Rating: 
Summary: haunting
Review: I loved this book. It is one of the better books I've read in years. This was the first of Haruf's that I read, I immediately went out and bought the previous two. I am now reading The Tie That Binds.He reminds me of a simpler Faulkner...creating a whole community of interesting and normal, yet odd, folk. I love his dialogue and his short, concise prose. His voice comes through and it fits his story(ies). I have recommended this book to everyone. I think even non-readers will enjoy a Haruf book... and think about it after they've read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Plainread
Review: In many ways, this book reminded me of "Cold Mountain". "Cold Mountain" was somehow a richer reading experience than "Plainsong". (The only problem with "Cold Mountain" was that it's end was too rapid). "Plainsong's" characters were interesting, yet not solidly developed. The ending left me with the feeling of. . ."okay, so what was the point?" This book was, by far, not the best that I have ever read, but it did manage to hold my interest to the very end. I just wish I could have found the same inspiration that others have reported:)
Rating:
Summary: A remarkable tour-de-force
Review: If Faulkner ever decided to write a "come-together" book, this would be it. I will never foget it. Fiction is alive inthe 21st Century.
Rating:
Summary: Resonates with hope and joy
Review: Like a plaintive wail, this book resonates with a simple and honest beauty that strikes the soul of the sensitive reader. The beauty is in the stark simplicity and the ease it is to visualize the characters so frankly revealed. This is a work of genius, a work where less is more, and the relationship of land to man offers extraordinarily significant reflections. Those that are portrayed are etched firmly in the reader's mind. Each are struggling with hardships and begin to intersect and connect so that the plot takes on an immensely hopefull tone, one that is not stretched beyond one's endurance, but so sweet and lovely that the joy of the story is indeed your reward.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: I've read the Catalan translation, done by Eduard Castaño, and published by Columna. It's one of the books I've enjoyed the most in many months. It combines simple histories with very good and wonderful descriptions. An excellent book.
Rating: 
Summary: sparse, evocative and... overrated
Review: like 'snow falling on cedars' plainsong has received great reviews... too great. the sparse prose and sparser punctuation is similar to cormac mccarthy, giving us two modern western authors who apparently believe the silence of big empty spaces is best rendered without quotation marks. at the end of the day plainsongs foreboding juxtaposition of stories is ultimately only Plainly interesting, neither cathartic, nor uplifting, nor artful enough to qualify for greatness sans plot. but now we know: what would 'my antonia' be like set in 1996? for the angst of the modern small town west mcmurtry's 'duane's depressed' goes a lot deeper, and is a lot more fun, too.
Rating: 
Summary: rural colorado
Review: I enjoyed this book - maybe because I lived for twenty years in the plains of Colorado. Small town life, including the Legion Bar, the "bad" families, the school environment, were so real. There was humor with the socially misfit brothers. (Are we to believe that's what the young sons will become?) If you like realism, dry humor, and interesting characters with emotional appeal (I would have liked to get more background on the mentally ill mother.), try this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Nobody's Fool was much better
Review: This book is highly overrated. The book's theme is that surprising new forms of family can arise when traditional families have broken down. I found the simplicity of the book annoying; the good people were too good, and the bad people too bad. I found it unbelievable, for instance, that two men who have lived alone all their lives would have no impure thoughts about an attractive teenage girl living in their home. Sure, it would be great if people were that good, but they're just not. Nobody's Fool, by Richard Russo, has a similar theme but is much more successful. In that wonderful book, characters are fully fleshed out, scheming and selfish on one level, but basically decent and caring on a deeper level. That book truly gave me hope for a community's ability to care for its own. Plainsong, in contrast, felt like a simplistic feel-good homily.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: I listened to this story on Recorded Books audio and unlike a previous reviewer, I loved it. I wish there was a sequel; Kent Haruf writes dialogue that is so real and typical of the area. I am from a small farming community and the two older brothers were so comical, they reminded me of lots of people I know. The story centers around Victoria, a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant and kicked out of her mother's house. With nowhere else to go she ends up depending on the kindness of a few people in her community. The author has really captured the personalities of all the characters. The only thing that disappointed me was that the story had to end. I am looking forward to reading anything else by Kent Haruf and will definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Felt as though I was right there
Review: This had the same quality as "Snow Falling on Cedars"--the atmosphere was so much a part of the story. Having lived in a rural area of the country for 13 years, I felt as if I knew each of the characters. It's a love story like nothing I've read before.
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