Greatest book I've ever read. "Moving" "Beautifully written"
584171
"Atlas Shrugged" may be the greatest book I've ever read. It is 1200 pages which you must take your time reading in order to treasure every sentence. I've never seen a book in which EVERY SENTENCE is perfectly written and full of POWER.
Just set aside 1-2hrs a day and just let it finish itself. Otherwise you may get discouraged with it's length. ie allow twice the time per page of a murder novel. (I generally read those in one sitting)
This book seems like it was written in the last 20 years, politically.
2143840
i was enthralled with this book. ...the writing is beautiful and the story pulls you in from the very first word and holds you until the very last.....the characters grow  from page to page and i felt like i was inside their lives...it is, with a doubt, one of the very best books i have ever read.....i hated for it to end
2064938
This book is so incredibly moving. I was enamored with Caroles story from the beginning. Her sense of humor, bravery and raw honesty throughout all the chapters in her life absolutely captured me page after page.
The title princess doesn't even begin to describe the eloquence and charm of Miss Radziwill.
1198016
A masterpiece.  This book is like nothing I've ever read before. Moving, meticulous, and amazing.
2879475
This is an amazing book that deserves to be read. I believe it is one of the most significant pieces of literature of the last decade. Having said that, the author's writing style takes a little time to get used to, and the first few chapters have you wondering where it's all headed. I gifted the book to my 25 year old son and he indicated that he was struggling to get into it and wasn't sure he could finish it. I made him persevere and he was so glad I did - he felt the whole story was incredibly moving and one that would stay with him always.
I cannot recommend the book highly enough.
2452463
This book is the best book I've ever read. It's so whimsical and fantastical that it just took my breath away. Please read this book now. I would recommend it to anyone (not sure if action lovers would like it though).
4415497
This story moved me!  Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I laughed, I cried....I loved this book!  What a treasure!
2945720
I have never read a book from this author before. As I read the description, it actually did not appeal to me. I could not have been more wrong! The book opens with meeting 5 kids at a summer camp in the early 70's and we follow their lives for the next 40 years. The author has a way of making you feel like you are in the room watching these characters. By the end of the story, you will feel like you have been friends with these people for years. The story is moving, profound, thought provoking and above all beautifully written. Easily contains the some of the best prose I have read in years. I literally would be hung up on sentences because in 10 words the author was able to communicate more than 10 pages. Please read this book, I promise you will not be disappointed.
3178389
What a wonderful book!!! Very moving with beautiful descriptive writing.

This story is about Neil and his wife who were victims of a car accident. During the accident, God takes Neil on a journey through his life experiences and shows Neil that he was always by his side.

I went through many emotions and thinking about my own life while reading this book. It made me think about what really matters in life.

I really enjoyed this book! Can't wait to read the next one!
3549586
This is by far the most moving book I have ever read... From the beginning itself it was a gripping story. After the playbacks it ascended a level!! Maybe I will write a wholesome review after sometime, right now I'm just glad I read this book. A really well written story.
4725584
This is such a moving and beautiful book. I loved every word.
1767626
Wonderful book. Incredibly moving and beautifully written. The author was born in 1970. Incredible that the upbringing and world he describes is so recent.
4495766
I was reading about this book in "Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote."  In a June 14, 1950 letter to Goyen, Capote wrote: "I feel, not unaccountably, as though I'd had a nearly religious experience.  Dear God, Bill, I wept, trembled, and as I turned the final page I might have frozen from the chill along my spine.  It is a novel of unearthly beauty!...."  Well, based on these and a few other comments I ordered the book.

This truly is like no other book I've ever read.  It is a wonderfully articulated prose novel.  This is the story of a house and the family that once lived there.  Each member of the family gives an accounting of events and secrets and feelings. The story Berryben tells is especially moving - "All I know is that there was a change in me and, discovering that change in me, I would do anything to keep it unchanged, I would not let it die in me."  The story of Christy and Otey is heartbreaking.

This isn't an easy book to read.  The story isn't told in a linear fashion.  It's full of long, languorous passages of incredible beauty.  I was reminded at times of both Virginia Woolf and Capote.  This book deserves to be rediscovered.
2604450
The most beautifully written book I've ever encountered.  I was able to enter that world as though I was present due to the masterful use of words that wrapped around me like smoke. A masterpiece to savor over and over.
4439508
This is easily the best book I've ever read. It was amazingly touching, beautifully written, and took my breath away.

I am also shocked to see that someone saw this book as being too political. It tells the story of a childhood in South Africa during apartheid, but the political aspect ends there. This is a story of love, fear, hate, and incredible strength. It is not a story of politics.

This is one of those rare books that reaches in and grabs the readers very soul. It touched me deeply and helped me to see the world a little differently. I thank Ms. Gien for her beautiful gift of words and I eagerly await her next novel
3060413
Best book I've ever read! The story, the characters and the place made me vow to visit the south, esp Charleston. Thank you Joy for the w/o dreadful read, look forward to more of your work.
K. Badger
730391
One of the most moving books I have ever read. I was hesitant to read it initially but was soon swept away by the beauty and wit of Nina's words and outlook. This will stay with me for a long time. What a tremendous legacy for her children.