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Summary: The Charybdis of current fiction
Review: Reading this interminable tome is akin to being sucked inexorably into a swirling eddy that repeats itself until drowning would be considered a blessed relief. If Mr. Lamb is the master of anything, it is of repetition, and I was rather hoping about mid way through that he would make good use of combination of booze and Percodan to end the horror. The endless monologue between old man Domenico and "The Monkey" was the embodiment of my whole reaction to the book - for God's sake, get on with it. In all, it was the most repetivive, tedious book I have plowed through in many a moon. A friend of mine loaned me the book and I read it from cover to cover. What I should have done was skip all the drivel in between.
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Summary: One of the better books I've read!
Review: I have read many of Oprah's recommendations and I have to say that this was one of the better ones. The metaphors used throughout the book will make for many thought provoking evenings. It took me 5 straight days of reading (I had to sneak a lot of time from work) to finish, but I didn't want to put it down. I am definitely adding it to my top 100 list and will tell all my friends and family to make sure they take the time to read this. I am anxiously awaiting Wally Lamb's next novel.
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Summary: A powerful read, will impact your life.
Review: The first aspect of this book to grab me was the pain of the protagonist vs. his detached humor. Dominick is someone I would know and pity, and probably avoid. He hides his shame, pain & terrible secrets behind anger and an I-don't-give-a-s**t attitude. His character and that of Dessa, Ray, Leo and Joy embody perfectly a myriad of folks I have known personally. Being from Connecticut and very familiar with the Norwich area, that tie drew me closer still into the story. Dominick's story and that of his family has impacted my life, allowing me a greater vision of my own life. I feel SO lucky in comparison! Don't miss this read.
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Summary: A slow start to a great novel
Review: When I first started reading I Know This Much is True, I wasn't sure how I would make it through the 900+ pages. However, perserverance paid off! When the plot really gets going, it's hard to put this one down. Lamb does an excellent job of building his characters and weaving a detailed plot. I Know This Much is True is a realistic look at modern family life and the struggles between siblings.
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Summary: It really was as good as everyone said!
Review: I read alot of the reviews before starting this book, trying to decide whether I should attempt such a long story. I needed a book that I could totally get lost in and this book was it! Even after 900 pages, I wanted more. I spent every moment engrossed in it and I don't consider myself an avid reader. I just finished the book and I already miss all of the characters. If your looking for a great read by the fire on a rainy Fall day, this book is for you!
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Summary: A book of duality, of rivers, and truth
Review: I have enjoyed most of the reviews of this book and agree with them wholeheartedly. This is a splendid book, indeed. I finished it 2 wks ago and have read 2 books since, but I still carry Dominick in my mind and heart. I was particularly impressed and entertained by the use of symbols. First the rivers--Three Rivers to be precise. Was this the past, present, and future? Was it memory, understanding, and forgiveness? Then the other rivers--Ignacia and the unbaptized babies calling from the river, and so much more. Finally some peace and understanding from Ray at the crest of the river (the nursing home) Falling--from the falls like Thomas, falling from grace-Wow! this was my favorite page. Dominick is injured, drugged out, has ignored Rood over and over. But today, the day he needs to rest and prepare for Thomas' hearing, he decides to work on Rood's house. Maybe he didn't really even want to go to the hearing. Up the ladder, up to the rood steeple. Did Dominick (our Lord and savior) need to fall? And did he realize this? The bat staring at him. What was the bat anyway? When he saw his own reflection in Rood's eyes, I gasped. Then he fell. Oh, how he fell! Then the dog barking. I really liked that. Somehow I connected onto the dog really fast. Then the archangel Miguel who used to be a bad hombre and run with the dogs. Here Dominck sinks to his lowest point. The hounds of hell are baying. The parable, allegory, story within a story--that worked very well. And didn't Domenico, the great, the humble, have something to teach Italian youth after all? The dead rabbit--cut in two and then two live rabbits. Everything split (schizophrenic) and needing to be put back together. But first comes amputation. You must do as Shiva