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suzzeb22's review against another edition
4.0
A great rewind into the 1970's. Dystopic views of New Canaan, Connecticut and a cast of unhappy, bored, lonely souls. The key party and the tragic ending resonate. Good writing as well.
casspro's review against another edition
3.0
The novel shows us what really happens behind closed doors. Borrowed from The Boy.
patmcmanamon's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the movie so I decided to read the book. It’s honestly disturbing as it delves into the vapid nature of upper middle class suburban life in the 1970s. Shows the moral degradation and loneliness behind the facade of family, with the ice representative of how cold and empty daily life can be. Loved its cynicism and its anger.
hikenbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dee9401's review against another edition
2.0
I was hoping this would be better than his first book, Garden State, which I recently reread. In my opinion, it's not. The book reads more like an MFA's exercise rather than a good story. It reminded me a bit of Americana by DeLillo with segues and throwing in kitsch from the 70s. The story could have worked on many levels, but I never felt much for any of the characters. Ben Hood and his daughter Wendy were the main characters and they really could have been explored more and made more than self-help-prose-style 2-d cut-outs.
There was a moment of clarity and beauty when Mike Williams is exploring the frozen woods near his home. That reminded me of winters in Rochester or even parts of Maryland during a nasty storm. But, it ended too quickly and the rest of the prose never rose to meet that point.
There was a moment of clarity and beauty when Mike Williams is exploring the frozen woods near his home. That reminded me of winters in Rochester or even parts of Maryland during a nasty storm. But, it ended too quickly and the rest of the prose never rose to meet that point.
chotchki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
1973 Thanksgiving weekend, about how the family is falling apart.
Benjamin Hood - His mistress Janie Williams. He's had affairs before, he strives to have things he can't have.
Story also follows Wendy Williams who's in high school and she's waiting to meet up with Mikey who she's watched touch himself and she wants some of it.
Her father finds them in the basement and they walk home and he doesn't care if she wants to have sex, he just wants her to have a better guy.
Eleanor Hood has read a lot of sex manuals, she wants more but her husband Ben doesn't seem to care about it at all, with her.
Gets confusing at times with introduction to others and their problems at holiday parties. Reminds me of a Peyton Place.... as there is talk of the key swingers exchange at a party-you go home with someone else for the night. Tragedy and death and dark places...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
1973 Thanksgiving weekend, about how the family is falling apart.
Benjamin Hood - His mistress Janie Williams. He's had affairs before, he strives to have things he can't have.
Story also follows Wendy Williams who's in high school and she's waiting to meet up with Mikey who she's watched touch himself and she wants some of it.
Her father finds them in the basement and they walk home and he doesn't care if she wants to have sex, he just wants her to have a better guy.
Eleanor Hood has read a lot of sex manuals, she wants more but her husband Ben doesn't seem to care about it at all, with her.
Gets confusing at times with introduction to others and their problems at holiday parties. Reminds me of a Peyton Place.... as there is talk of the key swingers exchange at a party-you go home with someone else for the night. Tragedy and death and dark places...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
4.0
Although the reading of this book was interrupted and stalled, finishing it I am disturbed in a way that only good reads can do.
This is a messed up tale of human sexuality and how it messes with everything and everyone. It's also a tale of dysfunctional parents, marriages and kids.
This is a messed up tale of human sexuality and how it messes with everything and everyone. It's also a tale of dysfunctional parents, marriages and kids.
fxp's review against another edition
5.0
4.5* really, I thought it was brilliantly written. I liked how he illustrated a family falling apart because they struggle between their own desires and expectations. At least that's one of the many topics you can find in the book. I also enjoyed the film adaptation.
sloatsj's review against another edition
3.0
The American literati bristled last year when one of the Nobel Prize bigwigs said the country’s writers were too entangled with their own mass culture to get close to a new Nobel in Literature. I don’t think that’s entirely true, but after reading "The Ice Storm" I have to say I suspect the Swedish bigwig was reading Rick Moody.
Not that I didn’t like the book. But having been alive and fully conscious in the 1970’s, I knew the dozens of TV shows and pop songs Moody referenced. To be honest, the ‘70’s have always struck me as somewhat grotesque, and now I’m sure. I also dislike the state of Connecticut. Yes, unhappy marriages and adolescent anxiety are universals, but would you be able to enjoy this book if you weren’t of a certain age, and accidentally American? I’d be interested to know. I guess you could accuse Don DeLillo’s “White Noise” of the same kind of thing, but its sinister appeal is wider and it is less anchored to American icons, in my opinion.
Considering the number of hard-ons I had to read to the end in "The Ice Storm," I was glad I was born a girl and not a boy. Anyway, the writing is good, the story has its hooks and the last 85 pages or so of this book were just terrific. Does that make it worth it? Yes, though I could imagine a lot of non-North Americans getting frustrated by the cultural allusions.
My step-mother tells me to try "Purple America," and I’m going to think about that.
Not that I didn’t like the book. But having been alive and fully conscious in the 1970’s, I knew the dozens of TV shows and pop songs Moody referenced. To be honest, the ‘70’s have always struck me as somewhat grotesque, and now I’m sure. I also dislike the state of Connecticut. Yes, unhappy marriages and adolescent anxiety are universals, but would you be able to enjoy this book if you weren’t of a certain age, and accidentally American? I’d be interested to know. I guess you could accuse Don DeLillo’s “White Noise” of the same kind of thing, but its sinister appeal is wider and it is less anchored to American icons, in my opinion.
Considering the number of hard-ons I had to read to the end in "The Ice Storm," I was glad I was born a girl and not a boy. Anyway, the writing is good, the story has its hooks and the last 85 pages or so of this book were just terrific. Does that make it worth it? Yes, though I could imagine a lot of non-North Americans getting frustrated by the cultural allusions.
My step-mother tells me to try "Purple America," and I’m going to think about that.