The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice
The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice: one of the most boring books that I've had the displeasure of reading in quite some time.
Set at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, the book revolves around two freshmen, their friend, and the college professor that one of them is sleeping with. Since the college professor is married, the fact that he's sleeping with a student isn't a good thing, especially since it's a male student. The professor's wife ends up dead causing all kinds of suspicion to fall on him. The college was also the scene of a young woman's drowning twenty years earlier causing one to wonder what the parallels may be.
The Snow Garden is supposed to be this great psychological thriller and horror story, but I couldn't ever get into it. I found all of the characters either downright unlikable or uninteresting. Also found the way that people's past secrets were hinted about for over half the novel very annoying. By about page three hundred or so, the novel started picking up, but since the book is only four hundred pages long, that's quite a lot of pages to have to slosh through to get to any kind of interesting material.
(Finished on August 23, 2003 for Zuly’s Reading Room.)
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Strangely enough, I've read this book almost at the same time as you, and not very strangely I have the opposite opininon with you: I could sink into the story, I liked the characters because they had secrets and they lived inside the book; they're quite believable characters. I'm not saying Chris has written the great American novel, but I wouldn't exactly call it boring. Or: if I find a book boring, I don't waste time reading it.
Posted by stalker at September 10, 2003 03:45 AM
I found the book to be quite enjoyable. It's the first book I've read in a single day in a long time.
Posted by Rob at September 22, 2003 11:15 AM
I thought of this story more as a mystery and felt it was cleverly written. I found the book highly enjoyable, more-so than his first novel A Density of Souls. In fact, I've read every book Anne Rice (his mother) has written, both of his own, and am currently making my way through Stan Rice's (his late father's) poetry. Quite the writing family, they are.
Posted by Raquel at September 24, 2003 10:32 AM
i thought the book was spectacular.. the fact that there were so many secrets made me want to continue readinging and find out what they were... and even when you started to find out bits and pieces, it wasn't all revealed at once... i kept making connections as i went along and everything seemed to tie together.. it was a awesome book
Posted by jason at October 8, 2003 01:39 PM
I read the book when it first came out and I really liked it. I liked the pace of the book and I thought it was very well written. I can't wait until he comes out with the next book. I thought it was engaging and I've recommended it to everyone I know and they've had the same reaction.
Posted by Cameron at October 22, 2003 11:45 PM
I started reading his books because I've read all his mother's books. I was amazed at his talent. I read "The Snow Garden" in one day. I was completely floored. Snaps to Christopher Rice.
Posted by Whitney at November 11, 2003 12:22 PM
This book bought out feelings...what has humanity done to itself?? Glorious reading.
Posted by Cynthia at March 6, 2004 02:54 AM
I am reading The Snow Garden and it is a awesome read i cant put it down. I love how Christopher hints at the characters secrets i dont want to put it down i cant wait to finish kudos CR
Posted by Wes at June 4, 2004 02:52 AM
well i wanna read this book, because i just finished his first book, A Density of Souls, and i enjoyed it. well hope the next one is as good.
Posted by Sara at April 11, 2006 06:23 PM
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Crossing Over
I have gone totally crazy with this whole BookCrossing thing. In the last few days I have bought thirteen books to release or start bookrings/rays with. You can see what I've registered here.
If you like any of the rings or rays that I've started, go sign up and I'll add you to the list. 
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I know it's a terrible excuse, but I wish I had more time to read. I used to read 3 to 5 books a month, now I'm lucky to read 3 to 5 books a year! I like your choices, your a girl of mystery, detective and poker books! :)
Posted by Susan at August 23, 2003 08:14 AM
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Lucky in Love?
Well, I must be lucky in love, because I am having the shittiest card luck! I can't win a hand over at Pogo in gin and I just got outdrawn on like a motherfucker to finish in fourth place (one out of the money, mind you) in a poker tournament. Argh!
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oh no, I think it's better to be lucky at love. lol
Posted by Martie at August 22, 2003 01:00 AM
I envy you even playing in online card games. I am not grown up enough yet to trust myself with that.
