East of the Mountains Audiobook

" Death is a tough part of life, and the character in this book decides to die on his own terms, where he is the most happy. Set in Washington, like all of Guterson's books, the character meets up with strangers that affect his final days. Any person who shows emotion over the loss of a pet shows true, good human qualities. Compassion is a good virtue. It's a lovely story, very touching. "

" A thoughtful read with a sympathetic character. The drawn out abundant scenic details had me skimming in a few places. "

" A little slow in the beginning, I was annoyed with his excessive geography lessons. But the pace did pick up and I was genuinely interested in what happened to this man. The author's writing style with imagery is very good.... "

" I read this as a grade schooler and was hooked. Big colorful pages, brief text, makes you feel like it happened yesterday. "

" Picked up this book to take to the airport to read in the midst of long and tiresome queuing up to board and de-board planes. Attracted to the read because of the great liking of author David Guterson after having read 'Snow Falling on Cedars'. "

" I didn't care much for this book, which was very disappointing considering how much I loved Snow Falling on Cedars. It's been many years since I read it, but I recall feeling somewhat guilty for not being more empathetic with the older gentleman featured in the story. "

" It took me a while to get into this book, but that may just be because I didn't give it enough time. I enjoyed traveling and pondering with the main character, Ben Givens, as he inadvertently seemed to find meaning in life. "

" Not a total waste of time. "

" One man's determination to live in spite of the shallenges wins out over the determination to die. Well-written, great us of words, premise leads the reader in one direction even as Guterson develops the story to a different end. "

" Again Guterson describes a part of WA that I am very familiar with. I appreciated his lovely description the area. It's been awhile since I've read this book, I think it may have been a little slow in parts, but was overall a good read. "

" This was beautifully written, and a real odyssey of someone facing death. I couldn't put it down. "

" I cried about his mistreatment of his dogs -- Felt depressed -- but, I cannot say that I spent my time well reading this book. "

" really nice and easy read...just a great feel good book... "

" Brimming picaresque which loses it's way a bit in the final third but remains a pleasant surprise. The key, again, is Guterson's keen sense of landscape and its effect on its residents and visitors, and its place in the development and sustainability of memory. "

" A stoic, solitary book about a man with a terminal illness who ventures with his two dogs into the country for a final hunt. "

" A great story about a dying Doctor who returns to his Apple Farm in the Columbia Basin of central Washington State; he encounters characters and tells us the story of his family and the beginning of the apple trade in the US. Well written by the author of Snow Falling on Cedars. "

" Beautifully written story; tells us that we continue to learn about life until we take our last breath. "

" Paled in comparison to Snow Falling on Cedars "

" Guterson writes with great sensitivity - his characters are finely drawn and inextricably entwined with their setting. "

" I loved this book. Even the ending! "

" One of my favorite books. "

" Great book...one of my all time favorites! "

" A completely unmemorable book. Really. I know I read it, but I don't remember a thing about it. "

" I basically liked this book well enough but I did love one part- the description of the trip from Issaquah to Vantage. I have taken that trip many, many times but did not know the names of all the peaks we passed by on our trips. Lovely to read about the character's hikes on them. "

" I had trouble getting into this one at first. It ended too abruptly without resolution of some issues. "

" This was a profound and personal story of one man's life, as he faces his own mortality. I found this author to be a good read; his book filled with descriptive prose and a style of storytelling that I really enjoyed. "

" Fiction about a retired doctor who has cancer and plans to commit suicide. Not as good as Snow Falling on Cedars, but pretty good. "

" Not as good as Snow Falling on Cedars, but a well written story. "

" A strange book that looks at a man's journey toward death. Sad, true, moving and slightly odd. The agonies of knowing life is over, and then finding you still have more to do, more to see, more to offer. "

" sad; couldn't finish and did not grab my attention "

" Sad but really touching book by same author as Snow Falling on Cedars, beautiful writing. Somehow it ends up being uplifting at the end. "

" A great story about a dying Doctor who returns to his Apple Farm in the Columbia Basin of central Washington State; he encounters characters and tells us the story of his family and the beginning of the apple trade in the US. Well written by the author of Snow Falling on Cedars. "