Very depressing, yet very well written tragedy
932447
This is the second Hardy novel that I have read.  The first was Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which I enjoyed despite that fact that it was a tragedy.  I found Jude the Obscure to be much darker and to the point that I didn't particularly enjoy it.  I did relate to the character of Jude, and could understand his reaction to his situations.  The reactions of Sue later in her life highlighted the danger of an incorrect understanding of the mercy of God, repentance and forgiveness of oneself.

Recommended for lovers of tragedy.  If you want to be uplifted, don't read this book.
1431287
In a way, this is a very sad book to read.  It does redeem itself in the end, but for couples struggling to become parents it will be hard to read.  Very, very well written however, and I am sure the author has an intimate knowledge of this whole subject given how well this book was written.  I am glad I read it and can highly recommend it to others. Lindzee Armstrong is an extremely good writer, I have read and very much enjoyed, all of her 'Match' books now and will read anything she wants to write.
618541
Though a lot of the narrative describes things of beauty, the story itself is not pretty. This book is not for the faint of heart; it's a gut-wrenching roller coaster ride of hope and despair. The writing is astonishingly good. It took me a little while to get into the book, partly because the cadence is so different from most of the contemporary fiction I encounter and, I confess, also because I had to shed my confusion and prejudice about a white man writing a black woman's story in the first person. I got over it. If you thought The Help was intense and too depressing, don't read The King of Colored Town. If you're looking for a beautifully written, well edited story that makes you think and feel, this book is a "must read".
1209013
A thoroughly depressing good read. Recommended.
3022557
What  a huge burden for such a special little boy. Such a brave little guy, so afraid, so terribly, terribly sad. Losing a child is 'incredibly loud and incredibly close' for an adult but I wonder if a normal or even an abnormal 7 yr old boy could feel what Oskar felt?  The writer puts so much fear into the character it's difficult to even think of him as a child.

It takes a very determined, very intelligent and unique child to lift the burden of losing his father and carry it for two years, alone and desperately fearful but this wonderful little boy taught all the adults the meaning of sorrow.  But mostly, I think, he taught them (us?) the definition of living, of being fully and completely alive despite the fact that we're all dying every minute from birth to our last breath, despite the very real fact that death is much easier than living.

Unusual writing and not always very clear but the author always takes the reader back to Oskar each and every time ... the last Schell.
1418734
While this was a very painful book to listen to/read, it was well worth it by the time the end came near. It is a very profoundly sad at times, and horrifying as well. It is indeed haunting, heartbreaking and compelling. Hosseini is able to take his reader right into the story, and it feels as though one is right there with the characters experiencing it alongside of them. Although this was set in Afghanistan with all the horrors of being a woman there, I believe there is a universality to some of the themes within the story: domestic violence, abuse, helplessness, etc. Hosseini's books have opened up a new culture and experience for me and caused me to have a deep appreciation for Afghani women and their suffering. Even though this is a painful story, there is much beauty within its pages.
1810430
Very dark, very sad. But written so very well. We live in such a damaged world and there are people that dealing with this everyday.
2893523
This is a very sad book, rather like watching a black and white movie with just a glimmer of brightness at the end. The scenes, the characters, all of it, appeared to me in gray tones as the narrator described the lives of Jewish refugees who had escaped to England just as Hitlers army marched across Europe, trapping their families and condemning most of them torture and death. The novel began immediately after WWII ended, with flashbacks to fill in the back stories of its characters. It continued as these displaced men and women waited in limbo, trying discover the fate of family and friends they had left behind in 1939. Where most WWII books end with the allied victory in Europe and Japan, this one continued after the celebrations faded, and showed how the aftermath of such bitter conflict literally blighted the lives of those who had survived.

Ive read Holocaust accounts before. They are always horrendous beyond imagination, but this compelling book was especially hard to listen to. I found myself needing to take breaks from it simply to come up for air, a rare experience for me. I suppose I had never considered how difficult it must have been for these survivors to begin again, especially after losing everything--often entire families, homes, and their faith in neighbors who had betrayed them to the Nazis. This book, written by war correspondent Martin Fletcher, is loosely based on the lives of his parents who barely escaped the Nazis by fleeing to England. It personalized the hardships and discrimination faced by Jewish survivors after the war and provided me with totally new perspectives of post-war recovery.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this novel for me, however, was seeing the refugee problem and the Jewish immigration issue from several perspectives. Fletcher somehow managed to make it clear that, while there was Anti-Semitism in England, the British had indeed provided a safe haven for Jews when many countries, including the United States, had closed their doors and their eyes to Hitlers atrocities. The book certainly has its share of bigots and racists, but it also portrayed characters who were fair and even welcoming to strangers when it was not always easy or convenient to do so. Britain suffered greatly during and after the war with difficult economic times, unemployment, and lack of sufficient housing.

