No comments about Our Lady of the Forest.

No comments about Last of the Mountains (Unabridged).

5 comments about Our Lady of the Forest.

1. I read with great satisfaction Guterson's "Snow Falling on Cedars" for which he deserved an award... It was good reading and skillfully done... And of course I was interested since I was born in the Northwest and raised there... When he did refer to sex acts it was done within context.. Next I decided to read the next book, "East of the Mountains", also skillfully written but a bit more sex than the first book...
   
   But, when I borrowed this one from my Public Library, I was distressed at how much of the book was taken up with the sex act, sexual fantasy, several of the main characters engaging in self sex, etc that it was not all that enjoyable... He could have told the story in about half the pages if that had been left out... Nowhere do the reviewers seem to note these pages.
   
   However, Guterson is a good writer of description....
   
   I would not recommend buying this book.



2. This novel will inevitably offend some readers, particularly Catholics. Our Lady of the Forest tells the story of Ann, a 16 year old pot smoking runaway who has a Marian vision while picking mushrooms in the forest. Word of her vision spreads quickly and a mass pilgrimage and media frenzy descends upon the small logging town. The novel contains numerous references to pleasuring oneself. The local priest has inappropriate sexual desires for the visionary (which is especially creepy given Ann's age) a number of characters smoke marijuana or eat magic mushrooms, and the Christian followers of the visionary are portrayed as gullible fools. All of these have the potential to offend the deeply religious. There is also a very disturbing rape sequence that is likely to make any reader, regardless of religious persuasion, uncomfortable.
   
   I admire Guterson for tackling such controversial subject matter but I can't say that he fully delivers in Our Lady of the Forest. I was intrigued by the premise of the novel initially, but found my interest wane as the novel wore on. Thankfully the ending wasn't as sugar coated as it could have been (but it was still a little too syrupy for my tastes). As I reached the mid point of the novel I was pretty certain that Ann would die, the church would get built, Tom would be saved, Tom Jr. cured, and Ann's visions would be accepted by the Church as authentic. I don't want to ruin the book for anyone, but thankfully only some of these things happen. If Guterson had delivered on all of them I'm sure I would have given the novel a much lower rating.
   
   Guterson's writing warrants some comment here. While it is admirable that he has such a robust vocabulary, his tendency to `overwrite' can be a little distracting. It bogs down the narrative flow of the novel. The religious themes in the novel are explored effectively and Guterson's portrayal of the economic devastation experienced by the small logging town is very powerful.
   
   There are bright spots in Our Lady of the Forest. It is a brave effort by the author but all in all, it falls a little short of the mark. I would caution potential readers of the novel that they may find some material offensive. This is not Snow Falling on Cedars.



3. This book was awful.
   I was also unable to get through Snow Falling On Cedars.
   I kept reading hoping it was going to get better, what a waste of time.
   Ugh.



4. Very disappointing. I loved reading Guterson's other novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, but this one was boring and long winded. Almost like boasting that he could use hard words and write complex sentences, words and sentences would be thrown in that could have been more concise. The book was returned to the library without even finishing it.



5. Our Lady of the Forrest features Anne, a homeless mushroom picker who has a Marian vision while out in the woods one day. Or does she? This is the central question. Anne has her own problems, including some pot smoking and a checkered history. Along comes her enabler who knows how to stick her fingers in the plate when the time is right. There's also a local priest with some of his own questions about his faith and the validity of Anne's visions.
   
   Guterson writes very well. His descriptions of the Pacific Northwest are wondrous and put you in the middle of it all. The plot here keeps you asking what's real and what isn't. This book is definitely worth a sport on the shelf.

No comments about East of the Mountains.

5 comments about The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind: Stories.

1. My son told me i had to read "Snow Falling on Cedars", and hey, moms thrill at such. So I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" and was enamored with Guterson's wordsmithing. As much for myself as for my son (a Christmas gift), I bought this collection of stories - i'm thinking, "Guterson's a good story teller...........my son is a boy entering adulthood........this collection is thematically appropriate.....". I found it hard to believe these stories were even written by the same person. I was disappointed. My son was disappointed. Let me know if the author of "Snow Falling on Cedars" writes another book.......



