Here on Earth (Oprah's Book Club) by Alice Hoffman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Here on Earth (Oprah's Book Club)
Book Review: I don't care what you say... I liked it
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not the type of book I would pick for myself, but recently I found myself in a situation far from home with no T.V., Radio, or even my own book collection so I was forced to read whatever my host had to offer. Although I felt there were some really strange twist, maybe something I wouldn't have personally put in, and some things that were so outlandish, no one could ever relate to such characters, I did however find myself drawn to the book. I finished it in about 5 hours which was nice. Do not go into this book expecting your life to be changed forever, or maybe a new outlook, it doesn't offer either. But for me, it allowed me to tap into a hidden part of my own life where I had been in love and lost, and that intrigued me. I can definately see where people would have issues with the book... but for me, it was worth the short 5 hours it took from my life... maybe it will be worth it for you!!!
Book Review: Morbid, Depressing & Pointless
Summary: 1 Stars
This reader found Alice Hoffman's "most seductive and mesmerizing story" (publisher's description) unremittingly gloomy and pedestrian. Most notably it lacks a motive for the central character's self-destructive behavior.
As the story goes, March Murray, returning to her home town in New England with her teen-age daughter, willingly chooses to re-enter an abusive relationship after her non-abusive marriage falls apart. The reader might expect March, having had a healthy relationship, to know better the second time around. Yet the author offers no apparent explanation for March's back-sliding other than good sex. This might pass muster in Emily Bronte's time (yes the publicity writers have compared Hoffman to Bronte); but today we now know enough about abusive relationships to deserve some explanation for the heroine's otherwise inexplicably regressive behavior. So for me this tale of woe comes off as emotionally flat, disturbingly naive and contrived
Ms. Hoffman's writing style doesn't help the story line. She has an indecisive, uncommitted way of describing things. For example, she writes "There is no measuring love, other than all or nothing or that space in between." So the author has included all possibilities for "measuring love" and left us with nothing. In another example she writes: "He keeps one hand on March's, but for whose comfort even [he] isn't sure." If he doesn't know, why do we need to? Too many words, too little meaning.
Ms. Hoffman's command of the English language is so shaky that she employs redundancy for support. Consider the words "Spartan" or "notorious" in the examples below: "if his reputation hadn't been so notorious..." (Notoriety is a form of reputation.) "The kitchen now has a Spartan quality; that which isn't a necessity isn't here." Ms. Hoffman, whose style is anything but Spartan, goes on to describe the kitchen's Spartan quality in detail.
Finally, Ms. Hoffman's pointless digressions impede the book's narrative progress, merely filling up pages.. Example: "Ed Milton is the one who finally informs Susanna Justice of her friend's affair. He tells Susie right after they make love, at her place, a cottage so small he can talk to her from bed while she fixes them hot fudge sundaes. Susie's dogs, Chester, the golden lab, and Duffy, the black one, watch her every move, drooling onto her bare feet." More clutter. This digression seems to serve no dramatic purpose, merely adding to the word count.
In short, the redeeming qualities of this Oprah selection were insufficient and the writing style too annoying to make this depressing tale worth reading.
Book Review: Loving Hollis
Summary: 4 Stars
Here on Earth By Alice Hoffman takes place in the state of Massachusetts. March Murray is the main character in this book that is found confused in her love life. She goes back home to where she grew up to attend a funeral of her housekeeper but instead, she finds herself remembering special times about her past and confused with her emotional love life.She wonders what will happen and if she will see her first true love Hollis. When she sees Hollis for the first time in so many years her fellings for him come back and she is stuck in the battle with her emotional feelings. She finds herself confused in what to do now that she has a daughter, a job, a house , a family and a husband. Book Review: Loving Hollis
Summary: 4 Stars
Here on Earth By Alice Hoffman takes place in the state of Massachusetts. March Murray is the main character in this book that is found confused in her love life. She goes back home to where she grew up to attend a funeral of her housekeeper but instead, she finds herself remembering special times about her past and confused with her emotional love life. She wonders what will happen and if she will see her first true love Hollis. When she sees Hollis for the first time in so many years her fellings for him come back and she is stuck in the battle with her emotional feelings. She finds herself confused in what to do now that she has a daughter, a job, a house , a family and a husband. Book Review: Hoffman, what happened?
Summary: 2 Stars
I loved "Practical Magic" and "Turtle Moon", but this book was such a disappointment. Nothing about how March reacted to Hollis made any sense, beyond her girlhood dreams about what might-have-been. If he'd been waiting for her all his life, he had a funny way of showing it. And nothing that we knew about March would prepare us for how downright silly she is. The man is an abusive creep!
Some of the writing was her usual wonderful(The entire first chapter, for example), but I never got over the Kathy/Heathcliff/Wuthering Heights story. There was something ridiculous about them, too. Way too much melodrama, not enough insight.