Before You Know Kindness : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking
Review: Chris Bohjalian has previously written novels that provide "food for thought" for his readers. This novel also lends itself well to introspection and character examination. By the end of this book, the reader is well acquainted with the character flaws and strengths of the main characters. At the conclusion of the novel, I was sympathetic to all of them - even Spencer, whose pomposity and unyielding righteousness had made him very unlikeable. This is, on the surface, a novel about vegans vs. hunters; however, what makes it spellbinding is the knowledge of the characters we glean. I think we also take away the irrefutable fact that good things do sometimes result from tragic circumstances.

Rating:
Summary: Depiction of Family Matriarch
Review: Chris Bohjalian's Nan is "elderly" at 70, dead a short time later and probably would have died a decade earlier had she not lived a vigorous life. I find this age judgment a tad jarring and wondered about Bohjalian's arbitrary arrival at a leading character's destiny.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: I cannot believe that so many people really enjoyed this book. Bohjalian's characters are, to a person, humorless and unlikeable, and his storytelling is weirdly gory and dry. A waste of time. Any single John Irving novel would be better and along the same lines.

Rating:
Summary: Great characters, laborious plot
Review: I really loved two of Chris Bohjalian's previous book--Midwives of course, and Law of Similars. While I really liked that Bohjalian would take on complex issues in a fresh way, it no longer seems so fresh. Yes, this book again features people who sometimes put their ideals above their families. As you can see from the synopsis above, the McCullough family is torn apart by an accident involving a gun, a stoned daughter, and an animal-rights activist dad. The story, though is pretty thin--it's easy to see where it will end up.What's great about this book is the characters--that's why it garnered a 4 from me. The New England reserve that permeates the members of the Seton family (Catherine, married to Spencer McCullough, and Nan, her mom) will make you feel chilled. When they learn to connect with each other and with other members of the family, you can feel the ice melt. The way Bohjalian draws Charlotte, the accidental shooter, and her cousin, Willow, put me right back into my girlhood. I could feel their angst: Charlotte's yearning to be older, Willow's tug between the sophistication of her older cousin and her still child-like essence.Spencer and Catherine's characters undergo the largest shifts, but in the end, you already know what is going to happen, making the book really a character study more than a compelling novel. I've come to expect more from Bohjalian, and so should you. Check it out from the library or buy it used.

Rating:
Summary: Mixed Bag
Review: I was looking for a good and involving read for Christmas break. This book looked promising by what was written on the jacket and inside flaps. I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea. To me, it seemed that it was written for the upper middle-class yuppie: tennis at the club; a strong athletic, talented matriarch who for all intents and purposes seems smugly impressed with the fact that her son the attorney is now working as a Public Defender; the over-kill (pun intended) of the deer/the garden/hunting and how killing animals isn't necessary or necessarily bad. It also seemed that the beautiful people seemed more practical while the plainer-looking ones were either quirky or highly principled, both to the point of annoyance.



Rating:
Summary: Satisfying, altho a little too long!
Review: I was so happy to finally see a new book from Chris Bohjalian. After reading BUFFALO SOLDIERS a few years ago, my first by this author, I went out and bought two of his previous books because he truly captured my attention. I find his writing style, and themes of his novels, very true to life, emotional, meaningful and affective.

The book was very slow to start. While the very first page tells readers of the awful event that will forever change the lives of the McCullough family, the story travels backwards and describes the events leading up to that horrific day. You don't return to the tragedy until about a third of the way through the book. Once this life altering event takes place, the novel tells the story of how it has changed and affects each of the various family members.

The descriptions are excellent, and Bohjalian writes emotion very well, but I found the rest of the story dragged out and prolonged. I kept waiting for one of the characters to change their minds, discover their weaknesses, and finally be honest with themselves, but it didn't happen until the final chapters.

I give the book four stars because I really enjoy Bohjalian's writing style, and the way he captures emotions and digs into the inner drama of a family. The McCullough family could be any of the families in your neighborhood. The characters feel real, and readers should easily identify with any of one of them. Who doesn't know a teen like Charlotte, or a "matriarch" like Nan? And almost every large family has a member like Spencer - who believes that his way of life is the best for everyone. I just can't give it five stars, however, because it was just a little too long and drawn out - while I kept wanting to read to find out what happens next, and when the members of the McCullough family discovered their consciences, and finally did the "right thing", it just took a little too long to get there, and I found myself thinking "C'mon already - when is this stubborness going to end!"

It's still a wonderful read, and an insightful look at the makings of a family. It's nice to read a book that's so easy to identify with, and captures the true meaning of "family spirit."


Rating:
Summary: Thank Goodness for the Prologue
Review: If it were not for the Prologue, nothing concrete would have happened in this novel for the first 160 pages or so. It was a slow start to an excellent expose of people's true characters and motivations.

As one can tell by the prologue, a man is shot by his 12 year old daughter. What the prologue does not tell you is who these people are or why he was shot. Mr. Bohjalian then spends a bit too long "introducing" the characters - a brother and sister, their mother, daughters and spouses. After the episode with the gun, the novel really picks up and grabs the reader.

The conflicts are endless among the characters who are related. The author then brings in lawyers and animal rights activists who all have their agendas and want to superimpose them on the family that is quickly crumbling under the stress of the accidental (or was it) shooting.

There is no romance or chivalry in Mr. Bohjalian's characters. He strips them to their basest personalities. They therefore are not likeable, but they are thoroughly understandable. The characters as portrayed are probably the most realistic possible - do we really have nobililty and romance in our lives? Do we really have those assets when tragedy hits? We would like to think we do, but this novel hits home as the characters act, think and say what we would all probably be thinking in their place, even if we do not go through with our thoughts. For example, if you are left crippled by a stupid mistake of your brother-in-law, wouldn't you rather not speak to him than forgive and forget?

The characters are very realistically portrayed. Their emotions are brutally displayed. The only character a reader can root for is the ten year old cousin, Willow. Her innocence and lack of alterior motives makes her likeable and gives the view we would like to see. The other characters display those qualities we all have but would like to keep hidden.

Bohjalian is similar to Wolf in his portrayal of less than sympathetic characters, but somehow, for me, he does it better. A reader does not come to hate any of the characters (although the man shot is an annoyingly fanatic animal rights guy) because they all ring to too true to ourselves. They do nothing hateful, only what we would do if left to our own selves in difficult situations.

Along with the character portrayals, the author brings to the table such issues, as gun control, hunting and animal rights. Since both sides of every issue are presented there appears to be no agenda by the author.

The writing is superb. After the shooting, when all the conflicts hit, the book really captures the reader and moves much better.

A very good read. A very good portrayal of realistic characters.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, no heart
Review: The story is interesting and certainly holds your attention, but it left me cold. There was no heart, no feeling. I could not develop a bit of empathy toward any of the characters. And there was just way too much detail. Who cares what the husband of a minor character such as the EMT does for a living?. I have read most of Bohjalian's other books, and find this one to be atypical of his writing.

Rating:
Summary: Familial Crisis
Review: This is the story of the McCullough family and their descent into crisis when a teenage girl shoots her animal-rights activist father and the shock waves that it sends throughout the entire family.

Each character in this book has their own story to tell, their own problems to face. The accident itself teaches each one of them about love, loss, innocence and most importantly, kindness.

Family and relationships are at the heart of this book and what tragedy can do to interfere with the everyday lives of people. Fortunately it also sheds light on the fact that good can indeed come from tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!!
Review: This was a fantastic book. It was gripping and very easy to get into. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.