House of Sand and Fog [Unabridged]

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Summary: So...I would like to digress...
Review: I would first like to disagree with any naysayers about this book. It follows a wonderful line of literary convention, and carries an idea to an end. It is an almost too perfect novel. The writing of the characters makes it almost impossible to judge them. They all are caught up in their lives and their own personal dramas, and cannot see where this is upsetting the paths of the others. This book, in short, is literature of the highest order.

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Summary: an excellent book
Review: i can see why they turned it into a movie. at first i was like this is going to be boring because the sound of the plot but it was a page turner. i loved it.

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Summary: When a house is more than a home
Review: Andre Dubus III's riveting novel pits two very different people against each other in a battle that is destined to end in tragedy. Kathy, a recovering alcoholic who barely makes it from day to day, finds her modest home taken from her for non-payment of a small tax. The house is sold at auction to Colonel Behrani, a former Iranian Air Force officer who is having a hard time preserving his pride as he works picking up litter on the highways. Kathy's bizarre efforts to reclaim her house and the Colonel's stern refusal to negotiate gradually lead to a surprising and overwhelmingly sad conclusion.

The story is alternately narrated by Kathy and the Colonel, thus bringing us their most intimate thoughts. Kathy sees herself as a helpless loser, at war with the world; the Colonel seeks to regain his former power and honor as he strives to understand the strange people in his new country, and the reader must choose who is most deserving of the house. Dubus uses all of the senses to intimately describe their thoughts and it is so absorbing, I could not put it down. If you like character-driven, intensely dramatic stories about ordinary people in conflict, you will enjoy House of Sand and Fog.

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Summary: Built on sand and fog
Review: It's been compared to a classical tragedy, and in some ways it resembles it. However, the most important element in a classical tragedy - from Aeschylos to Marquez - is the inevitability of unfolding of events.
Here the denouement arises from a bureaucratic mistake, then builds on the heroine's carelessness and her inexplicable failure to recruit her natural and obvious ally, namely, her brother and co-owner of the property in question.
Too much is built on these accidental foundations. Unlike, say, King Lear or Marquez' 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold', nothing in this story need have happened.
That is why in the final analysis, despite the fine writing and undoubted empathy, the book fails to convince.

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Summary: Dark novel, but poetic and suspenseful...
Review: House of Sand and Fog tells the story of three characters from extremely different walks of life whose paths converge unexpectedly due to a struggle over a bungalow in the foggy hills of the California coast. Kathy Nicolo, a recovering drug addict, loses the house due to a bureaucratic error and Colonel Massoud Behrani, an Iranian refugee, compelled to fight for a dignified life in America for his family, purchases it in an auction held by the county. Lester Burdon, a Duputy Sheriff who meets Kathy as a result of all this, finds himself in love with Kathy and bent on helping her reclaim her home. As the characters become more and more blinded by their own needs and ambitions, their paths head in a dangerous direction, and their inability to understand each other and each other's plights only throws them perilously toward reckless and impulsive behavior.

Admittedly, this novel is slow in the beginning and a bit hard to get into, but as the characters connect, the novel picks up speed and draws the reader in. The author's language is poetic and captivating and he maintains an incredible level of detail in his descriptions, so that all senses are accounted for.

The story is told in three different POVs (first person: Kathy, first person: Behrani, and third person Lester) and Dubus switches perspective in each chapter. At first, this was a bit confusing to me, as it took me a minute to acclimate to the new voice, but after thirty pages or so, it flows naturally. The characters are all careful observers of their surroundings, and Dubus' unique POV shifts emphasize how different these people are from each other as we note the contrasting views on the same observations. I appreciated the opportunity to get into the head of all three characters because it helps explain the motivations behind the actions that would otherwise be tough to justify or understand. The voices of each character are believable and the shifts intensify the suspense of the novel.

For the most part, I found this to be a unique and compelling novel, but it does grow extremely dark in some parts, which at times feels as though it's too much to take. It is good to be aware that going into this book you are not entering a clean and easy read. There was also a nagging question in my head throughout the novel - there seemed to be ways all the characters could have avoided the collision their lives take, but it wasn't enough to take away from the enjoyment the book brought me.

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Summary: Entertaining
Review: I saw the movie first which peaked my curiousity in wanting to read the book. The author gives way too much scenery detail which can take away from the characters, and the last 140 pages seemed to drag out. However, the story was original and the characters were so dynamic especially the colonel with chasing his own version of the American dream. Truthfully with some of the other people I spoke to about this book that no one was really right or wrong and there were times you felt for Kathy, Lester, the colonel, Nadi and Esmail. Even though they all had drawn their lines in the sand you could understand each one of their points.

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Summary: One Star Too Many--Poor Literature
Review: Poor literature indeed. The author seems desperate to voice his sexual smut, just so completely unnecessary and tasteless-doesn't even pertain to the storyline. The author also drones on and on, filling up page after page, with descriptions of everything-rocks, landscapes, houses, you name it-in what feels like an attempt to get page count.

The characters are not believable and they never build any moral disposition for you to even like them or care what the outcome was. I threw the book in the trash.

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Summary: Symbolism in all forms
Review: This book was read by me in one day. I was totally intrigued by the characters and their struggle to make their lives "right" through the possession of this home. The home was symbolic of the many things that are right and wrong in our world and our lives. Right being family, pride, security, and freedom. Wrong being greed, stereotypes, desperation, and insecurity.

