Cold Mountain : A Novel

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Summary: Frazier Captures The Heart of a Man and a Woman
Review: I've always felt that the way you view a novel or any other work of art is based upon where you currently are in life. I read this book while on deployment with the USAF in Bosnia. Frazier touched on some of the emotions that my wife and I have felt during this time of separation in our lives. Cold Mountain will leave you feeling cold, lonely and longing to go home. Frazier visually stimulates you with his accurate depiction on the Blue Ridge mountains. This is a must read for any history or Civil War fan. I would also recommend it for anyone who has ever been away from someone that they love.

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Summary: Slow your 20th century pace for this one!
Review: Cold Mountain was an enjoyable read for a number of reasons. The classic plot line of a man's odyssey, and the stories he encounters along the way, lended structure to a diversity of stories. The parallel story of Ada's odyssey into true adulthood also provided structure. The power of love and the destruction created in its absence is another sub theme in a novel simple in structure but complex in its many messages. The descriptions of the natural wonders seen by Inman (and dreamed of) on his trek, and by Ada as she observed the details of the world around her were magnificent. But Frazier did not stop there; he also showed the reader the wonders of human nature, both very good and very bad. But, what I was struck with most, was how demanding life was during the Civil War era. Inman's trip today would take about 3 hours in a car with no interference from other travellers, yet, with no interaction or enlightenment from fellow travellers. The Civil War has been so idealized that we loose sight of exactly how very difficult it was to just stay alive during those times let alone hang onto values. Some writers here have criticized the end of Cold Mountain. Frazier's writing skill prepares the reader for Inman's death from his first introduction (birth). We know that this was a man for whom life (and death) was not going to be easy. But, in the end Inman was "redeemed" because he did get to experience some joy with Ada. This an allegorical story of man's and woman's travel through life toward the destination, death. I do agree with writers here who said to savor this novel. It's a nice way leave the 20th century and experience true lives in the last century.

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Summary: It was AGONY getting through this book. . .
Review: I really hate to give the book a 3 but the well crafted paragraph sentences did not compensate for the tedium of this story. There was not enough character development but having struggled to the end I felt very gipped by the ending. I did have a positive outlook when I started, especially aftering having seen a Sunday CBS This Morning segment about the location. A well written book and an extreme disappointment.

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Summary: People! The Emperor has no clothes!
Review: Those rushing to praise Cold Mountain are probably just glad to be up and about after reading this boulder of a book. Everything and everyone in it is cold: The weather is frightfully wet, the land muddy; Inman, whom Frazier never deigns to descibe for the reader besides his deftness at killing and his stern, grim visage; Ada, who is flighty and thin, which is a real trick for Frazier, considering she is described in language heavy and daunting; Ruby, a country savant who cares for nothing but the land and her next meal; and a cast of cliches, as though the writer absolutely lacked imagination beyond what he claims is a true story. This is a book of form devastating function. The writing is, when taken sentence by sentence, magnificent. But when arrayed into book length, Frazier displays his inability at simply telling a story. Cold Mountain is Monty Python in North Carolina, without the humor, without the color, without the humanity, but with the mud. Frazier needs to learn to write short stories before he tries another long format effort, the reviews and awards notwithstanding. I am disappointed that the literati have embraced this poorly cobbled together manuscript. Don't read it. Don't encourage them.

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Summary: Harlequin romance in Ulysses' clothing
Review: Okay, the man can write -- every review gives him that -- but the plot is thin, tedious and vapid. Only in America in 1997 could a deserter become a hero -- this thing is PC to the extreme --"war is bad, Indians are noble beings living in harmony with the land" -- and the soupcon of lesbianism does nothing for the plot or prose. Read carefully this thing is really a womans' book -- a Harlequin romance -- though it is gussied up in some masculine trappings. Despite the groundswell of approval, skip this turkey -- wish I had, and saved my money.

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Summary: cold mountain
Review: I thought it would be an interesting book to read, however I was wrong. This author needs to learn how to write sentences. His story telling leaves a lot to be desired. The sentence structure is long winded and is unecessary. Get to the point!

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Summary: Life sucks and then you die - thanks for reminding me
Review: Excellent descriptions of man's inhumanity to man and women's humanity to women. Ada and Ruby were much more interesting characters than Inman I thought. I'm not going to dog the ending, but I will say it didn't leave me crying. I hadn't developed enough sympathy for Inman throughout the book to "feel" for his death. Two things that really bothered me: 1) the time-span regarding the ice-cream making was completely impractical; I remember cranking those old ice-cream machines - 2) there was a watermark or typographical error in my copy of the book that kept reappearing every few pages and was very irritating to read around. (I'm sorry if these objections seem trite.) Basically, I felt about this book much as I did about the academy award winning movie Leaving Las Vegas. Great acting, cool photography - but isn't there supposed to be a story somewhere?

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Summary: Represents the current state of American literature
Review: Some reviewers treat this book like it was written by God, and others conclude that it pretends to be literary. If you expect greatness, the first half will dissappoint you--it is overly descriptive of physical conditions, while still not quite getting you there. Read on, though, because the last third is fine, truly literary writing.

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Summary: Great writing but some pulp plot turns
Review: Some of the best fictional American nature writing put out in years, maybe ever. I agree with those who had problems with the ending. I think his major themes would have benefitted from at least a more ambiguous ending. There are a few other plot turns in the book that seemed forced, and at times I felt I was watching the plot happen rather than living in it. Having said that, this is a master writer - just not yet a master storyteller. His National Book Award was exceedingly well deserved.

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Summary: I don't think so...
Review: Wow. So everyone but me thinks this is a masterpiece. I thought it was elegantly written but boring. I give the guy a six (why is it everyone is either a "10" or a "2"?) because it's his first novel and it seems he's pleased a huge number of people. He can write but in his next novel he needs to pay attention to the story and make something happen. Not bad for a first book and I give him credit for trying to rise above the silly commercial novels (See: "The Alienist") that are so prevalent today. Give it a try, read it---but definitely get it from the library! (Sorry, Amazon.com)