Customer Reviews

In Search of Snow: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is simply one of the finest American novels I have ever read: fascinating, funny, wise, and beautifully crafted. Urrea's work ought to be as well-know as Kingsolver's, McCarthy's and other contemporary western writers. He's building a following over here in England simply by word of mouth, one imported copy at a time. If you're an American reader, don't miss one of the best writers you've got over there.

A fast-moving plot line that draws you into its lush desert landscapes, quirky characters, greasy roadside diners, drive-ins, and general Americana. A great novel on many levels.

Urrea's story is reminiscent to me of East of Eden by John Steinbeck in that it is a raw depiction of life as it could truly be for a man and how he adapts and grows as a person. This authors doesn't use fancy writing or unrealistic plot lines to draw the reader in, he simply writes from the heart and it is very evident. This is one of my favorite books that I plan on reading again soon.

This is a great story that is told by the auther while he paints the most acurate picture of Arizona that I have ever read. The book should come covered in dust because it literally sits you down in the middle of the desert. Great storytelling with even greater imagery. Great job Tio.

I've read a few books by this author, and came across this one by surprise in my local library. Not knowing anything about what it was about, I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It takes place in a part of Southeastern Arizona I am from and brought back memories of locations he describes in great wonderous detail. Incredibly entertaining!

Now that I have read In Search of Snow (Camino del Sol), The Hummingbird's Daughter, and Into the Beautiful North: A Novel, all I can say is I am in love with Luis Alberto Urrea! I truly revel in all I have read by this extraordinary author. If I had to choose one word to describe my overall reading experience of Urrea`s fiction, it would be "endearing." I am endeared by the author's unique, captivating style. I am endeared by the poetry of his language. I am endeared by his exhilarating storytelling. I am endeared by the warmth of his characters. I am endeared by their colorful cultures. I am endeared by the stunning landscapes. I am endeared by the sense of grace that lingers long after I finish reading the exquisite writing of Luis Alberto Urrea.

In Search of Snow (Camino del Sol) only intensifies this emotional response of endearment I have to Urrea`s fiction. I wanted to recommend this novel to a girlfriend but found it best to describe it as a guys' story for in every way it really is a story about guys. Yet it also pulsates with tenderness and sensitivity along with that testosterone and machismo. Any female reader cannot help but feel a gentle affection for the heroes of this funny but poignant tale.

In Search of Snow (Camino del Sol) is set in the tough but beautiful desert landscape of the American Southwest of the 1950s, where the men who populate it are thick skinned and hard headed in order to hide their secret vulnerabilities. They are a rowdy and motley crew of rednecks and cowboys, Mexicans and Indians, adversaries and compadres... men of white, brown and red race who like to drink hard and mix it up in a good fight occasionally, cuss and spit and maybe read a little Stephen Crane poetry or some American literature on the sly.

The men of this magnificent desert landscape are men who must struggle with life's panorama of challenge and misfortune: of loss and loneliness, of injustice and pain, of racism and war. Memory, like the landscape, can be cruel but love somehow always manages to survive the harsh elements. Love permeates this story and rises on the wings of humor, allowing the heart to soar.

In Search of Snow (Camino del Sol) is an uplifting love story about family, about friends, about men in pursuit of their dreams, about all of us in search of snow. It is a marvelously ethereal reading experience for men and women alike.

After reading Hummingbird's Daughter I became a big fan of Luis Urrea. His writing is so lyrical and evocative. This book disappointed me a little, as I could not relate as much to the characters and their situation. I did read it through, though, which I will not do if I really don't like a book ... life is too short to waste time with a book you are not enjoying. I kept thinking that it Snow is more of a man's story.