Although this book was fiction, I absorbed many messages that were loud and clear. We need to appreciate what we have for life can change in a moment, and we need to appreciate each other because we are all here for a purpose. Cultural identity is important to everyone, whether we are an "American" or an immigrant. The way I see it is we all need to respect each other because someday we all will die - like the characters who met their demise at the end of this book. What good is our life if we die without appreciating every single living person on this earth? We are no better than anyone else - bottom line.

This book is a perfect example of how lessons like this are learned the hard way. We all have baggage and dreams. Kathy and the Behrani's taught us how quickly our baggage can destroy our dreams and ourselves if we don't learn how to embrace each day and look towards the future.

Thank you, Andre Dubus, for the lessons you portrayed in this book.

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Summary: Very Foggy-Indeed..
Review: I am going to be honest by saying that I read this book becuase of the opinion of an aquaintance. She hated it. However, wanting to see for myself, I bought a copy at Borders. As many reviewers have stated, the author's knowledge of Iranian culture seems accurate and interesting, but try as I could, I couldn't feel any sympathy for Col. Massood and his three portagonists, Lester and Kathy. I did pity his wife though, and think of poor Esmail! It seems he was just used by the author to create a dramatic moment. It seems Andre just got tired of writing and just wanted to move on to other projects. Talk about a tear-jerker, considering that the only true victims here are Nadi and her son! I also agree with another reviewer who states that throughout the book, Nadi often is critcizes her husband's behavior. "Here your uniform means nothing Behrani!" She exclaims near the end. "and it is killing you." She is right, but our Colonel is either too stubborn or arrogant to change. Another thing I noticed is the present day immigrants attitude towards America. The immigrant refusing to take an English exam to show how profficient his english is ON THE JOB. The immigrants who claim Americans are "selfish" when we request that they learn English. The individuals who know next to nothing about our country, and become angry because our laws differ from their own. Those immigrants who think American girls are on the pill as soon as they walk, and American boys are all gun toting gangbangers. Rather then appreicate their new life, or the opportunities they can find to better themselves, they act as if they are still in thier native land, and should be treated by Americans as "the prince" or "princess" they had been in their previous lives. Yes, Americans are more mean-spirited and greedy for "that sweet taste in the mouth" but I know plenty of Americans who are not that way. My own family for one. In case immigrant readers here are offended by what I have written so far, I wish to explain my point. When I was in college, I witnessed this "princess" attitude. An Indian girl walking by with her nose glued to the air, boating about her "500 voltage setero in her room". Complaining how bad the cafeteria food is, and only eating omlets. It got so bad, that one an RA told her, "Sita (not her real name) you cannot expect people to do what you want them to do all the time." I do not want to pigeon hole anyone, but if you think about it, you see such examples all the time. Massood Behrani's contempt for America shines through on every page. Forever whining how his job is "beneath him" and how everyone should bow thier head because--well, HE WAS A COLONEL. His treatment of Kathy borders on the hysterical. Spitting in her face, comparing her to Jasmeen, the "gendeh" (whore) his uncle had murdered. Another thing that annoyed me was Behrani's inconsistancy. He is always harping over how today's immigrants grab at opportunity when it comes, yet he is forever bemoaning the luxuries of his past life. Going to the cinema, not having to pay because "I wore my uniform". The summer house on the Caspian..etc.I don't know how many times I wanted to shriek."Enough So you were the Iranian version of THE DONALD. Try taking busniess courses, anything! JUST STOP MOANING!!!! The other example is the ending, when he smothers Nadi to death and then goes about with his own demise...Isn't it odd, but a few pages back, he is stating how sorry he felt for Jasmeen, and how he was "not like my uncle from Tabriz." I don't like giving poor reviews, since I am an apsiring writer too, but I just hated this book. Sorry Oprah but no, I did not weep for our Colonel. I though Lester was as moronic as that psycho cop in that bad police film "Unlawful Entry". I did wish that Kathy could have been developed more as a character rather than just being "Lester's girl". If Lester truly wanted to help Kathy, why not get her into detox or even, if possible help her find a better paying job. Guess Andre got bored with her too. Anyway,although some descriptions were beautiful, I just could not "fall in love" as it were, with this book.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: This tragic story tells the tales of two characters who share one common interest, a home. For one character, an Iranian immigrant, the house represents the American Dream as well as everything that he had back in his homeland that was taken away from him. For Kathy Nicolo, the house represents a comforting support for a life that has been all but that. The story is told from their two points a view. The beauty of this is that the reader is torn between who deserves the home. The characters are for the most part believable. At times you are forced to hate Kathy for her poor choices that she makes, but she is a recovering addict and is very unstable. She is attempting to regain stability in her life by owning a cleaning business. The loss of her house prevents her from regaining this stability that she needs.

The Iranian man, Behrani, has to deal with the fact that he is just a regular man in America. He was once an important man and his thoughts are always stuck in the fact that this was once so. The house drives him to madness and has an effect on his wife and two kids.

This novel is very well written and a page turner. It took me two days to read this and I was up till 4 in the a.m. finishing this suspenseful novel. For those of you who have seen the movie and now want to read the book, it is definitely worth reading as the movie lacked much of the suspense and imagery that the book contained.