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Summary: Challenging Topography
Review: Jane Hamilton is a writer who can articulate the complex peaks and valleys of internal chaos. She does so in the rugged terrain of external tragedy. Yes, internal and external drama make up this map of the world. We learn the geography of the protagonist Claire who is a mother of two and seems to attract tragedy. Claire is believable, honest, vulnerable, and introspective. If you enjoyed and endured the pain and trama of Beth in Jacquelyn Mitchard's "The Deep End of the Ocean," then you will get a great deal out of this book. What I liked best about "A Map of the World" is that it offered a second perspective on the external situations and internal conflicts as the second part of the book shifts to Claire's husband Howard as the voice with which the story continues. While it is a sad story, and not something to read if you are suffering from depression, it is nice to be able to look at your own life and realize "things aren't really that bad."
Rating: 
Summary: A Map of the World
Review: The book is surely the story of all of us even if we dislike some of the characters in this incredibly moving story. It's about love, dreams, family, fear, heartbreak, desperation, humility, waiting, despair, loss and moving on with faith, determination and love. I found myself weaping from being unexpectedly overwhelmed by the awful truths of life. That in one small instant in time a life/lives can changes forever. There is no going back, no fixing it, no hope of anything every being the same. It's about surviving it and it being enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-written but it left me with questions...
Review: Although I enjoyed reading this novel, I was amazed at how self centered everyone seemed to me. It was interesting that Howard and Alice were a family at all. Their family felt like a boat with no captain, driftng, with no one wanting to be the responsible party. I was captivated by the story line and felt the novel was well written but it left me with questions... Why was Emma so angry all the time? Why couldn't Alice, an otherwise strong character pull herself together for her own children? I had other questions but don't want to give anything away!I am glad I read this book and would recommend it to others. There are many levels to the story and several story lines to follow, all of which are interesting and well portrayed. Although I didn't really have empathy for any of the main characters I was interested in the outcome of the novel. I think above all else it shows that grief is a strange animal and every person deals with it differently. Every person survives in their own way.
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Summary: I love "The book of Ruth". but Map disappointed me
Review: I picked up this book with great expectaions. I loved Jane Hamilton's other book: "the Book of Ruth". However i wa disapointd by this one. The chracters were well developed, but the story sagged in the middle. Over all, even the prose was a bit tired. Ms. Hamilton fell into cliches. Too bad.
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Summary: A MAP OF THE WORLD
Review: I've just finished reading "A Map Of The World" for the second time. I remember the first time I read the book, it was on a "privileged 7 day pass" in our small town, which meant I could have the book for seven days (not much of a trial) and must return it because others were waiting. This was in 1994. In 1994, I was an exitable, eager, and single young woman, 28 years old, an eleven year old daughter, a ten year old cat, crawling my up from the bottom rung of the ladder and proud of it! As I read the book again, now in 2000, things are quite different: 35 years old, an eighteen year old daughter, a seventeen year old cat, married, relocated twice and voluntarily quit my twelve year career to do something enjoyable and challenging no matter the cost (still not sure if this was an insane thing to do). Here once again came this author, this Jane Hamilton, who lives and writes practically out the backdoor of my own yard. Now at an affordable paperback price, I knew I wanted to own this novel. I feel a certain kinship with this woman. After all, she has grown up in the same areas, new the same places, chose these same city scapes for various backgrounds; her amazing craft of weaving fictional webs. I also envy her subtle ability to let the world know that we are not only here, living and enjoying Wisconsin, but we are talented, intelligent, and worthy of notice. I was moved to tears more than once in the first few chapters of the book. I have no recollection of this reaction the first time. I found the author's writing ability keen enough to make me whisper to myself "you've just killed your best friend's kid, can you imagine?", and then pray silently for I've been one of the lucky ones to have my kid survive her childhood, thus far, intact. How do you think Alice must have felt? Do you think that child's voice ringing in her ears would be so very different, somehow less haunting, if it had been her own child? - or do you think she felt guiltily unable to cope with her friend's detestable and bitter grief? Alice's life continues on an incredible, somehow believe-able, careening course. Yet, you gotta wonder, perhaps to her relief? What courage to write this story, to read this story, and for the sheer ability of one to move another profoundly with words jumbled on a page, to herald the story.
Rating: 
Summary: I just couldn't sympathize....
Review: I rated this book with two stars because I really disliked the main character. Perhaps what I seek from reading is different from other readers, but the reasons I read are to be inspired, and to learn, and to laugh. Alice made me angry. She was short sighted, insensitive, weak and self-centered. The reason I didn't rate this book even lower is because, while I disliked it the whole time I was reading it, it certainly made an impression on me. I guess you could say I did learn something from it - how I never want to be. To me, there are too many depressing things that happen in everyday life; I don't want to be depressed in my reading-fantasy world as well.
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Summary: Hapless people make for fruitless reading
Review: I looked forward to reading this book, having heard so many good things about it. However, I found the characters disturbingly self-involved and even rather stupid about the way life works. Alice doesn't lift a finger to help herself, before or after her tragedies; she is a drifter. She "forgives" her husband -- but I don't know for what. The jail scenes were very false, and the black dialect was off-key (i.e., "I be listening" means I'm listening all the time. "I listening" would mean I'm listening right now.) Hamilton says her point is all about forgiveness -- but it is Theresa who has something to forgive. Alice brought her troubles on herself. I am a teacher and there ARE annoying children, and you can lose your temper. But you make it up to the child later, even apologize! You don't go on resenting the kid. He's a KID! A very odd book, and very disappointing.
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Summary: Hard to read ,but worth the endeavour
Review: It wasn't easy, not at all. There were a few times when I'd put it down not wanting to continue ,but in the end I am happy I finished the book. All the way I felt there was something strong and deep about this book. That was the first time I've read a creation of a female writer, and I have to say I liked it. It's differet from a man's writing. Hamilton had dag very deep in the process of describing the characters, and the outcome was overwhelming. In order to explain why most of the reading have been so hard, I 'd have to mention the nature of the story : Hamilton had dealt with carelessness,a dead child ,guilt ,enormous pain ,nerve breakdown ,accusations of child abuse and the hard and painful emotions people feel while experiencing ordeal. As you may understand, It's not a fun read .You won't relax out of reading this work. As a matter of fact it's most disturbing. None the less, there is a lot that can be learned. I have to admit there were some points I didn't understand myself, being so complicated,maybe way over my level of development. All of this come to show you that this is a powerful, serious work. More than that, there is a double point of view approach : One of Alice point of view ,and one of Howard,her husband. This technique is new for me and I've found it most interesting, yet another good reason to read this book. All in all, try this if you are ready to experience pain and agony and true day to day feelings of adults in their brave struggle to survive terrible events.
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Summary: Very gripping and melancholic
Review: This book is a "must read" in many ways: It is wonderfully written, full of emotions and feelings but NOT one of those romantic pieces written for frustrated women! The way that the author presents different views by writing the book out of the eye of Alice first, of her husband Howard later and then back out of her eyes gives this story a certain energy and a very distinctive and psychologically interesting taste. It is a book about hopes and dreams, family and friendship, love and hate and most of all foregiveness. It really gripped me and made me see life from a different angle at least for a short time and I hope I will be able to remember the essence more often.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful, unpredictable bag of emotions
Review: This book was anything but slow! The characters were about as fully and starkly developed as one could hope for. Hamilton brought me into their lives..which at times felt warm and nourishing, and often harsh and uncomfortable..never predictable! Did she? Didn't she? It was delicious! I didn't care much about the jail girls either, but loved the book.
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