Review of Cutting for Stone, by Abraham VergheseBy: Taylor O’BrienCutting for Stone is a coming-of-age novel based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It begins with a man named Marion going through his mother’s old workspace, and the rest of the story is told as a flashback. Marion recounts the story of him and his twin brother, Shiva, as children. Since their mother, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, died in childbirth and their father, Dr. Thomas Stone, abandoned them soon after, they were raised by other hospital workers. They were very close until their relationship with a girl named Genet drove them apart. Due to unanticipated circumstances, Marion is forced to leave Ethiopia. He travels to New York and continues his studies, but while there, his life takes an unexpected turn.
Over all, Cutting for Stone receives two stars out of five. It was obvious that the story meant a lot to the writer and that the situation the characters were in was horrible, but I personally could not become attached to the characters. I couldn’t become attached to the situation because I have no experience with Ethiopian culture, nor could I sympathize with Genet and Sister Mary Joseph Praise because I am not a woman and am not able to feel the same emotions and think the same thoughts as them. I don’t have a brother, am not a virtual orphan, and have no interest in medicine, so I can’t relate to Shiva and Marion. I would not recommend this book since I cannot relate to any aspect of it, though if you liked The Invisible Bridge, you may like Cutting for Stone.
10 comments:
I am so sorry you didn't love the book as I did, but I really am glad you went out on a limb and chose it for your summer reading - nice review!
Great review 10/10
Thought I would post my thoughts on this book just to give an alternative point of view...
5+ out of 5 stars - This is one of the best books I have ever read!
I finally finished Cutting for Stone -- I put the first disk in my car CD player in July. To say it was magnificent and a masterpiece is true for me, but it was so much more than that. An experience. I felt like I KNEW those people and loved them dearly and I'll miss them from now on. I had to wait to write some sort of review because I could barely breathe after I finished and I wanted to go back and start the story all over again. How lucky to be a person just beginning to meet and learn the history of the Stone family... To say it's one of my favorite books is not an understatement. There are many reasons why it touched me, I don't know if the book resonated so much because of the medical and OR details or because of the story, but the combination was overwhelming!
I have read thousands of books in my lifetime and this is one of my top five. At this moment in time, I can't even name others besides Gone with the Wind as far as a book having a deep and lasting impact on me.
This is ONE OF THOSE......Sure there are books I liked a lot --but not many like this come along for a person in her lifetime. This was that book for me. Perhaps a lot of it was because I was first and foremost once an OR nurse who lived and breathed and loved surgery. But it was more than about surgery. It was about family and struggles and survival -- ultimately forgiveness and redemption.
Anyway, take it for what it's worth and please read it. I was lucky enough to get to listen to the audio version and I also read the actual book. I'd listen in my car while driving to work and then catch up to where I left off when I got home. Hearing the words spoken and pronounced with that fantastic voice and accent really made the book come alive for me. I would urge everyone to get this audiobook version instead of reading it if you can! ENJOY!
Excellent review. Great choice of words. 9.5/10.
this book sparks my interest but I don't know if I could read it all the way through. I don't know if it would grab my attention quick enough.
Nice review. Not sure I would read the book though.
Good, well-written review. And judging from it, I can safely say that the same cannot be said for the book in question. Oh well, life goes on.
Nice review. I saw this book awhile ago and thought about reading it.
Seems like a uneventful book.
Haha I remember hearing you guys talking about this book at the beginning of the school year, and I thought "wow, it can't be that bad can it?" I understand that sometimes people will be thrown off a book by not being able to relate to it, but I'm not sure if that should ruin a whole book for you. Granted, I haven't read it, only basing this off of what I've read and heard, but it sounded like there were some interesting and slightly intense parts to it! Though the review was a little brief on the overview of the book, it doesn't sound too horrible I guess. If I was to read this, it'd be to make my own opinion about it, to judge whether it's really just that bad.
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