Customer Comments

This book was nothing if not entertaining. It caters primarily to a female audience. Initially Gilbert's use of the metaphor drove me nuts, but she stopped relying on this mechanism so heavily after the first few chapters (I was ready to put it down). Her experiences in India and Indonesia were fascinating, however if you're not interested in yoga or spirituality the reading may get tedious. I would recommend this book for a light "vacation" read or for someone going through a painful divorce/ breakup. This book has that rare ability to pick you up and put you in your happy place.

This is the first work I have read by Marquez, but it will not be the last. A wonderful read in a beautiful landscape with excellent character development. It's a convoluted Carribean love story that does not get caught up in romanticism, but rather explores a romantic's struggle with a fifty year obsession and a life enveloped in poetry and flowery prose. A must read that will take the reader into the humid setting and the inner workings of several fascinating characters.

Saramago's frightening work of a world caught in white blindness is graphic to a point where the reader feels uncomfartably trapped in the confines of its pages. The work is ultimately brilliant in its use of one women's healthy eyes to uncover the horror of her companions' whited out world. "Blindness" is unforgettable read that explores variations in human character critically and realistically. Saramago relies only on the period and comma, but I found his work easily read. Just be prepared for no quotation marks and hardly any clues as to who is speaking (although they are there when necessary). Run-on are also prevalent throughout. It's his style and the flow is easily followed.

Didion’s portrait of loss is less a heart breaking work of mourning and more an account of Didion’s pragmatic search to understand her grief. One will gain a sense of what immense loss can do the even the most brilliant of human psyches. Didion’s prose is unparalleled in her ability to observe her own lunacy in the weeks and months following her husband’s death. A simple glance at wallpaper can send her into a downward spiral of memories. This work is Didion’s tool to recovery, but also serves as a guide to coping; admitting that normalcy is not an immediate option.