Here on Earth (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Nowhere near "Wuthering Heights"
Review: My favorite book of all time is Wuthering Heights; I also spent a semester in college English going over WH in extreme detail, so I was looking forward to being entertained by an author who, presumably (according to the jacket description), enjoyed it enough to attempt a take-off. WRONG! Hoffman missed the mark on so many characters. The whole point of WH was that Heathcliff and Catherine were two of a kind, both cruel and selfish. Catherine would've eaten Hollis for dinner; Heathcliff would have dismissed March as not even being alive for all the backbone she showed. This was basically a book about a abuser/victim relationship, and March was just one of those women who believed, "I'm the only one who really understands him ..." The constant use of the "F" word was distracting and trashy, and I had so many questions it was uncomfortable. Why didn't March go to Hollis' funeral if she loved him so much? What happened to the "great love" between Hank and Gwen; Gwen goes to California and they never speak again even though they're cousins? Isn't Gwen even concerned about Tarot? There are so many loose ends.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat disappointing, but still enjoyable
Review: I really liked "Here on Earth" until the last chapter. I couldn't put the book down until I read it through. I must say though, I really thought Hollis would see the error of his ways, so I was very suprised in the last chapter. I recommend this book over "White Horses" and "Second Nature" which only made me question Alice Hoffman's intentions with the characters. So if you like tragic romances, pick up one of the three I mentioned, because that's exactly what you'll get with these books.

Rating:
Summary: Illustrates how crazy love can be....
Review: I personally enjoyed this book a great deal. While it shamelessly stole the plot from Wuthering Heights for a modern update, I felt it really grounded the story "here on Earth" by highlighting how women can find themselves staying with abusive men through their love for them, however crazy that love might be when you consider how the men treat them. It is a story of love and hopes unfulfilled, then unexpectedly fulfilled, and then lost. I too wish the end hadn't come so suddenly. More of March's mindset toward the end would have been better. Well written prose, and I enjoyed the tale much more than some of the others who commented before me. I would recommend the book to my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Totally unlikeable characters
Review: I am so relieved to know that there are others who dislike this book as much as I do and I'm concerned about readers who think this is a great love story. I got the audio version for a road trip and found myself telling characters off more than once. It's no paean to to Bronte or Wuthering Heights; while shamelessly culling its plot, it only serves to emphasize all the parts I was most uncomfortable with in the original novel. Both serve as a handbook on how to raise a neglected child, and in both, there is no learning, no redemption. The characters are just as self-centered, neglectful, and cruel at 40 as they were in their younger years. March's parenting skills are negligible, and the sainted husband Richard's are no better. And how believable is it in a small town that Gwen would not know Hank was her first cousin or Belinda was her aunt? But what truly makes me unable to finish this tape is my absolute dislike of the two main characters and my total lack of interest in what happens to them - except for the concern over the two children they are dragging behind in their wake. What a sad, disappointing book.

Rating:
Summary: Hoffman developed real and deep Characters
Review: In her novel, Here on Earth, Hoffman does an excellent job in creating her characters: March, Holla, Gwen, and Hank. March is a character that most women can relate to at some piont in their life. The long lost love that is rekindled, and although at points I was very frustrated with March's decision to stay with the controlling Hollas, I could understand what was making her stay and how she was thinking. This was her first love, the love that she has been dealing with her whole life. I absolutely love the developement of Gwen, from a rebellious teen to a young women with a lot of self understanding and sense of who she is. Her relationship with Hank was really amazing, where they both helped eachother to grow as individuals. I thought Hoffman wrote this book with a lot of thought and consideration as to really connecting the reader to each character. I walked away from this book feeling like I had been in the same town with them through all of their experiences. A great book!!! Very touching!

Rating:
Summary: Hoffman created real and deep characters
Review: I really enjoyed reading Here on Earth, by Alice Hoffman. I found myself learning so much from the characters and I liked seeing the transformation of Gwen from a rebelious teen to a girl who knew who she was and really belonged. It was interesting to see Gwen and her mother, March sort of switch places, where March did not know of existence beyound her and Hollas' relationship. I found myself getting mad at her and frustrated with her decisions to remain under the control of him. I loved the relationship between Hank and Gwen and the growth of both these characters. I thought the ending allowed for the reader's imagination to predict what eventually takes place, but I would have liked to see something come out of the relationship between Gwen and Hank. Overall I thought this book was well-written, with a lot of imagery and detail. I loved the characters and found myself in the small town with them. I would recommend this novel to readers interested in romance, family secrets, and character growth. A Great Book!!!

Rating:
Summary: Read another one of her books!
Review: I tried to read this book twice. I got a little farther the second time, thinking it must have just been my mood the first time, but I could not get into this book. I have read many of Hoffman's other books and consider her one of my favorite authors. For a wonderful book by Hoffman read "Illumination Night", it is magical and even many years later parts of it will stay with you.

Rating:
Summary: playing it safe
Review: I was excited when i realized this book was a modernized version of Wurthering Heights, but was soon dissappointed. Not that I expected it to live up to the original, but I at least thought it would be an interesting take on one of my favorite books. For one thing, the book did not go far enough - Hoffman tried to keep it "safe" for the modern reader. Hollis (Heathcliff) is completely one dimensional, negelecting the reader of the one character that makes Wuthering Heights such a great novel. Bronte never gave the reader what he/she expected - which is that either Heathcliff would turn out not to be so evil or that all the other characters in the novel would wise up and leave him to suffer alone. Hoffman gives the reader exactly what he/she is expecting, and this is what truly made the novel inferior to its predecessor.

Rating:
Summary: Downright depressing.
Review: I struggled through the last 200 pages of this book. The first part of the story was good but towards the end the book lost my interest. The charactors were alright but sometimes they were very predictable. My favorite charactor would have to be Gwen. She was strong and knew what she wanted to do. My least favorite charactor had to be March. She was weak in her ways and became more through out the book. This is one of those books I would never read again. I Am sure a lot of people enjoyed the book, but for me I didn't.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't Compare to Wuthering Heights
Review: I picked up this book because it was by Alice Hoffman and I thoroughly enjoyed Practical Magic and Second Nature, and the inside cover compares the hero to my favorite hero from any book - Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. In no WAY does Hollis even come close to Heathcliff. Hollis is a true degenerate. I never saw a reasoning for it either. I felt so sorry for March and Gwen and wanted nothing more than to see them out of the reach of this brute. Alice Hoffman is a wonderful writer, but she could never compare to Emily Bronte.