Customer Reviews

The Experiment

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wisconsin treasure, author Barbara Fitz Vroman, steps outside her normal style in this "page-turner" novel to speculate on the possabilities of finding peace in an ever more troubled world. There are two types of people, those who make conflict and those who solve conflict, and in this collection of great characters and interesting situations Ms. Vroman tries to "bridge" between the two with sheer imagination. In what ways do our dreams of a better world, express themselves in our arts? This novel asks that question as Barbara explores the ideal herself in every word. Let me suggest that crafting a novel is her tool, here, for working just beyond the edges of what we take for granted when it comes to human nature and conflict. Her speculations function on the edge of our own learning experience, and they provoke thought. Her characters and plot, help us look at a problem differently, and they help us break paradigms. In order to solve the monumental problem of finding peace in this modern age, we MUST begin to think differently.
The irresitsble draw of this book, is in the notion that: will these people truly find a good answer or not? And what price will they personally pay for the effort?
be prepared to stay up late at night reading a book you may not be able to put down...

"The Experiment", by Barbara Fitz Vroman, is a quest for peace that is a 'must read' for anyone looking for a better world. Vroman weaves a plan to use ordinary people, who soar beyond their limitations, to generate ideas for the development of peace.

This book reminds us that failing to try is worse than failing to succeed. In bringing her characters to life, this wise author shows that she can be as gentle as a mother and as tough as a football coach.

Reviewed by:
Barbara Rosner, former classmate

Barbara Fitz Vroman's novel "The Experiment" is a strange tale of a well-intentioned peacemaking mission that turns deadly. From the beginning when eight strangers are selected for a mysterious experiment to the profoundly disturbing climax, this is an intriguin book you "can't put down" and one that will haunt you well after The End. Vroman's characters are authentic and memorable, especially blind Theodore and Greatly overweight Greta. "The Experiment" is both thought provoking and disquieting: a real novel of our times.

D.L. Snyder, Author of
"Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
and other Stories" published
by Cross Roads Press

The hook for me was the structure of Vroman's "experiment." It reminded me of Raskin's classic "The Westing Game." It has eight very different characters randomly thrown together to work through various challenges. Vroman takes the idea further and wraps this experiment inside a much larger idea that encompasses many current national and global issues. Very timely! Her characters are also rounder than those found in other stories with a similar theme.

If you haven't read Barbara Fitz Vroman's latest novel, "The Experiment," what a pity. This Wisconsin writer has reached out and written a worldly story that's as up-to-the-minute as tonight's TV bulletin.

Eight great characters you will not soon forget make this an immediate candidate for a Hollywood production. As I hurried to turn the pages, my mind raced ahead to think who should be selected for each of those roles. And as they wrestled with eternal verities and today's societal rage, suspense builds to a bombshell that is right off the front pages of tomorrow's newspapers.

It's "The Experiment." Try it.

Reviewed By:
Ray Hansen, Retired Editor
Carthage (N.Y.) Republican Tribune