Cold Mountain

Rating:
Summary: Rich and vibrant imagery; I felt like a first-hand observer.
Review: An excellent read from page one. The two parallel stories develop and progress in unknowing harmony to their ultimate joining. The ending, though inevitable and predictable, was jolting, nonetheless. The analogies and metaphors keep the imagery alive and interesting. This is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: So-so
Review: This was a good, but not great read. There was some very colorful, discriptive writing but it had a pretty bland story line. The audio was well read but sometimes I couldn't understand some the under-the-breath words. I never did figure out the ending. I'm not sure if that was intentional or if I just had a brain blip and missed some key information. Also, I got somewhat lost on the present/past jumps in the story. I listen to audio books when I am on a long-distance drive so, again, maybe I just missed some key information.

Rating:
Summary: Deeply moving and rich...
Review: What I loved about this book is the rich story telling. I walked with Inman every step of the way and I was totally absorbed in the people and situiations he met along his journey. What a sad time in American history! I also enjoyed the way Ada matured and grew as the book went on. It was amazing to me how well everyone survived without money. I was very touched by this story of one man's determination in the face of such odds. I highly reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A badly written, inconsisent, trite,bore
Review: I am cursed with the inability to put down a book once started. I long for this book to end, page after corny page. The characters are cardboard. The writing stilted with colons, like this: leaden. Was this book ever editited or were they in a hurry to get it out in time foir some book event? Example: He;'s eating goat stew on one page that mysteriously morphs into lamb stew. Oh well, only 80 pages left.

Rating:
Summary: Tremendous!
Review: Just finished "Cold Mountain". It was tremendous! Seems just like the time in history in which I should have been living. Living off of nature, plenty of seclusion, saving people who needed saving and killing people who needed killing. What a time it must have been to be part of a young country and making a mark on the land and in history. Counting on the love of one good woman; aquiring that love and being thankful every day for the rest of your life that the spark of your being wasn't laid to rest by an enemy minnie ball. Dan Carlson

Rating:
Summary: Frazier's Inman is historically correct and timeless.
Review: Brings to mind CCR's great song, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and the bells were ringing... Today the main character in Frazier's novel would be lableed "PTSD". That's post traumatic stress disorder for those of you unfamiliar. Inman brilliantly expresses the distress of a disillusioned combat weary survivor. As a Vietnam combat veteran, I was compelled to nod in agreement at the simple yet profound truth Frazier captures when creating the veteran Inman's psychological profile and his sad jaded view of his world and himself, and his struggle to find an endoring hope for peace and happiness at Cold Mountain.

Rating:
Summary: It's o:k but what's all the hype ??
Review: I started this book fully expecting rich prose and a metaphoric journey home. After about two or three chapters I got an o:k story line, some o:k characters, and some very descriptive, though overly long, images of places, food preparation and eating. Are we going to see a companion book "The Recipes of Cold Mountain". Inman seemed hypocritical. He walks away from the fighting but we never understand where he stands on the war. His LeMats seems to be in his hand and either threatened or in use every other scene. He lies in bed with the young mother but of course he's such a good guy it's only for her comfort. And what's with eating the bear cub after he just told us he had vowed never to eat bear because of his spiritual connection to them. Due to her background I thought Ruby was the most interesting character. It was dissappointing that her only development was given a paragraph in the Epilogue. The love story was a basic formula except I never felt any passionate connection between Inman and Ada except for the closeness at the end. That they have a love child really completes the cliche. Is Cold Mountain some type of Mecca for a soul needing comfort ?? If you're looking for a novel that uses imagery to capture a time and place I'd suggest Song of Solomon or Snow Falling on Cedars.

Rating:
Summary: A pure masterpiece!
Review: Not only is this book one of the best novels I've read in 1998, it is one of the best novels I have read ever. I must admit, the first chapter was a bit slow, but after that, watch out! The characters are interesting as well as engaging and the story which switches back and forth from Inman's journey to Ada's life back home was so well written that I was afraid that it would come to an end. I congradulate Mr. Frazier on his first masterpiece and can not wait for his next novel to come out. I have recommended this book toeveryone I know and they all end up thanking me for it.

Rating:
Summary: Great writing, poor story.
Review: Charles Frazier has a true mastery of the English language. He stands far above other contemporary authors in that respect. "Cold Mountain" is his illustration of this talent. The sounds of a perfectly crafted sentence or paragraph can make me smile in this book. However, there is a key element missing, one that caused me to dislike the book overall. Regardless of how beautiful a book is written, if it doesn't have a good story then it fails. I had trouble turning the page. I figured it must get better if it is going to win the National Book Award. I was wrong. It is a poor and extremely predictable story. Never did I feel the love between Inman and Ada, never did I feel any desire to keep reading. I gave it to colleagues that thought I must be crazy because of all they had heard as well. They agree. Wonderful writing, horrible story. It's too bad.

Rating:
Summary: For those with refined tastes only
Review: Just like the finest antiques are often those with the simplest lines, the finest literature can often be minimalistic and take a developed taste to appreciate. I will admit that the plot of this novel does not contain all the twists, turns, and surprises of, say, a John Grisham or Stephen King. However, I found it completely engrossing in its simplicity, beautifully written in an almost lyrical style, and ultimately more heartrending and touching than the average modern romance. In short, not a book for those with short attention spans used to the instant gratification of 30-minute sitcoms, but rather a joy for those who appreciate a quiet, contemplative evening at home with a nice glass of red wine.