What readers think of House of Sand and Fog, plus links to write your own review.

This book is an example of writing that shows an author did this. By that I mean much care as to language and structure, plot and character went into the book. It can lead to heated discussions as the characters are analyzed in a book group. The ending, dare I say it, first confused me and somehow disappointed me. Pages that were turned offered suspense. The further you read the more you anticipated a gut wrenching ending. The drop off made for many questions. But I would read other offerings by Dubus as he does take his craft seriously.

I'd read the glowing reviews of this book but was not terribly excited to start it. Having read the first chapter at 5PM, I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it at midnight. Fantastic novel. The best character development I've read in years, each person becoming a living, breathing mix of good and sordid attributes, a complex and totally believable mish-mash of what each of us is under the surface.

I defy anyone who reads the first twenty pages to put it down before they finish it. It could have been 100 pages longer and I would have followed the tortured collision course they all took each step of the way.

I highly, highly recommend this one.

I'm not going to rate this book because I didn't read all of it,just a few pages but that was enough! I too,wanted to read this book because it was on Oprah's book list but I also heard mixed reviews but checked it out of the libary anyway but as soon as my libarian looked it up on thier computer he said'Uh,oh,this doesn't look good,it's been sitting on the shelf since December 2001!' You come to your own conclusions about the book but I could see,in my opion that it's flat,dark and whiny. It may be a masterpiece in some people's eyes but not mine!

I was completely dreading reading this book for a class b/c I saw how long it was and when I read a short description of it, I was rather disgusted! But as soon as I'd read the first chapter, I was hooked! I couldn't put it down (and it still took me about a week to finish). It was a riveting, attention grabbing (and keeping) novel. The ending is very unexpected and disappointing, but otherwise the book is more than worth the read. It's also very eduactional and gives you a look into the lives of people that most people like to believe are different from us, but aren't, with the same types of problems. It's a little depressing, but the maturity level of the reader is supposed to compensate for that. And the fact that the reader is put into both parties on both sides makes it much more interesting. It's an in-depth novel with many underlying themes and morals...Just a Great Book!

Just as many people have said... this book wasn't as much disappointing, but rather lacking suspense. There were some parts which capture the reader's attention, but I would have to say that I was fairly disappointed in the ending. I wouldn't recommend this novel unless you like to read into detail about a woman's sex life and like to be bedazzled by an ending.

Sue C
I, too, found this book vastly disappointing. I was willing to suspend disbelief for the first two thirds, where I was pulled along by interesting writing and two characters -- Kathy and Behrani -- whose emotional situations, if not their legal status, were relatively believable. But in the final third, the plot spun out of control to bring the book to a totally surreal end. I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Susan
I fought my way through this book from the beginning. After Oprah and several critics gave this novel such high acclaim, I was determined to stick with it until I found the pleasure I had been promised. It never came. I was unable to develop any concern or affection for any of the main characters. The time bomb that ticked away with each turning of the page was something I almost wished would explode so that I could be finished with this disappointing read. I would also like to say that I disagree with the critics who describe this novel as 'believable'.