Cold Mountain

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Summary: Charles Fraizer's first book is exactly that--a first book.
Review: "Cold Mountain" is an admirable, and at times a magnificently written, first novel. The details are Faulkneresque in their simultaneous gritty and somewhat surreal qualit: there are images indelibly etched upon my literary conciousness that are as fantastically gruesome as the wretched end of Joe Christmas in "The Light in August." But unlike Faulkner, the lyrical quality of the book is not strong enough to pull off the conceit--the plot is hobbled by inordinate attention to the quotidian, and the ending is improbable--at least in the carefully crafted world of Fraizer's Cold Mountain. The book's last two chapters have the color of material written in half-hearted response to deadline or maybe just boredom/frustration with the project. All in all a good read--but I'm looking forward to a second novel which should prove to be a bit more seasoned.

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Summary: Wow!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: As a North Carolinean, this book was unbelievable--you will find the characters very real and will grow attatched to them. You will probably hate the ending--most do--but it is the perfect summation to such an emotional book.

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Summary: The longest journey in the world.
Review: I had high expectations based on the reviews, but let me tell you, I kept reading out of sure will-power to stick with it. This was the LONGEST journey in the world. While I suppose that all of the detail was good for helping me to understand life during that period of time, it bogged down what story there was and at the end, left me asking both myself and Inman, was it really worth it?

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Summary: Best book I've read in 3 years
Review: Moving, well-written, with wonderful imagery and perfectly evocative language. Has made ashes-of-roses my favorite color. No maudlin sentimentality, but enough heart to reach a crusty cynic like me.

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Summary: Wonderful, beautifully written classic
Review: This book manages to be romantic without being sappy. Every phrase was exquisite; his descriptions were extraordinary.

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Summary: A well written dull story
Review: Fraziers prose is well written story but not a very interesting story to go with the prose. This book was nothing more to me than several short storys linked by Inman wandering through the woods and mountains and none of them moved me.

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Summary: A wonderful read. I loved every minute of it.
Review: While I thought the ending a bit hazy and slightly dissappointing, I still give this book high marks. The imagery and writing style were quietly superb. The character dialog and character development was terrific.

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Summary: A good histoical based romantic drama
Review: I read a review of this book while my family and I were taking a vacation in Virginia, visiting Civil War battlefields. The history of civil War interests me greatly. The book Cold Mountain interested me because it showed two sides,the soldiers view and the back home view. the story drug a little in places, it took me two months to finish the book, but I am a slow reader and often rereading details. I gave the book to two other friends to read. One of them, a Christain lady said she did not care for the ending. The other lady has not returned the book, she has had it about six months. I like to read histical based novels.

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Summary: Outstanding and absolutely moving
Review: After reading a historical book of the Civil War a few years ago I am very interested in everything linked to this time. Cold Mountain is a book I couldn't put down after starting to read. The tragic ending after all the hardships Inman and Ada went through is still on my mind. One of the most moving novels I read recently.

Rating:
Summary: An American Classic
Review: Warning: This is not a "glorious battle" Civil War book. This is not a romantic bodice-ripper. This is not a book for people who want the equivalent of popcorn for the brain. This book was a time machine. It drew me into the past, out of our crazed, hyper world and into a world as odd as Alice's when she went through the looking glass. Everything was familiar yet strange. Known but alien. The stunning poetry of the words swept me away as if on a deep river. Unforgettable. Outstanding. Heartbreaking. This is the book Faulkner would have written if Faulkner could write anything comprehensible. I wept at the end; I hated to see it end. If you have any feeling for the history of this country, if you have ancestors who fought in the Civil War (I had them on both sides), you'll love this book. Immerse yourself and enjoy.