2. I'm surprised how many really did NOT like his stories. It seems that after reading his novel, they wanted greater things from these early short stories. I found lots of promise in these short stories with much of the subtle style that he uses later in Snow Falling. The strongest stories in the collection involve young boys growing up in the Northwest. Although the action is lots of hunting and fishing, there is a major undercurrent of emotional tension and frustration. In some ways, these remind me of some of Hemingway's early stories, not so much in terms of style, but setting. The Hunters, for instance, brought back images of Hemingway's The Battler. If I could have given this collection 3 1/2 stars, I would have, but it's just short of 4. Still, I enjoyed almost every story in the collection. Guterson is a "show" not tell type of writer, so I suspect some readers weren't watching closely enough. There's beauty and depth in some of these stories.



3. I'm aghast when I read the reviews of my fellow readers but then I take in account the common misperception that a short story is somehow easier to write or a lesser achievement than a novel. The truth is that short stories are more difficult to write, every sentence must punctuate, there is no breathing room. In the two novels I have read of Guterson, the endless pages of description are wonderful but can be top-heavy at times, whereas these stories are lean creations, leaving me wanting more. While it's no Pigeon Feathers, Guterson has been handed the wordsmithing baton from Updike, and the rich prose reminds me of Updike, satiating a yearn I have for quality short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed these, I liked them better than either of his novels, I hope he writes more.



4. This audio collection contains two cassettes and unabridged versions of many of the short stories in Guterson's collection, but not all stories are included in the audio version. Sorry I can't tell you which ones are here, cause the cover for some reason has no contents listed, and narrator Campbell Scott often moved so fast from one story to the next I never heard the title of half of them.

   By and large, I liked the stories on tape number one, especially the poignant tale of two brothers growing up in the 1960's whose family leaves their Oregon coastal motel and moves to Seattle. I think that one was titled "Day of the Moonwalk" or something like that. There is a real sense of nostalgia here, and the interplay between the brothers was heartwarming as they realized they didn't share a bedroom anymore, and as they scoured downtown Seatlle for a basketball hoop.

   I also enjoyed the duckhunting tale (probably "Opening Day"), as well as the doomed romance between a bookish young girl and a minor league pitching prospect. I thought the book was narrated effectively by actor Campbell Scott (he of the movie "Singles"), who handled dialogue especially well.

   However, especially once we get to tape two, Guterson sometimes lapses into an overly descriptive, somewhat experimental style that probably would give creative writing professors nationwide fits. I was particularly appalled by the story involving the young guy who wanders over an old man's land in Massachusetts, on his way to a nursing home to care for the elderly. Throughout the story, Guterson bombards the reader with an endless array of adjectives and adverbs, over-extending his sentences with unnecessary verbal flourishes that ruined the otherwise mediocre story for me. Hemingway, always a proponent of lean, unflowery prose, would have spun in his grave had he heard this one.

   I really liked Snow Falling on Cedars, and Guterson has a knack for writing about the Pacific Northwest and using the setting as an integral part of the story. These stories show a young writer first experimenting and finding his voice, with a handful of successes surrounded by an occasional clunker.




5. The short story much more demanding of an author than a novel is, yet David Guterson's writing is much better here than in Snow Falling on Cedars. Fantastic.

No comments about EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS.

No comments about Snow Falling on Cedars.

5 comments about Snow Falling on Cedars.

1. A very powerful book, the kind you remember. A fascinating study of the tragedy that is racism. Brilliant.



2. What amazed me about this book was the way the story was told. It's kind of a courtroom drama, kind of a romance, and very much a commentary on the state of a torn and divided nation after World War II. On the North end of Puget Sound there was a murder and the accused, Kabuo Miyamoto is a friend turned enemy of Carl Heine, now deceased.
   
   The way it's told is the magic, as I alluded to earlier. It's like peeling layers on the silent man, Miyamoto and the entire island of San Piedro. Each person involved in the trial reveals their history and their secrets as uncovered by the narrator, newspaperman Ishmael Chambers. At first these secrets are far from the murder and the accused, but they throw a wide net and it tightens masterfully as David Guterson weaves a beautiful story. The two families go back, way back. Their stories are difficult and run through Japanese interment camps and bloody battlefields to end up on fishing boats and in strawberry fields.
   
