Rating: 
Summary: Ah, fer cryin' out loud...
Review: I don't mean to sound insensitive, but if this book were a horse, I'd have to shoot it. No, really; it's that bad. I don't know a single English professor who ever read it. It was smarmy and pretentious. When I read the line about a "star creature on a comet's tail", I was groaning out loud. And when I read "I am the highway and a peregrine and all the sails that ever went to sea", I found myself hoping that those sails would be capsized by a hurricane. And the part where Francesca's children read about her lovemaking really creeped me out."Yes, kids, nothing says healthy like reading about your mother's adulterous sexual escapades." Overall, despite its hype, this is nothing we haven't seen before. You read one romance novel, you've read 'em all. Kind of like Stephen King novels. If you're truly curious, pick it up at the library. You'l laugh until you realize that it's not a comedy.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated and sappy
Review: I recall when this book first came out and how it seemed everyone raved about it. I finally read it recently and was greatly disappointed. First of all, I never really get a good sense of Francesca's personality. And I could never see what was so alluring about Robert, other than he led a life that was so completely opposite of Francesca's. The point at which I said aloud "Oh, COME ON," was when Francesca's daughter and son were reading their deceased mother's journal. Francesca had written it specifically for the children and described her lovemaking with Robert in language that was extremely sappy and overdramatic. I found that was not very credible. The last chapter was really disappointing, as well. I saw the movie of this and though it wasn't great, it was better than the book.
Rating: 
Summary: If just for a moment we can grasp it... it will be enough
Review: Not only a beautiful story set on the landscape of America, but also a lesson of truth. Some of us are not strong enough to accept the power of the moment - others are not alive enough to even recognize it. Robert James Waller certainly captures the sensation of a lifetime!
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't justify such extreme responses
Review: This is a strange phenomenon of a book; ...P>Perhaps its a product of time and place. Published at the end of a postive thinking, go get it decade, this novel daringly suggested that a life of hard work and loyalty and dedication don't always reap rewards. True, some of the descriptions are pretentious and the dialogue turgid. But you can say the same of Steven King or any other popular writer. Some scenes do work well; Robert Kincaid's semi-frenzied photo-shoot of the bridges using available light is exciting and convincing. Likewise the cooking scene, where trivial actions and gestures become loaded with sexual tension. Francesca's character and motivation is well described and sympathetic. The isolation and boredom of rural life in the heart of the sanctified mid-west provides a welcome antidote to the whimsical "Lake Woebegone" type of sterotype. The character of her lover, Robert Kincaird doesn't work so well, but his loner type personality and rootless life-style are adequately described. The attraction between them is plausible and touching, especially the celebrated final scene. As an above average romance, "The Bridges of Madison County" works well, read it on its own terms and its an enjoyable book.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful tear jerker
Review: Francesca's married to her husband and all that life with him entails, but the fire in her life died long ago. She lives her days on a Minnesota farm out of loyalty to her family. She never knew true love until it was too late. Kincaid rushed into her life and swept her off her feet then flew back out of her life leaving only memories and a puff of dust behind. A beautiful love story. It's one of the best ever. Robert James Waller retold the story with all the fire and emotions Francesca and Kincaid had for one another. It will make you long to find the kind of love they had!
Rating:
Summary: Secret Forbidden Romance
Review: In this book a woman named, Francesca, falls in love for a photographer named, Robert. When this occurs her husband, Richard, is away with their children. She ends up finding a new part of herself with-in the four days they have together. When Robert tells her he is leaving soon, she has to make a decision whether or not she will go with him. She decides to stay with her family and hold her love secretly inside her. I have not read a lot of books like this, out of the ones I have this on really gets to you. This book has an aspect of love that most other books don't deal with. This is where one of the partners that has fallen in love is torn between her lover and her family. Some do deal with this but it is the part where that partner torn stays with the family. Here Francesca is married, and Robert is dedicated to his work of photography, and neither wanted to give up there lives. I loved it because some books that have this certain situation, they usually let the other person they ar einvolved with go. But not this one, no, he leaves and she stays. I loved it so much because it goes to show that even if you are married and committed there could be someone that you meet and fall in love with them. Even if it's not love you could become infatuated or obssessed with the thought of being with them. Everyone likes the feeling of being in a secure relationship and this book proves not everything si guaranteed. Robert is a calm and cool collected and I strive to be like this character. It's the way he talks so gently and forcefully that Francesca just has to listen. Robert says there love is,"in a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes once." This book is not for everyone, especially if you feel that your partner is cheating or if you have a fear that someone couldn't commit ot you. This could make you more afraid or suspicious. Or it could do the exact opposite and you find that all of your fears are not needed. If you like general romance books you'll like the subtleness of this one.
