Rating: 
Summary: Stunning First Novel by Hugely Talented Author
Review: I confess I was fully prepared to not like this book - the author has roman numerals after his name, it was recommended by Oprah's book club, and there's a picture of the author inside the front cover that reeks of self-important arrogance. Well, guess what, the guy has every reason to be arrogant. This is a stunningly written novel with almost operatic scope, charting three lives which coalesce at the house of the title, with tragic results. Dubus weaves an almost hypnotic spell in this richly detailed story of an ex-drug addict who loses her home, the Iranian businessman who buys it for a song at a county auction, and the disenchanted cop who shows up to move the owner out. Their lives begin to unravel even as Dubus cleverly weaves their threads more closely, and there is a terrible feeling of inevitability permeating the plot as it unfolds. If you appreciate first-rate writing, and intelligent story-telling, this book is for you. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST AUDIO BOOK I have HEARD in AGES
Review: This refers to the audio UNABRIDGED EDITION.The voices add so much to this story, which is read by the author and his wife. He paints such a picture of the two different cultures and misunderstandings among basically nice people. I learned so much from this novel. To look at a problem from both sides. How white can look black to another person and not unreasonably so. That ethics and law are not necessary the same.
That a person can get involved in a house of cards. I loved this audio, and hated for it to end. The settings are rich and accurate, as based on the San Francisco pennusulia, where I am familiar. CAnnot wait for his next book. The highest rating!
Rating: 
Summary: Hated it
Review: Relentless in its exploration of the intersecton of two characters and their downward spiral. If I hadn't been trapped in a plane with nothing else to read, I would have never finished it. If you enjoy watching car wrecks occur and the ensuing aftermath, this is the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fine Little Book
Review: Conflict set up right from the get-go makes for an easy entre and from there the story takes off thanks to DuBus' good writing and deft metaphors. Enjoyable symbolism. In many ways this book was a slice of some of my favorite authors such as Emile Zola: characters bound, by their own circumstances, to follow an inevitable path.
Rating:
Summary: ETHNICITY IS A REALITY...LIKE IT OR NOT
Review: Where one is from in the world makes a difference in your outlook on life and how you react to the challenges of being. This is well pointed out by this novel which has two narrators: a Caucasian and an Iranian. Usually foreign phrases and words turn me off, but when the Iranian is speaking and uses a foreign word the author immediately tells you what it means; that I was thankful for. The Iranian speaks different than the female caucasian and the two different outlooks on life is certainly worth the reading. For me the ending was quite implausable, yet didn't interfere with the story overall. As with most fiction (I do not read that much fiction anyway) there are holes galore at the end with a few sprinkled throughout the entire story. I read the whole book which denotes an interesting story as I won't read a book that doesn't hold my interest.
Rating:
Summary: Bird Cage Liner
Review: I usually find good in all books, but I can't believe this was published. The story line is weak and is based on a bunch of sitiuation tragedies that network TV would be embarassed to protray. It is full of unnecessary sexual content that reads as if a fifteen year old boy wrote it. Grow up Andre!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book was wonderful. The best of the Oprah books. You will start this book and not be able to stop. This is one of the few times when I have been so throughly passionate about the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Worst thing I've ever read
Review: I don't mean to be ugly, but this was one of the most depressing, uninspiring books I have ever read. I understand that the Oprah book club thing is about books that maybe don't have uplifting endings but the ending on this one was just overwhelming. I didn't find a redeeming value to it at all. I actually felt depressed when I was done. If there was a message (which I am sure there was and I even believe I slightly got it), it was drowned out by the futility of the entire story. Again, I don't want to be ugly but I absolutely hated this story.
Rating:
Summary: slow to start, great finish.
Review: I think the book takes too long to develop the characters, but once it does the story is excellent.
Rating:
Summary: This is just the most incredible story.
Review: You never suspect, from the very beginning, how profoundly this story reaches into your heart. At first I thought it was rather silly, a woman gets evicted from her home over a silly tax billing error. Big deal. But it turns out to be so very much more. From that small plot point winds a tale so rich with message and so poignant that you will not soon forget it. The Behrani family, seemingly so simple and naieve, become real life characters that jump off the page and into your lap. Our protagonist, a lady called Kathy, is evicted from the home her father passed on to her due to a simple tax billing error. She meets up with a police officer, who falls madly in love with her even as he is attempting to face trauma in his own life. In the meantime, an Iranian family moves into (and purchases) the bungalow, and from that point on the story dives deeper and deeper into the very dark and scary places of human nature. What starts out sounding like a yellow brick road type of novel, becomes a lesson in the frailties and hardships of life. I'll never forget this story. Ever.
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