   Besides a tight, intricate plot, the setting is described perfectly - the smells, the tastes, the sounds of the Washington Coast. It's hard to believe that this is a first novel, it's that good.
   
   - CV Rick, March 2008



3. Compelling and hard to summarize, this book struck me most for its amazing organization and its beautiful prose. Set on a fictitious Island, this book examines post WWII prejudice against Japanese Americans, covers a murder trial, and examines love and passion. The only fault I had with it is that at some times the descriptions of the things going on in the book struck me as a bit perverse.



4. The clearest thing I'll take away from my reading experience of "Snow Falling on Cedars" is simply how fast it took me to race through it. I like to take my time reading books - especially if I find them enjoyable - but I found myself speeding through the chapters of David Guterson's debut novel at an alarming rate. It was nearly impossible to put down thanks to the clear yet sophisticated prose, the intriguing and well-paced "whodunit" aspect of the story and the slow unraveling of both the minds and motivations of the characters, which is exceptionally well done. So yes, I definitely recommend this book!
   
   When the novel first opens, we are introduced to a range of people living on San Piedro, an isolated island in the Pacific South-West. All somewhat enigmatic at first - to the reader, as well as each other - we are gradually drawn into their lives, childhoods, relationships and personalities, as the community is drawn together over a particularly controversial murder case. Kabuo Miyamoto is on trial for the murder of the well-respected fisherman and war veteran Carl Heine, due to bad-blood between the two men, and the fact that Miyamoto was (by his own admission) the last man to see Heine alive, out on his fishing boat.
   
   But it soon becomes clear that there is more to this trial than first appears: it is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, and there is an unspoken assumption that Miyamoto's Japanese heritage jeopardizes his chances of being acquitted. A large pile of evidence speaks out against Miyamoto, and his stoic demeanor does not help matters either, despite fighting on the side of the Allies in the War. From this starting point, Guterson draws in a wide range of characters related to the case: wives and family members of both the accused and the deceased, lawyers, witnesses, community members and figures from the past. Most prominently is the character of Ismael Chambers, a journalist investigating the case, who has his own particular link to Miyamoto - or rather, Miyamoto's wife Hatsue, a young woman who in her teenage years chose duty to her people and culture over a love affair with Ishmael. Embittered by her rejection and his experiences in the war, Ishmael cuts himself off from the people around him. Yet Ishmael discovers certain facts pertaining to the case that have a tremendous bearing on its outcome - should he choose to share them.
   
   Guterson draws on the racial hysteria against Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the American government's decision to force Japanese citizens into interment camps for the duration of the War as the historical background for this novel. All over the island of San Pierdro runs distrust and suspicion, as well as bitterness in many Japanese families for the lack of support shown by their neighbours during their deportation to the mainland, and the fact that when they returned home, their lands and jobs had been lost. The main irony of the piece is of course that Carl Heine himself is of German descent, and therefore just as worthy (or rather, unworthy) of suspicion and prejudice as any Japanese citizen on the island.
   
   It seems a shame to give away too much of the tapestry of relationships, prejudices and intrigues that go on in the small island community, as most of the enjoyment derived from this novel is discovering and sorting them out by yourself. There's always more than meets the eye to every single character, and no one is entirely faultless, nor entirely innocent during their lifetimes. Most poignantly of all is the theme of `chance versus choice' that runs throughout the story. Whether it be the war, a particularly nasty snow-storm or other impersonal forces, all of the characters are seemingly thrown to the winds of fate. When entities like prejudice and racism become so large that they cloud judgment and become a way of life, what hope do individuals have to overcome them? Guterson attempts to answer this question through the use of the courtroom drama and the personal lives of his protagonists, and manages to make the answer both optimistic and bittersweet, particularly in his final paragraph.
   
