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Summary: excellent writing, beautiful prose
Review: I found the writing in Cold Mountain to be exceptional-riveting.The descriptions of the geography, flora, fauna were very well done. The characters were realistic. I felt like I was living in the book as I read it. It was one of the most pleasureable reading experiences I have had to date.tnoyes
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Summary: A phenomenal first novel! Where has C. Frazier been hiding?
Review: I was particularly taken with Charles Frazier's ability to stimulate the senses of the reader. I could "feel and see" the landscape; I could smell the woodsmoke. Inman, Ada, Ruby and the goatwoman stood in front of me and spoke in my presence... I will never forget this story. It has more of that "linger well after the final page" quality than any novel I've ever read to date. My heart has been drawn to the Civil War period since I was a young girl. This story made me profoundly "homesick."
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Summary: This book was a wonderful page-turner...a good read.
Review: If you enjoy realistic historical novels, you will enjoy this wonderfully told story about the horror and waste of the civil war. The prose is well-written, and the message runs deep, in a probing, moralistic, even spiritual way. I read this on a backpacking trip, and gladly carried the extra weight...
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Summary: Highly over-rated and not that great a read.
Review: I was very disappointed in this novel. After all the hype, I found it uninteresting. I did not become invested in the main characters and was tempted to quit reading it about a halfway through. I was most drawn to Ruby and her determination and inventiveness in drawing a living from the land. That is what kept me reading.
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Summary: a picaresque jack tale...
Review: i am having trouble deciding if i like this book or not..if i understand it or not and if i wholly appreciate the historical significance..one comment i would like to make. i have never heard mention of "the jack tales," a collection of tales from the oral tradition of the south, in connection with this book...i did appreciate the characters he met...however...
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Summary: More than a civil war story. A trip in time.
Review: I usually do not read civil war books, however I am glad that I did pick this book up. It was more than a civil war story. It was a journey through time meeting interesting characters along the way. It made you want to travel the same roads today and meet the people along the trail. Some characters were mean and nasty while others were fun, troubled, a little off balance. Just like what you would find if you made the trip in our times. I particulaly like that he was returning home to what he hoped was true not what he knew was true. The book showed strong women characters and while not funny did give rise to a little chuckel occassionally. It was well written and a great read. I think it would make a great movie.
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Summary: Slow beginning, but worth hanging on for the ride!
Review: This surprisingly sweet story begins rather somberly, and maintains that tone throughout, with overlays of sweetness and surprising sentimentality. Although I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the writing style, I felt as if I were reading a book written in the 1880's. The surprising ending may leave some readers (this one included) a little jarred, I feel that this work certainly was worth the ride. I tried to read it last summer, and was daunted by the feel of the first chapter; my civil-war historian friend BEGGED me to try again, and I'm glad I did.
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Summary: Good Beginning, Predictable Story Book Ending.
Review: I was disappointed with the ending of "Cold Mountain" , it seemed to lose the drama and become a predictably rosy romance novel. It is hard to believe that this novel has been a best seller for so long, or is it?
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Summary: Cold Mountain Resonates with subtle power
Review: It has been a long time since a book has captured me and held me in such awe, and it still resonates . The power of this book is its language and the author's ability to render such lasting images as the slaughter of a bear, the sighting of a blue heron, a slanted house, a woman killing a goat, the snow falling and falling. The book is replete with one beautifully written scene after another; however, it goes beyond just fancy description. The characters are rich and their stories reveal truths--truths about the characters themselves (which few books do), the time period, America etc. I loved returning to this book, and I followed Inman's journey with concern and interest. This book will be read years from now, even after the "best seller" stigma some keep wanting to dismiss it with disappears. I go over the ending time and again; it is filled with such poignant emotion, but restrains itself which only heightens it all. It has to be one of the most memorable endings of book that I have read in a long time. Not since Morrison's Beloved have I been so grateful I can read, and authors like Frazier can write. This is a great great book.
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Summary: A magical, textured time-machine
Review: This book can take you to places that do not exist any longer, to a time when things were not as simple as we may like to believe. Amazing that Mr. Frazier allowed me to smell the hickory smoke from the fire, see the leaves falling from trees, hear ice crystals hitting the snow. I began to see and feel a place and time known to my great-grandfathers, and perhaps I could imagine them there. This book doesn't try to take you down any path, or teach you any lessons; it lets you touch and feel the people and the misty, confusing history of the time and come away with your own memories.
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