East of the Mountains

I was attracted to this novel because it takes place in the state I live in, Washington. I was immediately pleased because the story was intriging, a retired surgeon finds out he has cancer and decides to set out on a hunting trip in which he plans to commit suicide, and the story of his life in the present and then his flashbacks to his younger days were well detailed, I felt I was really getting to know the character and I enjoyed rich history of Washington orchards brought out as well.

Perhaps my expectations were too high following Snow Falling on Cedars but this book didn't capture and hold my attention and imagination like its predecessor.
Ben's internal dialogue and feelings are written well but his interactions with others are shallow and not fully developed. The only character that gets some treatment is the migrant farm worker but Guterson falls short here as well.
The first flashback was well constructed with the same elements that made Snow's flashbacks so powerful. However, the second flashback is too sterile and really detracts from the book. A full 65 pages of 270 are spent on this description of why Ben becomes a doctor!!
Then the apex of the story unfolds in a weird way. Ben saves a life but how he gets to this point is totally unbelievable!! Then, his opportunity for retribution is wasted on us using the most superficial dialogue.
This book had a chance as a 500 page novel with better character development and interaction. At 270 pages, Guterson tried to mix in too much and we're left with an uncooked stew.

I identified with David Guterson's East of the Mountains on several different levels. Namely, I live in Washington; I have a father who has had colon cancer; I hunt birds in eastern Washington, and I own two Brittanies, one of which is named Rex. I've also been to a lot of the places in the story, and I'm familiar with the landscape and terrain he describes. For these reasons alone the book was interesting to me, although I kept reading, waiting for Ben Givens to have some sort of epiphany, or for the story to have a point. Ben lives through a series of incidents which evoke chapter long memories of his past, and it appears that he finally just grows tired of the whole adventure as I did.
The author obviously has an incredible talent for descriptive writing, but I found it overused at times, reading flowery descriptions of objects that could be described with ordinary prose, without taking away from the story.

People seem to really like or really dislike this book. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it highly. I'm giving nothing away in telling you it's about a dying man and how he makes elaborate plans to leave this life -- and then what happens instead... a very "human" book, one that ably demonstrates how even a dying grandfather still has the capacity to grown and learn.

After snow I wondered if this author would achieve in writing another exceptional book. And he did it infact he outdid snow. East of the mountains is better written. I think the author deeply matured after snow and his descriptions were much better in East than Snow. I could not put this book down infact i'm now reading it for a second time. I greaty reccommend this book.

Like Snow Falling on Cider, this is such a beautifully written book, long lyrical descriptions of scenes and emotions. Much of the weakness of this story is in the slow meandering "plot" in comparison to the faster paced drama of Snow Falling.
With so many excellent reviews of this book, I would just say, I enjoyed the prose a great deal, found it a bit slow at times, but overall a good read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, if not for the compelling subject matter, then for the mature and eloquent writing style of the author. The imagery created by the descriptive passages was vivid, and I was "hooked" by the plight of the main character from the onset--a psychological and environmental exploration that stays with the reader for quite some time.

This is an outstanding book that moved me from beginning to end. The character of Dr. Ben Givens is one that I will remember for a long time - - a man who devoted his life to saving others, yet in despair couldn't bear to live out the rest of his own due to a terminal illness. In East of the Mountains, his journey both into the wilderness and his past were basically one in the same, allowing him to face his impending death with strength, courage, and ultimately on his own terms.
I must admit that I have not had the pleasure of reading Guterson's first book Snow Falling on Cedars (but I plan to right away). However, I think it is unfair for many of the readers to compare this book with his previous work, or any other. In my opinion, this book more than stands on its own merits. It is an introspective, insightful look at relationships and life.

Echoing the sentiments of the other reviewers, I had a hard time finishing and liking this book. True, it did have great descriptions regarding the various landscapes of Washington, but this did not make me care for or care about any of the characters. We were supposed to feel the great love between Ben & Rachel? I felt nothing. There was something lacking in the war references as well - I could not seem to find in Ben any real feelings - for someone to be struggling with as much as he was. Hating to not finish a book, no matter how bad it is, I read until the end - hoping that something would spark & make me care but that didn't happen. I just kept muttering all the way through - "I can't believe he wrote such a lame follow up to Snow Falling On Cedars". You can definitely tell that it was riding on the coat tails of his first. Since I tend to read books by the same author a lot, I am sure I will pick up whatever his next may be and hope that he reels me back in with his storytelling abilities that were highly evident in Snow Falling...but were definitely lacking in East of the Mountain.

