Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

Very Lush and Detailed Writing

Customer Rating:

I have never been to Cape Cod and would like to someday. I picked this book up since I won't be traveling anywhere this summer, so I thought I'd read up on a vacation spot and dream my way through this book. This book is beautifully written, very lush and descriptive writing. But it dragged in so many places for me because she tended to repeat herself over and over again, as if she's trying to rewrite a scene from memory using different words. While I appreciate that, it tends to get old after awhile. I ended up putting the book aside half way through and never went back to it. I just finished skimming the rest of the book and decided that perhaps when I am not busy chasing after two kids, I might appreciate it better when I actually have the time to savor the words and lush descriptions of the Salt House. However, I do appreciate her writing and I can actually visualize the sea, the birds that occupy the sand dunes and I can almost hear the roaring of the seas coming to shore as well as visualizing the endless sky where it meets the ocean at the horizon. I can imagine spending a summer in a tiny box of a place, alone with my spouse and right now, that sounds like heaven on earth. It is a beautiful book but needed to be shortened somewhat so it's not so wordy as it is. But that's just a mom's opinion. This is a book I would like to revisit in ten years or so to see if I can glean more understanding from the lyrical writing. If you have the time in the world to read this book, I would recommend it. If you are like me and are busy chasing after kids, appointments and whatnots, this book may not be for you because it really is a book that needs to be savored and enjoyed, not to rush through. 6/29/08

Tangy and Alive

Customer Rating:

After meeting Cynthia at a writers' program, and finding her to be a lovely person, I decided to read her account of a summer on Cape Cod. I've always longed for such an escapade myself, so this was a vicarious experience of sorts. "The Sand House" is a joyous and often times humorous telling of the author's days in a small cottage near the Atlantic shoreline. The book focuses on the beauty of her surroundings--the plants, the wildlife, the birds--and on the realities of life in a constricted space with a loved one. The book's title is evocative, tangy and alive, romantic yet earthy. It suits Cynthia's writing perfectly. She is a poet of prose. Her words linger and dance, like cool breezes over the surf. She conjures wonderful images and ideas. She is abstract in her thinking, yet she grabs intangible concepts and wraps them in the sweaty language which humans understand. If you're looking for quick reading and plot-driven stories, look elsewhere. If, however, you long for tales of lazy summer days told in lyrical language, "The Salt House" is not to be missed.

This is a classic.	Customer Rating:
This book is destined to become a classic not only in the rich field of Cape Cod writing but in nature and memoir in general. Huntington's prose is simple and pure, evoking not only the outer landscape, but the inner landscape of a woman's mind. What a pleasure it is to be in a mind so generous, open, and curious about the world! This is a book I will read over and over.

Too perfumy.

Customer Rating:

You can tell that the author is also a poet because this book is very, very perfumy. Very, very detailed. A whole chapter almost on the trails that a sea gull makes. Beautifully written but very little context. Should have instead been made into a 5 page short story. Would love to meet this person and be friends with her though. She would make a great next door neighbor it seems! :) If you like Barbara Kingsolver style writing you will probably love this book but if you prefer the Memoir style writing of Joan Anderson of A Year by the Sea (also taking place on Cape Cod) this isn't the book for you.

I was inspired!

Customer Rating:

This is one of the best books I have read in a while. I have been on a nonfiction kick for a few months. As a college student I don't often have much time to devote to "reading for pleasure" but since I'm on vacation I've had a little time. Reading this book in February brought me right back to June and July. It's descriptions were wonderful and reminded me why I love the beach. The author's reflections on her relationships seem to echo my own feelings that I can't express. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the beach and enjoys being there by themself or with a loved one!