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154th out of 184 books
—
40 voters
Kaleidoscope
Next to the incomparable Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman’s best-loved character is the mysterious Madame Karitska, who is blessed with a powerful gift of clairvoyance that attracts to her a stream of men and women craving help with their misfortunes, desperate to know what the future holds. . . .
When a brilliant young violinist dies in a horrific accident, Madame Karitska ha...more
When a brilliant young violinist dies in a horrific accident, Madame Karitska ha...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
December 2nd 2003
by Ballantine Books
(first published 2002)
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I loved The Clairvoyant Countess as a kid and still have a great fondness for the book today (reading it through the lens of the era in which it was written), so I was really excited to discover that the author had decided, 30 years later, to revisit the characters. Well, I enjoyed this book for the nostalgia it brought, but the writing style really doesn't hold up well to a more modern sensibility.
It was great to see all the old characters again, but the author did one thing that I found incred...more
It was great to see all the old characters again, but the author did one thing that I found incred...more
While a pleasant enough read, this is definitely not one of the author's better efforts. As a rule, Gilman's books combine intriguing plots with enjoyable characters and, usually, exotic locales. This one features a psychic from an earlier book (which I've read but don't remember well) and pretty much follows her through a series of customers, without much of a plot. I don't think all books have to be tightly plotted--far from it--but something else needs to be really good if there isn't much of...more
Okay, I admit: Four stars is probably generous. But Dorothy Gilman is my favorite comfort writer, and this is the first of her books that I've reread since her death earlier this year.
There's no doubt that her writing style is old-fashioned. Characters call each other "wretch," very often remark "dryly," and are unusually fond of "terribly" as an adjective. This book overlaps a number of short investigations that are all the cornier for their brevity. A hint of "women's lib" further dates the s...more
There's no doubt that her writing style is old-fashioned. Characters call each other "wretch," very often remark "dryly," and are unusually fond of "terribly" as an adjective. This book overlaps a number of short investigations that are all the cornier for their brevity. A hint of "women's lib" further dates the s...more
Psychic Madame Karitska uses psychometry (ability to learn about a person by touching something that he or she owned or held) to help the police and her clients. A wide range of people from all walks of life find their way into her storefront office and Karitska gives them all coffee, tea, or chocolate, then deals with their problems as best she can. Although not all results are positive, Karitska manages to help her clients avoid a wide range of far worse fates.
Author Dorothy Gilman offers a ka...more
Author Dorothy Gilman offers a ka...more
I have enjoyed some of Dorothy Gilman's books in the past. They're generally light-weight, mild mysteries, often with strong, interesting female characters. This one is not worth the time to read. It involves a "Countess" who, by holding an object belonging to a person, can "see" into that person's past or current situation. She is frequently called on by a local detective, apparently incapable on solving crimes on his own, to assist him with his cases. Countess to the rescue and in a few moment...more
I have always loved the Mrs. Pollifax books, but this one has a different main character. I was worried that this one would be just like Mrs. Pollifax, but she is definitely different. I was reading "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued", and came to a part in the story where she is given a job as a "psychic" at a carnival. Then suddenly Dorothy Gilman switched gears and had her become a newspaper reporter writing a story about the carnival. I thought, "Wow, she missed a great opportunity to write an interesti...more
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The psychometric reader Madame Karitska is back, in a collection of short stories that link up into (almost) a novel. Madame lives in a poor part of a fictionalized city, but has won the respect of many, including important police officers. She helps her unhappy neighbors with their lives, creates a few matches without actively matchmaking, and is able to find the answer to several criminal puzzles, all without ruffling her composure. This is really easy reading, and despite at least one threate...more
Having read all the Mrs. Pollifax books, wishing there'd be more, I was pleased a few years back to find The Clairvoyant Countess, Dorothy Gilman's first book featuring Madame Karitzka. I was even more pleased to find a second Mme. Karitzka book, Kaleidoscope, waiting on my TBR shelf. It was just what I needed at the time.
The title is apt, for the various problems Mme. Karitzka is asked to solve keep changing and recombining throughout the book just as the bits of colored glass do in a kaleido...more
The title is apt, for the various problems Mme. Karitzka is asked to solve keep changing and recombining throughout the book just as the bits of colored glass do in a kaleido...more
Comfort food, a good in-between-book and a good bedtime book. I don't like every single story about Madame Karitska, but even the cheesier ones have phrases like "...there's always a choice, you know. Limited by character and your history and personality, there always there's a choice", and "what you do with now creates your future" - and to read about a psychic who prefers not to read the future because she is so committed to choice...well, it can be better than an entire box of girl scout cook...more
I stumbled across this on the bookshelves at a Mystery bookshop in Seattle. I had not realized that Ms. Gilman had written a sequel to the Clairvoyant Countess. It is written like a series of short stories with a common thread throughout to turn it into a novel. I did not enjoy it quite as much as the first book, but it was entertaining enough to be worth the price of purchase.
