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Title: East of the Mountains by David Guterson ISBN: 1-4000-3265-2 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 08 July, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.21 (185 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: An Average Work from an Extraordinary Writer
Comment: Like many of my fellow Amazon reviewers, I read "East" after Guterson's outstanding work "Snow Falling on Cedars". I was prepared for the letdown and indeed it came, though not quite as I expected. While Guterson's rich, eloquent language and gifted descriptions of landscapes, both internal and external, mark him again as an exceptionally gifted young writer, "East" is only an average effort. The dialog never elevates to the level of the surrounding prose and is often hurried and banal. Guterson writes with an obvious, though somewhat heavy-handed, affection toward women. Virtually all the female characters are supposed to evoke our sympathy, but often they come across as trite or single-dimensional instead. Initially, the plot is provocative enough, but unfortunately, East lacks the multi-variant themes, as well as the suspense and intrigue that made "Snow" such compelling reading. The net result is a novel that begins with a promise of examining serious moral and ethical issues, but, in the end, leaves the reader dissatisfied with the resolution of its own themes. It's as if the main character starts out with the intention of a dark, troubling and lonely act of suicide and decides to sit and gorge himself on mom and apple pie instead. Ho Hum, David. You can and have done allot better. Please try again.
Rating: 3
Summary: Beautifully written, but tiresome
Comment: Guterson's skills as a writer are unquestionable, as was demonstrated in his first book. However, East of the Mountains is no Snow Falling on Cedars. The writing is there, which kept me reading, but the plot is lacking. The story of a dying man on a journey toward death who encounters individuals who, *surprise*, each represent a little piece of himself was predictable and uninteresting.
One of the best aspects of Cedars was Guterson's character development and the author's subtle intertwining of those characters. This is not the case in his second book, as each character appears for only a few pages. I found myself much more interested in the migrant workers, the vagabond, and the kids in the VW bus than in the main character.
As a previous reviewer pointed out, it does feel as if Guterson rushed on this one. It's pretty good, but certainly not great.
Rating: 5
Summary: Masterful tale of a life-changing journey
Comment: I had never been to eastern Washington state -- until I read David Guterson's loving portrayal in this rich and understated novel of a sick old man trying to lose his life, and finding it in the process. Guterson's plain, beautiful prose in this book took me to that region of the U.S. His writing here reminded me of both Wallace Stegner and Willa Cather, both exemplars of loving and meticulous portrayals of the American west and its people.
The emotional descriptions are never overwrought, and because of that they are immensely affecting. Ben Givens is likable in spite of a stubborn thread. The flashback accounts of his halcyon youth on an apple farm are just gorgeous; you will smell the crisp apples hanging from the rows of trees and feel the love between young Ben and his brother, mother, and father. In Guterson's fictional world, husbands and wives love each other deeply and unwaveringly; children and elders operate from a platform of profound mutual respect and affection. What a pleasant change from much of today's ironic, cynical, nihilistic fiction about relationships!
I liked "Snow Falling..." very much, but I feel this book is the greater writerly achievement of the two. In my view, it vaults Guterson into the ranks of some of our finest regional and national fiction writers.
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Title: Snow Falling on Cedars : A Novel by David Guterson ISBN: 067976402X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 26 September, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson ISBN: 0375412115 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind by David Guterson ISBN: 0679767185 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 30 April, 1996 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: The Sacred Art of Dying: How World Religions Understand Death by Kenneth Kramer ISBN: 0809129426 Publisher: Paulist Press Pub. Date: May, 1988 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense by David Guterson ISBN: 0156300001 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: September, 1993 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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