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  <id>137549</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Spartina]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0375702687]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780375702686]]></isbn13>
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  <description><![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]></description>
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  <original_publication_day type="integer">28</original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer">4</original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">1998</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Spartina</original_title>
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    <author>
    <id>29804</id>
        <name><![CDATA[John Casey]]></name>
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    <average_rating>3.72</average_rating>
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    <name><![CDATA[Brett]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.79</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>199</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Tue Apr 28 14:54:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Apr 25 09:50:40 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Apr 28 14:54:00 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Spartina was surprisingly good. I took a chance on it because it won the National Book Award (in 1989 or something).  The book, according to its description, is about a Rhode Island fisherman, and it compared it to Moby Dick and the Old Man and the Sea (since those took place at sea).  I wasn't real...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53923392">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53923392]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>16632958</id>
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    <id>952647</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alex]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[West Newton, MA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[no one, except what not to read or write]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[no one, luckily for them]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 1995</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 28 14:04:23 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 02 06:11:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Over the past 15 years or so, I've managed to sprinkle into my reading diet 48 of the 66 National Book Award winners in Fiction.  To date, Spartina is at the very bottom of the list of the ones I've read.  The back cover blurbs comparing it to Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea are patently offen...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16632958">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16632958]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16632958]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>63981623</id>
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    <id>2380397</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ben]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Irvine, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2380397-ben-miller]]></link>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">1451214</id>
  <isbn>0380711044</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780380711048</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1451214.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.93</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>14</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman. <em>Spartina</em>  won the National Book Award in 1989.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jul 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 18 09:29:34 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 30 22:04:33 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The NYT reviewer who compared this book to The Old Man and the Sea and Moby-Dick should be hunted down and shot by the Hyperbole Police, BUT...this is a good novel.  It has a complex, engaging central character, bitter and blunt though he is.  The fishing and boating scenes are excellent.  Too bad h...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63981623">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63981623]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63981623]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>51959572</id>
    <user>
    <id>1471559</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nicole]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Scarborough, ME]]></location>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Thu Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 08 11:52:19 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 08 11:55:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This seemed like John Steinbeck's take on a fisherman. The main character is as inherently good and hard-working and fustrated as Ethan Allen Hawley from &quot;Winter of Our Discontent&quot;. He makes some bad choices in hopes of providing a better life for his family, and then realizes that sacrifi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51959572">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51959572]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51959572]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43360233</id>
    <user>
    <id>636893</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sam]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Broomall, PA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/636893-sam]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 17 10:37:20 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 17 10:39:47 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is one of my favorite novels, a great story well told.  Check out a profile of Casey's cabin on the Deleware River in Milford, Pa., I wrote for the NY Times last summer at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/greathomesanddestinations/18away.html" title="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/greathomesanddestinations/18away.html">http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/gre...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43360233]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43360233]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>68795826</id>
    <user>
    <id>590065</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Susie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/590065-susie]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Sep 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 25 01:46:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Sep 05 02:37:02 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a beautiful book. It may have been dear to me in part because I'm from New England, where the book is set, and have spent a little time on the Atlantic/on boats there. But that's only part of what recommends it. The writing is quite elegant, the conundrums very human, the plot surprising, th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68795826">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68795826]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68795826]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>77459973</id>
    <user>
    <id>1572763</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Gena]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Easton, MD]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1572763-gena]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">137549</id>
  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Nov 27 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 11 12:31:22 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 27 05:12:40 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Really liked the description of the RI waterman life.  Liked the character development, and I was sympathetic toward the main character--even though he is a grumpy SOB, until the middle and then I had a really hard time liking him.  He made me mad and that colored my opinion of the book. Still, well...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77459973">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77459973]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77459973]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Nancy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bellingham, WA]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">137549</id>
  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 1996</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 16 23:12:27 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 16 23:14:17 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Am always drawn to books about the sea and this one about a Rhode Island commercial fisherman didn't disappoint. It won the National Book Award in 1989.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46602568]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46602568]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>11000615</id>
    <user>
    <id>714431</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Will]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Charlottesville, VA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Dec 25 14:47:40 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 25 15:54:47 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[If you've never read anything by John Casey, please do. It is a sad thing that his name is such an obscurity in the literary world, because his writing is absolutely outstanding. His books have such a classic feel to them, and his characters are developed to such an extent that they appear frighteni...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11000615">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11000615]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11000615]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>29286491</id>
    <user>
