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Summary: A great grasp of German life
Review: As a German now living in the US, I was amazed at how well the writer was able to describe life in Germany. It seems to me she picked out some of the most fundamental things about Germans and Germany.I have given this book as gifts to some of my friends because it explains a few things I have been trying to explain to them. Apart from the great perspective I found the story very interesting and could identify with a lot of the things various characters in the book thought and felt. What a great book !!
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Summary: A story with great perspective!
Review: I have read many books that have reflected on Nazi Germany from the Jewish perspective. This is the first one I have read from the German side of things during that time and it was very intersting. I loved Trudi -the Zwerg- and felt that I really got to know her and admire her spirit. I did find that there were too many background characters and at times was a little confused as to who was who. Overall I found it to be a very well written and captivating story.
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Summary: Self Rationing at the end to avoid the inevitable!
Review: Once I had my feet on the ground and was certain the story would improve I could hardly stop reading. Hegi's characters possess depth parallel to the towns people of many German towns during this horrific time and through Trudi, the reader is able to share both the many pains and unexpected pleasures of a soul far greater then the dwarf body portrays.I rationed single pages at the end to delay saying goodbye. Fortunately, I picked up Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay". Same time frame including Prague and the U.S. as two cousins enter the world of Super Hero Comics and New York City prior to the Bombing of Pearl Harbor. And alsmost as good as "Stones from the River". Definitely recommended.
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Summary: Truly Amazing Novel
Review: Once you get into it you won't be able to put it down. Everything flows so well and you have to ask yourself how Hegi could possibly create this set of characters that contrast each other so well. I admire the main character so much, she's as much a real person to me as anyone I know. The ending left me more satisfied than any book I've ever read, even though it was not your typical happy ending. Stones from the River is now one of my favorite novels.
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Summary: thought provoking
Review: I have read many books that make you think, others that make you wonder what was in your mind when you picked it up in the first place, but I am pleased to say this book is in the former catagory. I learnt to see things from the German perspective and what it must have been like to see and hear the total dedication of the Nazi phenomenon taking place. It makes you give thanks for not being in that situation, let alone having to live with the phyiscal differences that she did. I admire her spirit to keep going, for struggling with her circumstances and being an example to us all on the inner strength that is within us all, but sometimes seems too deep to reach.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book
Review: Not an easy read by any stretch, this book is well worth being tenacious. Trudi,the amazing dwarf/woman living a courageous life in Germany during WWII, left an indelible mark on my conscience and heart. It is difficult to understand what it must have been like to be Trudi. But Hegi did a masterful job sharing Trudi's life and struggles with us from her baby days through her adulthood. The book can be very sad, very wistful, and very hard to continue reading, but it is a triumph. A triumph of spirit and hope. A complicated maze of odd characters who struggle together during anything but normal circumstances. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Not for readers who like light stuff. This one will make you work but the rewards are many.
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Summary: Remarkable
Review: This is a novel of unique depth and richness. The style is so understated that one could miss what is going on but that is an important part of the strength of this compelling book. This is not a novel for those who want instant gratification. Some reviewers have mentioned the somewhat tedious opening chapters. The plot does develop slowly but it is well worth the wait. The story of the life of Trudi Sontag from childhood thru her young adult years in Germany during and after World War II is a testament to the best and worst in human beings. Trudi is unlike everyone else but thru her tale we learn that she is very much like all of us and her heroism is an inspiration because of it.
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Summary: One of the best novel about Germany
Review: A book worth reading above all for the reconstruction of the situation (spiritual climate, mentality, daily life) of the Germany during and after nazism, through the life, the thoughts, the talks of the inhabitants of one little town on the Reno. The author declares honestly she took advantage of the aid of some historians, and the result is a lot convincing: explain very more, on those years, some pages of this book that many academic books. Little convincing the description of characters psycology, above all when a structured knowledge and polishes possible only for adults is attributed to childrens .
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Summary: Don't put this book down. You'll be glad you didn't!
Review: Trudi Montag, a woman born in Burgdorf, Germany tells her country's story through the end of World War II by telling her own. As the book begins, Trudi's parents attempt to raise a dwarf daughter in a town of "tall" people and Trudi struggles with her differentness and the acceptance of herself as she is despite the cruelty of others' reactions to her. Unfortunately, Hegi spends 150 pages tracing the first seven or so years of this adjustment and it becomes quite boring. As I passed that point, however, Hegi began to introduce the townspeople in a very intimate way, World War II ensued and I found myself intrigued with this story, unable to put it down for days. The comination of recorded history, the use of extensive characterization and the saga of Trudi Montag make Hegi's book an irresistable piece of literature. I would specifically recommend it for those like myself who read too little history and could use a lesson or two.
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Summary: Great writing, but . . .
Review: I loved the writing and enjoyed the original and unusual plot. What I didn't love: 1) too many characters. I found myself flipping back to try and remember who was whom. 2) too high of a body count. Almost everyone was either murdered, committed suicide or had vanished and was assumed dead. It got to be a downer. And, finally, 3) Trudy had almost psychic abilities, yet she never thought to give anyone a head's up to their impending doom, even while looking out for herself. How come? All in all, I liked the book. The plot was built, page by page, by use of excellent writing, unlike "edgy" novels which tend to rely on small explosions at the end of every chapter. This may keep the interest of those with short attention spans as they race to the book's conclusion, but they'll never come away with the satisfaction of having read great literature. (Try Nelson Demille and John Grisham if you want the fast-paced, less-filling reading experience but, be warned, you'll also find banal plots and pointless endings. At least Trudy's journey had a message.
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