Rating: 
Summary: Gap Creek
Review: I have just finished Gap Creek and felt compelled to write a review. I read it because of Oprah selecting it and it had very good reviews. I read a lot of books and I can't for the life of me understand why this one was chosen by Oprah or why the reviews were so good! It didn't seem to have any real plot and all it talked about was hard work and food. I don't know what I missed. I like it when Oprah selects books that have the potential for a real discussion of ideas and opinions like Map of the World. I just finished reading The Pact by Jodi Picoult and thought it ws wonderful and had so much more to think about it. I would love to see Oprah select that or Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven. Oh well, just my opinion. Will check back to see how others feel. Happy reading to all!
Rating: 
Summary: Not impressed with Oprah's choice
Review: This is the first time I decided to try one of Oprah's recommendations. I was dissapointed. Yes, the story kept moving. That was one pleasurable thing. The author did an admiral job in connecting the reader to the characters. It didn't take long drawn out descriptions to identify the core of each player's personality. This helped the book be a very fast read. However, it was too simple a read. I enjoy a little more challenging, deeper, thought provoking novel. When it ended, my only thought was..."that's it?" I was not impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: No wonder Oprah chose this one
Review: The first test of strength for the main character is one of the strongest narrative hooks I have read in an extremely long time. This is a slice-of-life novel focusing on two years in the life of Julie, a young woman who has to learn the hard way what it actually means to be a real woman. The characters are full of flaws--as is most of humanity. In the end, the reader realizes that s/he has invested much in this character and her small family. No wonder Oprah chose this book as a book club selection.
Rating:
Summary: Don't quite see what all the fuss is about
Review: This book was OK. Based on the recommendation of the book in "what we're reading" on this site, I had it on the pile of books "to read sometime" by my nightstand when Oprah chose it (and being a big Oprah fan, I immediately read it). One positive thing is that the heroine, Julie, is extremely likeable. However, there were plot elements that didn't make sense to me (if she is such a hard, tough, nononsense person, then how does she make the silly mistake that seems to trigger a chain of ruin in her and her husband's lives?) and the litany of one disaster after another was a little hard to take. Another plus was the detail in which farm work is described (very realistic if you've ever seen a hog butchered, by the way, or cleaned a turkey yourself). However, the only character that seemed to have any subtlety was the the heroine. Her husband, mother-in-law, and sisters are all flat characters that seem to have only one major character trait (negative) a piece. I didn't see what the point of the marital infidently scene was, since it doesn't contribute additional information to the characterization of the husband or the heroine and it doesn't seem to play any role in the plot (which is pretty one-toned, if you asked me). The very limited character development in this book "didn't bring me anything but down," sadly: Julie is a hard worker when we meet her and that doesn't change, but every time she has a moment of happiness, it's crushed. Nonetheless, these experiences don't seem to have any effect on her.In short, the book is OK and I did read it all the way to the end, but I'm not sure it really rated the bestseller status that Oprah's selection is sure to give it. I'll have to read Oprah's website and find out why she selected it.
Rating:
Summary: **AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE**EXCELLENT READ!
Review: Julie Harmon will become one of the great heroines in literary history. The story takes place in 1899 to 1900 in the mountains of North Carolina. With a father with lung disease, Julie and her sisters must work the land for the family to survive. Julie is unlike any other young woman of the times - she has a desire to meet and marry a nice young man. After witnessing the agonizing death of her brother and suffering the hardships of being the "man" and essentially the leader of the family, Julie finally marries, leaves her family and moves with her husband down the mountain to Gap Creek. The young couple face numerous obstacles, challenges and hardships during their first year of marriage. This is her story. A great read and I heartily recommend it. If you like this, you may want to try THE TRUEST PLEASURE and THE MOUNTAINS WONT REMEMBER US, also by Robert Morgan.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This is a novel about a very poor young couple living in the Carolina mountains after the Civil War and their hard, hard lives. The work of day to day living back then was mind-boggling! The characters go through many trials and tribulations - fire, flood, extreme poverty, deaths of loved through and clean up after a flood; childbirth. This book reminded me of the book "Christy" and "Strangers in the Forest". Very realistic, very well written, amazing to us modern day folk. I only wish it had been longer, I hope there is a sequel featuring the young couple.
Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable, authentic portrait !
Review: The book is very well written, with authentic (yet non-distracting) language of the location and era. The descriptions of the environment and day to day tasks are vivid. Morgan does a good job creating "real" people, with with real frailties, real fears, & real joys. The characters are relatively young at the beginning of the story, and it is satisfying to see them use their (mostly tragic) experiences to grow into mature, self-assured adults. Having grown-up in this area of North Carolina myself, I can say Morgan has quite a talent for capturing the essence of the place. The smallest details are there--the language, commonly heard first-names, typical religious services, daily tasks, the weather--everything that makes it what it is.
Rating:
Summary: A WONDERFUL SHORT NOVEL
Review: Actually, there is not all that much not to like about this novel. The writing is extremely well done, excellent character developement, flowing prose and a story well told and of hope. The author certainly did his research on this one and pretty well nailed the background of the time and place. I am not a great fan of The O's book club selections, but certainly had to agree with her on this one. Unlike the "Spotlight Reviewer" here, I do see why all the fuss was made over this work. It is good, simple as that. Perhaps I am not jaded enough or lack a certain level of sophistication, who knows. Now don't get me wrong, not everyone enjoys the same thing, the same genre, etc. but most folks can and do appreciate good writing and a good story by a good story teller. With this book we have that. Recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Julie and Hank's first year!!!
Review: Gap Creek is the 14th Oprah book I've read so far. I
enjoyed this book of a couple's first year of a marriage. The reason it didn't get five stars was because of the writing. I know that the main character was supposed to be shown as a hillbilly, but writing like this gets on my nerves. And I fear
that I'll lose my knowledge of proper English.
Julie moves away from her mother and three sisters to begin a life with her husband. This book is plagued by misery, but if you can withstand that, you'll find this book a good read.
This reviewer gives Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
4 stars:)
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ!!
Review: This is by far one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It left such an impression on me that I made everyone in my book club read it as well. I feel it is something every young "over-privledged" child should read as well to know how hard life could be for some. If you haven't read this book...please read it! It's full of hardship, honor and most of all hope!
|
