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Summary: Did nothing for me-- this isn't important literature.
Review: I know many people who LOVE Kingsolver, so I decided to take a chance. I hated Animal Dreams, but I thought it would be unfair to judge the author on the basis of one novel, so I read Bean Trees too. My opinion didn't change. I usually read classics or avant-garde literature, and Kingsolver just pales in comparison. She writes faux-important stories for people who want to feel like they've done something magnificent just by reading. Expect a lot more white people trying to take Polaroids at pow-wows thanks to Kingsolver.
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Summary: this book
Review: Borring, but a few good spots, worth it for extra credit, but not for fun reading.
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Summary: classic Kingsolver
Review: As a devout Kingsolver fan, I have only good things to say about this book. Some people complain that it starts off slow, has no plot, is a "chick book", and is just a waste of their precious time, but I will now undo all those remarks. We jump right into the story and are wonderfully introduced to the characters as if they are real acquaintances and future friends. It is the perfect combination of introduction and fast-paced story telling. The plot is a well thought out and magically woven, but is besides the point. Even if it did have a horrendous plot, it is written so beutifully, and has such intriguing characters that it would be irrelevant. But it just so happens that the plot is captivating and quick-paced. Hehehe...a "chick book" well, it is clearly written from a womens perspective, and i have found that "chicks" tend to like it more than guys, but if guys were more patient and compassionate, they would love it as much as women. If guys don't like this book, it is by no fault of the book. Lastly, I can't think of anything better to do with your time than read this book.
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Summary: Brilliant writing. Insightful tale of journey to find self.
Review: I have also read "The Bean Trees" and "Pigs in Heaven", so this writer was one that I looked forward to reading again. I was not disappointed. Her insight into the relationships of parent and child, siblings - and the way that those experiences affect our personal love relationships is extraordinary. Her descriptive idiom is fresh and invigorating. I regularly found myself near to tears, particularly when Hallie went missing, and in understanding how her father was unable to express his true love for his daughters who grew up feeling like outsiders.The plot is not an action adventure, but a journey inwardly, which takes Codi from feeling cast adrift, to a safe mooring in a port which is her emotional home - a fact that the reader recognises way before Codi does. A very true and well crafted novel - and I will certainly be looking for anything else written by the author. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful...
Review: This beautiful piece of work grabbed me from the beginning and would not let me go until I had turned the last page. I found myself not only loving the characters in the story, but actually seeing little pieces of myself in them as well. Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderful book about self discovery and family. I absolutely loved it, and I believe you would as well. :o)
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Summary: BORING
Review: I had to read this book for my 10th grade English class. I'm sure you all know how there are chick flicks(movies directed towards women). Well this is a chick book. There was virtually no plot, I felt like I was reading mindless babble for at least 3/4 of it and by the end was glad it was over. The bottom line is : it's not worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: well-written, but not my type of book
Review: I read this book for my school's Literary Club, and I thought it was pretty good. I liked the way it was written, and it was easy to read, but it was lacking in the plot department. I didn't really like that it didn't really focus on anything. It was just about this chick and her life and her search to find herself. I, unlike most girls, aren't into "chick" books, and I thought this was kind of like that. Overall, I'd say take it or leave it. It's well-written with almost no plot. You decide.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read!
Review: After about the first 45 pages I really became entranced by Codi's world. Although this book has a slow start, it is an absolute must read. The world of Codi Noline and her relationship with her father are amazingly explored with Kingsolver's brilliant writing. She creates vivid pictures and events that draw the reader into the story. While reading this book I found myself wanting to travel to Grace and the Santa Rosalia Pueblo to see their beauty and magical qualities. This is a wonderful book for anyone who is trying to discover what it means to be truly ALIVE.
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Summary: Animal Dreams is exceptional because of emotional power.
Review: I teach Animal Dreams every year to 11th grade English students. The most amazing thing about the book is the amount of emotional power that the characters communicate to the reader. I literally feel like I've been punched in the stomach somewhere in almost every chapter. Kingsolver conveys these emotions to me, but more exciting is that my 16 and 17 year old students feel the same way. She is able to provoke these feelings in an avid reader and in inexperienced readers as well. Kingsolver presents an idea or situation in an almost casual way and then when it returns it is packed with so much spiritual and emotional import that it literally makes you feel that the wind is knocked out of you. Without telling details and spoiling the book I will just say that Animal Dreams is the best novel that I have come across for teaching students about finding their life's purpose, mending past pain, and the importance of a sense of home and community. I love it!
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Summary: Still one of my favorite books....
Review: I stumbled upon this book in 1991 when the cover art caught my eye. I had finished it by the afternoon, and by the evening, I was back at it with a pencil. The magical way that Kingsolver weaves language had me marking passages in the text and furiously copying quotes into the margins of my dayplanner. I was a college sophomore at the time, and Codi's sometimes brilliant, often hapless search to find her place in the world was familiar and affirming. I quickly bought Animal Dreams for six or seven women friends and family and each of them, whether they read it that day, or years later, raced to their phones or desks when they finished to thank me for selecting a novel that spoke so personally to them. Twenty-something women seem to especially identify with Codi's journey. While her story, and those of Loyd, Hallie, Doc Homer and the others will stay with you, the novel's impact really comes from it's powerful prose. You'll reread the same passages over and over, savoring the remarkable way Kingsolver constructs the simplest sentance. This book still feels like my personal anthem to that time in my life; thanks to Barbara Kingsolver for giving me such enjoyment and insight. If you like this book, be sure to get a copy of High Tide in Tucson, her essay collection. Don't let the "essay" part deter you. I have copied and circulated the title piece to women friends and family ages 16 to 89 and always it always elicits the same marvelled response. It's breathtaking.
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