Rating: 
Summary: Humph
Review: I must admit that I began this book with high expectations. I had heard it highly praised. As I read it, I tried to convince myself that I was enjoying it, but in the end, I was glad when I finally turned the last page. I found none of the characters convincing. Ada is probably the worst of the lot. I find it hard to believe that a girl of her background and breeding would have so readily accepted the hardships that she faced. Not that bad behavior should be encouraged, but where were the tantrums? Where were the power struggles between Ada and Ruby? Where were the conflicts within Ada herself? These should have been inevitable. They would have been interesting. I truly feel let down by what I think could have been a very good book.
Rating:
Summary: No summit
Review: What a disappointment. Things tend to pick up after trudging through several pages but if you intend to climb Cold Mountain, be prepared that you may never reach its peak...or if you do, may not find the view so spectacular after all.
Rating:
Summary: Snore
Review: Don't be fooled by the literary prizes and movies - this is a boring book. You could just read the first half and not miss anything.
Rating: 
Summary: Immense
Review: The contents of this novel are well represented by that huge, misty landscape on the cover. Cold Mountain seems to come from another era, one where authors weren't forced into the straightjacket of pithy sentences and cheap wit; it's reminiscent of Twain or Robert Penn Warren, huge, sprawling and thoughtful; there's something almost miraculous about it.Some people may have been dissapointed with the novel because it isn't really about two of the things that it was reported to be about. It isn't pedantic historic fiction, a la 'The Killer Angels,' and not meant to shed light on the Civil War as a histroical phenomenon. It also isn't much as a retelling of the Odyssey. The underlying theme - looking for home and encountering obstacles - is the same, and there may be some resemblances between the obstacles that Ulysses and Inman face, but the heritage isn't noteworthy in any way. What Cold Mountain does have is an endless depth of innovation in theme and style and character. It manages somehow to shift from a rousing adventure story to a contented and charming chronicle of farm life, to an eerie, sort of Sartrean mediation on life and morality, to an exploration of Southern folklore and small personal history. You can feel the author's talent stretching the bounds of the subject matter sometimes. He wants and has the ability to write about everything, from the greatest person to the smallest, from a gruesome battle to dinner in an inn. It's so eclectic, even, that it begins to approach a fault, but Frazier ties things together nicely using the theme of the war. Early on, Robert E. Lee is criticized for his smug 'It's a good thing war is so terrible; otherwise we might grow to like it.' Inman reflects that for a man like Lee, noble and dramatic, war is really not terrible, and that he has no compunction about sending 'lesser' men to die. Later on, this malcious spirit of greatness takes form as General Teague, captain of the southern home defense force, a real Bond villian of a character. The first couple of times he appears, complete with sidekicks, hammy dialogue and gut-splattering violence, are so brilliantly calculated; later, when he tracks down and confronts Inman, it plays out in such an intriguingly symbolic way, bringing the novel to a satisfactory close. There's a point where, reflecting on the death of a scoundrel, Inman thinks something like: 'There was no sense of redemption or nobility about it...neither did it seem like a deserved or justified end. It had simply happened,' and that seems to be the theme. Cold Mountain tries to encompass almost everything in life, and succeeds more than you would think possible.
Rating:
Summary: A Bit Muddled
Review: The author states that he is "copying" Homer's "Odessey." Okay, now that we have determined that the author is humble and does not have any pretensions we can get down to reviewing this muddled mess. I hate to complain (no I don't, but that is the fine print), but I would appreciate some realims in a supposedly realistic novel of the American Civil War. I also want to skip over the "must have" items in any contemporary American novel that all editors insist on having. What I am talking about are the "sensitive, handsome and heroic male protagonist," the "strong, independent woman he yearns for against convention," and the "horribly evil 'entity' whose name must not be spoken." Frazier also did not forget the must-have "imps" (this time an albino) who help him in all his evil deeds. Now that I have dispensed with the card-board cutouts, I'll take a swing at the "history" (quotation mark alert). Here is just one ridiculous history lesson. On page 68, for instance, Inman is shot at by a Whitworth sniper rifle. These rifles were the undisputed favorites of Confederate snipers. They were imported from England in small numbers, and had a killing range of 1,500 yards. The twisting hexagonal bore was what gave this .45 calibre rifle its accuracy. The problem is that this unique rifle shot a very unique and expensive bullet, meaning no sniper would waste a shot like that--not to mention missing Inman by a mile. This is simply not believable, but makes for sexy reading, impressing the New York editors who don't know jack. Having a yahoo shoot from the river bank ain't enough. My other complaint about "history" is the fact that all Civil War heroes must have fought at Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Antietam (okay, Sharpsburg), The Crater, etc. But, hey, why not have this super-hero fight at all of the above? Better than that, put him in the middle of the line each time. My ancestors were at Gettysburg (9th Georgia Infantry, the winning side), but they fought in the Wheat Field. Ain't good enough. But the truth for this novel would have had a negative effect. Or maybe it would have made it better? Frazier places Inman in the center of the line during Picketts Charge (Longstreet's Assault). I hate to break this news, but the North Carolinians held the LEFT during the charge. Worse for the book, the North Carolinians were accused of cowardice during the charge, as they were the first to falter (they were enfiladed) and retreated, leaving Pickett isolated and bound to fail. I guess that means Inman, if he were alive today, would be lying his ass off about his war record. If you want an easy-to-read book , I would recommend this. I just wish the ones being touted for "historical" accuracy as an historical novel would actually describe real life. Believe it or not, the Civil War was much more interesting to the real participants than this.
