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The Vision of Emma Blau
The Vision of Emma Blau
Author: Ursula Hegi
From one of our most distinctive literary voices -- the eagerly anticipated companion novel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller, Stones from the River. At the heart of this multigenerational novel by critically acclaimed author Ursula Hegi is an intriguing question: If you knew that you could experience a significant love ...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780684829975
ISBN-10: 0684829975
Publication Date: 2/2/2000
Pages: 432
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 19

3.3 stars, based on 19 ratings
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 50 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Expect the usual from Ursula Hegi: excellent writing and an intriguing story. Ostensibly about the aspirations and longings of those hardworking, visionary immigrants that were/are so integral to The American Dream, oddly enough, it reminded me of Sex & the City. Just as the fifth star of SATC was New York City, here, it's the Wasserburg that dominates the story: a once-grand, turn-of-the-century apartment complex made from brick and dark timber with touches like marble, peacock-hued carpet runners and stained glass. But the house casts a dark shadow over the narrative and four generations of the Blau family: does it carry a curse? The amazing subtlety of Hegi's observations and descriptions are fabulous and make this a must-read.
reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I loved Stones from the River, so I had high expectations of this book, and it didn't disappoint. Ursula Hegi is a brilliant writer!
reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
History, romance and intrigue dished up with wit and intelligence.
Read All 17 Book Reviews of "The Vision of Emma Blau"

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reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 15 more book reviews
Read by the author, which I usually like but it took a while for me to appreciate her voice. I didn't realize the story overlapped with her other book, Stones From a River. I just kept waiting for who Emma Blau was. It was more about a building than a person. I think this book has turned me off of Ursula Hegi and her unhappy stories.
Tata avatar reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 135 more book reviews
This is the second book I have read (or listened to) written by Ursula Hegi. The first was "Stones from the River". This was good but not as good as her first book.
reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 224 more book reviews
This book was well-written, with interesting characters. However, I found myself wishing it would end sooner than it did. It covers multiple generations and is fairly long, 400+ pages. Most of it is pretty melancholy. One thing that struck me is the effect that words spoken without much thought can have on forming a young person's life. "You'll be the death of him", for example, becomes a child's guilt when her grandpa dies. There were some interesting lessons and I mostly learned how NOT to live my life if I want joy in it. If you like this author (and I really do), you'll like this book.
miss-info avatar reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 386 more book reviews
I must be the only person who did not like this book. There was sex and death on every page, and the ending was depressing. I admit Hegi writes well and creates interesting characters, but there was nothing in this book to make me want to read anything else of hers.
reviewed The Vision of Emma Blau on + 2 more book reviews
Post war Germany setting. Also authored Stones from The River


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