Fall on Your Knees

Rating:
Summary: Too much darkness for its own good.
Review: This novel is complex and there are too few parts that are compelling. The overwhelming tragic themes of rape, incest and murder are far too overdone. It seems that the writer creates tragedy for tragedy's sake, and it gets exhausting. This is a very depressing book, and I would not recommend it to the weak of stomach or those who are prone to becoming emotional. It's cruel, like it's characters. I really didn't like any of them nor did I come to care about them. I had to force myself to finish the novel.

Rating:
Summary: Maze of secrets so many secrets!
Review: Ann-Marie Macdonald writes such an entangled & perplexed family saga of four sisters living in Cape Breton at the beginning of the century that sometimes I just had to stop reading because it was to overwelming and I needed time to digest some of it before going on. On the other hand it is a hard book to put down...so much is happening all at once... Her story is swarming with secrets, unexpected twists and turns, I was always caught by surprise. It has more of it's share of issues; suicide, murder, incest, abuse, neglect, sexuality, you name it it's in there. Ms. Macdonald masterful writing captures your imagination and urges you to peel all the layers of her astonishing tale. Her overflowing creativity is put on paper in a very dramatic and poignant prose. You wonder where she gets her inspiration from, because she has the talent to make the unrealistic become believable.
Be ready for an emotional thrilling roller coaster ride where every turn will catch you by surprise.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother - explicit sexual content
Review: The only redeeming fact of this book is that the author does possess an aesthetic quality. As far as content, however, I consider it in the neighborhood of soft porn.

Rating:
Summary: Better have your Prozac handy . . . .
Review: This was perhaps the most depressing book I've ever read, even worse than Angela's Ashes! There were few truly likeable characters in it, and far too many deaths. I can't recommend this book unless you feel like developing a bad case of the blues.

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally charged and hard to put down
Review: It is true that this book is deeply depressing but it provides that kind of sore heartache that keeps you from putting it down until you've read through to the very last page. At times, the prose becomes so thick with complexity that I had to go back and re-read a few pages before moving on. I found it a little dry in the beginning but well worth sticking with it! By the end I was completely involved and sad that this wild ride was over. I think I might even need to read it again to absorb all the subtleties.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Yes, this book could be considered depressing. If you're reading literature for psychological help, go elsewhere. But if you love wonderful writing, in-depth characters, and surprises, this book is for you. So many times as I read this book I gasped and held my breath waiting for what would happen next. The author's ability to create so many diverse and interesting people to populate her pages truly amazed me.

Rating:
Summary: An absolute masterpiece!
Review: A month ago my friend lent me this book to read, and I am so glad she did. MacDonald is a superb writer who draws you in from the first page. She foreshadows the doom that soon befalls the Piper family from the first chapter when she simply states "[James] was right. There were a lot of pianos in Sydney". If you have read this book, you understand how her simple statement of facts tell much more than they actually mean as that previous statement did.
To disagree with those of you who think that Fall on Your Knees is too unbelievable or too many tragedies take place, in all honesty, the true tragedy starts with Kathleen and spirals outward from there affecting the rest of the family.
It has also been stated that it is too graphic in its descriptions, and I must say that no one under 14 should read this book or those that are sensitive to graphic sexual descriptions. But otherwise it describes most graphic events superficially and you draw your own conclusions. Plus, if it wasn't, the depth of the story would not be understood.
Overall, I love this book. My favorite book before this one was Oliver Twist due to the twists and turns that tie everyone to Oliver, but Fall on your Knees has proven to be an amazing author that can tie it all together with not just characters, but major events. As a writer myself, I feel very inferior and plan on re-working one of my unpublished books after finishing Fall on your Knees.
So, to sum it all up-- I highly highly recommend "Fall on your Knees" by Ann-Marie MacDonald.

Rating:
Summary: Very Depressing
Review: I have to agree with the reader from Canada. This is nothing against the writer, I thought she was terrific. However, this has to be one of the most depressing books I've ever read. This family isn't just dysfunctional, they're psychotic. I have to tell you that after reading this book, I really felt like I needed a shower! If you want to be really depressed, read this one!

Rating:
Summary: Deep
Review: This book was very good! Each player in this story was richly characterized. Although as this story continued to unfold with sad events, I could not put it down for long (Of course, it was not entirely sad, there were many funny moments too). This book was thought-provoking for me both throughout the reading process and well after I was finished. I highly recommend this book for those readers who are undeterred by emotional termoil. For those who prefer a light and fluffy read or the ever popular quick thriller, this book is not for you.

Rating:
Summary: Disturbingly Wonderful Story
Review: Wow. This book is quite a piece of work. Fairytale-ish in a way. I would love to meet the author just to see who was behind such a story. Full of interesting characters and dialogue. I loved the time period it covered and the cultures it exposed. And the darkness entertwined all amongst it captured me. One thing I noticed was the way the characters constantly misunderstood situations and interpreted them differently. I liked that - it helped serve as the backbone to the entire novel in a way. It's easy for me to give bad reviews, but with a book such as this, I'm short for words. My favorite read since The Poisonwood Bible.