The beginning of this book unfolds a depressing picture of what's to come, but it turns out to be an interesting journey. The pace is somewhat slow, but this book does have beautiful visual descriptions and well developed and interesting characters. I will agree with most reviewers that Snow Falling On Cedars is a much stronger story by this author. Borrow this book from a friend of library and enjoy it.

Having just finished David Guterson's "East Of The Mountains", I came away with thoughts toward my future and immortality. Not many novels make you examine yourself and your place in the world. The novel is a bit too detailed on certain tasks, but it sets the mood, the place, and Ben Givens' statement on humankind. A worthy try with such a difficult subject.

The beginning of this book unfolds a depressing picture of what's to come, but it turns out to be an interesting journey. The pace is somewhat slow, but this book does have beautiful visual descriptions and well developed and interesting characters. I will agree with most reviewers that Snow Falling On Cedars is a much stronger story by this author. Borrow this book from a friend of library and enjoy it.

Having just finished David Guterson's "East Of The Mountains", I came away with thoughts toward my future and immortality. Not many novels make you examine yourself and your place in the world. The novel is a bit too detailed on certain tasks, but it sets the mood, the place, and Ben Givens' statement on humankind. A worthy try with such a difficult subject.

A story of a retired surgeon named Ben Givens who decides to explore the wilderness with his dogs in a last ditch effort to find his life's purpose. His wife, who he constantly thinks about, died not too long ago. He now has terminal cancer and is struggling for a reason to live. In his travels, he encounters wild dogs and other unusual travelers. Although the story seems like it could be interesting, it was strange and I am not sure of the point.

Some of Guterson's descriptions are marvelous. The loneliness of his main character trying to meet the goal of his death is a long and thought out process. Problem is the thoughts are slow and plodding. There wasn't much dialog and it seemed you wanted to rush through the book in order to find out the ending, or the meat. I became edgy reading this, and the fact is, I couldn't get through it.

i read this book before reading 'Snow..'-to be honest I listened to most of it on PublicRadio's 'Radio Reader' then I got the book. I thought it created a very strong visual of the Northwest. Having never been there I felt as if I could picture sagebrush, chukars in flight, huge farm fields and mountains. I'll never claim to be an expert critic on books, but unlike some other reviews here, I look for a book I think I'll enjoy and find interesting. At times i felt sorrow for Ben and other times I envied him. Enjoyed the characters of the young couple who picked him up. GOOD book!

This book follows a very predictable formula, and therefore, offers no real insights. Here is the Formula:
1. Terminally ill doctor (the doctor part is important to the plot) sets out on a journey to end his life.
2. It is necessary that the author gets him out of his car so he can interact with other people. So there is a car wreck.
3. The assorted people he runs into once he has been extracted from his isolated car, of course, offer him Things to Consider and A Reason to Live.
4. End of story.
The doctor part is necessary because that enables him to do noble, helpful things for his Fellow Man (or Woman), including delivering a baby. This presumably shows him there is still a role for him in life, however long it is.

Ho hum. If only life were really this neat and provided such handy packaged answers to our despair.

David's first novel was so compelling, it seemed unlikely he could attain the heights a second time. And yes ... it proved unlikely. However, because of the strength of "Snow Falling on Cedars," I would be willing to read his third attempt. "East of the Mountains" failed not for lack of a plot ... but in execution. The dialogue was hurried and thin. A pokey pace. And the presentation never approached the same standard as his first work. Did you change editors? Give it another try, David. I'll read it.

This book seems like it would be depressing in some ways but as the adventure unfolds the reader is taken into greater depths of the characters and the mountain location. It becomes a warming human experience...the way the lives interact, the plot developes and the main character grows in awareness of the value of living.

The skill of writing is remarkable and the event descriptions enjoyable.

Maybe you have to be a novelist yourself to appreciate the rich texture and intimate characterization of David Guterson's EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS, but I don't think so. Given a chance, readers will find it. In my own Authors Workshop, I've come to appreciate how truly rare is novelistic talent -- the gift of placing one's reader precisely inside another mind in another place -- and twice now, in SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS and EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS, David Guterson has shown it. If the major publishing houses can still find acquisition editors who can appreciate such work, readers will reward them, and publishing may not be dead.

Deep emotions fill this book by Guterson. There is a part of the main character that each one of us can relate to. If you have ever had to face a situation that really presented no outs, then you will sympathize with this book. If you like excellent plots (who doesn't) and if you like great writing (who doesn't), then I highly recommend becoming familiar with Guterson.

