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Summary: A GREAT BOOK
Review: Being assigned to read Snow Falling on Cedars, I was a little hesitant at first. As soon as I reached the fourth chapter and the book started to focus more on the trial, Guterson had me. I have never read a book by David Guterson before, and to tell you the truth I am not the type of person who picks up books for fun and then right away says "this is a good book". I am more of the type of person to put the book down after the first few chapters if it doesn't interest me. Thus you know this will be a good book. Though I enjoyed the book, I found it to be a bit provocative and too explicit in its content. I felt it unnecessary for him to describe even the littlest detail of not only Carl and Susan-Marie's lives, but of Ishmael and Hatsue's as well. Guterson wrote not just a 'historical mystery', but a compelling love story. He included the love and frustration a young interracial couple faced in the 1950's time era. It moved my heart to think of the struggle Hutsue must have been going through, deciding if Ishmael was the right choice, and if she could betray her family like that. Also, the setting of the story, a small island during a blizzard, helped set the queit, dreary and solemn mood that was felt through out the novel. Best of all, I enjoyed the suspence Guterson left me with, wondering right up to the last chapter weather Kabuo would be acquitted of murder or not. Snow Falling on Cedars has a great amount of detail in it that comes together to form a wonderful novel of which you can not only read for pleasure, but also for information on how the Japanese were treated prior to, during, and after the war. Druing this book you will feel as though you are part of the trial, and in each of the charachters lives. This is probably one of the best books I have ever read.
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Summary: _Snow Falling on Cedars_: A Review by T. Ivey
Review: This book is written so that its reader feels, at times, as though a observer in the book. For example, in one scene, the author makes you feel like you are actually in the autopsy room with the corpse, as the words are graphic and explicit. And so is the language, and the sex scenes between two "consenting" teens. Because of some of the language and sex scenes, I do not recommend this book for teen-agers. One of the characters, Hatsue, appears very angry at life and at Ishmael, someone she was very "close" with earlier in her life.(Remember the sex scenes I mentioned?) In Herman Melville's novel _Moby Dick_ he starts off his with this famous line, "Call me Ishmael." In this book, however, the very-married Hatsue seems to be saying to a man (Ishmael) who is not her husband, "Call me, Ishmael."
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Summary: There's no escaping love, justice, and prejudice
Review: In the novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson, Kabuo Miyamoto is on trial for the murder of Carl Heine. The year 1954 is coming to a close on San Piedro Island, which is off the coast of Seattle. San Piedro Island is extremely isolated from the rest of the world and all of its citizens know everyone else that lives there. There is no room for enemies on such a small island, but after Carl Heine's suspicious death, on September 16, 1954, the whole town seems to have one enemy- Kabuo Miyamoto. It is nine years after WWII, and there is still much hatred for the Japanese-Americans in the town. This is not helpful for Kabuo, because he is a Japanese-American. Many people are against Kabuo, but one man is willing to investigate further into the trial then the rest of the town to make sure he has the truth. Ishmael Chambers is the writer of the local paper on San Piedro Island. He and Kabuo both fought in the war for America, and Ishmael unfortunately lost one of his arms. Chambers is not only looking for justice but he is also trying to accept the fact that his long lost love Hatsue Miyamoto, who is now Kabuo's wife, has moved on and Ishmael needs to as well. Guterson describes the people and the life on San Piedro Island in superb detail. He describes people, places, and incidents in such detail that you can picture the incidents in your head perfectly. Guterson's style of writing is eloquently shown in this excerpt, "Today there were a lot of seagulls present. Normally they foraged around the salmon cannery, but now they sat on drag floats or buoy bags without stirring a feather, as if made of clay, or rode the tide in Amity Harbor, occasionally flaring overhead, riding the winds with their heads swiveling." Pg. 37 I think that the novel is a little slow in the beginning, but that is because Guterson is setting the reader up for the trial. The entire wait in the begging is soon forgotten about, because the book really picks up after the first few chapters. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, because of its mysteriousness and many possibilities.
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Summary: Good book with a few shortcomings
Review: This was a book assigned for me to read in English class. The cover is not too appealling but the immediate jump into the plot was a bit interesting. The characters are simple and easy to understand. Unlike other authors, Guterson is a little blunt with symbolism. But, that does not matter too much in the scheme of things because the unique storyline is always there for entertainment. The one downside are the graphic sex scenes. I do not really think they are necessary to the novel at all. And in saying this, if you are the reader just skip over them, you are not missing anything. Aside from these superflous details the book is pretty solid and extremely easy reading.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the best books my eyes have ever read
Review: This fabulous book and the little secluded world among cedars is work of a great author. it seems as if i am part of that world, and i know everyone in it. the way guterson writes, you get to know every character and how they intertwine with the trial. a fresh book that gives you the warm fuzzy feeling inside.
