by Joyce Carol Oates
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Product Description
Fleeing Nazi Germany in 1936, the Schwarts immigrate to a small town in upstate New York. Here the father—a former high school teacher—is demeaned by the only job he can get: gravedigger and cemetery caretaker. When local prejudice and the family's own emotional frailty give rise to an unthinkable tragedy, the gravedigger's daughter, Rebecca heads out into America. Embarking upon an extraordinary odyssey of erotic risk and ingenious self-invention, she seeks renewal, redemption, and peace—on the road to a bittersweet and distinctly American triumph.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Masterpiece!, 2008-08-28
My idol lives up to her reputation. If she doesn't win the Pulitzer for this, I'm going to be p---ed!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 So glad to be done with it!, 2008-08-18
I finished it tonight and am so glad I'm done! I would have stopped sooner but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I agree with other reviewers that have mentioned repetitive words and metaphors. Yeah, her hair is long; yep, his groin is like a goiter. We get it- cutting her hair is representative, but do you have to beat us over the head with it?? Also, the switch between characters was very choppy. And I'm okay with endings that don't tie up all lose ends, but this one made no sense at all, and I tried to read the letters between her and the cousin and then got tired of it all. I did enjoy the first 1/3 of the book- the sections when she was Rebecca living in the stone house. There seemed to be a story and somewhat of a plot, but it got lost somewhere. Others might like it, I didn't. Read all the reviews, and don't lose sleep over a $14 book.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
boring, 2008-08-17
I took the book on vacation because the reviews had been good and Amazon indicated it was like other books I've like in the past. Immediately, I found that I didn't care for Oates' style of writing and the storyline wasn't engaging (i.e., it was painful to slog through). I made it about 50 pages in and jumped ship. If you want to take the risk, go for it. Otherwise, I'd say look elsewhere for a good summer read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Hard to put down, 2008-07-29
I've read a lot of Oates' books and this is one of my favorites. It's pretty dark, but the plot is intricate and for the most part it keeps moving. Like some others have said the end gets a little bogged down and slow, but I did have a hard time putting it down. Others have summarized the plot, so I won't do that, but the descriptions of small-town life and upstate New York are very vivid. It reminded me a lot of my grandmother talking about her hardscrabble youth in Ohio during the 30s and 40s; I don't think Rebecca's experience, even though she was the daughter of immigrants, was unique - I think it was the experience of a lot of uneducated (not dumb) and poor women during that time. It's a great exploration of a life and definitely one worth reading - beautiful prose and a good plot.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 In the mood or not?, 2008-07-24
First I must say that this is the first book I have ever read by Joyce Carol Oates. This book is easy to get into, but once strapped in, be ready for the bumpy ride! There is no question (at least to me) about Ms. Oate's genius. I found myself reading passages repeatedly just to appreciate the complexity of word use and the fascinating mirror on humanity that Ms. Oate's holds up again and again in her story. There is a lot of violence in this book, however, I found its use necessary to the story. The story is about a strong woman's survival against incredible odds. I say that the book is a bumpy ride simply because the author flashes backwards and forwards in reality. When the book ended I felt somewhat dissafisfied and didn't know exactly why. However, I find myself thinking of the story and reflecting on the characters. So I think I am dissatisfied because I wanted the book to continue. In any case I recommend this book, however, this is not your "vacation" book. Be in the mood for heavy themes and startling insights into human nature.
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