The Gold Coast

Rating:
Summary: Gatsby on the Gold Coast--A Classic Read!
Review: This is one of my all time favorites. I just got lost in this book--did not want it to end. It has everything, a strong sense of time, culture, and sly sense of humor. Very well written, I wish he would return to this style for his next book.

Rating:
Summary: Literally "Unputdownable"
Review: I had often heard about books that people "just couldn't put down", but had yet to come across a real one myself . . . "Gold Coast" was that book. Hysterically funny and deeply insightful, this book kept me entertained from cover to cover. I devoured it in two days, stopping only for the requisite nourishment and nature-call breaks. Utterly fantastic, "Gold Coast" is literally "unputdownable". The best novel I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually Stimulating! Witty! A Great Novel!
Review: This is the first DeMille book I read and now I am hooked. In this book he opened my eyes to things I would never have otherwise seen in the male psyche. I did not find this book to be a slow read at all. You have to appreciate what DeMille is trying to say about the character, what the character is going through, and society as a whole. A great intellectual novel.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: I just wish that more had actually happened! Although there was murder and intrigue - it seemed to be on the peripheral of the core of the story. Knowing more about Susan (from her perspective) would have added more depth to the book. However, the book did convince me to try out other Demille novels.

Rating:
Summary: Slow paced book. It took more than a month to finish.
Review: Although the life through the eyes of a middle aged tax attorney was somewhat entertaining, the story plot in this book seemed a bit too slow. This story is used to portray the differences between cultures and people that are caught between the boundaries of these cultures; interesting points are brought out about Italians, the mafia and a high society neighborhood on the east coast. The two shall never meet in the middle. Nelson Demille should clearly stick to spy novels as this book clearly demonstrates that Italian Mob history is not his forte.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT ALL-AROUND BOOK
Review: This book is suspenseful as well as romantic and intriguing. The story is well written and characters seem completely realistic. The book is also very accurate in it's description of the north shore of Long Island where the story takes place. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely awesome!
Review: I had to read this book for a class, so going in, I was a little sketchy on whether it would be worth my while. Well, this was one of the best books I have ever read! I'm not one for reading either, but this one, I could not put down. What I appreciated most is the sense of humor and sarcasm of the characters. Made it interesting.

Rating:
Summary: It was a pleasure to read this book - twice!
Review: This is the first book I've read twice; first in 1993 and again this year. It is a masterfully-woven tale of hot-shot lawyer, very sexy wife, Mafia don neighbor, IRS pest all set amongst the riches of d'elite Long Islanders. The story is first-rate, always engrossing, and its characters are extremely well-developed. Above all, it is a story that will take you far away from your surroundings, no matter where you are reading it, because it is that good. DeMille has really put out a masterpiece here. Above all the attributes I've already listed, this book is FOYC(fall of your chair)funny. Oh, the wit and humor will have you hoping for more as you read on, and guess what? it's there! You will be continuously amused and pulled right into this tale of the rich folk. Oh what a great book. Read it now.

Rating:
Summary: Biting wit!
Review: I was desperate for something to read and was given this book. I was a little suspicous at first as both my father and grandfather had been reading it, but I became pulled into the grandeur (and dark side) of a life nothing like my own. Most of all, I appreciated the humor in the story. It was cynical and biting. I have read it twice and loved it both times. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Good premise but became slow reading
Review: The idea of this book is a fantastic one-- Mafia don moves next door to snobby "uppah crust" couple whose lives are the last of a dying breed. They all should have been living in 1930 in an 80 room mansion, and the accumulation of details on this dying lifestyle at first was fascinating but then began to bog down. The couple's unusual sex life (anywhere and everywhere, on a horse or on a statue) became tiresome and the man's repeated rude wise-cracking to the Mafioso became more and more annoying, plus the beautiful, rich wife became boring to me. I wish this book had been cut back about 30% to get to the story, and I wish the characters had more going for them. They seemed so vacant I couldn't care.