I really wish that this author had not waited nearly 30 years to continue onto this book for the series. She tantalized me with the first book, and I was so excited to read this second book. And it was a good book. But now I am even more attached to a series that was cut short with the authors death a few years ago. Bummer for readers.
Another perfect book from Dorothy Gilman. Although she has written numerous books in both youth and young adult, she has a Mrs. Pollifax series that is over 50 strong. I wish there was more of Madame Karitska, unfortunately it was 25 years between the two books. I will be most definitly be keeping my eyes and ears open for another.
Sep 15, 2009
Jan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
psychic detective
Recommended to Jan by:
spouse
Shelves:
fiction-misc
Madam Kariska has literally hung out her shingle giving psychometric readings and helping Lt Pruden solve crimes. The style is of vignettes that are connected making Kaleidoscope a very apt description.
Easy, fast read but very enjoyable. Have to be a least open that there are powers, links that cannot be rationally explained.
Easy, fast read but very enjoyable. Have to be a least open that there are powers, links that cannot be rationally explained.
This book was an easy read and enjoyable just like the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman. The character of Countess Karitska is engaging and she finds herself embroiled in helping to sort out the issues in the lives of individuals as well as police investigations. Nice to see the author adding to her series.
I am just rediscovering this author, and this was a great book to start with. Its almost a series of intertwined short stories. I really enjoyed reading and having things come to little conclusions throughout and not reading impatiently to the end for a big finale. It was a refreshing change of pace.
What an interesting book. This is the sequel to the Clairvoyant Countess, which is the first Madam Karitska novel. I found this book easy to read (it contains numerous interlocking stories,)all which find an ending by the end of the book.
This is the "sequel" to The Clairvoyant Countess which was written in the 60's. The characters still have that old fashioned feel and language to them--a very gentle old-world feel. I wish that there would be more of these but, alas, Dorothy Gilman is no longer with us!
Really good book. It seems to jump pretty fast, I guess I kind of felt like I wanted a little more detail. But Dorothy Gilman does a fine job with pulling you into the story and keeps you guessing. I love her "Mrs. Polifax stories".
Truly well named, this is a collection of short stories about the "Clairvoyant Countess".
It may that I don't appreciate this writer as much as I used to, but there is a lot of necessary suspension of belief required here.
It may that I don't appreciate this writer as much as I used to, but there is a lot of necessary suspension of belief required here.
Read clairvoyant countess when I was in jr hs or younger and loved it as I love mrs pollifax. This is a fair sequel but in her quest to be "timeless" rather than period-y it kind of fails. If ms. gilman would have put a date on the 1st page ie the mid 1970s or anything to let the reader know it wasn't current the whole book would flow.
I have to say this was Dorothy Gilman's slowest book. However, I don't have a big attention span right now so all the quickly solved cases was good for that.
A short and fun read. The story kept me interested and involved. Hard to put down at the end. Dorothy Gilman is a very good mystery writer.
Apr 18, 2010
Barb
added it
I love Dorothy Gilman books and have read all the Mrs. Pollifax books. This book I found in a book shop in Juneau, AK and had to read it.
Almost a collection of short stories but sort of joined together. This makes it a bit disjointed, but whatever.
Feb 26, 2012
Bellewitch66
added it
Long time ago, read it, loved it. Read the second book too. Are there more with the Countess ? I sure hope so!
Lots of mini stories, all get resolved. This one leaves you wanting more, as usual with Dorothy Gilman books.
long awaited countess sequel several interleaving plots one murder, several romances
Loved this author when I was a kid! Found this on the cheepie rack at Borders. It was pretty good so I passed it on to my mother-in-law.
And with that, I think I've finished everything this author has written. Love every one of them!
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Dorothy Gilman started writing when she was 9. At 11, she competed against 10 to 16-year-olds in a story contest and won first place. Dorothy worked as an art teacher and telephone operator before becoming an author. She wrote children’s stories for more than ten years under the name Dorothy Gilman Butters and then began writing adult novels about Mrs. Pollifax–a retired grandmother who becomes a...more
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