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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
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date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400067685
| 9781400067688
| 3.65
| 3,479
| Jan 18, 2013
| Mar 26, 2013
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| May 19, 2013
| not set
|
May 19, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385350287
| 9780385350280
| 3.49
| 9,397
| Jan 01, 2012
| Dec 06, 2012
|
Hattie’s story really begins in Georgia, when she is 15 and fleeing with her mother and sister. Her father’s blacksmith shop has been taken over by wh...more
Hattie’s story really begins in Georgia, when she is 15 and fleeing with her mother and sister. Her father’s blacksmith shop has been taken over by white men who have murdered him. They escape to Philadelphia where Hattie sees, for the first time, whites and blacks intermingling. It is there that she meets August and loses her head for one night, foretelling the rest of her life. She gives birth to twins named Philadelphia and Jubilee, names she believes are not part of the past, but part of the future. Both contract pneumonia in the days before penicillin and succumb to the disease. For the next 56 years, until 1980, we walk through Hattie’s life through the lives of her progeny. Each of them seems to be born under some kind of a cloud or some failure they can’t overcome: racism, emotional and mental disorders, alcoholism, gambling, unfaithfulness are part and parcel of their daily lives. They must be subservient to a cruel class of whites who demand absolute obedience, and when successful, they in turn abuse their own servants. This atmosphere places a heavy burden upon all of them, sometimes too heavy to bear responsibly. Hard as she tries, Hattie’s children fail to appreciate her efforts and see her as “the general”, lacking in tenderness, doing only what is necessary. Yet it is Hattie who holds this family together through all its trials, guides and comforts them in her own way, nurses them in sickness, provides them with food and shelter, managing the meager allowance she often is given by August. The story tells a tale of racism, sexual abuse, poverty, faith, humiliation, illness, and adultery. Hattie’s courage and quiet guidance is often misunderstood for coldness. She too is prone to outbursts of anger and misguided ways as are many of her children. She too makes foolish decisions for which she repents. Her life is one of unappreciated sacrifice. The reader is left to wonder if the travails visited upon the family are the results of their environment, the world they lived in or of their own personal failures and/or genetic inheritance. The lack of civil rights during most of her life, the lack of life saving drugs, the lack of equality, shaped all of them in different ways. They earned their livings in the only ways they could find acceptable and profitable. Some were more honorable than others. The humiliation they had to swallow as others swallow water was difficult to read about and difficult to put into the context of America. How in G-d’s name did such egregious behavior, against a particular group of people, continue to be acceptable for so long, in an enlightened world? How did they manage to submit to the mortification to which they were subjected? How did they conceal their shame and their fury? Some were unable and paid a heavy price. It is through the brief lives of the twins, Philadelphia and Jubilee, Floyd, Hattie’s musician son, who is also gay, Six who is frail and scarred from a terrible accident, who is subject to uncontrollable fits of violence, who then becomes somewhat of a charlatan minister, her daughter Cassie, who hears voices telling her to do irrational things, Cassie’s daughter Sala, her grandchild who finally breaks through Hattie’s rigid persona, Alice who is often medicated by her husband because she is haunted by visions of Tom, a man who once abused her brother, Billips, who is described as somewhat limited in capability, Belle who has TB and who tries to commit suicide when her boyfriend Walter leaves her by discontinuing her medications and starving herself, who also engages in an affair with the same man, Lawrence, with whom Hattie had an affair and a child, causing an irreparable rift between them, Ruthie (known also as Margaret), who was the love child of Hattie and Lawrence, Ella who was a child Hattie couldn’t care for properly because August was out of work and so she gives her to her well-to-do sister Pearl, and Franklin, who is married to Sissy, who is father of Lucille, is stationed in Saigon, and whose drinking, gambling, and womanizing are the ruination of his life and his marriage. These are all common threads throughout the story. It is a sad story about faith in the presence of hopelessness, conquest in the presence of enemies, bravery in the presence of danger on every front and incredibly foolish decisions often based on a lack of knowledge and/or self-control. In this book, as in many others today, the woman in the home seems to be the stronger influence, the more stabilizing factor, the one with the most responsibility for instilling values. The men often go far afield of expectations and often excuse their own stupid behavior, until there are dire consequences.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| May 16, 2013
| May 18, 2013
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May 16, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 030738246X
| 9780307382467
| 4.04
| 1,332
| Sep 18, 2012
| Sep 18, 2012
