Rating: 
Summary: I won't recommend it to a friend.
Review: I was really excited to read this book, and finally when I finished it I was pretty disappointed. Maybe it was all the hype that I had encountered; maybe I just have very high expectations. The book held my interest for all 900 pages, I'll give it that much. And it does have certain merits, which is why I give the book three stars. The story is engrossing. I also, at times, could really feel what the characters were feeling. I think that's an important experience for the reader. The portrayal of Thomas was excellent (I have worked with developmentally disabled, and psychologically disabled). That probably the most noteworthy aspect of the whole book. On the critical side: I don't mind swearing, but I, too, grew tired of the almighty f-word being used to the extreme. There are so many other ways to depict emotion in writing; Wally Lamb seemed to get stuck on just that one. I thought this was an uncreative escape from trying to really show someone expressing anger/frustration/sadness/doubt. I know that this was used to portray anger, and of course the swearing reaches a climax, and then peters off towards the end, following neatly along with Dominick's depleting anger, but it was excessive. Also, I was dissatisfied with the extremely happy Scooby-Doo ending that I thought did not AT ALL fit in with the story. I found the reunion with Dessa completely ridiculous, as well as Dominick "finding" his roots and then staking a claim in them. The end was too convenient. Too easy. It really took away from the whole tone of the novel. Overall I thought the book was okay. As I said, it held my interest. But I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. There's far too many other exceptional books out there that I would rather recommend than this one, which is just okay.
Rating: 
Summary: For Siblings
Review: For all siblings with mentally ill relatives, Wally Lamb presents us with a mirror of ourselves. Dominic Birdsey is me. No, I am not a twin so maybe I don't have that special tie, however I have that "heart" connection that tugs so strongly and keeps us siblings together. Wally Lamb has given the public a unique gift. The gift to see the condition siblings, families and friends face when someone they love becomes mentally ill before their eyes. This book gave me the chance to read something fictional, but believable and so accurate. I've lived through much of the same of what Dominic experienced with his brother. I thought I knew a lot, but what Wally Lamb wrote helped me even better understand the world through my brother's eyes. When you read this book understand that Wally Lamb has given you a unique opportunity to see our mentally ill relatives as we see them and why through it all we still stand by them.
Rating: 
Summary: Come along on this extraordinary journey
Review: What a ride! I agree with many people that it took a long time to get in to this book, but once there the remaining hundreds of pages flew by in a whirl. What can I say about Dominick Birdsey, and his many problematic areas, not the least of which is his schizophrenic self mutilating, identical twin brother, Thomas. Quick to act, Dominick tries to maintain his complicated life by distancing himself from all that is in it that he really can't handle. And that, dear readers, is everything that involves any feelings and emotions on Dominicks part. Living with the constant pressure of unresolved issues that plague him with fear and guilt, Dominick finally runs headlong into his wall of denial. Due to the extreme nature of his brothers latest "episode", Dominick is fighting for his life to prevent Thomas from being put in to the dreaded Hatch Forensic Institute. After endless frustrations Dominick must deal with Lisa Sheffer, a social worker, and Dr. Patel, the psychologist newly assigned to Thomas's case. These two women present a real challenge to Dominick, who must offer a lot of insight into his and his brothers early life in order to help Thomas. In doing so he must face the demons that have been hanging around him for so long, and deal with his anger. How can he put his own life in order when he is still struggling, years after the events, to come to terms with: his ex-wife that he loves, but has lost; the baby daughter they each lost; his late Mother, to whom he made a promise that he can't live up to; and his stepfather Ray, whose bullying tainted so much of their family life. Add to this Dominicks lack of success where his job is concerned, due to the total distraction provided by not only Thomas, but also Joy, Dominick's equally messed-up live-in girlfriend. Boy, has SHE got problems, but they don't seem to bother her too much, and Dominicks attitude towards her is hardly as compassionate as it could be. So, will it all end happily? Hardly! But take heart, because it can at least tie up all of the loose ends, and not end too horrifically. As a sideline, in the midst of so much of this drama, Dominick loses and finds a manuscript given to him by his Mother before her death. It is the story of his grandfather, a "Great Man from Humble Beginnings" by his own reckoning. There is a lot invested in this story for Dominick as he plunges in to it, hoping to solve the great mystery of his life: the identity of his and Thomas's own father. This wasn't an entirely satisfactory book, as matters of integral importance were sometimes dealt with too hastily, but hey, maybe that's life. At times this book was just too busy to try and keep up with, encompassing issues as diverse as the Gulf War, Indian Race issues, feminism, homosexuality, child sexual abuse, migration - it's quite a marathon. I Know This Much Is True CAN read like a soapie at times, especially when dealing with the storylines of Joy and "the Duchess", and also with Leo, Dominick's most constant buddy and brother-in-law, but occasionally in life we do experience larger than life characters, and plenty of superficial ones as well. For anyone that has put the time into dealing positively with unhealthy issues in their lives, there's a lot here to relate to. I'm off to track down a copy of She's Come Undone, it sounds intriguing too. Thanks Mr. Lamb.
