Poisonwood Bible Reviews

I first read Poisonwood Bible because a friend of mine from my high school days suggested it and wanted my opinion.  It was nothing to write home about. 

At first I liked the missionary aspect and the dad's struggle and the family aspect and adventure.  But the life destruction or spirit destruction of each person in the story was just too much.  It was not something I would have chosen to read on my own.  I did not see the book as valuable.

The second time I read it for the English department at the high school.  I could not in the end recommend the book for adolescent reading.  This to...

This was my first introduction to the writing of Barbara Kingsolver and what an experience!  Truly one of the finest books I have ever read.  In addition to being a wonderful piece of fiction, it is excellent on so many levels - it makes you think again about so many different things - the nature of faith, prejudice, choices, and consequences.  The character development is, as someone else said, impeccable.  You come to know and understand each of the characters in a way that is rare in most fiction novels.  I would not consider this light reading, but I would heartily recommend this book...

I first read this book for one of my college courses a few years ago. It was on the syllabus and I wasn't really looking forward to reading it because the title didn't grab me and I have never read a book that was set in Africa that I liked. Anyhoo, I had to read the book and I ended up loving it. I was drawn to the characters and actually felt like I developed feelings for them. I couldn't have been more happy when the father met his fate at the end and was terribly sad over what happened to one of the girls. The book is excellently written and the reader will be drawn into the plot and the characters...

Loved the Poisonwood Bible. I read this book about 5 years ago it was the first novel that I'd read by this author and have since purchased two other novels by her.  I haven't come across another author who can describe landscape as beatuifully and vividly as she can.  I loved reading the slow decline into insanity by  the father and the coming of age of one of the daughters. This book was nearly a history book about the Congo and it political climate..

Barbara Kingsolver is always good, but here she explores soul, spirituality, and cruel reality in new and even deeper ways than before. Chapters are written in various characters' viewpoints, so the reader always gets a frseh perspective. Hard to put down. Complicated enough to read a second or third time and still get new meaning out of it. ch