Rating: 
Summary: A great story that leads to a disapointment
Review: The discription of nature in this book is astounding. I could almost see the mountain he was headed for in my mind. The story was humorous in some parts and interesting, but I was disapointed with the ending. I felt like the book was leading up to a great climax, but, when I got to the point where it should have been, there was nothing but a little fizzle of an ending. And another thing about the author, he seemed to like to use the word sh-t on almost every other page. Perhaps in the authors next book, he will use less of this word and make an ending that we are all expecting..
Rating:
Summary: A great book meant to be read with the TV OFF!
Review: When I first bought this books months ago and started reading it, I would have given it a 3. It was Christmas time and with all the distractions that brings, plus I tried to read at night with the TV on in the background. I just couldn't get it and I put it aside. I picked it up again with resolve about 10 days ago and decided that I am an adult and will FINISH this book, but without distractions. What a difference! The book sang. I slowed my thoughts and patiently read and re-read sentences so I understood it. The people who are bashing this book have every right too, but they should remember that not every novel has to be "bubble-gum" for the brain. Don't get me wrong. I love that kind of book for quick reads too. They are fun and effortless. But, when you get a book like "Cold Mountain," you have to understand what you have and adjust your reading style. If you refuse to do that, don't buy it. Kind of like art. I love impressionism and cubism, and I dont care for modern art, but I try to appreciate it. I just wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to go to a showing of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than I expected, until the end.
Review: I resisted reading this book for a long time since it seemed to be so mainstream, and because it was referred to as a love story. It turned out to be much better than I expected. And it didn't seem to me to be so much about love as about Ada's becoming responsible and self-sufficient, and about what Inman was willing to go through to leave behind a situation that was violent and pointless. The epilogue was horrible! It was like the author just all of a sudden got tired of the effort of writing a worthwhile book, and decided to just throw in a cheap and easy ending to have it all over with.
Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing
Review: Believe the hype ; it really is special.How refreshing to read a writer who makes the reader work.Frazier is subtle and avoids sentimentality.I rarely read a book twice but this is a worthy exception.
Rating:
Summary: Cold Mountain is a great read
Review: The book was great, and I feel it will stand the test of time and become an American classic. I have a first edition copy of the book and even though it's unsigned, I am saving it because I feel it will be a collector's item one day.
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Summary: Sit back, relax, and enjoy - a spa for the mind.
Review: This is not a book for the train on the way to work - it should be cherished and enjoyed. I read "Into Thin Air" and loved every minute of it....I couldn't put it down. "Cold Mountain" is the kind of book you want to put down...the prose are so rich that you should only be able to take in so much in one sitting...and you should never want it to end. A friend's wife is a speed reader and finished the book in three days...why bother. This is folklore...not Hollywood. Relax and enjoy it.
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Summary: Humans trodding the Earth
Review: This was a very well written journey on several levels. The characters are archetypes. I am surprised at the number of unsatisfied readers who have used this forum. The pace is that of a human being walking close to the Earth. The rhythm seemed natural to me. Please note an extra dimension is available, a beautiful rendition of the song "Angel Band" mentioned on the last page. It can be found on Old And In The Way's "That High Lonesome Sound" on Acoustic Disc (ACD-19). I put the song on right after reading the last page. It fits the mood perfectly.
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Summary: enjoyable, relaxing read about the agonies of the Civil War
Review: I was surprised by the effect Cold Mountain had on me. Instead of being horrified by the bloody images of the Civil War, I was mesmerized by the author's style of spinning the tales of tragic lives and all the accompanying agonies effected by the war. I found that I came back to reading the story more for relaxation than for an experience of suspense. Chaucer was brought to my mind quite often as Frazier weaved one character's tale within another's, especially in the context of journeying pilgrim-style. I have recommended this book to all my friends, and I plan on rereading it immediately.
Rating:
Summary: An Enchanting Journey
Review: I must admit that I was surprised by the degree of negativity in some of these online reviews. Perhaps in a society plagued with instant everything, there are those who are unable to appreciate a novel such as "Cold Mountain." This book is a journey, not a destination. The ending is not happy, nor is it earth-shattering; it is a vivid reminder of life's cruelties and disappointments, and I believe Charles Frazier crafted the ending to be disappointing. Read "Cold Mountain" if you can appreciate a beautifully sculpted scene that is gradually created before your eyes. The only instant gratification you will receive from this novel is the lovely and haunting imagery.
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Summary: Artistic prose? I think not.
Review: It seemed like the author was trying too hard to make the book sound "beautifully written" and overdid it a bit. I found myself lost in a mire of pointless descriptions and irrelevent tangients. True, this book isn't meant to be action-packed fodder for the masses like you find in big-budget movies. But, I don't think that's the problem. Even slow-paced books have got to be interesting and follow the basic elements of good writing like having a detectable plot, for example. You don't have to flower and fluff the words to be well written. I didn't fall for it. If you want a good historical fiction novel, I suggest James Michener or Steven Crane.
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