House of Sand and Fog

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I usually enjoy Oprah's picks, and as an American living abroad I often use her recommendations in choosing books. In this novel . Except for the Persian, I found the characters uninteresting and difficult to identify with. I had to force myself to get to the end of the story, skipping sentences and paragraphs to reach the climax which was very disappointing indeed

Rating:
Summary: The best Oprah book
Review: This is the best of the Oprah books, in my view. I read it in one day...and would highly recommend it to anyone who takes reading seriously,

Rating:
Summary: Inexorable spiral downward
Review: Every once in a while I find a book that truly mesmerizes. This novel held me in my chair until I finished it. The ride was through the horror house, but as the one who experiences the terror of others and cannot turn away from it. The characters were well developed. The cultural rootings of each gave credibility to the events that shattered their lives. What intrigued me about this story was that it was possible to see what was to come, with all of its tragedy and ugliness, and yet it was inconceivable to walk away from these self-destructive characters. This was the ultimate voyeur's nightmare. The one relief was that I had a clear sense of separation from the events as they unfolded. This was not life as I experience it. So much of the time when reading it is our sense of connection with the characters and the events that keeps us reading. Here it was the difference that intrigued me. That, in and of itself, made the book a great read. And yet I could identify with the motivations of the characters, and the struggles that they experienced in trying to live life by the rules as they understood them. Five stars to the author for his success in offering up such a seductive reading experience.

Rating:
Summary: A Book I Wished I Hadn't Read
Review: This book is a paradox. On the one hand, the writer obviously has talent. The writing itself is good, the characters are well-drawn. The author gives us a glimpse into Middle-Eastern culture that is quite interesting. But the characters act in ways that are simply incredible over and over again and it hurts the books credibility. They are also soulless. For this book to work as a poignant tragedy, the reader must come to care for these characters--and I believe the opposite happens. They are the architects of their own disaster and the reader is only able to stand apart and watch, incredulous, instead of being drawn in. So the tragedy is a minor hiccup in the universe, not a moment of universal truth. If you want to read about the fall of a noble man, read The Great Gatsby. If you want to ponder the naturalistic universe, read Theodore Drieser. Don't read this. I taught English for 17 years so I would like to think this is an informed opinion.

Rating:
Summary: This is the last Oprah recommended book I will ever read!
Review: This is the worst book I have ever read. The characters' lives are totally unbelievable. I felt sorry for their stupidity, and obviously wondered about my own in finishing the book. I felt very heavyhearted knowing that anyone could have even survived writing all of this tragedy in one novel. After reading the last page my sadness turned to anger in having wasted my time reading such a ridiculous story.

Rating:
Summary: Great Writing, Implausible Story
Review: I found this novel very well written and was drawn into it; however, even knowing it was based on an article the author once read regarding the same sunject matter, I found the story implausbile. Sure, you can overlook tax notices and toss them out, but you're not going to get some cop to go to the lengths this one did to help you, no matter how good looking you are or how much the cop empathizes with you. It's a book worth the time, if for no other reason than the way it's written. The way the language flows makes it captivating.

Rating:
Summary: Great character development, steadily eroding story...
Review: What started out as a thickly developed, interesting story, totally destructs 2/3 of the way though. The strong, well developed cultural contrast between the 2 main character groups seemed squandered the deeper into the book I got. I was surprised to find this book had received awards. It seemed that the author became bored and decided to change the ending and take the cheap, Hollywood B movie ending route....Can you say "movie option?".If they do make this into a film, hopefully the script will be changed to have a more cohesive (and hopefully more positive) ending that fits the characters' development.Worth a look only to get a perspective on a naturalized citizens' view of America and as a possible model for developing and contrasting cultures though characterization..Otherwise, skip it.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, Powerful, and Memorable
Review: House of Sand and Fog is an intriguing novel. Although the plot starts out slowly, the action and tension gradually builds up and culminates in a collision of characters. The story begins by describing the struggles of Colonel Behrani, Kathy Nicolo,and Les Burdon. Behrani is an Iranian immigrant who has fled from his country and his wealthy lifestyle. He has trouble adjusting to living simply, and without the prestige that he is accustomed to. Behrani also has a pride problem, and will risk anything to return his family to their former respectable position in society. Nicolo is an ex-drug addict who is dealing with her husband's desertion. To further her problem, she gets kicked out of her house for failing to pay the bills. Sheriff Burdon falls in love with Kathy and sets out to help her get her house back. At the same time, he is dealing with the dilemna that he is a married man with two kids, and falling in love with someone else. All three individuals become spun into a complex web of problems surrounding their desires for a small bungalow set in the hills of California.
I found the novel to be very enjoyable. The author draws the reader into each character's situation, and one can't help but feel compassion towards them. The acute description paints a very vivid picture, especially of the Californian landscape. By including details about the Behrani lifestyle, Dubus provides the reader with insight into the Iranian culture, and the hardships faced by immigrants. I thought it was interesting how something as seemingly insignificant as purchasing a house brings about such a crisis. What makes this story so easy to relate to is the different issues that each character is struggling with, and the desperations that cause irrational behavior. The forboding and suspenseful tone of the entire novel finally comes together in an unpredictable turn of events. The outcome makes a lasting impression on the reader. I highly recommend this novel.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Novel!
Review: OK, so it's a little depressing, but who says novels have to be uplifting? You will not be able to put this book down once you start. This novel provides a wonderful case study in determination gone awry. Unlike other reviewers, I could not identify or empathize with any of the characters, but I nevertheless became utterly engrossed with their lives. If you're looking for a book that represents fine literature and a superb story, this is it!

Rating:
Summary: morose tale of stupid and vapid characters
Review: This book reminds me of a greek tragedy without there being any redeeming reason for caring about what happens to the main characters. Kathy, one of the main characters, loses her home in such a stupid manner that it's unbelievable, and you have to accept this fact for the rest of the story to unfold. So you accept it and move on, but as further acts of stupidity follow it gets harder to swallow the story. The author also minutely dissects the character flaws that would account for such stupid behavior; this is a necessary but not sufficient procedure for building empathy with the characters. I'm used to, and enjoy, building empathy with the characters I meet in books, but these characters are so beyond my empathy that I could only look on in horror as the story unfolded. Vapid characters do not make good tragedy. The lesson here seems to be that stay out of the way of stupid, vapid people who yearn too much and think too little. So, unless you feel compelled to understand how really unbelieveably stupid acts can be committed by folks that can't seem to think beyond the emotion they're faced with at the moment, then please don't read this book. Why did I stay with it until the end? I was on a long trip and had this unabridged on tape. Although brilliantly read, I found myself yelling at the characters and the author as the story unfolded. A miserable experience.