Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for his radiant novel in stories, Mary and O’Neil, Justin Cronin has already been hailed as a writer...
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Aug 31, 2011
Sue
rated it: 
Another good Justin Cronin book. About relationships - this time, father and daughter. His books are such a pleasure to read because he has this way with words that is mesmerizing. Here's an example worth reading:
"I had a dog once - what a dog he was! A retriever with something else mixed in, a breed that liked to work and herd: Australian shepherd, maybe, or collie. I named him Mauritz, though Hal called him Ritzy and it stuck. Ritzy the dog. A steadfast member of the team, a More...
"I had a dog once - what a dog he was! A retriever with something else mixed in, a breed that liked to work and herd: Australian shepherd, maybe, or collie. I named him Mauritz, though Hal called him Ritzy and it stuck. Ritzy the dog. A steadfast member of the team, a More...
Sep 02, 2008
Alex
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I had Justin Cronin as a professor and he was pretty great. He gave these quizzes to make sure you did the reading, but they would be really really easy. You would know the answers right away if you read, but wouldn't have a clue if you didn't. I got a 100 on all of them. Once, however, I was staring into space waiting for the next question. I honestly wasn't looking at anything. I caught Justin's eye, and realized I had been staring right at someone else's paper. He immediately made an a
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Jan 14, 2011
Kate
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This book is set in a fishing camp in nothern Maine so for location alone I was drawn into the book. However, I also enjoyed the storytelling style. Most of the story is told looking back, and by 5 different characters. I found the transition from their reflections back to the present nearly seamless which I found intriguing just from a writing perspective. In addition, there are mini-stories within the larger novel, each of which can be contemplated individually as well as part of an integr
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Dec 11, 2011
Shane
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An old man returning to his summer refuge by the lake to die makes for a good premise and creates a situation that is bound to invoke memories, secrets, past conflicts, and hopefully, resolution.
And we get all that in full measure in this beautifully written novel narrated in four voices: those of the dying man Harry, the summer camp owner Joe who was also a convicted draft dodger, his wife Lucy who was once Harry’s lover, and the young camp guide Jordan. The author shows a remarkabl More...
And we get all that in full measure in this beautifully written novel narrated in four voices: those of the dying man Harry, the summer camp owner Joe who was also a convicted draft dodger, his wife Lucy who was once Harry’s lover, and the young camp guide Jordan. The author shows a remarkabl More...
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Feb 27, 2011
switterbug (Betsey)
rated it: 
It is so rare to read a book that has not one boring page in it. This is an elegantly written family saga and suspenseful tale which is visually stunning and emotionally riveting. Polished, immersing, unputdownable. I wanted in. I wanted to leap into the novel--literally! and connect with the characters personally. There are times it brought me to my knees.
This is an author who braids craft with art without sacrificing one for the other. Cronin controls his story and characters with More...
This is an author who braids craft with art without sacrificing one for the other. Cronin controls his story and characters with More...
Feb 27, 2010
Jennifer
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Very fast (not very challenging) and "soft" summer reading. And soft in a bad way dammit! The language was old-timey. I mean, who says phrases akin to "golly gee" anymore - even if you are from Maine. The characters responded to everything very mater-of-factly which was strange. Their outlook seemed very, "That's life. What can you do?" I suppose some people do exist feeling like it's impossible to live their adult lives differently from how they grew up - or maybe
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Dec 08, 2009
This is a stunning novel written in 2005. I think it is so breathtaking, everyone should be able to share in its beauty. The story takes place at a rustic fishing camp on the northern tip of Maine, and spans the eras just after World War II and continues through three generations of family and friends. The plot revolves around a wealthy entrepreneur who fell in love with the camp as a young man and revisited it for thirty years. The last trip he makes there is different in that he has come for h
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Oct 15, 2010
Alison
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 25, 2011
K
rated it:
Yes, this is an “older” book (2003) but worthy of being reviewed and read today! It should be noted that Justin Cronin recently wrote The Passage which has been well received but of a different style.
Justin Cronin called Summer Guest a love story – a story about fathers and daughters. It is that and more. The book begins on a cold January day in 1947 as WWII veteran Joe Crosby, his wife Amy and his infant son Joe Jr. travel by train to their new home at a secluded Maine fishing camp More...
Justin Cronin called Summer Guest a love story – a story about fathers and daughters. It is that and more. The book begins on a cold January day in 1947 as WWII veteran Joe Crosby, his wife Amy and his infant son Joe Jr. travel by train to their new home at a secluded Maine fishing camp More...
