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Summary: I enjoyed this unique Cherokee perspective on family.
Review: I appreciate the clarity of Ms. Kingsolver's writing. This book raises interesting questions about community and family, and the line that exists, or doesn't exist, between the two.
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Summary: quite possibly the worst book ever written
Review: This is the kind of book teachers try to force upon students, making them experience this horror. This is the very worst of anything possible, I would buy all the copies and burn them if I could, but too bad I'm not that ric, so I must plea to you: BURN YOUR COPY BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
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Summary: To Predictable...
Review: Currently I was assigned to read Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver for my honors English class. Personally I found the novel to be very outdrawn, hard to relate to, and very predictable. I feel that it is very important for an author to be very thorough in their writing, but I feel that Barbara Kingsolver drew out on things that were not substantial to the plot of the story. I got the same feeling one can get when one watches a movie and says, "That could have ended an hour ago." The novel was very hard for me to relate to as a white upper middle class student, because I have never faced any or the problems which the characters face in this story. Although I feel that it is very important to understand other cultures I feel that the plot could have been written in a way that could better relate to more cultures than just the Native American one. It was also hard to relate to because I would never try to solve my problems by running away from them as Taylor and other characters did through out the novel. Another weakness that I found in the book was its amount of predicability. The conclusion the conclusion along with the plot were both very predictable. I think that the topic that the book was written on, the illegal adoption of Native American children is very important and should not be over looked, but I also feel that the topic could have been presented in a more interesting and unpredictable fashion.
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Summary: This was a good book for a patient reader.
Review: Rick Hankins Mrs. Porter 2/22/99 Pigs in Heaven was a novel about how far a mother will go to protect her relationship with her daughter. It was an extremely descriptive novel and only would appeal to a certain kind of reader. I believe this novel can be enjoyed, but you have to pay attention to detail and be the type of reader who enjoys becoming emotionally attached to the characters. Turtle, one of the main characters, is a young Native American girl who is caught in the middle of a custody battle between her loving adopted mother, and a Native American lawyer fighting to instill turtle's Native American roots in her. You can't help but fall in love with Turtle who symbolizes innocence in this novel, and who is the "perfect" little girl. Her mother Taylor will do anything to protect the relationship she has with her daughter and who is the epitome of a loving mother. As you get farther into this novel the characters, initially questionable, motives become evidently clear and you feel as though you are in the middle of the entire situation and you can't help but become emotionally attached to the character's. The conclusion of this novel will not disappoint you as all of the conflicts are resolved and you will be sure to close this book with a smile. I recommend Pigs in Heaven to a reader who enjoys a good story with a happy ending. Happy reading!
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Summary: The plot took a while to develop.
Review: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. (I know it's the wrong book, but the same idea applies. Okay, let's try this one.) In the beginning, Turtle Greer saves the life of a man. Not just any man but a crusader, fighting a war against litter. However, when Turtle receives the attention she so rightly deserves, she is discovered by the evil Cherokee lawyer, Annawake. (Not evil because she's Cherokee, but because she's a lawyer.) The rest of the novel follows the escapades of Taylor Greer, Turtle's adoptive mother, running from Annawake's wrath. Early in the novel, it becomes apparent that Pigs in Heaven is not a mere story but, in fact, a tale of the ways of the Cherokee Nation in modern times. Although the plot takes some time before it gets interesting, the details, that bring on this sluggishness, are essential for the plot to fall together later in the novel. Definitely not intended for the casual reader, this yarn requires much concentration. Take the life and times of Cash Stillwater. An entire chapter was devoted to his life with no apparent reason until the final pages. Far from being a draw-back, the whole idea of complex connections (an example of art imitating life) is actually the theme and selling-point for the book. One major fall-back, however, is the point-of-view (POV). Most modern literature uses a third-person POV in either the limited usage or the low omniscience. Pigs in Heaven, though, uses a high omniscience POV. While the luxury of being able to delve into the thoughts at will would seem like a blessing, it is, in fact, a curse. When this POV is used, many an author falls into the trap of reading the inconsequential thoughts of the characters. Alas, Ms. Kingsolver fell, too, into this trap. Through the good and the bad, Pigs in Heaven seems to be mostly good. But don't count on it for some leisurely reading.
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Summary: A Heavenly Mother-Daughter Relationship
Review: Pigs in Heaven was an interesting book. At times it was slow, but for the most part Kingsolver was able to keep her readers' attention. Overall, I liked the book. I felt that Taylor and Turtle's relationship was a very solid mother-daughter relationship that I hope to have with my mother one day. I felt that the trust between Alice and Taylor was also a very crucial part of the book. Without that, Taylor may have been on the run forever, while only hurting bot herself and Turtle in doing so. I also found Cash's love of Alice to be something very special, something that Alice seemed to be longing for for more years than I can imagine. This gave me a comfort in knowing that while separated from Taylor, even if for only a few short months a year, that Turtle would be safe and loved unconditionally. In the end, I found Pigs in Heaven to be an excellent example of love and strength that everyone should have the opportunity to experience at least once in a lifetime.
