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Summary: PHENONEMAL!
Review: Ismael chambers is the reporter for San Piedro island. there's a murder trial about the death of Carl Heine, a local fisherman. A man named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with murder. Memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy (ismael chambers) and a japenese girl who grew up to become kabuo's wife. This book is heart compelling, and flawlessly written. A whodunit complete maneuvering and surprising turns of evidence and at at same time a mystery. i loved this book, and i'm only 12!
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Summary: Had To Put It Down
Review: I had to put down Snow Falling on Cedars every chapter or so to absorb the richness of Guterson's descriptions and his awesome characterizations. The timeframe of this novel is set during the murder trail of a Japanese American man during 1954. During this period, the novel captures a fierce snowstorm that knocks out the power on San Piedro Island in the Pacific Northwest. The symbolism of the heavy storm parallels the weight of prejudices between the islanders and Japanese over the years. Through flashbacks during the trail, Guterson recounts the young love affair of Ishmael, a white man, and a Japanese girl, Hatsue, and recreates the horror of World War 11 interment camps. Now Hatshue's husband is on trail for murder, and Ishmael, who lost an arm in the war, is challenged to forget Hatsue and to report the trial's coverage fairly.The novel is filled with living moments such as the scene when Susan Marie is told of her husband's death. I will never forget her sitting down on that "bottom" stair. Guterson is great with small detail. Snow Falling on Cedars has a satisfying ending and is a lovely work of art. I enjoyed every page.
Rating: 
Summary: an engaging & atmospheric novel
Review: This book unfolds itself slowly like a vintage wine. Once you have a sip, you just want to keep going until the last drop. The writing is marvellously descriptive & haunting at times, evoking the sense of being there among the readers. It touched upon issues such as prejudice, xenophobia, mentality of small town versus out of towners, lovers who are divided by circumstances & responsibilities towards their family & race, getting to let go, memory of a place. A truly satisfying read. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Experience this book!
Review: This story is so beautifully written, it engages your senses of sight, touch and smell so overwhelmingly that you could swear you were there. This is a story of a small Washington village, the internment of the Japanese, and the effects of love and prejudice on all involved. The author does not spoon feed you every little detail but draws you into the village to experience the lives of these people and to come to your own judgements about the hows and the whys of what happened. The pace of the courtroom scenes mirrors the resignation of the man on trial, that "What will happen will happen", and for me this emphasized the emotional aspects of the story rather than detracted from it. This was an excellent book. It caused me to do some further research on the subject of the Japanese internment camps, and to find out that not one person of Japanese ancestry was ever convicted of espionage during this time. When an author has the ability to inspire others to look into the past from an historical perspective that says a lot!
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Summary: This book is suitable for schoolchildren
Review: I am a freshman in high school, and I just finished reading "Snow Falling on Cedars" for English. This book is very well written with good description and understandable storyline. I know that this book contains some sexual intimacy scenes not suitable for younger children, but most of the scenes were put there to help relate to the characters. My english teacher assigned us to write a paper on whether or not "SFC" should be taught next year. 75-80% of the freshmen students said that it should be taught because of its plot, the way it views racism, and what it teaches the reader. My classmates and I understood the book, but viewed the "vulgar" sexual scenes as irrelevent. I enjoyed the book and would rather read the book first before seeing the movie since it gives me a chance to read what the characters feel and think which is kind of hard to imagine watching the movie. I recommend this book to whoever has the time to read a 460 page book, wants to learn more about racism during and after World War 2, and likes to read court cases.
Rating:
Summary: Very much a "can't put it down"
Review: I read the reviews before ordering through Amazon, and although I was already committed to reading/ordering, I was discouraged by the reviews. It took about 20 pages before this book really captured me interest, but I really loved the descriptions of the relationship dynamics, and the very picturesque scenic descriptions as well. I am from Island County WA, now live in Japan, and have a some interest in the Japanese Internment chapter of American History. All in all, the reviews posted didn't do the book justice. I would love to meet the author, and wonder how he knows so well the heart of Japanese thinking-- even nisei thinking. Looking forward to the movie's arrival in Japan.
