Well written, but depressing at times.
347944
I liked it, because it was beautifully crafted.  I found myself frustrated with the some of the content, though.  I got that they were drug addicts, but I did not need as much detail as I was presented.
146891
Good, but very up and down.  At times, really well written, and at other times, it was rough and difficult to appreciate.  I think that the trilogy or just one book by itself would make a wonderful book for a book discussion group.
4658554
Well written and engaging. A little depressing how dependent the women were on men throughout, despite being strong characters.
3344403
I read this book because it was voted in the top 100 of all time.  I'm trying to expand on the kind of popular fiction I usually read.  While I found the book insightful and well-written, it was very depressing.  I kept  waiting for something "good" to happen to somebody.  I did think  the book's various plots were remarkable for its time (1940).
285474
Well written book.  I was drawn into the characters.  It was too depressing for me to recommend to friends.  Im sure there is truth in the kind of lives these foks lived, just too hard for me to relate to.
3427452
This book was depressing.  That being said, the writing was good and the story was solid.  It's definitely not a feel good type of book!
440332
Very well written and very depressing. If you don't mind being depressed, go ahead. It is a good book.  IRMA DICKINSON
723826
Well written, but, so sad, and depressing. Hayden, the male lead, needs counselling. It was nice that Elsie was able to break the cycle of their relationship. I would have liked them to have a solid HEA. I do think that with help, they could have a, forever, kind of love.
1247930
The writing was good and I read this quickly. I'm sadly sure that much of it was very accurate, but I read it at a time when I didn't need to be reading such excessively depressing subject matter. Don't expect any joyful resolutions.
4506104
Made my heart sink and feel sad while reading. A lot of negative and bad stuff is written about. There's also more sexual stuff than I'm used to reading. Interesting to see the author's perspective and she has some good thoughts that she portrayed well. I have to give 5 stars because she did what she does well, even though I didn't really enjoy reading it.
2992529
What about this books makes me feel so full of despair.  I have read many a book about loss, death, treachery and evil, but this book touched something in me that made me actually despondent for days.
It is without a doubt that the author is an excellent writer. Some readers did feel bored with his long descriptions,and while this may be true, the authors insights and understanding of the human condition and peoples feelings are of a very high order.
Strange, this is one book I cannot easily recommend.  It does take a certain amount of courage to read it and a certain fortitude to bear with all the tragedy.
I can now understand why some, disliked it.  There are hardly any moments of hope.  Even in some of the darkest of books there are elements of hope and renewal, but in this case, aside from the dogs and Henry, I fear there was not that much; especially for the major characters.
While Edgar touched me, I felt his death was to no avail.  It did not make me feel like I learned something from it in a deep way.  Yes, he did love his dogs and mother, and he also comes to realize how much indeed he loved his father.  But, one has to ask, did he have to pay such a heavy price? Was it existentially necessary that he die like he did?
I would like to hear more from others on this subject.  Perhaps I missed some major  point or element that passed me by.
4643442
This was a Book Club assignment. While it is very well written, the subjects and the characters are very depressing. I read over a third and just did not want to finish it. After the B/C review nothing was said that changed my mind.
4616032
Well written, but not a stand alone book, and probably THE saddest and most depressing book I've ever read. I kept thinking it might present some glimmer of hope before the end, but it only got worse and then it leaves you hanging at the end.
4317443
I tried to keep an open mind as I read this book, aware that the reviews were not great when it first came out.  I thought the book was well written, almost too well written.  The descriptions are very detailed and lyrical but at times seem to slow the story down as it plodded towards the conclusion.  In the end I thought it was just ok - a rather depressing read that I will soon forget.
105372
I found the book to be very well written and the main character, one brother, was nicely developed. However, I found the story to be largely depressing and even somewhat boring. The characters' cycles of predictable choices were frustrating to me. This is not what I was expecting.
1739139
The story was well written and well read, but it was very dark and depressing.  Won't be listening to it a second time.
727256
I would rate this around 3.8, not quite up to a four star.  This is a very depressing story.  It was excruciatingly painful to read.  It concerns mental illness among a few family members and the impact of this disease on the whole family.  There is no short term solution here and the novel in my view gave a fairly realistic portrayal of those with the disease as well as how it impacted all of the other characters throughout their lives..  The characters were all very well defined.  The only reason I hesitated in giving a higher rating is that I thought the ending was very contrived.  I do not want to say more as it might be a spoiler.