    <id>965745</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Greg]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Woodburn, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/965745-greg-coyle]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Aug 04 23:05:23 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 04 23:12:04 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[John Casey has the voice of his irascible protagonist down, and spools it out with as much confidence as that character plies the waters off the coast of his beloved Rhode Island. This simple story details the conflicts encountered by those who have constructed their lives around steady, understanda...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29286491">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29286491]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29286491]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>277999</id>
    <user>
    <id>28305</id>
    <name><![CDATA[craige]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Jersey City, NJ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28305-craige]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Mar 15 08:15:19 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 19 20:26:37 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Spartina was one of those books that made me almost want to stay in the hotel room and read instead of see Milan. Almost, I said. <br/><br/>I can't really explain why Casey's books enthrall me so much. This one, in particular, was full of descriptions of boating that I know nothing about. So many ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/277999">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/277999]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/277999]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>48637232</id>
    <user>
    <id>2102345</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Daniel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Beverly, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2102345-daniel-urban-brown]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1237157937p3/2102345.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 08 17:27:54 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Mar 08 17:29:54 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A mostly good story. If you like this than read Richard Ford. Lovely cover photo.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48637232]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48637232]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38184915</id>
    <user>
    <id>1733916</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jon]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1733916-jon]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">137549</id>
  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 19 18:53:07 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 19 18:54:05 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The plot is pretty good, but what really carries the book is the character development.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38184915]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38184915]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45002232</id>
    <user>
    <id>1979703</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Garlan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Saba, TX]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1979703-garlan]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jan 24 00:00:00 -0800 1999</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 31 18:48:47 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 23 16:19:34 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>2</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An old-fashioned novel about a larger than life character, Dick Pierce, and his struggles to realize his dreams without compromising his values.  Pierce is a complicated man, kind and sensitive to his family, but highly volatile when dealing with those he has to work for.  He is torn between needing...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45002232">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45002232]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45002232]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5693647</id>
    <user>
    <id>180017</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Abby]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/180017-abby]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">137549</id>
  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 05 05:03:31 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 08:56:24 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was excited to discover this author on a bookshelf at my in-laws' beach house.  I'll admit that the cover pulled me in.  I got lost in the world of fishing and boating and sheer desperation that he paints.  Why not four stars?  Because it was a great read--but it wasn't *amazing*.  <br/><br/>Thr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5693647">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5693647]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5693647]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40293056</id>
    <user>
    <id>1795229</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sara]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seward, AK]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1795229-sara]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">1451214</id>
  <isbn>0380711044</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780380711048</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183741483m/1451214.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183741483s/1451214.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1451214.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman. <em>Spartina</em>  won the National Book Award in 1989.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 17 06:56:09 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 22 23:54:46 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I don't know what these other people are talking about!  I loved this book!  It is understated and multi-layered, with a beautiful prose style and a subtle plot line.  With its salty characters and stubborn simplicity, it strikes me as a uniquely American novel, absolutely deserving of the Nat'l Boo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40293056">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40293056]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40293056]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>8341530</id>
    <user>
    <id>419239</id>
    <name><![CDATA[ayrdaomei]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Salisbury, MD]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">137549</id>
  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

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  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 28 05:30:06 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 28 05:30:26 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I know, I know.  I'm hopeless!  But it's another book Sean gave me that I just didn't like and couldn't bring myself to finish.  It won the 1989 National Book Award, so I guess the characters enthralled some people out there.  Sadly, I am not one of them.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8341530]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8341530]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>15935594</id>
    <user>
    <id>927365</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Adam]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/927365-adam]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Feb 20 16:13:34 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Feb 20 16:18:16 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A fisherman attempts to build a ship in hopes of bettering his family situation.  A man alone, facing midlife, and contemplating what all men face.  What could be better?  Like A Thousand Acres: for so little action, much takes place.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15935594]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15935594]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>416720</id>
    <user>
    <id>6078</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lauren]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6078-lauren]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 24 21:30:28 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 17:03:45 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A fantastic book. I'm not really crazy about books with manly, silent men as main characters, but John Casey showed me I should never assume that books about men and their boats are not for me (I guess I should finally read Moby Dick). ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/416720]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/416720]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>25352738</id>
    <user>
    <id>18554</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ethan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18554-ethan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <isbn>0375702687</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375702686</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Spartina]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137549.Spartina</link>
  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>214</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Dick Pierce, fisherman and boat-builder, lives on the Rhode Island shore in a backwater world of salt marshes, alcoholic fishermen, crab boats and old homesteads disappearing under new resorts for inland tourists. A stubborn man thoughtful enough to know that the world is becoming too small for men like himself, Pierce has a mortgage, a family, a &quot;puny income from lobstering&quot; and a dream: to finish the half-built boat in his backyard so he can fish for red crabs out in deep water, make some real money and raise himself and his family up. He is a classic American solitary hero, and Casey knows the sloughs of the Rhode Island shore as well as any fisherman.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 24 16:49:52 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 24 16:53:25 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A Rhode Island fisherman trying to get his own boat in the water tried to justify taking money from the rich people he believes are ruining his home. The accurate, poetic descriptions evoke the marshy smell of the place.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25352738]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25352738]]></link>
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