Rating: 
Summary: Great fun trying to be deep
Review: ...I both found a delightful author and a disappointment. Carroll is an excellent storyteller, weaving story within story ... I especially appreciated his German folktale without an ending. He does an excellent job of reinterpreting events in light of later understanding (self-understanding) of the characters. He illustrates the "seven degrees of separation" by the constant discovery of interrelationships between the characters. He easily blends multiple world views/realities into a coherent whole. The result is a book that keeps you reading, awaiting the next revision of your understanding of the storyline and of the motivation of the characters. This revision literally continues to the last page.My disappointment - the story depends upon an acceptance of a division of humanity into "them" and "us". Given the ordinariness of Miranda in the first section of the novel, I found it difficult to buy into her "otherness" - more difficult to accept than the alternative worldviews that caused the volume to be placed in the "fantasy" reading section. I will certainly read additional books by Jonathan Carroll, expecting that other books will not share this flaw.
Rating:
Summary: Great fun trying to be deep
Review: ...I both found a delightful author and a disappointment. Carroll is an excellent storyteller, weaving story within story ... I especially appreciated his German folktale without an ending. He does an excellent job of reinterpreting events in light of later understanding (self-understanding) of the characters. He illustrates the "seven degrees of separation" by the constant discovery of interrelationships between the characters. He easily blends multiple world views/realities into a coherent whole. The result is a book that keeps you reading, awaiting the next revision of your understanding of the storyline and of the motivation of the characters. This revision literally continues to the last page. My disappointment - the story depends upon an acceptance of a division of humanity into "them" and "us". Given the ordinariness of Miranda in the first section of the novel, I found it difficult to buy into her "otherness" - more difficult to accept than the alternative worldviews that caused the volume to be placed in the "fantasy" reading section. I will certainly read additional books by Jonathan Carroll, expecting that other books will not share this flaw.
Rating: 
Summary: From the Ordinary to the Extraordinary
Review: A friend who knows my taste in books suggested I read Jonathan Carroll. She told me she was sure I would like his writing and she was right. I do. Although I bought three "Carroll books," I chose to read "The Marriage of Sticks" first because it seemed the most interesting. I especially liked the fact that I would find elements of both fantasy and horror in this book. It seems to me that Carroll has what might be termed a "cult following" and this is, in one sense, a shame. While it's certainly not bad to have avid fans (I am now one of those fans), Carroll is such a good storyteller and such a first-rate writer that he really deserves to be far more widely read, especially in his native United States. The fantasy of Jonathan Carroll is not the fantasy of Marian Zimmer Bradley and her legends of Arthuriana. It is not the fantasy of Tolkien. Carroll's books do not contain kings and queens, wizards and warriors or frogs who become princes when kissed by fair princesses. Don't get me wrong; I like that kind of fantasy, but I love Carroll's own unique brand, too. Jonathan Carroll seems to write about everyday people in everyday settings. In the case of "The Marriage of Sticks," the "everyday" people are Miranda Romanac and Hugh Oakley, both people who love, hate, make friends, have careers and families and pets and, on the surface, at least, seem to want to do the best in life. "Seem to want," seems to be a crucial phrase when talking about a Jonathan Carroll book. For his characters seem to be far more than we would have guessed had we met them at a dinner party or an outdoor cafe. They have strange, sometimes macabre, undercurrents and emotional lives that are often in a state of constant turmoil. And this is what makes them so interesting and compelling and alive. Fascinating even. We love to read about them, but we sure wouldn't want to be one of them. The first half of "The Marriage of Sticks" belongs to Miranda and seems to be more of a realistic (though passionate) love story than anything supernatural. This is just part of Carroll's subtlety and delicacy and skill as a writer. When the supernatural elements make a stronger appearance, as they do in the second half of the book, we are well prepared for them, though we may not realize it at first. Miranda Romanac is a woman who wants, and needs, to love. She's a warm and giving person, but she is a warm and giving person with one huge flaw...she preys upon others in a most unique way. It is this one terrible flaw, personified in the character of Frances Hatch, that will come to overshadow and torment Miranda's life (and Hugh's) in the most terrible of ways. When Miranda and Hugh move into Frances' former home, Crane's View, the supernatural gains a firmer hold. I think the readers who didn't like the second half of this book might have rushed too quickly through the first half. I have a feeling that Carroll's subtle preparation for what is to come may be lost on readers who try to get to the end of the book too quickly. Jonathan Carroll is far too much of a gourmet feast to be rushed through; he needs to be savored. In the second half of "The Marriage of Sticks," Carroll gradually peels away the layers of "everyday" veneer that gloss his characters to reveal who they really are and what horrors they must face. These revelations are extraordinary, fascinating, horrifying and, ultimately, haunting. I loved the way Carroll juxtaposed the mundane with the fantastic. For me, this made Miranda's situation all the more horrifying; it made it seem as though it could, very definitely, happen to me. Add to this Carroll's delicate, perfectly-nuanced, watercolor prose and you have a truly haunting book that you will never forget. "The Marriage of Sticks" is, in my opinion, a very underrated book and Jonathan Carroll is a very underrated writer. His is first-rate writing coupled with first-rate storytelling skills. When added together, they make for a rich, rewarding and enjoyable experience that is simply unique.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific first half, dismay second.
