Plainsong

Rating:
Summary: Somehow, it sticks to your ribs
Review: If you're looking for riveting reading, this book is not it. It is quiet and as unadorned as the Plains it describes. And it ends without climax as life usually does. Yet its humanity slowly seeps into your bones. The characters stick to your ribs and make you wish you could mail them a postcard wishing them godspeed.

Rating:
Summary: "Plainsong" lived up to its reputation and more.
Review: "Plainsong" lived up to its reputation and more. It was with real reluctance that I came to the end of this novel. Every word of praise that I have read about it was certainly earned. Above all else, I cared about each and every one of the characters in this book. Maybe it was because I grew up in a town like Holt, albeit in Massachusetts and in the l950's. But I knew every person in this book. But what is more important I came to care about them intensely. There is a scene of an outrageous attack on two of the characters in the book which was so real and so frightening that even though I was in a doctor's waiting room, I wanted to scream "NO! " as loud as I could. Rarely have I had that experience with what passes for contemporary fiction Maybe this is an " old-fashioned" novel where nothing much seems to happen. But if you have ever lived in a small American town, much of what goes on there seems to be " nothing" until one looks back at it over time. I can't thank Mr. Haruf enough for this experience and I look forward to reading his earlier works. This is grand stuff!

Rating:
Summary: an average read, nothing stunning
Review: Yes, this novel IS simple, eloquently phrased and astutely observed. I can see why people are reading it in droves. However, Plainsong is strangely boring! I know nothing is really supposed to happen and plot development is kept to a minimum but the story is turgid and ultimately unexciting. The novel does "sing" like wind rising across the Colorado Plains and there is a nice lyrical flow to the prose but there is also a lack of anything else happening. This lack of substance is all the more peculiar when you consider the themes Haruf is exploring - teenage pregnancy, small town politics, physical abuse, drugs and alcohol etc. Actually this novel could really read as a Sunday night tacky, sensational miniseries - a made for TV movie! Everyone comes together to experience the multi-generational joys of motherhood, so what! Does the exploration of this topic really demand three hundred pages, especially when it has all been done before. The angst of small town working class America is becoming a little passe now re: Billie Letts. This certainly wan't go down as a great work of American Literature but it is readable nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: A SIMPLE BOOK -- SIMPLY TOLD
Review: As a result of all the hype I had heard about this book prior to reading it, I was untimately disappointed. If the author's intent was to write a simple story about simple characters in a simple town, then he has been successful. No one character jumps out at you except for Maggie who seems to tie everyone together. The lack of quotation marks adds to its simplicity....this is something I enjoyed while I know other reviewers found this less than appealing. It was a well-written book -- just not for me.

Rating:
Summary: A good story obscured by an affected prose style
Review: This is a small story which nonetheless had the potential to be deeply moving--except for the remote style in which it is told. The author keeps his characters way beyond arm's length and loses all immediacy and intimacy as a result. The absence of quotation marks strikes me not only an as affectation, but as a diminution of the characters' voices; it's as if they're whispering from a far-off distance. It's a heartwarming tale told cold.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical.
Review: His prose was perfect. I felt like I was there on the prairie of Colorado. The people touched my heart. Would I recommend it..yes.

Rating:
Summary: Crisp and beautiful!
Review: Wow! This guy can write. And this is one terrific book The characters are simultaneously familiar and unforgettable. Don't waste your time with any more reviews. Go get a copy and start reading.

Rating:
Summary: "Amen" to all those positive reviews
Review: Some years ago, I read Haruf's "Tie that Binds" and thought it was one of the best books ever written; I was sorry he did not receive more acclaim for that book. Now I read this book which is equally as memorable as "Tie that Binds" The characterization is so much on target and the situations so realistic - perhaps one has to grown up in a very small town in the country to understand this. I say "Amen" to all those positive reviews and encourage readers to also read "Tie that Binds."

Rating:
Summary: I can't wait to read more by Mr. Haruf
Review: Plainsong is a thoroughly enjoyable novel. The characters are so real, you can see, hear, feel and smell them. They are characters you care about. Although the character's lives are dramatic, they are completely believable. This is the type of book you can read in bed and the story will not keep you awake with grim thoughts after you have finished reading.

Rating:
Summary: Mysong
Review: Sometimes how we feel about a fictional piece depends solely on whether we can identify with the characters or plot. If you've ever: lived in a rural community; known simple, honest, and hard-working country folks; had your heart broken; helped someone get through something ugly in their life; or had the privilege and tribulation of raising two boys, my bet is that Plainsong will be Yoursong. I found it similar in tone to The Earth Is Enough, which I liked very much, but with the added bonus of even more realistic characters. Tip: Don't start it too late at night if you're working the next day, because you'll likely not put it down 'til the wee hours of the morning.