The best book I've read in a long time

[Fenris]

I just finished "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger, and I have to say, this is the best novel I've read in the past few years, and I read a lot. It is clear that Enger is a writer with great skill and craft, and I found myself rereading sentences because they were so beautiful and well-constructed. The story has a timeless quality to it, reinforced by its allusions to epics past and Biblical narratives. The characters are so deep and dynamic that one can easily fall in love with them, smile when something great happens to them, and laugh when they do. There is a little girl character in the book that is perhaps the best young female character since Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. For a story filled with tragedy and heartache, it is surprisingly buoyant and uplifting, and has that rare charm of being grim yet patiently optimistic. If you've been knocked down by life lately, this book might just pick you back up.

Okay, I'm done raving. I just can't say enough good things about this book. I realize now it's a few years old, but I just had to tell people about it. I'm sure a lot of you have already read it, so this must be old news, but my God, it is brilliant.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802139256/qid=1073587844//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl14/002-2453570-9899260?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Redneck Socialist]

1. I liked it.

I don't know about brilliant, but it was very well done, especially the character development.

The ending was a little to pat, but bulk of the book was very good.