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Summary: well written and informative
Review: Although Kingsolver's voice in this novel is less mature and a little more awkward than it is in her masterpiece, Poisonwood Bible, I would still urge readers to read this book. I don't think she wrote this book at the "expense" of the Indian Act. She wrote it to increase public awareness and show how this act has touched the lives of individual people. The characters are sharp and endearing.
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Summary: MY THOUGHTS ON "PIGS IN HEAVEN"
Review: "Pigs In Heaven" was given to me by a friend of whom I have known for 5 months but yet admire this person dearly. "PIGS IN HEAVEN" was a "GREAT" book and Kingsolver can make one feel apart of the book as you read. I really recommend this book if you are the type of reader who can connect with the characters as you read. So I hope all of you can take the time to read on of Barbara Kinsolvers books and enjoy it as much as I have!
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Summary: An excellent example of a completely over-rated book...
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's book is noble in the fact that she tries to shed light on an important social issue, but it was simplistically written. Metaphors and smilies are beautiful when well written, but Mrs. Kingsolver abuses and misuses them. Its unfortunate that the author wrote this book at the expense of an issue like the Indian Child Welfare Act.
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Summary: A joy to read
Review: One, it's beautiful. This woman can write. From elegant descriptions to well-formed characters, nothing disappoints the mature reader. Two, it deserves a willing suspension of disbelief. So the plot is a bit unlikely; it doesn't matter. And I've lived long enough to know that it's only slightly unlikely that some of the strangers in this novel would prove to have connections. If a lyrical, meaningful, warm-hearted and provocative big story is what you crave, read this. Don't dismiss this as a woman's story, or a story about women who don't understand men. Although the male characters have smaller roles, they are very important, and very likeable. Kingsolver does a virtuoso trick of letting you see them through the eyes of flawed observers and yet rather more clearly. As for the negative reviews: You might also note that nearly all of those who didn't like this book commented on their own political divergence of opinion or were forced to read it for school. Who asked them about their politics? Who cares? As for the mewling high schoolers, too many of whom have a lot of trouble spelling, punctuating or matching cases, please realize that bathroom images are not an impressive metaphor for your opinion. Less emotion and more substance from both sets, please.
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Summary: My Opinion of Pigs in Heaven
Review: I enjoyed the book Pigs in Heaven. The character developement in the book was exceptional; even the smallest characters were discribed with enough detail for the reader to have a feel for them. Barbie is a good example of this, with the intial discription when Taylor, Turtle, and Alice first met her through to the last mention Turtle made of her to the social worker, the reader has a three demensional image of her. Barbie was a build up of all the women who try to be the ideal American women, absessed with appearence and the desire for the best material objects without working to earn them. I also like the linear style Barbara Kingsolver used to tell the story. No other author I have read have used that method and connected all of the events. We get the first look at Taylor and Turtle's relationshop on their trip to Beaver Dam where Turlte saves the life of Lucky Buster. This seeminly unimportant circumstance lead to Turtle's reunion with her family and her tribe, which is the basis for the book. All together the intriguing characters, the interesting plot, and the linear method makes this book a pleasure to read.
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Summary: Decent by not Extraordinary
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's novel, "Pigs in Heaven",is a decent by not extraordinary novel. On a postive note, Kingsolver does an amazing job of presenting her characters in a realistic light. She accomplishes this by including scenes of casual events and dialouge that although not important to the plot are essential to the character development. Although I felt as if I could not really relate to the characters because I have never experienced the situations they faced, I still felt like I could imagine how they were feeling at particular moments in the novel. Although I found the characters to be very realistic and three dimensional, I thought that the story line was highly unrealistic. This bothered me a little because it made something as important as Native American adoption policies into a fairytale. It was too coincidental that all of the characters were connected in some way or another and even more unlikely that Alice and Cash would fall in love enabling Taylor to keep her preicious, Turtle. Another thing that did not make sense was the fact that Taylor would be foolish enough to take Turtle on public television after performing an illegal adoption. If Kingsolver's aim was to portray Taylor as a strong, intelligent and independent individual, she should not have had Taylor make such a studpid choice as to put herself and illegally adopted daughter right in the public eye. Nonetheless, Kingsolver still gives Taylor much deserved credit throughout the novel. All in all, "Pigs in Heaven",is a good book with an unusual plot twist. I enjoyed the fact that it ended on a happy note, something I am not used to!
