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: My vote is "awesome"
Summary: 5 Stars
After virtually thumbing through the other reviews listed here, I can see that a potential buyer is left with a 50/50 rating. Is this book awesome or does it suck?
Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is a good read. If you have had a "what would have been" experience in your life, wondering what happened to so-and-so and if you could go back in time would you have made another decision, in regards to love, then I think you will enjoy this book. Yes, there is some tragic-ness in it. But such is life. I didn't draw a line to Wuthering Heights but now that I see it mentioned, I can see the parallel. If you enjoy love stories that aren't traditional but rather human, this book is for you too.
Because I have been a person who had thoughts about my past and because I am not into fairy-tale romance books, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Here On Earth. I felt it to be well-written and worth the time, energy and money I invested to buy and read it.
I write this review because I also believe that you, another reader, will too.
Book Review: B-o-r-i-n-g!
Summary: 1 Stars
I came across this book at a garage sale, and because it said it was one of Oprah's Book Club selections, I couldnt wait to read it. Ugh. I struggled through, and thought it was the worst thing I've ever read. The whole concept was boring, the writing was boring, and I'd say...'dont bother'. I am one that has to finish something once started..so this was torture. I kept thinking that its going to get better, and the only halfway decent part was at the very end. I thought this story was most unbelievable. Dont waste your time and money!Book Review: Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book to be a great psychological thriller, sad but great. When March and her daughter Gwen take a trip to the mother's childhood home of near Boston, little do they know what's ahead of them. The man she once loved just isn't the same
as he used to be.
I'd recommend this book to one and all:)
Book Review: Painful but strangely moving
Summary: 4 Stars
I picked up this book at a local charity store, having enjoyed Hoffman's style in other of her novels. I read it twice in about a week, and found its description of an abusive relationship painful, but reading Hoffman's prose is like swimming in the river. You step in, and are immediately caught up in its turbulent flow of emotion. I kept thinking, I know this story. I've read this before, haven't I -- but not in this form, not from this perspective. It's odd, all the characters live in this remote area with its dreadful weather, and everyone knows each other, and two characters from one family marry two characters from the other prominent family in the area, and the poor orphan from lowly background gets adopted but never loses his low self-esteem, and people KEEP DYING YOUNG. Seems so Victorian, I mused.
It wasn't until I was reading a different book, where the characters were discussing Wuthering Heights, that I recognized it. The characters were commenting that Hareton was going to make it, because he used both his head and his heart -- and the penny dropped. Hareton is Hank. AHA! And Heathcliff is Hollis, of course... Here On Earth is what might have happened if Heathcliff had got his Cathy back, at least for a time. This is an updating of the Bronte classic (with, admittedly, some twists); the whole setup is Wuthering Heights.
This book is not a great casual read, but I found it interesting that a good story is still a good story, even disguised. It all depends on the treatment, of course. Shakespeare lifted other people's stories all the time, and made them definitively his. Hoffman's prose is surprisingly lovely, given the subject matter.
Book Review: Big disappointment
Summary: 3 Stars
I got about halfway through this book when I simply couldn't take it anymore and started leafing through till the end. I was glad I hadn't taken the time to read all the way through. I found the characters to be extremeley one-dimensional and felt no compassion for them. Hollis was a complete jerk, infatuation or not. Some sort of background on March's marriage to Richard was completely lacking, and then to top it all off, there was no conclusion for March or Gwen. I gave three stars since I thought the style of writing was good, but the characters were so weak, they definitely needed much more depth and substance.