Vinegar Hill

Rating:
Summary: Dark but beautifully written
Review: This is a haunting, beautifully written book. Ansay did a wonderful job describing the small Wisonsin town where the story takes place. I found the main character, Ellen, a bit elusive and frustrating, but other than that I really liked this book. It is, however, somewhat dark so if you're looking for an uplifting read this would not be a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: Too depressing
Review: Ansay is a good writer but the story was too depressing. I was waiting for some bright spots but none appeared. Also, this story did not finish with much inspiration. After reading this book I had to buy the book "Aunty Mame" by Patrick Dennis to cheer me up. It's my third time reading Aunty Mame but I know I'll still get a good laugh!.

Rating:
Summary: And the plot is what...?
Review: It was an okay book, and I was into it most of the time, but I didn't think there was much of a plot. Ansay is a great writer - I like her word choices, but I just wanted more to happen.

Rating:
Summary: Vinegar Hill; Sour title, sour book
Review: I could not recommend this book to anyone and it baffles me that it has received such enthusiastic reviews. I felt no regard for any of the characters, least of all the main character, Ellen Grier. The other's had no redeeming qualities to speak of. I continued reading until the end, hoping that Ellen would drum up the courage to leave that wretched home. She ultimately made her decision but it came in the last two sentences of the book. It seems that the author had written all the horrible anecdotes she could think of so she decided to end the story just as soon as she let the readers know that Ellen would make up her mind. The end was abrupt and it left me feeling as though I wasted far too much time reading it. Life is short and there are so many wonderful books worth reading. Don't use up the time on this one.

Rating:
Summary: A real DUD
Review: This book was among my least favorite of Oprah's books. It took real effort to get through the whole book, and I would not recommend it at all. Sometimes I wonder, "what is Oprah thinking?" It seems any book, good or bad, with a dysfunctional family in it will make the Oprah list.

Rating:
Summary: Vinegar Hill
Review: I'm so glad I didn't buy the hardback as I rarely do with new authors and new books. I like to save my money for hardbacks that are REALLY good books and this is NOT one of them. Vinegar Hill does not allow you to get close to the characters... none of them seem real and I don't like books that start a trail and never go back and finish the road. There are several gaps, several characters introduced and then never brought up again, just poorly written. I compare this book to The Pilot's Wife which I also couldn't get close to and understand. I read both of these books just to finish it. I never hated to put it down as I do with good books. A real disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: depressing family
Review: Talk about marrying not only your husband but also his family! And what a mean-spirited, depressing group! Poor woman but I felt most sorry for the kids. I was really glad to finish this book because even though the woman and kids seemed to escape this awful place I wanted to get out of there myself even sooner.

Rating:
Summary: surprise! A good Oprah choice!
Review: A hauntingly moving story - I felt as though I shouldn't like it as much as I did. The writing was beautiful, if a little overdone in the "death" symbolism, but a true test for me is how I feel immediately after finishing a book. This one made me think a lot, and not feel as if I had wasted time by reading it.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: Vinegar Hill draws you into the struggle of its main character, Ellen, as circumstances in her life force her to question her marriage and her faith. Ansay is a master at her craft: the inner life of her characters -- their questions, their pain, and ultimately, for some, their transcendence -- strike the reader with their truth and relevance. The author writes with clarity and compassion, and one does not need to identify with the circumstances of Ellen's life in order to empathize with her. I find it remarkable that this is Ansay's first book; it bears the stamp of a mature, complex, and highly skilled writer. Read it, and then read her others--especially her most recent, Midnight Champagne.

Rating:
Summary: Negative stars for this one
Review: I'd give this about three negative stars if that was possible. One of the most unsatisfying books I've read. The ending doesn't begin to make up for sloshing around in all that misery and religiously tainted evil. I'm a psychotherapist and I know this kind of thing exists--as a therapist I have some interaction and some chance of helping at least one person dig out of the slime. As a reader I just remind myself I don't need this!