I knew of this book and the hype surrounding it, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I am doubly glad I read the book because it is so much better than the subsequent film. I love the journey that echoes the Odyssey, the starkness of life at the farm and in the places Inman finds himself, and the grit and survival of each character in the book. I found the romance more subtle and quiet in the book, and I preferred it that way. Truly a good read. ( )

I loved this book...and I'll admit, partly because I read it before Renee Zellwegger (sp?) appeared in the movie.

This is just a nice story...the characters are real, the dialogue feels true to the time period, and it made me want to know these people.

If you haven't read it yet, you may want to check it out this winter -- it's a great read when it's cold outside. But if you've already seen the movie, I might recommend not reading this. Because I don't want Renee tainting your impression of the book.

(In full disclosure, I loved Renee in Miss. Potter.) ( )

Cold Mountain is quite possibly the most beautiful book that I've ever read. It's not for the faint of heart, however, as it's time consuming and requires a great deal of patience as Frazier takes his time with his descriptions of the landscape and the people as Inman, a soldier broken in spirit by the futility and waste of the Civil War, decides to walk home to Ada and his beloved Cold Mountain. That is not to say that Frazier wastes the reader's time or goes off on unnecessary tangents (although for those who like quick narratives, it may seem that way), but he is in no hurry to rush the novel to its conclusion. To have done so would have stripped the novel of its power as it examines the lives of both Inman and Ada, a Southern belle woefully unprepared to exist in the harsh mountain landscape of Cold Mountain when she finds herself all alone. What may seem like lengthy transcendentalist-like descriptions of nature actually serve to reveal the inner life of each character and enrich the narrative.

Of the two alternating narratives, I found Inman's the most compelling. His is a Dante-like journey through the "Inferno" of the American South (comparisons could also be made to Homer's The Odyssey). While he time and again encounters people wallowing in depravity and sin in a seemingly lawless world, he also encounters along this hellish journey acts of selflessness and kindness that serve as balm to his soul when he's on the cusp of losing all hope. Ironically, those offering the greatest kindnesses are those who are the most excluded from society (slaves and women). Inman is a man who is capable of violence, but only when necessary. After killing indiscriminately in war, he's determined to do no harm unless it's absolutely unavoidable. It may be because of the violence that is still latent within him that Inman struggles so with the world and his place in it.

Of the reviews I've read, most readers disliked the novel's ending. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll only state that I thought the ending was the only possible one offered in a world consumed by war. ( )

In Frazier’s debut novel, he spins a tale as old as time. Inman, a wounded soldier in the Civil War, escapes from a hospital to return home to Cold Mountain and to Ada. Meanwhile, back on the farm, Ada’s father has died, and she is at a loss. She takes in a local woman, Ruby, to help her run the farm. Each adventurous chapter alternates between Inman on his wily journey home and Ada and Ruby with their trials and tribulations in bringing the farm back to life.

Character-wise, all were strong people yet somewhat undeveloped. Frazier tells us numerous bits and pieces of each character’s life, yet he doesn’t really let us get into their heads all that much. When he does allow the reader to know the inner thoughts of the characters, it is insightful. Here is one of my favorite quotes of the book:

" ---When you got up this morning did you think before sunset you’d see cheese made? she said.
"Inman thought about the question. He had long since decided there was little usefulness in speculating much on what a day will bring. It led a person to the equal errors of being either dreadful or hopeful. Neither, in his experience, served to ease your mind. But he did have to allow that cheese had not factored into this day’s dawn thoughts."

I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this novel. Typically I find long descriptions and a bit story to be tedious and hard to get through. In this case, though, I found Frazier’s style engaging. Perhaps it was my own certainty about how this story would coalesce that allowed me to forget about the overarching plot and delve into the imaginative prose. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar setting in a distant but not that far away time that intrigued me and pulled me along so that the descriptions became stories unto themselves. Perhaps I was just in the right mood. For whatever reason or for all of the above, I took great pleasure in reading it.

Even though I usually do not enjoy fiction taking place during the civil war (excluding Gone with the Wind), I fell in love with this book. The dialog is simple and nothing I would ever quote (in other words -- adequate, but not memorable), but the imagery is breathtaking. If you liked David Gutterson's Snow Falling on Cedars, you may enjoy this novel. ( )