Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cold Mountain
Book Review: Flawlessly written, about as intriguing and entrancing as a novel can be...
Summary: 4 Stars
I think what impressed me the most with `Cold Mountain' was the fact that everything drew me in, everything was so detailed and seemingly important that even in parts where I wished more was going on I still couldn't take my eyes off the page. For the few weeks that it took me to read this book I found it very difficult to put the book down. Right from the outset Charles Frazier does a phenomenal job of hooking us in with his introduction of Inman, one of the main characters of the novel, and he doesn't let up once the first page has been turned.
The story recounts the journey of that one Inman as he travels to his love Ada through treacherous war times. As a deserter for the Confederate Army, Inman is being pursued by groups sent to kill the traitors and that doesn't help his condition as he travels with little food or money to a destination he's not too sure he'll ever reach. In the meantime Ada is suffering on her own terms. After the sudden death of her father she's left alone with no real skills or ability to take care of the plantation she and her father lived on. That's when she's approached by young Ruby, a hard working touch cookie (if I can call her that) who makes it her mission to whip Ada and the plantation into shape.
The chapters trade off between Inman and Ada and I will say that Inman's storyline is much more entertaining and it had me wishing at times that Charles would have just written a novel dedicated to his journey and not his relationship to Ada. Their relationship itself may be the only pet peeve I have with this novel. For the most part Inman is explained as far as who he really is on the inside, the man he was meant to be an the man he feels he's become (there's one chapter in particular where Inman tells a folk story an old Indian woman told him that I feel really explains this mans soul..."I take it that she could have been living in a better world, but she ended up fugitive, hiding in the balsams") but as far as Ada is concerned, the reader never really gets to know her, and she gives no real reason anyone would suspect a man of Inman's breed would risk his life to reconnect with. This may in itself just be a way of showing that Ada has yet to find herself, but I just found it increasingly difficult to understand just why Inman loved her so much when it was so obvious why any woman would love him (that whole Sara episode says so much).
Ruby is by far the most interesting character in the novel and the most well defined and explained of the bunch. As her relationship with her father is explained and then reexamined after his sudden appearance at her new home we are brought deep into this young woman's life and we grow to love her and her story. Her father Stobrod and his band of deserters bring as much trouble and or danger to the girls as they do enjoyment and this is something they are all too aware of.
Any fan of the brilliant film will enjoy this novel as well and will be amazed at how so much of the illustrious novel fit so nicely into the big-screen adaptation. The many scenes involving Inman and those whom he meets along the way, like Sara and Veasey are fantastically examined within these tightly woven pages and are sure to be highlights of this read. The one character I would have liked to have seen examined a little deeper is that of Teague, the man responsible for the deaths of so many deserters. I felt that he was sorely overlooked and became more of the stock villain than a living breathing monster of a man.
All in all though I really can't complain too much. Charles writing style is almost flawless, capturing not only the speech and emotion but also the atmosphere of the time in which he writes of. His attention to detail is effortless and such a breath of fresh air. I was stunned as to how much I enjoyed this novel for it wasn't one I would normally pick up to read despite being a huge fan of the film. I've never been too interested in literature involving the war or even this specific time period but talk of how wonderful this book was got me intrigued enough to take a gander and I'm so glad that I did. With very little to do with the war but so much more to do with the fight for survival and the striving towards something better, `Cold Mountain' is a wonderful novel that is sure to be a favorite of many.
Book Review: Great love story.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a wonderful love story as well as a compelling Civil War story. It's a bit violent in parts but definitely worth owning. I bought this one to replace my original copy, which my husband lost on a deployment. I just had to have a new copy. I did not see the movie but am very certain that all the major parts(Jude Law and Nicole Kidman???!!!) were horribly miscast and disappointing.Book Review: Great writing
Summary: 4 Stars
Ok this book is pretty lengthy when you pick it up, however it is well worth your effort to finish the book since the author saves the best for last. The writing is very descriptive, one can really paint a picture in their mind of the scenery that the three main characters reside in. At times I have to say the there was too much description, perhaps I was to anxious to find out what happened next. In this way the author keeps you hooked throuhout this tale. My advice is not to give up when the plot slows down.Book Review: I loved the movie, so I thought I would love the book
Summary: 3 Stars
I loved the movie 'Cold Mountain' so when I found the book on a bargain rack I snatched it up. Unfortunately the book is very slow reading at times, and it took a while to draw me in. Once I was about halfway through the book it did hold my attention and I felt compelled to finish it (and stay up late finishing it!) Parts of the writing are just beautiful, other parts not so much. And although the book does a good job of capturing the horrors of the Civil War through Inman's memories, I didn't feel that it captured the fear and deprivation on the home front as well as the film did.
Overall, I was a bit disappointed, but I would still recommend reading this book.
Book Review: I rarely give 5 stars...
Summary: 5 Stars
I chose to read this book like I choose to sneak a bowl of ice cream late at night; a sort of guilty pleasure. I was not disappointed. I found the story compelling and the characters engaging. I finished in half the time I expected, as I found myself sneaking away from life to indulge. I enjoyed it as much as anything I've ever read from Hemingway, and in much the same way.
I listened to this one (from Audible), and while many complained at the author's reading of his own book I couldn't imagine a better way to experience it. As someone raised in the rocky mountains, for three days I found myself describing the world around me in Charles Frazier's twangy, metered, and gentle southern voice.