Rating: 
Summary: In the Lake of the Woods -- A Classic? I think not.
Review: "In the Lake of the Woods" by Tim O'brien is a classic example of a book that had wonderful
oppurtunity but just did not make the cut with me for several reasons. First, though, I must O'Brien for a brillient job at concieving an intriguing plot for a mystery. However, the story
was too shadowed and shady. The literary
aspects of the book were quite exceptional in their originality but quickly grew old and thus caused the book to grow lathargic and slow
moving. I encourage those of you that enjoy
unique literature to read this book for its literary aspects, but if you are looking for a book that
will hold you interest until you finish, you might not want to look here.
Rating: 
Summary: A deeply moving, agonizingly sad piece of "history."
Review: This book was first published three years ago! Not only is it still in print (!), but large numbers of people are still being profoundly affected by it. Look over the comments here. Most of them were written within the past six months--ample testament, should anyone need it, to the staying power of this superb novel about a period which permanently scarred a whole generation of young men!
Rating: 
Summary: Character makes me never want to go home to MN, you betcha.
Review: You've heard of the novel _You Can't Go Home Again_? Well, this book makes me never want to return to my Mid-Western home of Minnesota ever again. Too bad Mom and Dad, but the main character of this postmodern mystery is just too creepy. After he comes back to Minneapolis from Viet Nam and runs for public office and loses. Wooooooow Nelly, even 9 months of winter and all the pickled cod I can eat aren't enough to lure me back up North. And what the guy does with that boiling water just ain't the way I'd like to warm up after a nice hike in the Boundary Waters Recreation Area--if you know what I mean. But you don't because you haven't read the book yet. And I won't tell you if he kills his wife because I ain't quite sure myself. Cold as an icy mist wrapped around your heart. Fargo Shmargo.
Rating:
Summary: a touching expose into the human mind and nature.
Review: in the lake of the woods is beyond the sphere of whether americans belonged in the vietnam war. itgoes further to explore a more personal aspect - the human heart and mind. tim o'brien has effectively explored these themes through wade, the anti-hero of this novel. the book was not only entertaining and intellectually stimulating, it also made me stop and reflect on how much i know about myself. the flashbacks and the juxtapose of wade's thoughts with the continuing storyline was a fine example of post-modernist style of literature. o'brien, i eagerly look forward to reading you other work.
Rating:
Summary: A new standard for an old genre
Review: Tim O'Brien rips apart the standard form and content of the mystery novel, the recollections-of-war novel, and the psychological probe to find at the heart of them all a brand new form. Sadly, each of those genres has suffered from overuse to the point of making them into modern cliches, often at the hands of writers who a story to tell but no reason for telling it. O'Brien recues us from this by weaving together the separate threads of his story into one elegant tapestry of a tale. Centered around the mysterious disappearance of Kathy Wade, wife of politician John Wade, In The Lake Of The Woods questions possibility itself. Not any one possibility in particular, but the role of the what-if in human existence. At first all we see is what the world sees, a married couple on vacation lying in each others arms. Then slowly enough for the reader to savor it all, O'brien peels back one layer after another of the games, the hidden agendas, the deceit of others, and the deciet of the self that lie beneath the exterior. Juxtaposed with the internal mystery is the very present search for the missing Mrs. Wade. And as we wonder what could have happened to her, we wonder also what has happened to her in the past, and to John, and to a host of other charcters who dance in and out of the narrative like fireflies in the night sky. Until soon the various half-truths and possible- thruths and outright lies blend into a question of faith in the unknown, into a question of what we would like to be true. Of what we need to be true. A master with the language, O'brien guides us through the flashbacks, flashforwards, and flashsideways with such convincing clarity of detail, both emotional and physical, that each possibility holds shades of the truth within it. As the story spirals in toward its resolution the issues of hope's reliance on the unknown, history's reliance on what might have been, and man's ability only to be sure of what is possible not what is actual collide and leave the reader with a newfound appreciation for the beauty of "maybe." The book is dotted with a smattering of styles including some straight from the author's conscience footnotes that will blow you away. I couldn't put it down
Rating:
Summary: Horror and captivation all at once
Review: How can you describe a book that makes you shiver one minute and admit fascination the next? The flashbacks to Vietnam illustrate the destruction that many of us are thankful we did not experience. The compelling drama, unfolding for the main character, forces the reader to admit that the shadow from Vietnam covers everything. The characters are haunting and the circumstances are unforgettable. I recommend this book if you really want to feel something deep in your soul
Rating: 
Summary: I'm Proud To Be An American
Review: I am probably missing something, but this dark story about the ills of America's political system, the freedom loving people of North Vietnam, and their horrendous slaughter at the hands of Charlie Company didn't work for me. Nam was a tragedy, a horrible mistake. But this story is not entertaining (it is painful), contains more of the same old "aren't we Americans horrible" media line, and had nothing fresh or revealing. The characterization of John and a unique style of inserting quotes into the novel were well done. I found little else to like in this gloomy little narrative. Not recommended
Rating:
Summary: It's a good story but not great
Review: Sure it was a good story but it was not particularly well written and the quotes between chapters are drawn out. The book tries too hard to evoke emotions that are just not there. The constant repetition of certains themes stretch out what should have been a Short Story
Rating:
Summary: Lost in a waking nightmare
Review: We live in a media-driven society. Political conventions are Oprahfied. In the Lake of the Woods uses that background and does so very effectively. What happened here? Is perception different from reality? Whose perception? Whose reality? The reader is given access to a vast number of perceptions and left to discover their own reality. What DID happen here?Brooding, enigmatic, disturbing
Rating:
Summary: Entranced
Review: It's hard to put into words exactly why In The Lake Of The Woods has cast such a spell on me. It's not that I lie awake at night wondering what happened to the protagonist, or that I'm overcome with the horrors of Vietnam. It's just I love a good story, and never have I been told a story like this before. In our high-concept world, it's often forgotten that magic is created by ensuring we never see the wires, not by the size of the rabbit. It's all too rare to come across a story that's so completely and eloquently stitched together, you walk around in a stupor for days wanting to prolong the feeling of having been to the mountain top
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