Rating: 
Summary: Brutality Without Redemption
Review: What a brutal novel! I have never cared less about two characters in fiction. The fact that one protagonist, Inman, displays moments of poetic philosophical thought, and even tenderness and helpfulness, does not redeem his base nature. He is a thug. I suspect that the author was imagining that Inman's journey home from a Civil War hospital to Cold Mountain could be likened to an American Odyssey. However, unlike Ulysses, Inman does not expand in heart or soul during his journey, and the world at large gains little by his presence, except for a couple of instances when his violence benefitted those he deemed worthy of his help. Ada, the other protagonist, at least fared better than Penelope. Rather than sitting at home weaving and fending off suitors, she rises above her delicate upbringing and learns how to take care of herself and her farm, only because of the knowledgeable caring of the hardscrabble Ruby. I forced myself to march through this gruesome book, hoping that there would be redemption at the end, but what redemption I found was thin and unsatisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Tear the last chapter from the book
Review: If you are a man, tear the last chapter from the book, and then read it. Write your own ending. Believe me, you'll like it better than the author's.
Rating:
Summary: Tear the last chapter from the book
Review: Tear the last chapter from the book, and then read it. Write your own ending. Believe me, you'll like it better than the author's.
Rating: 
Summary: A Dark And Gloomy Tale Of Civil War South
Review: It took me several attempts before I could finally get into this novel because it starts out so slowly. The story of a deserter who struggles to return home to his sweetheart, waiting for him back at Cold Mountain and who is going through her own trials, is dark and gloomy; there is little joy in this tale. On the plus side, Charles Frazier, the author, has a real affinity for Civil War era rural South and uses language well to give the reader the feel of what life was like then. However, while undoubtedly there was much hardship, somehow COLD MOUNTAIN seems an unbalanced representation, both historically and emotionally, of those times. The writing style tends to call attention to itself and there is the annoying absence of quotes for dialogue, but altogether I have to admit I found the writing powerful and sometimes quite beautiful. This is a literate novel and a flaw is that it is too obviously intended to be literate. It seems to have sold well but it is not written as a popular novel; it reads more like something we were assigned to read in sophomore English Lit. If Frazier would try writing for the general reader and not try so hard to impress his university friends, he could write a hell of a good novel. Meanwhile, for a great book on the Civil War, one that is very readable and entertains the reader as well as being good literature, try KILLER ANGELS by Michael Shaara.
Rating: 
Summary: Attention AP English Teachers
Review: Apparantly many of the youth of America are not capable of digesting great literature. This book should not be on your reading lists for a couple of reasons. Having said that, I (a grown woman) absolutely adore this book.
The characters are beautifully developed. The story is thrilling and I would recommend it to anybody who loves to read and enjoys rich and satisfying literature.
Rating:
Summary: An Enthralling Literary Masterpiece
Review: Set in the era of the War Between the States, the story alternately follows the lives, hardships, and heartaches of two young lovers separated by the war. After her father's death, Ada finds herself destitute of finances and the knowledge of how to survive alone on a farm. She is aided in her struggles by a skilled young drifter named Ruby. As they learn to depend on each other Ada and Ruby are able to endure their plight and cope with all sorts of trouble and threat as they wait out the terrible war. Meanwhile Inman, who has deserted from a military hospital, encounters a variety of strange characters and constant danger as he tries to make his way home to Ada. Inman's journey is fraught with perilous adventure. From bounty hunters and home guard patrols to a lonely young war widow and a gypsy woman, Inman finds himself traveling at times for days on little sustenance and less safety. The story is written in a classic literary style filled with sights and sounds. This takes a bit of getting used to but overall Frazier does a good job of bringing the reader into the story on an emotional level. From the horrors of war to romance and seduction the story is engaging to its climatic ending. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A PERFECT READING
Review: One would be hard pressed to think of any words of praise that have not already been heaped upon Charles Frazier's Civil War masterpiece "Cold Mountain." Winner of the National Book Award, it has been called "Magnificent," "Impressive and enthralling," "Magnetic." These views were shared by millions of readers who bought the book and eagerly shared it with friends. Fortunately, my task is not to amplify the accolades that "Cold Mountain" has already received but to focus on the unabridged audio version read by the author. Many have called Mr. Frazier a born storyteller, that appellation proves true in his sometimes intense, always understanding reading. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he brings appropriate voice to the saga of Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier who leaves his regiment to begin a trek home to Ada, the woman he loves, and a farm on Cold Mountain. Set against a backdrop of the last days of the Civil War and the changes that will bring much drama is found in the people Inman meets along the way and in his relationship to the ravaged land he encounters. The recent release of "Cold Mountain" as a major motion picture starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger will undoubtedly win this popular novel countless new fans.
Yet a very special pleasure is to be found in listening to the story read by its author. Mr. Frazier has said in an interview that Inman is based upon his great great uncle and his great grandfather, both of whom were soldiers in the Civil War. In effect, this is a family story beautifully imagined and related. Charles Frazier is the one man who could write it; he is the one man to give it voice. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: 5 star writing, but in the end, unsatisfying
Review: Unsatisfied is really the best word I can use to describe the feeling I had at the end of the book. I really enjoyed reading this book right up until the end. The characters are memorable, the visual descriptions wonderful, the style and flow of the writing very engaging. However close to the end I even predicted what the cheesy, over-used "literary" ending would be (I hoped against it, but alas, I was correct...). I read the book so I would have a good comparison for the much-anticipated movie, but now I don't think I want to bother with the movie. One let-down is enough.
Rating:
Summary: three stars for style, none for substance
Review: Mr Frazier is as gifted a stylist as I've ever read. His prose is lyrical and effortless and warms the heart. Like the slow walk of your mailman from the road below, you smile as he approaches your home and your heart and wonder what good thing he will bring today... unfortunately, Frazier's style delivers today's politically correct slant on the old South - full of murderers and thieves, all white - and a sprinkling of well intentioned people - all black; and an ending that made me moan and toss the tome in the trash. I'd give my right eye to have Frazier's abilities, they are immense. But I felt like a child who searched under the Christmas tree and found and unwrapped a magnificent silver-foiled box only to find a lump of coal at the bottom.
Rating: 
Summary: Would have been five stars if not for the ending
Review: This book is fascinating, brilliant, beautifully written, and has one of the most disappointing endings I have ever read. I won't tell you what happens, but, after carefully developing Inman, and putting him through a series of life-threatening adventures, Frazier simply betrays his character -- as if he discarded a logical ending for a more "literary" one. I'm not someone who believes a book must end in a certain way: happy endings, sad endings, even ambiguous endings have their place; what I don't like are wrong, illogical endings. In betraying Inman, Frazier also betrays his readers' trust, and the affection for character and author that has developed by the book's end. I've had discussions, and arguments--good natured ones, of course...--with several people about the ending. Those who love the ending are adamant in their feeling, while those who hate it are no less fervent. Still, I highly recommend this book.
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