There was a time during their marriage when Ted and Joanna Kramer were happy. There was a time when they loved each other deeply; and their brown-eyed, inquisitive four-year-old son Billy was the absolute light of their lives. The Kramers once considered themselves the luckiest couple with a perfect family. Then came the day when Joanna Kramer abandoned her family and filed for divorce. Ted and Billy were left on their own; together, two against the world. Father and son. Caring and cared for, learning what loving and belonging are all about until there is a bond between them that absolutely nothing can break - except maybe a mother who, almost two years later, changes her mind and wants her little boy back...What follows is a poignant novel about a very special kind of love - about what happens when a father and his son come together and what it means when they may have to part. This is a glowing novel that once read will never be forgotten.This book was definitely very well-written and I really enjoyed reading it. I thought the story was certainly memorable and I found that the relationship between Ted and Billy was wonderfully portrayed. I would give this book an A+! I must say that Mareena and I watched the 1979 movie adaptation starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep about four or five years ago; whenever it was last on cable. I've actually seen the movie Kramer Versus Kramer twice, I think, but it was sometime before I read the book. I completely understand why the film won five Academy Awards, it was certainly very well cast.
A heart-rending story of the immutable determination and fathomless love of a father for his son in times tempestuous, Kramer vs. Kramer immediately connects with the emotional quotient of a person however minuscule that might be. It recounts the quandary of a person caught between his seemingly bright calling future and an adorable son alone at home after his wife decides to walk out on him. The way in which the author has managed to create the magical bonding and slow love between the father-son duo and the how the former strives to never let his son miss his mother by trying to be both for him leaves you dry throat-ed in the very least as it unfolds. Times get a little rough as the mother re-surfaces and a legal battle ensues for the custody of the child with the father eventually gives up, not because he cannot carry on any further but because he wants to save his son the ordeal of having to choose between his mother and father whilst in the dock. One of the best books on the purest form of sheer parental instincts and love. A must read.
The book is quite well written (in the word, sentence, and paragraph sense) but nothing can change the fact that it has the feel of a polemical period piece.It's the 1970s and there's even an appearance by a leisure suit. We have the meeting of the Kramers, when only one of them bore the name, the marriage, the birth of their son. And that's when it seems that everyone's world begins to fall apart. Mommy Joanna can't cope with a life that consists of nothing but childrearing and Daddy Ted won't
—Phyllis
I received this book from NetGalley.comWhat a book. I'm not a parent so I can't even begin to imagine what divorce does to a family unit and how parents balance that with other responsibilities and life in general but this book gave a pretty clear picture. I didn't realize the movie was based on a book and after reading the book, I'm interested to see how it played out in movie form. I found myself cheering and yelling with the main character throughout the book and just when I thought it was go
—Stacie Mass D-Struction
Although I did see the movie, I'd not read the book. The novel was good but lacked the charm of the 1979 film with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. My preference for the movie surprised me since books normally trump their film versions, in my opinion (the other exception being "Jaws".) My friend speaks often of the lengthy struggle he went through to gain custody of his young son in the late 80's, which is what made me pick up the book when I found it available. I wouldn't advise against reading the book, but I'd gently guide you toward watching the screen version if you haven't seen it, keeping in mind that it wasn't made yesterday.
—Bonnie Lynn
