Getting Around To It

I'm a sometimes trendy reader, but most often my reading schedule has little to do with best seller lists. Thus it's only natural that I just now got around to reading Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. My copy of the book even has the graphic from the film's poster on the cover.

Unfashionably late or not, I still enjoyed book tremendously. In many ways it fits into the categories of novels I like. It is a well told story. The characters are realistic. There aren't implausible plot devices to make me roll my eyes. The language is colorful and poetic. The story moves along without leaving big holes in the details. The setting and the people are well described. The conclusion to the story is in doubt until the end. (If you are prone to wanting to read the last page first, you will be sorely tempted long before reaching the end of the book.)

The story is told cinematically and the lush setting is described photogenically, so I can understand the best-seller induced rush to film with this book. I haven't seen the movie, but accounts I've heard haven't encouraged me to rent the video.

If you aren't familiar or don't remember, the story is set in a post-World War II fishing village on the US's northwest coast. A large part of the plot revolves around race relations (part of its popularity may be that it is one of the few bits of popular culture to address this topic). The primary setting for the story is a murder trial. Effective flashbacks in the book provide the context and meat of the story.

If, like me, you missed this book when it was a media and marketing darling, don't let vague memories of hype keep you away from this book. Guterson deserved the praise and the sales. He probably deserved the movie advance. Go read it. There's a copy sitting on a library shelf near you.

Info about the book and the author. from the Glendale Community College web site

Here's the review from BookPage

And here is David Guterson's "Thank You" to Harper Lee

Dale Stahl's Opinion of SFOC

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Ken Wedding. 09.07.01 Updated 09.07.01

Credit to Macintosh Spun with PageSpinner SideTrack Home Page

	I'm a sometimes trendy reader, but most often my reading schedule has little to do with best seller lists. Thus it's only natural that I just now got around to reading *Snow Falling on Cedars* by David Guterson. My copy of the book even has the graphic from the film's poster on the cover.
	Unfashionably late or not, I still enjoyed book tremendously. In many ways it fits into the categories of novels I like. It is a well told story. The characters are realistic. There aren't implausible plot devices to make me roll my eyes. The language is colorful and poetic. The story moves along without leaving big holes in the details. The setting and the people are well described. The conclusion to the story is in doubt until the end. (If you are prone to wanting to read the last page first, you will be sorely tempted long before reaching the end of the book.)
	The story is told cinematically and the lush setting is described photogenically, so I can understand the best-seller induced rush to film with this book. I haven't seen the movie, but accounts I've heard haven't encouraged me to rent the video.
	If you aren't familiar or don't remember, the story is set in a post-World War II fishing village on the US's northwest coast. A large part of the plot revolves around race relations (part of its popularity may be that it is one of the few bits of popular culture to address this topic). The primary setting for the story is a murder trial. Effective flashbacks in the book provide the context and meat of the story.
	If, like me, you missed this book when it was a media and marketing darling, don't let vague memories of hype keep you away from this book. Guterson deserved the praise and the sales. He probably deserved the movie advance. Go read it. There's a copy sitting on a library shelf near you.