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Summary: A Glimpse Into a Harrowing Time
Review: Trudi Montag, the pint-sized heroine of Hegi's marvelous "Stones From The River" provides us with a glimpse into the cultural, racial, social phobias of the Nazi era. More than that, however,Hegi gives us a glimpse into the sometimes delicate, sometimes volatile, always valuable mind of a being born to be set apart because of her size and appearance. This is a thoughtful, thorough, and careful book, but excellently written and thought-provoking in a myriad of ways. A fine piece of literature. Full of worthwhile lessons about the human experience.
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Summary: Hypnotic Tale
Review: Seldom do I finish a book with as much disappointment as I felt at the end of Stones from the River. I didn't want the book to end, and when I had finished reading I found myself really missing Trudi and her fellow villagers. This novel does what great books can do that nothing else can: transport us to a world quite different from our own, and make us feel nonetheless that we live there ourselves. I cannot imagine a person who would not become completely spellbound by this novel.
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Summary: Silent No Longer
Review: When I described The Tin Drum to a friend she said I should read Stones from the River. I expected it to pale by comparison with Gunther Grass' wonderful novel about a dwarf. But Hegi has created another epic, this one from a woman's perspective. Through Trudi's eyes, we understand that beliefs are less important than knowledge, silence is complicity when cruelty is abroad, differences in our lives are necessary and beautiful, how the politics of a time can warp and nearly destroy a whole generation, but especially that acknowledgement and forgiveness are prerequisites to healing. Hege's detailed descriptions of clothes, food, and personalities together with the endless tales and gossips of a small town make this a spellbinder. The anonymous benefactor keeps hope and goodness alive throughout. As a reader who loves to enter other times in history through fictional characters, I was both saddened and thoroughly satisfied with my visit to Burgdorf on the Rhein in WWII Germany.
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Summary: One Person's, One Town's Snapshot of History
Review: Hegi foremost brings a piece of the sorrowful yet fascinating period of German history to light through the eyes of a character (and the town she lives in) swept along the tides of history. This book was unique in its portrayal of the everyday lives of people in lieu of and because of the tragic events going on around them. With her very poetic telling of these details, Hegi made this a very pleasant read. Yes, there are some slow spots, but on the whole this book flowed well enough to keep me interested and turning the pages.
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Summary: A new look at a dark period of history
Review: This book was slow to start; it took me awhile to find myself involved in the story. But once I was hooked, it was hard to put down. There have been quite a lot of books, movies etc. about World War II and the Holocaust. My dad was one of the American soldiers who liberated a concentration camp; I also grew up in neighborhood where there where quite a few concentration camp survivors lived. This was an interesting look into what it may have been to live in the Germany of WW II with the Nazi party in power. Trudi was an astute observer of human nature and I think this enabled her to survive during this difficult period. At times there were too many characters introduced too quickly and that was confusing -- my only criticism. Overall, a great book.
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Summary: Reluctant at first...but two thumbs up, way up!
Review: I have to admit, I put (threw) this book down at least two or three times. Finally on my last attempt, I passed whatever hurdle was holding me back and to be truthful, I'm amazed at how much I really enjoyed the story. Well worth overcoming my consternation.My advice for those who hit that wall...don't give up on this book! However much you want to throw it out the window...keep it around and someday, you might get over the wall and dig it too.
Rating:
Summary: Stones From The River
Review: First off, I must say that "Stones From The River" is an alltogether amazing book. I found myself actually plotting out time in my day to make sure I would have time to read this book. The story is about a dwarf woman named Trudi Montag in 1930s Germany, and her struggle to overcome all the hardships in her life. She had to learn to deal with so much, from her insane mother to the persecution of her Jewish frinds in her small village to discrimination from people because of her size. I grew to love Trudi, and her courage to overcome and such sweet empathy that grew as she matured in years and mind. The book's eloquence and frankness struck me, and I finished the book feeling content with what I have. I can truthfully say that it is the best book I have read in a very long time
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Summary: Lovely, lovely, heartwarming
Review: Trudi is born in the middle of the first World War in a small town in Germany. She is Zwerg, a dwarf, and thus set apart from the other children. Or maybe it's because her mom is slightly, shall we say, bonkers? Trudi is the person you probably would have hated if you knew her -- she demands your secrets then betrays them, she keeps to herself, she has an extensive ego. But somehow Hegi makes you love Trudi (although it's doubtful Trudi will love you back). The story of Trudi's life between the wars (and most importantly during the rise and fall of the Third Reich) is more about one person's relationship with a society that doesn't quite acceept her in the worst possible time to be different. After all, Trudi is the last person to approve of Hitler (and she proves that several times over, in words and actions). In the end, Trudi's loyalty (and she does have it) shines through and you know you weren't wrong to really like her after all.
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Summary: Stones from the River
Review: As someone who was a baby at the beginning of WW2 in Germany and grew up in those rootless and hopeless postwar years in the part of Germany that Ursula Hegi describes, I devoured this book from beginning to end. None of us knew the truth of what happened and none of us would ask because nobody would tell us. We grew up without pride in ourselves and in our country and so I was able to identify with Ursula Hegi's story. It really struck a chord in me and I have since bought every book she wrote. I loved all her characters and her wonderful way of describing them. I would very much like to know if Ursula Hegi also wrote any books in German because I feel that Germans would really benefit from reading them.
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Summary: Unforgettable!
Review: This book goes down as one of my all-time favorites, without a doubt. I'd never heard of Ursula Hegi before or any of her books, but now that I've been educated I will look for each new book. I disagree with many of the other reviewers who said the first part of the book was uninteresting. I found the whole book gripping and it wouldn't let go, even after it ended. "Stones from the River" is one of those books whose characters seem as real as your own family and you don't want to lose them when the story ends.
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