A suicide mission that esculates into a novel of pure self discovery. A man's terrifying journey to his inevitable death. A thoughtful reminise of a life long left.............but a lovely tale that leaves you thinking......... I read it in a day - couldn't put it down.

Again David Guterson does not disapoint the reader with this engaging tale of a man's struggle in the Pacific Northwest. Descriptions of the land and the people unfold to make this story a visual reality in the readers mind.

Beautiful end of life story, reinforcing you can live with worth and value to the end. Flashbacks well blended for a constantly interesting hard to put down saga. Descriptions of the land and people of various socioeconomic levels are rick and visual.

Guterson's previous book, Snow Falling On Cedars, was one of my top reads of 1998. I waited with great anticipation for his newest book and was so disappointed. Yes I learned alot about apples and apple picking but the storyline dragged and the main character was not developed enough.

This book was my introduction to the author. It had contrived situations but the message regards how we encapsulate our lives and then regret the emptiness of our existence. This novel takes a suicidal individual out of his everyday life and thrusts him into situations where he faces life's complexities, it's frustrations and joys. In other words, he began to live again.
I read his first book after reading this, and though it was good I prefer East of the Mountain.

Everyone is right, the book is a hair contrived and at times drags on (especially the flashbacks). But, I really became attached to Ben. Like all road stories (Blue Highwways, On the Road etc.) this tale shares people and events that keep us rivited. Unlike others i have not read Snow Falling on Cedars but I think I will give it a try. This is a good rainy day Sunday book, nothing more nothing less. But I would defintely recommend it.

"Snow Falling on Cedars" is one of my favorite books of the past five years. The author's talent is truly amazing. I was anxiously awaiting this book, and told my mom that is was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. What a disappointment. It is without doubt one of the most boring books I've read (or tried to read - I quit half way through) in a long time. Do yourself a favor -- skip this and just read "Snow Falling on Cedars" again.

After reading Snow Falling on Cedars (which I loved), I was very excited to read East of the Mountains. I felt that this book was good, but the story line was not as engrossing as his previous book. Many interesting (and distressing) things happen along the protagonist's journey. However, they are all just little "morsels" of stories that don't tie together into a larger picture. Therefore, I didn't feel as involved in this story. But, if you are looking for a quick-reading good book for the summer - this is definitely a good one. I enjoyed it and I'm sure that other Guterson fans will be pleased as well.

I started the book with anticipation and enjoyed the first few chapters. However, the story started going downhill when Ben meets character after character with not much happening. Ben doesn't seem to come to any conclusions through the course of his physcial journey and and I didn't see any emtional journey taking place either. Also, the writer mentions geographic areas endlessly and unless you're familiar with the area of eatern Washington, it was bit boring to hear of all the landmarks and town names. Not a very stimulating read.

Enjoyable journey through the life of a man. Guterson's rich writing style is well worth the journey if you can find a quiet place to read and soak up the world he creates.
This book is about life's journey not its destination. Enjoy...

I preferred this Guterson novel to his bestselling 'Snow Falling on Cedars'. Perhaps because it is from the simple vantage point of a dying man who has to come to terms with killing, death and dying but realizes that life is worth holding on to.
It reminds me of an Ernest Hemingway story in its sensory recall to war and hunting.
Guterson is a master of the sensual as he evokes fruit and its harvest and bittersweet memories of past love as the core of his characters' lives.
I look forward to more novels from him and perhaps one that involves Northwest Native Americans.

Guterson is a wonderful writer who made me care very deeply about his protaganist. I was so pleased that his novel is just as good as SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS while it is completely different. I actually have been thinking about the main character for weeks after finishing the book - That is a true testament to powerful writing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I approached this book with anticipation having enjoyed Snow Falling on Cedars so much. However, despite the fact that Guterson is obviously a great writer, he disappoints in this book because of the artificial plot. In a few days our hero accomplishes an awful lot, especially for a 73-year-old. Some of it is believable but towards the end, as he helps to save a Mexican boy from dying of Tb and finally ushers in a new life threatening not to arrive in this world, I am pushed to the limits of my suspension of belief. Next time a simpler, more believable plot.

I was terribly disappointed in this authors second book - I loved the sensitivity and gentleness of understanding demonstrated in Snow on Cedars - East is the first book I have started and not completed in 20 years. I was unable to understand the proponderance of violence and gore directed at animals - it did not seem to deepen my understanding of the character, the land or a culture - it seemed purposeless. I was just sadened by the the half of the book I did read - I had great hopes for this author, and cannot help but wonder what went wrong.