Apr 12, 2011
JoAnne
rated it:
This is a stunning novel written in 2005. I think it is so breathtaking, everyone should be able to share in its beauty. The story takes place at a rustic fishing camp on the northern tip of Maine, and spans the eras just after World War II and continues through three generations of family and friends. The plot revolves around a wealthy entrepreneur who fell in love with the camp as a young man and revisited it for thirty years. The last trip he makes there is different in that he has come for h
More...
Sep 10, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
I read The Summer Guest before I read/listened to Passages. It's a much slimmer book and does not contain the "supernatural." It is an intergenerational book of families/friends/lovers set in a way back fishing camp in rural Maine. One embedded theme is the effects of war upon soldiers and their offspring. Another--for me--is the role so-called infidelity has upon extended families as well as upon spouses. Another, related, is fidelity/infidelity as more than a physical states. A
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Nov 30, 2011
Kate
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I became interested in Justin Cronin as an author after reading his recent book The Passage and wanted to readmore, The Summer Guest is absolutely nothing like The Passage but a wonderful book none the less. This author can really tell a story, complete with excellent plot and characters. I especially liked his method of devoting each chapter to one of the characters thereby letting the tory slowly unfold. This is basically a story about love on a lot of levels and is very well written. It
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Jul 06, 2010
Judi/Judith
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7/2/2010 I really like this book. Although somewhat slow-paced the writer weaves a magical story that keeps me interested.
7/4/2010 This book is about a fishing camp in Maine inherited by the son and his wife from the father, the owner. Some parts of this book are sad and some parts are happy but Justin Cronin can definitely weave a story that will keep you interested from the first page to the last. I really enjoyed the book and I can't say anything bad about it but it was confu More...
7/4/2010 This book is about a fishing camp in Maine inherited by the son and his wife from the father, the owner. Some parts of this book are sad and some parts are happy but Justin Cronin can definitely weave a story that will keep you interested from the first page to the last. I really enjoyed the book and I can't say anything bad about it but it was confu More...
Jan 25, 2012
Loretta
rated it:
I really like stories told from different viewpoints and I especially like this one.
Each character is so well drawn - and allowed to add their piece of the story, both past and present, in turn.
Since I live in Maine, the setting is particularly interesting to me, but I think it would be to most.
The historical references to the Vietnam war, Watergate, Nixon, the moonwalk and other memorable events of the 60's resonated with me
And the counter play of past and present are More...
Each character is so well drawn - and allowed to add their piece of the story, both past and present, in turn.
Since I live in Maine, the setting is particularly interesting to me, but I think it would be to most.
The historical references to the Vietnam war, Watergate, Nixon, the moonwalk and other memorable events of the 60's resonated with me
And the counter play of past and present are More...
Feb 21, 2011
I loved that each chapter was about a different character in the story. It enabled the reader to get to know each one as a person. The whole tone of the book was calming and I could really visualize the camp and the surroundings as well as understand what each character was feeling and experiencing. The fish camp was the nucleus of each character's life and impacted them in some way. I also enjoyed that the story and history of the person was told bit by bit, revealing the person throughout
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Nov 23, 2008
SteveR
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This is an interesting book with interesting characters on many levels; however, the ending is disappointing.
The premise of the book is based on the character, Harry, but he turns out, surprisingly, to have only a "bit role" in the book. Two more interesting characters are the father and son (i.e. Joe). The father is a WWII "hero" and his son is a Vietnam draft evader. The story is not what you think, which makes for an interesting perspective.
It s More...
The premise of the book is based on the character, Harry, but he turns out, surprisingly, to have only a "bit role" in the book. Two more interesting characters are the father and son (i.e. Joe). The father is a WWII "hero" and his son is a Vietnam draft evader. The story is not what you think, which makes for an interesting perspective.
It s More...
Apr 19, 2010
One summer, at a family owned fishing camp in Maine, a longtime patron comes back to have one last time out on the water before he dies. Actually, he has a lot more of an agenda than just one last fishing experience. His life has been entwined with the family that owns the camp for more than twenty years. The story of this camp and the people who lived and worked there was enjoyable, but the reader figures out what everyone's secrets are way too early. You just want the author to get on with
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Jun 10, 2011
Kathleen
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An absolutely fabulous book about love, life and how our experiences shape our lives. It's amazing how these characters intertwine and connect through their collective connection to a small fishing vacation spot in Maine. I loved this book! And, the beauty is the connection made with the characters still linger 2 months after reading it. A definitely must for anyone who enjoys reading about the human spirit and if you want to be taken on a journey through the everyday lives of others.