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Summary: Truly a magnificent book
Review: I recommend Snow Falling on Cedars to anyone I meet who is looking for a "good book to read." It is truly a masterpiece in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: All in all, pretty good.
Review: Beautifully written, superb prose, and a joy from begninng to end. Superb character depiction. Court room secnes are usually boring, but not this one. Dramatic racial tension.
Rating: 
Summary: Lyrical prose, weak courtroom thrills
Review: While I applaud the lyrical, nearly poetic writing style of the author, the style does not translate well into courtroom action. Indeed, the intensity of the trial seemed more like someone appearing at traffic court than someone on trial for murder. Thus, strengths of the book include the beautifully written, descriptive passages concerning the northwest landscape, nautical details, and a vivid and unforgettable, haunting description of war, as well as the carefully articulated racial tension of the community. However, weaknesses include a rather plodding advancing courtroom plot, with a resolution that seems more Matlock-ian than the build warranted. (In my opinion, the author's style was much more effective in his book, East of the Mountains, in which his lyrical style translated well into the themes of nature and of self-inspection.
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Summary: A Novel Well Done
Review: Snow Falling on Cedars is a book that offers a little something for everyone. I enjoyed it a lot, for a variety of reasons. Some think it is the best thing they ever read while others see it as a waste of time. To me, this is a story about the tragedy of a man who cannot come to terms with the loss of a childhood sweetheart. Not everyone enjoys a story with a concentrated theme such as this, but the truth is this is only one of the many themes offered in Gutterson's novel. In the novel you can find themes such as racism, bigotry, love and legal affairs, and even loneliness. The themes are so broad in this novel, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. I myself am a freshman in college, and it was my job to read, understand, and present to my peers this novel. Well in no way was this task a job, but more along the lines of an enjoyable experience. This is just one of those books that while reading, you just can't stop. Gutterson's attention to detail really made this novel shine. It is a difficult task to really provide the details necessary for the reader to really feel the events taking place, but Gutterson accomplishes this beautifully. Sometimes I would reread a paragraph two or three times, so I could fully appreciate the beauty of Gutterson's prose and sheer awe of his keen sense and observation of people. Descriptive passages in this novel are absolutely brilliant. The setting in this novel is described with so much detail you can't help to think either you're there, or you know exactly what it would be like to be there. The reference to the snow in this book is placed so perfectly and connects so well with the issues in the novel it is absolutely amazing. The best example of the placement of the snow, is the simple idea that the horrible snowstorm would not stop until the truth came out regarding the trial. The way Gutterson set this up was perfect. In a way, just by observing the mention of weather in this book, you could almost predict where the book was at and where it was going. Gutterson's characters in this novel are so complex, it is quite a task figuring them out. It is this complexity that makes these characters so likable and dislikable at the same time. While reading this novel, one can't help but begin to develop feelings and emotions towards them. Gutterson's creates characters with so much depth you feel as if every new detail is completely necessary for understanding the character. A key aspect of making this book so enjoyable, is the fact that the reader does not just feel as if they know the main characters, for Gutterson provides us with enough information to figure out the society as a whole. This feature of the novel puts it on a whole new level, as far as I am concerned. Many books out there, you feel as if there is no attention paid to the surroundings and the people whom occupy it, but not this book. The descriptions in this book spare no expense. One almost feels as if they can understand the society as a whole and even picture what the snow looks like falling on surrounding cedar trees. It is this attention to detail such as this, which makes this book so enjoyable. Gutterson truly created a masterpiece with Snow Falling on Cedars. I myself am not the most avid reader, so in result I am not much of a critic. As far as I am concerned this book had no down sides. I found myself not being able to put the book down, I completed it faster than any other novel I had ever been exposed to. I probably could have completed the novel even faster if I was not to have wanted to read every paragraph two if not three times. I highly recommend the novel to who ever enjoys a story full of beautiful ideas. Although the ending is predictable, trust me it is the ending that the entire book you hold out for. This was an extremely good read, and I am confident you will all agree.
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