I Know This Much Is True

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Summary: Reality based...It brings out your vulnerabilites...
Review: Well, Wally Lamb is incredible again just like in 'She's Come Undone'. I guess being 41 y/o and also a former teacher, I also went through some of the things Domenic spoke about only in different ways. It is amazing how it brings back things in our own lives and helps us to learn from them and become better people. It was amazing how generational things continue in a linear movement from the past to the future and we all are a product of our ancestors as well as the environment around us. I thought the grandfather,mother,stepfather, twins all had positive and negative characteristics that each one was able to teach each other. I think most of our families have some form of problems that we must all face and grow from the experience. Just a page turner...could not put it down. Just Incredible. I was exhausted.

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Summary: Close to # 1 on my top 10 favorite books
Review: Rarely have I read a book that touched me as much as Wally Lambs "I know this much is true".

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Summary: I absolutely salute Wally Lamb's newest endeavor!
Review: Thank you, thank you, thank you, Wally Lamb, for giving us yet another wonderful book to lose ourselves in for the summer!(Even though it read much faster!) I loved She's Come Undone as well, and can't wait for the next one. Wally Lamb's characters make me care about them...the true sign of an excellent author in my opinion. Hated some, loved others, then changed my mind about some as the story unfolded!! Loved it!! The pompous grandfather's story was the perfect foil for Dominick's own saga and kept the story from becoming too self-reflective on Dominick's part.Wally Lamb is a book lover's dream author!

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Summary: A gem-- excellent character development!
Review: Lamb creates characters like none other. The book keeps you full of different emotions for the entire cast of characters involved. Lamb is able to re-create the whole array of human emotion in the context of a wonderful story!

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Summary: Fascinating story
Review: There were parts of this book that were so moving, so descriptive. I really love Wally Lamb's style and his gift of description. However, there were 2 things that bothered me about this book--1, in the Grandfathers memoirs, the overuse of the Italian words. Everything else is translated, why does he leave a few words here and there in Italian? To show his (Mr. Lamb's) knowledge of Italian? Certainly these words are translateable and certainly the woman in the story translating the italian and sicilian knew these words. It just got annoying after a while. 2, I had so, so many questions about this book and would love to talk them over with someone. I think this book is best for a book club or in a group, not solo.

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Summary: Prime rib-like characters paired with a catsup-esque ending
Review: I loved "She's Come Undone" more than you can imagine. As most of you know, it is a great tale of human weaknesses and human triumphs. In that book, Dolores Price teaches that, in then end, only you can conquer the personal demons that life has handed you.

I, like many other readers, could not help but make a comparison of "Undone's" Dolores and "True's" Dominick throughout the book: After all, both characters had bad tempers (with quick wits),with 'less than normal' upbringings and good-hearted (yet flawed) mothers. Both suffered horrible physical abuse as children, and carried the emotional scars into adulthood.

While Dolores learns to make her own happiness through hard work and self-introspection, however, Dominick seems to just land into his own happiness in the last 50 pages in this book.

As you may have guessed, I HATED this book's ending. ( My scan of the other reviews revealed that others, too, were very dissapointed).

W! hen I nearly cried at the end of this book it was not because I was happy for Dominick et al., but because all of wonderfully deep characters were plopped into a big vat of Velveeta cheese. Oprah-ites may like Velveeta at the end of her books, but I do not.

Rating:
Summary: A really good read
Review: Its not often I wish that a 900 pager would go on forever, but the story is woven so well, told so solidly that I felt like I knew Dominick by the end and wanted to see how the rest of his life turns out. The story is crafted, the characters have substance and make sense, and the family is just strange enough that it could be yours or mine. I finally ended up staying up till 4:30am to finish it, couldn't put it down

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Summary: An Instant Contemporary Classic
Review: Mark my words--this novel WILL be taught in universities someday. It's brilliant prose, and yet, unlike many contemporary novels, the writing does NOT contest with the plot and character. I wanted more. 900 pages was not enough.

I look forward to reading more of Mr. Lamb's writing. It's not often that I find a novel I shove into the hands of friends and family. This is one of them.

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Summary: Sessions with Dr. Patel
Review: I know this much is true in my own life, Dominick and I share a couple of the same fatal flaws. Dr. Patel's session with him on pages 579-580 made me realize I need to make some changes in my own life and let go of some of the anger I carry around as unnecessary baggage. Thanks, Wally Lamb, for a great novel, great characters and a decent ending.

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Summary: Wally Lamb does it again
Review: I ran out and bought this one right after I finished "She's Come Undone". I'd heard that this one was a little disappointing in comparison, but I disagree. They are different books- and they should be. While, yes, I associated more with the first (probably just because it was about a woman), this book had me in awe also- it was an emotional roller coaster that at times drained me. But it was worth it. Once again, I put down a Wally Lamb book and felt better about life in general- it sounds corny to say, but its true. Mr. Lamb has a true gift and I hope he will continue to produce wonderful books. I can't suggest his books enough.