|
DAVID GUTERSON
I have placed "sizzler
ratings" next to books read, even if the review
hasn't been added at this time.
| Novels |
 |
Snow Falling on Cedars |
| |
Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense |
| |
The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind: Stories |
 |
East of the Mountains |
|
EAST
OF THE MOUNTAINS (1999) |
Sub-category: Soul
searcher
The plot:
Dr Ben Givens, a successful heart surgeon in Seattle is diagnosed
with cancer of the colon. Rather than subject his family to
the slow process of watching him waste away in pain, he decides
to end his life on his own terms. To this end, he carefully
packs up his stiff and goes east of the Casacade Mountains
of Washington State to seek an end in his area of birth. However,
things don't go quite according to plan and Ben is thrown
off his mission as events unfold around him.
Comment:
If you were expecting another delightful story from
Guterson after reading Snow Falling in Cedars, you
are going to be sooooo disappointed with this offering. I
knew I was in deep trouble when I had managed to squeeze in
time to read two other novels by the time I reached Page 67
of this one... However, in the end, I did a marathon session
one night and heroicially struggled along, hoping the pace
would pick up. Throughout the entire tale, Guterson provides
rich descriptions which clearly evoke images in your mind
of the landscape east of Seattle. That's about the only good
thing I can say! The plot struggles along at a speed which
even a hibernating bear could outrun and it never, never ever
gets better. In the end, we are no richer or better off for
experiencing this little interlude in Ben Given's life, just
bored...
Return to top
|
An
absolute sizzler of a movie - A must see! |
|
A
scorcher of a good movie; still capable of riveting you
to your seat |
 |
Low
flame burner; a pleasant piece of mindless brain candy |
|
A
fizzler of a movie which will have you counting zzzzzz's... |
|
