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Loading... Mercy (original 1995; edition 2001)by Jodi Picoult
Work InformationMercy by Jodi Picoult (1995)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. "Mercy" by Jodi Picoult was by far, one of the worst books I've read in quite a while. The topic of the plot was interesting enough. However, Ms. Picoult dragged on the plot for so long and spent so much time on minor issues, that it quickly lost its way. Halfway through the novel, I finally decided to skip to the last few pages. I was able to determine the ending and move on to another novel. In this novel, Picoult does not have her trademark style where she presents differing view points. Instead, it's a mishmash of trite love stories which distract from the real issue: euthanasia, addressed coherently only in the last chapters. I was disappointed with the obsessive romances, ghosts and unhelpful Scottish lore, all of which only contribute to heavy-handed symbolism and none of which provided a strong foundation for the main theme. I usually enjoy Picoult but I do not recommend this one. A swing and a miss from Picoult, whose novels I usually like. This one was just too sappy for my taste, borrowing liberally from "The Bridges of Madison County" (which I really hated) and letting that co-plot vitiate what might have been a sensitive and thoughtful look at the subject of mercy-killing. While this wasn't my favorite book by Picoult, I'm still compelled to give it 4 stars. The subject matter is gripping and controversial, as always, but I had trouble identifying with, or even liking, most of the characters. There were parts of this book that seemed frivolous and unnecessary; it felt cumbersome to wade through them to get to the heart of the story. I still enjoyed it and look forward to my next novel from this author. no reviews | add a review
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Fiction.
Literature.
Romance.
HTML:From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult comes a ??sensitive exploration of the balance of love? (Publishers Weekly). Two cousins are driven to extremes by the power of love, as one helps his terminally ill wife commit suicide at her request, and the other becomes involved in a passionate affair with his wife??s new assistant. In the midst of betrayals and trials, forced to confront the limits of their love, these cousins must ask themselves how far the borders of their hearts ca No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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This book about what you would do for the one you love. There are two stories being told here. The story of Cam and Allie who live in Wheelock, Massachusetts and the story of Jamie and Maggie who live in a neighboring town. Cam is the police chief and Allie owns a floral shop in town. They are married but have no children. Cam's family moved to the town from Scotland many years before. Jamie and Maggie (also married with no children) drive to Wheelock where Jamie will only talk to Cam (Cam remembers later that he and Jamie are cousins) to confess to killing Maggie.
The same day, Mia shows up in town and Allie feels sorry for her so she hires her at the floral shop. There is an immediate spark between Cam and Mia.
Back to what you would do for the one you love - would you leave? Would you kill? Would you lie? If a terminally ill family member asks you to kill them will it be considered murder? Or is it Mercy? ( )