Stern Men | Elizabeth Gilbert | A Great Read, but ...

Stern Men | Elizabeth Gilbert | A Good Start

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Stern Men

	Stern Men Elizabeth Gilbert Mariner Books, 2001 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Great Read, but ...

Ditto those who say GREAT character development, setting, language and story. Three cheers for Ruth, but a very improbable ending! All in all, a very strong 4 stars for those who like seafaring tales, stories of Maine life, or just a novel populated with full color individuals. By the way, who's John Irving?

A Good Start

I read this book without reading any reviews ahead of time so I had no idea what to expect, except that it was a first novel. Our Monday daily reccomends 4 paperbacks each week and they are quite diverse and usually pretty good (at least the few I pick out). It's funny now reading all the reviews at 3:13 am how many references to John Irving there are. I thought exactly the same reading this work the last 2 days. It was a joy to read and I'd say that if she improves the way our friend Mr Irving did after his 1st couple books, this author's Garp may be very close. I hope so. I need some new good authors. Great characters here. Keep 'em coming Elizabeth

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almost a "5'

i read this book with the anticipation that the author used a similar writing style as john irving (who is my favorite author). i was not disappointed. ms. gilbert's words were entertaining and riveting. she uses humor to jazz up a mundane landscape of small-town mediocrity. the personalities in the book are reprentative of small-town america. i was born and raised in a rural area and can confirm the typical use of fear, alcohol and intimidation to preserve the status quo. ruth thomas is a woman with potential sentenced to an existence of "waiting her turn" while the men of the islands go about their business. she attempts to balance the feminine and masculine roles encouraged by her neighbors into one personality (which seems to have never been done). to find out if she succeeds, you have to read the book.

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not all that

No way is she as funny, or as good a story-teller, as John Irving. This book has its moments but by and large it reaks of "first novel" syndrome. Gilbert is talented but needs some more practice...

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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