SHIPPING NEWS

Rating:
Summary: Well-written and uplifting
Review: This book was amazing. At first I was taken aback by the short, abrupt sentences, but as I read, the style fit so well with the characterization and with Newfoundland itself. Proulx's voice is effective in that she can say so much with so few words. Some segments I had to read two or three times, because they said so much with so little, and in reading them over, I found so many different meanings hidden within. Quoyle is a testimony to the human spirit and all the good that can encompass a person who has an open heart. His character is truly one of the most honest and most loving. I would highly recommend this book as an uplifting and complete portrayal of the human spirit moving forward despite all odds.

Rating:
Summary: an inspiration
Review: I was very happy with the way the book worked out -- I found Quoyle's denseness at the beginning very difficult in a protagonist, but I stuck with him through the hard beginning and was rewarded with the vision of his slow and steady maturation. I even have my doubts about whether such profound changes are realistic, but finally, I think, one realizes that this character is EAP's gift to her readership, for us to mock at first, perhaps, and then cheer on, but eventually to empathize with, since we could all use a little more gumption in our lives, a little more courage, and a little less drifting with life's tides. Of course, the language and descriptions are luminescent, and one could profitably read the book for those alone.

Rating:
Summary: A real snoozer
Review: Rarely do I put a book down without finishing it. But the characters in this book are utterly without depth. Cardboard cutouts. I can't take it anymore.

Rating:
Summary: Most Excellent!
Review: This is a story of starting over. In the bleakness of the setting (physical and emotional), the main character finds warmth in his new beginnings and acceptance in this small community. Most importantly, he finds and accepts "love without pain." A heartwarming, beautifully written novel! This is one of my most favorite books!

Rating:
Summary: A Pathetic character without redemption
Review: I had no sympathy for Quoyle or his situation. He seemed to be someone letting the tide of life carry him along, not an active participant. I found him pathetic with few redeeming qualities. An unsympathetic character made this book hard to read and not very enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: As drab and dreary a read as the landscape it describes
Review: This is one of the worst books I have read in a long time. Its landscape is bleak, its characters are bleaker, and its plot non-existant. A chore to read, a relief to put down.

Rating:
Summary: magical
Review: This is one of, or perhaps the best of the books I've read. I read about three books a week. I am 40 years old. Do the math yourself. If you like books that are slightly off-beat, beautifully written (almost lyrical), and totally engaging, the odds are you will love this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Shipping News
Review: I began this book with high expectations. I was let down quickly. I stuck with the book and finished it, only to feel empty in the end. I had high hopes for the characters, especially Quoyle and his life struggles. However, a FEW interesting characters, and beautiful descriptions of Newfoundland were all I came away with. I felt as if the E. Annie Proulx chose to stop writing this book rather than ending it. Of course, how do you wrap up a novel that has no story. I would have given this book only one star had it not been for some of the characters. Perhaps this would have been a better book written as a series of short stories involoving these characters.

Rating:
Summary: A rich read
Review: I went back to school as an "adult returning to study" and this is one of the books I HAD to read. At first I wondered how I was going to like a character that was so physically repulsive, but I ended up LOVING him. What a character Proulx has "birthed"; so real. Then I wondered how I was going to read a book where the author wrote in a fashion that was so "different". This has ended up to be my favourite book, because of the richness of its characters, the overwhelming setting of Newfoundland ... the atmosphere. I also love the way Proulx writes with her staccato sentences emphasising three words with their own short sentence; or a character whose whole conversation may go for two pages. My only disappointment is that Proulx hasn't written another like it. I have never read a book more than once (too many books ... too little time) ... but this one I have, and I will again.

Rating:
Summary: A memorable book...
Review: The Shipping News now lies back on the bookshelf, after a week of hills and valleys. Sometimes the reading was difficult for me because of the maritime jargon used. Often I found myself consulting my Third New International for clarification. What I loved most of all was Proulx's colorful, terse descriptions. I could almost see the snakes writhing under the large blanket when she describes the tumultous, white-capped sea. I liked Quoyle, had some sympathy for him, and even ended up liking him in the end. The plot is pure literature, full of hidden meanings and innuendoes. Sure, the book is full of sentence fragments, but Proulx executes them so well. This is certainly a book I would read again.