Posted by Cis at August 24, 2003 08:16 AM
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Flowers from the Moon and Other Lunacies by Robert Bloch
Flowers from the Moon and Other Lunacies by Robert Bloch: the first posthumous collection of his work since Bloch died in 1994. These stories are from the late 1930s through the early 1960s. Many of them have not been anthologized before, so this is a chance to see one of the masters of the genre from his early days.
I've always enjoyed Robert Bloch's work (he's probably best well-known for being the author of Psycho and the story Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper) and was delighted to get this anthology of his early work. For the most part, I enjoyed the stories, though some of them seemed fairly obvious in their ending. Seventy years ago, though, I bet they really packed a punch.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good short story both for the excellent writing and the novelty of seeing older stories that influenced many of today's writers.
My particular favorites from this collection included Death is an Elephant, Question of Identity, Death Has Five Guesses, The Bottomless Pool, Flowers From the Moon, He Waits Beneath the Sea, Be Yourself, Black Bargain, A Bottle of Gin, Soul Proprietor, Satan's Phonograph, The Man Who Told the Truth, and The Night They Crashed the Party.
(Finished on August 20, 2003 for Zuly’s Reading Room.)
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Ugh
For the last few days I've been fighting the worst headaches. It's hitting me right now with renewed vigor. Why, oh why, must I suffer from headaches? Blah!
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Hope you're feeling better today!
Posted by Sue at August 20, 2003 07:18 AM
don't fight 'em... force yourself to relax, and they'll go away.
oh yeah, way easier said than done.
how about a "Hope you feel better soon. No, sooner."
Posted by mikey at August 20, 2003 05:41 PM
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My First Bookring
Inspired by all the bookrings/rays that I've joined at BookCrossing, I've decided to start my very first bookring for Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell.
If you'd like to read this book, all you need to do is sign up and send me a PM (the link's on my bookshelf) about it.
I've already had six people sign up, so come join in the fun!
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that is an awesome idea! I think anything that encourages people to read and share what they read to be a fabulous idea.
Posted by munin at August 19, 2003 08:04 PM
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Splintered Bones by Carolyn Haines
Splintered Bones by Carolyn Haines: the third book in the Mystery from the Mississippi Delta series and the best one yet.
We find ourselves again in Zinnia, Mississippi at Dahlia House, home of Sarah Booth Delaney, falled Daddy's Girl. Sarah Booth doesn't have a husband (the horror!). However, she does have a thriving private investigator business and a red tic hound called Sweetie Pie and a ghost from her great-great-grandmother's time to keep her company along with quite a cast of friends.
In this book, Sarah Booth needs to find out who really killed the husband of one of her old friends, Lee McBride. Was it Lee's daughter, Kip? Was it Lee herself (after all, she did confess)? Was it the handsome trainer Bud? The suspects are many since Kemper, the husband, was a real bastard and deserved to die.
I just love these books and devour them as soon as I get them. The people are so wonderful (how could you not love Jitty, Tinkie, Cece, and Harold?) and the book just so Southern. It makes me wish that I liked Jack Daniels and had a porch to sit on while sipping it. I really do highly recommend these books to lovers of both mysteries and the South. I just can't wait for the next one to come out in paperback.
(Finished on August 18, 2003 for Zuly’s Reading Room.)
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Updating
I spent most of today updating my BookCrossing bookshelf to reflect the multitude of bookrings/rays I've joined. I must be insane to be on so many lists!
I also updated my To Be Read list over at BiblioBlog. I've come to the conclusion that if I quit my job and did nothing but read twenty hours a day, I still could never read all the books that I wanted to.
It was good going through my list, though. I found some books that I had forgotten about and plan on moving up my list of what to read next. I've still got to update my DVD list, but at least my books are a bit more orderly back here (read stacked in boxes), so that ought to make Steven happy. Ah, to have a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves. That would be heaven!
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Yep. I'm the same way...there just isn't enough time to read all that I want to read. I'll just keep plugging away at it, though. Congrats on the new bookring! I hope it is successful. I'm 2 away from reading Portrait in another bookring. I hope I get it soon. It sounds like a very interesting book.
Posted by Rayne at August 19, 2003 06:23 PM
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