Sideways : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Horrible. Absolutely horrible.
Review: This book stinks. It STINKS. Unfortunately, I have that disease that requires me to finish every book I start. I have rarely come closer to curing myself than I did with this book. If this tin-eared author told me one more time that someone ``laughed robustly'' or ``clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter'' (at what was presented as yet another delightful bon mot but was actually another in the litany of insipid observations) I would have cried. Clearly, I can see why they made a movie out of it, but don't kid yourself into thinking this guy can write a decent novel. What a turd. If zero stars was an option, that would have been my assessment.

Rating:
Summary: similarities
Review: this book, and its movie are great, but isnt it a little reminiscent to "a separate peace"

Rating:
Summary: The movie is much better
Review: This is one of those rare instances where the book is not better than the movie. It's difficult and often unfair to compare a book and a movie, but in this case the movie really flushes out what the book could have been. Mr. Pickett would have been well served with a better editor and a tighter story. The wine talk wears pretty thin pretty fast and takes about 200 pages to accomplish what the movie did in the first forty minutes.