The Whiteness of Bones (Contemporary American Fiction) [Paperback]

Susanna Moore (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (1943)
• ASIN: B000OJ4N9G
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Kept waiting for the good part..., February 11, 2008

By 

L. Middleton (Auburn, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Whiteness of Bones (Paperback)

Yeah...no. The back of the book was far more compelling than the actual novel. Some well-written scenes and occasionally a lovely sense of time and place, some well-crafted caricatures -- none of it is enough to rescue the self-concious, coming of age tone, despite the author's obvious attempt at something much more noble and searingly insightful. It's as if we get a lot more anatomically involved in "Are You There, God, It's Me Margaret" when what the author was shooting for was "The Vagina Monologues." The book is readable, but only if you've checked it out from the library.

1.0 out of 5 stars Spend your money on another book, October 26, 2007

By 

Sebastian (a lady) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whiteness of Bones (Paperback)

I also read this book in college, more like 15 years ago for me. It was part of a Contemporary American Fiction course. Even then I found myself wondering if this was really the representative of the best than contemporary fiction could offer. If so, I was happy to stick with older works. While other reviewers remember lush scenes, I remember a sorid Hawaiian themed bar in NYC and the main character's rape with a plastic tiki. I can stomach rough scenes when they are purposeful. I found little of purpose in this story. I think there are far better uses for your book money than this book.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lush, beautifully written, heartbreaking, February 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Whiteness of Bones (Contemporary American Fiction) (Paperback)

I read this book 7 years ago in college and still think of it frequently. Moore's lush settings and precise literary technique underscore the personal, deeply held pain of Mamie and Claire's past. I have read all of Moore's books and this one is the best.