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Summary: slow, slow, slow
Review: ugh. the facts were fascinating but it was very hard to get into and just because of that I forced myself to finish it. I borrowed it from a friend and she warned me. I didn't listen!
Rating: 
Summary: This book has me...
Review: The Poisonwod Bible grabbed me and tore me into pieces. I finished it two weeks ago and still cannot let go of it. I recommend this book to everyone. Only racially biased people and man-haters will not be engrossed with this book. The way it was written helped you FEEL every character. The only downside to this book, is that it did not give me the closure I was looking for. I have not found a book that can match it as of yet.
Rating: 
Summary: an excellent read
Review: This sprawling book aims to tackle an epic subject: the revolution in the Congo, an event which has thoroughly altered the course of history in central Africa, but one which has probably never been made into as engrossing a book as The Poisonwood Bible. Kingsolver masterfully manages to encapsulate the story of the Congo by telling it through the eyes of five women, four of them girls at the beginning of the book. She creates fascinating, sometimes infuriating, and always real characters in Nathan Price, an uncompromising if myopic Baptist preacher; his wife Orleanna, who feels the effect of life in the Congo the most; and his daughters, Rachel, at first glance a self-absorbed imp but later a great survivor; Leah, whose sense of social justice consumes her; and Adah, her twin, a most complex creature who may be physically disabled but mentally, is the most perceptive, inventive, intelligent, and witty member of the family. Ruth May, the youngest daughter, is the least developed character, perhaps because of her age, but also because of her symbolic importance to the story. Kingsolver addresses the theme of survival in each of her characters, as each one chooses a different way of surviving, and their lives show the consequences of their choices. It may take place in a limited area over a limited space of time, but The Poisonwood Bible touches on themes which can apply to any reader's life.
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Summary: I loved this Book!
Review: I read this book before Oprah did. I loved it! It took me away from my life and took me to the Congo. Each daughter's voice took you more and more into the jungle. The time's were in the 1950/60s so women did not have a voice. But by the end they all did and what voices they had! The last chapter was read several times -- talking about forgiving and love. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: A Story Of Uncommon Depth
Review: I should start by saying that I was by no means excited to read this novel. I organized a book club with a few friends some time ago, and one of our members chose this book (much to my initial disappointment).My impression after 100 pages or so was that Barbara Kingsolver is a brilliant writer, but that the story was a bit tedious. I couldn't have been more wrong. Kingsolver sets the scene with the first 150 pages and then takes off, launching a spellbinding tale about an overzealous and arrogant missionary who drags his wife and four daughters into the heart of darkness in the Belgian Congo (circa 1959). As though you didn't know that bad things happen when someone attempts to push his culture onto others who see the world in their own way, we are told that a tragedy will unfold in the very first chapter. The story is told from the perspective of the missionary's wife and four daughters, and each character comes alive on paper. Each speaks in a unique voice, sees the world in a unique way, and has a different way of dealing with the difficult situation that they slowly find themselves in. As a man, I was at first dismayed that Kingsolver chose to leave out the male perspective by only presenting us with the female family-members' points of view; however, this turns out to have been the wiser decision. This is by no means a male bashing book (although a few other reviewers here seem to think so), and I find it hard to believe that anyone who has actually finished this book could draw that conclusion. A great college course could be taught on this one book. There are so many things to say about the issues it unearths, the insight into human behavior it reveals, and the talent it belies, that I will say only one thing: "read this book."
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Summary: Sorry Barbara, couldn't finish it!
Review: Well l had great expectations after The Bean Trees which I really loved. Unfortunately this story failed to impress me as much. Nathan Price, preacher, drags his wife and four daughters into the Congo to tame the locals. However, nothing prepared him for what his life and his family's would be like there. It's told in 5 different voices, the daughters and his wife's, and it was really interesting to get alternative views from them. But ultimately I didn't get captured by this book or dislike Nathan as intensely as the father in The Mosquito Coast. There are some touching images in this book, the first page of the mother describing the jungle is perfect, as is the 'laying out' of one of her daughters, which is devestatingly heartbreaking. I just felt that the book should've ended after the mother walked away from the home. After that I found it hard to get back into the book and just flicked through from there.
Rating:
Summary: Six stars on a Five Star Progam
Review: Probably the best book I have ever read. I will reread it in the future which I very seldom ever do. Being from a minister's family, I know the drama that goes on behind the scenes of that life and Ms. Kingsolver captured the heart and soul of the Father obsessed in his beliefs and the Mother/children caught in the middle. Thank you for such an outstanding novel. Hope there will be more books to come from this author.
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Summary: Good or Bad Message?
Review: Overall I found the book very intriguing. I was interested in the Price family, as I am fascinated by missionary stories. However, I think that Barbara Kingsolver shows obvious disdain for the Christian Religion, making the missionary husband (Nathan Price) the main obsticle in the way of the Price women's survival. It seems as though Ms. Kingsolver has generalized Christians as arrogant know-it-alls from the Bible Belt. It is obvious from the very beginning that the Price family (and particularly Nathan) are in for a rude awakening. In fact, towards the end of the novel I found that all the characters were turned off by the very thought of Christianity, associating it with their deranged father and husband they left behind in the Congo. This is the feeling I believe the authoress was trying to create in her readers. By all means, enjoy this book! I know I did, but keep in mind that Christianity is in fact skewed toward a negative light.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: I enjoyed this book to the very end. I also learned alot about the Congo and the people. I am very satisfied that I took the time to read this book. Hearing the story from so many different characters made the depth that much better. I feel that Nathan Price should of taken more time to get to know the Congo people. He tried to bring them into his world. I feel the little things we have are still the most important. Family should always be #1 in any situation. It is hard to understand why a man would put his family at such great risk especially on purpose. I wish that Orleanna would have gotten all the girls out sooner instead of later. But the paths each character chose to take seemed to have turned out for them. Barbara Kingsolver did an amazing job. I'm looking forward for the next journey.
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Summary: Cultural Shock Treatment
Review: A long-time fan of Barbara Kingsolver I waited to read this book. I didn't want to be part of the hype, afraid that it would be a let down. I was wrong. One night after a disappointing soft novel I decided to give this one a try. It was excellent! Interestingly, the book is written from the points of view of five women, each has a series of her own chapters. The style of the novel reminds me of Alice Walker's "Possessing the Secret of Joy" in which different characters participate in direct address narrative. I wonder if Kingsolver has read that novel as the writing styles are similar, and Walker's book deals with the heart-breaking custom of female genital circumcision, in Africa. The one criticism I have about "The Poisonwood Bible" is that while one character will talk about something in such a way that you think she's about to do it, in the next chapter you find out from her sister that it's already been done and here is what happened. I like to actually take part in the action during the fiction, not hear about it 'second hand' from another character. Always looking for that which holds, I was amazed by the history of the Congo, now Zaire. The author does an excellent job of recounting the many ways that so-called developed countries were able to exploit the people, culture, and burgeoning government of the Congo. Another aspect of the book that I especially loved was the use of language--such as the fact that the father tries to speak 'Congolese' and mispronounces the language so that the meaning of what he tries to preach is interpreted in quite unexpected ways.
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