Ordinary People

Rating:
Summary: Dull book
Review: Most people like this book but i think it was too slow paced. It was also a bit confusing because it switched narratives alot and didnt make it clear especially becuase the father and son had similar names. The book just didnt appeal to me. It was a little shallow and uninteresting. It was slow to begin and slow to end. There was basically no action in this book.

Rating:
Summary: decent
Review: i have really enjoyed reading this book, although the plot moves pretty sluggish the way its written is very unique.if you are thinking about reading this book i would definetly read it.

Rating:
Summary: a powerful story about one family's survival
Review: Judith Guest takes the reader on one incredible and emotional roller coaster filled with hope, pain, regrets and success. In this novel, we learn about one family's struggle to survive and ultimately grow from the past. The Jarrets were a typical American family: two loving parents with a strong marriage, and two close brothers, but that was the past. Now this marriage is crumbling beneath their feet, one son has died in a boating accident and the other is suffering from depression. Guest shows us the true pain and sorrows of a family trying to make it. I found this story to be very moving and emotional. What i really enjoyed was her use of dialouge and description. Another interesting method she used was point-of-view. The story shifts from Conrad's view to Cal's view chapter by chapter. This is one superb novel you cannot miss.

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet
Review: It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't put it down. Complex and intelligent and suddenly very simple all at the same time, I loved it. Conrad's struggle to clarity and relief from his guilt over the tragic loss of his brother moved me deeply. Beth's frozen emotions, occasional meltdowns, and Cal's concern, and confusion at life...all of it was heartbreaking and laced with joy. Judith Guest's unique pen is at times needy of a second read but once you get used to it (which happens quickly) the true, awake insight into the characters' minds and hearts is compelling. I was touched and shocked by the story, and highly recommend Ordinary People to anyone and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: A good book that was made into a great film.
Review: I read this after thoroughly enjoying the Redford film. The film and the novel are pretty close together - few liberties are taken. Where the book failed for me was in the writing. It was a good effort by first-time novelist Guest but one gets the impression that she spends a lot of her time saying "MY GOD Mama look how NICE I'm writing."

Rating:
Summary: Ordinary People
Review: Ordinary People suits its title in an honest, yet ironic way. This novel, written by Judith Guest, narrates the life of a typical Midwestern family. The characters are ordinary, not by the storybook definition of "normal", but they are realistic. The family falls from their high-middle class "American Dream" when the eldest son, Jordan, dies in a boating accident. His brother, Conrad, subconsciously blames himself for the incident and tries to commit suicide. He is admitted to a mental institution and lives there for the year prior to the story's setting. The novel covers his recovery and readjustment to the world he once lived in. Ordinary People shares the truth of life: that it is not always easy. Conrad continues to have suicidal thoughts at times and grows as a person as he overcomes them. He has a tough time getting back in line, with his school work, his friends, and even his family. Conrad finds that he needs to stop trying to "be" his deceased brother and needs to discover himself. While doing that he develops wonderful relationships with his psychiatrist, Jeannine Pratt, and even his own father. I really enjoyed this book because it gave an honest evaluation of human nature. The characters grew and affected each other realistically. The only thing I disliked about the novel was the ending. Everything fell in place for Conrad. I would definitely recommend Ordinary People as a book to read and you can decide how you feel about it on your own. It is a great story filled with honestly about life.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: To put it simply, Judith Guest's Ordinary People was an amazing book. The storyline is brilliantly crafted, vividly depicting the struggles the Jarret family goes through during the course of the novel. The reader becomes engrossed in the story, and feels connected to characters, especially Conrad. Ordinary People explores relationships between different characters unlike any novel I have ever read. The transitions in these relationships throughout the novel make for a more complex and dynamic story. I highly recommend this wonderful book to readers of all ages!

Rating:
Summary: movie is better
Review: I found that the movie was much better than the book. I didn't like the fact that a woman wrote this book, because it centers around an adolescent boy. I couldn't get that out of my mind. She does not know what it's like to be male. And it showed. The movie was great, but I didn't like Guest's portrayel of Conrad. I didn't laugh. I didn't find the book humorous. It made me cringe at times. Robert Red. seemed to do a much better job portraying the story.

Rating:
Summary: Ordinary People are boring.
Review: The book Ordinary People was one of my least favorite books ever. It was very slow reading. The setting was too general. The author's use of a general setting was good but the execution was poor. The plot line seemed non-existant at times. When I thought back in the story, I could still not figure out the plot line. The characters seemed overdeveloped. This overdevelopment ruined the basic "could happen anywhere to anyone" theme. The book kept you in the dark most of the time. Guest's style of switching between the father and son's perspectives in consecutive chapters was sometimes misleading. You couldn't be sure whether, in the begining of the chapters, if Calvin (father) or Conrad (son) was talking. The extra character of Beth was supposed to be the center of the book's early downward spiral. She seemed to change her mind about what she wanted daily. Over all, the book seems like it is a well thought out idea, but the actual text in which the idea was contained was rough. Bill's Book Club gave Ordinary People 4 slit wrists down.

Rating:
Summary: The typical American family...
Review: The title of this novel is certainly an appropriate one. The Jarrets stand true in their representation of the typical American family--everything but perfect. This compelling novel leads the reader through a tumultuous time for the Jarrets; what once was a family of four is now a family of three. Each member has dealt with the tragic death of Buck, Conrad's older brother, differently. Conrad, the teenage main character, has attempted suicide and is now attempting to continue forward with his life. His father, Calvin, a hard-working tax attorney, is concerned deeply about Con's well-being, and he is also trying to regain his sense of self while his wife, Beth, has chosen to hold her feelings inside and keep occupied with her many social obligations.

Why can't three people who are hurting for the same reason connect? Travel with them as they follow the rocky trail towards recovery.