- Paperback: 912 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st ReganBooks/HarperPerennial Ed edition (April 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060987561
- ISBN-13: 978-0060987565
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.5 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (512 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 122,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
I Know This Much Is True (P.S.)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Every now and then a book comes along that sets new standards for writers and readers alike. Wally Lamb's latest novel is stunning--and even that might be an understatement...this is a masterpiece."--" Associated Press""A gratifying saga of loss and redemption." --" People""Wally Lamb is one of those rare contemporary writers who can produce a 900-page book that defies readers to put it down...stunning...powerful...The book is so effectively structured that the reader can easily fall into its pages, becoming a part of it, in the way that a powerful play lures its audience into its setting and story line...A rich literary tapestry that is an affirmation of life." --" Dallas Morning News""A can't-put-it-down-novel...packed with graceful writing, unrelenting dramatic tension and characters how force the reader to form an emotional bond with them...The only thing bad about Wally Lamb's new novel is that it's too good."--" Denver Post""The saga of the century. Best, most wonderful, most dramatic, most powerful. There are no superlatives impressive enough to describe this, another Lamb masterpiece." --" Oakland Press""Dominick Birdsey is an epic hero and his story an inspiring, darkly comic tale of redemption--a late twentieth-century "Les Miserables."" -- "Glamour""Twice as thoughtful and twice as heart-wrenching as most published this year. An exercise in soul-baring storytelling--with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It's hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget." -- "USA Today.".".a fully developed and triumphantly resolved exploration of one man's suffering and redemption." --" Publishers Weekly, " starred review"A work of astonishingcraftsmanship, structural symmetry, and literary self-awareness...Read it and weep." -- "St. Louis Post-Dispatch"
Product Description
With his stunning debut novel, "She's Come Undone," Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with "I Know This Much Is True," a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. "Change yourself," the myth instructs, "and you will inhabit a renovated world."
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, my twin brother Thomas entered the Three Rivers, Connecticut Public Library, retreated to one of the rear study carrels, and prayed to God the sacrifice he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, my twin brother Thomas entered the Three Rivers, Connecticut Public Library, retreated to one of the rear study carrels, and prayed to God the sacrifice he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read the synopsis of this book while browsing in a bookstore and for some silly reason I never bought it there and then. I was unable to get the book out of my head and it took me almost six months to find it again as couldn't remember the authors name, thank heaven I finally found it.
This book is beyond doubt my favorite book ever. On finishing this book the total feeling of satisfaction was undeniable. I've never heard of anyone say that, and I've never used that terminology before but it was exactly that - Satisfying. The story is so true to life and the way it was told encapsulated me in his life.
I disagree with the reviewer who complained about the amount of hardship in this book, welcome to real life. When I read this book I had no real trauma or tragedy in my life but it appealed to me. A few years later the amount of sadness I have seen has just confirmed the sentiment of this book. There is still a lot of enjoyment in this story and I loved the ending. I too am like the other reviewer who misses it when it's not on the shelf and I lend it to everyone in order to share the enjoyment of the book. In fact I have just treated myself to a second copy that I can have at all times while my other copy is on lend.
Finally to the person who read this book in one day and did not enjoy it. I find it hard to imagine reading 900 pages in one day and being able to feel the true emotion, and understand the true greatness of this book. It would be like drinking an exquisite bottle of wine while suffering with the cold, no sense of smell or taste and missing out on the enjoyment.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had never read anything by Wally Lamb before picking up this book at my local High St shop here in London. It was a cold, damp day, with rain and sleet forecast for later in the week and, as it was just before the New Year, I had the week off from work. I curled up with this book on the Tuesday afternoon and was completely hooked by the time the elusive sun actually set for the night.
This is a wonderful book. The characters are believable and, even more important, their predicaments are real. I note that one reviewer commented on the number of tragedies faced by these people --- in my experience, that's real life. Also, I think Lamb did a brilliant job of portraying the ups and downs life offers.
I was gripped until the very last page. And I was moved to tears by the conclusion.
This is a wonderful book. I recommend it in the highest possible terms.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My wife encouraged me to read this 900-page book with the words: "you will not regret this". She was right. The intensity of emotion with which the book starts is overwhelming from the first page, and it only gets better from then on. On the surface, this is a book about the relationship between two lost souls, the narrator and his schizophrenic twin. The account of the suffering brought onto the family by the mentally ill brother's self-mutilation is not only realistic and compelling, but also surprisingly charged with universal accessibility. At a deeper level, the author courageously explores the challenging psychological nuances of grief and confusion. It is the mark of Lamb's great empathy and spirituality, that we can root for an angry and desperate man who tries to alienate himself from his environment and the reader. The plot weaves in the story of the narrator's Sicilian grandfather with masterful ability. The small "detour" Domenico's story takes us to never feels like an unnecessary trip. Instead it expands the power of the emerging symbols of the novel : monkeys and rabbits. However, the special gift contained in this book is the author's spiritual journey that yields a unique experience to the receptive reader. The toxic nature of anger, the process of change through therapy are two of the many lessons to appreciate here. When I finished the book, I found myself wishing to become "True" man.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Highly Recommended Book
A friend recommended this book to me and, as my daughter had just given me a Kindle for Mother's day this was my first purchase. Read more
Published 13 days ago by GRB
Family saga late 20th America
Loved this book for the gripping story, reads very well and speaks abut mental illness without being overwhelmed by the theme. Read more
Published 26 days ago by SD
I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (P.S.)
Couldn't put the Kindle down! Story veered off from the original start but stayed gripping nevertheless. Read more
Published 1 month ago by deafinate
Outstanding. Just Outstanding!
After reading Wally Lambs, 'She's Come Undone' and loving it, it took me a while to buy this book as it's very different from my usual read. I know this much is true.... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Kirstie381
I Know this Much is True
Initially, whilst this may not appear to be a review; it is an indication of how a book can become so embedded in one's psyche, it almost becomes an obsession. Read more
Published 11 months ago by lucylocket
Truly wonderful
This book is extremely well written, with believable characters that despite their personal flaws, they draw you deeply into their lives. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mrs. R. Burnett
excellent!!
I read this book a few years ago now after reading shes come undone. I thought shes come undone was good but this book blew me away. Read more
Published 16 months ago by R. ARMSTRONG
I know this much is true
One needs time to digest the diverse aspects of the roles of the personalities in this book and the deep bond that comes with being twins. I am one.... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Inemac
Couldn't get this book out of my head until I read the last 900th...
I found Dominique's (the protagonist) relentless bad luck depressing but powered through. Although few would identify with his sad experiences everyone could empathise with his... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Anjie
The best!
I actually like long books if they're well written, and after the positive reviews I was looking forward to dive into this book. And it was worth it! Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by Miss E L
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
