This is an exceptional novel. I could not put ...
344296
This is an exceptional novel.  I could not put it down.  I read it in two sittings and after the first sitting, couldn't wait to get back to it.  The story drew me in, and left me with troubling questions about the exploitation of women's labor.  Every man should read this book.
3206955
This novel grabbed me from the start. Even the cover grabbed me before I had even read the first pages.

This is not a typical contemporary work of fiction. There are no monsters, ghosts, supernaturals, who-done-it murders, spies, etc.. Having said that, I have a hard time seeing this book categorized at historical fiction. It is indeed that, but so much more. The history is rich in texture, and no less well researched, but it's only there for the enrichment of the story, and in the end that is the shining star of this masterpiece-the story found within its pages. The story is equally atypical in that is does not follow the usual three-act outlines where the author takes you up and down, each peak higher than the last. What is more, this is the first novel I'd read where the author tells the story from so many points-of-view. I didn't know you could do that, but the author pulls it off in splendid fashion. The author has shown me through this work that there are truely no rules in fiction. We should have listened to Faulkner to begin with.

The story is an epic one, covering several generations of the McCullough family. The author moves across time, covering many decades, weaving and sewing poetically, until the masterpiece is finished. Each character lending a gritty but ghostly voice. No one is a hero. All is revealed. The good. The bad. The ugly. The violence and blood. Stories of love, thievery, murder, revenge, and the many curses of wealth and power.

This is the best novel I have read this year, and perhaps one of the best I have ever read. I must now go on to read the author's first novel...American Rust. 5 Stars from me. My favorite voice in the novel is the voice of Peter. Somehow, I found his to be the voice of reason among the others. He seemed a man far ahead of his time. The most civilized. The most human. The most like the rest of us. I couldn't put the book down when I got to pages of his and Maria's relationship. I could almost hear and feel his heavy breathing when he was in her presence. Amazing writing indeed!
3150129
Ken Follett is amazing.  Rather, the work he creates is amazing.  The Pillars of the Earth put my emotions on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows.  I caught myself at times smiling at the conniving of Jack Jackson and at others frowning with disgust at the evil-doings of William Hamleigh.  The characters are magnetic.  Follett has a masterful talent of pulling the reader onto the pages of his novel as he weaves the tales of the character's lives.  I sympathized with their pain, I boiled with their anger, I laughed with their joy.  For two weeks I was unable to tear my hungry eyes from the pages of this novel; I missed meals and cut class, concerning both parents and teachers.  BUT I COULD NOT STOP.  The Pillars of the Earth easily drew me into its grasp, as I gurantee it would anyone who ventured within its bindings.  The novel is about the building of a cathedral in 12th century England.  Though Follett brilliantly outlines the amazing architectural components of cathedrals, he brilliantly masters the description of the characters he creates.  Each character is unique, though they are scattered along the spectrem of goodness and evil.  Follett, as he has done so well in the past, portrays his characters realistically, not struggling to cloak their flaws with fairy dust and perfection.  He allows the readers, through his realistic portrayal, to identify with their successes and defeats.  Beauty is not found only through the sentences describing sweeping arches and luminescent stained-glass, but also in those explaining the lives of the characters.  I urge all book-lovers to read this novel.  It amazed me time and again as I leapt into its pages.  I have never been so involved, so possessed by a book as I was with The Pillars of the Earth.  I only wish for time to pass more quickly so I can once again be caught in its grasp.
181985
This is one of the most original, touching and gripping novels I have read in many years. Lorenzo Lartaun Izcoa is a character that I immediately felt a connection to, not an easy feat for an author.
Delphine Pontvieux is spot on in her character development as well as plot. I started reading this on a Friday- and finished early Sunday- as I could not put it down - it is THAT GOOD. The internationallocations. France and Spain, the Basque movement all provide a backdrop that distingishes this novel fromyour typical thriller- ETA is far more than a typical thriller- it is a human study of one's conscience being tested during a very chaotic time.  The supporting characters, especially Faustine- an environmentalist with a quick mind and much more and Jean-Phillipe add to this gem of a novel's plot.  I f you read only one book this year- do yourself a favor- read- ETA!
Rick
Founder- The James Mason Classic British Book Club
1533982
I have not read any novels by this author before so I was keen to try this one, which at 293 pages meant if it did not live up to expectations I would still be fine finishing it.

What a mistake! At the end I wanted to read more - much more! Esther Freud has a rare gift for characterisation that makes you feel her characters are standing in front of you as living, breathing beings. The main player, Thomas, in particular evokes empathy and understanding so that you want to weep with him when his sweetheart leaves for home and fear for him when he plunges into the icy sea. All the characters are so lovingly drawn, including Mr. Mac and his wife, who comes across as a gentle, sweet lady with a core of absolute steel.

The story is set in a small Suffolk town in the days preceding and during the First World War. It's a great study of what life was like in these small coastal hamlets as War pressed in on one level. On another it's a portrayal of what fear and ignorance can do even when a person is known and liked. Above all it is a study of the enduring quality of love .

Thomas Maggs is our hero. Aged 12 when the novel begins and about ninety five at its close. He befriends or perhaps is befriended by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, who come to live on the Suffolk Coast from Glasgow almost as the War begins. The novel revolves around their friendship and the Mackintosh's work. There are many allusions back to their glory days whilst now they can hardly make ends meet. The novel also charts the decline and fall of Thomas' own Father and the life of his own family. It concludes when most of the characters have died, including Mr & Mrs Mac but Thomas goes on.

