East of the Mountains (Paperback)

~ David Guterson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From the author of THE COUNTRY AHEAD OF US and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, a tale about Dr Ben Givens, who, after becoming ill, leaves his home in Seattle, never intending to return. Ben embarks on a journey past snow-covered mountains to a place of canyons, sagelands and orchards where he intends to commit suicide, but it doesn't all go to plan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (May 8, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0747545081
• ISBN-13: 978-0747545088
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #903,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slice of real life, August 3, 2006

By	Alexis Evans (Cruising the seas on a sailboat) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book seems like it would be depressing in some ways but as the adventure unfolds the reader is taken into greater depths of the characters and the mountain location. It becomes a warming human experience...the way the lives interact, the plot developes and the main character grows in awareness of the value of living.

The skill of writing is remarkable and the event descriptions enjoyable.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A JOURNEY INTO THE MOUNTAINS, July 22, 2006

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"East of the Mountains" is a work of fiction about a retired heart specialist who has just learned he has terminal colon cancer. As a doctor, he knows better than anyone what lies ahead - the pain, sickness, loss of muscle co-ordination, loss of bodily functions - not a pleasant way to go. So, he has planned his last journey, a trip to the mountain with his two dogs. The sad part is, he takes his rifle with him and does not plan to return.

The book is certainly one that makes the reader stop and contemplate what they have accomplished in their own life; however, the reason the book received only three stars, was the writing style. At times, the book was long and drawn out. When these lapses occurred, it was as if time stood still and the book never went anywhere. Perhaps, it is just his unique writing style, but I also found this true with one of his other books, "Snow Falling on Cedars." They both contained interesting subject matter, but were told in such a laid-back manner it lacked any real emotion. As the book unfolds, it is quite obvious "the journey will, indeed, have a return ticket." To sum it up, the plot was interesting; the writing style was not.