Rating: 
Summary: Loved it
Review: I liked this book, though it was a little slow and perhaps my mood at the time I read it, was in sync with the pace of the book. - It is not a war story, though it has some war tales within it. - It is not a romance, though it plays with romance. - It is simply a story full of tales and thoughts of two people as they each try to survive and prepare to become worthy of each other. The way the two protagonists (Ada & Inman) each have thier own perspectives and think about one another throughout the book (even though they hadn't promised even to see each other after the war) was compelling. I still retain many of the images formed while reading the story (4 months ago). That's a true testimony.Buy this for warming up to on a cold winter night, when you're not stressed and harried or need to slow down. It does pay off.
Rating: 
Summary: Depressing book
Review: Interesting style of writing but the story is too episodic and formulaic. The chapters alternate back and forth between Inman and Ada, which isn't the worst thing in the world but it does get wearyingly predictable. This happens to him. That happens to her. This happens to him. That happens to her. And so on. The ending is depressing and need not have been. I disagree with comments about this was the only ending possible. I don't want to give it away for those who haven't read it, but the ending brings it down at least one star.
Rating:
Summary: A great American novel
Review: This book is probably best described with a list of adjectives: readable, compelling, memorable, lyrical, engaging, engrossing. This re-telling of the Odyssey is pure Americana, not soon forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: More than a war love story
Review: As if daily life and basic survival weren't hard enough in the mid 19th century, Charles Frazier adds to it the impact of war , solitude, and separation in "Cold Mountain". The reader first meets Inman as he lies in a hospital bed, recovering from a battle wound and contemplating his continued service in the ongoing Civil War. After a fellow soldier dies without completing his life's work, Inamn makes the decision to live life for himself, and thus begins a journey on foot back to his hometown (located at the base of Cold Mountain) and to his love Ada. I've always enjoyed a novel that encompasses adventure, travel, and journeying. "Cold Mountain" has it all, while at the same time rising to the level of great literature. Frazier uses country dialects and varied descriptive elements to bring the Confederate South alive. Ada is a shining light in the novel, being transformed from a delicate Charleston society lady to a self-sufficient farm propietress by Ruby, who has a survival story of her own. Although the novel is filled with tragedy, despair, and suffering, this helps to add strength to the characters and depth to the work. If you can make it through a few slow parts, you'll find this to be a fully enjoyable reading experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Contemporary Literary Classic
Review: This book will be required reading for my grandchildren in school. Very well written! Step into the life of a Civil War soldier searching for purpose in life above basic survival. As he journeys home to the woman he loves you'll get a glimpse of the Amercian people who lived in the midst and aftermath of civil war.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Frazier has an interesting style of writing which takes some getting used to, but it makes for a very visual novel. Don't read this one just once!
Rating:
Summary: COLD MOUNTAIN DEPICTS SENSELESSNESS OF WAR
Review: Cold Mountain was a very well written novel about a conderderate soldiers walk home from a field hospital. This book is very descriptive and has a very interesting format. I would Highly recommend this book to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: JUST MISSES BEING A CLASSIC
Review: My curiousity was piqued when I saw this book in the number 1 position on the bestseller lists. I almost NEVER read the newer bestsellers--there's too many of them and most of them are mysteries or romance. But the blurb about this book made it sound interesting. Something about a wounded soldier trying to get back to his girl during the Civil War. I'd tried reading the Red Badge of Courage--and failed. But I figured that I had to read at least one Civil War book so I may as well read this one. I was grabbed by the beginning--especially the part where the gunner left the ram-rod in his gun and fired anyway! That was just one of MANY surprises in this book. Not all were good, in my opinion, hence the 4 stars. This book is serious, funny, raunchy, you name it. I especially remember the part where Inman faces the firing squad--but I'm stopping there. If you want to know more, read this book for yourself. One last point, I don't care how accurately the author portrays the Civil War era. All I (usually) look for in a book is ENTERTAINMENT. This book delivers.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: I read this book over 3 years ago, and I am still enthralled with its memory. An excellent page-turner that will be perfect for the summer for those who prefer some depth to their reading. Cold Mountain is an extraordinary first novel by Fraser, who shows incredible promise as an author, and his writing in this extraordinary novel deserves all of the accolades it has received.
Rating: 
Summary: A National Book Award? Not many participants then
Review: Yes, you have to use the dictionary with certain frequency, since a lot of the words used by the author are not part of your every day conversations (Not even if you are feeling deep). But I find that effort to be fun, if the language is there, we better make use of its full extension. However, it is true that many of the descriptions used by the author seem to lack a purpose and that they are being used solely to build pages into the novel. The author also needs to master the techniques of suspense and momentum building, because you hardly feel immersed in the sufferings of the characters. Except for Ruby all of them are so plain that is difficult either, to reject or support them. This lack of resources is so sad, that even when Inman can finally undress Ada, after four years of being thinking of her every moment, the author describes such episode with the same lack of intensity that a couple of 37th years of marriage have when they go to bed after arriving from work. I guess this novel won the National Book Award because the juries felt impressed by being forced to used the Oxford's Dictionary.
| 
