Snow Falling on Cedars : A Novel

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Summary: eye-opening..
Review: I read this book for my Fiction class last year, and I had a hard time getting into it. Once I was able to pass through the details and finally "meet" all the characters, I was hooked. I never considered myself one interested in history, but this story showed me a glimpse of what life was like for those Japanese-Americans.

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Summary: I thought this book was amazing
Review: This book deserved all the hype and awards, for a first novel it was beautifully and sensitively written. The imagery was amazing and the characters seemed alive enough to walk right out of the book. Snow Falling On Cedars combined drama, love, war, small town values and prejudices like no other I have read. I know some people who have had a hard time geting into it but it is worth the effort to keep reading.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully melancholy
Review: Since I don't live in the US, I never heard about the hype. However, after reading it, I can understand why. I read the book because I bought in an airport and was atrracted to his easy style and very good writing. The book became progressively better. The story, a whodonit, is not as important as the mood. It is poetry in prose. I haven't read too many authors that write as well as Guterson does.

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Summary: Hhmmm...alright but not what the hype led me to believe
Review: I just finished this book for an english class and it wasnt's that excellent. Moreover i didn't think it is appropriate for some high school students, the myriad sex scenes are just too much for me, not to mention the uncomfortable mo's( self- mutilation, masturbation, constant swearing, - hey i'm only 16). Anyway i just didn't connect with this book which is funny because i happen to be an asian (female). There were some characters in which i found were too stereotyped and even generalised particularly with the older japanese females. Moreover Guterson seems to be bias,he creates both negative and positive characters in the caucasian community(etta heine, ishmaels parents which is fair) but then he present the japanese community all in the negative light( hatsues mother and that teacher of hers when she was young)and not present at least one positive character from them. The fact that this was written by a westerner doesn't seem surprising. but to be fair i must say i liked his prose.

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Summary: Despite the hype and expectations, it deserves the attention
Review: I thought this book was excellent. I consumed it all in two very shortly felt sittings. I also grew up in a small fishing town and I thought that every character and every scene was a masterpiece in authorship. The writer is completely objective, free from ego, and yet every emotion of the characters is wrenchingly felt. I especially liked how he handled the Japanese American characters and their perspectives. There is simply no book out there like it. And in the light of its accolades, it is clear that we are in a time when we can all appreciate this beautifully constructed story.

Rating:
Summary: Unless you must read it, it's one to skip
Review: I was shocked that this turgid and boring work won the awards that it did. I am also astounded at the number of courses that are assigning it as required reading. There is zero character development and almost as little plot development. The sex scenes were unnecessary and a bit embarrassing, even for this liberally educated reader. For a moving World War II drama, try "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" instead.

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Summary: Be determined to get into the story and it will reward you.
Review: I also bought this book because of all the great reviews it's received. It turned out to be very difficult to sink my teeth into -- oftentimes the descriptions go on for pages (something that puts me off, personally). However, the storyline and characters are so engaging that I found myself, by the end, totally engrossed and made myself stay up late into the night to finish it. So if you can put up with some wordy descriptions long enough to care about the people in the story, you will *love* this book! And if you can't, I definitely recommend trying because it really is worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Sleep Falling on Reader
Review: I bought this book because I heard that it had won many awards and that they were making a movie out of it. When I finished the novel (showing endurance I didn't even think I had ) I realized that this had to be the worst novel I had read since Silas Marner back in 10th Grade. The story was about 400 pages too long and spent eons describing minor details that will even have the most patient reader looking at his watch. Skip this yawner unless you are looking for an inferior courtroom novel that has poor plot development and little to offer a discriminating reader. JR

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Summary: Title metiphorically describes the soft blending of culture
Review: As a Lutheran and an ESL teacher, I appreciate the contrast of cultures and values and how they ever so softly touch and impact each other like snow falling on cedars.

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Summary: Wonderfully woven story of mystery, love, and war.
Review: When I read the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded dry, but I tried it anyway and found it to be one of the best books I've ever read! I was completely enthralled with the characters, the history and the way in which the tale was so intricately woven.