Rating: 
Summary: One of the Year's Best
Review: I was entrigued by both the cover and ideas of this novel. As a lover of History, I found the topic of the treatment of the Japanese Americans during World War II especially moving. Add Guterson's amazing control of language and his sheer devotion to writing, and you've got one of the best books I have ever read. Snow Falling on Cedars is one of those books you'll want to read countless times, as it is an exhilarating and heart-warming tale of love and betrayal and an investigation of the human soul. It's a great first novel for a writer who is undoubtedly one of the best the world has ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: With Both Eyes
Review: To be quite honest and forthright with you, I would have never even picked up this book if it weren't an assignment for one of my English classes, mostly because the title itself never really caught my attention. "Snow Falling on Cedars" just gave me a mental image of a large mountain man and his romantic rendezvous, and I don't really go for those mushy, romance type novels, so I just always opted for something that appeared to have a little more depth to it. Boy was I wrong! This book didn't just have depth; it had layer upon layer upon layer of it (which is quite an accomplishment in itself, considering it was written within the last decade and by an American author nonetheless). And don't get me wrong on that point either, because I know if I had read that last statement, I would assume that it would be one of those hard to read, impossible to interpret pieces, but Guterson used language and style similar to many popular modern-day writers. The aspect, which I find most intriguing about the piece is how Guterson chose to interweave several stories into one novel. An intercultural love story, a war story, a murder trial, and an unsolved mystery all slowly unwrap as this story about the residents of San Piedro Island is told. I found myself comparing this novel with Edgar Lee Masters book "Spoon River Anthology" for this very reason. Introducing an array of characters, whose roles range from the local sheriff to a retired dentist, Guterson purposely utilized flashback as a way to tell their individual stories. Vivid imagery and exacting details helped to round out these seemingly unattached narratives by providing a way for the reader to know every see every side of the story, even when the character's themselves were not. When I originally began to write this review, I immediately targeted the ending as the novels weakest feature, which seems forced and painfully obvious. But after a little more reflection about the book as a whole, I once again found myself admitting that my first impression was way off center. It was never about the ending, it was about the journey each character endured to get to that point. Look at it this way, on the surface, the small town of San Piedro Island may seem like just another dull and ordinary spot in the world, but if you take a closer look, there is really so much more going on than one could have ever expected. And I think that is what really makes this piece such a success; that this type of eclecticism can be found the world over, but only if you take the time to look with both eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: Some Beautiful Passages
Review: This book is worth reading--the imagery is wonderful and the story compelling. However, there is a lot to read through that doesn't seem to have much to do with the plot. The reader is taken on many side trips that detract from the strong story line. There are many characters to keep track of, and this, with the superfluous information can make it feel as if the reader is "wading" through the book (too many times, I asked myself "when is this chapter going to end," and "what does this have to do with the story"?). Still, there is much to be admired in Guterson's writing and the book is worth your time to read and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovely story with good message
Review: In "Snow Falling on Cedars," a novel by David Guterson, vivid imagery ties in with a love story and a twist of "whodunnit" mystery add to form an intriguing story that is hard to put down. The story opens in a courtroom. Kabuo Miyamoto, a Japanese-American in the 1950s, sits on trial for the murder of a local fisherman. The main story follows the trial of Miyamoto, but ties in so much more. The small size of San Piedro Island, where the story takes place, causes almost everyone in the town to be tied into the murder or someone involved. Anecdotal stories fill the gaps in stories. For example, the journalist following the trial, Ishmael Chambers, is linked to Miyamoto's wife Hatsue. Hatsue and Chambers were childhood friends, and like many boy-girl childhood friendships, theirs grew into a puppy love in high school. Since Ishmael was American and Hatsue was Japapnese-American, their love was forbidden and they hid it from the community. A cruel string of events following the bombing of Pearl Harbor separated Ishmael and Hatsue, and the tensions that followed lasted until their adult lives. Past stories of interracial love, hatred and discrimination unwrap into a compelling story that tugs at the heartstrings of readers. With interracial relationships in America still largely unacceptable and discrimination smaller but still a problem, this book shows another example of America contradicting its own Constitution by discriminating against the minority in the past.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The author imbues the novel with a stormy bleak chill island atmosphere that works well and he is at his best explicating the characters feelings and moods.However this novel is sadly let down by 2 points.Firstly there is an endless amount of meaningless trivial padding that turns this 250 page content into 400 pages plus.Secondly and the major drawback is the centre of the plot-based on a murder trial.The evidence and facts about the trial are so scanty and the strength of the case so laughable that the reader is constantly distracted in that the trial is a farcical pretext which does not make any sense and just does not gel-and the trial is used to explore the characters it affects.The fact that there even is a trial is ludicrous and further the fact that the jurors would even consider deliberation is utter nonsense-WHERES THE EVIDENCE?!For a thought provoking quality mystery read The Name of the Rose-Umberto Eco or any classic book-this certainly isnt in any sense.Stereotypes abound though Guterson captures well the island setting and presents the unrequited love theme poignantly.
