Snow in August

Rating:
Summary: GOOD STORY, WEAK QUICK ENDING
Review: MY FIRST HAMILL NOVEL. I ENJOYED THE BOOK, THE STORY WAS DOWN TO EARTH AND VERY REAL, BUT THE ENDNING LEFT ME WONDERING. IT WAS SO REAL, AND LIFE DOES INCLUDE MANY MIRACLES, BUT THIS ONE IS RIGHT OUT OF A COMIC BOOK. I SUGGESST THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE 40'S, IT HIT'S HOME. THE ONE THING THIS BOOK SHOWS ME IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGHT BACK.

Rating:
Summary: An unintentionally cynical message
Review: Not as good as Hamill's other work. Michael was a very believable character, the rabbi less so. But what was the author t h i n k i n g of with that ending? Thuggery, bigotry and brutality are an all-too-real part of the world. Are we to oppose them with nothing but fantasy? With a world in which the Golem walks, and the dead of the Holocaust rise? Surely Hamill can't mean to say: those things don't really happen, any more than it really snows in August. Yet isn't that exactly what he's saying? He is not a cynical man, yet his book carries a sad and cynical message. At best, I'd rather believe he's saying: this is how we wish life could be, too bad it's not.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming, down-to-earth, so close to home!
Review: Not even half-way through this book, it brings me back to my childhood days, growing up as a Jew in an Irish ghetto neighborhood of Manhattan, where all we had in commom was that our parents were immigrants and that we were poor. With every word I read, I feel like my own story is being told. Having suffered the discrimination that he writes about, reading this book is a healing experience. So many heartwarming memories, so human, so poignant, so gentle. Also highly recommended is his memoir, "A Drinking Life." I feel like I've known Pete Hamill forever.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL, ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER.
Review: This is one of the best books out for character development and story line. It is a story of hope, growing up and acceptance. A must read for everyone that loves to read. It is easy to read without being juvenile. It is just a wonderful book. If I could truly express how wonderful I would be a writer as well. Do yourself a favor and read this book, TODAY. Ruth B. Wilson Summerville SC

Rating:
Summary: the end destroys the means (and meaning)
Review: If you really want to enjoy this book, tear out the last two chapters before you start reading and throw them away. The book shows how hard and admirably Hamill tried to understand Judaism from his Irish Catholic perspective; the ending shows how miserably he failed. The rabbi couldn't prevent the Holocaust because he wasn't "pure" enough, but a pre-teen Irish Catholoic can call up the miracle required to save the Jews?? At its worst, the ending smacks of anti-Semitism; at its best, it completely destroys what up to then had been an engrossing narrative by displaying an utter lack of understanding of what it means to be a post-Holocaust Jew. And I won't say anything about how the ending is a cop-out in itself. (See the "Deus Ex Machina" comments in other negative reviews.) Up until the end, I was excited to be reading the book; after it, I was only angry.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read.
Review: I purchased this book as a "soft" read- something to relax to and read quickly. As I started reading, however, I found myself reading slower to enjoy the desciptive nature of the writting. The story is not deep, but it does show a glimpse into two very different lives. What a fun and enjoyable read!

Rating:
Summary: Nice start, no finish
Review: A pleasant enough start to this novel carries you along for a good while. I was willing to overlook the hard to believe level of introspection and insight for a pre-teen boy in Brooklyn (or anywhere else, for that matter). I am pre-disposed to enjoy Brooklyn in the 50's because that's where and when I grew up. However, DON'T waste my time with a plot you didn't finish. This is not a novel, it's a fantasy. Very disappointing resolution to the conflict. Don't believe everything Imus says.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating page turner. A can't put down book.
Review: Pete Hamill has written a truly marvelous story. A real page turner hard to put down novel "Snow in August." has a remarkable feel for the late 1947s. How well I remember the snow storm in the days of that year traipsing blocks with my grandfather from Morris Avenue to Jerome Avenue in the Bronx to check on his car parked in a gas station lot. The friendship between Rabbi Hirsch and young Michael is heartwarming. Their friendship, Michael working as the Shabbos Goy, the rabbi teaching this 11 year old Irish alter boy Yiddish and Michael teaching him correct English and the in and outs of baseball is captivating. Terrorized by a local gang of anti-Semitic hoodlums the main characters are caught up in hate and violence that only a miracle can bring to an end. Michael questions why can't his comic book super heroes come to his aid. Instead he conjures up a golem, not unlike the golem of the past century from Poland, which was told to him by his rabbi friend. There is more. To tell more would ruin the book for you. You must seek it out in the book store or in your library's holdings. It's a must read. For me my next read will be the "Golem.

Rating:
Summary: Chaim Potok meets Alice Hoffman
Review: How could anyone not be carryed away by the magic!? Wonderful story, wonderful lesson. Can't wait for my three kids to read it when they're old enough.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful fable for your children!!!!
Review: Having finished "Snow in August" I couldn't wait to read it aloud as a bedtime story to my 10 year old son. He was truly enraptured by the tale which had many sub-fables of allegorical dimension. For instance, the mixing of such disparate elements as the Jewish cemetary in Prague, depression Brooklyn, Jackie Robinson, and the Holocaust are worlds of vivid wonder for a child and far exceed the RL Stine reads that enrapture most elementry school kids. The obviousness of many of Hamill's scenes are forgiven in this context and the conclusion was apocalyptic to my son who nonetheless predicted it earlier on. I recommend it without reservation (using euphemistic substitutions for the street talk of course) as a great coming of age saga for all children