I saw this movie about a year ago, I had never read anything by Michael Cunningham. I did not care for the movie at all. I read The Hours last month and fell in love with Michael Cunningham's writing. Even though I didn't like the movie I decided to give the book a try. I'm SO glad I did. Again Mr Cunningham has dazzeled me with his writing. His character development and insight is extrordinary. I definitely recommend this book!

For a person who hardly ever reads books due to the fact that I have very particular and specific tastes, I come to find that most books I do read are unsatisfying and dull. Shortly after watching the impressive, "The Hours", I was interested in the works of Michael Cunningham. No, I never read "The Hours". I love the film too much and I'm scared I won't like it. Moving on, I picked up "A Home at the End of the World" and began reading it. I found myself staying up late and filling my spare time with reading. By the end I felt something I hardly feel when it comes to reading most books; a strong emotional satisfaction.
The book is told by four people: Johnathan, Bobby, Claire, and Alice (Johnathan's mother). It spans through Johnathan and Bobby's childhood in the 60s through their adulthood in the 80s. Cunningham does a masterful job writing these charaters to the fullest. You'd swear you've seen and met these people before. The ideas of Love and Family are put to a test. Jealousy and Loss also make their way into a story so well written and constructed. It can make you laugh and yes, cry. Take the time and read this. Please.

The last time I read a book was...I don't remember. I saw this movie and was entranced enough (and felt there was some missing material...maybe a lot) to buy, and then actually read, this book. Twice. I guess I liked it the first time, and I liked it the second time too.

You probably don't have to be gay (or bisexual or whatever) to fully appreciate this book, but I think some familiarily with it would help, and might be the difference between enjoying this or just finding it strange and unrelentingly frustrating.

Michael Cunningham has impressed me with his command of the language and his distinctive ability to describe and bring to life the inner feelings and outer personality of his characters. I cared about them, and I wanted them to find what they were looking for.

The story affirms and celebrates differences and our search for fulfillment and love among the wreckage of human weakness, failings, and general imperfection.

If you've seen the movie and had the urge to more fully examine and know these characters and the story, be warned that the book isn't identical to the movie. However, it's worth the time to read, and it's more satisfying in many ways. I think you will enjoy it.

A little stale towards the end. At the start of the book, I could not stop reading. All the characters were real and yet outlandish to the point that readers hung on every word, every articulated piece of speech. However, the book began dragging after the latter half of the middle and the characters lulled a bit. Towards the end, and I won't say what happens, but towards the end when certain unfavorable circumstances arrived, I didn't care as much as I thought I might. But Cunningham does present a book that is a wonderful character review, though needing a bit more umph and speed for the story, A Home at the End of the World should certainly not be passed over.

The book was a little slow-moving, at times, but beautifully written. A story about people growing in life together, written with depth and insight. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.