The Hills at Home : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: The Hills at Home
Review: Had I seen this book on the shelves of a bookstore I doubt if I would have even bothered to pick it up. But a review so glowing and appealing made me order the book and a discovery was made. Nancy Clark immerses us in a long, dense novel that is less about plot (very little of that) and all about accute observation of manners and all the details of characters that is absolutely note perfect. This is not about the internal world of characters, but more about the bump and thump of people living together under one roof. I am surprised Ms Clark has not published elsewhere. Her long, complex highly detailed sentences are beautifully polished and forbid a quick read. One of the most stylish books I've read this year.

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Summary: Take Jane Austin and add a dash of Richard Russo.
Review: I cannot say enough superlatives for this book and the Hill family that Nancy Clark has created. It is funny, character-driven, (with an emphasis on characters), and never failed to keep me interested. It is the year or so long story of the large and extended Hill family who have come to stay with and do not leave their Aunt Lily's home in Massachusetts. On the surface, it looks like nothing happens, but we watch the Hills' lives change over the year, and yes, they finally do leave. It takes place around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and even the Ramones have a brief cameo in the book, which I loved. (Joey Ramone so loved being present at the fall of the Berlin Wall). Take the time to read this book if you love well-drawn, interesting, funny characters, if you delight in a long chattery sentence, and want to be with Hills once you have finished the book. We may get our chance, because Nancy Clark is working on a second novel about the Hills, and I want to see what Lily, Ginger, Harvey, Becky, and the group have been doing. This is great reading.

Rating:
Summary: Take Jane Austin and add a dash of Richard Russo.
Review: I cannot say enough superlatives for this book and the Hill family that Nancy Clark has created. It is funny, character-driven, (with an emphasis on characters), and never failed to keep me interested. It is the year or so long story of the large and extended Hill family who have come to stay with and do not leave their Aunt Lily's home in Massachusetts. On the surface, it looks like nothing happens, but we watch the Hills' lives change over the year, and yes, they finally do leave. It takes place around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and even the Ramones have a brief cameo in the book, which I loved. (Joey Ramone so loved being present at the fall of the Berlin Wall). Take the time to read this book if you love well-drawn, interesting, funny characters, if you delight in a long chattery sentence, and want to be with Hills once you have finished the book. We may get our chance, because Nancy Clark is working on a second novel about the Hills, and I want to see what Lily, Ginger, Harvey, Becky, and the group have been doing. This is great reading.

Rating:
Summary: A good story gone bad.
Review: I had looked forward to reading this book after hearing such great reviews. After plodding along through the story thinking many times "it must get better" I finally turned the last page disappointed I had wasted so much time on it. The editing is just not good - as others have mentioned the spelling and research is lacking throughout the book (they are Canada Geese - not Canadian). You never learn enough about the many, many characters to care about them. A disappointment because this could have been a great book had a better editor gotten a hold of it.

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Summary: Editing failure
Review: I know I'm being picky, but I couldn't get past page 10. On that page alone "shutter" (a decorative item on a window) was spelled "shudder" once and "shutter" twice. Similarly, "ladder" (something on which to climb) was spelled correctly twice and "latter" once. I can only guess what the rest of the book was like. That's shoddy editing, and it ruined my reading. If you are not bothered by such a thing, do finish the book. The plot sounds interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Editing failure
Review: I know I'm being picky, but I couldn't get past page 10. On that page alone "shutter" (a decorative item on a window) was spelled "shudder" once and "shutter" twice. Similarly, "ladder" (something on which to climb) was spelled correctly twice and "latter" once. I can only guess what the rest of the book was like. That's shoddy editing, and it ruined my reading. If you are not bothered by such a thing, do finish the book. The plot sounds interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: I loved this novel. The story of the extended Hill family who all, for various reasons return to their vast family home, where Aunt Lily lives alone, was simply a delight to read. Nothing heavy hear, just a wonderful set of stories about the flaws and follies of these various family members. The story is well-told and often very amusing. I found myself laughing out loud in public places--it takes a great book to make me do that. I know others have problems with the sentences in the novel, but I have to disagree. Reading, the actual act of reading this novel was a bit like talking with a rather educated chatterbox with a sharp eye and a terrific sense of humor. The sentences and paragraphs may meander, but they get you where you need to be by a scenic and thoroughly amusing route. The novel does not have (and frankly does not need) a plot that keeps moving forward. You are not really going to wonder what will happen next, but I assure you, you won't want to miss what happens. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A crowded stage.
Review: I've never seen a dozen characters established so quickly and so well as in this lively comedy. The author places a crowd of relatives upon the stage and sets them to milling about very plausibly. Everything that happens springs from character. Each of these souls inhabit a unique universe established through lnaguage and detail. The small moments are as rich as the large. Packed with information, insight, poetry and play, this is a book that you could read standing up on a commute train or aloud to a roomful of discerning friends.

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Summary: Delightful comedy of manners
Review: Old maid Lily Hill, last of the gentry, presides over a crumbling Victorian house furnished mostly with dust and impeccable manners. The plumbing is dreadful, the meals are awful, the roof leaks, but the code of WASP gentility and morality rules Lily's actions as family members begin to accumulate like extra spoons in a place setting. Then non-relatives start to appear, and pretty soon the place is populated with enough eccentrics to make you suspect that it'll all turn into an American version of a British house party murder mystery. Indeed, the place IS raided by the FBI, but it's not about murder. Amusing, The Hills at Home is an old-fashioned comedy of manners, a great little read.

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Summary: Unusal style tells wonderful story
Review: The Hills at Home is a wonderful story. With a style somewhat like T.R. Pearson, Clark plays with sentences and the words therein. For those who enjoy a plot driven story this may be a disappointing read. Those readers who want a story containing diverse and richly wrought characters should not miss this book. I am anxiously awaiting Clark's sequel.