstering just seems a little, well, boring. To her credit, she may have realized this and, in reality, lobstering isn't the primary focus of the book. But still, despite more than a few interesting characters populating the island, there's just not a lot of interest going on here. Having said that, I still recommend the book. As noted, she does have an engaging writing style and, as with her previous book, you finish wishing you could go somewhere and sit down for a drink with her.
Rating: 
Summary: Sweet read
Review: I don't find time to read many books, but was glad that this book found it's way to my night stand. This is a sweet read. I found myself looking forward to my 20 minutes of reading time every nite to experience life in a small island community. I have not read Linda's other book "The Hungry Ocean", but now it's next on my "books to order" list. Thanks Linda, for inviting us into your home!
Rating: 
Summary: Lobster Chronicles
Review: I highly recommend any audiobook, especially if you spend alot of time in the car.... This was the first audiobook that I have heard and it was very entertaining so that now I'm hooked on audiobooks! I was able to finish the abridged version (only 3 cassettes) driving back and forth to work over a couple of days. The Lobster Chronicles is a true story of the author's experiences as a lobster fisherwoman from a 40 year old's perspective. The author grew up on a small rustic island off the coast of Maine and returned home recently to become a lobster fisherwomen after pursuing other career options on the mainland. Originally, I heard the author speak on "Book Notes" and was captivated by her unusual career as a woman. Because the author reads her own story, she easily draws you into her unique experiences and family history.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what it should have been
Review: I was prepared to like this one. I did not read Greenlaw's previous work, but the idea of presenting life on a Maine island, delving into the trials and simple joys of this life, really appealed to me. I wish that was what Greenlaw had done here. Instead I found a series of dull complaints about inept handymen, the lackluster love life of the author, and character sketches that are so lacking in detail that I can't understand why they were included. Chapter after chapter of complaining about the poor season, her father, her poverty, become so tedious that you hope she gets a few lobsters just so she'll stop whining. Even the sections that were more enjoyable, when she's writing about the nuts and bolts of lobster fishing, are written in a style that just lies on the page. There was a great idea here, somewhere, buried under the bad prose.
Rating:
Summary: Lobster Chonicles
Review: I've now read all three of Linda's books, and now I have nothing else to look forward to in life. :(
Jennie Logsdon Martin
www.ifish.net
Rating:
Summary: Amusing but Shallow
Review: I've read Linda's other book and found much of it riveting. But this volume just leaves the reader flat. The day in the life style certainly works for this type of book but the quirky personalities and amusing events needed far more development. If the reader is to truly care about what happens to whom on this little island, we need to know more about why we should care about them. Also, the best part of the book started to be about the relationship between father and daughter, but that never really seemed to develop. Maybe in her next volume. Stay tuned.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King is not the only writer from Maine
Review: If you have a hankering to live on a very tiny island off the Maine Coast and earn your living as a lobsterman, then this is the book for you. Linda Greenlaw gives the sense of such a life in this read. All right, unlike fellow Maineite Stephen King, you won't find chilling horror and oppressive suspense. But, you will find funny, gentle, and insightful tales of people who live on this island...stories about Linda's neighbors which often have no bearing on the main plots, like the chapter on Dorothea Dodge. Linda could just has well have left this chapter out of the book, but I am grateful she included it so we could get to meet the postmistress of Isle Au Haut. It's a slice of life in a book filled with enough slices to make a giant loaf of bread. And, unlike Stephen King, the book's main story lines don't come to a neat conclusion at the end of 235 pages. But life doesn't come to a neat conclusion either. And that is what this book is about: Life. Author Greenlaw has the pace, the tone, the solitude, the frustration just right. I hope the issues that could mean the end of her island world eventually get resolved. I hope that her mother surmounts her challenge. I hope Linda doesn't stop at two books. One nit-picking point which, I believe, points out the lack of editorship quality prevalent in the book world today. Here we have a notable publisher, Hyperion, but no one there had the knowledge to point out to Linda that it was Samson, not Goliath, that lost his strength when he lost his hair (editor: see page 206). How that could get by any editor/proofreader is beyond me. Hopefully, they will catch it before further printings.
Rating:
Summary: lobster chronicles
Review: Its a good book on tape but the author should have had a professional do the narration. Her spoken communications are not too great.
It would have been easier to follow. This is in reference to the audio tape version.
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