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Summary: Magnificent Female Relationships
Review: Barbara Kingsolver has written a magnificent novel with the creation of Pigs in Heaven. Not only does she enable the reader to identify with each character, but she invites the reader to bask in the full beauty of the West. My favorite element that Kingsolver adds to her novel is that of relationships. Throughout the entire plot one concept remains strong: the relationships between women are beautifully orchestrated in an effort to connect each character. The characters of this novel are not one-dimensional; they are complex. Rarely in literature is an author able to accomplish such a feat. Through her extravagent plot, Kingsolver proves that these women are all connected by a common bond. The barriers of race and culture do not apply to the women's ability to ultimately understand one another. I was personally entranced by this novel. I often found it difficult to drag myself away from the plot. In the past four months, I have read the book twice. Each time I was amazed by Kingsolver's ability to formulate such meaningful and sincere characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in engaging themselves in a less-than-ordinary novel. The plot is superior to any that I have read in quite some time. I would go so far as to guarantee that two pages into the book, any reader will be drawn to the suspense that only the end can resolve.
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Summary: What is right?
Review: Kingsolver presents her readers with the question, what is right? She attempts to portray the two opposing characters, Taylor and Annawake, equally, and then allow the reader to decide who is right. The reader is introduced to Taylor first in the novel. The reader soon learns that Turtle, Taylor's adopted Cherokee daughter, was left in her arms after being a victim of abuse. It becomes immediately obvious that Taylor and Turtle love one another tremendously. Then Annawake, a Cherokee, is introduced to the reader, because she has seen Turtle on Oprah, heard her story, and feels that Turtle belongs with the Cherokee tribe and not with Taylor. By law Annawake was given the right to try and gain custody of Turtle, because the United States law gave tribes permission to take Indian children away from their non-Indian adopted parents. Annawake believes that, "Adopted Native kids always have problems in adolescence when they're raised without an Indian identity,"(148). Annawake has also lost her twin brother Gabe, and this loss seems to be her motivation throughout the novel. However, Kingsolver then introduces Cash, another Cherokee, who is in search of his missing granddaughter who turns out to be Turtle. Although Cash's character seems to be Kingsolver's way of trying to make the reader feel compassion for the Cherokee tribe, I feel that Annawake's selfish motives and the abuse that Turtle suffered overshadow this attempt, and I feel left without having to make a decision. From the beginning to the end of this novel, I never once questioned whether or not Turtle should remain with Taylor; to me, Taylor was always Turtle's rightful mother.
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Summary: Motherly Love
Review: Overall I think that Pigs In Heaven is an interesting novel. It is a story that allows the reader to feel connected with the characters. One of the most important themes in the novel is the relationship between the three females in the Greer family. Taylor, Alice, and Turtle all look out for one another and are very supportive of each other. Taylor does everything possible to protect her adopted daughter Turtle from being taken away by Annawake, a lawyer. The relationship between Taylor and Turtle is interdependent, because they both need each other in their lives. They both desperately do not want to get separated from one another so Taylor and Turtle run away in order to stay away from Annawake. Despite all of the hardships that the two are forced to go through, their love and trust for one another is what gives them the will to carry on. The relationship between Taylor and her mother Alice is built on a foundation of trust. Alice is always there for Taylor right away when she needs help. Every new day presents another challenge for Taylor and Alice makes each one a little bit easier to go through. Taylor, Turtle, and Alice all bring hope into each other's lives and without each other they would be very lonely and hopeless.
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Summary: Such three dimensional characters create a wonderful novel
Review: Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver, was a wonderfully written novel filled with excellently portrayed three dimensional characters all linked to create a superb piece of work. Kingsolver did a great job linking the characters in this novel. I especially enjoyed how, at the conclusion of this novel, Cash and Alice came together, allowing for Turtle to stay with Taylor and her discovered grandfather. This was a well thought out novel and I'm glad it had such a positive ending. Since I had already read the Bean Trees, the first novel in this sequel, I had a little bit more information on these characters and I thought it was tremendous how the author continued to carry out each character's personality as she wrote the second part of her sequel. Each character was so well thought out and it was so easy to become familiar with them and their ways. I especially enjoyed reading about Turtle and Barbie. Turtle was such a great character and it was so easy to fall in love with her as soon as you found out her name. Barbie was such a thorough chaaracter who was so well thought out from head to toe. I loved to see how these characters progressed and I can't wait to see if they are further developed in a third part in this excellent sequel.
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