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Summary: Twin stories in spirit
Review: Anita Shreve's "Weight of Water" is no ordinary murder mystery. At its core is, of course, an old murder mystery just waiting to be dredged up for re-examination based on the diary of its sole witness, but what's intriguing about it is not its secret which isn't so spectacular - you sort of guess the truth half way through the novel - but its spiritual and emotional congruence with the contemporary story which runs alongside it. As the narrator peels away the layers that conceal the truth in the old mystery, she discovers chinks in her own marriage which awakens within herself feelings of sexual jealousy and responses which surprise even the narrator herself. Shreve's attempt to harmonise the edgy sense of discord overshadowing both stories by seamlessly shifting backwards and forwards in time isn't entirely successful or unique, but it worked for me. The ending is slightly anti-climactic but this small disappointment is more than made up by Shreve's writing which is excellent throughout and very effective. I found "Weight of Water" a compelling and highly enjoyable read. Definitely worth checking out.
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Summary: The Weight of Water
Review: I loved it. It is very complex. I feel that the people who are giving it bad reviews are finding the book to be too confusing. The plot is deep. The book goes back and forth between two stories and two different time periods in an exceptional way. Sometimes you need to stop and ponder a bit! It's great!
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Summary: tedium
Review: I must say I was initially intriged with the plot of this book and am normally fasinated with plots that mix mystery and self imposed dramas from one's life. However, I could barely stand the writing style of Ms. Shreve. She hopped, literally, paragraph by paragraph from present to past and back again, to a point where I finally had to put the book down. The plot was very interesting and was the only thing that held my interest in the first 100 pages. However, I must confess that I finally gave up and will have to guess how the book ended based upon the other reviews of this book.
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Summary: Read at Your Own Risk
Review: While Shreve's prose is always wonderful, I was disappointed by this novel's predictability. Her theme is well expressed in the horrifying accident that occurs late in the book, but I'd been expecting it since about page 30 and kept reading mostly to prove myself wrong. (I didn't.) To make things worse, I also figured out the "surprise" for the historical narrative very early, so that instead of shock it imparted only a sense of sickening familiarity. The narrator was not particularly well-drawn, and with only two exceptions the other characters weren't likable. This novel won't draw you in, but its language is so lovely and its tone full of such billowing despair you may be able to overlook its flaws.
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Summary: Weight of Water
Review: After reading Pilot's Wife I did not expect a great piece if literature, but I did expect better than this! Very slow, boring and the ending was just awful!
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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I had high hopes for this book as it was suggested to me by amazon.com as being similar to another author that I quite enjoy (Jan Karon). Talk about a disappointment! Very slow and tedious read, but I stuck it out in hopes that it would improve. No such luck. The characters were not likeable, nor did I care what happened to them. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone!
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Summary: A Slow and Painful Read
Review: This was a horrible read for me. I found that the author spent so much time on detail that I forgot what she was explaining. I often found myself sleepy after just a couple of pages. I did not have a problem following the different time frames as I have heard many people complain. I was originally attracted to this book because of the true murder content.
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Summary: Zzzzzzzzz................
Review: I first listened to this book on audio. I would recommend listening to this version if you are battling insomnia. The narrator's voice is very soothing (DO NOT listen to this book while driving, it is a bit TOO hypnotic). I felt it matched the scenery and mood of the book. I agree with the one review that said the original murder should have been the whole story. The characters in the modern story very very one dimensional and there was nothing about them that I could relate to. The characters in the murder story were much more realistic and seemed to be more like real people. The book was much like the Zodiac in the book, it bobbed up and down on waves and I felt seasick from trying to keep the two storylines straight. It seemed like every other parapgraph it was murder story/modern story and so on. Had I truly seen the common thread in these two storylines, it would have been easier to keep the two straight. I too guessed at the end and it was the last pages that I thought the story became very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: The Weight of Water
Review: I found this book challenging and, therefore, quite wonderful. I admit I did guess the ending, but it wasn't a guarantee and so it did not in any way harm the resolution for me. Such a unique setting and unusual characters! Anita Shreve is a very talented writer. Having also read "Pilot's Wife," I will surely read more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: don't bother
Review: This book was like a long painful trip to the dentist. There was no emotional attachment to any of the chararcters and the story dragged on and on. The ending had me throwing the book out, which is unusual for me. I would never inflict this book on anyone!
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