Rating: 
Summary: Poisonwouldn't
Review: I had such a difficult time getting through this book that I found myself wishing for poisonwood myself! I found it to be tedious, repetetive and boring. The only good parts of the book in my opinion were the beginning and the last 30 pages or so. The entire in-between was GRUELING! I felt the need to get to the end of Poisonwood because my past experiences with other Kingsolver books have been so great and she is such a talented writer. Reading "The Poisonwood Bible" was almost as arduous a task as getting out of bed very early on a rainy, icky, cold Sunday morning because it's raining on your bed. It's just not something I personally prefer to do, and having had this experience, I feel comfortable likening it to reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Stifling
Review: This book follows a family of 6 (father, mother and 4 daughters) into the heart of Congo, where the father will work as a Baptist missionary about 40 years ago. The mother obediently follows her husband and so do the 4 girls, ranging in age from small child to teenager. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the females, which makes the book very diverse and enjoyable, because the same incident can be seen from different angles.We read about the time the family spent in Congo, but also what becomes of the females of the family in later years. The tone is very well set: the description of the stifling heat in Congo and the stifling power of the father almost makes you feel it. All goes well that ends well, but things are not going well from the beginning, mainly because the father refuses to accept that different cultures do things differently for very good reasons. So the seeds drown in the garden, the people refuse to come to the church and even the birthday cake is not what it is supposed to be. The father's power is slowly but surely eroded by the events that take place and leave their mark on the rest of his family. The six characters are all completely different. The unbending father tries to convince the villagers that Jesus is love, pronouncing it in such a way that it comes out as "Jesus is poisonwood", a local plant that can give you an immensely unpleasant rash. The eldest daughter is stupid and superficial (leading to hilarious misuse of difficult words), and even though she stays in Africa for the rest of her live, she always remains an outsider. The tomboy middle girl for a while really tries to please her father until she falls thoroughly in love with the continent and especially with one of its inhabitants. Through her accounts we are able to follow the sad history of Congo. Her bright but handicapped twin sister returns to the USA, but somehow Africa has made a lasting impression, which influences the choice of her career. And as for the youngest daughter: read for yourself...
Rating:
Summary: Growing up in the Congo
Review: In 1959, a Baptist minister takes his wife and 4 daughters to the Belgian Congo to preach the word of God. Ignoring the advice he is given, he stays on even as the country begins to fall apart, with disastrous consequences for all. With the big picture of history going on around them, the family is inexorably drawn downwards in a spiral of disaster. We continue on with those who leave the Congo, learning that such a place can be left, but will never leave you. The book is written with various characters taking turns as the narrator - the mother Orleanna, and the daughters - self-absorbed Rachael, crippled Adah, strong-willed Leah and the baby, Ruth May. It is through their very personal viewpoints that we see their little part of the world as part of a larger picture - the Independence of the Congo. What is so wonderful about this book is that Kingsolver manages to make you interested in the viewpoint of all of the sisters, and it is through their multiple narratives that you build your impression of the story. Kingsolver also takes the bold step of continuing the story after the family has left the Congo, and we see how the personal traits of the sisters continue into their adult lives. (Rachael comes across as a parody, but trust me - i have met women like that in very similar circumstances!) The first 2/3 of the book reminded me a lot of The Mosquito Coast - a family dragged into the wilderness by the father, and kept there through his arrogance, pride and self-superior stupidity. It is quite a damning indictment of misplaced belief in the superiority of Western Culture, but not, i think, in a ram-it-down-your-throat politically correct way. It is a story not only about displacement, or about Africa. It is a well-constructed story about families, perceptions and how character is only partly formed by environment. While it is a hefty tome (614 small-print pages) i was never once bored or tempted to skim pages. A book i would recommend to anyone who is interested in a good read set in an interesting environment.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: This is not a childish book, but I dont read childish books. This books is one which must be read. Every sentence is rich with information and details. The way that the story is told, from the perspective of orleanna price and her four daughters, ruth may, leah, adah, and rachel, is superb. READ THIS BOOK
Rating:
Summary: The Poisonwood Bible
Review: I read so many books that I now keep a list of titles because I actually forget which ones I have read. I will never forget this book or the characters in it. It is such a profound book and made me really question the things that we value in our lives. I think this book should certainly be included in required reading lists for high school students and/or college students. I have recommended this book to many friends. Before this book, when people asked me, "what is your favorite book"?, I used to be at a loss, considering all the books I have read. No more!
Rating: 
Summary: trite, annoying
Review: I guess I expected a lot more from this book,as I did like her earlier books. I found the characters inane, the writing poor, and very annoying with her cutsie on-purpose mistakes like "Thyroid Mary" and the stupid palindromes. Enough already, stop trying so hard as just tell the story.
Rating:
Summary: Real Human Emotions
Review: Barbara Kingsolver truly captures real human emotions in this book. This story of a naive American family traveling to Africa to teach Christianity desribes how adversity and tragedy affects the individual family members. I particularly liked the style the author uses in telling the story from each of the daughters' perspectives. It becomes very easy to know who is speaking in each chapter. The mother's voice of the present sums up the events of the preceding chapters which rotate through each daughter's voice of the past. I have talked with other readers that think the book is too depressing. But, I see it from an opposite point of view. I feel the story reveals how the human spirit may endure, and possibly triumph, after physical and emotional devastation. Barbara Kingsolver conveys every woman in the family's heartfelt emotions. I felt that each of these triumphant women were heroes.
Rating: 
Summary: Dishonest?
Review: Of course it is a wonderful novel, and beautifully written. But it is not a disinterested study of the history of the Congo, and ought not to pretend that it is. Why, in the bibliography is there no reference to any Congo missionary or missionary organisation since the 19th century? There was plenty of real evangelical work going on but she hasn't used it, or researched it. Is this because she was worried it would not have fitted in exactly with the interpretation of events and attitudes that she is pushing? First hand direct descriptions such as those of Dr.Helen Roseveare would surely have not been hard to find and are not fiction. Why did she ignore accounts of evangelical religion there and then from the inside? It leaves me uneasy.
Rating:
Summary: A Profound Novel
Review: It took three tries to get through the first 90 pages but after Genesis, I was transfixed. I thought about things I'd never thought about...as far as I'm concerned, this is a must read for anyone who takes reading and great writing seriously. I intend to read this again and again...
Rating:
Summary: A taste of deepest Africa
Review: I read this book after I moved to Africa, and as an expatriate American, I felt especially attuned to the feelings of the women in this missionary family when they left their safe American home and moved to a remote part of the Congo. The turns, changes, and horrors of their lives, including how the father figure affected each of the women, touched me greatly. Kingsolver's use of all the women's voices to tell the story, though initially confusing, brought great depth to the book. I could not put this one down, and since having read it, I have read three others by Kingsolver, all of which I would recommend (Bean Tree, Prodigal Summer, and one other).
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