Rating: 
Summary: Intense Clash of characters and culture
Review: House of Sand and Fog presents an intense and fully present clash of cultures in Northern California. I found the characters, especially Kathy and Les to be beautifully drawn. Dubus never tries to make his characters overly sympathetic. At one moment I cheered for Kathy and her attempts to make a life for herself; in the next breath I screamed at her to make better choices and avoid the traps set before her. Unlike the previous CA reviewer, I was not distracted by Dubus' details about the CA landscape. I found his portrayal of the San Mateo County coast particularly interesting as a counterweight to the more status-conscious and hectic parts of the Bay Area. If anything, northern CA is an ideal setting for this complicated story of ethnic relations, personal identity, and the tragedy of the American dream in the late 20th century. My only complaint is that the climax of the book is too predictable and the ending is too "pat". Dubus does a disservice to his characters by forcing them into an outcome that reads more like "COPS" than good fiction writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Such an incredible waste of time
Review: I have read all but seven of Oprah's book selections, and I have found most of them very rewarding. This one, however, is the grand exception! The story line was interesting and original, but the characters were grossly underdeveloped. By the novel's midpoint, not only did I not care what happened to them, but I simply just wanted them to go away! Dubus did not portry them in a manner that makes the reader like them or sympathize with them. Bottom line...DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. Read Joy Fielding's "The First Time" instead!
Rating: 
Summary: Awful!
Review: It's hard to believe that this book was nominated for a major award, and that Oprah saw fit to add it to her book collection (a dubious honor anyway). This is a terrible book, with little to recommend or redeem it. The depiction of the struggle of the immigrants' lives was mildly interesting, but the rest of the story and characters were soulless and underdeveloped and unnecessary. Only a story that MUST be told should be told, and this story is not one that needs telling. I noticed that previous reviewer called this book as good as I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE. On that, I must agree.
Rating: 
Summary: Only two boo-boos
Review: Cliff hanger story where you really like the characters. An interesting and compelling story. I wanted everyone to win, but well, read the book. The author made two mistakes. Kathy and Lester smoking in restaurants--doesn't happen in California. No smoking inside any public building. Be it the Hyatt Regency or Carl's Jr. People in the Bay Area NEVER "go to Frisco." You go "into The City". everyone automatically know you're going to SAN FRANCISCO. (Don't say Frisco...) OK I know that's picky, sorry. He did get the part right about tourist freezing in shorts and tank tops in The City.
Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate portrayal of California
Review: It amazes how many people from California gave this book reviews without mentioning that it is completely inaccurate about California! The plot and characters may be very well drawn, but as a Californian, I found it diffcult to keep myself from hurling the book across the room. It caused me to laugh out loud at some of the ludicrous inaccuracies and even do research to make sure I hadn't lost my mind. Corona is a real place in California. It is 427 miles from San Francisco. About the same distance as Erie PA is from Chicago Il. It is aprox. 50 miles from the beach. The mental picture of any house in Corona (a valley) having a widow's walk that would give it a view of the beach is laughable! If you want it to be set in a fictional location then make sure such a place doesn't exist in the state. If the book takes place in roughly 1993 (based on Shah Pahlavi fleeing Iran Jan 5, 1979, Nadi hasn't seen her sister in 14 years and Esmail was a tiny, as well as mentioning CD stores, rather than record) then most of the rest of the portrayal of California is woefully inaccurate. Kathy would not casually light a cigarette in a restaurant or a lawyers office--it's illegal. 7-11's are open 24 hours, so its hard to picture Les getting there right before it closes. Carl's Jr. is a fast food restaurant, they do deliver the food to the table, after you have ordered at the counter. At a self serve gas station you pay before you pump, so that people can't drive off without paying. You can't even pump gas until you have paid. It amazes me that it was even published with this many things that are not possible in California. Perhaps that is a problem with publishers having only a New York perspective. Would they publish a book with a person in a New York deli putting mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich?? But light up a cigarette indoors in California, in public, and no one even mentions its unacceptable and illegal, would never happen! Suggestions that this should get a Pulitzer? I suggest that they should proofread for accuracy!
Rating: 
Summary: Superb Read!
