false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171121418m/87989.jpg 87989 7 <p>From Mark Helprin, acclaimed author of <i>A Soldier of the Great War</i> and <i>A Winter's Tale</i>, comes a miraculous song of the twentieth century.</center><P>In a mountain garden in Brazil, an old American is writing his memoirs, placing the pages carefully in his antproof case. As he reminisces we learn he was a World War II ace who was shot down twice, an investment banker who met with popes and presidents, a multimillionaire, a man who was never not in love. He spent his adolescence in an insane asylum in Switzerland; he was the thief of the century, a murderer, and a protector of the innocent. And all his life, he waged a valiant, losing, one-man battle against the world's most insidious enslaver: coffee.</p> 2206997 1995 Memoir from Antproof Case total:571|5:165|4:235|3:120|2:39|1:12| 571 2215 755 63 5 6 false false Thu Aug 30 14:42:19 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 12 21:33:42 -0800 2007
Do you remember the way you got to know someone you really love? He told you scattered stories from across his lifetime. You saw quirks and good ...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Mon Jul 23 14:45:56 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 23 14:48:23 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Nov 30 12:38:12 -0800 2007 Wed Aug 29 18:11:41 -0700 2007 Sun Nov 18 11:44:01 -0800 2007
This book cracks me right up:

"I will make no metaphors to describe the pain in my head, because the brain, which makes metaphors, should not be forced to be clever at its own expense. My ribs ached like a kingdom that has lost a war, and my stomach swelled with ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 08:15:13 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 17:47:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 21 06:12:19 -0800 2007 Wed Jan 30 03:49:53 -0800 2008
I've read Winter's Tale and this is another novel of his that swoops back and forth thru the protagonist's personal timeline, grand...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Jul 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 09 11:07:05 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 14 12:18:41 -0700 2008
The protagonist is so funny, honest, and imminently quotable that I almost had to break out post-it bookmarks so I could keep tr...more...]]> 4 0 true false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue May 08 19:05:27 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 05 09:52:22 -0700 2007
The story follows the convoluted, frequently implausible life of its author from childhood in upstate New York and as a Wall Street courier to a...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue May 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jan 30 23:07:09 -0800 2008 Thu May 22 17:19:28 -0700 2008
As it turns out, the story WAS interesting, ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 16:51:31 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 16:52:32 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 03 09:41:59 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 09:54:34 -0800 2009
This book wasn't terribly moving or insightful for me, but it was fun to read and I had a hard time putting it down at points.]]> 3 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 06:12:42 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 06:13:49 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 19:04:06 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 06 08:20:25 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu May 21 14:13:06 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 17:50:48 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 14:13:06 -0700 2009 This book was recommended to me by Bianca's husband when he heard that not only do I not drink coffee, I really don't like the smell of it, which is one of the central issues the main character has.
...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Sat Aug 01 13:11:34 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 01 13:11:34 -0700 2009 Soldier of the Great War, but still full of amazing tales.]]> 4 0 false false Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 22 12:43:39 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 19:56:11 -0700 2008
Actually I have now finished and really enjoyed the book. You just have to...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Feb 01 01:15:06 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 01:17:15 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Dec 30 20:50:18 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 30 20:50:55 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sun Aug 30 18:01:59 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 18:03:19 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jan 26 01:56:52 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 01:57:12 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Mar 29 08:28:28 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 08:28:54 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=87989