Customer Reviews

The Book of Ruth

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(66)
3 star:		(43)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

I finished "The Book of Ruth" last night and today I miss her terribly. I read some of the book's reviews on Amazon.com today, and I am amazed at how differently we see things, we humans. Because I cherished the experience of reading this book so deeply (and no, I wasn't abused), I can't imagine that those who didn't care for it could possibly have read the same book. I make an assumption about Ruth from the very first chapter: that she is very mildly retarded or in some way subtly disabled. For me, her behaviors and perceptions are off just enough to imply some missing cerebral link. And this is what is so extraordinary to me: that someone without all resources at her disposal can yet perceive herself and her world with such precious, ingenuous, brilliant vision ... well, I would feel honored to have her as a friend. To write from the point of view of a retarded person makes for such creative use of language and imagery. Ruth is like an idiot savant. She is all the best a human being can be, tireless in her effort to find good and truth in her experiences, resilient beyond belief. I think she puts us all to shame, "healthy" though we be. Depressing? No, no, no. That's too easy. I am reminded of Yeats: "...a terrible beauty is born." I am in awe of Ruthy. I laugh through my tears and am comforted.

The Book of Ruth is one of those books that is very thought provoking. It is not exactly the most upbeat book that I have read, but Ruth is in her own way trying to survive the best that she can.

Ruth's main tormentor in the book is her mother, May, who is so consumed by negativity that it is really pointless to try to argue with her. Ruth learns to survive her mother's negativity with the dream of visiting her Aunt Sid, who is May's youngest sister. Aunt Sid is like the polar opposite of May.

Unfortunately, Ruth has to deal with her brother, Matt, who is a math prodigy. May always seems to be more preoccupied with Matt. Thus, Ruth is always second fiddle. When Matt leaves for college, May still thinks that Matt can do nothing wrong. Even though, he basically cuts off communication with their family.

Ruth does eventually hook up with Ruby, who is a very emotionally disturbed man. They form a unique bond that eventually leads to marriage, which leads to Ruth, Ruby and May living under the same roof.

All I can say is that the ending is unbelievable. I could see the signs of major tension, but the ending still caught me off guard. I knew that I would finish reading the book, but I had to put it down after the shock in order to get some fresh air.

Hamilton has this knack for making you believe that things cannot get any worse, but then they do and you still cannot put the book down.

I was glad that there was some hope for Ruth at the end of the book. I'm not sure if Hamilton is trying to emphasize the fact that what we endure will make us stronger, but that is definitely what I get out of this book.

I would recommend this book only if you want something that is thought provoking and engaging. If you are in the mood for something light, then this is not the book for you. The Book of Ruth will definitely open your eyes up to someone who has had a rough life. Jane Hamilton has done a good job.

I'm from a very small town, and when I was in high school, I actually had a boyfriend like Ruby - thank God I ran screaming for 1,000 miles before I stopped! This book spoke directly to me and mesmerized me from start to finish. Ruth was not retarded or pathetic - she was living the only life she knew with the only people available to her. I can only imagine how many other lonely & intelligent young women are living in her shoes - wasted, hopeless, potential completely unrealized, put down by everybody they know. I've recommended this book to every serious reader I know.

Before reading _The Book of Ruth_, I read many of the reviews here at Amazon. I had already made the purchase months ago after I saw the book on display at my local bookstore but I only just now got around to reading it this week. It was only after the fact, that I discovered it was an Oprah's Book Club selection. I never watch her, so I decided to check out the Amazon site to see if this book was worth reading.

I have to say, now that I've finished the book, I'm baffled at the number of people who found this story to be so depressing they couldn't bring themselves to finish it. I can only think that perhaps it was too much for some people to handle emotionally. Maybe it hit too close to home and they just aren't ready for it yet. To me, this story is a compassionate look -- never condescending or patronizing -- at a family so many of us can find in our own extended families and in our communities. I'm even more shocked that people would harshly criticize Jane Hamilton for writing a story that made them feel sad. Life's not an episode of the Brady Bunch. Bad things happen to all people and it's only human to feel sadness about those events. Why would you even think about reading a book with a review on the back cover that refers to the story as "a disturbing and beautiful book" if you were looking for an all-around happy tale?

