Beauty at its literary best!
351340
Mishima's Spring Snow is a rare jewel of a work! The passion, tragedy and intensity of this novel left me wanting to pursue the entire 'Sea of Fertility' series.  I will shortly be reading 'Runaway Horses' which follows it, but have been forewarned not to expect anything quite on the scale of 'Spring Snow.'  Luckily, this doesn't concern me, Mishima's writing style is visual, entrancing and magnetic.  He takes hold of your imagination, curiosity and emotions from the very first chapter, and you just can't stop till the final page. I myself was dreading reaching the final page of Spring Snow, as I knew that to read such a glorious book again may not come for a long while.

To me the book could have been twice the length and it still would have been too short. But that's the problem with things of such beauty and magnitude - you never want them to end. Sadly, you know they will - and they must.  What they leave you with is unforgettable!

GREAT!
1137890
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.  The prose is lyrical at times (describing nature, or the abiding love between two long-married people), and also funny (when Leonard's mind meanders in the middle of things, "Spaghetti Bolognese"), and poignant (when Leonard aches that he can't make his grown daughter feel "all better"; the crushing grief he feels so deeply, and remembers feeling).  It's a tender, engaging story of an older man, his thoughtful relationships and connections he has with others, chosen or not.  It moves slowly but deliberately, and I enjoyed reading as it meandered along and didn't want it to rush.  The plot is enticing, and pulls the reader in to learn the secret, but the writing makes it a lovely world to inhabit once inside, and asks profound questions about life and love and trust.  It's a mystery, but it is also Truth.
1352474
Stunningly written narrative that transcends the complications of mere teen hood and takes the reader into the heart and soul of a troubled life plagued by misfortune (or fortune, depending on your read of the book's conclusion and theme).

I hesitate to offer too much of my opinion because the intimacy shared between the reader and the story line is palpable and one of the work's invaluable undertones it offers to it's audience.

On the surface, the plot is dense with colorful characters and interesting events. However, the real treasure of this lengthy read is its depth of philosophy through smooth and unforced delivery. Unlike other books that force an idea or tenet of humankind, the book unfolds naturally to expose the many layers of the human psyche in relation to the seemingly dichotomous notion of good and evil.

The Goldfinch painting carefully and quietly string the reader throughout the novel. The end surely leaves the reader with an individualized impression, so I will not comment on it.

Beautifully done and one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading.
3656960
Wow! What a beautiful way of writing! Too good to read just once--must be read again and again!
4977892
I just finished reading this wonderful poetic historical novel and can't recommend it highly enough! Baker reinvents language and makes us see the world anew.

A rare novel in a time when mid-list is pronounced literature and great literature denounced as inflated!
828593
Sommersby is a fabulous storyteller, roping in the reader in the very beginning through her pristine use of prose and characterization.  I was enamored by both the characters and the writing as I read.  Sommersby has a wonderful gift with words, and she captures the true nature of humanity as she creates life-like characters right on the page.  Each character in the novel was created with love and care and, as you read, they become extremely real.  Sommersby develops her characters so magnificently that you will fall in love with them and truly feel like you know them.  All the characters are given true attributes of human nature, making it hard to draw an exact line between good and evil, though it blatantly exists.

As the story progresses, Sommersby does a phenomenal job explaining all the intricate details within the novel and keeping the reading informed, leaving few questions unanswered.  A mastermind storyteller, Sommersby will have you on the edge of your seat as your turn through the pages.  I was hooked from page one as the mystery, deception, and tension took hold, and I was amazed by the touching love story that will have all female readers jealous; Henry is magnificent!

I really enjoyed the many different quotes Sommersby chose to begin each chapter.  Each one was selected with care, foreshadowing events to come.  Sommersby obviously put a lot of time and effort into picking the perfect quote to aid the reader, and it is a refreshing way to begin each chapter.  I also highly enjoyed the many references to Shakespeare hidden throughout the text.  Gemma professes to be a lover of Shakespeare, and while there are many blatant references to the literary genius throughout the work, there are just as many subtle references as well.  As an English teacher, the subtle references throughout the novel made it that much more enjoyable.

