The Wednesday Letters
by Jason F. Wright
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.35 You Save: $9.65 (74%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Wednesday Letters
Book Review: Mediocre read; won't read this author again
Summary: 2 Stars
If Mr. Wright can make money writing these books, more power to him. Obviously there is a huge market for books of this nature. However, I look for more character development and less contrived situations, and if I want to be preached to, I'll go to church. It's the same problem I have with Nicholas Sparks books, and I no longer read his writings. It's okay to have characters with strong religious beliefs, but the best writing presents its morality in a much more subtle manner...it doesn't need to hit you over the head with it constantly.
I didn't buy this book; it was lent to me by an adult niece, and presumably she enjoyed it.
One nitpicky thing: the evening of the same day that the couple were discovered dead in their bed, their kids were lying on that same bed talking; and then a night or two later, their aunt was given that bedroom, and I guess the same mattress, to use during her stay. There's a huge "ick" factor for me in that...not to mention that (sorry if this is too graphic), when people pass away, there is often a release of bodily fluids that would presumably soak into the mattress. I work in an industry that deals with the aftermath of people's deaths, and generally when people die like that and are not discovered until much later, a special cleaning team has to be brought in to deal with the situation. So how plausible is it that that bed was usable, or that people would be comfortable sleeping in a bed in which someone had just died? Authors should pay attention to details like this and consult with experts if necessary to make sure the situations they present are realistic.
Book Review: Nice but uninspiring, simplistic writing and somewhat predictable
Summary: 3 Stars
With all the sap promoting this book on its cover, one would think they're getting into a Tuesdays With Morrie type of book and I was enthusiastic about buying and reading a novel of this type. Well, after a few chapters into the book, I was gaining disappointment and boredom.
The story begins with the old couple dying in each others arms, the children have to come back to care for the funeral arrangements and of course there is the good child, the bad child and the caretaker child. The bad child has a long lost love in the picture too - more predictable drama.
The premise of the book, the letters, has a wide appeal. However, the children don't have time in the book's timeframe to read all of the letters, nor does the reader ever get a sense of the vast amount of letters there are stashed by their father. They start out reading some letters and then skip around to obtain some answers in the letters to questions recently raised.
I didn't care for the book overall. As I said - in my opinion it was a simple read, too predictable and uninspiring. It didn't make me want to start writing letters to my husband or vice versa. In the story, the letters did raise questions and then answer them however would it have been better to let "sleeping dogs lie"? If the parents were so upstanding and wanted the child to know his history, why hope it will be discovered through over 40 years of personal letters?
I wouldn't recommend the book. Too much like bubblegum.
Book Review: Keep that hanky handy!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Forgiveness is the purpose of this feel-good novel about a young man who comes home to find his parents dead in each other's arms. Malcolm Cooper is on the run for assaulting two men in a dark alley one night. After years of losing himself in the Amazon jungle, he is notified that his parents have passed away and Malcom must decide if he will come to their funeral and risk being arrested, or stay in Brazil to avoid facing his lost love, Rain.
When Malcolm finds the courage to make the trip, he and his siblings hole themselves up in his parents' B&B perusing boxes of letters left by Malcolm's father, Jack. In them are tragic family secrets that change their lives forever and makes Malcolm question his family's integrity.
Set in the beautiful Virginia mountains, this pretty little story is one you need to read with the box full of kleenex by your side. It is a story of the love, joy and tragedy surrounding a 40 year marriage told through letters Jack Cooper wrote his wife, Laurel. It's a quick light read and you instantly come to feel for Malcolm and his siblings. Unfortunately the book threatens to drown in it's own syrup as the book is wrapped up far too quickly and conveniently for me to accept. I believe the author could have added much more life and death circumstances simply by making Malcolm's parents a little less saintly. Forgiveness then would have been much sweeter, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Book Review: What if we all left Wednesday Letters?
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a feel good novel about miracles. Jack and Laurel's love--miracle. The forgiveness and compassion they have shown others--miracle. The transition the lives of their children will take--miracles. The Cooper's all too seemingly perfect marriage had been given the ultimate test. They survived the effects of this secret by prayer and their faith. Although this book does speak on Christian topics, the reader won't be turned off for that reason. It's an inspiring story of ultimate love and sacrifice. There is an epilogue at the end of the novel, so the reader isn't left wondering what happened next to the Coopers. You will have the entire story, and you will be left wanting to write your own Letters. After all, "History not recorded, is history lost." (I can't remember who said that, but it's true.) Can you imagine how Jack and Laurel's children came to treasure those letters? Priceless.
Lingering Thoughts:
Wow, what power there is in one tiny, little word: forgiveness. It's something you always want to receive, but have such a difficult time giving to others. I don't know how Laural/Jack did it? It also hints at other emotional topics, such as infertility (which we all know is near and dear to my heart), drinking/driving, running from your past, new beginnings, abortion, and so on. This is a great book. It's completely safe for most adolescent age groups to read.
Book Review: LETTERS WE GET STACKS & STACKS OF LETTERS
Summary: 3 Stars
A couple, married to each other for 39 years, having survived situations that would have been fatal to most relationships, die in each others arms. Their three children and an amazing assortment of family, friends and acquaintances whose lives they have touched gather together for their funeral. A cache of letters is found by their children and amazing revelations pour forth.
Not a bad premise for a book, sort of The Notebook meets Bridges of Madison County in the Shenandoah Valley. Some of the characters however, did not serve the story well. There seemed to be too many contrite, repentant, loving, accepting, and downright angelic people living in this town and they all loved and admired the deceased characters, a couple who lived their lives in a matter that could only be described as saintly. Malcolm and Nathan were probably the only exceptions and Malcolm came across as a man still behaving like a petulant teen-ager; while Nathan was the "get what you want no matter what the cost" villain of the piece.
This is not the best Christian lit book you will ever read, but it is certainly not the worst. The resolution of the story was a little too "and they all lived happily ever after" but then again the author was attempting to convey an inspirational tale of love and forgiveness.......and I, for one, have always been a sucker for fairy tales.