America America: A Novel Audiobook

" Looking over my "to-read" books, I realized I read this recently. Can't remember much about it, but thought it was decent. "

" Politically interesting. "

" I had such high hopes for this book ....it never really "grabbed" me but there were definitely some very interesting insights into politicians, those who back them, and the early 1970's ... "

" I couldn't finish it, it was just too slow and too strange. "

" I don't know I kept reading this...it took me three library checkouts to get through it! I think it would have been better if it hadn't flashed between the present and the past so much. "

" I was unable to sit down and read this book without many interruptions. Sometimes I lost track because it moved from the past, past past, and present. Sometimes it took me a minute to realize where I was in the story. "

" A lot of fun to read. A great story about class and political corruption. "

" Well written tale of a young man coming of age and his involvement in the 1972 presidential campaign. Brings to mind Robert Penn Warren's ALL THE KING'S MEN. Engaging, timely, and very well done. Highly recommend. "

" boring!! did not grab me at all! "

" Thoroughly enjoyed this after I got into it. Great characters and an interesting writing style. "

" I kept reading but not Ethan Canin's best book. Never cared about the characters enough. However, I did like the subject and so did gain something from it. "

" This book supposedly evoked a time during the 70's but it felt more like the 30's. The story lines didn't develop as fully as I would have liked. It was meant to be slow paced and it was. "

" I really love his short stories, but I find his novels to be lacking something. In this case, it just felt long & overly drawn out. The characters were good & I love his writing, but the plot didn't sustain a book of this length. Try "The Palace Thief" or "Emperor of the Air" instead. "

" Another great Ethan Canin novel. I am a huge fan of all of his, a great story teller. "

" Halfway through and nothing has happened yet or really made me want to read further? "

" So I loved the story and writing style - well written engaging characters kept me going. But the writing made me want more. I felt like if Canin would have put more effort into being a bit more explicit, the story would have benefited greatly. Instead, I was left wanting more.... "

" A well-written and interestingly indirect angle on the Nixon years through a story of a powerful man who makes one very bad mistake, a powerful but flawed senator and a young boy caught up in a world not his own. "

" Fabulous writing, great story ... very enjoyable. Not one for the ages, I wouldn't say, but very very good. "

" I learned that politics is a dirty game and that the innocence we might have enjoyed some 35 years ago is gone. However, the game of politics keeps getting dirtier. "

" I wanted so much to like this, and I did...but it also seemed unnecessarily elliptical. Reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, as other reviewers have noted. I love love love his short stories, however, which share the same wistful quality--The Palace Thief and the Emperor of Air. "

" I found this to be an extremely satisfying read. Sweeping and specific at the same time, this novel was as if Jane Hamilton's "Book of Ruth" and John Irving's "Prayer for Owen Meany" had a baby. "

" It's a beautiful novel which reminds me of some of my favorite American novelists, probably foremost Wallace Stegner. "

" Thoroughly enjoyed this after I got into it. Great characters and an interesting writing style. "

" I liked it. If it had been told chronologically, as a great story, I would have LOVED it. "

" Not his best - but still pretty good. "

" I liked the writing style and the storyline was great - there was one sort of confusing part that I might have to go back and re-read to see if I can figure out what happened, but otherwise a great story. "

" Pretty much loved it. I think it could have been so much more. "

" Couldn't finish it. I just couldn't bring myself to care enough. Nice enough prose, nice enough characters, but halfway in and I still wasn't hooked. Too many other books to read to keep plugging away. "

" There are a few sentences in this book that are so masterfully crafted, I could not imagine better prose if I tried. Overall a compelling story studded with intermittent rhetorical gems. "

" Very well written book - eventhough it was written in 2008 it is timely to politics now and forever "