Sommersby is an up-and-coming author to watch, and her next novel in this series, Stratagem: Book Two of the AVRA-K, is set to release this fall.  I can't wait!  Five stars for the beautiful story!
912555
This novel is utterly beautiful and compelling, an incandescent view into life and love and how our best efforts can be misunderstood by ourselves as much as by others. Ultimately, it is a vision of a love that existed outside the norm but was nevertheless true. The echoes of this tale will resound within me for a long time; it sits on my shelf of favorites, destined to become dog eared. Recommended reading as classic contemporary fiction!
4160125
I was absolutely enraptured by this book with its lush, beautiful imagery, its well-constructed plot, and its outstanding prose.  There are parts in which  I was moved to tears, which does not usually happen for me with literary works.  The characters are colorfully described, and the reader is allowed into the thoughts of the characters as well as the backstory behind the character himself/herself.  There is a luscious, astonishingly metaphysical  feel to the book...descriptions are felt rather than read, and the words flow and integrate into one's mind; the reader has a sense of bring there...and yet not, because it is fiction...but it heavily leans on the strength of the human spirit, and the fact that we, as a planet, are all connected as one.  I highly recommend this book, with enthusiasm to those who enjoy exceptional prose.  This book is not to be read; it is to be savored.  I cannot wait to read the second book!!
1557731
My first impression of Why Birches Are White was a visual one.  It didn't take long before I wanted to see St. Petersburg (previously Leningrad) for myself because the main female character had such an affinity for that city.  It sounds enchanting because of it's unique character; so different from what I know here in the USA.

But more importantly, my second impression was of the beauty of the people...not only the two struggling lovers, but of the friends, family and others who affected their lives throughout the story.

With her writing talent, Elena Smith shows the reader the startling differences between the people of Russia and the people of the USA without prejudice or favoritism; but at the same time, the sameness of all people's desire to be loved and understood shines clearly through those differences.

This story is like a tapestry being woven before your eyes. The intricate stitching does not tell you what the finished scene will look like; that is the lovely reward for watching the story unfold.  And the author left just enough of her masterpiece undone so that I am anxious to read the sequel!
3821379
Atonement is one of the best novels I have read, in  a long time. The fact that it was nominated for the Booker Prize was not a surprise but the fact that it lost was!

This book is a haunting and beautiful work of literature that will move you. Tears are a definite in the end. Apart from being a very well-written book, Atonement is also an intricate study of the human psyche.

Its 1935. Briony Tallis, 13 years old attempts to stage a play she has written. She lives in a world of imagination. Every simple thing  assumes gigantic proportions in her mind. This fantasy world wreaks havoc when she comes upon a scene with her sister, Cecelia and Robbie, their servant's son. Briony's overactive mind creates a meaning that is completely exaggerated. In her innocence , she accuses Robbie of a crime...and it changes everyone's lives forever. Atonement is about Briony's search for forgiveness , for what she did.
The character development is very well-done. One of the major points of the book is how everyone perceives differently. I may see something as being completely different from what the other person sees. This very difference in perception can change , even destroy everything.

 The love story in the book was beautiful- this coming from someone who despises romances! The intriguing plot of the novel will stay with you, will linger in your mind. This was a very emotional read for me.

One mistake , made in complete innocence, can wreak havoc and destroy lives. We continue to pay the price for that mistake forever and no matter what we do, we can never fully atone for it. Regret..guilt..nothing hurts more than that. It seeps into your very soul and is worse than physical pain. Ian McEwan has captured this beautifully.

The author forces the reader to ponder upon themes of innocence, passion, love, truth, guilt, wrong/right or black/white. If the world was just black and white, things would be so much simpler, but its not that way.

The author also delves deep into the "irony" of human nature - our hypocrisies, our idiosyncrasies, our weaknesses... Atonement is not just a novel, but also a reflection on the tragedies of human life, the sad truths of life...

I believe this book is Ian McEwan's best work till date. Every single word in this heartbreaking novel is like poetry. Atonement will play with your emotions,mesmerize you , make you ponder and question. Novels like this are the reason why I love books.

Overall:
Compelling , beautiful and absorbing work of literature.

