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Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre
Review: A few (two?) of the detailed descriptions hit the mark the rest are simply distracting groupings of words that get in the way of what might have been a good plot with a twist at the end.Why every male who writes as a female has to address menstruation , I'll never know. I agree, this was tedious. Reminded me of R. Price's excruciating style. I did enjoy the ending, even wondering which transgression led to her capture...
Rating: 
Summary: Lewis' Best Work
Review: I thought "Why the Tree Loves the Ax" was indeed, Jim Lewis' best work. It was insightful and very descriptive, Lewis told us nearly everything that could be going on in a scene. When Caroline met Malcom for the first time, I got a very clear picture of how beautiful the boy was. When she and Bonnie were involved in the riot, I pictured the bat coming down on the police man and being lost in the crowd of people. Thats what made this book so great, the description involved. Lewis definetly scored big with this story.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing but Curious
Review: I wanted to see Caroline get her due in the end, but was denied the opportunity, which was a shame since we saw every other secret detail of the tightly knit sphere of neuroticism and borderline insanity she lived in. Beautiful writing but sometimes the layers hindered the plot instead of advancing it. But then when did Caroline ever make anything easy?
Rating:
Summary: An eerie, suspenseful novel that kept me guessing.
Review: Jim Lewis is a genius. For a man to write from the point of view of a woman is a formidable task; to have that woman also be insane is risky. Lewis' novel is a triumph. I found Caroline completely believable as the disturbed protagonist. Her insanity creates an eerie tone that more than once left me with goosebumps. The novel may take unusual twists and turns and may not always provide a clear explanation, but keep in mind--it's a story told by an insane woman. The suspense is palpable by the last third of the book, and the ending was a complete surprise that was so poignant I had tears in my eyes. Go for it--you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: What a tightly atmospheric book!
Review: just a suggestion to the reader in Brooklyn, NY, june 21, 1999. read the book again i think you are mistaken. this an excelent book. that is if you understand the sheer irony within it.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing but Curious
Review: This is one of the darkest, most concise, most excrutiatingly beautiful tales I've ever read. It has all the marks of a cult classic masterpiece waiting to be read by many. One finds him or herself so detached and confused by what drives Caroline, the book's protagonist, that they literally begin to understand, in a weird kind of twilight-zone empathy, her nature, and thus our common human nature. The extremes of this novella are shocking at first, yet Lewis's imagery blends what can only be said to be THE most innovative techniques of metaphor and simile in modern fiction with a suspenseful plot that keeps you guessing and wanting to read on.I love how Lewis remains fundementally seperate from his character yet imbues her with such amorality that the reader can't help but reaccess their own lives and values. It's not moral, or IMMoral- the things Caroline does are mistakes, and we all make them, and the books deals with how life goes on either way. Those who see this book as mediocre may not see the poignant commentary found even in the title- than even when we're being killed, or killing, we have a love for each other, for our humanity, for our innocence, lost. An absolutely unforgettable, affecting read.
Rating: 
Summary: Wry, inventive, provocative, ingenious, and yes, maddening
Review: This is one of the darkest, most concise, most excrutiatingly beautiful tales I've ever read. It has all the marks of a cult classic masterpiece waiting to be read by many. One finds him or herself so detached and confused by what drives Caroline, the book's protagonist, that they literally begin to understand, in a weird kind of twilight-zone empathy, her nature, and thus our common human nature. The extremes of this novella are shocking at first, yet Lewis's imagery blends what can only be said to be THE most innovative techniques of metaphor and simile in modern fiction with a suspenseful plot that keeps you guessing and wanting to read on. I love how Lewis remains fundementally seperate from his character yet imbues her with such amorality that the reader can't help but reaccess their own lives and values. It's not moral, or IMMoral- the things Caroline does are mistakes, and we all make them, and the books deals with how life goes on either way. Those who see this book as mediocre may not see the poignant commentary found even in the title- than even when we're being killed, or killing, we have a love for each other, for our humanity, for our innocence, lost. An absolutely unforgettable, affecting read.
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