A Place on Earth: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Place of Loss and Hope
Review: "A Place on Earth" is the second novel of the Port William Membership that I have read; the first being "Jayber Crow". Berry proves himself to be yet again a master storyteller with the power to weave prose into beautiful and sometimes elegaic poetry. "A Place on Earth" is an incredible tribute to the power of loss, love, family and community.

Rather than focusing on one character, or one cohesive story, Berry chooses to tell about the daily life of various town members. Readers feel as though they are members of the community as well and have known these characters and their comings and goings for years. There are several main characters, such as the Feltner family, who have received news that their son is missing in action and must come to terms with the fact that he may never come home. Since Port William is a small town, the lives of every townperson is interweaved with that of their neighbors. Everyone knows everyone, and knows their joys and sufferings almost as immediately as they do.

A long time fan of Berry's poetry, I have loved the discovery of these two novels, and look forward to reading the rest of the Port William stories. Wendell Berry paints his characters so vividly, and sometimes so heartbreakingly real, that we come away from the story shocked back into reality. Berry knows the true nature of loss, the grief that accompanies it, and the hope that can be found in the most hopeless situations. Through all the trials and tribulations of the town and its members, hope persistently prevades and will, in the end, erase the pain that has been caused.

Rating:
Summary: A Long way to get nowhere
Review: A Place on Earth is a laborious, read so filled with description and imagined thought processes that the point of the story is never evident. The character development is not sufficient to entice the reader into really caring for any of the many, many people who wonder through the "Place". It would be nice if Mr. Berry decided whether to present his ramblings in the past or present tense. If you are interested in what a valley looked like in Kentucky during World War II, and you have a lot of time to figure out the unnecessarily complex rhetoric, maybe you'll enjoy this book. If you want a story that invites you to turn to the next page, this ain't the place.

Rating:
Summary: A Long way to get nowhere
Review: A Place on Earth is a laborious, read so filled with description and imagined thought processes that the point of the story is never evident. The character development is not sufficient to entice the reader into really caring for any of the many, many people who wonder through the "Place". It would be nice if Mr. Berry decided whether to present his ramblings in the past or present tense. If you are interested in what a valley looked like in Kentucky during World War II, and you have a lot of time to figure out the unnecessarily complex rhetoric, maybe you'll enjoy this book. If you want a story that invites you to turn to the next page, this ain't the place.

Rating:
Summary: A poetic treat
Review: This is a book to savor slowly. Unlike much of modern fiction - written to be read in a flash - this wonderful novel requires the reader's attention to every sensory detail. To read it in a rush is to deprive oneself of what the book is all about - the passing of generations, the anguish of loss, the reaffirmation of life, and - above all - the love of the land. The characters are wonderful, and certain chapters, to counterbalance the undercurrent of loss, are intentionally hilarious. We have all known some of the people who live in Port William, Kentucky - age does not dimish them. This novel is what American fiction should be - but often isn't. A poet wrote it, which is evident in every line. A memorable treat for the patient reader.

Rating:
Summary: A novel of death & rebirth
Review: This is a wonderful novel that delivers what I hope to find in fiction (but seldom do): wisdom. Berry offers no easy answers--instead, his stories deepen our sense of life's mystery.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book
Review: This is to me simply a beautiful novel. I was reading the reviews and found the one from the gentleman in Utah that gave it one star and just could not fathom his review. There is immense depth in the story and character development. It is a great novel and I'm going to read it again now. Worth every cent.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book
Review: This is to me simply a beautiful novel. I was reading the reviews and found the one from the gentleman in Utah that gave it one star and just could not fathom his review. There is immense depth in the story and character development. It is a great novel and I'm going to read it again now. Worth every cent.