House of Sand and Fog [Unabridged]

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read.
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the characters and being a part of their lives.

Rating:
Summary: Strong characters make a strong novel
Review: Sometimes the story is in the second place. The most important thing in the novel is the people that live in it than what they do and where they actions led them to. This is the case of 'House of Sand and Fog' in my opinion.

Andre Dubis III is a gifted writer when it comes to character development. People in this novel are so real, that even if you dislike them you can understand who they are and what they are doing. The three main characters, Kathy, Lester and Colonel Behrani are very believable, and it is what makes the novel interesting.

In alternating the narrator's voice betwenn Kathy and the Colonel, the writer allows us to see both sides of the problem and to understand their both reasons to want the house. Through the novel, we can see clearer the reasons for wanting the house. More than a simple house, the building means a lot for both of them: their lost past and all expectations for the future.

The novel is strong and its second part is really difficult to deal with. The ending is complex and can be very depressing for some people. I liked it very much, and I hope to read it someday again. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: An unpleasant story
Review: I listened to the audio version of this book. I admit to preferring books with happy endings or at least those where the protagonists profit in some way. The audio version is a 14 hour tribute to stupidity and stubbornness. There is nothing to learn here except how not to react to bureaucratic error. The writing is good, but the turns in the plot do nothing to make this a worthwhile experience. Isn't it enough to have things in life with terrible results like 9/11 and the Holocaust without producing fiction that does the same? The reactions of the people to the circumstances don't even make sense. By the way, Kathy is a reformed cocaine addict, not an alcoholic like several reviews state. (this is stated very early in the book).

Rating:
Summary: Linear, exciting towards the end, but....
Review: The book basically depicts the clash of two individuals and one family all star-crossed and fate entwined in an embroilded situation. Each page is a narrative of trains in an ultimate but predictable collision which you can speculate to have a metal twisting explosion. The story gets al little bit exciting towards the latter part, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired.

Rating:
Summary: A New Favorite!!!
Review: After I read "House of Sand & Fog",... I thought this novel was very good and enjoyed that it was narrated by two characters. It has become a new favorite of mine--one I recommend to all of my friends. It was such an intricate, beautiful story. Mr. Dubus has a great talent at describing things beautifully and making a story delicious.This book just offered to me things I had never thought of before.The ending was so surprising and well done. Yes, I thought this book was very good and deserving of five stars.

Rating:
Summary: House of Sand and Fog
Review: How can you love a story so much, the way it's told, without really loving any of the characters? This author is so attentive to detail that I can read this book many times...I loved it.
I loved the details of the thoughts of people from different cultures and lifestyles. They seemed right on. To learn how such things can happen and why they do was interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Boring story line, cheesy, and unbelievable ending
Review: ...The story line is boring--and I hate to use this term--cheesy.

The Colonel was an interesting character--you loved him and hated him all at the same time. The author had clearly done his research. Lester and Kathy, on the otherhand, were poorly developed. The sexual references in the book are ridiculous. Like when Lester thinks of Kathy, is it necessary to give us graphic details of what he thinks about? That seemed completely irrelevant and thrown in for no reason.

The ending was described as suspenseful, and that it was. I was in suspense wondering if it would really end this poorly. I just kept thinking "this book is so dumb." ...

Rating:
Summary: Proceed With Caution
Review: Ladies, consider this a disclaimer for Andre Debuse's highly irritating, unsatisfactory novel House of Sand and Fog. In his book, Debuse depicts the life of sleazy Kathy Nicolo and a desperate Iranian family as they both claim ownership on the same seaside home. The novel is cluttered with needless sexual references and entertains an offbeat, offensive attitude towards women. Themes of male superiority and feminine dependance are present throughout the book. To add to the overall negative tone of the book, it also has an utterly uncalled for, enraging ending. Complete let down. However, that is not to say this book does not draw one into its own ugly web of adultery, fornication, and crookedness. The turning pages brought this reader closer to seeing through eyes I would rather not see through. It unfortunate that this promising author has bestowed to us such a dark, needless book. Oh well, Oprah liked it.

Rating:
Summary: House of Sand and Fog
Review: Recommended without reservation. An excellent read, with well developed characters, skillfully written and paced. Reminiscent of The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Mr. Dubose's entanglement of these interesting but flawed characters is first rate enterainment value.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK
Review: To the readers who wrote bad reviews of this book, you obviously dont know a good book when you read one. I will admit, at first I did not want to read this book, it just didnt sound good, but when I actually gave it a chance it was one of the best I've read. the author did an excellent job telling 2 sides of the same story-I still don't know who was right. This is an awesome book.