Rating:
Summary: The Bridges Of Madison County
Review: I could not even finish reading the last 20 pages of this book because of the offensive content. This book is a glorified romance novel; hiding behind pretentious, contrived, Hemingway-esque descriptive passages: "With her face buried in his neck and her skin against his, she could smell rivers and woodsmoke, could hear steaming trains chuffing out of winter stations in long-ago nightimes, could see travelers in black robes moving steadily along frozen rivers and through summer meadows, beating their way toward the end of things. The leopard swept over her again, and again and yet again, like a long prairie wind, and rolling beneath him, she rode on that wind like some temple virgin toward the sweet, compliant fires marking the soft curve of oblivion." Drivel! I have read so many books of this nature lately and it is increasingly offensive to me that storylines dealing with the romanticism of marital infidelity become best sellers. It's the same old story of the poor, neglected, lonely mother/housewife who is trapped in a boring marriage to your average hard-working "good-Joe" type husband. Who could blame this poor woman for giving into temptation when this exciting, good looking, worldly man comes into her life and makes her feel beautiful, intelligent and desirable again? After 24 hours they are in the sack and after four days of lust, they both know they have finally found their soulmate! Give me a break! The final insult is that the reader is supposed to respect her for choosing her family over "true" love, out of guilt and responsibility? The truly touching love stories are those that are based upon two people who have committed themselves completely to one another, standing together through the good and bad times, the exciting and boring times; raising children and making a life together. All of these "ordinary" moments combined over a lifetime, create a shared history, a friendship, a partnership, a romance. Now, that's a love story.
Rating:
Summary: Secret Forbidden Romance
Review: In Bridges of Madison County and woman named, Francesca, falls in love for a photographer named, Robert. When this occurs her husband,Richard, is away with their children. She finds a new part of her and enjoys herself for four days. When Robert tells her he's leaving she has to make a choice if she will go with him. She decides to stay with her family and hold her love inside. I have read a lot of books about love but this one really gets to you. Bridges of Madison County has a aspect of love that most other book s never deal with. This is where one of the partners that has fallen in love is already in a relationship. Here Francesca is married, and Robert is dedicated to his work of photography. I loved it because some books that have this certain situation, they usually let the other person they are involved with go. But not in this one, no, he leaves and she stays with her husband, Richard. I loved it so much because it goes to show that even if you are married and committed there could be someone that you meet and fall in love with them. Even if it's not love you could become infatuated or obssessed with the thought of being with them. Everyone likes the feeling of being in a secure relationship and this book proves that not everything is guaranteed. Robert is a calm and cooly collected and I want to be like this character. It's the way that he talks so gently and forcefully that Franchesca just has to listen.Robert says there love is "in a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes once." I loved this book but it's not for everyone if you feel that your partner is cheating or if you always fear somone not being able to commit to you then this book will definitely make your fears grow. Or it could do the exact opposite and you could find that all your fears are not necessary. If you like general romance books you'll like the subtleness of this one.
Rating:
Summary: simple beauty and romance
Review: A delightfully poetic work. A romance in the truest sense - not only the passionate stirrings of the heart, but a delicate and thoughtful romance with the beauty of nature.
Rating:
Summary: Love may not be easy
Review: Married folks know that love changes over time. We wives want husbands that act like boyfriends. Yet we don't act like "girlfriends", do we? The woman here is not as sympathetic as Elise in Defenders of the Holy Grail, but she has the honesty of Elise. Of course, Defenders has more exotic places, and the psychic element. But the author's syles are similar. I recommend both books.
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