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vonbergundy's review against another edition
dark
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sintari's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most timeless, magnificent tales of the Civil War ever conceived. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
My co-worker raved about Cold Mountain... me--- not so much. The rest of my book club wasn't too thrilled with it either. It had a little bit too much trudging around and a was a little on the dry side.
lindsayaunderwood's review against another edition
2.0
2.5. Really slow for the first 250 pages but I FINALLY got into it. The last 50 pages or so were great!
punkinmuffin's review against another edition
4.0
[a:Charles Frazier|7130|Charles Frazier|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1316568662p2/7130.jpg]'s writing in this book is full of contradictions: elegant yet warm, heartfelt yet stepped back, full of period vernacular yet smooth-flowing and immersive. I remember seeing the film adaptation a few years ago and I really loved it. usually that means I won't go back to the book. I'm so glad I broke my rule. Recommended.
jasminer99's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Overwritten and slow, struggle to finish.
book_concierge's review
4.0
Book on CD read by the author
A wounded soldier walks away from the hospital, determined to return to his love on Cold Mountain. Meanwhile that young woman, raised to be a flower of Southern womanhood, is finding her way alone, with the help of a homeless waif with reserves of strength and the knowledge to survive.
This is a slow study in character and what matters most. Inman has fought valiantly but no longer recognizes the purpose for which he is fighting, and wants nothing more than to return to Ada and Cold Mountain, and be let alone to live in peace.
Ada was cherished by her father after her mother died giving birth to her. She’s been educated, had trips to Europe, studied piano, and dressed in the latest finery. When her father’s doctors suggest that a move to the mountains will improve his ailing health, they leave muggy Charleston for a small stead on Cold Mountain. She is a hot-house orchid in a field of wildflowers. She can speak French and read Latin, but doesn’t know how to cook, tend a vegetable garden or milk a cow; she lacks the skills to survive.
Ruby is a homeless waif, whose father would rather drink and fiddle than care for his only child. She has fended for herself about as long as she could walk. She comes to Ada with a proposition – she will help Ada manage the farm, in exchange for her own place to live and an equal partnership.
What I loved most about the novel was the relationships between and personal growth of the women – Ada and Ruby – how they moved from dependent/superior to an equal partnership and true friendship. They grew to recognize and admire one another’s strengths, put their differences aside and developed a true and genuine trust between them born of hard work and repeated small tests. While Ada and Inman’s bond was ethereal and romantic, the bond between Ada and Ruby was grounded in the North Carolina soil and woods they called home. Had Sherman marched his forces through their cove I’d bet on Ruby and Ada to get the best of the federals.
The novel moves back and forth between Ada/Ruby and Inman, giving different perspectives on this time during the Civil War. Inman lived much more on the knife’s edge between survival and death, and his chapters were more suspenseful. While Ada and Ruby were no less in danger of losing their lives and /or livelihood (as was brought out by several of the people and situations Inman encountered), they did seem to lead a relatively “charmed” life – hard work, yes, but less danger for the most part.
Charles Frazier read the audio version himself. This was a mistake. He has no skill at all as a voice artist, and his reading was slow, ponderous and lacked inflection. I thought I would just fall asleep to his droning as I drove to and from work. It was the quality of his writing that saved the work for me. Were I evaluating the book based on the audio it would get only 2 stars.
A wounded soldier walks away from the hospital, determined to return to his love on Cold Mountain. Meanwhile that young woman, raised to be a flower of Southern womanhood, is finding her way alone, with the help of a homeless waif with reserves of strength and the knowledge to survive.
This is a slow study in character and what matters most. Inman has fought valiantly but no longer recognizes the purpose for which he is fighting, and wants nothing more than to return to Ada and Cold Mountain, and be let alone to live in peace.
Ada was cherished by her father after her mother died giving birth to her. She’s been educated, had trips to Europe, studied piano, and dressed in the latest finery. When her father’s doctors suggest that a move to the mountains will improve his ailing health, they leave muggy Charleston for a small stead on Cold Mountain. She is a hot-house orchid in a field of wildflowers. She can speak French and read Latin, but doesn’t know how to cook, tend a vegetable garden or milk a cow; she lacks the skills to survive.
Ruby is a homeless waif, whose father would rather drink and fiddle than care for his only child. She has fended for herself about as long as she could walk. She comes to Ada with a proposition – she will help Ada manage the farm, in exchange for her own place to live and an equal partnership.
What I loved most about the novel was the relationships between and personal growth of the women – Ada and Ruby – how they moved from dependent/superior to an equal partnership and true friendship. They grew to recognize and admire one another’s strengths, put their differences aside and developed a true and genuine trust between them born of hard work and repeated small tests. While Ada and Inman’s bond was ethereal and romantic, the bond between Ada and Ruby was grounded in the North Carolina soil and woods they called home. Had Sherman marched his forces through their cove I’d bet on Ruby and Ada to get the best of the federals.
The novel moves back and forth between Ada/Ruby and Inman, giving different perspectives on this time during the Civil War. Inman lived much more on the knife’s edge between survival and death, and his chapters were more suspenseful. While Ada and Ruby were no less in danger of losing their lives and /or livelihood (as was brought out by several of the people and situations Inman encountered), they did seem to lead a relatively “charmed” life – hard work, yes, but less danger for the most part.
Charles Frazier read the audio version himself. This was a mistake. He has no skill at all as a voice artist, and his reading was slow, ponderous and lacked inflection. I thought I would just fall asleep to his droning as I drove to and from work. It was the quality of his writing that saved the work for me. Were I evaluating the book based on the audio it would get only 2 stars.
nobutireadthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
blondierocket's review against another edition
3.0
Made into a movie starting Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jude Law, Cold Mountain is the story of Inman, a wounded soldier who deserts the Confederate army during war with intent to return to cold mountain and find the love of his life, Ada. It also tells the story of Ada and her struggle in life, trying to survive with no means, as she befriends Ruby (Zellweger), who helps Ada learn to live on her own.
Having seen the movie when it was first released, I wasn’t fully remembering what happened when I started reading the book. I don’t believe Frazier’s style is my favorite. I’m unaccustomed to dialogue mixed in without the use of quotations. Once I finished the book I found I enjoyed it a little more than I started out, but I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I really wanted to.
Having seen the movie when it was first released, I wasn’t fully remembering what happened when I started reading the book. I don’t believe Frazier’s style is my favorite. I’m unaccustomed to dialogue mixed in without the use of quotations. Once I finished the book I found I enjoyed it a little more than I started out, but I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I really wanted to.