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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Man in the Woods
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Kristen H. (Lowell, MA)
Slow to capture
The slow start to "Man in the Woods" really disappointed me and made it hard for me to keep on reading though I am glad I did because it got better as the book went on.
To me the idea of Paul standing up for the dog who was being beaten kind of makes one think about today's society and how many people turn their backs on someone who may need their help because they don't want to get involved. Paul may have taken things a bit too far but that then calls into question how far is far enough?
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Skye L. (Lake Oswego, OR)
A Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer
This book is a quick and often interesting read. The premise is, I think, related to the effects of random violence on all our lives. I write, "I think" because the major flaw of the book, and it is major, is the lack of character development. With little or no back story to the main character's lives- there is no dimension to the story as a whole. Well written in terms of compelling language it is unfortunate that the writing was not expanded to include more sympathetic characters who the reader could believe they knew.
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Amy H. (Benbrook, TX)
Loss of Momentum
I give this book 3 stars with great trepidation, because I absolutely love the writing style of Scott Spencer. His descriptive prose has no match with any current author that I've read. My hesitation with a higher rating stems from loss of plot momentum for the middle 50 of the book. As Paul grapples with his conscience and loses touch with reality, the book slows to an idle that endured way too long. I never learned enough about Will to be even remotely sympathetic to his death, and I found Ruby to be an over-indulged, slightly creepy child. Paul's character was well-developed and I enjoyed reading about his relationship with Kate. In the future, I might pick up another book by Spencer, once I'm able to forget how frustrated I was with this one.
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Barbara B. (New Bern, NC)
A story of choices and faith
While Scott Spencer brings to life each of his characters in his book “Man in the Woods”, I feel there are too many characters that stray from the main story line. Man in the Woods is a story about the chance meeting of two men in the woods and how that meeting changes the lives of so many. The story revolves around Paul Phillips, a carpenter, who finds his place in the world when he meets Kate Ellis, a recovering alcoholic, and Will Claff, a cruel man who is running away from his gambling debts and the dog Woody who was renamed Shep when he is saved by Paul. The ending would be good for a discussion group.
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Madeline (Sarasota, FL)
A Quiet Tension
I enjoyed this book overall but more for the writing than for the story. The quiet tone/voice of this novel emphasizes the underlying tension running throughout, and there are some great lines of razor-sharp description. But I felt a disconnect with most of the characters, especially the main ones, and I found I didn't care what happened to them as much as I wanted to.
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Janet M. (Aiken, SC)
Man in the Woods
Probably from the time I learned how to read I was taught that if you had NOTHING nice to say...don't say anything at all. Therefore.. I am saying NOTHING!
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