Rating: 
Summary: He could do better
Review: Ethan Canin's previous two books were works of genius. I especially enjoyed Emperor of the Air, each story is simple but poignant, almost Carver-esque. Which makes For Kings and Planets so much more of a let down. Instead of the unobstrusive prose, Canin chose to write in flowery prose, something he is simply not good at doing. Writing a novel instead of vignettes is also not Canin's forte, as the plot goes everywhere and the third person is unconvincing. The book is also too preachy, especially about the meaninglessness of education in favor of precocity. I highly recommend Canin's short stories, they will change you. But don't pick this book as your first, because you'll never want to read this guy again. If you like to read about Ivy League schools and precocity, check out Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise and Salinger's Franny and Zooey, respectively. About boyhood relationships that turn sour, read Chabon's the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Rating: 
Summary: My first by Canin-- and not the last
Review: I really loved this book-- and I'm surprised by the polarity of reviews here. Some of the criticism amazes me; Canin is criticized for writing about family conflict: "tension between family members is normal," chides one reviewer. Is this to say that writers should only tackle abnormal subjects? Others seem to criticize him for not being Waugh, Updike, or whomever.I found this book a delight. It gave me the same feeling I had reading "A Separate Peace" 30 years ago. It artfully accounts the trials and traumas of the college experience; the remarkably diverse cultures we have within the boundaries of this country; the benefits, dangers, and costs of friendship; the deceit one will use to mask reality and build a facade. This is the first work I've read of Canin's. If this truly is Canin's worst, as several here say, I can't wait to get my hands on his other works.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: This novel, one of my all-time favorites, is my gift of choice this year. Canin is a writer's writer; a serious reader's writer; a writer for anyone who loves to read. The prose is stunning and the book does everything that fiction should do. I didn't want it to end.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing New Here
Review: I like Canin's short stories, and I really wanted to like this book. I read it in a couple of days, including the last half on a plane, and I must say that by the time I got home from the airport I had pretty much forgotten the whole thing. While Canin is an above-average writer, he treads no new ground here, and with all due respect to my fellow reviewers, to suggest that this novel is a 5 star masterpiece is like eating a nice hot dog for lunch, and proclaiming it the best meal you've ever eaten. The book, like one reviewer put it, is like a tried and true story of the country mouse and the city mouse. Arno Tarcher comes to Manhattan to attend Columbia, ashamed of his modest beginnings in Missouri, and embarrassed by his parents as he introduces them to his new, sophisticated big city friend Marshall Emerson. The beginning of the novel, including Arno's gradual introduction to college and to NYC, were for me the strongest aspects of the novel. When Marshall starts rubbing off on Arno, as the latter begins staying up all night drinking brandy with pseudo-intellectual Eastern European beatniks at the same cafe every night, I thought the whole thing got a little ridiculous. Arno to me was the only real well-drawn character in the book. The other characters seemed cardboard and put in the story oftentimes just to act as foils to Arno's small town, Missouri values. Why Marshall goes after Arno's Russian girlfriend, and why he cuts out to spoil a family wedding celebration at Cape Cod, are a mystery that we're just supposed to chalk up to his unpredictability and flamboyance. Then Marshall becomes a Hollywood writer and producer (more evidence of his phoniness, get it?) even though there wasn't a shred of evidence in the plot that he'd ever watched a movie or tv show, much less had any interest in working in Hollywood. Ultimately you really don't care, as you read along to the end just to see the culmination of a very predictable romance. This is definitely not Canin's best effort, the NY Times called it almost "banal." Form your own opinions, but consider yourself warned.
Rating:
Summary: Could've Been a Lot More.
Review: I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The friendship of Marshall and Orno was appealing and interesting at first, but then things took a turn after the first 150 pages or so. The book turned into the courtship of Orno and Simone, Marshall's sister. That didn't hold enough interest for me. And Marshall's character changes after you think you know enough about him to tell his personality type. Canin throws us a curve when Marshall says and does things you wouldn't think he would. Also, the ending lacked substance. The book vividly describes 1970s New York City and the other geographic locals, which is a plus. But I think Canin should've focused on the friendship between the two men more.
Rating: 
Summary: Quietly edgy, but entertaining
Review: The classic story of city mouse and country mouse, rambling through the years and people and events of the characters' lives. Orno is midwestern stock, solid and sturdy and without pretension. He meets Marshall on his first day at college in New York, where Marshall moves through the city and though life with a knowledge and comfort born of the destructive forces that shape his life. Both long to know and understand the other's world, though each is certain that the other is crazed to have such a longing. As Orno moves forward through his life, he finds the influence of his friend everywhere, despite long times and distances apart. This book is quietly edgy, moving forward without fanfare, but with the steady foot of Orno's midwestern upbringing. As events unfold, you are at once surprised with Orno and unmoved with Marshall, as if the book is but a series of mathematical results that must happen as they do, but you do not understand the math, so continue to be shocked. The book is an entertaining read; while not energetic in its quest for your attention, it nonetheless pulls you in and holds you captive, turning pages to see what now, what next?
Rating:
Summary: Valuable Addition to Modern Fiction
Review: I recently read For Kings and Planets and have given myself a little time to digest the novel. My conclusion: I'm most impressed with Canin's work. The tale of two college friends, one acquainted to a posh New York City lifestyle, the other from the heartland - not a new concept but one that deserved revisiting. I have noticed many comparisons to The Great Gatsby and I have to agree that there are some similarities (although I disliked the Great Gatsby and enjoyed For Kings and Planets). This is a wonderful story, written with great care. If I have any criticism of the novel, its that the post-college portion of the novel seeemed slightly rushed, not nearly as detailed or heartfelt as the first half of the novel. However, this is good writing!
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Summary: Wonderful Father/Son Story
Review: I found this book to be so wonderfully written that the fact that the coming of age theme has already been done did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. The characters were so well developed and believable, all of them appealing despite their flaws. The father/son stories were very real and moving. I am thrilled to have discovered Ethan Canin and can't wait to read his other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Of Kings and Planets and nice covers.....
Review: ....and copying others' ideas. Well to be fair, I had just finished "The Great Gatsby" before I picked up Canin's New York-growing-up novel, and I did smell strongly the similarities. However, this is a bad book for other reasons. The dark family secret is a) not very secret or very dark, b) very average, as tension between family members is NORMAL, and c) not the one your really hoping for. The plot suffers in other ways, mainly from not being very good or interesting, and the draw out pain brought about by Canin's writing style just adds the final, agonizing touch to what is not a worthwhile read. To speak truth, the plot is "old fashioned", even for a "coming of age" novel, the writing style is stodgy and thick, like old gravy, and the characters envoke no favourable reactions in you, even at their most pathetic moments. The relationships described are flatter than a pancake and as convincing as Laurence Olivier's "Othello". I looked forward to reading this book after glancing favourable reviews, and even had to order it. Now I only recommend its use as a doorstop, or as the subject of a class about how not to write interesting and worthwhile novel.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book Group Discussion
Review: Our book group just finished this book, and I was very pleased at the wide-ranging discussion and opinions brought out by the book and its characters. Some in our group very much identified with the Orno Tarcher character and his development, and others felt disgusted with his lack of center. I think it speaks well of Mr. Canin's writing that we could personalize the story and draw larger themes from it. It is, at the very least, incredibly well written and has flashes of true brilliance. I'm looking forward to reading his past work and to seeing his future development as a writer.
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