This is a great read. Trust me and give it a whirl. Personally I shall be hunting out much more Esther Freud. If this is a typical work, she is a most excellent novelist.
2550248
I can't believe there are no reviews for this novel. This was a moving story and was very well crafted. The story keeps you and holds you. I'm looking forward to reading more from this outstanding author. Check it out. You will like this novel.

Reviewed by

Dawnny

Mahogany Media Review

Albany, N.Y.
1814270
Exit West is a stunning, exquisite novel. It is a love story, it's a magical realism story, it's an immigrant story, but it also defies all those expectations in the process. The characters in this novel are--if not likable--dynamic and real and so, so achingly human. In addition, Hamid's writing is lyrical and riveting. I read Exit West in one sitting in two hours. I was glued to the page.
749194
This is an increadibly fascinating novel. The main carcter is a genial, flamboyant and charming lawyer that immediately captured my sympathy. As for the story, it is so entertaining, adventuresome and unusual, that I could not wait to find out what happened next. I work from 9:00 to 5:00 and it was a real torture not to be able to read it in one fast go. One feels the adrenalin rushing since the first pages but when it gets to the second part, it bursts out of your ears. It is a fast-paced novel with great dialogues, superb action, and a wonderful ending. There is not a single redundant or boring part. I have read hundreds of novels and never before had I read one like this. I was flabbergasted by the originality of the story and the brilliant reasonings of the protagonist. It is a really mentally-stimulating book.
1543355
This book is one of the best novels I have read in a long time.  The characters are so vivid and the plot is moving and emotional.  As a literature major, I have read extensively, and I am pretty critical of a lot of fiction, but this novel moved me to tears.  I plan on reading all the other work by Jesmyn Ward.  The American South, where the novel is set, has always fascinated me.  It is a country unto its own.
1133529
This is simply a stunning novel - you won't want to stop even to sleep.  I don't know how the author achieved the magical insights she offered but you love these characters so much that ending the book is truly painful.  It could have been sentimental or sensational and it never is.  One of the best!
3523673
This novel just held me totally. I could not leave it and I did not forget it. 5 stars without a doubt. But I really do want a sequel.
2026896
This is truly an Excellent, Superb and Marvelous Novel. Azucar's Sweet Hope...Her Story Continues by writer Alan Cambeira is filled with intelligent, strong and sensitive characters. This is powerfully written novel in a unique style that crosses linguistic and cultural barriers.

This Excellent Novel in one of My Top 5 Books!

Very Highly Recommended!
3046760
This is one of the most incredible novels I have read in a very long time. I get 2-3 books a week from authors wanting me to read and maybe review. I can only do justice to a very few, but this one captured me from page one. It is titled, The Holy Family by Alan Michael Wilt. Don't let the title deceive you. This is an emotional journey worth experiencing. I can't say I have ever been so moved by a novel in my life. I have read my share, but I am not that into fiction. The long and short of it is this, if you are a freethinker or atheist, this book will really challenge you. If you are a religionist, it will give you perspectives you probably have not considered. Whether you are a current or former Catholic, Protestant or Evangelical, you will relate to key parts of this book. If you are a parent you may be especially moved by the story. This is a book about life, sex, love, religion and death and how they all weave together in our lives. If I could give it more than 5 STARS I would.

Darrel Ray, author of Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality (2012) and The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture (2009)
4808474
Amazing. A novel that you cannot put down -- no matter how badly you want to.
2008092
This is one of the best novels I've read in years. How Publishers Weekly can call it "unremarkable" is beyond me. Ms. St. John Mandel melds brilliant writing with a finely crafted plot. Three major characters' obsessions over and longings for Lilia pull the story forward page after page as events unfold in the heat of America's desert southwest and the cold streets of Montreal.

Even if I didn't identify personally with aspects of the plot--I've lived in Montreal, grew up in San Diego, am a translator, and am absorbed by English and the Romance languages I know--I would remember this novel for a long time. I look forward to reading Ms. St. John Mandel's other work.

There are a couple of minor mistakes in French and Italian, but the only thing that struck me as a false note in the plot is an overemphasis on Montrealers' perceived disdain for English-speakers. There's one passage in which a couple register Eli as speaking "anglais" and being "Amricain" and they treat him rudely. Some Montrealers can be rude to fellow Quebec residents whom they perceive as indifferent to learning French (as Michaela is in the novel), but they're forgiving of Americans. Moreover, why can't Eli get out a few words of French, absorbed as he is by linguistics?

Withal, this is a fabulous novel. I stumbled across it in the public library and am glad I did.
1492010
This is a truly mesmerising novel.  One can safely call it a spiritual novel.  That's not to say religious.  However, the audience for this book will include those of the Christian faith.  And of the Jeewish faith.  The Muslim faith, The Buddhist faith.  Okay, of all faiths.

Heart-warming is indeed a suitable way of describing this.  Deeply thoughtful is another.  Enchanting?  Yes.

However you choose to describe it, this is a must read for any intelligent reader.  You certainly won't forget this one.
595687
I loved this novel. I found that it was different from what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a mystery novel, but it's so much more. Not that mystery novels in and of themselves aren't often excellent, but Karen Winters Schwartz brings so much more to this novel. The main character suffers from mental illness, and the novel shows the prejudice that can exist against mental illness, the problem with stereotypes, and the stigma surrounding people with mental illness. Ms. Schwartz does this with excellent prose and deep feeling. I loved the characters and was fully invested in the story. I highly recommend this to anyone because I believe that any reader will love this book and get a lot out of it.