Recommended?
Yes! To every single person who likes great books.
1722171
This book is gorgeous.  In every way.  Even before I dipped into it, the cover is stunning, captivating and I couldn't wait to read it. And it did not disappoint.  How lovely and lovingly it has been put together.  Its water color and photographic offerings are beautiful additions without detracting at all from the author's writing and story. Telling of people and place in short, engaging, capsule versions makes the poetry of her journey come achingly and transformatively alive.
3765946
What a beautiful book! Cathy is taken into Papa Jack's emporium, a place where the lost find sanctuary and the believers and the children find magic. We are taken into the world of the emporium and then further in to the worlds that are created within it. There is magic and beauty but there is also rivalry, suffering, war, loss and love. It has everything!
This book is enchanting and captivating to read; the characters are gradually revealed as their layers are uncovered and we take them into our heart. Papa Jack's history is shared with us and we see into the changing relationship between Emil and his brother Kaspar. The toys are characters in themselves, particularly the wonderful Sirius. It is all so beautifully portrayed and in such an evocative, visual way. In fact, some of the book, I went back and re-read almost immediately which is something I very rarely do.
15009
As a young avid reader who can admit to sometimes judging a book by its cover, I came across Dunant's The Birth of Venus and found the cover really pretty - so I read it. This was one of the books from which I recieved so much pleasure in reading.

In this novel, Dunant almost paints the story into the reader's mind, engraving our imaginations with colorful and intricate details  with such emotion and conviction that I couldn't help being drawn into the life of Alessandra Cecci, the charmingly precocious herione of this story.

It is set in the Renaissance with fourteen year old Alessandra who cannot seem to belong in her own family. She starts off with her innocence and unbounding curioisty for her city, Florence, wishing to one day explore the beauty of her homeland. Unwillingly, she is thrown into a series of obstacles that she must face alone; only with the occasional help of her profoundly loyal black servant, Erila. First, she must deal with family problems, having always been overshadowed by her older siblings and at last wanting some glimpse of glory of which to make her family proud. Then she is forced into a marriage with a much older yet charming man but which ends up being a plotted attempt to hinder a forbidden secret that could ultimately cost her husband's life. Within the marriage, she struggles with herself as she soon discovers the intimate pleasures of her blooming body, all the while trying to suppress her growing desire for the strange yet captivating young painter whom her father had brought with him from the North.

And as if this was not enough for a young girl of seventeen, Alessandra has to deal with the violence and corruption that is steadily taking over her beloved city. Savonarola, a fundamentalist monk, is preaching to the people of Florence and polluting their minds with words of falsity and vulgarity. Soon, dead bodies are being found and the life Alessandra has been so accustomed to all her years is suddenly falling apart.

The story goes on and into so much more than I could ever try to describe in this review and of course, I also do not want to spoil anything for those whose minds I might have managed to convince of the beauty of this remarkable novel.

As for Alessandra herself, it is difficult not to read her life and not feel something for her. Personally, I found her journey to be short yet great with more love, death and resurrection than I could ever imagine for myself.
1285974
There are so few words I have that can do this book justice - It's pure and utter beauty! Interesting story that sparks the imagination and feels as though you are watching a film. I found this book after watching a short animation clip (of the same name) and was absolutely enamored by the detail. I hope to see more soon! I am in love with it!
1749176
With ravishing language and rich physical detail, these poems reveal a deep love for the natural world and a generosity toward all who live here. Such a delight to read! Nothing escapes this poet, and the least detail -- the green that clings to a dog's guard hairs, evidence of spring -- expands to focus our awareness on the exuberant now-ness of the world. And how fast the seasons tumble, how quickly we move through our time here! I loved this book of poems and can't wait for the next from this gifted poet.
825693
I was literally stunned by the beauty of Ms Reiss' descriptions (no, not of the romantic encounters) but the beauty of a sunset. This is no high school paper, but craftsmanship of great beauty and skill. I have a degree in English and can be disheartened by rather juvenile plot lines that one can see a mile coming and sloppy sentence construction. There's none of that here. The character development is full; painting such a picture of the characters that one feels as if we truly know them as real people. Not only do we know them, but we understand them and their motivations. Not only does one feel as if we know them as people, but we truly like them and want only the best for them. This book made me laugh out loud and also cry with and for the protagonists. Ms Reiss, I intend to read everything you've ever written. Jane Austion and the Bronte sisters,move over. There's a new contender in town for the 21st century.
2011730
I became so invested in the characters in this book so quickly; each one is beautifully depicted and part of a greater story, one of war, occupation and sadness.  There is such beauty in how the act of discovering the written word can transform a life that it will touch your heart and help you describe your love of reading to others. two thumbs up!