I Know This Much Is True

Rating:
Summary: I Loved It!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, really, I couldn't put it down. Mr. Lamb envokes compassion in even the most unlikeable of characters. He leads the reader on a fascinating journey of analysis, growth, and ultimately, peace.This is a truly rewarding read.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: It is a good thing that my husband was out of town when I read this, because I would only have ignored him. I couldn't put this book down. The length might turn some readers off, but it was totally worth it. Excellent, excellent story. You experience the struggle right along with Dominick. I couldn't wait to reach the end, but was sorry to leave the characters when I finished.

Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing...
Review: When I picked up this book, I had no idea what I was in for. This is a novel filled with a million stories, and every one of those stories is as captivating as the central story of Dominick and Thomas. The use of psychology, the weaving of memories taking place across a spectrum of years, the frank and everyday use of language--Lamb has taken so much information and created such a grand novel, a masterpiece, really. I spent countless hours just reading, unable to put the book down, putting off things I "had" to do to instead find out what was next. Perhaps selfishly, I also saw so much of myself in Dominick, it was scary. Some people will complain that 900 pages is simply too long. I say I was happy it wouldn't end...at least for awhile, anyway. If you love to read, you must read this.

Rating:
Summary: From Tragedy to Triumph
Review: I loved this story. It was like two in one with the main character, dominick, giving us a glimpse of his dead grandfather. Also mental illness with his brother is protrayed in a realistic sense. I'm glad Dominick gets some redemption by the end of the heart wrenching story. Well done Wally Lamb

Rating:
Summary: A great read with wonderful characters
Review: I truly enjoyed this novel, although not as much as "She's Come Undone." I think Wally Lamb does an excellent job developing interesting characters that you can love and hate at the same time. Every time I think ol' Dominick has been through it all, the story is not over. I think Mr. Lamb suffers a little bit from "happy ending syndrome," but that does not discredit this enjoyable book.

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary Masterpiece
Review: I was a little nervous about taking on a 900 page novel. But on page 667, I am already beginning to dread that there are only some 240 pages left in this beautiful, spellbinding, compassionate story. I love this book. I mean I LOVE this book.

Rating:
Summary: STUPENDOUS!!!
Review: As an avid and voracious reader who has read everything under the sun, it takes one heck of a good book to not only capture my attention but to keep it and sustain it. This novel is a mind-blowing work of art that surpassed every expectation I had of it. Each character is refined and well-developed; the storyline suffers no holes or contradictions; and there are enough twists to the story to keep you turning each and every page in breathless anticipation. I had to force myself to put this book down, and even when I did, I would inevitably find myself reaching for it, even if it meant hiding it on my lap beneath my desk at work so I could read a few pages! Wally Lamb is gifted beyond comprehension; if this is only his second book, I cannot even imagine what stories he may weave as he becomes seasoned. IF YOU READ JUST ONE BOOK THIS SUMMER, MAKE THIS IT. Pour yourself a cool glass of iced tea, find a shady place to sit away from telephones and tv's, and enjoy the ride. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as his first one
Review: I didn't think this book was as his good as his first novel, "She's Come Undone." It has a lot of the same themes, and the title character is actually a little bit better, but Lamb's attempts to make the plot more mystical with all that stuff about the old Italian grandfather--A) it was boring and childish, B) it took up too much space. I did like the characters and the narrative flow was quite good, but overall it was just too unseemly and, at times, immature.

Rating:
Summary: A Profound, Perceptive Literary Masterpiece
Review: I didn't like Wally Lamb's first book "She's Come Undone", so I was reluctant to read "This Much Is True". I'm glad I finally took the plunge. This book is a masterpiece of insight into the human condition, and a tour de force of literary technique. Not one character in this book is flat or a stereotype. Every character is fleshed out in a way that rings true. Mr. Lamb has obviously done exemplerary research into schizophrenia, the psychology of twins, genetics, eastern philosophy and american history, -- just his working of so much knowledge into a single novel would mark this novel as a classic. But he does more than this. He tells a remarkable story that is a history, tradgedy, and mystery. Then there's also the novel within the novel that has hardly ever before been so deftly crafted. I found myself reading this 900 page tome in the bathroom and at stop lights. Most great novels I have read have been like watching a great movie; this book was like having a great seat at a theater showing real life.

Rating:
Summary: Wally Lamb does it again!
Review: If Wally Lamb's first book, She's Come Undone, was considered a wonderful start to writing, then his latest book could be called a lifetime achievement. This book deals with issues that many people face but are often afraid to talk about, specifically, mental illness, abuse and family conflict. Lamb weaves together a disturbing picture of two twin brothers who are forced to face these issues head on when one becomes increasingly ill with schizophrenia and the other is forced to take care of him. The detailed accounts of the history that led up to the brother's situation and the experiences that ultimately shaped their futures make this book an extraordinary read.