Rating: 
Summary: Wally Lamb Does It Again!
Review: Alright, I am only 15 years old but I'm a big reader. I read 'Shes Come Undone' and I absolutely loved it! So, naturally, when 'I Know This Much Is True' came out I snagged it the first chance I got. I want to make it clear I did'nt get either of these books because they have the 'Oprah's Book Club' label on them. I usually don't like her picks, but this one was an exseption. Dominick Birdsy is a middle aged guy who you learn to love and hate. You follow his life from his earliest memory to the worst times of his life. The backbone of this book is his constant relationshop with his identical twin brother, Thomas. Its both funny and moving. You meet charactors Lamb describes so well you find yourself wondering what they are up to now, after you've finished the book. From Nedra Frank to Ralph Drinkwater, each charactor is thrown in for more surprises in the end. Although I could have done without the Grandfather's history thing, it was a nice touch. I loved the storys about him and Dessa and how he describes things so vividley from when they first met to their relationship at the time. I recommend this book to everybody. I bought it and finished it in 5 days, if you can beleive that! I still find myself referring certain things in my own life back to what the charactors would do. Dominick Birdsy should go down history with other great fictional charactors. I cant wait for Lamb to write another incredible novel! He is truly one of the best authors of our time!
Rating: 
Summary: much too long!
Review: I think wally lamb could have cut out at least 200 pages and still have gotten the same point across. I had quite alot of trouble fighting my way through, and I found myself making excuses to put it down! Dominick was also very irritating, and many of his comments made me roll my eyes.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for more of Wally Lamb
Review: This book has it all and then some. Dominick's story spans three generations and includes a biography of his grandfather, tales of his mother's life through childhood eyes and finally acounts for the emotional bond between twin brothers.The characters are richly described and their lives are accounted in full detail. However, it's not too much as you might expect. I don't cry with the charcaters very often when reading, but this story left me sobbing and reaching for tissues. I can't wait for Wally Lamb to release his next story. I've read this and She's Come Undone and I am still not quenched with enough from this author. He will be one of America's greats.
Rating: 
Summary: Zero stars
Review: This book was SOOO long and tedious, I couldn't even finish it. I've tried several attempts to pick it up to finish with no avail. It is the same long, sad story page after page. His first book was much better. I was shocked that so many people liked it. If you have nothing better to do with your time this might be the book for you. So it will remain under the bed collecting dust until the next garage sale.
Rating:
Summary: More stars, if they were available!
Review: Where to start? I bought this book last year and after looking at it and looking at it, I took a deep sigh and picked it up last week. It took me exactly one week to read the whole thing. I was cautious at first, partly by the 900 pages, partly because Oprah recommended it - but mostly because Oprah recommended "She's Come Undone" and I absolutely hated that one! (Threw it across the room in disgust!) But this book, I absolutely loved it. I am an impatient person, and I'll admit that I skimmed ahead one evening, anxious to find out what happened next. Some might find it tedious, the analysis, etc. etc. But I strongly recommend it. Please at least give it a try. I am a very critical reader and get impatient and annoyed very easily. I've NEVER cried over a book before-or laughed so hard as well. I was shocked to like the main character, Dominick, flaws and all-and find many characters that I liked-equal to those I did not. PLEASE read this book-it truly is wonderful and moving. I usually give my books away that I have read, but I will be keeping this one on hand to read again and again...
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Beautiful
Review: If I could give this book one hundred stars, I would. This is on my top list of favorites of all time. I've only read it twice, but expect to read it many more. Don't let the length keep you away; it takes almost 900 pages to weave a tale of family, love, loss, hope and more to reach epic proportions, but I could have gladly spent 900 more pages with the story. The pages fly by at your fingertips and you'll reach the end far sooner than you thought. Dominick Birdsie is at once a compelling character. He pulls you into different directions and emotions; one minute you hate him, the next you adore him. In the end, you only want him to be at peace. Dominick has his downfalls and his bad side, but he has had to deal with so much you almost don't blame him. His twin brother, Thomas, is also an important part of the story, and seems to have all the good things that Dominick is lacking, save for sanity. The story draws you in, so swiftly and surely that you just can't stop. Even when it shifts to the story of Domenico Tempesta, the grandfather they never knew, it doesn't take away from the actions but adds another layer to them. The transition between present day Connecticut and past Sicily blends so well you don't even notice it happening. The conclusion wraps things up so neatly and quickly it almost doesn't fit with the rest of the story. If there is one weak point in this novel, this is it. Yet is is wholly satisfying in the end, and you won't regret the time you've spent getting to know this family. I know I didn't want to finish this book, knowing I could read no more about them. Wally Lamb has outdone himself. While his other work, She's Come Undone, was exceptional in its own right, this is truly magical. I cannot wait to read his next novel, and only wish he has written much more.
Rating:
Summary: I Know THis Much is True
Review: I've just finished reading Lamb's novel again for the second time. What a wonderful read. Like others who have written reviews on the book, I flew through the story quickly, wishing in the end that I had taken my time, lengthened the read. But alas, when I read a book I love, I really read it. I want to keep this brief, so I'll write just one more thing. When I graduated from college our school asked each senior for a book recommendation- mine was I Know This Much is True. When I looked at the list of book titles that other seniors had chosen I thought I was going to alone with Lamb's book, that others would choose great american novels and literary feats. I was surprised to see that another classmate recommended this book as well. Maybe it is a more than just a story that touched my heart- it has touched many others as well. And THAT'S the sign of a wonderful book- maybe a even a classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for the first 500 pages
Review: I had no trouble getting into the book, and flew through the first 500 pages, then I hit the tedious last 400 like a brick wall. Dominick's many meetings with Dr Patel dragged on too long, it seemed they just kept reiterating the same thing throughout each session. Then the whole Papa's biography bit, what can I say, each time a new section of his history started I had to flip through the pages to see how much reading I had to go through to get back to the good stuff, not to mention it was totally unrealistic. There is no way someone recollecting memoirs would go into such detail in descibing Prosperines childhood adventures. Overall, it was a good book, and could have been a great book had it been edited down 3-400 pages. She's Come Undone was much better.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: Wally Lamb tells a wonderful story here. This is the first book I've read by him and I will definitely read more of his work. I Know This Much Is True kept me coming back to read more- I could not put it down (especially the last 50 pages!)The best feature of this book is that there are so many details in the story that are pieced together in the end and I was almost upset when the story was over!
Rating:
Summary: Hooked from page one!
Review: Wally Lamb is a genius at threading stories. He embroiders them in such a way that there is no telling what the end product will look like. This book had more hairpin turns than the road from Reno to Lake Tahoe, and trust me, this road completely winds around the mountain in circular repetition. I could not put this book down. I devoured it for two weeks, even forgetting to eat for 14 hours at a time, and this 900+ page tome was delicious! I have never read any other book that kept me in as much suspense for that long a period. I hate when I can figure out what is going to happen in the first few chapters, and there was no chance of that with Lamb. It was like riding the best rollercoaster in the world. Emotions were palpable. The writing was nothing less than spectacular. I think though, that he could have skipped a lot of the gratuitous swearing, because it wasn't necessary. I am no prude, and I have a mouth on me, but I felt like that part of this book detracted from the experience a bit. That is my only criticism of this work. A sprinkling of cuss words would have been ample to get the young male point of view across. He dumped in the whole bottle here. Still, I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I think that one has to appreciate the book for its magnificent meanderings rather than focus on the one negative. I liked this book so much that I bought a number of copies and gave them to friends. I am awed at Wally Lamb's talent, and as I write my own fiction and non-fiction, I hope I have at least a third of his talent.
|
