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northeastofwinter's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
smallicedmocha's review against another edition
4.0
I would actually rate this more like 3.5 because there were a number of superfluous sections, but I bumped it up to 4 because of the lack of something similar. This novel is something that is read, but also felt, tasted, and smelled. A lot of the descriptions and details add to the notion that the reader is experiencing the events, whether in the "past" or "present" of the plot. This is in contrast with many modern novels where the reader passively watches and remains informed of what is happening.
In addition, the content it addressed is rather unique among the current American literature options because it looks at prejudice and treatment of the Japanese during the period immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a rather horrifying but seldom written about period in American history. I cannot speak to the accuracy of these events or portrayals of communities any more than I can do that with Tudorian novels or the Elizabethean court, but I do recognize the underlying themes of fear of the "other", the flaws of perception and being caught up in a single narrative, and how prolonged experiences of hurt and trauma can influence how a person acts. I appreciated the walks through the past particularly because of the detail and immersive experience that would later inform me more about a character's personhood as the trial progressed.
In addition, the content it addressed is rather unique among the current American literature options because it looks at prejudice and treatment of the Japanese during the period immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a rather horrifying but seldom written about period in American history. I cannot speak to the accuracy of these events or portrayals of communities any more than I can do that with Tudorian novels or the Elizabethean court, but I do recognize the underlying themes of fear of the "other", the flaws of perception and being caught up in a single narrative, and how prolonged experiences of hurt and trauma can influence how a person acts. I appreciated the walks through the past particularly because of the detail and immersive experience that would later inform me more about a character's personhood as the trial progressed.
conniebeingconnie's review against another edition
4.0
Started out great but the courtroom drama in the end was a bit too much
booksuzi54's review against another edition
4.0
Snow on Cedars is a thought provoking and eye-opening look into the prejudice against the Japanese Americans in WWII --- really encompassing the periods before and after as well. When a white fisherman is found dead , off his boat, eyes turn to his Japanese neighbor. I did enjoy this novel, on audio, but must admit the lengthy descriptions grew a bit tedious at times.
sarahsulliv's review against another edition
3.0
Somehow I had never read this book, as popular as it was a few years back, and I'm so glad that I finally did. Wonderfully complicated, and the jumping back and forth between times and points of view was handled so masterfully that I was never confused about when it was or who was talking.
melissariggs's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book 15+ years ago. I've started and stopped dozens of times. So this time, I purposely brought it on a work trip with no other reading material. It was a slow read for me, but the writing style is lovely-it just did not hold my attention like other books have.
"San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memory grows as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries—memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched. Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric, Snow Falling on Cedars is a masterpiece of suspense—one that leaves us shaken and changed. "
"San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memory grows as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries—memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched. Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric, Snow Falling on Cedars is a masterpiece of suspense—one that leaves us shaken and changed. "
allieeveryday's review against another edition
3.0
I've owned this one for an insanely long time and never read it because ... well, both the cover and the title are super boring and neither are really representative of the content within. While it centers on a murder trial, its heart is much more of a character study of the people who lived on San Piedro Island in the 1950s, and the prejudices they hold against the Japanese immigrants that lived on the island before (and after) World War II. It's slow and languid and descriptive (perhaps a tad overly so), and it's got some super irritating moments of sexist micro aggression -- rankling me the most: 1) a woman was described as "31 and still graceful," and 2) a main character's mother's "face looked bland and old with no mascara, for which she asked [her son's] forgiveness," which was irrelevant, and also what?? -- but I still found the characters and the trial compelling enough to keep going. I actually enjoyed it more than this review is letting on, but those irritations are keeping me from rating it higher.
hannahmccarl's review against another edition
2.75
Oof this was a slow one. About a murder trial in an island town. The plot and characters are good but there are sooo many side stories. Would not recommend.
thelizabeth's review against another edition
I remember reading this during free time in class in 9th grade, and my teacher blushing, because she'd read it too.