A Map of the World

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Summary: Superlative fiction
Review: A Map of the World is phenomenal. Fans of intense novels like The Triumph and the Glory or The Reader will like this book. People who liked Snow Falling on Cedars will like this book. People who liked The Testament or The Fist of God will like this book. A Map of the World has everything one could ask of a book. A vast range and scope of human emotion and experience is here, in a very eloquent style. You must read this one!

Rating:
Summary: A Fine Novel
Review: The sense of place is wonderful in this novel and the characters well-defined. Certainly Hamilton is adept at her craft and will leave most readers quite pleased.

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Summary: Jump into the fictional world with MAP OF THE WORLD
Review: Ordinary people. Ordinary lives. Glue for appreciating the real world and its many twists and turns that lurk to confront everyone's Unknown -- the future. Equally enjoyable are real life reads that focus on charismatic, colorful characters and their stories, the inexhaustibly nourishing natural world and freedom from civilization's buzz. To escape to a time and place of lasting memories where you will not leave "empty and disappointed" I recommend reading LIFE WITH NOAH, an accomplished piece of nonfiction that takes readers on a journey that even the most accomplished outdoors person can't make alone.

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Summary: A Map of the World and The Book of Ruth
Review: A Map of the World and The Book of Ruth are my to most favorite books. Jane Hamilton is a wonderful author. Definitely read both books!

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Summary: A Male Perspective
Review: I grew up less than 10 miles away from where Jane Hamilton now lives. She has captured the nuances of the people and places that comprise southeastern Wisconsin perfectly. The passive aggressive behavior of the locals. The small town rituals. The texture and tone of the gently rolling farmlands and woods. I read a Map of the World four years ago, and it inspired me to finish my own novel based on my family's struggles in the 1960s to prevent construction of a expressway through the family's 1000-acre estate. Kudos to Jane Hamilton for validating how I feel about where I came from.

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Summary: I read it almost 5 years ago and it still haunts me.
Review: I can see the funeral in my mind's eye as I write. I have read Hamilton's other books and found them a bit dull. But, my God, this book will rip your heart out. I actually told the story to my husband on a car trip. We were crying so hard we had to pull over. Astounding piece of fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Left me empty...
Review: Like the Wisconsin reader and the reader from Mill Valley, Hamilton's book left me feeling very empty and disappointed. I also had no real feelings for the main character and found myself not caring one way or the other what happened to her. I was very disappointed with this book and felt bored and fretful throughout, waiting for something substantial to happen.

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Summary: Moving by the simplest of terms
Review: I actually listened to this book on tape while driving my father's dog (my father had recently passed away) to his new home hundreds of miles away. It provided a unique setting to listen to this tale of what I would call a good day gone bad. It's a moving story of ordinary events that change a person and how people choose to react to situations. It is books like this one that remind you of what's important in life. I found it to be very touching.

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Summary: A Map of the World
Review: This is one of the best written books I have ever read. Not for people with young children. It has stayed with me.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Jane Hamilton's books are certainly memorable. "Book of Ruth" contained one of those scenes which will remain burned into my brain cells. However, "Map of the World" seems to have all the cynicism and darkness, with none of the intensity or sense of redemption. Characterization seemed weak - I couldn't muster enough interest about the characters to really care what happened to them. I'm surprised this is an Oprah pick.