Rating:
Summary: NBC Movie of the Week
Review: This is how this book felt to me. The characters were shallow and the narrator was intrusive and sappy. I didn't know what this book was about before I opened it; but, coincidently, I started reading it immediately after finishing "The Brothers Karamazov", which has many of the same plot elements. This made it pale in coparison to great literature even further. Living in Japan, as well, made the stereotypes seemed all the more laughable to me.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling reading
Review: A love story told in flashbacks from a murder trial? Yes, and it works! It is so fully and richly written, you truly feel you know these people.I know some reviewers thought it had too much description and too many flashbacks, but I felt that is what made it so real. Knowing the background of the main characters;their families, their histories, help you understand who they are now, and why they behave as they do.I admit I think we could have done without SO much insight into the defense attorney's private thoughts, but overall I found the background information very helpful in understanding the characters and how they interact with each other. It is a story that should make us exam our own background and prejudices to see why we make the decisions we make and why we believe what we do. Very compelling reading. Hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: A TOUCHING STORY
Review: There are few books that I have read which I would describe as 'touching', but this qualifies. Snow Falling on Cedars is a wonderful and moving story of a man whose love for a woman is so deep that he will do anything for her, even helping to find her husband innocent of murder. The story weaves past and present events artfully, so that the reader is never left out on any of the rich details of how Ishmael's love of Hatsue grew, and why after years of trying to move on with his life he will sacrifice what ground he has gained to help her. Ishmael, a reporter for the local paper on San Pedro Island, uncovers the details surrounding the death of a local fisherman, which leads to Hatsue's husband being accused of murder, as the two men were rivals of sorts, and Kabuo definitely had an axe to grind, as his family was cheated out of land years ago by the fisherman's mother, following the Japanese of the island, be they natives or immigrants, being put into camps during the war years before. Ishmael follows the trail of events which lead to the death, and eventually uncovers the truth of that foggy evening in the fishing waters off the island. A senstively written, heartbreaking novel from start to finish, this is a wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful and visually evocative
Review: SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS is full of sumptuous, vivid descriptive passages that will have you smelling the fishy, sea air and feeling the sand between your toes while you read. Guterson spares no effort in bringing the West Coast to his reader. He also spins a pretty good courtroom yarn, although to me, the plot was almost secondary. Ishmael Chambers, the town newspaper reporter/publisher, is covering the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto. Miyamoto is on trial for the murder of Carl Heine, once his high school chum, over a piece of ill-gotten land. The novel follows two story lines: the present-day investigation into the real story of how Carl was killed, and the doomed, teenage love affair between Ishmael and Hatsue, now Kabuo's wife. The stories are both compelling and Guterson convincingly depicts the shameful treatment the U.S. gave its Japanese American citizens during WWII. If I have one complaint, it's that as I got deeper into the mystery, and closer to its resolution, I kept wishing Guterson would cut the descriptiveness and just resolve things! (But, I couldn't skip ahead to the end, his writing is so beautiful!)
Rating:
Summary: Book Review
Review: Snow Falling on Cedars takes the reader on an astounding journey into the past. It takes place through World War II. The trip reveals lost relationships and reignites a forgotten love. This powerful story shows what life was like during this time period. The reader will follow a young man into battle, and a young girl to a camp, and will discover the hardships they face. This beautifully written novel will surely leave a lasting impression upon the reader, and will austound many to come.
| 
