I usually really like his work but this book is just lacking
587712
I usually really like his work but this book is just lacking.  It has a thin plot and disappointing ending.
4934384
Don't get me wrong. I like and have several of Smitherd's books. His stuff is fairly unique and usually worth the read. For some reason this one wasn't. Off day maybe. So skip it but give one of his other books a try.
4562100
His novels are fine

This one is crap

Most of his thoughts are based on feelings and presuppositions instead of Gods word

Skip this one
4339139
I bought this book because I liked the other Finney novels.  This was dissappointing. He is reaching for his alternative worlds. The concepts are great, but the execution is weaker than his other books. I still like  Finney, and I guess I can tell him that if I can get the damn time machine  to work on schedule.
3558597
Lots of great songs but it's missing some of his better work and seems to have some 'b' side productions as filler
20449
Like Neil Gaiman's other book "Good Omens" (written with Terry Pratchett), Gaiman builds very interesting premises and characterizations, and yet falls short on the plot. His endings are never satisfactory. I think he is a whiz at developing fantastic characters and scenes, but that's just about it -- he's all about settings and characters, but never the story. His plot lines are shallow and thin.

Don't get me wrong -- I actually thought I'd give him a chance and read his work (because my friends were raving about him, and my curiosity compelled me to find out what's to rave about him), but after reading "Good Omens" (I think Gaiman's stories get a bit stronger if someone else writes with him) and "American Gods," and even watching "Mirror Mask," I just concluded that he's not much of a storyteller after all. I know that these three works are not entirely representative of what he can do, but I don't think I'd find any of his other work that interesting.
2331734
Being a great fan of Clive Barker, I purchased his newest book as soon as I had a chance. I had high expectations, but this book was somewhat a disappointment to me. I have to agree with people who have written reviews before me. This novel will stay in the shadow of his earlier masterpieces - Imajica, Weaveworld, Galilee, even Sacrament. Why? Here is a list of reasons:
1. it lacks the depth his previous books posessed: no brilliant quotes revealing the veiled philosophy, no signs of his perfect knowledge of ancient mystical knowledge he has used so perfectly in Imajica and Weaveworld.
2. it is too emotional: his approach is too personal and emotional this time. Considering his close ties with Hollywood, perhaps he should not have chosen this topic for his book. The death of his dog was of course a tragic event in the writer's life, but he shouldn't have let this tragedy to influence the story line to the limit it has.
3. errors of logic: there are some, at least two occasions where there seems to be a hole in the story line - people seem to have vital information that was not told to them before. Probably the book has been not reviewed very thoroughly by the author and the editors.
4. it is too long: although Imajica is even closer to reminding the Bible, I never got the feeling that it could end sooner as it did. With Coldheart Canyon, though, I felt that around page 400 it could have been ended.
At the same time this book is without any doubt a classical "Barkerian" book in style. Although some passages seem to irritate and even bore a little bit, the way story is told in general, is forcing you to read further. Too much sex should not be a problem, for his other books are pretty sexual too and Sacrament contains much more fragments of gay sex than this book.
I read the HarperCollins special overseas edition (2002) and the quality of the content and binding were pretty much the same - I have never in my life managed to break the back of a book - and I have read a huge amount of paperback books - but I did it in this occasion. Believe me, it was quite accidental and happened because of the quality of the binding.
Anyway, I will be looking forward to the publishing of "Abarat" and the return of Clive Barker in his glory. I really would not like to believe his decline as a writer has begun. After all, even one of the worst among his books, Coldheart Canyon is still better than most of mystic and horror books on the market today. And we must respect Clive's honest statement that "it was a devil of a book to write". It seems it really was. I gave it four stars in comparison with the book market in general; comparing with other books from Clive only, it would have received 3 stars a maximum.
2781660
I love his writing, but this is not his best work. I think that those of us who know and love the guy's humor will have more appreciation for it than someone reading one of this books for the first time. Even then it was a little difficult to finish.
3943951
A disappointment.  I have read all of his previous work and have really enjoyed the creativity of plot and character development.  This one is a struggle to get through.
938836
Sadly pedestrian writing. Normally I like Foster's work but it really lacked emotion. If you go back and read his "The Tar-Aiym Krang" or even "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" they are significantly superior in writing quality. Really felt phoned in.
1292792
Like his posthumous 'Daisy', 'Places' lacks the zing, the excitement, the otherworldliness of his classics.
The strength in 'Places' is the message, which is OK - fairly new and simple, but eventually boring - not ennobling, like 'Lorax'.
The drawings are weak, comparatively empty and labored.  Compare to 'Sleep Book', which is a completely engrossing new world at every turn.
2841384
I didn't finish as I found this book to be too much like his other books.
566791
I am a huge Ishiguro fan, so this book came as a major disappointment.  The stories are so slight, so superficial, so lacking in any kind of insight or closure.  I am not sure whether the problem is the shorter form or just an absence of energy, but it's as if he is scraping the bottom of some sort of barrel, merely filling up pages and then stopping.  I never would have expected this sort of work to be associated with Ishiguro.  All I can say is that I hope he gets back on track in his next effort.
3536826
I didn't make it two votes in a row when he was up for reelection. That said, I've very much enjoyed three of his other books that he wrote, one on Palestine, one about his first political campaign, and one about the Middle East (Blood of Abraham).  For each of those other books, I found his writing style engaging and insightful.  However, I do not have the same compliments for this latest of his autobiographies.  Yes, his other books were all part autobiographical as he cannot help but interject his presidency into all of his books (that I've read) even at the occasional sacrifice of the larger points that he is making.

I looked forward to this latest bio since it was to be devoted to his presidential years.  Unfortunately, he presents the story as a straight diary and my goodness that is tedious.  I wonder if he is planning to write his "definitive" account of his presidential years and he published this one to wet the appetite or judge public reception.  If he is intending an actual presidential autobio, then he best get on with it 'cause he ain't getting any younger.  If he does, I'll try again because with this being the only dud book of the 4 I've read, I think he deserves another effort on my part.

This "Diary" is not worth the reader's effort and frankly, I gave up before the end.  It's written in a manner that made me feel like I was on the back end of a field plow with each chapter as another row in the field.  Also, what were the revelations here?  In so many of his other writings and published talks, he has basically gone over everything already.  All that is left is for him to place his presidency in context in one whole reading.  Unfortunately, I will have to wait a bit longer for that book to be written.

BTW, I gave this 2 stars so as to not be confused with some of the Carter haters who seem to pop up whenever he is mentioned.
2932220
I really like the characters that he developed in this series, but this book left a lot to be desired.  It was entertaining but when I finished reading it I wondered why.  I hope his next effort with these characters is better or I won't be buying any more of his books if he is just going to "mail in" the story line and the plot.
1523035
I like his other work, but this book had too many scenes of detailed violence against children for me to find the book even remotely enjoyable. I quit reading before finishing the book (rare for me). The book also also lacks any sense of plot. It is a conglomerate of short stories in the same setting with very little in the way of overall story.
2143397
This book is pretty much just quotations from his other books with very little new material. Quotations from books, especially your own, do not prove your points. I was disappointed by the lack of effort put into a book written by an author I respect greatly.

That being said, if you haven't read his other books, this one is a decent choice for a few more current issues, updated for the current times.