Rating: Summary: A great novel. Yes, it has flaws, but only minor ones Review: If you liked The Bonfire of the Vanities, you will probably enjoy this book, too. Many reviewers have comments about the 'bad' ending, indeed the end of the novel appears a bit rushed, in any case it is not like The Sixth Sense :-) Still, there are many literary gems to be found, from the description of Freaknic to the ruthless description of prison. The influence of Dickens on Wolfe's style is really noticeable if you are into that kind of thing, and that is not bad at all. It shows literary deftness, compassion, and above all a great story. Recommended.
Rating: Summary: Deliriously fun reading Review: If you think good books should entertain and capture the imagination, not to mention give you a lot of belly laughs, then A Man in Full is hard to put down. I couldn't help but notice that several reviews pointed up the book's "stage managed" or "improbable" qualities. I believe someone used the word "phony." Before all that hogwash, I also read somewhere that "A Man in Full" is a work of fiction. Sure enough.
Rating: Summary: Great satire aptly captures Atlanta's ambiance Review: Particularly enjoyable if you've ever wondered what life is all about in Atlanta...Tom Wolfe takes satire to the highest level and zeros in on those areas where Atlanta doesn't measure up (he did the best he could within the limits of a single volume). I'd have given this a 5 star rating but the ending lacked a certain punch.
Rating: Summary: It's message is one of deep values Review: At 742 pages, it takes a while to read this book. I looked it every night and enjoyed Tom Wolfe's prose. But I never thought about it during the time I wasn't reading it. I never felt the characters were real. I never felt a lurch in my heart, a tear in my eye, or a glow of warmth. I did chuckle to myself though, especially when Tom Wolfe does what he does best, which is to poke fun at the pretentiousness and conspicuous consumption of the very rich.Charlie Croker, the lead character, is a wealthy real estate developer in Atlanta. He's 60 years old with a trophy wife, a private plane, and a plantation he uses for the recreational purpose of shooting quail just a few weeks a year. He's millions of dollars in debt to the bank and he keeps sinking further and further into a morass of his own making as the book progresses. Racial politics come into the story in a twisting silly plot that keeps the story moving. None of the plot is believable, especially the ending, but that didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. I wasn't bored for a minute as I wallowed in Tom Wolfe's rich descriptions as the story developed. One of the best characters in the book is a young man named Conrad, who is very loosely connected with Charlie Croker because he once worked Charlie Croker's frozen food company in California. Through a series of events, Conrad goes to prison and learns about the philosophy of stoicism. He and Charlie meet in the last few chapters in the book and Conrad is a driving forcing in bringing the plot to its conclusion. As the book itself had an unbelievable plot, I can't see why anyone expected the ending to be realistic. Contrary to all reviews I have read and everyone I have spoken to who hated the ending, I felt differently. I liked the way the it ended. It summarized some interesting philosophical concepts and, after it ended and I felt its message haunting me for the next day. The theme comes through loud and clear in the ending. The book is not just a story. It is about values. Important values. Values I can absorb in my own life. Values I can live with. And, given this as a theme, the ending makes sense. I recommend this book. It's a good read.
Rating: Summary: Este libro no merece este final. Review: El libro es muy descriptivo y absorvente. Consigue introducirte con facilidad en las situaciones sociales de Atlanta y hacerte sentir el ambiente. A pesar de su tamaño se lee de un tiron y salvo algunas parrafadas un poco cargantes y faltas de interes en un par de pasajes, el resto es magnifico. Lo que realmente jode es el desenlace final. A parte de lo absurdo de la situación, da la sensación de que habia prisa por terminar el libro y no está demasiado pulido. Es realmente rocambolesco y absurdo. El Epilogo ya lo remata queriendo explicar en 4 paginas todo el desenlace. Casi mejor se lo hubiese ahorrado. Despues de una decada para preparar el libro, parace que al final le entro la prisa al Lobo. Quizas su cuenta corriente necesitaba una inyección de efectivo y se precipito el desenlace. Una pena, porque el resto del libro es magnifico, aunque a veces un poco recargado en algunas descripciones de personajes y situaciones. En cualquier caso, he pasado unas horas muy agradables leyendolo.
Rating: Summary: THE BEST WRITTEN BOOK I HAVE EVER READ Review: THE WRITING IS JUST GREAT. THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS AMAZING, THE SCENES WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR A LONG TIME. AN EXCELLENT BOOK. THE ENDING WAS QUICK AND AFTER 750 DETAILED PAGES ANOTHER 100 WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO END THE SAGA.
Rating: Summary: Craftsman of Character Review: I applaud Tom Wolfe's ability to see the world through so many eyes, and to tell us, unvarnished, the thoughts behind them. One wonders how Wolfe gains insight into so many American subcultures.
Rating: Summary: A Man (and No Women) in Full Review: Wolfe demonstrates again that he is the master of characterizing the flaws and idiosyncrasies of our male culture. But, that he still remains completely clueless about women makes the book read flat. His female characters are straight out of TV sitcoms - either young and beautiful with "luscious loins" or old / ugly / poor with children and desparate. Mr. Wolfe could improve his understanding of life by taking Womens Studies 101 or at the very least reading Virginia Wolf, (A Room of One's Own) to get to know the other 50% of the population a bit. We're actually pretty interesting.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining, but hollow Review: How about less description of ornate architectural design and more substance? At times, this book is really fun to read. Wolfe gives the reader a great cast of characters and a decent story to follow, but he leaves the reader aching for more. Despite being 787 pages it is an awfully quick read. If we had a half star option I'd give this book 2 and half stars.
Rating: Summary: Big and Bad Review: I was very disappointed in this novel, expecting a good book from Wolfe. It's hard to imagine that an American Southern gothic novel can be too silly, but this one was. The author tried to expand the story by just using too many words, and the plot line became outrageously esoteric and unbelievable. I finished it in the same mindset that keeps me staring at a gory car crash. And the ending fizzled just as if the bleeding car victim had jumped up amidst the paramedics and run off to go shopping.
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