Rating: 
Summary: Good writing, but 460 pages later, ultimately unsatisfying.
Review: I can understand the criticism of the other three hundred (or so) reviewers. So I'll have to take a piece from each and sum up what they say, and, at the same time, tell you what I think. At points, the novel was so moving, evocative, and well written (especially during the relationship between Ishmiel and Hatsue) that I almost started talking to the book ("No way", or "Oh my god" etc...). The animosity of the Americans towards the Japanesse-Americans is clear throughout the book, at times a tad overstated (when the narrator starts using the word "Jap" himself). There are so many highs in the book, moments of almost Joyce-like writing, near perfection. But the space in between that, it appears to me, is meaningless description. He takes pages and pages to describe this and that, here and there, while he never truly hints as to there meaning. It would appear that, over the course of 460 pages, Guterson has forgotten the style of writing this is, or at least fails to weave it all together, as a master-writer like Joyce, Fitzgerald, or Woolf did so subtlely (or not subtley in some cases) and yet so well. And that, after having my nose buried in this book for a solid week for a history class, left me with a rather hollow feeling. At points it was, indeed, wonderful, but you found yourself, instead of enjoying all the pages, waiting for the next good ones to come. Perhaps he should shorten his next novel (I haven't read East of the Mountains). Unless he was getting paid by the word.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall a great novel to read
Review: I felt that this was a beautiful book. Gutterson's use of the language was both powerful and beautiful. His descriptions of this small town, and of the history surrounding it's characters was great! Even though its basis (the murder/trial of a Japanese-American) was a bit "misplaced" I would still recommend everyone to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: pffff
Review: The cover is nice, as is the back. Skip the part in between
Rating:
Summary: It was really good!
Review: I read this book for summer reading for school, and it was really amazing. I'm not from the readers, and it kept me interested all the way through! Read it and you'll see!
Rating:
Summary: Guterson himself has not departed from racial biases.
Review: Yes, this was a well-crafted book. However, it was not _well-written_ because Guterson utilized "essentialist" words to describe Asian American qualities in his book. Let me explain. Did you notice that Guterson used words such as "grace," "tranquility," and "patience" to describe Asian Americans? He also used telling phrases such as "his strength...an inward matter" (87) or "I understand just now the deepest beauty" (92) in order to capture the seemingly essential, or "primary," qualities exuded by Asian Americans. Look throughout the book: Does Guterson ever use these types of words to describe the non-Asian population of San Piedro Island? Guterson himself has not departed from racial biases.
Rating:
Summary: overrated! save your $$$.
Review: Though I found Guterson's descriptions of strawberry fields & island life beautiful, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone because some parts of it were very boring. The description of the WWII battlefield sounded forced & out of place. Will definitely not be reading any more of the author's novels.
Rating:
Summary: Scissors please...
Review: Guterson's short story collection was outstanding. Evocative and emotional, like listening to an old time storyteller with an eye on the modern. This book's sense of history and character is just as good, but the crime was so far removed from the characters and their lives as to leave me thinking..."so what" at the climax. Take the characters and their experiences in the 30's and 40's, weave a few short stories around them and I'd have been happy.
Rating: 
Summary: controversial?
Review: I liked this book so much I was pretty surprised by all the negative reviews I saw here. Many people say that the book didn't live up to the hype - which makes me think it's a good thing I don't live in the US, allowing me to stay completely ignorant of and unaffected by such hype (whatever it was). How the evidence is pieced together bit by bit, the emotionally tearing testimonies of the witnesses (which are given in the third person by the narrator) whether they say it in the witness stand or not, the relentless snow... everything comes together to create a truly haunting story with flesh-and-blood characters and superb detail. The sheer silence that surrounds the sea of salmon, the sweet aroma of strawberries, the soft moss where the two young lovers lay... everything becomes real and palpable. This trip to San Piedro Island is startling, revealing, and picturesque. It makes an unforgettable experience. The subtle narrative tells the truth without directly enforcing anything at all on the reader. The plot is attacked for being slow and the descriptions for being too meticulous and repetitive - but I read this in 2 days without ever feeling even remotely bored and found the details to be absolutely beautiful, almost smothering. If you're considering this book, first erase the hype from your mind and then make a mental list of your favorite books because whether you'll like this or not depends strongly on your own personal reading style.
Rating: 
Summary: Sure, great interesting history lesson
Review: I figure that it is fine for someone who has time to learn about that stuff but someone who is reading a book for something useful nowdays or a novel that excites throughout, this is not the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: The book was...
Review: I think the book was pretty good. It was thought provoking and deep...but it wasn't profounding to the point where I had a cartharsis. I really enjoyed reading it..and the way the characters were slowly developed. I've read through a few of the comments placed here and they said that the characters were not well developed...well I think Ishmael, Carl, and maybe even Hatsue were quite remarkable characters. I'm proud of Ishmael..and his mother playing a great part in his life (even though it was the ending half of the book). However, I do agree that the book was slow...and parts where I fell asleep. But that was what made the book beautiful; the way he described the setting and was descriptive of little parts of nature that never really seems to awaken any of us. And I think there might have been some symbolism in parts of his writing. Nonetheless..I think this book was wonderful to read. I enjoyed it very much!
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