Dec 22, 2010
Sarah
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Didn't believe in the characters, which made me really not care about them at all. Which is a shame, because there was a lot of sad stuff going on here and it would have made me feel less like a heartless bitch if I could respond with some kind of emotion. But all the characters told their individual stories (stories that I couldn't force myself to be interested in) in the first person, but all with the same voice (with the same weird and pretentious similes), which was both unrealistic and a
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Jul 14, 2009
Anne
rated it:
This book was recommended by one of Ted's friends, who had gone to camp in Maine, and his brother taught at Rice with Cronin. It's not often that I find guys who rhapsodize over fiction. I did love the writing and have to agree. The characters are well developed, and their side histories are interesting as well. While you could see the story resolution coming, still I wanted to keep turning the pages without cheating and reading the end of the book like I usually do.
Jan 09, 2012
Candace
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I picked this after reading and loving The Passage. The Summer Guest is quite a different experience than the former, and I'd describe it as a little sleepy. I'm not sure how the story could have been made more exciting, but I don't think it was really meant to be. A lot of the best parts arrive late in the story, and you do find that you care about the characters by that point which certainly makes a different. I'm a little ho-hum about this one in reflection but it was a pleasant read nonethel
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Jan 21, 2011
Don
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This book is a smooth read; it's generally well written, although Cronin's characters often speak in such cliches that it's hard to believe in it. The end is affecting. However, the book never really rises above the superficial level in terms of the characters, emotions etc. These aren't especially complicated characters, and I didn't come away from this feeling that I had read either a great book or a book with keen insight into the human condition.
Oct 22, 2010
Carolyn
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One of the most beautiful books I've ever read. He took a cast of interconnected characters from youth (birth, some of them) to old age (death, some of them) in their own words and points of view, and made me care deeply about all of them. Several spots brought me to tears.
Odd - I loved Cronin's first book, loved this one (his second) even more, but didn't like his third at all - it was hugely hyped and didn't live up to it at all IMO.
Odd - I loved Cronin's first book, loved this one (his second) even more, but didn't like his third at all - it was hugely hyped and didn't live up to it at all IMO.
Jul 13, 2010
Sue
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His new release which has gotten a lot of buzz is about Sci-Fi. This book is about relationships & our place in the world. It appealed to me because the characters were nuanced, not one-dimensional & it had a great ending, where so many fall flat at the end. There were times it got a little hokey but otherwise was well written. Takes place in Maine, a summer fishing camp around which all their lives gravitate. I kept wanting to pick it up which is always a good sign!
Nov 17, 2011
Kcoloney
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I debated whether to give this book one or two stars. Boring! Too much description -- pages and pages before anyone speaks or anything happens. On the advice of a friend, I finally skipped to the last 50 pages and read the conclusion. That was also a disappointment. It was totally predictable and I had surmised the book's "secret" in the first 75 pages. I do NOT recommend this book.
Aug 26, 2011
Matthew
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After seeing The Passage in a Barnes and Nobles while in St. Louis, I wanted to read something by Justin Cronin before dishing out twenty- plus dollars. I decided to make a trip to the Carmel-Clay Public Library and borrow one of his books, I chose The Summer Guest.
The Summer Guest wasn’t your typical variety fiction, from the first page you could sense a story was going to be beautifully told. This deeply intertwined love story was told by five characters living in the story; it’s b More...
The Summer Guest wasn’t your typical variety fiction, from the first page you could sense a story was going to be beautifully told. This deeply intertwined love story was told by five characters living in the story; it’s b More...
Feb 10, 2012
Gina
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This book was about a group of people all intertwined - it was written well considering the book has everyone telling their story from their own viewpoint split into chapters! I really wasn't sure what to expect from the story, so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it so much - it felt so different from the usual fiction I have been reading..not sure why!!
Jan 02, 2012
Jody
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Talk about not judging a book by it's cover! I read the jacket description and thought I was getting a book about a man dying of cancer and fishing, but I picked it up based upon the good reviews here. Am I glad I did! Beautifully written character study about the interwoven lives of 6 people set at a summer camp in Northern Maine. Loved it!!!!!
Sep 14, 2009
Becky
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I guess this is my kind of book. I really enjoyed the character development and the way the sometimes surprising story unfolded. And I thought the author really nailed the mentality of a true Mainer, which was probably my favorite aspect of this book.
This book reminded me of Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons - perhaps it's time to read that one again....
This book reminded me of Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons - perhaps it's time to read that one again....
