⋙ Download Free The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope A Novel Rhonda Riley 9780062099440 Books

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope A Novel Rhonda Riley 9780062099440 Books

Download As PDF : The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope A Novel Rhonda Riley 9780062099440 Books

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope A Novel Rhonda Riley 9780062099440 Books

This is a difficult review to write because I’m of two minds about this book. I liked the fantasy aspect of it, the story itself, and the characters. The writing was good but it flies in the face of what I believe good writing is — showing rather than telling. This book is “told” to the reader, like in the oral tradition. Which is why I think the story, though good, dragged in places. Some reviewers commented that there was too much detail about things that were unimportant, and I agree. I skimmed a lot of pages, needing to dig out of the thick mud of detail. I don’t normally read literary fiction because the endings usually are sad or confusing, or both, as was the case with this book. I read and reread the passages that led up to the beginning of the end, looking for clues, and still couldn’t be sure what really happened to Adam. Because of that, I’m left with a deep feeling of unfulfillment. I like happy endings in the books I read. Overall, I’m glad I read the book. Like I said, I liked the fantasy aspect of it, and some of the passages contained epiphanies that will haunt me. Give it a go.


Tags : The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope: A Novel [Rhonda Riley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <em>The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope</em> is an unconventional and passionately romantic love story that is as breathtaking and wondrous as <em>The Time Traveler’s Wife </em>and<em> The Story of Edgar Sawtelle</em>. During WWII,Rhonda Riley,The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope: A Novel,Ecco,0062099442,Family Life,Literary,Human-alien encounters;Fiction.,Life change events,Life change events;Fiction.,Love stories,Man-woman relationships,Paranormal fiction,World War, 1939-1945;North Carolina;Fiction.,FICTION Family Life General,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,FictionFamily Life - General,Historical - General,Human-alien encounters,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),North Carolina,World War, 1939-1945

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope A Novel Rhonda Riley 9780062099440 Books Reviews

I love unusual premises for books. This started out so promising. But it just doesn't go anywhere. She never explains where Adam came from or what he was. I kept reading in the hopes that she would finally get to the point but it just doesn't happen. Nice love story but I still don't understand the point. And what the heck was the sound that he made???? Never really explained that either!
I wanted to like this book. It is beautifully written and the author uses Adam's mysterious origin effectively as a way to examine society, sex and relationships with a fresh perspective. At least at first. This new perspective ends there and misses the obvious target of religion. The protagonist's lack of curiosity about that seems un-natural, almost as if Riley is afraid to go beyond societies accepted (and boring) attitudes. Most of the book is consumed with bucolic descriptions of happy family life on a farm overlaid at times with inexplicable melancholy which is fine if that is your cup of tea. I just could not ignore the 800 pound gorilla standing in the corner as Riley does. Even the alure of a book set in the same geographical area where I live was not enough to save it.
I seldom worry about writing a book review that's good enough to give readers an accurate picture of a book. I'm worrying about it now. Rhonda Riley has pulled off a masterpiece of … paranormal romance? … science fiction? … fantasy? The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope could fit into any of these categories, demonstrating that these genres can be true literature and not twaddle. Who/what is Adam Hope? She never defines him, just describes him. I love Riley's use of words. The text is fluid, elegant, and amazingly descriptive, but it does not go over the top with excessively erudite riffs of descriptive fluff. It is a simply written book that had me sobbing many times. A beautiful, powerful love story that shows that a book can be outside the range of the normal, but not ridiculous. This is a story set in the South. I usually hate those They're just so syrupy that molasses won't stick to them, y'all. Not here. Beautiful, brilliant treatment without cliche. I hope Ms. Riley writes long and hard and more, soon. Writing as fine as it gets.

One bit of information for the author and her publisher I bought this book on an special for $2 or thereabouts. When I checked the price just now, it was over $10. I don't buy books priced that high with the plethora available at reasonable prices. Now, if I'd stuck to my rule and found The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope at $10 and change, I would have passed on it. And missed an amazing reading experience. It is worth $10+ to me, but I know that AFTER reading it. The market for this book is being cut by it's price. The folks at the big publishers might want to look up "price elasticity" and "profit maximization" a couple of terms from economics. Those are what should be guiding your pricing.
Evelyn Roe was a rather solitary person who was most closely tied to the land. As WWII was ending, she, the eldest child, was a teenager charged with running the small family farm. One night, she made a startling discovery when she found a stranger practically buried in the mud on her property. The person was grotesque and apparently had been badly burned, looking similar to the pictures of Japanese people after Hiroshima. It was almost all the tall and physically strong Evelyn could do to dig him out of the mud and drag him into her small house. With no electricity or running water, Evelyn did all the back-breaking work necessary to warm the person up and assist him in regaining consciousness. Over time, the person changed in startling ways. This was an amazing fantasy that also brings in such universal themes as love, loss, and family ties. This person who eventually became her husband Adam was both incredibly naive and otherworldly wise. He had no past of which he was aware and while Evelyn certainly knew he was no ordinary human, neither of them knew exactly what he was. Over their life together, Evelyn yearned to share her secret with someone, especially her beloved mother, but was never able to. Her story would be too out of the ordinary and she even feared she might wind up confined to a mental institution. After a terrible family tragedy, Adam does something that makes it clear there is something different about him and the folks of tiny Clarion North Carolina were to never forgive him for it. In this manner and with some other incidents of a more earthly nature, Riley brings in some of the themes of racial prejudice without being strident or preachy. This book spans over fifty years and heralds ordinary life and hard work, the joys and challenges of raising children, and the forever pain of losing a loved one. Much of the language approaches the poetic and makes it a book I might re-read at least portions of just to enjoy again some of the beautiful cadences contained within its pages. I heartily recommend this novel.
This is a difficult review to write because I’m of two minds about this book. I liked the fantasy aspect of it, the story itself, and the characters. The writing was good but it flies in the face of what I believe good writing is — showing rather than telling. This book is “told” to the reader, like in the oral tradition. Which is why I think the story, though good, dragged in places. Some reviewers commented that there was too much detail about things that were unimportant, and I agree. I skimmed a lot of pages, needing to dig out of the thick mud of detail. I don’t normally read literary fiction because the endings usually are sad or confusing, or both, as was the case with this book. I read and reread the passages that led up to the beginning of the end, looking for clues, and still couldn’t be sure what really happened to Adam. Because of that, I’m left with a deep feeling of unfulfillment. I like happy endings in the books I read. Overall, I’m glad I read the book. Like I said, I liked the fantasy aspect of it, and some of the passages contained epiphanies that will haunt me. Give it a go.