Review: A long time Carroll-fan, I bought this novel in London a few weeks ago. I devoured it eagerly, but I felt somehow let down by the author (something that is becoming a Carroll habit of late...). The first half of the novel is a gem, wonderful. Just that is worth the book's price and more. By all means, read this novel, but be ready for a completely dissapointing second half. Once all the cards are laid on the table, Carroll seems unable to solve the plot he has devised. He indulges in some sort of metaphysical mystery tour that simply won't fly no matter how much you want to. It seems to this reader that Carroll writes without a plan, exploring the plot and the character's world as he advances, much like a reader of his own work. That makes for wonderful, exciting and surprising set-ups and disastrous conclusions. Usually, except for Land of Laughs, and Bones of the Moon, his novels tend to leave you blank because of a non-efective conclusion. They leave all the ends unsolved, untied and =, therefore, he kills his own wonderous construction by not topping it. Never in his work this has been more evident. I hope such a wonderful, unique and gifted novelist would be harder on himself when it comes to the basic nuts and bolts of plot and structure. I am sure he is capable of it. If he did, I dare say he would become the best novelist alive. As it stands now, he is marvelous rarity, the most beautiful of unfulfilled promises. I will continue to read anything he writes, and I encourage anybody to do so, if only in hope of that day he raises to his own standards.
Rating:
Summary: Provocative Entertainment
Review: As someone recently bit by the Carroll bug, I may not be the most impartial critic. Still I found this book was very enjoyable. I understand the swiftly shifting underlying cosmology of the novel will lose many readers. But it is this which drew me in deeper. Yes, the characters may seem alittle too privledged to connect with some but the underpinnings are sound. I like the fact that while Miranda is sympathetic that when the revelation about her character comes we are not unaware of her personal flaws up to this point. The key to much of the characterization is though we like the characters, we can see their shortcomings. How often do you see that?! Also having read The Wooden Sea first, I was thrilled to see Frannie again. It should be noted that Kissing The Beehive, this novel, and The Wooden Sea make a rather discrete trilogy of novels. While indvidual stories, they certainly lend a certain resonance to each other. So if you want something that entertains and provokes thought, you can't go wrong with Carroll. Not the best place to start - I read Sleeping in Flame first but would recommend The Wooden Sea as a good place to start - but still very good. Then again just pick one and jump in. Well worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Who cares?
Review: Clearly I'm in the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book at all. Part 1 just did not ring true to me. First, I found the characters to be completely one-dimensional. Miranda reads like a female character written by a man. And Hugh -- handsome, philosophical, patient and willing to leave his wife! -- read to me like a man's idea of a woman's idea of the ideal man! Second, I had no idea where the book was headed and frankly, didn't much care. Then, Part 2, the weird stuff kicks in. I didn't care about the characters in the first place, so I didn't much care what happened to them or why. I had literally no interest in deciphering the events/visions/ghosts.
Rating:
Summary: Who cares?
Review: Clearly I'm in the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book at all. Part 1 just did not ring true to me. First, I found the characters to be completely one-dimensional. Miranda reads like a female character written by a man. And Hugh -- handsome, philosophical, patient and willing to leave his wife! -- read to me like a man's idea of a woman's idea of the ideal man! Second, I had no idea where the book was headed and frankly, didn't much care. Then, Part 2, the weird stuff kicks in. I didn't care about the characters in the first place, so I didn't much care what happened to them or why. I had literally no interest in deciphering the events/visions/ghosts.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful gift.
Review: Every Jonathan Carroll work is like a precious gift and this is no exception. The Marriage of Sticks creates and atmosphere and a feeling that I could maybe describe if I could write like Mr. Carroll. Read it and feel it for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: I loved every minute of it
Review: Every time Jonathan Carroll publishes a book I put my world on hold and happily go live in the new one he has created. The nicest thing about his books is I always get the feeling they are talking directly to me and not anyone else. The main character in THE MARRIAGE OF STICKS is a woman in her early thirties who is sort of stuck in her life and doesn't know which way to turn. Me too. But reading Carroll and seeing what he has to say about the subject helped in many ways for me to see my own problems more clearly and maybe even find a way through them. This has happened with every single book of his I have ever read and that is the main reason why I will go on reading Jonathan Carroll. As one of the blurbs say, his work is addictive.
Rating:
Summary: Carroll writes another beautiful book.
Review: Fans of Jonathan Carroll know what it's like to crave for something else by this man to read. So when The Marriage of Sticks came out, a sigh of relief was heard round the world. It's like a drug, and just when our DTs were getting their worst, we get another hit of Carroll. This is a magnificent book and absolutely beautiful in parts, which is hard to come by these days. If anyone cares what I think, I recommend this highly.
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