And then, of course, there was the Palestinian issue. I first learned about that when I read Exodus by Leon Uris as a high school student many, many years ago. That powerful novel profoundly influenced my perception of the role played by the British in denying Jewish immigration into Palestine. Simply put, they were the villains--arrogant, pedantic, and totally without empathy. While Fletcher clearly favors the establishment of Israel as a homeland for Jews, he managed to also provide context for the British position and showed the issue in a more nuanced way than I have seen previously. Several of the characters represented the distinct choices made by many Jewish survivors: to remain in or return to their original countries, to seek citizenship in America, England, or another refuge, or to emigrate to Palestine and build the Jewish state of Israel. Each had their reasons and justifications for the choice they made, and their lives continued on and were rebuilt from the point of that decision.

This is a worthwhile book. It has important things to say about all of us, and it forces readers to exam their most basic values and goals. I plan to also read Martin Fletchers newest book, Jacobs Oath because this author, with his unique background and experience, has significant things to say. I prefer novels that teach me new ideas and force my thinking into unfamiliar territory. The List did both for me.
151591
No wonder Russian literature is so full of tragedy, it mimics real life.  I was,at the same time, sickened and fascinated by the atrocities, lies and manipulation on both sides of this tragedy.  The fact that's it is based on historical research, and not fiction, makes the story of Jamal Eddin all the more tragic.  The writing style gets bogged down in places, which is why I rated this 4 stars.  But kudos to Ms Lapierre for tackling this obscure story of love, betrayal, honor and cultural disconnect.
1611059
Jude the Obscure is a sad book of legendary proportions.  Not until  reading did I realize how utterly depressing/tragic it is.  This doesn't  mean it's bad; Tess of the d'Urbervilles (also by Hardy) is also depressing  yet it is moving, and is an excellent read.  Jude the Obscure, at least for  me, falls short of the mark.
Jude the Obscure is about a man who wanders  (..literally across all southern England) looking for happiness in marriage  and life.  He's a deep-thinker who is incredibly naive and, due to bad luck  and the social neurosis of the Victorian era, finds himself moving further  away from his objectives with each passing...page!  Just when you think  Jude's life is about to turn for the better it turns horribly tragic.  While similarities to Tess of the d'Urbervilles abound, Tess's tragic turn  was expected and plausible.  Jude's misfortune comes from nowhere, and so  it seems like Hardy is playing a cruel trick on the reader.
So I disagree  with the strongly opinionated reviewers before me.  Jude the Obscure is  neither great nor terrible.  I find it to be rather formulaic Hardy, which  for many readers will be reason enough to read over and over again.
1913022
This book is extremely well written. It's compelling, and there is no padding.

The central figure is Johnny Beskow, seventeen, a resident of Askeland, Norway. He is profoundly disturbed. The novel begins with Beskow carrying out a vicious prank. The bulk of the book concerns several of his pranks, and their devastating impact upon the victims. Beskow terribly upsets innocent people, but, at first, causes little physical harm.

Author Karin Fossum gives us a lot of background on Beskow. We can see forces that likely shaped his cruel nature, notably his negligent mother. She is a lazy, mean, drunk.

Yet, there are elements of kindness in Beskow, and the reader might feel some empathy for him.

There is a horrible event that Fossum develops with consummate skill. Although the event itself is not described directly, the buildup and the aftermath leave little to the imagination. This incident and other turbulent themes lead me to recommend this book only to mature readers.
2143946
This is a very depressing book for several reasons.  It is not the main thrust of the book but the author, a doctor, in an early section of the book discusses how we physically and mentally gradually worsen as we get older.  If you hadn't been thinking about that topic, it's pretty gruesome reading.  Further the main thrust of the book is how assisted living facilities and nursing homes take little or no account for the individual and make end of life a pretty miserable trip.  The author has suggestions to improve this societal problem.  There is also plenty of information about the process of dying, which may not be for the faint of heart.  Five stars because it is so well-written, so well-argued, so caring.  Nice job, Doc.
3950244
A well written story, very sad. Communication avoids many problems.
1172204
This is such a wonderful and tragic story of friendship. I sobbed like a baby multiple times reading this novel. 11/10 read this book. It is a very well-written story, you really get to know the characters, you feel their pain, it's just...ugh! LOVE
2067277
At it's core it is a terribly depressing story but I found myself crying more at the happy moments.  Beautifully written!
2295827
A fascinating story, beautifully written, but super depressing. I suppose the depressing ending did fit the era though. I loved all the historical detail, but I still can't quite forgive the heroine for not running off with Hamad.
3244212
I was fortunate to get this as a free book. The writing is great and the story is heart breaking. I agree with another reviewer that this is not a happy book but it's frighteningly realistic and made me very angry at families who throw away their children, no matter the age, just because they cannot accept one thing about them.