The Hour I First Believed

A Novel

De: Wally Lamb

Narrado por: George Guidall

When high-school teacher Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, while Caelum is away, Maureen finds herself in the library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed. Miraculously, she survives. But when Caelum and Maureen flee to an illusion of safety on the Quirk family's Connecticut farm, they discover that the effects of chaos are not easily put right.

While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers five generations' worth of diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in his family's house. As unimaginable secrets emerge, Caelum grapples with the past and struggles to fashion a future from the ashes of tragedy. His quest for meaning is at once mythic and contemporary, personal and quintessentially American.

©2008 Wally Lamb (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

A Gem of a Book!

I hestitated to buy this book when it first came out because of the Columbine shooting subject matter and because it sounded kind of depressing. And really, it kind of was depressing and dark starting out, but the great writing and character development were so exceptional that I kept listening. I don't want to go into too much detail so as not to spoil the story, but I will just say that it was a wonderful story of personal growth and redemption that has really stayed with me since I've listened to it. I think that John Irving fans would enjoy this one.

Too neat; dialogue like bad acting.

The story was windy and winding, and most of the time it felt like it was going to a place we never quite arrived at. Dialogue was poorly written and not believable; stories were underdeveloped and stewed together but never stuck together.

Needed a narrower focus

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book is descriptive and the writing is emotional and connects you to the characters. I've really enjoyed Wally Lamb's books because of this. However, this book was far too long because it followed every whim of the author, to pointlessness. This could have been three different books - 1. Callum and Maureen's life in Colorado 2. Maureen's PTSD and recovery in Connecticuit 3. The history of the Quirk family. Many parts felt like they distracted from the central point of the book, rather than adding to it.

The Hour I first Believed

This is a good book. It was not one that I couldn't put down but overall I enjoyed it. I was not expecting the language to be so vulgar in parts. It is definitely not for younger listeners.

In the end...

I did finish this book, overall the story was a good one but a little to graphic in language and sexual descriptives for my taste. I expected a more religious tone by the title and search that it pulled from. The end chapter left some things feeling rushed after so much detail at the beginning. Would I listen to it again, no.

He takes WAAAAAY to long to get there

I have worked with Columbine survivors and was interested to see what one of Oprah's stars had to say about that tragic time. It's great for the first half but he just gives us too much tragedy after tragedy and then it just gets tedious.I found 2/3 of the way through I was really itching for it to be over. It is very heavy handed. Better editing would have made this a much better book. Get the abridged version and it will probably be better.

A soul searching experieance.

Would you listen to The Hour I First Believed again? Why?

I will listen to The Hour I First Believed again because I was left with to many unanswered question for myself.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Caelum was my favorite character. He gets angry enough to question and analyzed what was happening and trying to find his fault (if any) in the outcome.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

George Guidall is an A+ narrator. He makes you feel that you are as much a part of the story as the characters.

If you could rename The Hour I First Believed, what would you call it?

When Fear Takes Over.

Any additional comments?

The book for me was an emotional and spiritual therapist. I find at times I am Maureen cowering in the corner cabinet and then I transform to Caelum - and scream my way through the next few statements. When I am alone and in a quite room do I finally begin to "Why did I do that?"

tries to cover a huge scope...does a marvelous job

The story covered so much material, but woven into an exquisite tapestry. it was Masterfully done. You sense the emotions are real, the outcomes inevitable.

Mr. Lamb is an excellent story teller.

Wonderful!!!

Loved every second of this book! I wanted to stay in my car and keep listening! The narrator is FANTASTIC!

Sure wish Wally Lamb wrote more novels...!

If you could sum up The Hour I First Believed in three words, what would they be?

So thought provoking...

What did you like best about this story?

Not what I expected. We all know the story it is based on....but that was just a side story to this amazing novel.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is one of my two top male narrators...he and Frank Muller. So easy to listen to, he has a way of putting you in the novel. More George...please!

Who was the most memorable character of The Hour I First Believed and why?

The women! All so strong in their very different ways...

Any additional comments?

Read this...and then read 'I Know This Much is True' (read it since it is only available as an abridged version on audible) and then...'She's Come Undone" .Wally Lamb does not disappoint....except that we NEED more novels from him!