says--destroy in order to build. Dominick had to find all the parts and then try to rebuild. First he was a tempest; then a bird; then an Indian Drinkwater (remember when the history monster called Ralph "Go Drink Water"? Then Thomas begged to go drink water before talking to Ray. The cedar tree, then the other tree that Dominck hit. He had just learned from Joy (Joy?) that she was pregnant but not with his sperm. It was Halloween and pumpkin seeds and egg on the windshield (nasty trick or treaters!) causing him to be unable to see. But he didn't want to see. Then the accident, the hand through the windshield, the tree. The mist lifted and everything became clear. Oh, what about Nardo? First we had fire and sulfur in Sicily. Then where was the brimstone? Oh, yeah, the stonemason Nardo. Wasn't he the one who marked Domenico? Why was there the plural of Nardo? Angelo (more angels) Nardi? He might have been Dominick's father. Tempest, fire, hurricane. All the elements at their most forceful and violent. I loved when Dominick climbed back up from his fall--up those stairs to Dr Patel's office. What an interesting noncharacter Dr Patel is. Smith, a grandmother, good, kind, or just doing her job? a perfect therapist. Diogenes the cynic. And what a terrific character Leo is. He seems to be the complete synthesis of good, bad, and ugly. He used to be a fat kid. I would love to hear the author talk more about this book. What I saw on Oprah (that was a nice thank you he tossed her--when Ray was running through the channels and the TV stopped on Oprah) made me wish he would hold a whole day seminar. I'm a psychiatric social worker at a mental health center. At work, we've all been passing the book around. This much I know is true, Mr.Lamb, you've written a terrific book.
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Summary: A must read!
Review: I would highly recommend this book. I read it in about five days -- just couldn't put it down.
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Summary: A literary Masterpiece-Read It!
Review: I was initially skeptical about all of the glowing reviews of this book,and all of the hype surrounding its "Oprah" status, given my hatred of the overly schmaltzy Brigdes of Madison County; that, combined with the subject matter [mental illness and despair] initially delayed my reading of this book. I'm so glad I decided to read it. The story of protagonist Dominick's life history [as an emotionally abused child, whose identical twin develops schizophrenia, and is at that same time very much loved brother, and a horrible burden] is intertwined with the history of Dominick's horribly unlikeable grandfather, Domenico. Domenico's written "autobiography," which Dominick is reading at the same time we are, alternates with both younger Dominick's life story, and what is happening in the "present" to him. Sound confusing? It would be in the hands of any other writer, but Wally Lamb masterfully interweaves the stories, going seamlessly back and forth in time, pulling it all together in a terrific ending.Without giving too much away, Dominick never knew who his real father was; when the book opens, his grandfather and mother are both dead, his wife has left him, and his brother is on his way to a mental institution, not for the first time. His only other living relative is his hated stepfather, who abused Dominick and his twin brother when they were young. As Dominick reads the autobiography of his arrogant grandfather, also an abusive man, and reflects [along with the reader] back on his own hard life, he unwittingly learns lessons about his family history, and how to live with his mistakes, and to forgive others theirs. The story is really one of heartbreak and despair, followed by eventual foregiveness and salvation, which might sound sappy, but is really wonderfully executed. Take my advice, and give Wally Lamb's book a shot. You won't regret it.
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Summary: I can only hope Wally Lamb has more fiction coming our way!
Review: Wally Lamb already was awesome, but he amazingly just gets better with time & practice. Everything that was good about She's Come Undone is 100 times better in I Know This Much Is True. I bought this book a few years ago and didn't read it because I couldn't commit to the nearly 900 pages at the time. I had a craving for a long read recently and devoured it like it was nothing in a matter of days. I can say it was easily one of my favorite books ever and I'll carry the message of love and forgiveness with me forever.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time with this one.
Review: I have to say that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. The characters are stereotyped and insipid, the prose mediocre at best. This is pop literature. In reading it, I was reminded of a Lifetime television film.
The world is full of amazing literature. There's little sense, therefore, in wasting one's praise on this more lacking piece.
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