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I really liked this book, although it took me a while to finish it. It wasn't a couldn't-put-downer, but the main character was vividly developed, and Richler gave him some pretty good lines. Barney is an incorrigible, self-centered bastard, but he somehow remains likeable and sympathetic.

This was a sort of odd tale. I wasn't sure about it at first, but the book started grew on me.

The author deals with the topics of homelessness, and he seems to have a hate-on for Starbucks, which is thinly disguised in this novel as "Inferno."

This book had me from the first page. The narrative voice is so distinct, the imagery so evocative, the subject matter so compelling and novel (pun not intended), that I was immediately drawn in.

This is the story of mixed-blood jazz musicians in Nazi Germany and occupied France. Two are Americans and comparatively "safe" from persecution, but one, the youngest and most talented, is a "mischling"--a German person of mixed-blood and, therefore, a particular target. This is a tale of love, lust, talent, disappointment, betrayal, and forgiveness. I think almost any jack or jane would enjoy reading about the gates in this story.

I am impressed by this author and will definitely read more of her work.

I was not a fan of The Red Tent, but I saw this book in the bargain bin and thought I'd give this author another try. Now I see why this book was in the bin.

I'll admit to being predisposed to dislike this book, because I dislike cancer stories. I should have read the dust jacket first, I guess.

But beyond that, I find Diamant's writing clumsy and belabored. For instance, she had her character explain numerous times why she had an Irish first name and a Jewish last name. Really, one explanation would have been plenty. Yawn.

I also found her main character to be self-absorbed and whiny, rendering her unlikeable. For example, when her friend's daughter is rushed to the hospital, she spends the entire trip regaling her friend with her own tale of woe and guilt at losing her own child. Although her motive is, presumably, to alleviate her friend's guilty feelings, her choice of moments to unburden herself couldn't have been worse or more self-centered, IMO. The friendship was already pretty one-sided, anyway. I doubt the author intended her character to be so unlikelable, but she failed to round out the character enough to make her interesting or sympathetic.

I don't think I'll bother reading anything else by this author.

I loved this book. This may be my favourite Toews novel so far. Toews has a wonderful and humorous way of illustrating her characters' resilience in the face of hardship and tragedy. Also, the details she uses create such verisimilitude, I almost believe that Half a Life is an actual place, and the characters in it are living, breathing human beings. For instance, the Sikh caretaker, Singh Dillon, is called "Sing Dylan" by the residents of Half a Life, and this quirky little detail seems so odd and funny that it simply must be real. Lish's ever-present spider-pin, that is shined up for special occasions, is another such detail.

In my work, I know a lot of single mothers, and I hear about their stories and their struggles, so this novel rang very true for me. However, although it deals with people in difficult circumstances, it's not a Sad Sack sort of book. It made me laugh out loud many times.

This book was very well-written and brought these people (Ernest Hemingway and Hadley) to life. I did enjoy reading about their life in Paris, especially when familiar (to me) landmarks were mentioned. However, the pair's doomed relationship was not all that appealing to me from the start, and that's the reason I did not give this book five stars.

Ah, Kinsella. Even though he is writing about a culture not his own, I still get a kick out of his work, and I always love to read about the misadventures of Silas Ermineskin and Frank Fencepost. Of course, I picture Ryan Rajendra Black and Darrell Dennis as Silas and Frank, because they portrayed those characters so well in the TV series based on Kinsella's stories.

This book made me laugh a lot, but there were also some very sobering moments.

It was like a visit with old friends.

I loved this book. It kept me riveted from start to finish. I think I liked it even better than Snowflower and the Secret Fan. The characters are so well drawn, it's hard to believe they're fictional.

This is the story of two beautiful girls, sisters, whose lives change dramatically, first through the weakness of someone they trust, and then through political turmoil. Their relationship is complicated. They are devoted to one another, but, just like real sisters, jealousy and rivalry are intertwined with their love and loyalty.

I highly recommend this book.

I must confess I was a little disappointed in this book. I've read a couple of other novels by Coupland and liked them, so I had high expectations for this, the book for which he is best known. It was all right, but perhaps I am reading it too late, and the "best before" date has passed. I actually enjoyed Generation A, which is similar, more, as I found it more relevant to today's world.

I do like that, in spite of the critical magnifying glass through which Coupland examines our modern world, he always leaves the reader with a sense of hope.

What I did not like about this book were all the definitions in the margins of the book. I found them distracting, and reading them interrupted the flow of the narrative for me.

This book was OK...not one of my favorite Atwoods, but still pretty good. It was interesting to compare the protagonist's fantasy life, reflected in her own writing of bodice rippers, with her reality...especially her affair.

I wanted to like this book. I loved The Jade Peony, and I thought a memoir by Wayson Choy would be interesting. It had its moments, but there is a long stretch during which Choy describes his childhood, and some of the "events" he describes seem pointless and not particularly relevant. So what if he wet his pants? So what if his dog was hard to housetrain? I think this book could have used more judicious editing and a better overall sense of narrative. I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I didn't, because the story of his family's secrets, which he picked up again toward the end of the book, was interesting. However, I don't think I'd recommend this book to anyone.

First, let me start off by saying that I adore Eden Robinson--at least what I know of her. I've had the pleasure of meeting her, and she is charming and lovely. She has the most beautiful laugh I have ever heard, bar none.

However, I do not like her books. Oh, don't get me wrong. They're well-written, which is why I've given this three stars. But Ms. Robinson is a very bloody-minded (in the older meaning of the term) writer! This book gave me nightmares.

In some ways, her subject matter is similar to that of Miriam Toews. She writes of young people in circumstances of neglect, abuse, addiction, etc. I don't shrink from reading of such things, but Robinson takes it to a level beyond what I can stomach--bordering on horror. One of the stories reminds me of the Paxton "torture trial" currently going on in Calgary.

Robinson's writing is stark and effective. Her brief descriptions are rich in mood. (e.g. "The sun crawled up the sky.") Her stories tell of life's underbelly and are probably more true to live than I care to think. But there are some aspects of life I simply don't want to examine that closely.

I'd like to have the option of giving this 3 1/2 stars, as that's how I'd rate this read. I read this book shortly after reading The Flying Troutmans. I really enjoyed The Flying Troutmans, so I was looking forward to reading this one, particularly as it is also a Governor General's Award winner. Both books are good, but I found A Complicated Kindness to be sadder and less hopeful. I also found the story somewhat less compelling.

Still, Toews is such a master of characterization--no matter how quirky or damaged her characters are, they are entirely lifelike and believable--A Complicated Kindness is worth reading, and I will be looking to read more works by Toews.