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Summary: Love on the Highway ... Read on.
Review: Empathy vs. Joyless. Best or the Worse. I imagine one of the biggest compliments an author can receive is mixed reviews. It spawns talk about their book. The trailing list of reviews is testimony to the feelings the author tapped. I won't rave but neither will I fling mud. Simply. Readers will either like or dislike this book. Personally it nursed a surprising result. Ever take a long road trip with someone that has opposite interests? Mr. Bluegrass / Mrs. Classical. Mrs. Novel Fiction / Mr. Outdoors Man. No matter our differences my husband and I share a special spirituality for open space, wilderness and every day struggles that strenthen individuals and families. While crusing Amazon.com's myriad of book for a present, Mr. Opposite chanced on A Map of the World because of a review that peaked his fancy. The review recommended LIFE WITH NOAH, a story of discovery and acting on one's values, of friendship, nature, sometimes survival and always adventure living in the wilds of New York state's Adirondack Mountains almost a century ago. "It is a classic tale. A keeper," my husband's words. My sportsman husband doesn't read a lot. However he did not put this book down. Hubby told friends about it and loaned his copy. Unheard of! Told from a first-person point of view, the pages allowed him to live with, hunt, fish and hike with Noah John Rondeau, the hermit of Cold RIver. In August 2000 we will vacation in the Adirodacks. My husband has convinced me to backpack a portion of the Northville-Lake Placid trail that winds into the the wilds of the High Peaks. There we will see and share the land he fell in love with. Along the road trip and on the trail's journey I look forward to sharing viewpoints of other books we have read. Maybe I'll suggest visiting Prince Edward's Island next year. I have always loved Ann of Green Gables.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: I slogged through this book only because it is my principle that I finish any book that I start. I did not find any of the characters interesting or compelling. I was actually hoping that Alice was found guilty so everyone could get on with their lives, such as they were. I believe that I will give up on Oprah's picks because they are all about such boring people (This Much I Know is True; Stella)
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Summary: Map of the world
Review: Map Of The World: One of my favorite books. Real characters and touches on many emotions. I liked Alice and my heart went out to her. Depression can be devastating. I recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: a map of the world
Review: This book was excellent. The author made you feel as if you were Alice, Howard, and then Alice again. I really felt sorry for Alice and the guilt she felt over Lizzy's death. Her not want-ing to forgive herself was so sad. The whole book is a lesson in forgiveness.
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Summary: A tiring read..
Review: This is extremely difficult reading. I found myself skimmingover many paragraphs and pages, just looking for some dialogue. Tomake it worse, the print in this edition is so small that one can only read for a chapter or so before becoming fatigued. I found it annoying, and way too wordy and explanatory. I think if they got to the point more quickly, and didn't labor so MUCH over descriptions etc. it would have been more enjoyable. It's become a drudgery to read, rather than a passtime.
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Summary: Ponderous but worth reading
Review: This book started out good but it soon lost momentum. The author overly describes, in a wordy style, topics that are of no interest, and that's where the book goes off track. It's a bit of a disapointment after the Book of Ruth, which really captivates the reader. Map of the World is not as morbid as some of the Oprah books and it is worth reading, though it's ponderous.
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Summary: A Map of the World: Desperate Struggles
Review: Alice Goodwin is a troubled woman living on a dairy farm in Prairie Center, Wisconsin. The mother of two girls, Emma (6) and Claire (3), she is struggling to get her life together. When her husband Howard decided to pursue his dream of being a dairy farmer, she went along with him, but they have been trying to make ends meet. Alice is the school nurse at the local elementary school, and after the terrible drowning of the two-year old neighbor who was in Alice's care, she is suddenly faced with sexual harassment charges from one of the students at the school. While she is in jail Howard desperately tries to keep the family from falling apart, which proves very difficult, and everyone's breath is held leading up to and during the trial. I liked this book, because of the strong emotions and sub-plots. The reader really feels as if he/she is experiencing the unfolding of the carefully planned plot, riding along with the family as they dodge all of the ruts in the road of life. It is amazing to read the story through the eyes of both Alice and Howard. I would recommend this book for most people ages 13 and older.
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Summary: Hated It!
Review: I just got off the phone, conversing about this book. The kind of phone with an alabaster handle, the color of a sandy beach at the local swimming hole...the kind of swimming hole with cool, rippling black water that...oh! I digress, just like this book does. It can be interesting to read about a schitzophrenic, but not be in her mind hearing all her thoughts for several chapters. And all of a sudden in the middle of the book, her personality type totally changes....pleeeaaazz....I think this book only made it on Oprah's list because it advertises her show and how wonderful she is for several pages. And did anyone quite figure out how the map of the world really fits into this story. And the inmates. Totally unneccesary. I suppose her writing style may have seemed interesting to readers who regularly ingest Harlequin romance novels. I don't mind reading depressing subjects, but these people I couldn't even feel sorry for. Alice is a scatter-brain nitwit who dislikes just about everyone including her own kid. No wonder a child died...she can't keep focused for more than about a minute. Must be ADD. I don't feel sorry for anyone associated with this book except for those individuals who are subjected to read it for their bookclub. Why can't Oprah suggest a good classical story-teller like Dickens who can tell a sad story, but leave you feeling like there is some hope in the world and something to be learned from misfortune. Hamilton looks like she is trying to copy several other authors styles in one book. She should learn to write a 100pg novel in 100pgs...not 400.
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Summary: Map of the World
Review: I felt there was too much. Just when there was a chance to see a situation in depth, more plot was added - always worse. After awhile the book began to feel like a bad ride in the house of horrors. Good writing. Basically, a good short story that did not need so many plot twists.
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Summary: words put together beautifully
Review: Map of the world was by far one of my favorites-Jane Hamilton has such a way with her words and story. I actually took twice as long reading it, because I would go back for the pure pleasure of re-reading the descriptions she would write. The story was compelling and sad, but it had the always present hope of resiliency. The main character was gutsy and imperfect-which made it believable also. Great book-I can't wait to try another Jane Hamilton jewel soon!
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