A Town Like Alice

Rating:
Summary: An engaging tale
Review: A Town Like Alice is a touching story. It is written in a simple manner and is a quick read. The characters are 60 years old, so there is racism and classism in the book. One needs to keep that in mind during the story. The characters are engaging and the story is so interesting. While reading this book, I kept a map out so that I could follow where the characters go. There are so many locations and settings which make the book thoroughly entertaining. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Why is it so rare to meet a good person in a novel anymore?
Review: I think _A Town Like Alice_ is near the top of my all-time favorite book list, too (along with _To Kill a Mockingbird_ and _The Catcher in the Rye_). What strikes me about it and many of Shute's books is the quiet heroism of its characters. Good, strong people who work hard at improving the world and shine through the pages with a commonsense morality and unconscious courage. I proselytize this book heavily, picking it up whenever I'm at a used book store and passing it along. The whole narrator device is a bit off-putting at first (my sister-in-law and brother listened to it on tape and almost gave up near the beginning), but the book picks up speed if you keep with it (my sister-in-law and brother ended up LOVING it). The video is also good--I'm buying that today!

Rating:
Summary: A Moving Story that Makes You Proud To Be Human
Review: Shute captures the famous Death March with telling detail and a quiet understatement that lets the drama speak for itself. The "sequel" to that march in the town of Alice is an equally adept picture of how ordinary humans rebuild life and beauty in the midst of strife and emptiness. Some readers find the work structurally odd, thinking that Shute has slapped together two stories that are only loosely linked by character, but I find here a solidly unified tale, the story of a woman who descends into the realm of death and despair and then marches back out again. It's touching and inspiring and a reminder of what can be best in all of us, but without being treacly or preachy.

Rating:
Summary: Hardly a masterpiece
Review: I didn't think it was boring. But, it was extrememly unbelieveable, which turned me off quite a bit. Jean annoyed me very much. Plus, I didn't like her racist character. I didn't really get the whole Mr. Strachen thing. How did he know about everything they said to be able to narrate the story.

Rating:
Summary: Transition, Contrast and Love in Colonial Times
Review: The style of writing is the refreshing aspect of the book, it has a strong narrative and a 'calm', yet intense, passion. The characters values, both pragmatic and caring, the steamy life that is the tropics and the rugged 'outback' are clearly created, giving warmth and depth to an interesting and enjoyable read. It is a testament to many of the uncelebrated lives that survived WW2 and what they went on to create. The only critisicm, if any, is that the development of the plot seems a little fanciful at times, aside from that, this book will stay with me for a long time,I will give this to friends for christmas and birthdays. Read it, you'll be pleased you did.

Rating:
Summary: Alice really captures the spirit of a dying empire.
Review: Shute has a fluid writing style, and keeps the reader moving along, but to what purpose? It is such a period piece, celebrating the stiff upper lip to the nth-degree. Disparaging those silly women on the death march who weakly gave into showing their suffering. The good children never whimpered once Mother is laid to her final rest. This book is a touchstone for understanding the romance of the British middle classes at mid-century. It perfectly details the arrogance of the Great White conqueror.

Rating:
Summary: Wanderfull book
Review: Town like Alice is one of most beautifull novels I ever read.Love between Jean and Joe is obvious and i hoped that they will be together as soon as they met. He almoust died for her and it is logical that she could not forget him. Love could be stronger than the war and death.

Rating:
Summary: how can this be called boring?
Review: I came across this book by accident, never having heard of it before. I just loved it. I don't think it is totally unreal, that Joe and Jean fell in love. I have read quite a few unrealistic 'undying love' scenarios, and this wasn't one of them. I thought it was stupid the way the film (at least one of them) didn't talk about building up a town like Alice at all.

Rating:
Summary: romance and heroism embodied
Review: A book you never ever want to end. The story of romance and heroism is by far my favorite Nevil Shute book (and I've read them all). It starts a bit slowly, but builds and builds and once read, you will never forget the characters, and their heroism. The most romantic story I ever hope to read.

Rating:
Summary: It brought me to tears- of boredom
Review: As the title says above, it was so boring I'm amazed i even finished reading the book without falling into a Coma. In fact, the only reason I read this book was for an english assignment, and have regreted it ever since.