A Common Life : The Wedding Story (The Mitford Years)

Rating:
Summary: DISAPPOINTED
Review: I just received the book and haven't even read it and am VERY DISAPPOINTED. I too, as so many other readers, was expecting this book to pick up where the last one left off and not a re-hash of something that happened in her other books. I do hope that Jan Karon receives some of the reviews that have been written so that she knows her readers are expecting something new and current from Mitford. I was so anxious to get this book, I didn't pay attention to the reviews. If I had, I would not have ordered it!!

Rating:
Summary: A Common Life: The Wedding story
Review: I'm wondering what happened to the Jan Karon who so vividly peopled the pages of her first four books that it brought laughter to our lips and tears to our eyes. We came to care about Dooley, Father Tim and Cynthia, and even Barnabas, the dog. Jan Karon's new book, A Common Life: the Wedding Story, is a poor excuse for a book. It serves up cardboard characters, very little plot, and a rehash of what we've already read in the previous books. It even calls into question Cynthia's sanity. In previous books, she was portrayed as endearingly unique, but in this book she doesn't even take the time to comb her hair before her wedding. Does that sound like normal female behavior? While this book measures the same size as its predecessors, the actual printed page is much smaller, easily read in one sitting. It makes one wonder how they dare ask ... for such a sparse volume. Do yourself a favor, don't waste your money on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Just an appetizer! I want the whole meal!
Review: Of course I loved this book....it is about Mitford, by Jan Karon. Any Mitford fan would! B-u-t, it left me wanting.......to know more about the wonderful people of Mitford; what's been happening in their lives since the last book. This was a very nice book, but out of order.......an appetizer.....when we Mitford fans want so much more! Please, hurry and get the "full" novel finished, so we can once again revisit the town of Mitford. P.S. The picture of Jan Karon on the back cover was almost startling to me! That is almost exactly how I pictured Cynthia to look, in my imagination!!

Rating:
Summary: A Common Life: The Wedding Story
Review: I was so disappointed with this book that after the first chapter I returned it! I'm insulted that one of my favorite story tellers would re-write and attempt to sell what she already sold!

Rating:
Summary: Adolescent
Review: If I could return this book, and receive a refund, I most certainly would. How disappointing to find Karon resorting to an adolescent review of the marriage event. This indicates to me that she is out of material, and has given us this poor substitute in lieu of a true sequel. Unfortunately, this too often happens when an author has enjoyed financial success with previous books. They start to churn out dribble that has dialogue that even a thirteen year old would find laughable. Oh for the days when an author only published a work that reflected work, not speed. I will not buy any more of this author's books. Based upon this latest "effort", I see that she has nothing left to give that is worth my money.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Love Story!!!
Review: This book was worth waiting for! It gave us a beautiful overview of Tim and Cynthia's wedding which we missed in the original series. Many readers seemed to expect that this would be a continuation of the series, but I was always aware that this book was a "look back" and not a "new" installment. It was wonderful to see the personal struggles that both Tim and Cynthia faced in the days prior to the wedding and the way that they both worked through their doubts and surrendered to the love they always knew they shared. There will always be time for the next installment in the series, but I felt privileged to get to go back and share in this special time. I would highly recommend this to any Mitford reader.

Rating:
Summary: A teaser
Review: Let's face it; if you're a diehard Mitford fan, you've got to read this book, no matter how short it is, and despite the fact that it's not in sequence. Everyone we love is in it, although the visit may be very short. And Jan's writing is as soulful as ever. It just doesn't have all the delightful twists and turns (it does have one or two) that we love in her books. This is a teaser (or appetizer) to get us along until the next BIG book comes out; not til 2002, I guess.

Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I thought this would be a continuation of the other Mitford books. Instead, it is a throwback to the wedding of Fr. Tim and Cynthia. It is not captivating, and I did not even finish reading it. I reads like the society pages of the wedding pages from the 1950s. Boring. I won't buy any more Mitford books until the previous plot line continues.

Rating:
Summary: Major disappointment!
Review: After reading all of the previous books about the Kavanagh's I ordered this one as soon as I heard it was coming out. I couldn't believe Ms. Karon would go back in time. I wanted to know what happened on the island on which we had left them, not review their wedding. I just couldn't believe Ms. Karon would have no more respect for her readers than this. Now I'm not sure if I care what happened when Tim shook hands with the unknown person on the island.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: I was very disappointed in the story also. I thought the story was continuing and then we go back to a marriage that I remember as being nice. I wanted to go on from the beach. The other thing the book was very short compared to the earlier books. I think it is sad that the author has to stoop to this level just to sell a book. The first five were wonderful, this was a bomb. I will not buy the next two, as this was not worth my money. Get back to the good job, Jan. I have an aunt that was named after the same book you were named after, and I was also a carrier of a part of the name. Hope your next two are better, but with two coming out in the fall, I am not thinking very positive of the end result.