   There are only two more things I need to note: first that San Piedro itself is brought to life through Guterson's poetic-prose, which is as beautiful as you'd expect from a book titled "Snow Falling on Cedars." The island becomes a character in its own right, in all its natural beauty: the scent of the cedar trees, the vast strawberry fields, the markets and enclosed houses - it's all there. Second is the characterization of Hatsue Miyamoto, who is potentially the most intriguing and important figure in the entire book. Guterson has no trouble characterizing a member of the opposite sex, and Hatsue holds a fascinating place within the novel, as a young woman caught between her regard for the white Ishmael and her loyalty to her own culture and upbringing. As a young girl she struggles with her appearance and her restlessness, and even though she manages to find a sense of serenity in her adulthood, we get the sense that she will always be striving between her desire to be an individual, and to take what is deemed her rightful place in her culture's society. Even though she does breaks Ishmael's heart during the course of the story (disrupting what many would consider a classic "star-crossed" romance), yet we are never led to despise her for this - in fact, we sympathize with her decision and understand it. In short: she's wonderfully complex and layered - much like the rest of this novel.



5. What I enjoyed most about this novel was Mr. Guterson's facility with descriptive language. I just loved the snow storm--though I also thought he had his characters moving around in it entirely too much--and I liked his casually elegant way of getting into his characters' heads and hearts to explain their histories.
   
   So why only 3 stars? Because I was ultimately unconvinced by the book. By that, I mean that he wasn't as successful as he should have been in intertwining the book's themes of war, family, and racism (especially the latter). By the time the book ended, I didn't much care about the outcome. That's why I wasn't bothered by its truncated, too easy ending. The event that facilitates the ending was extremely contrived, and even drawn out too much.
   
   Mr. Guterson has some serious talent, though. This book just didn't awe me as much as I thought (based on other reviews) that it would.

5 comments about East Of The Mountains.

1. This is a beautiful, magical book. I started reading the book with very low expectations, expecting another hokey, cliche-ridden discourse on facing up to our own mortality. I couldn't have been more wrong.
   
   I'm not going to go into details of the book, because I don't want to ruin any potential readers' experiences. All I can say is...read this book! It's gentle pace draws you in, and makes you feel-REALLY FEEL-Ben's experiences, his thoughts, and the conclusions he reaches in facing his own mortality.
   
   I was expecting a tear-jerker, and the author could easily have played it that way...yet, I never shed a tear. Instead, I finished the book with a sense of satisfaction for the way that Ben had chosen to end his days.
   
   This is a keeper...and for me, there is no higher compliment.



2. Readers will likely take an interest in David Guterson's "East of the Mountains" after reading his popular 1995 novel "Snow Falling on Cedars". The more recent book is the story of Ben Givens, a retired doctor who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Givens decides to take his own life in a staged hunting accident rather than subject himself and his family to the suffering of his inoperable condition. The good doctor travels east, where he intends to commit suicide with his trusty hounds at his side while stalking grouse in the rolling hills of Washington's apple country.
   
   Guterson is poetic in his descriptions of the landscapes and personalities that Givens encounters. The author also employs a handful of flashbacks to Givens' younger days, to his time spent as an infantryman in WWII, and how he became inspired to dedicate his career to medicine. Although the pace of the story is a bit poky in the early chapters, the novel eventually establishes itself. The man who would take his own life struggles with both the logistics and the logic of his decision, which makes for some interesting tension. The ending sweeps in predictably enough. But even if you can see how this one will end from a mile away, there's still plenty of satisfaction in reading this elegy through to its conclusion.



3. People seem to really like or really dislike this book. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it highly. I'm giving nothing away in telling you it's about a dying man and how he makes elaborate plans to leave this life -- and then what happens instead... a very "human" book, one that ably demonstrates how even a dying grandfather still has the capacity to grown and learn.



4. With the first sentence I was captivated; "On the night he had appointed his last among the living, Dr. Ben Givens did not dream, for his sleep was restless and visited by phantoms who guarded the portal to the world of dreams by speaking relentlessly of this world." I read this book because I loved reading Snow Falling on Cedars and wanted to read another book by this author. Guterson weaves a story of love between a husband and wife into a story about dying and does it well. He writes of the value of life even when facing imminent death and proves his point without being preachy. Guterson's writing has a way of being subtle and also captivating.



5. I started the book with anticipation and enjoyed the first few chapters. However, the story started going downhill when Ben meets character after character with not much happening. Ben doesn't seem to come to any conclusions through the course of his physcial journey and and I didn't see any emtional journey taking place either. Also, the writer mentions geographic areas endlessly and unless you're familiar with the area of eatern Washington, it was bit boring to hear of all the landmarks and town names. Not a very stimulating read.