Rating: 
Summary: Meet Domenick
Review: Before I even start digging for words to review this... uh... (see, already lost for words)... MASTERPIECE (that word sounds entirely too trite for this work), I feel the need to make clear my personal bias toward I Know This Much is True, due to the fact that I may or may not be related to the protagonist. It's True- or is it?- Domenick Birdsey may or may not be my own brother!The copy of this novel at the library in my neighborhood was an edition that did not include a plot synopsis on the cover. This situation presents the reader with a gamble. Do I risk investing my time, attention, and potentially emotions in a 900 page novel that may be a story about something I have no interest in at all? I did (well, I had just finished falling in love with Delores in "She's Come Undone", Wally Lamb earned my interest there) and in retrospect I'm grateful that I wasn't aware of the general story, which allowed me to remain unaware of future plot events and to experience life as it met the characters. So here's a sufficient plot summary to potential readers of this book: "A guy named Domenick tells you what he knows". That's it, perfectly. Like Delores, Domenick is a character who narrates scenes, relationships, and thought processes of his life until middle age in an honest, non-judgemental tone that just feels good to read. Granted, the reader's heart will break more than a few times (like anyone's story, Domenick's story has many moments of pain), Wally Lamb does not allow Domenick's tone to wallow in negative feelings. This dynamic is quite complex, take this feat for instance: There are many places in Domenick's story in which he feels guilty for his relationship with his brother. He spends many therapy sessions discussing this feeling, he tells us in detail about sleepless nights and nightmares he has on the subject. At the same time, the voice of the writing- Domenick in 1st Person at about age 50 discussing his past- does not force a feeling of guilt on the reader. This reflective voice reads to us as someone who has healed at least to the point that he can separate his individual immediate state of mind at the time he is describing from his universal and current view of his life. Lamb's writing is refreshing in that it acknowledges the reader as someone capable enough to read such a human story, to cry with the characters without giving up on them. While reading this book, I found myself forgetting that Domenick was not a flesh and blood person. I caught myself more than once thinking I should call Domenick or remembering parts of his life as if I had been there. This powerful novel invited me into Domenick's conciousness. I Know This Much is True presented a human being so real to me that I grew to love and forgive him as though he were my own brother. I hope he's doing well, maybe I'll call him later...
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Looking through my mother's collection of books one day, I noticed a thick, black book that would soon become the most intriging story, the most compelling tale, and ultimately the best novel I have ever read. I opened up to one of the middle pages, just to get a feel for it, and immediately was hooked. I have never become so emmersed in a book. I honestly could not put it down. I stayed up until 5 in the morning on some nights, in all honesty, just reading and reading. I cried more than once, and was so deeply touched by this amazing book. I would reccommend it to anyone. This is the best book I have ever read. Ever. Wally Lamb has created a masterpiece. And not to be rude, but I completely disagree with th review I read about the ending being poor. It ties the story together in a way that could only be fitting in the life of Dominick Birdsey. I have read this book over and over again, highlighted my favorite phrases, marked my favorite pages. I keep it on my nightstand and am constantly picking it up and/or quoting it. "I Know This Much Is True" is a masterpiece. Wally Lamb's writing is truly amazing.
Rating:
Summary: I Know This Much Is True
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. The characters are so realistic and compelling. My favorite is Dr. Patel; she seems like someone I would like to talk to. Wally Lamb is surely a national treasure!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I Have Ever Read
Review: If you're one of the fortunate few whose life has been relatively untouched by tragedy....if you've never cried until your tear ducts ran dry....if you've never hated with all your heart the person you most identify with and love....if you don't know what it means to feel like God's test case..... you won't understand this book. If, on the other hand, you've known real pain and done real work in renovating your heart and life...this will be the best book you've ever read, too.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I Know This Much Is True is an amazing book. Some people may not like the many flashback scenes, but I think that the book was uniquely written and told in incredible detail. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of detail concerning Thomas's death, but overall, I loved it, especially when Dominick confronted his stepfather Ray about his past. The last chapter is especially beautiful and you really have to feel good that Dominick turned his life around.
Rating:
Summary: an intricate look
Review: Wonderfully well structured and well written book about much more than mental illness.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I would have never guessed I would get so wrapped up in a book about a man I never knew. I could not put this book down(even afrer 900 pages). The struggle he went through with his marriage, family, and self seemed to be so honest. I didn't feel like the author tried to sugar coat anything. I can't wait for his next book.
Rating:
Summary: By far one of the best books I have ever read
Review: I am a teacher, and a frustrated editor at heart. I majored in English in college and truly appreciate and admire the gift of language. (I would also be the first the recommend what I call "fluff 'n stuff" like The Beach House to anyone looking for a quick read.)
Not since Prince of Tides have I so envied the author's craft. This is a must read. Thank you, Wally Lamb, for your gift. Why haven't we heard from you lately?
Rating:
Summary: We all Know This Much is True
Review: What an incredible book. Wally Lamb has managed to explore not just the personality and make up of his main character Dominick Birdsey but also that of the Dominick's grandfather, Papa Tempesta. What draws one to this story is it's ability to pull in the reader and create a personal connection with Dominick. On so many levels this book can serve to be an introspective look into our own behaviours. Yet it manages to maintain a constant level of entertainment from the time Dominick's brother Thomas severs his own hand through Dominicks own journey of personaly relavation. The character development is some of the best to be found. The book is lengthy but this should be expected for the telling of a story full of personal (although fictional) discovery.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: I Know This Much is True is over 1000 pages long. Having said that, I know people who read the whole thing in one day. It's impossible to put down. It's the story of Domenic, the identical twin brother of a schizophrenic. Domenic takes you through growing up with his brother Thomas and the journey that they both take through Thomas's descent into insanity. When their mother dies, Domenic has even more responsibility for Thomas and his well-being. I have to admit that there are some parts that move a bit more slowly, like the autobiography of Domenic's grandfather Domenico Onofrio Tempesta (I'll never forget that name!), which is scattered throughout some of the later chapters, but these pages add a lot to the development of Domenic's mother's character. Yes, the guy was a jerk, but it's important to know that. Overall, I wish I hadn't read the book just so I could read it again for the first time. Oprah was right! Pick up this book. :)
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