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Cold Mountain: A Novel |  |
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Cold Mountain: A Novel | |
Much has been made of the story's homage to The Odyssey, the origins of which are found in an oral tradition. One can't help but hear echoes of Homer when listening to Frazier's soft, deliberate voice give life to his lyrical writing and to his understated, yet convincing rendering of the overwhelming events of war. Both Frazier's prose and reading are leisurely, recalling a slow foot pace. His delivery is uniquely suited to Innman's arduous, adventure-filled walk toward home and to the possibility of a reunion with Ada, the woman he loves. The author's reading does equal justice to Ada, who is being transformed by her struggle for survival on her father's farm. There is precious little dialogue, and Frazier makes no effort at acting out the characters.
One small irritation in the production is a beeping noise at the end of each side. Another minor complaint is that the tapes don't have individual boxes, which was perhaps an attempt to make the overall package appear more booklike. The recording does, however, make deft use of two brief musical interludes. In a subtle twist, the fiddle music that opens the first cassette, when repeated as an accompaniment to the epilogue, carries a bittersweet and unexpected resonance. By all means, forgive Random House Audio the tiny glitches, pass over that slender abridged version, and take home the real thing. This audiocassette is a journey that will leave few listeners unchanged by the experience. (Running time: 14.5 hours, 12 cassettes) --Naomi J. Cohn --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
A Civil War soldier and a lonely woman embark on parallel journeys of danger and discovery. Environment, events, and the empathy of others transform the protagonists spiritually as well as physically.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
An audiobook read by an author is not the same as one read by an actor. Compared to a professional reader, Frazier is a dud. He does no character voices, not even distinguishing by gender; no accents; and few if any distinguishable changes in pace, intensity, etc. In fact at times he stumbles, though the editing process has obviously eliminated any major problems. About the only personality he adds to this recording is a few old-fashioned pronunciations, which may be deliberate, or may be personal idiosyncrasies. Still, the reading works. Frazier has a soft, pleasant and sensitive voice that communicates emotion apparently without effort. Clearly, there is an intangible working here. Knowledge by the author of every nuance of the work (seven years in the making) and knowledge by the listener that this is coming from the horse's mouth makes the reading, though lacking in intensity, nevertheless engrossing and finally emotionally powerful. Highly recommended.?Preston Hoffman, Shelby, NC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
The Civil War's last months are the setting for this first novel by Frazier, erstwhile college teacher and author of travel books and stories. Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, leaves the hospital before his gashed neck heals enough to get him sent back to war. Still weak, he heads for the mountains, where a minister's daughter named Ada is his objective. Inman's return could hardly be timelier for the Charleston-raised Ada: her father has died, and she finds she knows little about operating a farm. Frazier blends the story of Inman's journey with that of Ada's efforts, with the help of a drifter named Ruby, to wring a subsistence living from the neglected land; in the background are the yelping dogs of war (most dramatically, gangs chasing Confederate deserters like Inman), as well as hints of changes the end of war will bring. Cold Mountain, based on a Frazier family story, is a satisfying read, though for some readers elements of the story (e.g., Ada's dependence) are anachronistic. Mary Carroll --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
A grim story about a tough, resourceful Southern family in the Civil War is somewhat submerged by the weight of lyrical detail piled on the tale, and by the slow pace of the telling. There's no doubt that Frazier can write; the problem is that he stops so often to savor the sheer pleasure of the act of writing in this debut effort. Inman, seeing that the end of the war is near, decides to leave his regiment and go back home to Ada, the bright, stubborn woman he loves. His adventures traversing a chaotic, impoverished land, Ada's struggles to preserve her father's farm, and the harsh, often powerful tales of the rough-hewn individuals they encounter take up most of the narrative. The tragic climax is convincing but somewhat rushed, given the many dilatory scenes that have preceded it. Frazier has Cormac McCarthy's gift for rendering the pitch and tang of regional speech, and for catching some of the true oddity of human nature, but he doesn't yet possess McCarthy's ferocious focus. A promising but overlong, uneven debut. (First printing of 40,000; author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
'an incredibly absorbing novel, in the way you thought novels couldn't be any more' Nick Hornby 'Kerry Shale's deep, slow drawl transports you instantly to the deep South ... Like a good film adaptation of a book, this poetic and poignant tape will create many new readers for Frazier.' Independent 2/5/98 'Shale invests Frazier's bleakly poetic tale with a deeply affecting melancholy that underlines the human price of war and stays with the listener long after the tape has ended.' Herald 6/5/98 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Cold Mountain is a heartbreakingly beautiful story, elegantly told and utterly convincing down to the last haunting detail."—John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
"This novel is so magnificent — in every conceivable aspect, and others previously unimagined — that it has occurred to me that the shadow of this book, and the joy I received in reading it, will fall over every other book I have ever read."—Rick Bass
"Lush, poetic, moving and artfully exciting—A heightened, thrilling love story—Perhaps the most eloquent writing about the awful drudgery and desperation of the Civil War since Thomas Keneally's Confederates—A great read."—John Doyle, The Globe and Mail
"Charles Frazier has taken on a daunting task — and has done extraordinarily well by it.... In prose filled with grace notes and trenchant asides, he has reset much of the Odyssey in 19-century America, near the end of the Civil War.... A Whitmanesque foray into America; into its hugeness, its freshness, its scope and its soul—Such a memorable book."—The New York Times Book Review
"A page-turner that attains the status of literature—Natural-born storytellers come along only rarely. Charles Frazier joins the ranks of that elite cadre on the first page of his astonishing debut."—Newsweek
"A rare and extraordinary book—Heart-stopping—Spellbinding."—San Francisco Chronicle
"A great read — a stirring Civil War tale told with...epic sweep...loaded with vivid historical detail."—People --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
