I listened to the audio version of this book, and all I can say is, thank goodness it was abridged. For some reason, I found the narrator and the main character to be a bit too annoying for my taste, and I think other listeners might form a similar impression. Of course, it could have just been my mood, who knows with these things? I'd almost give it a 4, the story loses it's overwhelming depressing tones near the end, but for me it was much too late to redeem the book overall. Inspiring, but if you pick it up, prepare yourself for some pretty depressing stuff. I sincerely hope you have a better time with it than I did!

What a great book! I borrowed this one from my sister, who said she could not get into it. I got sucked into it right away, and am shocked that more people didn't love it as much as I did. There are some really funny parts. If your parents are immigrants from Asia, like mine are, you will probably appreciate the parts about the accents even more. Check this one out - if you don't love it, pass it on to the next person you meet - I bet they will!

This book falls on my top ten (or so) favorite books of all time. Sure, it's a chick book, but it's an Oprah pick, so that goes without saying. Wonderful story, masterfully told - kinda sad, but incredibly readable! I haven't heard a single bad comment about it yet, and it's been out for a little while now. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would...Don't miss this one - it's a real gem. I would pick up another book by this author in a millisecond, no matter what the subject, title or length, she's that talented.

I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone. A very rich romantic novel set in a turbulent time in the history of the Soviet Union. If you are a Simons fan, don't miss it! I would also recommend Tully and Red Leaves to anyone that is new to to her work. Paullina Simons is a master storyteller, and has created a work of art with her latest novel - don't miss it!

I liked this book, and was surprised that I did. I had heard from several people that it wasn't as good as Angela's Ashes, and I found that to be true. However, it was a lot less depressing, and for that, it deserves some praise.

McCourt has so many great stories - and you just know that the ones in the book are just from the top of his head, and that there are plenty more where they came from. It was also very nice to see that the family was able to escape the misery that was evident from the first book.

Overall, a good book. I would definitely recommend it, although not the abridged audio version, which was the format I found first. I later found a printed version to compare it to.

A few things are left out that should have been kept in - nothing too crucial, but what are a few extra minutes here and there? I will never understand why companies release audiobooks without printing that they are abridged versions, but that's a whole other subject.

What a wonderful, wonderful book! I was completely taken in to Ria's world for the few days it took me to read the book! I also have a copy of the audio version, and be forewarned, it leaves out a lot of the story! But I would highly recommend both versions. I read it based on the recommendations of so many others, and now I see why it is so popular! I liked "The Glass Lake" a little bit more, but this was still a lovely book. I can't wait to read more by this author...

I read this book several years ago, and it really opened my eyes to a lot of hidden dynamics in all of our relationships. Several years have passed since then, but thank goodness I bought it, as I plan to read it again soon. I recommend it to absolutely anyone. Read it - you will be glad that you did! I would not hesitate to pick up any of her books, after reading this one.

This book is definitely well-written, and because of that, I've given it 4 stars, rather than 3. This experience reminded me of the time I read "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro - the book and the author received much acclaim, but I really wish I had skipped over the book and watched the movie instead.

The words do flow off the page quite gracefully, but there just wasn't enough 'action' to keep me interested - I ended up finishing it because I was reading it for a book group. If I hadn't had a motive, I might have just dropped it and moved on to something more exciting. I've heard it being compared, to "Memoirs of a Geisha", which I loved, and because of that, I decided to pick it up.

I tend to enjoy dialog a lot more than description, which there might have been too much of in this book. I wish I could 'savor' poetic writing, as Oprah does, but I guess it's just not my thing. If you also prefer more action, you might want to pick up another book instead of this one.

The reviews in my book group so far have been fairly mixed. Everyone seems to have either loved it or set it aside for the same reasons I mentioned. My expectations might have been too high, or maybe I'm just in a big hurry to move on to the next book, as I have a couple more I need to finish by a deadline that is fast approaching. Whatever the reason, I'm so glad that I borrowed a copy, rather than spending any money on it. A nice book, but not one that will stand out in my mind in years to come.

I think this was one of those books that you either loved or hated, and I definitely did not love it. I just found the family so despicable in their handling of such a delicate situation, and although I'm sure this kind of thing happens far more often than we'd like to believe, that doesn't make it any easier to take. In my opinion, it started off well, and then just dragged incessantly once I got halfway through it. So it wasn't just the subject matter - if the writing had been different, I would have found it much more palatable. I'm sorry I bought it.

This book should be required reading for every new reader out there. Such a beautiful concept, and so well done - illustrations and all. Quite a touching book - once you read it, it stays with you forever.