Snow in August

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Summary: What a great read!
Review: I loved this book! It pulled me in right at the beginning and held my interest the whole way through! I thought the ending was a little bizarre but the good guys won!

Rating:
Summary: Terrific, great reading
Review: Great story, loved going back to Brooklyn, however I was somewhat dissapointed by the ending. Didn't quite know what Hamill was trying to convey. Was the Golem reality, or was it the imagination of Michael Devlin.

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Summary: A wonderful touching story.
Review: I loved this book. Although generally not a big sentimentalist, I was touched deeply by the story and the characters. Sure, the ending was corny, but a little magic every once in a while is good for the soul.

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Summary: More Honesty,please
Review: Perhaps one of the biggest distractions in literature today is the author's inability to tell the truth. In the real world, bad people appear good and vice versa. In the real world, Frank would not be so evil, and the rabbi would be so pure and good. It is as if Mr. Hamill is afraid that if he shows any bad quality in a Jewish person, that person would deserve to go through the holocaust. Hitler was an evil man, but he was not put in such an incredible postion of power by appearing so evil. People were drawn to him, they believed him, they wanted him to have control. I think it is an author's responsibility to reflect the world as it truly is and trust that truth will shine through. Mr. Hamill's insistence on political correctness made this story seem forced and immature. What I enjoyed most about the story was Hamill's ability to describe the life around him, the long walk to mass and the warmth of his home after; the everyday chores and other descriptions of his life. There wasn't enough of that honesty, and that is where I felt let down.

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Summary: A wonderful story
Review: The story is so down to earth and well told that when it turns to pure fantasy. You want to believe... at least I think it was fantasy?

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Summary: What's to like about this book?
Review: It's overly sentimental, melodramatic, predictable, repetitve, and the ending is a world-class cop-out. This fantasy story reads like it was written for grade schoolers; that's the only target audience I could recommend this book to.

Rating:
Summary: As captivating as watching snow melt
Review: The only reason this book is considered by some to be a "real page turner" is because it is written at a third grade level. The story itself was not worth telling. It is predictable at best and overly sentimental at worst. So much more could have been done with the premise but unfortunately, Hamill brought no more depth to this story line than "snow in August".

Rating:
Summary: A moving read but with some problems
Review: This book was very moving and made me think a lot about faith and miracles, but I wish Hamill had included one more chapter at the end to tie up the loose ends, like Michael and his mother moving out to the new apartment, Frankie going to jail, and the implications of raising the golem. The golem part works if you have a taste for mystical fantasy but it leaves you hanging at the end. And the golem chapters do stir up one problem for me: is Hamill implying that the Jews were not "pure" enough to save themselves during the Holocost because they lacked faith and that only an outsider can raise the golem? Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I came away with that feeling. Despite this, Snow in August is a good read that will make you ponder over the issues it raises.

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Summary: Miracles do happen if you believe.
Review: Snow In August transcends the racial barrier and focuses on Michael Devlin, an 11 year old Irish male who befriends Rabbi Judah Hirsch, a refugee from Prague. What transpires during this unlikely friendship is both heartwarming and compelling. Although they are from different cultures, they find a common bond in the all-American past time:baseball. During the friendship, Michael teaches the Rabbi English through baseball analogies. Subsequently, Michael learns Yiddish from the Rabbi. However, the story also includes gang violence which in a way tests their friendship. Michael's mother feels it is wrong to be an informer;whereas Rabbi Hirsch feels it is as wrong to keep silent about a crime, as it is to actually commit a crime. Inevitably, Michael discovers a way of resolving this issue through his belief in God. This was an interesting book which will make you reflect on your own belief system.

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Summary: I ENJOYED THE BOOK BUT NOT THE ENDING.
Review: I enjoyed reading SNOW IN AUGUST. Pete Hamill has a nice way with words. I enjoyed the way he described Brooklyn, baseball and making friends with a Rabbi. I would of liked the ending to have Michael and his mother move out of Brooklyn. I would of liked Michael to continue with his studies. He seemed very intelligent, maybe he could grow up to be a President of some company and get back at those hoodlums with his brain. I would of also liked to see the hoodlums arrested, and maybe killed in jail. The golem ending confused me. Would love to know what Pete Hamill was trying to say or symbolize.