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Read Blue Diary (2002)

Blue Diary (2002)

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Genre
Rating
3.54 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
0425184943 (ISBN13: 9780425184943)
Language
English
Publisher
berkley

Blue Diary (2002) - Plot & Excerpts

How capable are we of change? This is the question Alice Hoffman asks in her novel, Blue Diary. Ethan Ford, a seemingly handsome and harmless gentleman, is actually a criminal who has been on the run for the past thirteen years for the murder and rape of a young girl. The plot blooms as his history is revealed, shocking everyone from the local librarian to his own wife and son. You would expect forgiveness from this small town, as Ethan was once known as the hero of the place; the one person that everyone envied and wanted to be. Sadly, human beings do not forgive and forget that easily. tEthan committed an unforgiveable crime. As James Morrison, one of Alice Hoffman’s characters in the book says “But you did. You want me to tell you it’s all right, but I’m not going to do that. Because it’s not all right and it never will be” (Blue 193). What is done is done. History cannot be changed. Jorie Ford, Ethan’s wife, tells Ethan, “I went to Maryland. And I can tell you, it happened. It’s still there” (Blue 263). All the good deeds Ethan has done in an attempt to be forgiven does not take away the fact that he murdered this innocent girl, or that he lied to so many people in his life for such a long time. tI enjoyed the depth of the characters in this novel. They were real people, written into authentic, believable situations, such as Collie and Kat facing adolescence troubles, and Charlotte with her battle against breast cancer. Everyone had their own story to tell, their own experiences to share, and their own choices they had to face. The description in this book was elaborate and flowery, with naturalistic elements very often incorporated throughout the lines. Unfortunately, at times, the story was monotonous and seemed to move along at a snail’s pace. Additionally, the book ended with many strings untied; I was left wondering what else happened to some of my favorite characters in the novel. Ultimately, this was an interesting book with a thought provoking theme, which causes one to wonder, if everyone and everything can truly be forgiven.

right now i'm really interested i the plot, but plodding through all the flora and and fauna to get to what actually happens is a bit much. about 1/4 of it would add to the story the rest should be dumped out. Interesting so far though. Ok finished it today, and man, i like the way it was wrapped up. now i see why she had Kat and Jorie take turns with the perspective. I also have to say, please cut out the flowers and shrubs and pick some normal names. Lots of heavy stuff in here, Murder obviously,suicide, self mutilation,cancer, even Anne the failure of a sister and Barney with the failed marriages. But in the end you do sort of feel like, this is life, I will survive and appreciate the little things that i have that are good. totally by far my fav character was James Morris. and sorry, but i hope if faced with this situation i would have the gumption to disappear and do what was right for my son. This book reinforced my belief that people don't change, circumstances may change them but they don't change all on their own. and I wasn't buying mr perfects act even from the beginning.So i will bump it up to three stars and possibly check out more by this author.

What do You think about Blue Diary (2002)?

Alice Hoffman’s books can be kind of depressing, but you almost don’t mind because they’re so beautifully written. The first chapter describes the idyllic perfection of the life Ethan and Jorie Ford lead along with their son Collie. Everything is wonderful, Ethan is a perfect, gorgeous, hardworking man and Jorie is a perfect, gorgeous, lovely wife. Collie is perfect, gorgeous, and happy. They live in a small, Massachusetts town and everybody loves them. Then, everything falls apart. Ethan is accused of a murder committed 15 years prior when he was “a different person.” The family and the townspeople have to decide whether to stand by Ethan or turn their backs on him. Those who love him most may be the ones who feel most betrayed. I found it difficult to believe that the kind of man who would commit the crime that was described could possibly have changed so much as to become who Ethan was at the beginning of the book, which, frankly, is what the other characters are having a hard time believing as well. However, I still don’t buy how that kind of act can hold up for such a long period of time without reversion to past behaviors. Unfortunately, Ethan himself does not play a large part in the book. We are not really privy to how he was able to make these changes. It seems he just woke up one day wanting to be a better man and then he was. This is not a story of redemption, it’s more about forgiveness and whether one can find that in him or herself. Hoffman’s characters feel things deeply and act in a manner that is congruous with their feelings, and that is to be commended, but I still didn’t find it very plausible. It was still lovely to read and pointed out some things about the human condition that can’t help but be true
—Emily

I didn’t hate it but I did skim most of it and couldn’t wait to finish and move on...but at least I finished it. The characters are too perfect or either too perfectly flawed. They are boring and unbelievable more than endearing and sympathetic. The author takes too much time making everything perfect...even the dang strawberries grown by Jorie are the best and sweetest in the world. Give me a break! The story is about Ethan Ford (the most perfect man on earth through the first 30 pages) who is accused of committing a horrific crime 15 years ago. He now has a (perfect) wife and (perfect) son who know nothing about his past. The book is more about what the accusation and arrest do to the people around Ethan more than the crime itself. There is no courtroom drama and very little legal story. This one is about feelings and emotions, how life goes on after horrible tragedies. I did not connect with the characters but I was interested in the story so I kept with it.
—Kendra

Wish I wouldn't have wasted my time. This book is wrong on so many levels...a man does not go from doing evil to becoming Mr. Wonderful Citizen overnight. A woman who truly loves her husband does not abandon him. The child Kat is far too dark for a child of that age, swinging wildly between loving her friend yet having no qualms about ruining his life and manipulating her sister who is older and wiser than her. This story is so far fetched that it irritated me more than it entertained me. The author could have great success writing for Lifetime Movie Network.
—Vivian

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