Stones from the River

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Summary: The most retarded book I've ever read!
Review: This book is depressing with morally corrupt values. I can't believe that my english teacher made us read it! Who cares if poor Trudi Montague is short? I think she should stop whining about it and no one should be required to hear her gripe about it! This is a pity party that I really don't want to attend!

Rating:
Summary: This book didn't need OPRAH!
Review: It amazes me that Oprah Winfrey could suggest a book, and then all of a sudden everyone is reading it. In this case, I'm glad and I'm sure Hegi appreciates it!$!$! If you seek a book chock-full of rich characters, good plot lines and a surprise here and there...then grab this book. I'll definitely be looking for other books by Hegi in the near future. Enjoy!

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Summary: tastefully done.
Review: If you are looking for a book to help you kill an afternoon, this one is not it. It requires more commitment than you can offer in a single day. The text tends to be a little dry and the story drags in some parts. Don't let that stop you from reading the story. It is worth the effort you have to put in to it. The main character Trudi, has a wonderful spirit and you will begin to feel her pain and triumph. This book shows us how we can overcome the barriers society puts up for us if we only have the determination and faith in ourselves to do so.

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Summary: Engrossed me from San Francisco to New York and back
Review: I picked up this book in an airport bookstore, and was awfully glad I did. Trudi is an extraordinary person living in an extraordinary time, but the charcters in this book are so fully realized that they'd be interesting in any context. I couldn't put this book down, and, when I turned the last page, was left wishing the book would go on.

Rating:
Summary: A enlightening a remarkable book
Review: It's been a long time since I read a book that is so rich and colorful. I loved the writing style and was amazed at how the book contained so many different characters to read about. I was able to understand what Germany was like before, during, and after World War II. Through the eyes of Trudi Montag I could see into the souls of the people in the town of Burgdorf. I am giving this book a nine only because I really think the ending could have been done differently. I was also disappointed that Trudi's love interest never came back; but then when you think about it alot of people didn't come back during World War II.

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Summary: Ambitious and Original, fails in the end
Review: A fascinating book which weaves a full tapestry of a small German town infected by all of the cancers rampant in between the war Germany. Trudi is a perfect one to tell the story. Different but also consumed by a deep bitterness and wish for revenge. While others have summarized the book well and it has no faults as a consuming read it, dissapointingly, falls apart at the end. From almost out of the blue the last long monologue is devoted to Trudi's childhood relationship with Georg -- a childhood friend who ultimately rejected her under pressure from peers. Her inability to understand and sympathize with Georg is revealed in the end as her own salvation. Georg is some kind of metaphor for all of Germany. It may be there, but I did not find it. The reader should have been more prepared for this surprise ending

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Summary: I found this book had a very slow start.
Review: I found this book to have a very slow start and wasn't too interesting or exciting. I had a hard time staying interested. It was a good book at times, and I did keep reading, so I guess it wasn't too bad. I would rate this book average

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Summary: Put into words what happened in Germany during 1915-1949
Review: Trudi in Stones put into words what my dear gentle Aunt Mary could not when she was released from a KZ by the British soldiers. The only thing she would say was that her husband died of a broken heart after he was fired from his teaching position, their property confiscated and she ultimatedly sent away to prison when she was denounced by her neighbors. It puts her pain to rest. She spent her last days with us in Michigan and I loved her

Rating:
Summary: Hated it.
Review: I hated this book. I couldn't even read it on an airplane, that's how bad I found it. And I really, really tried since friends had recommended it to me. But after about 1/3 of the way through I found myself thinking, "What the hell do I care about some dwarf in Nazi Germany??" I suppose that's not the most politically correct attitude to take but I don't get the hype. I found it extremely slow and easily put-downable. Tough to get into

Rating:
Summary: Quite simply, a masterpiece
Review: Never did I think that I would ever call myself a fan of Oprah, but my mind was thoroughly changed when I read that she had selected Stones From the River for her Book Club. I had already read this book based on a colleague's recommendation; I must admit I was a little reluctant at first. But immediately I was drawn into the life of Trudi Montag and found myself absolutely loving everything about her. The novel is epic in proportion, telling the story of a woman who had to overcome overwhelming personal odds in overwhelmingly complex times. From the book I learned so much about ordinary Germany and its inhabitants during World War II; but more than that I learned about humanity and compassion. So when I saw it as one of Oprah's selections, I was thrilled that she too saw the magic in this book. Kudos to Oprah for getting a wide readership for this stunning book. (By the way, since reading this book I have bought everything by Ursula Hegi.