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Summary: What a Talent!
Review: Ms. Mac Donald has done herself a disservice. How can her next novel match Fall on Your Knees? This book covers the first half of this century in a way that involves and indeed influences the characters. Yet the novel cannot be classified as historical.The author writes like an angel even if some of her characters are somewhat devilish. I liked the way the various sisters confronted or failed to confront their family influences. The descriptions of the New York jazz scene and the First World War were illuminating. This is one of the best novels of the 90's. The writer is certainly one of the new talents.
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Summary: engagingly different
Review: A refreshingly different novel and a pleasure to read every page
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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: It was a disturbing story - one which could have kept me depressed for months on end; but it was beautifully written, there were so many new twists as the story developed, I could not help but continue to turn the pages!
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Summary: A first book or a practice session in print?
Review: I didn't hate. I didn't love it. Yet I'm not indifferent. Personally I don't find it conjures up either Bronte or Steele. Try Isabelle Allende smothering John Irving under a quilt of despair and tragedy. There is a heaviness about the book which leaves me feeling the author found the whole thing a great effort. Even Frances, who MacDonald seemed to love most, abruptly disappears from the plot and drops dead before her character is fully explored. I think that MacDonald is proving to herself here that she can write - and she can - but this isn't really her opus. Let's hope that when she finds time to get to it that she hasn't already given away all her secrets. Certainly this book is highly PC ensuring that the author will be beating off the advances of her female admirers for years to come. Meow. In fairness, I got well hooked into the story and cursed my job for three days running. Furthermore, she has great success at drawing in the reader and building sympathy for the likes of Rose - a service many of us are grateful for. And for those of us already sympathetic, we are given the past of Giles and the unrealised future of Frances to ponder. OK so maybe I won't be keeping this one on the shelves reserved for my most treasured reads, but it's not being sent for scrap either. It's being kept in reserve to lend to the needy. PS: You go girl. Keep at it. PPS: 3.5 stars - I just scored this 1 to be contrary and noticed. But you're reading this so there you go...
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Summary: Beautiful prose, wonderful characters, haunting!
Review: As an avid reader of Canadian literature, I was not disappointed in this book. I loved the clean, lovely prose and the complex characters in this novel. The author has managed to write a tragic, hearfelt story that makes the reader feel genuine empathy for these troubled characters. A wonderful novel and a wonderful new author.
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Summary: Gripping, but forgettable.
Review: I just finished the book 2 days ago. I read it all in the span of about 24 hours. The book is about a patriarch and his family of women. The characters were all very troubled. It was sometimes very difficult to read through the dialogue between the two sisters Frances and Lily. The book unfolds like a rose bud. Very tight in the beginning then it all starts to loosen up and you see the core of it all. I started going back to re-read the beginning because there were clues of the unfolding right from the start of the book. But it's not a book that holds a reader the second time around. I found that Frances was the most disturbing character. The reader doesn't really get a solid picture of James' character (the patriarch), only subtle clues. Frances' character was the most compelling.
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Summary: awesome book!
Review: This book was absolutely amazing. I couldn't put it down, though it disturbed me and intrigued me at the same time. Materia was such an intriguing character. The way she grew and changed throughout the novel caught my attention. I was raised Catholic, so her ways and faith kept me reading. After reading this book, I felt changed- it stayed on my mind for days afterward. I can't wait to find more novels by this talented author. If only I had her talent!! This is a book that I will read again and again and would recommend it to anyone.
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Summary: Gripping, fast paced, a page turner til the very end.
Review: Every chapter uncovered a new plot, a twist of story lines, an 'I can't put this book down' event. The characters were believable, the plot fun, interesting and thought provoking. A great summer read. You won't be sorry you invested in this book!
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Summary: God...
Review: Except of "Wuthering Heights" the best book I have ever read. It's... oh, you cannot describe it. Read it. Then you'll see.
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Summary: A sprawling saga about five generations of a family of Cape
Review: Astory of five generations of a family from Cape Breton, Novia Soctia, this is a very impressive piece of literature produced by Canadian actor and playwrighter Ann-Marie Macdonald . The family history , music , anfamily secrets , centers on four sisters , and their relationships with each other, with their fathers involvement. He shows, his affection in a negative and improper way. The setting of this story was in the coal mining communitiesof Novia Scotia in the early part of this century , the battle field scene of World war 1 and the jazz scene of New York City in the 1920's all had a great impact on creating an intensifying scene in the novel , Fall on Your Knees...
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