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Summary: Thought-provoking and eloquent prose. An excellent read.
Review: This is a truly wonderful, American odyssey. It is moving, powerful and beautiful. The writing is poetically descriptive, the storyline is captivating, the characters are three-dimensional and memorable. I do not usually read much fiction, preferring non-fiction. Also, I tend to shy away from books that are on the bestsellers list (afterall, some of the poorest writers of our time hog this list, i.e. Clancy, Steele and King). However, I needed some good but not too taxing reading for a week-long wilderness camping trip. This book was a perfect choice. It reminded me of an American past, reminescent of Faulkner's south: a world where man and nature lived together rather than in conflict. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves the the beauty of nature, writing that has multiple levels of meaning, and story telling that touches one's soul.
Rating: 
Summary: Like wine, give this time to breathe.
Review: I, too, tried to read this book in a hurry; in pieces of 10 or 15 minutes spread over the day. I set it aside, thoroughly confused. Months later, I had time to read it as it should be: quietly, in long stretches. I started over, rather than pick up where I left off earlier. It was like a new work. Frazier's careful rendering of the landscape that played such an important role in Inman's trek and Ada's stuggle was vivid to the point of being photographic. I can easily picture the hefty LeMat's, the fog and mist of the mountain ranges, and the stuggling farm without ever having seen them. I enjoyed this book immensely.
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Summary: I thought this book was boring.
Review: This book was not awesome at all...Belive me when I say that it is way over hyped and I would wait for the cliff notes if anyone out there plans on buying this book...
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Summary: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK?!
Review: Okay okay, I know that happy endings are the stuff great novels are not made of. However, the last seven pages of this book made me want to throw it against every wall in my apt. 500 pages leading up to, well, that?! And if our unhappy couple were not going to end up together anyway, Frazier ought have spiced things up with a steamy sub-plot between the frail Ada and the butchy but kitten-hearted Ruby. Throw us a bone here, Charles! After reading this book, I almost felt cheated. We made it through the WHOLE thing, only to end up reading and re-reading the flimsy epilogue of Ruby's romance with some guy, searching for something more substantial? That was not the closure I was hoping for. You owed us, Fraze. I am only recommending this book to my friends who haven't suffered in a while.
Rating:
Summary: Thick heavy satisfying reading
Review: Aquired a copy of Cold Mountain unaware of its popularity or content Read the entire book in two days of intensive reading. Initially skeptical of the characters,I grew accustomed to Inman and Ada and the reality of their lives. Gradually I surrendered to the routines and details of life in 1860's Blue Mountains. Cold Mountain touched me deeply. When it was over I cried. I NEVER CRY.It seems to be about moral fiber, code of conduct, and spiritual sense of place. It made me look at my Los Angeles Life-Of-Plenty with very different eyes.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written, Haunting
Review: I will admit that it took me a few tries to get past the first couple of pages, but once I did, I was hooked. I simply could not put the book down. This is not a book for people who are looking for action, or a quick, non-comitted read on the beach...this one takes some concentration. It is pure poetry. I would read a page and go back and reread it because the language was so captivatingly beautiful...I could not get enough, and I didn't want to miss a thing.
Rating:
Summary: Better the 2nd time around
Review: While "Cold Mountain" lacks the punch and power of "The Triumph and the Glory" and "The Thin Red Line", it is still the best war novel of these 3 '99 releases because of its soulful depth and literary quality. Inman is not exactly a swashbuckling hero and his wife is no Guenivere, but the appeal of Cold Mountain is in its descriptive magic and narrative beauty. I suggest reading it twice to truly absord the very real majesty in this fine novel.
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Summary: an adventure
Review: It's hard for a book to live up to the expectations I had for Cold Mountain. Numerous people I know who read this book declared that it was the best book they've ever read, not to mention that it was a #1 bestseller and won the National Book Award. So when I started reading it, I thought "THIS is the book that is supposedly so brilliant?" But this book gets better and better, and the experience of reading it was truly enjoyable.I can't believe that other reviewers thought it was boring. It was lyrical. It wasn't trashy and yes, it did take more than 5 minutes to get into. But it certainly wasn't boring. This is not a book that attempts to intellectualize human feelings and adventures. It seemed about as simple as human instinct, as Inman pursues the most innate needs of love and companionship in the wake of the inhumane and incomprehensible violence of the Civil War. But despite the simplicity of the story, the beauty of the language and Frasier's attention to detail raises the level of this book. Despite a poor ending and a few one-dimensional, shallow characters (Rudy especially), this is a high-level book that is also fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: Boring and a Waste of Time
Review: Had I not spent money on this book, I would not have read it. In fact, I almost feel entitled to some remuneration for the amount of time I wasted trudging through its almost 500 pages. Not only was the plot dull, the premise uninteresting and the setting uninspired, the characters left me feeling absolutely cold. The lives of an insipid, whiny woman and dull, shell-shocked man converge -- big deal. Who cares? Take out the eccentric weirdos who cross paths with the couple, and you have a novel I would not have been able to finish even had I been paid. Not to mention the fact that the ending was one of the lamest I have ever encountered, and believe me, I have read a lot.
Rating:
Summary: very difficult confusing boring read
Review: I too felt that I had to complete this book and enjoy it because everyone was talking about it. The plot was dull. ( how exciting is an endless sroll thru. the woods? )The author jumped all over the place with no continuity so you were constantly turning back to reread the last few pages because you were convinced that you had missed something. Do yourself a favour take a big pass on this book.
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