Declare Books In Favor Of The Book of Ruth
| Original Title: | The Book of Ruth |
| ISBN: | 0385265700 (ISBN13: 9780385265706) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | United States of America |
| Literary Awards: | PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award (1989), Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award for Fiction (1989) |
Jane Hamilton
Paperback | Pages: 328 pages Rating: 3.85 | 64513 Users | 1278 Reviews
Point Epithetical Books The Book of Ruth
| Title | : | The Book of Ruth |
| Author | : | Jane Hamilton |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 328 pages |
| Published | : | December 1st 1989 by Anchor Books (first published November 1st 1988) |
| Categories | : | Fiction |
Chronicle Concering Books The Book of Ruth
I am really surprised by all of the negative reviews of this book. I think it is so strange that the characters are discounted as "white trash", their story thus, uninteresting or too dreary. While the story is by no means a happy one it is highly engrossing and worth telling. Hamilton's narrator Ruth is by turns despairing and joyful of life and Hamilton's writing manages to be lyrical and poetic, blunt and simple at the same time. I personally like to connect with other people, to imagine what it would be like to live in their skin, to know what forces shaped them into being who they are. This includes "white trash". The story is very realistic and you come away feeling like you have read truths, if not about fictional characters then real people somewhere out there who are experiencing very similar lives. If you are the type of person who is only happy reading stories that end happily-ever-after then steer clear of this book. But if you are like me and can also find beauty and meaning in even the most tragic tales then I highly recommend it.Rating Epithetical Books The Book of Ruth
Ratings: 3.85 From 64513 Users | 1278 ReviewsWrite Up Epithetical Books The Book of Ruth
I finally finished this book which has been on my "could-not-finish" shelf for ages. What can I say... it is a lyrical book with beautiful prose, but the subject matter is extremely depressing and it never lifts itself up. It's like Hamilton has never heard the term "comic relief". I loved Jane Hamilton's "A Map of the World" and "A Short History of a Prince", but this book made me weary of Hamilton's metaphor-a-minute writing and her continuous dwelling on everything ugly about people. EveryoneI must admit, after spotting many negative reviews of this on Goodreads, I was a little wary to read this. This book has been sitting on my shelf for a few years, and I thought I'd give it a try. I ended up really liking this book. It's not the easiest book to read, in regards to its subject matter, but I think it's an important one, all the same. Basically, this is the story of Ruth and her life. I liked Ruth. She may have been simple-minded, but sometimes, she'd say something that really just
This book is quite sad but has an amazing voice. The protagonist, Ruth, was never encouraged to do much with her life and has always been told she was not quite that bright. However, she has some incredible insights into human nature and her story is very barebones. Hamilton writes Ruth in such a way that her thoughts about the world are those that many of us have but never reveal because of social custom. Ruth's ideas are often right on and her "alleged" stupidity allows her to state things in
The Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton, is the story of a girl growing up on the Illinois-Wisconsin border, born into a world that simply doesnt love her. It is a study on the culture of the American boonies, on the failed education system, and of a flawed family, as Ruth struggles for hope. It raises the question- how does one prevail over ignorance, when ignorance is the only world to know, when it is an essential part of ones identity? In the beginning of the book, when Ruth is a young girl, we
I admit that I purchased this book on a whim as I liked the title. The reviews also looked good and I could see that it was the winner of the Pen/Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award. I also thought that perhaps it was a modern day version of Ruth from the bible, which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful Books there. However, that soon proved not to be the case.Initially I thought the book was rather good. It had a rather humorous, odd and yet self-effacing way about it. However, after a
Gritty. But so is life. I ponder if I'd have handled my life any better if born into that setting. Probably not. We, who are born into a life of privilege and high functioning, assume that those who aren't somehow "deserved" it and can climb out if they wanted to. A quote I heard haunts me, "He was born on third base but thought he hit a triple." May I extend more kindness and grace to the Ruths I meet.
I should have known better. I really should have. First, it was an Oprah book club pick, and second, it won some Hemingway writing award. I always find Oprah's picks terribly dark and I despise Hemingway. Sorry to all the Hemingway fans out there. BUT, on the back cover a review said the book was very "Dickensonian" and another said it had quirky off-beat characters in the vein of Anne Tyler--two authors that I happen to love, so I gave it whirl. Ugh, ugh, ugh. I loathe ignorance. And the
0 Comments