About this title: Based on stories in the author's family, this novel is about a wounded Civil War soldier who walks away from the hospital and finds his arduous way home to his sweetheart--a cultured young woman who has been forced to learn the brutal ways of farm life. The stories of the two lovers are intertwined; when they converge, they find that their worlds ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340715567ISBN:0340715561
Description: Good. Some Light Wear And Creasing *** Expect to see light wear and some spine creasing *** Dispatched in padded packaging. ** UK SELLER-Get it in days not weeks ** read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Acceptable. Reading Copy Only-Expect Signs Of Wear, And Perhaps A Little Damage *** Expect to receive a well read copy-The condition of the book will be readable, perhaps with heavy creasing and some damage. You wouldn't want to give it as a present-Dispatched in padded packaging. ** UK SELLER-Get it in days not weeks ** read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780340824733ISBN:0340824735
Description: Good. *** Expect to see light wear and some spine creasing *** Dispatched in padded packaging. ** UK SELLER-Get it in days not weeks ** read more
Description: Very Good. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. One faint reading crease on spine & a little wear to cover edges. Otherwise this book is in great condition. All my books are carefully packed and I make every effort to despatch orders the same day. If you have any questions regarding this book please do not hesitate to contact me (e-mail is the best way! ) read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340715567ISBN:0340715561
Description: Good. This book is in good all round condition which means that it will show signs of wear and having been read. Any questions please e-mail, only too happy to help. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. We aim to ship within one working day. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Good. This book is in good all round condition which means that it will show signs of wear and having been read. Any questions please e-mail, only too happy to help. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. We aim to ship within one working day. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780340824733ISBN:0340824735
Description: Good. This book is in good all round condition which means that it will show signs of wear and having been read. Any questions please e-mail, only too happy to help. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. We aim to ship within one working day. read more
Description: New. Fast dispatch from an established online seller. Please note that some of our items may have a different cover to that shown, and some may have slight shelf wear. However, they are all brand new unread books, unless clearly stated in the listing. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Fair. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Fair. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Fair. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Description: Good. Paperback, larger format, good condition. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Fair. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: Sceptre
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780340680599ISBN:0340680598
Description: Fair. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Description: Good. Paperback, larger format, a good reading copy. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
Description: Good. Paperback, larger format, good condition. Cover image is a stock image and may vary. Your book will be securely packed and promptly dispatched from our UK warehouse. read more
"amazing book. rich in language and imagery. Couldn't put it down and to this day, what....10 or more years later?... I remember it vividly. I loved it. The history of the real people in the civil war, of the Cherokee forced from their lands, of the deep penetrating wilderness of the mountains and the characters that struggled to survive there - the woman with the goats - and how, with a tender loving hold on one of her kits, while scratching its ears, she killed it so quickly it was probably never remotely aware of its coming end. Of the girl in the cabin with the frail baby, that hid Iman, and how he saw that the baby was probably not long for the world..... Of his journey through the forests and of the young woman's journey from privilege to mere survival and of the unlikely friendship she made with the other young woman. Great book. Really great book. I recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by history and loves really good writing."
"After copyediting a rather dry military history of the U.S. Civil War, I needed a reminder of the human dimension. Cold Mountain grabbed me from the library shelf. Excellent choice! Inman, wounded at Sharpsburg, walks away from the military hospital and heads toward his home near Cold Mountain, in far western North Carolina. His long journey is juxtaposed with that of Ada, who instead of covering geographical distance is going deeper into the place where she's lived for some time. She's a privileged city girl who decides to stay in the country after her father's death. He left her a neglected farm and no money to speak of; her prospects are dismal until Ruby, a hardscrabble country girl with a wealth of practical knowledge about farming, animal husbandry, and healing, appears out of nowhere and appoints herself Ada's mentor.
Frazier's evocation of the land and the time is rich, elegiac and gritty at the same time. Ada and Inman are vividly drawn and entirely believable. Ruby seems a little too unscarred by her feral childhood, and the hermit goatwoman who shelters Inman in the mountains for a few days is likewise a little too good to be true, but those are minor quibbles. Cold Mountain brings a tumultuous time to life and makes it human."
"Just loved this book. I always enjoy books that do a good job of creating atmosphere through descriptive writing. This book is one of the best of that sort. The story itself is enjoyable, but what I liked even more was the detailed description of life in the civil war era. We have the idea from many movies and books that the south in the Civil War was all plantations and cotton, lovely ladies and dashing gentlemen. This south is something that Margaret Mitchell simply did not acknowledge, and it is probably much more true to what the majority if southerners lives were like during the time.
My one complaint is that you do wonder why Inman and Ada were so drawn to each other. They don't have much of a relationship before he leaves, but they do seem very much devoted to each other. My assumption is that perhaps relationships were just much different in that time period. People didn't "date" for a year, then live together for two years, and then maybe, just maybe, decide to get married. People courted, then decided fairly quickly whether their intended would make a satisfactory marriage partner. There was more to it than mere love - financial and physical survival were much more a part of the equation.
Particular highlights to me in the book were the time he spent with the "goat lady" on the mountain, and the sad plight of the girl whose husband is dead, baby is sick, and livestock are almost gone.
I have to say something about the movie. I saw it before I read the book, and I enjoyed both, but for entirely different reasons. I enjoyed the movie mostly as a star-crossed love story. The book I enjoyed for it's descriptive narrative as much as for the story."
"I read this book for a book to movie challenge that I'm participating in. I didn't really know what I'd think of the book and was curious to see how closely the movie followed it. I'd read some reviews that weren't overly favourable especially with regards to the love story between Ada and Inman but I was pleasantly surprised.
If you read the book blurb it says that this is the story about a very long walk. As Inman gets out of his hospital bed and begins to walk home to Cold Mountain in the remote hills of North Carolina. But this book is about so much more than a long walk.
To me, it tells the story of the very real suffering and torment that men who go to war have to face. It seems to be a rather honest portrayal of what killing does to a man's soul. In fact, one of the things that Inman says to Ada upon his return is that if she could see inside his soul she'd see how dark it was since the four years that he'd left her. This book leaves you in no doubt how much men are changed by war.
As far as comparison of the movie goes, I only have one real complaint. That is Inman frequently mentions Ada's dark hair, it's something that burned in his memory as he thinks of her constantly during his 'walk'. Nicole Kidman's hair was very fair in this movie. I know it's a small thing but he mentioned is so often that it seemed to be important a detail for movie makers to change so dramatically. That's really it though, of course the movie can't possibly tell all the details of the book. But I thought they did a great job of telling Inman's and Ada's story without losing any of the meaning. All in all a beautiful book that was translated brilliantly to the silver screen. A story worth reading and movie worth watching."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
