Rating: 
Summary: ABSORBING!
Review: Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down! An excellent summer read, I took it to work, read it on my lunch break, and came home read it some more. It's that interesting! I've never read any of her books before, but now that I've read this one, I'm sure as heck gonna go and buy her other books! So please keep reading, you wont be disappointed!
Rating: 
Summary: A Well Spun Tale
Review: This is the first of Kingsolver's books that I have read, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Her characters were well drawn and complex. Her descriptions were vivid and the story was engrossing. My one complaint was that the book seemed to climax about three-quarters in, and then it just leveled off. However, I would still recommend this book to any and all.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant and captivating
Review: It was a wonderful book..just sit down and enjoy it. The book holds you like a magnet..you just can't put it down!
Rating: 
Summary: I just didn't like it.
Review: Nuff said about it. I thought it was depressing (as are all of Oprah's picks). Doesn't she like to read anything upbeat?
Rating:
Summary: A Lovely, Imperfect Gem
Review: Barbara Kingsolver is finally receiving the attention she deserves for her impressive novel The Poisonwood Bible. I read this book last year because I'd just returned from spending five weeks in East Africa and missed the people and the country. This novel tells the engrossing story of quirky, feverish Baptist preacher Nathan Price who hauls his family off on a mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. The story's narration is shared by his wife Orleanna and their four daughters, ages 5 - 15, who seem much too tender and naive to survive the trials of harsh conditions, poor housing, language barriers, cultural clashes, and natural antagonists. What results is an absorbing story set against the backdrop of political and religious upheaval. Kingsolver's writing in this book proves what can happen when a writer continues to pursue her craft. The work is impressively mature compared to earlier cute novels like The Bean Trees and shows her flare and passion and growth as a writer. The narrative voices are distinct and engaging except for 15 year old Rachel's whose heartsickness for American pop culture is somewhat irritating because of the stretches the writer makes to show Rachel's shallow nature. For example, at first Rachel's malaprops are entertaining, but read against the seriousness of several occurences, the writing sounds forced. Nevertheless, Kingsolver's narrators are living voices most readers will very much enjoy. I loved this book in spite of its flaws--the characterization of Rachel, the plausibility of some of the Congolese people's actions, and Kingsolver's political analysis/overview. The last fifth of the book is laborious as the writer strives to incorporate Congolese political history, and such writing is not where Kingsolver's strengths are. She is a craftsperson, a creative writer--one who loves the poetics and muscle of English--not a political analyst. Readers should begin this book knowing this because the heart of it is wrought with passion, Biblical double entendres, and enjoyable characters in a fantastic and important setting. Kingsolver's ambitious research has produced an important novel with more strengths than weaknesses as she's given deserved focus to precious central Africa--as the world should have and should be doing now.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I really did like this book. The only problem I had was that in the middle it moved somewhat slowly. It did't really dampen the story though! As I read I felt like I was really in the Congo with the characters. This book made me realize how lucky I really am and how much I value my own family. In an overall review I think that this book was wonderful and if you read it you'll really enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Too long and overblown
Review: I found the first half of "Poisonwood Bible" absorbing. For a zealous husband to lead his wife and family into a totally different culture and to be so ill equipped and unprepared was absorbing. All 4 daughters were 3 dimensional as well as the mother. It would have been nice to hear what went on inside Nathan's head as well. But I really couldn't sympathize with any of the sisters. They were all so different: running from the total devotion Leah had towards her father to Rachel's selfishness and Ada's cynicism. A large portion of the novel is dedicated to Kingsolver's personal political views of the Belgian Congo.
Rating:
Summary: Kingsolver at her greatest...
Review: The Poisonwood Bible describes the life of Nathan and Orleanna Price and their daughters Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May; missionaries in the African Congo. It's a wonderful book that lets you see through the eyes of the five women in the family. The storyline will leave you amazed at the hardships they faced and how they overcame them. Overall it's a wondeful book, but don't read it unless you're willing to finish it.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not an Oprah Book fan, but I really liked this one!
Review: I've read several of the Oprah selections and only liked two of them, so I was leery of giving another one a try. I'd heard some feedback previously to The Poisonwood Bible and had wanted to read it anyway, so I used that as an excuse to pick this one up. I really enjoyed it--so much, that I read it in less than a week. I was extremely interested in the historical aspect since these things were happening while I was a child unaware. The ending was slow and much too long after the climax, so expect the final chapters to be a drugery. Other than that, it's a good read and well worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: A history lesson and a boring novel.
Review: This book goes on and on about a lot of things. The author uses too many descriptions to describe simple things. I didn't feel sympathy at all for any of the characters. I felt that reading that very thick book was a waste of my time. I love to read but I didn't get any satisfaction from reading this book.
| 