Rating:
Summary: Unimaginable in it's scope
Review: Wally Lamb has really outdone himself with this book. Calling this book a novel would not do it justice, the scope of this book is much more on the level of a saga, the saga of a mans life, his uncertainties, his love, and his ambitions.The characters in this book are not perfect, indeed some of them are far from this ideal. Not all characters are sane, not all characters have the best intentions, but what makes this book so memorable is the fact that the characters are believeable. You can imagine yourself walking down the street and meeting this character, I could imagine myself conversing with any one of the characters in this book. There were many areas explored also in this book that would be of interest to a large population of readers, specifically the baby boomer era. The step father played a dominating roll for the twins in their early lives, and the numerous flashbacks only go to show how his impact has lasted through their entire adult life. The scarring and the memories from these experiences really shape the characters, and make them more believable and real. This book was incredible, saying this book was about one topic would be completely unfair to it. The topics ranged through so many issues and deal with so much that it is only fair to say: read this book and see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!
Review: It's been awhile since I enjoyed reading a novel as much as I did this one. It has also been awhile since I read anything this long! At 901 pages in paperback, it's a bit daunting at first, but it reads quickly and is very hard to put down. A large and sprawling story about family relationships, I was often reminded of my favorite novel, Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion. In both books, the relationships are intense and the characters are flawed but totally human and believable. I Know This Much Is True is written in the first person, but from several points of view. Most of the book is told in the present, from the viewpoint of a 40-something twin whose brother has been placed in a mental hospital after cutting off his own hand to protest the Persian Gulf War. Much of the present-day saga is Dominick's struggle to free his brother from the system and in the process, free himself. There are many, many flashbacks that flesh out who these people are and how they came to be the way they are. Sections are told by Dominick as a young boy. Later on, Dominick's grandfather's autobiography is found, and is interspersed in the present, suggesting that we are reading it along with Dominick. There are almost too many crises in the story, but it is a work of fiction, and comes around to a happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Rating:
Summary: I'm OK
Review: Everyone who doesn't have some dysfunction in your family, please raise your hand. Reading this book assures most people that you will be OK. The family history described in great detail makes for an outstanding read - I read until 4:00AM! It also gives one the assurance that with therapy you can recover and have a productive life. If your siblings choose not to seek help they are the ones to suffer. Recovery is not a guarantee as Lamb portrays so vividly.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is one of those books that you can't put down. Amazing characters with full ranges of emotion. You can feel what the characters feel for each other.
Rating: 
Summary: I Know This Much Is True
Review: I found the first 1/3 of the book to be extremely tedious - it took me weeks to wade through those first 300 pages. I never bought the notion that Dominick Birdsley was a college graduate, much less, an ex-teacher - he was unfamiliar with things a college student would have learned. I never bought the notion that his Italian immigrant grandfather wrote those memoirs - the writing often seemed much too polished. I got tired of all the f- - - words (no, I'm not a prude). Dominick's two serious accidents in one day stretched credulity. The ex-girlfriend's love situation and her tidy letter of explanation was hardly believable (how many screwed-up immature people do YOU know who can analyze a complex situation with emotional maturity?) The nicely-wrapped-up-and-tied-with-pink-ribbon happy ending was ho-hum-Hollywood and inconsistent with the rest of the book. It was a relief to finish the book in the absence of obscenities (a writer's technique of saying, "see, he no longer has any anger!") The premise of an emotionally disturbed twin is probably of interest to someone with a twin but I kept slogging through this because I was hoping to find some worthwhile reason for it's having been written. With all the self-mutilation, incest, self-pity, rape, "poor me", murder, "woe-is-me", AIDS, self-pity, etc., etc., etc., it can hardly be described as 'entertaining'. If your time is valuable to you, I recommend sticking with those books which have proven themselves to be lasting classics, but if you want a book with a lot of pages, this one's for you - especially if you have a table with one very short leg. (I would actually rate it -0- stars)
Rating:
Summary: I know this much is true
Review: I was a little hesitant to start this book as it is tomblike in size(900 pages.) Once I started though, I didn't want to put it down. I cried for the characters. I got angry at the characters. But, most of all, I got to know the characters and really feel for them. Wally Lamb is a great storyteller and outdid himself with this book. I'd reccomend it to anyone who enjoys a good story!
Rating:
Summary: pretty interesting
Review: I actually overhear someone at work describe this book and expressed an interest in reading it afterward. Many weeks passed by so I bought my own copy. I had a newborn at the time and we were staying on our boat for the summer and I buzzed through it in a week (after work and while nursing) It was a fascinating look inside the mind of someone dealing with mental illness and how fine a line is drawn between sanity and insanity. I wouldn't call it a classic, but I sure enjoyed the book and felt challenged.
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