The Winner by David Baldacci Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.00 You Save: $3.99 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Winner
Book Review: Great Entertainment!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read most of Baldacci's books and have enjoyed all of them. He has a superb writing style. His characters have depth and are totally believable. However, when I think of Baldacci, I think of "The Winner". I was completely entertained right up to the last page! A totally different twist on what would seem to be a simple story. GOOD READ!Book Review: Protagonist ruins the book
Summary: 3 Stars
The story is solid and interesting, but the fact that I did not like the protagonist ruins the book for me.
The success on this story hinges on the likeability of the main character, because if you can't root for her, then you're not going to enjoy this book.
However, I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I got tired of hearing about how beautiful, humble, smart, intelligent, blah blah blah.....the main character was. On the surface, all she was was just your typical un-wed, white trash mother, who CHOSE to be in an abusive relationship.
I had a hard time feeling sorry for this individual, because she just came across as a drain on society that seems to be averrunning this country. I just could not sympathize with her plight, and found myself rooting against her.
Of course the commonality of this character is the whole appeal that Baldacci is striving for, so in that sense, he succeeds. And for that reason, this will strike a chord for most readers.
Book Review: Simplistic plot, weak characterization
Summary: 2 Stars
The book has an interesting plot: a man who can manipulate the lottery, seemingly at will and with ease, offers a chance to Lu Ann Tyler, a 20 year old mother living a life of poverty and no hope in Georgia, to win the national lottery, worth $100 million. The book rapidly goes downhill from here, for several reasons:
1. The characters are very black-and-white, with little or no detail behind them.
2. Everyone is superhuman. The protagonist is a woman who can outrun even the most athletic of men, has a handshake that makes grown men wince, is beautiful, has a heart of gold, and a conscience to boot. The villain is master of disguises, can assume the shape and looks of a swelte blond or a man 20 years younger, or older. When he says "I don't age", you don't know whether it is made in jest or seriousness.
3. No time is spent on adding details that would reveal that the author had taken more than 15 minutes to do anything beyond the most superficial of research, and thus make the plot a little more believable. Contrast this with authors like Frederick Forsythe or Arthur Hailey and Baldacci's looks like an embarassingly amateur effort.
Two stars because there is a lot of rubbish out there that's much, much worse. This book could have been a lot more...
Book Review: The Winner is a winner.
Summary: 5 Stars
The winner is a supurb read. Great fun. Hat's off to David Baldacci for another great book.Book Review: The Winner IS a winner!
Summary: 5 Stars
David Baldacci has crafted a great story that really gets the reader to empathize with the plight and life of LuAnn Tyler. The intense and controlling Jackson is both amazing and extremely frightening.
Incredible read, couldn't put it down!