Cold Mountain - Softcover

Frazier, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340680598 ISBN 13: 9780340680599

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998

Synopsis

A soldier wounded in the Civil War, Inman turns his back on the carnage of the battlefield and begins the treacherous journey home to Cold Mountain, and to Ada, the woman he loved before the war began. As Inman attempts to make his way across the mountains, through the devastated landscape of a soon-to-be-defeated South, Ada struggles to make a living from the land her once-wealthy father left when he died. Neither knows if the other is still alive.

About this title

Review

This unabridged audio version of Cold Mountain, read by author Charles Frazier, deserves at least as much acclaim as the bestselling print edition, which won the National Book Award. The tale chronicles a Confederate army deserter's search for home and love in the last days of the Civil War.

Much has been made of the story's homage to The Odyssey, the origins of which are found in an oral tradition. One can't help but hear echoes of Homer when listening to Frazier's soft, deliberate voice give life to his lyrical writing and to his understated, yet convincing rendering of the overwhelming events of war. Both Frazier's prose and reading are leisurely, recalling a slow foot pace. His delivery is uniquely suited to Innman's arduous, adventure-filled walk toward home and to the possibility of a reunion with Ada, the woman he loves. The author's reading does equal justice to Ada, who is being transformed by her struggle for survival on her father's farm. There is precious little dialogue, and Frazier makes no effort at acting out the characters.

One small irritation in the production is a beeping noise at the end of each side. Another minor complaint is that the tapes don't have individual boxes, which was perhaps an attempt to make the overall package appear more booklike. The recording does, however, make deft use of two brief musical interludes. In a subtle twist, the fiddle music that opens the first cassette, when repeated as an accompaniment to the epilogue, carries a bittersweet and unexpected resonance. By all means, forgive Random House Audio the tiny glitches, pass over that slender abridged version, and take home the real thing. This audiocassette is a journey that will leave few listeners unchanged by the experience. (Running time: 14.5 hours, 12 cassettes) --Naomi J. Cohn

From the Publisher

"... a heartbreakingly beautiful story, elegantly told, and utterly convincing down to the last haunting detail."
-- John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

"A memorable book."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"It seems possible to never want to read another book, so wonderful is this one. Cold Mountain is one of the great accomplishments in American literature."
-- Rick Bass

"It's simply a miracle."
-- Larry Brown, author of Joe

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0340680598
• ISBN 13: 9780340680599
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448