A New York Times Bestseller A PEN/Hemingway Award-winning Author
In 1956, towards the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, an account of himself and his forbears. The son of an Iowa preacher and the grandson of a minister who, as a young man in Maine, saw a vision of Christ bound in chains and came west to Kansas to fight for abolition, Reverend Ames writes to his son about the tension between his father - an ardent pacifist - and his grandfather. And he tells a story of the sacred bonds between fathers and sons.
Available only in Basic 6 & 7.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Disappointment Comment: The "build up" on the fly and back cover of this book would lead you to believe that it is more than it is. I found it hard to follow for the first 100 pages, lost interest, kept reading for a book group and finally finished it, otherwise I would not have. Customer Rating: Summary: So incredibly BORING Comment: This book is written from the perspective of Reverend John Ames who is nearing the end of his life and has decided to write down his life's thoughts for his young son. He married and conceived a child late in life and is afraid that his son will never really know him. This narrative is an effort to leave something behind for his son to read and discover. He writes of his parents and family, how he met his wife, and the daily goings on as he writes the memoir.
This book is incredibly slow and dull. I am amazed by all of the reviews that talk of the exquisite writing and masterful storytelling. It took me over a month to plow through 247 pages. There is nothing interesting about the story and the good Reverand just seems to like the idea of his own thoughts. In many ways, instead of being insightful and touching, it is selfish and indulgent. Customer Rating: Summary: Well Written but The Subject Matter Bored Me Comment: It almost goes without saying that Marilynne Robinson is a skilled writer. This novel is a sentimental letter from a man in his 70s to his young son from a much younger wife. His words are full of love and sorrow that he will never see his son grow up. I've often been known to be susceptible to semtimentality but the emotion in the novel did not resonate for me.
I saw a number of reviews indicating this was slow paced and I was prepared to take my time with this book. As a lapsed Roman Catholic that went to church each Sunday in my youth, I have certainly heard enough sermons in my life. I found this book to be a long and boring sermon and the theological minutiae in it really didn't interest me.
I found this to be hard work and I struggled to finish the book. I frequently drifted into other thoughts while reading it as the subject matter did not hold my attention.
This is an extremely well reviewed book that means a lot to a lot of people and I gave it an honest effort but the subject matter was just not for me. Customer Rating: Summary: Well written, but not engaging Comment: "I was struck by the way the light fell that afternoon. I have paid a good deal of attention to light, but no one could begin to do it justice. There was the feeling of a weight of light--pressing the damp out of the grass and pressing the smell of sour old sap out of the boards on the porch floor and burdening even the trees a little as a late snow would do. It was the kind of light that rests on your shoulders the way a cat lies on your lap. So familiar."
I'm a little embarrassed to say that I gave up on this one. I know it won a Pulitzer, and the last Pulitzer Prize-winner I read was amazing, click here to see my review of Oscar Wao, but I just couldn't do it. I made it to page 76, but I kept falling asleep on the couch.
The language is beautiful and stark, but nothing is happening. The premise of the book is an elderly father recording the story of his family for a very young son, who the father knows he will not be able to watch grow up. It's a touching idea, and works well for the beginning, but I would have liked to have read more family stories and less, I'm watching you and your mother blow soap bubbles at the cat. Customer Rating: Summary: horrible! Comment: So bad it's offensive. Why is this "fiction"? It's pages and pages of the main character (and I guess by extrension, the author) spouting his opinion on God and religion and fatherhood in a very boring way.
I recommend "The Road", by Cormac McCarthy. Now there's an enjoyable read, and arguably about the same set of topics!
Here's to your health. More than 20,000 students and graduates have chosen Clayton College of Natural Health to study holistic nutrition, naturopathy, herbology and natural health. Learn more.
National Holistic Institute
Have work you love. If youfve always dreamed a career as a massage therapist, then training at National Holistic Institute is the best way to make it happen. NHI has been training students for massage careers since 1979. Exclusively teaching massage therapy allows NHI to provide comprehensive training in massage techniques and practices. An on-campus massage clinic, with nearly 1,000 clients on a monthly basis, offers students the ability to receive hands-on training that employers are looking for. Staff are sensitive to learning styles and use a variety of teaching methods. Financial Aid is available for those who qualify.
Somerset School of Massage Therapy
Get the knowledge you need for a rewarding career in massage therapy.
A. T. Still University of Health Sciences
Earn your Master of Public Health degree 100% online.
Chicago School of Massage Therapy
Chicago School of Massage Therapy offers the programs you need to start a rewarding career in massage. Extensive job placement services are available.
What is OHCNetwork Market Place?
OHCNetwork is a full-featured health portal, and this book store is a part of it.
Since the book store selectively offers health books and other related products,
our guess is that you are also interested in various health services.
This market place lists links to those services. Half of services offer you free information
for you to find out more about those services. Of course, it is completely free
to request information. If you find something interesting, just click on it!