Let me tell you what I see in _The Book of Ruth_ and why I see it as a story of hope...

I see some of the kids with whom I attended elementary school who were shunned by teachers and students alike because they were not able to keep up financially, socially or academically with their peers. Many of us are privileged enough to have enough money to provide for all our wants and needs. Likewise, most of us have healthy minds and bodies which allow us to work through much of what life throws at us. Too often, however, we take those gifts for granted and harshly criticize those who don't possess those same blessings and don't seem to know how to get a better life for themselves. The shallow and self-absorbed, the fearful will look at those people and think, "Ah, they're just poor because they're lazy." Or, "Why bother? She's not smart enough to get it anyway." Forget the qualifiers... they're people. And, until you know them, really know them, you're wrongly assuming a lot when you label them like that.

I see my sister and her girls in the characters of May and Ruth. So many times in my life I've wondered how hard it has really been for them back living in a dumpy little trailer in a small town in the northern U.S. Where did they find the strength to overcome circumstances they could never have avoided and what has happened to their spirits when they've suffered the repercussions of poor decisions they've made in their lives?

I see myself in Aunt Sid. I live over a thousand miles away from my family and every time I hear the news from home about my sister, I want so much to just rescue her. Sometimes I think she needs rescuing from herself, but also from the meanness of those around her who are so quick to judge her. But then I realize that we don't really even know each other anymore and it makes it hard to rise over the wall that distance and time and experience has built up between us over the years. I shake my head and wonder what's going to happen to them if things don't get better. It just seems like our lives have become two paths running in opposite directions and that we'll never find a common intersection again. And thinking about all of that is what made me sad when I read _The Book of Ruth_. It made me realize that sometimes just because you're family it doesn't mean that you will ever really know each other. At least that's how it has felt to me for the past 30 years.

Reading this book gave me hope. It gave me hope that my sister and her family might be able to change their situation somehow for the better. I'm not delusional; I know that the odds still aren't running in their favor and I know that they will probably not become pillars of the community. But at least they still might be able to find some happiness amidst what has now been over 25 years of almost daily doses of pain, humiliation, fear and heartache.

It also gives me hope for myself. It gives me hope that my family, which has suffered a lot of isolation and alienation in my lifetime, might be able to be better. If you've never grown up in a family (or within viewing distance of a family) like the one Ruth describes in this novel, you can't possibly know what that life does to a person. There are a lot of people out there who would count themselves lucky to deal with what you consider to be problems in your life. And, for that, you're fortunate. Just be thankful.

A review on the back cover of the book describes this as a story about "resiliency." That's about the most apt description I could imagine. Read about Ruth and you'll see how strong a tender person has to be in order to live.

Reading Jane Hamilton's "Book of Ruth" is like diving into a sea of outrageous dysfunction. It is like drowning. It is like observing from below the surface and unable to do a damn thing about the events happening before your eyes.

If one is a writer, The Book of Ruth is the absolute perfect novel to study--because it is structurally superb, beautiful, full of foreshadowing (burnt black birds hanging upside down the telephone line), flowing with imagery, honesty,and more importantly, the characters are likable, hatable, and exquisitely designed.

Jane Hamilton has taken a dysfunctional, uneducated family--and through her characteration and mastery, made us care about what happens to them; made us part of the family, even when we didn't care to be there. Hamilton takes a character like mean old May, and causes us to feel empathy for her, even though May is unbearably vicious.

"The Book of Ruth" is about families we all know--but do not invite into our lives because they smell, use the wrong vocabulary, forget to brush their teeth, and make their careers at the dry-cleaners. These people are undesirable,invisible, and sit in the back of the bus.

But Hamilton makes us live with them, get to know them, understand them, hate them, and in the end, love them.

