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Title: House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III ISBN: 0-375-72734-5 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 16 November, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.36 (650 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: HOUSE OF "DOOM & GLOOM"
Comment: This was the first book I ever read by this author and it came highly recommended by so many people. For the first 25 pages, I wasn't at all sure that it was going to be for me but, as I kept reading, I became enmeshed in one of the best books I've read this year. It is totally unlike anything I have ever read before. Told in the first person through the eyes of the two main characters, it makes it so easy to truly understand not only their thoughts but their real motivations. I often wonder what makes some characters tick -- in this book you won't have to wonder as Dubus masterfully explains in great detail what's behind each of these character's inner thoughts and motions.
This is an incredible story revolving around a house and the house's rightful owner. Colonel Behrani was at the top of the Iranian army when the government was overthrown and his family was forced to leave Iran and seek refuge in America. You read, with tears in your eyes, as this once powerful man tries to achieve the American dream for his family. He takes on menial jobs in an effort to save enough money for a house.
Kathy Nicolo, a recovering alcoholic and addict, has a house. She also finds the act of opening mail from the County Tax Collector to be mundane. Because of her negligence in not opening her mail, her house is sold at public auction. Now the fight for the rightful owner of this property begins. A third person enters the scenario. His name is Lester and he is a married cop. You know the saying, "two's company, three's a crowd". Well, it couldn't be more true than in this book.
The circumstances of this house's ownership spiral out of control. At times I couldn't believe what I was reading. Your sympathies may run the gamut from one character to the next but one thing is for sure -- you will definitely walk away from this reading experience and NEVER, NEVER forget this book. It is truly a masterpiece.
Rating: 5
Summary: The rare case where the movie and book complement each other
Comment: Having last night seen a screening of the movie adaptation of this book, I can honestly say that I have not been more moved by a feature in years.
This is not a tale for those who want a classic 'winner' and 'loser', or a 'happy ending'.
Without spoiling the plot, Mahmoud (Ben Kingsley) is a former Colonel under the Shah of Iran. He moves to America after Islamic Revolution in 1979 with his wife. They have a daughter and son in America.
Mahmoud longs to bring his family the life they once had, and he thus buys a house at auction for tax deliquency.
Unbeknownst to Mahmoud, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) was the owner of the house, and she was evicted and the house sold due to a bureaucratic error. She has many demons, and the characer's portrayal by Connelly is Oscar-worthy. She can say with her eyes what Andre Dubus so eloquently wrote in the novel.
Similarly, Ben Kingsley, at home in any role, is thoroughly believable as the proud Persian Colonel.
The fundamental questions in this book that will make you think long and hard are: Who has the 'right' to own the house? How will the ownership battle for the somewhat dilapidated, yet charming beach house affect the lives of Mahmoud, his family, and Kathy? What would comprise a 'just' solution?
Andre Dubus has a singular gift for describing his characters in such a way as to elicit raw empathy from the reader. Connelly and Kingsley are actors that do the same.
This is one of the few cases where I would suggest that reading the book before seeing the movie may add to one's appreciation of the movie as a complementary vehicle for understanding these fascinating characters.
If you are intrigued by stories of people struggling through adversity in the context of a very plausible situation then this book and movie will be for you. It is powerfully written, and the characters strength in the face of unrelenting adversity will likely inspire you regardless of what you think of the book and movie's ending.
The book also is worth reading, because this book relates in some way to all of us and the feeling of helplessness we've all felt in our lives at one time or another.
Buy this book. It is worth the price as you will come to read it again when life throws you a curveball. Also, like most excellent novels, it makes you *think*, whether you liked it or not. And that's what I think most readers want to do.
You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting View
Comment: This book was a slow start, however, as the story unfold, the reality of the situation left you feeling out of sort. You definitely could not take any side because there wasn't a side to take. The problem stemmed from the county/government agency srewing up again...and the havoc it plays on people's lives. People whose lives are less than perfect for whatever reason. The book shed light on the fact that it does not matter who you are or where you are from, we all experience difficulties, even when we are in the right...outside influences can lead us astray and we find ourselves on the wrong side of the track.
Yes, the young woman was hopeless...in the land of plenty the only things she could find to reach out to ...was alcohol and drugs, and top it off with a married man with kids, and when that formula does not appear to be working...why not blow your brains out from frustration?
The immigrant has his flaws as it is the culture in which he grew up. However, he was trying to maintain the lifestyle that his family was accustomed while trying to start a new life in a new country. Fortunate for him, he was an intelligent man, and would not succomb to the threats by the misguided local law enforcer...who, after seeing a beautiful female in distress thought that his loyality lies with her. After one night of passion, suddenly his family and his job does not quite measures up to the grandeur in bed he experienced the night before with our misguided drug infested alcoholic.
I am happy the book did not take sides...it gives a reason to think about things, instead of being provided with the answers to everything. Let's just call it mindful reading.
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Title: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane ISBN: 0380731851 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 02 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Cold Mountain : A Novel by CHARLES FRAZIER ISBN: 0375700757 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 12 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Drowning Ruth by CHRISTINA SCHWARZ ISBN: 0345439104 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 31 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier ISBN: 0452282152 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: 08 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Human Stain : A Novel by PHILIP ROTH ISBN: 0375726349 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 08 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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