Rating: 
Summary: too much drama
Review: I was recommended this book for many reasons. Many said of the beautiful writing, the character development, the writer's ability to transport you into the Civil War era. They were all liars. I am an avid reader, and it takes a pretty bad book for me to stop reading it. Well, Cold Mountain was just such a book. It took 4 tries to even get halfway through. There are not many redeeming qualities, so giving it one star is being generous. The story of Inman, the escaped prisoner making his way back to Ada, had the potential to be a powerful narrative about the human spirit and the possible rehabilitation. Instead, it became a monotonous shuffle through Inman's small mind. He is making a journey of a lifetime, putting himself back together, shouldn't it read as such? Instead, its a depressing and unneccesarily descriptive exploration through the wild. As bad as Inman's tale is, Ada's is even worse. She is spoiled debutante who suddenly finds herself alone. Boo hoo. Have some fortitude and take pride in your independence. The only bright spot of hte story is Ruby, the farm girl who comes to live with and help Ada. But as good as her story could have been, she is also a bit over the top drama. The love story between Inman and Ada seems contrived and a bit ridiculous, even for a fiction novel. I was sadly disappointed, Cold Mountain is just a cold fish.
Rating: 
Summary: When will they ever learn?
Review: When Frazier wrote this book, he had no way of knowing that it would soon be so timely -- again. After finishing it, all you can ask is what another disillusioned veteran asked thirty years ago. How can you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?
Rating:
Summary: Cold Mountain : A Review
Review: Cold Mountain was a very heart-toucing book. Every time Ada or Inman faced a difficulty I could place myself right there with them throughout the entirity of the problem. This book really affected the way I looked at the Civil War and was the best vook i've read since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I liked this book so much that I recommended it to all of my friends and teachers. The best part of Cold Mountain Also happened to be my favorite part. This was the chapter called the Color Of Despair. I think it was the best part because it deeply and vividly expressewd Ada and Inman's feelings for each other even they were so far apart in reality. Throught the chapter Ada is busy at work on her late fathers farm on Cold Mountain. During her struggle to prepare the farm she recieves the help of a drifter named Ruby. On the otherhand Inman meets a criminal named Veasyand he somehow ends up becoming friends with him and they continue on their journey together. The funniest part if the chapter was when Veasy tried to wrestle a huge catfish and in the end Inman has to kill the fish by wasting one of his prescious shots from his LeMats Pistol. I really enjoyed this chapter and i think you will too and that is why it is the best part of the book. To me almost every element of a good story was expressed but Charles Frazier did an exceptional job ontwo specific ones. Those two elements were the characters and the setting. I found the way that Charles Frazier described Ada, Inman, and Ruby extremely vivid. With the language he used to describe their clothing and bodies i felt as if i could sit there and draw pictures of them.I think Charles Frazier did a really good job of depicting the setting and a superb job of describing the characters. If you get a chance you should read
Cold Mountain. For more information on the book and also the movie you need to go to www.coldmountainmovie.com.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read.
Review: After seeing the awesome Anthony Minghella adaption of this film, I had to read this book. Charles Frazier must know every leaf, rock, and tree in the Blue Ridge to have written this book so well. He himself is a true literary genius. The story is so gripping and powerful. You can connect somehow with every character, and the way you feel their emotions just by reading a few pages really changes you. You are immersed into the lives of Inmann and Ada, and their powerful love towards each other. Frazier describes the spotless beauty of Cold Mountain and the surrounding land with such a visual that I could almost smell the rotting leaves and that I can vision perfectly the way the clothes looked and the way the guns were made. Frazier was daring to be so descriptive in an age where everything can be seen through a television or a computer. I wish he was a more prolific author. I would read every book he published. This man should win somekind of award or some recognition. Read this, it makes you look at your life completly different. Then see the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Bored With Ada
Review: First of all, the book was disappointing. I thought that it would be more about the Civil War, but there wasnt much about the battles, just mentioned here and there. Seems like the Author started in the middle of a story.
I was very bored most of the time with Ada. I skipped a lot of her discriptions of non interesting plants etc. She seemed to be dumb about everything except looking at birds and weeds and plants. She didnt seem to notice all those years that a war was going on. She seemed blind to so much that was happening.
Also, I was very disappointed in the ending of the book. I just couldnt believe it ended that way. Sort of all at once.
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