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Summary: A Great Suprise!
Review: Common throughtout many fictional novels, the issues of family, love, and truth are all dealt with in Barbara Kingsolver's, "Pigs in Heaven". Unlike many other novels that either deal with one of these themes, or all of them sporadically, the events and themes throughout "Pigs in Heaven" are interconnected. This type of plot webbing makes the book much more intresting, allowing the reader to become involved with many different characters, instead of just one or two. When I began this required reading assignment, I was not instantly intrigued by the beginning. Actually, I wanted to throw the book away after the first chapter, because it did not grab my attention. I knew I had to read the book, so evry night I made myself read a chapter. By the third night I noticed that I could not put this book down. What I loved most about "Pigs in Heaven", where the characters. Barbara Kingsolver has a gift for making her characters painstakingly realistic. At times I felt like I was Taylor, trying to keep Turtle, or I was Jax, trying to keep a hold on my love. Sometimes, I was Annawake who was trying to preserve the culture of the Cherokee Nation. In "Pigs in Heaven", readers will have something in common with all of these characters, just as I did when I read this novel. The book provides a setting that is not mentioned enough in American Literature, the Cherokee Nation. It allowed me to look beyond the Indian identity that I was use to, where Indians wore feather and shot arrows, to the real life situations that happens on Cherokee reservations. "Pigs in Heaven" is a great book for when you just want to relax, and let the book become a part of you.
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Summary: A controversial look at a controversial book
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's book Pigs in Heaven is well-written from its attention to unimportant detail to its controversial and political undertones. The book is quite heated at times and can cause much debate, especially where she touches on the discrimination of the Cherokee people and their history of oppression, to the Indian Child Welfare Act which is the base for the major conflict in the book. Kingsolver manages to raise questions in the readers' mind as to what is legally right and what is morally right. And to see a mother struggle to save her young Cherokee daughter from the cruel unconstitutional hand of the law, causes the reader to be torn between choosing sides. It is these doubled edged sword arguments that make her book intriguing and entertaining. Another aspect of the book that is appealing is its "Sienfeld-esque" anecdotes or Kingsolver's perception of little if seemingly superfluous events. It is this detail that adds realism to the book, story, and its characters. The glimpse into their everyday lives to the way people really talk to the little things they do. The simplicity does not go unnoticed because it adds greatly to the books overall atmosphere and understanding. Finally, because it takes place in modern times (late 1980's) it keeps the readers attention and enthusiasm. I therefore highly recommend this book, particularly to those with a passion for debate and topics controversial or those seeking a decent, fun story that will not bore them.
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Summary: Reading it was a long but an enjoyable experience.
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's novel, Pigs in Heaven, ia great work that gives people a sense of tribal allegiance, and culture. However, it also shows that being true to the law or one's own culture cancan disturb one's conscience in other situations. This book also expresses how comforting and emotionally healing a family can be. It creates a realistic outlook on how one woman's loyalty to her tribe can threaten the family life of another person. The way Kingsolver makes everything come together, finalizing the book, shows how optimistic she is. Clearly, this book contains interesting situations which keep the reader absorbed in the reading. This is definitely a quality of well written work.
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Summary: It is certainly a book that captures the reader's attention
Review: In the beginning of Barbara Kingsolver's book Pigs in Heaven, I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of the characters' different names. The fact that the names Turtle and Taylor both started with the letter T constantly made me look back in my notes to differentiate between the two. Nothing too exciting occurred in the first chapter, only the basic setting, which kept changing with the arrrival of new characters. Chapter two started to set the stage when Lucky Buster was introduced, and the story began to develop from there. Whenever I read a book I always put myself in the shoes of the characters and try to see what they're going through, and I decide what I would do. Turtle, one of the main characters in the story, was definitely thought provoking because she wasn't a normal six year old. I have a six year old sister who plays with barbies and many other toys, and is constantly running around and yelling. Turtle, on the other hand, just sits and obeys and always tells the truth. I wonder what a psychiatrist today would say about a child like that. I know that life can toss problems in an instant and one must come up with answers quickly because one wrong move, and a person's life can be ruined forever. I was beginning to worry that Kingsolver lived in this fantastical world where everything was perfect and everyone got what they wanted in the end if they were good and waited. I thought I knew what the ending would be, but was proven wrong when I got there. The end really provided closure for the story, but if a sequel was written I don't know whether or not the decision would prove to be in the best interests of the main character. Overall I was pleased with the book and I couldn't put it down because I was anxious to see what would happen. Kingsolver introduces her characters and skips back and forth between different places so I had to keep reading on if I wanted to know more, which I wanted. I'm definitely happy with the way Kingsolver ended her story but wonder if that would ever happen in real life.
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