Cold Mountain

by Charles Frazier | Romance | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 1400077826 Global Overview for this book
Registered by editorgrrl of New Haven, Connecticut USA on 6/13/2005
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Journal Entry 1 by editorgrrl from New Haven, Connecticut USA on Monday, June 13, 2005
Movie tie-in trade paperback bought at the thrift store to release. The 2003 movie starred Jude Law, Nicole Kidman & Renée Zellweger.

From Library Journal
This monumental novel is set at the end of the Civil War and follows the journey of a wounded Confederate soldier named Inman as he returns home. Interwoven is the story of Ada, the woman he loves. Ada, who was raised in genteel society, cannot cope with the rigors of war until a woman called Ruby arrives to help her. Inman comes across memorable characters like the goatwoman, who lives off the secret herbs in the woods and Sara, a woman stranded with an infant who is assaulted by Yankee soldiers whom Inman later kills. After a long, threatening journey, Inman finally arrives home to Ada, "ravaged, worn ragged and wary and thin." His momentary homecoming, however, comes to a tragic end. A remarkable effort that opens up a historical past that will enrich readers not only with its story but with its strong characters. Highly recommended for all collections.

From Booklist
The Civil War's last months are the setting for this first novel by Frazier, erstwhile college teacher and author of travel books and stories. Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, leaves the hospital before his gashed neck heals enough to get him sent back to war. Still weak, he heads for the mountains, where a minister's daughter named Ada is his objective. Inman's return could hardly be timelier for the Charleston-raised Ada: her father has died, and she finds she knows little about operating a farm. Frazier blends the story of Inman's journey with that of Ada's efforts, with the help of a drifter named Ruby, to wring a subsistence living from the neglected land; in the background are the yelping dogs of war (most dramatically, gangs chasing Confederate deserters like Inman), as well as hints of changes the end of war will bring. Cold Mountain, based on a Frazier family story, is a satisfying read, though for some readers elements of the story (e.g., Ada's dependence) are anachronistic.

From Kirkus Reviews
A grim story about a tough, resourceful Southern family in the Civil War is somewhat submerged by the weight of lyrical detail piled on the tale, and by the slow pace of the telling. There's no doubt that Frazier can write; the problem is that he stops so often to savor the sheer pleasure of the act of writing in this debut effort. Inman, seeing that the end of the war is near, decides to leave his regiment and go back home to Ada, the bright, stubborn woman he loves. His adventures traversing a chaotic, impoverished land, Ada's struggles to preserve her father's farm, and the harsh, often powerful tales of the rough-hewn individuals they encounter take up most of the narrative. The tragic climax is convincing but somewhat rushed, given the many dilatory scenes that have preceded it. Frazier has Cormac McCarthy's gift for rendering the pitch and tang of regional speech, and for catching some of the true oddity of human nature, but he doesn't yet possess McCarthy's ferocious focus. A promising but overlong, uneven debut.

Released 18 yrs ago (6/14/2005 UTC) at Koffee Too, 276 York St. (near Broadway) in New Haven, Connecticut USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Left on the shelves (along the far right wall, near the front windows) at:
Koffee Too?
276 York Street (between Broadway & Wall Street)
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
(203) 787-9929
http://www.koffeetoo.com

Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-midnight
Sat 8:30 a.m.-midnight
Sun 9 a.m.-midnight

Closes at 9 p.m. during holidays and the off-season.

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