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Summary: snow falling
Review: Very good book. A little slow moving, but the historical setting is excellent and the book is very well written
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Summary: Too Slow, Underdeveloped
Review: Snow Falling on Cedars perfectly exemplifies the adage "You can't judge a book by its cover." While the image of a dark green island enshrouded by mist appeals to the reader as enticing and mysterious, the content of the enclosed 460-page novel falls far short of impressive or engaging. In all fairness to Guterson, the novel's language is complete, descriptive, and carefully crafted; one cannot read a paragraph without discovering a simile, metaphor, or personification. In most cases, however, the author comes off as striving to amaze his readers with ability to use figurative language. Guterson carries through numerous important symbols and story lines, yet even these details become lost in the extensive exposition and incoherent chronology. As each important event ensues in the seemingly straightforward plot, Guterson manages to confuse even the best readers by submitting a biography of every minor character that serves to only detract from the details of the trial. True, the literal trial is not in essence the focus of the novel, but chapters devoted to the sexual acts of the deceased man and his wife become commonplace, and the over developed background on the 79- year- old lawyer's erectile dysfunction ailment adds nothing; a simple sentence or even its absence would have sufficed. The characters in the novel further are colorful- partially aided by Guterson's apparent obsession with irrelevant plots- yet they are all too cliché. The deceased man's wife, for example, uses her beauty, as have countless vixens in novels and movies, to influence the men involved with the trial. Ishmael, one of the most prominent and developed characters, shares his name with the character in Moby Dick, yet readers must be cautioned, for even his disturbing eccentricities, his persistence in acting on "passions best left to a war of ten years ago", pale in the light of his predecessor. In trying to allude to one of the best known names in literature, Guterson only achieves a second-rate character. In short, don't expect to remember for long the names of the characters in Snow Falling on Cedars after you've thrown it away. Also, don't expect to leave caring about any of them- except for possibly one: Hatsue, the beautiful Japanese girl who, due to her family's wishes, abandoned Ishmael after he left for the second World War, might stand out as the one character whose personal fetish doesn't conflict with the development of the novel's attempted plot. However, as hard as it is for Ishmael to discern her mind's thoughts, the reader also finds it difficult to decide what to make of her. It appears as though even Guterson himself was unsure until the final chapter of the novel, one of the only ones whose content contributed to the meaning of the work as a whole. In addition to bringing relief by marking the near-end of the novel, the final chapter is employed by Guterson as a means to try to tie together the loose ends of the numerous plots he wove within the book's pages. Sifting through the innumerable variety of facts he deliberately threw out during the trial, Guterson solidifies what actually ensued the night of Carl's death; the reader does leave with a clear picture of the sequence of events. Further, it is in the final, absolute last paragraph of the novel that Guterson finally comes through with his most important theme upon which he previously fails to elaborate. While the theme is unique, Guterson should have focused more on its development than on the sexual life of each character or on the mundane theme of the horrors of racism. By the novel's end, the reader can easily highlight these themes, yet none are developed enough to encompass the work's meaning. Snow Falling on Cedars delivers much to its readers. Within its 465 pages lie overly used imagery, constantly changing time frames and scenes, and the partial history of the plight of the Japanese Americans during World War II. Readers will never look at hollow trees the same way again, as sexual acts with various numbers of people occur inside one special trunk. Lovers of figurative language and history will find a friend in the richness of language in Snow Falling on Cedars, and readers will rejoice in its simplicity. The novel fails, however, to entice its readers to look beyond the literal, to connect with the characters, or to feel engaged in the action, so the novel will not stand the test of time. Those who desire cooperative details and conventional organization will undoubtedly feel lost in the novel's lack of logical flow, for Guterson has essentially launched this novel like a ship without a rudder.
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Summary: Five Uses for This Book
Review: *A coaster *Starter for your fireplace *A cure for insomnia *To make all other books seem better in contrast *To make 460 paper airplanes (one per page) * In short, this book is a waste of time, money, sanity, personal pride, and shelf space.
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Summary: A Faulkner Award? Against What, The Cat in the Hat?
Review: I can't imagine how a novel so obviously flawed made its way onto the AP reading list and further won a Faulkner Award (although the Faulkner Award isn't anything great). Take the overused and redundant theme of racism, a bunch of stereotypical characters, awkward and annoying symbolism, and a variety of out-of-place sexual acts and you've got the sown together Frankenstein mess of this book. My teacher said that Guterson was influenced strongly by To Kill a Mockingbird, yet that is an extreme understatement. Guterson practically copied the book's central themes and added his own twisted workings to create a piece of ... at which we should all scoff. Unless you like chapter after chapter of scenes of masturbation and erectile dysfunction in a 79-year-old man (both of which suggest some of Guterson's obsesions), don't buy this book. Save your time, money, and sanity.
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Summary: a great book - if a bit overrated
Review: I read 'Snow' because it is so often touted as "life changing" and, and appears on numerous lists of "banned books". Well, I didn't find anything "life changing" about it. And for all that, couldn't find a single scene within for which it might be suggested a book be banned. Was it banned because he told the TRUTH? I do admire him for that. Nobody else had spoke up before Guterson on the shameful treatment of Japanese Americans during the war. Was it banned for a heartwarming little moment of tenderness between two young people inside a tree-trunk? Who knows... Well, I did really enjoy it in spite of the fact that I really don't care much for historical fiction. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through, and even keeps you guessing about the guilt or innocence of the man accused of murder until the very end. Another book well worth reading, even if it didn't "change my life." Cheers! (and happy reading!) ~ Gus
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