Rating: 
Summary: Great writing, poor story.
Review: Charles Frazier has a true mastery of the English language. He stands far above other contemporary authors in that respect. "Cold Mountain" is his illustration of this talent. The sounds of a perfectly crafted sentence or paragraph can make me smile in this book. However, there is a key element missing, one that caused me to dislike the book overall. Regardless of how beautiful a book is written, if it doesn't have a good story then it fails. I had trouble turning the page. I figured it must get better if it is going to win the National Book Award. I was wrong. It is a poor and extremely predictable story. Never did I feel the love between Inman and Ada, never did I feel any desire to keep reading. I gave it to colleagues that thought I must be crazy because of all they had heard as well. They agree. Wonderful writing, horrible story. It's too bad.
Rating: 
Summary: For those with refined tastes only
Review: Just like the finest antiques are often those with the simplest lines, the finest literature can often be minimalistic and take a developed taste to appreciate. I will admit that the plot of this novel does not contain all the twists, turns, and surprises of, say, a John Grisham or Stephen King. However, I found it completely engrossing in its simplicity, beautifully written in an almost lyrical style, and ultimately more heartrending and touching than the average modern romance. In short, not a book for those with short attention spans used to the instant gratification of 30-minute sitcoms, but rather a joy for those who appreciate a quiet, contemplative evening at home with a nice glass of red wine.
Rating:
Summary: A supremely long drag with little character development.
Review: The only mildly interesting character in the whole book was maybe Ada, and the highlight of her metamorphosis was when she finally killed two turkeys. Boring, inconsistent, the book reads like a bad rip-off of A Pilgrim's Progress and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The killing of just about every animal in North America, save the wolf and the panther, is richly detailed every two pages. Had I known that this was the ultimate epiphany of the book or the author, I would never have read it. I want my money back!
Rating: 
Summary: A tale told with rich discriptive prose. A must read!
Review: Never have I had so much empathy with a character in a book.When Inman was hungry,I was hungry. I could feel the changing of the wheather and smell the air. Once, it occured to me that this could have been my great grandfather. Easily the best walk that I have taken and I never left the couch.
Rating:
Summary: A book everyone should read!
Review: The description that Frazier writes of makes the reader feel as though we are following Inman on his journey back home. I could not put this book down. This is a must read for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING....WHAT IS ALL THE HYPE?
Review: THIS could have been a good book, but just could not hold my interest. It was boring for all but maybe 100 pages. If this book was edited down, maybe. A good story line and this would probably make a great movie. There was too much babble, i found it hard to concentrate and enjoy. This book has been winning awards???? I know several people who put it down after 100 pages. It is just not gripping, although it could have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Generic
Review: Nicely written and detailed, but generic. The ending is banal.
Rating:
Summary: I can't finish it!!!!
Review: I swear, I tried! But I simply cannot force myself to read another page. From the start, several things were clear: Frazier has some talent, he spent a lot of time writing this book, he did his research, and he REALLY wants this to be a well-written, enduring novel. The problem: It is damn boring and doesn't have any driving force behind it.I literally swilled coffee at night to attempt finishing Cold Mountain. I would read a page or two, trying desperately to appreciate the "good writing", but there wasn't much in terms of that, and my eyes had the habit of getting progressively heavier with each passing paragraph. The fact that the publisher allows a reviewer to invoke Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms" on the jacket cover of "Cold Mountain" is a matter of dishonor. If anyone is considering the purchase of this novel, don't just buy it because it is new and has garnered good reviews. Such reviews only reflect the sorry state of current fiction writing. Take my suggestion and read Crane's "Red Badge of Courage" instead. It is superior in all respects to Frazier's book. I hereby declare, I will not read another boring, tedious, ho-hum page of Cold Mountain. I just got up and put it in a box where it will stay.
Rating:
Summary: An arresting story in rather turgid prose
Review: I found it very difficult to get into this novel because of the author's rather turgid brand of prose. The storyline was quite interesting,although I felt like I walked the entire journey with Inman, in real time! The most arresting parts of the book were firstly the relationship between Ada and Ruby,and the strange character of Stobrod and the descriptions of the music he invented.Despite my criticisms I did have to read on to find out how it ended!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: In short, this inventive and romantic novel was truly epic in scope and beautifully written. I have rarely read such a good first novel.
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