Amazing how much wordiness we've learned to put up with - no, we even demand it, as proof of good writing. We therefore learn in Chapter One of Guterson's new book that a character steadies a "cup of lemon tea" (lemon, note - lest you think it might have milk in it)"on the dashboard so that it shed a crescent of steam against the windshield." Very nice, good observation - but so what? The writer includes it for the usual creative writing class reason: because he can.

I picked up East of the Mountain, David Guterson's new novel, in anticipation of the fine writing style and clear, compassionate point of view that I so loved in his first novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. Disappointingly, I discovered that while the novel is beautifully written, I found the point of view neither clearly thought out nor compassionate. I wonder if Mr. Guterson has any personal experience with cancer. It is a novel flawed by outdated theories about cancer and suicide. The main character , Dr. Ben Givens, of the western "medical establishment", believes there is no hope for his condition. He considers suicide and then in the end rejects it although he faces nine horrendous months of pain before death. He is locked into a "western" medical reality. In this reality there are no options available to him, he is advised in the end of the book to go home to die and have his daughter take care of his final days. . What is missing, is that today , cancer patients have a lot of choices for effective alternative care taking advantage of both western and eastern medicine. From acupuncture to chinese herbs there are many ways for cancer patients to free themselves of pain, relieve the debilitating aspects of chemotherapy, and often effect cures or long-term remissions. Patients that are told by western doctors "you have x months to go..." are living years and decades longer after rejecting this reality and opting for other forms of treatment.
These ideas are no longer on the fringe of the medical community. The popularity of clinics like Dr. Andrew Weil's and the institution of alternative care resources in some of our largest cancer centers, point to a wave of frustration sweeping across this country with the "traditional" point of view.
Finally, if the patient exhausts all other methods for maintaining quality of life, and is not improving, then suicide should be considered. And why not? Being able to "survive" 9 months of agony is not a strength. Making hard choices about quality of life is. It doesn't benefit anyone for the cancer patient to spend the final days of his/her life so high on pain killers that pain is all that is left for him/her to comprehend.
So while, I still love David Guterson's writing for its style and craft. I find that his view point in this novel is not only flawed, but potentially harmful. People may read this book who could have been helped by alternative care and would never have known there were other options available besides suicide, when all was said and done.

A second book that is second rate, so disappointing after his great debut.It would have been so much better if Ben had taken the opportunity to have had a fatal car crash in the first 50 pages and saved me the time of reading the other 200.

I am surprised some people did not like this book. I could hardly put it down. I don't usually stand for much description, but in this book it just flowed naturally as part of the action. I really cared about Ben and kept reading to find out what happened to him. This book has a lot to say about life and death. Read it!

From reviewing the comments, this book is obviously not one that appeals to everyone but it does appeal to me. It is sensitive - even sentimental - and extremely well written. I look forward to Guterson's next work.

I love this author. Makes you think and even though this is a serious subject you can laugh about and relate to some of his situations. this is the second book that I have read by Guterson, and I am looking for some other titles.

I was thrilled to see advertisements publicizing the release of this book earlier this year, as I had so thoroughly loved this author's first novel, "Snow Falling on Cedars." I was aware that it would be d*** near impossible for Guterson to top "Cedars," but I was still expecting a thoroughly enjoyable, rich reading experience from this remarkable author. What an unfortunate letdown "East of the Mountains" turned out to be! The only similarity between the two novels is the author's attention to detail in describing settings. However, in "Cedars" such landscape descriptions become a living, breathing, ever-present quality that sets a mood for a gripping story. In "East" the descriptions fall flat because there is no intriguing plot or vivid characters to bring them to life. And so, one has to keep referring to the map on the inside cover to really get a sense of place that is grounded. The details just become repetitive and meaningless. Furthermore, the dialogue throughout is stilted and offers nothing toward enhancing character. All female characters seemed interchangeable to me -- free-wheeling young hippie types with good social values-- whether strangers on a bus, in a car, a veterinarian, or even Ben's wife. Likewise, even the craftsmanship of this novel is weak. In "Cedars" Guterson transports the reader to earlier events with seamless flashbacks, and the story jumps around without ever losing, confusing, or boring the reader. Finally, even the moral dilemma Ben faces seems inadequately addressed. This book feels more like a long-lost earlier short story than a full-bodied novel of which this author is capable. I, however, still look forward to his next work.

I felt that the author was amazing in the details, ranging from picking and packing apples to the delivery of a baby. He obviously did his research well. I found the book to be interesting, fast moving, and educational.

A thought provoking, well written book. Done without explicit sex and violence, which is rare in today's fiction. Should appeal to any mature individual who has depth enough to have a feel for what is written.