***I was surprised by the other reviews--as I thought The Book of Ruth was deliciously stunning and overflowing with insight.

Ruth is a strong woman living what some may take as a weak exterior. Her character is deeper than words could ever express and on many occasions brought me to tears. This book is an exceptional depiction of the effects our environment, our families have on us.

I noticed that this book had an average rating of 3.5 stars and I couldn't believe it! This amazing novel is jam-packed with philosophical undertones delivered to the reader through eloquent lyricism and a unique voice pleading to be heard. This novel wasn't just a static read. It was very complex and involving - demanding the reader participate via an internal philosophical debate. Engaging and entertaining... I couldn't put it down and still think of Ruth's dynamic character over 10 years after reading the novel. If you haven't read it, please do! I encourage you to question Ruth's character constantly. I re-read this book in college for a philosophy class and the class discussion was very lively. Treat yourself to a deeply moving read and a woman you'll never forget.

My book club chose the Book of Ruth to discuss last month. We are all educators and have taught Ruth, May and Ruby and their families. I have seen children go through our school system untapped and ignored because of background. These children can be forgotten about from 1st grade on up. It is much easier to ignore these situations than address them. This book made me appreciate the slow children, those from less fortunate, and the ones who do not speak up for fear of being ridiculed just like they are at home. I had a sympathy for Ruth and also for Ruby. T he general concensus was that no one felt sorry for May. She did not even try to overcome her circumstances whereas both Ruby and Ruth did. The ending was sad but all too real in todays society. The positive aspect of this book is that Ruth did survive and has an opportunity for future growth. The fiction of this ending is that all too many times in reality, Ruth would not have survived this brutal attack. Although not an uplifting book, I am certainly glad I read it.

It's hard to imagine a writer more capable of literally sucking you into the life of her protagonist, Ruth. Once you've turned a few pages, you're going to live it through til the bitter end. And a bitter end it is. Other readers speak of Ruth's subtle transformation in the last two chapters, but I found it ambiguous at best. What really bugged me about "The Book of Ruth" was the main character herself, who narrates her family's life story with amazing astuteness, but remains absolutely clueless about her own dreadful choices. Ruth's family is sour and [understandably] self-absorbed, but none of them measures up in abusiveness to her vapid husband, Ruby, whose unpredictable behavior Ruth overlooks and excuses until he inevitably erupts in a murdeous rage. Guaranteed to be thought-provoking!

I read this book nearly 5 years ago, and yet I can clearly remember details from it. Nearly every book that I have ever read that makes an impact on me I read at least twice.

This was not necessary with The Book ofRuth. I give it a 3 because it certainly is a story that gripped me from the very beginning, and forced me to continue to the very end in one sitting. It also has stayed with me, which is certainly not the norm for a book read in one sitting and never read again.

For me, this was a difficult book to read, because it was so incredibly bleak. The tiny points of brightness in it were vivid, though sparing, which I suppose were made more vivid in the overwhelming tangle of harshness and deprivation.

Does this novel have impact? Yes. When a storyteller can seize you with a tale so that you devour it in one sitting, never pick it up again, and still vividly recall details about it years later, that is definitely a novel that makes an impact.

My frustration with this novel, however, is that the impact rather felt like a jackhammering of my psyche, rather than an ephiphany or at least a sense of wonder at a wonderful tale told well.

It is a tale told well, but it is not a wonderful tale.

I have never known whether to recommend this to anyone because of the fact that it *is* a tale told well, or whether to keep my mouth shut on this one, because I'm not convinced one way or the other that the tale was worth telling.

Hamilton is beyond doubt talented and gifted in character description (at least of Ruth), has an excellent grasp of narrative voice, but I have read nothing else by her since this book and likely never will. I guess that I am glad that I read the Book of Ruth, because in my opinion it is a classic example of having all the right tools and all of the right gifts and then wasting them on an irredeemable cast of characters.

Do I recommend it? Yes - If you are interested in seeing how to right fabulously and still make a mess of things.