Review: House of Sand and Fog is a pulsating examination of the struggle of its main characters to maintain ownership of a house that represents their last hope for security and status. Dubus does a superb job with character analysis and development. The primary characters seem to switch protagonist to antagonist roles with an ease and creativity indicative of a very well trained writer. The story centers on the ownership of a house that represents the dream of a return to status and wealth for Colonel Behrani and his immigrant family from Iran. The same house represents the last chance for security and stability for Kathy Nicolo, a recovering substance abuser and abandoned wife. Having inherited the house from her deceased father, Kathy finds herself evicted due to an error in tax assessment made by the county tax department and a lack of follow-up on her part to ensure that the error is rectified. The house is then auctioned and purchased by the former Colonel Behrani who plans to resale the house at a handsome profit. He plans to use the proceeds from the sale of the house to start a real-estate business which he hopes will eventually finance his son's college education and return his family to the status and wealth they enjoyed during his service under the dictatorial regime of the Shah of Iran. The story is told through the voice of Behrani, Kahty and the deputy sheriff (a supporting yet very strong character) who evicts then falls in love with her. Dubus flawlessly changes voice from first person to narrative, a writing technique difficult to pull off without the author leaving the impression of having gotten stuck in literary quagmire. His writing is crisp, language authentic, pace and tone perfect. A very engaging read filled with love, power, pride, and tragedy. Kudos to Dubus for his efforts.
Rating:
Summary: What's all the fuss?
Review: This book, however well written it may be, left me feeling like I was caught in Dubus' fog and standing on his quick sand. I forced myself through the first half in the hopes of finding something morally enlightening or spiritually uplifting. I was NOT to be rewarded. This book continued its downward spiral until the very end. I found all of Andre's characters to be stereo-typical, the men--macho and controlling, and the women--weak and helpless. Even though Kathy had serious issues, and Mrs. Behrani was a product of her culture, these 2 at least attempted to deal with the "ownership" of the home in an honorable way. Unlike many readers, I did not find Mr. Behrani honorable or noble. No man that treats women like he did is deserving of respect, regardless of what his cultural teachings may find acceptable. And, Lester, was the typical bully, hiding behind his badge and feeding his need for excitement through a veneer of helpfullness. Mr. Dubus uses an engaging style and his writing is good, but this book had no redeeming value for me. Character development was weak for Kathy and Lester. I felt like I was starting the book somewhere in the middle where I should know why Kathy's mother and brother found her a loser and why her husband left her. The entire experience was not unlike eating cotton candy. It left me feeling sticky but still hungry. Now, I have to go find a "meat and potatoes" book.
Rating:
Summary: Dark and Captivating
Review: Andre Dubus writes a dark and enchanting story that draws you in, keeps you engrossed and makes you think about what happened even after the you close the book, get a nights sleep, cook dinner and move on with life. This is a haunting story about people seeking a home, a place where they can be themselves without worrying about appearances. The characters are driven to self-destruction and you will catch yourself agitated with them, thinking "now why would someone do something so stupid". But that is the point of the story, once caught up in the intricacies of each other's lives, all the characters find themselves destroying the one thing they can't seem to value, their lives. Colonel Behrani is driven to have his life back, the life he had when he lived in Iran, Kathy Nicolo wants her home back, which she believes was taken away from her unjustly (which it was) and Sheriff Lester Burdon is caught between leaving his wife and finding a home in his obsession to help Kathy. They all want the house of sand and fog, and they are prepared to give up anything for it and ultimately they do. An amazing story, written starkly and simply - the only way a story like this can be told.
Rating:
Summary: Still Reeling from the Impact!
Review: At the conclusion of this book, I felt I had been sitting on a rollar coaster. If you want to explore how far a book can go before exploding in your hands, this truly may be it. The plot never allows you to feel you are going at the same pace without the overall anticipation of chaos reigning. The author allows us intimate character participation which successfully draws the reader inside the depth of the intense emotions they experience. It is unlikely that the reader will not respond deeply to the story content. It is unlikely that the reader's pulse and respirations will not reflect what the character's are, and it is unlikely that the reader will not be frantic at trying to figure out a way to solve this conflict revolving around a little bungalow in the San Francisco suburbs. At each turn of the page, the formula is changed, the events flipping and the reader intent on projecting some sort of compromise, captivated by the character's self-involvement and human faults. Constantly edging to the cliff, the book leaves you gasping, the concepts so deep and psychological it certainly will prove itself a ripe resource for study groups and those challenged by human behavioral intellections.
Rating:
Summary: Fog, sand, shattered dreams
Review: I found myself unable to put this book down. I think it's a good read. If you like subtle twists and turns in your story lines, this is a book you'll enjoy. The story starts out laying the groundwork for you to gain an understanding of Colonel Massoud Behrani. You learn how he is deceiving his family so that they don't realize that he's working two jobs to support them in the lifestyle they're accustomed to. You also meet Kathy Nicolo, who is deceiving her family into thinking that she is still happily married. When Lester Burdon shows up and evicts her, but helps her get a lawyer and a place to store her things, you realize then that he'll be an integral part of the story. As the story unfolds, their lives become entangled more effectively than any ball of yarn that a cat has played with. The ending is shocking and yet not totally unexpected. Andre Dubus has written a thrilling, attention getting book. It's well worth reading. I would highly recommend it to other people. I finished it in about 2 days, which is an accomplishment. It usually takes me 3-4 days to finish a book unless I find it interesting.
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