Rating: 
Summary: Better than White Oleander
Review: Interesting that most people liked White Oleander better. Perhaps they are uncomfortable with some of the characters (poor African americans) or subjects (incest) in the book. However, for a reader who can overcome those things, this book is a great read. Not "nice" but very powerful.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best book ever
Review: Pat Conway's blurb on the back cover says it all. What a wonderful writer and what a fantastic story. I loved every minute of it. Looking forward to the next book by this really great new author.
Rating: 
Summary: Wish I could pick ZERO stars....
Review: This was the worst Oprah book that I have read! I don't get all the people who gave the book such high marks and were so entranced by it. I am an avid reader, and I always finish any book that I buy, but this book really tested my resolve. I wanted to throw the book in the trash every other chapter. The characters were just okay, and the "lyrical prose" was tedious and boring. I would never recommend this book to anyone, and I am in complete disbelief that it will be made into a movie. But then again, a screenplay that generously cuts out the wordy nonsense could be a big improvement on the novel. My advice...Wait For The Movie.
Rating:
Summary: Good Fiction is Literature
Review: I'm very disappointed in the reviews for this book. Does everyone forget good, true literature. Mystery and romance novels are fun, but certainly not literature. This book is what "fiction" is all about. I would suggest that everyone go back and read the literature they remember from school. Maybe War and Peace!
Rating: 
Summary: hard to follow.
Review: Although it did not take me as long to read as some of the other readers, I often thought " Is this the same book that I started?" I love stories about the South, but this one was not one that I would recommend. My own book club has chosen it for our next discussion. I don't think it will be a very long one.
Rating:
Summary: Very difficult to read.
Review: I am still on page 51, have been on page 51 for 2 weeks now. Very difficult to get into, confusing and complicated. Does not hold interest at all! How did this book become Oprah's book club??
Rating:
Summary: Needs a little more polish or a lot less editing
Review: Usually I can whip through an average size novel in two or three days. I found that I had to keep back tracking to find a connection between one thing and another and there were few connections. Call me stupid, but I think that there was too much missing or pulled out of the book to make us what; think? reflect? fill-in-the-blank?I'm not sorry I read it, I'm just sorry I had such high expectations.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book
Review: I cannot understand some of these reviews. I did not find the book confusing -- it was more of a character study than a rolling plot. Nor did I find it too long or boring -- I read it in two weeks. What separates a good book from a bad book is plot. What separates a great book from a good book is characterization. I loved all of the characters in Mother of Pearl. I'm trying to decide which book I liked better -- Mother of Pearl or The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. It's a toss up. I highly recommend both.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I had hoped, but bearable!!!
Review: "Mother of Pearl" was not all that easy to read. I did love the characters of Valuable and Jackson. The rest of 'em, with the exception of Neva, really didn't grab my attention. All I can say is, Melinda, if you write another book, take up with Billie Letts or Fannie Flagg before you do!
Rating:
Summary: I THOUGHT I'D LOST MY MIND, UNTIL I READ OTHERS REVIEWS
Review: I'VE JUST FINISHED THE BOOK AND FELT SO INEPT AS A READER. NOW I KNOW I WAS STRUGGLING JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I DID MORE RE-READING THAN READING, AND FELT CONSTANTLY CONFUSED. THE SPLIT PIG??? HAVEN'T GOT A CLUE, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE REVIEW THIS FALL ON OPRAH, IT'LL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST.
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