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
0
| May 16, 2013
| not set
|
May 16, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385349831
| 9780385349833
| 3.80
| 1,326
| May 01, 2010
| Apr 02, 2013
|
This little book is like a manual for life. Using biblical quotes, it takes on a lyrical, poetic quality that makes it easy to listen to or read in th...more
This little book is like a manual for life. Using biblical quotes, it takes on a lyrical, poetic quality that makes it easy to listen to or read in the print version. A missing papyrus, from the Apocryphal Gospels, is discovered in the 1980’s. The narrator reads the manuscript which was written in the year 1099AD, by a 21 year old man. On the evening before what will be a devastating battle for Jerusalem, a man simply called The Copt, offers advice and prophesies in a question/answer session with the residents who are gathered around him. They know that they are no match for the invaders who will soon arrive. Some will stay and fight anyway; some will flee. The Copt defines the best way for them to behave, as they await the enemy army of invaders. He tells them that they must hold onto their traditions and pass them on, because in that way, they will continue their way of life; if they maintain their heritage, they can not be conquered, even if the battle is lost. The Copt quotes the Bible, Imams and Rabbis, in his eloquent responses to the people’s queries. Using references from Christianity, Judaism and Islam, he offers advice on faith, success and failure, the value of work, solitude and love, sex, weapons and enemies, miracles, charity, friendship, forgiveness, respect, loyalty, and any other behavior that might come to mind. The tenets he proffers are a guide to proper, fruitful and beneficial ways of conducting themselves, in order to have the happiest life experience, in the present and in the future. Religious concepts are everywhere evident in his advice on how to live well, show kindness and share with your “brother”. Coelho suggests that we go to bed with a soul at peace. There are few who would not like to accomplish that goal. He also suggests that you can only fail if you stop trying, so if you never stop trying you cannot be defeated. It is very inspirational, if sometimes a bit overly sentimental and simplistic, especially when he spoke as a representative of G-d. Whose G-d was he representing? While it may not be for everyone, I think, in this little book of “proverbs”, everyone will recognize at least some of the advice as thoughtful and wise. The reader will have to keep an open mind to follow the words and guidance of The Copt; don’t judge, absorb the information, ponder the suggestions about “the four cardinal virtues” he discusses: boldness, elegance, love and friendship. He speaks of the creator and the devil and of free will, and he speaks magisterially, lyrically. The author expects a lot from his reader as he presents something which seemed to me, to be almost an “exposé”, and, at the same time, a prayer, for civilization. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| May 14, 2013
|
May 14, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0812993217
| 9780812993219
| 3.29
| 627
| Feb 19, 2013
| Mar 12, 2013
|
A Thousand Pardons, Jonathan Dee So many books today are being written about failed characters. They do stupid things, get caught, either get forgiven...more A Thousand Pardons, Jonathan Dee So many books today are being written about failed characters. They do stupid things, get caught, either get forgiven or ostracized , or when the book ends, the reader is left to decide the ultimate outcome. What is the message of these books? Often the main character does heinous things and gets away with it (Defending Jacob, The Dinner), while another character gets blamed for something he didn’t do or for something that seems justified, or for something trivial and is more severely punished than warranted. After reading so many like this, I am beginning to wonder if the ultimate message of most of these books is that society is upended, that we are doomed by our own selfishness and shallowness. Are we really so awful? This book, like so many others is about affluence, and the unjustness, the unfairness of it when it falls to someone other than you. The Armsteads are just such a couple. They have an adopted Chinese child, Sara, who has a boyfriend who is black. This is her secret. They have pretty much everything they need or want, and yet, it simply doesn’t seem to be enough for them. On their “date” night, the name they give their evening out, when they visit a therapist to help them iron out their troubles, Ben blurts out an unhappy and hurtful confession which shocks his wife, Helen. He is, apparently, very unhappy and feels like he is suffocating in his current life and environment. Shortly after this painful revelation, Ben does something very foolish to add richness and excitement to his life, and the consequences are enormous. He fools around with an employee, is set up and caught, arrested and sued. His career is over. The family is shattered and broken; the marriage is on the rocks. Ben, who is a lawyer, finds he needs to hire one. In order to survive this tragic turn of events, he voluntarily goes away to rehab on a “trumped” up charge of alcoholism and DWI. Meanwhile, his lawyer attempts to keep him out of jail. To make ends meet, Helen eventually gets a job working for a small public relations firm owned by a Jewish man who has a ne’er do well son. She becomes the heroine. Eventually, because of her heretofore “hidden talents”, Helen is offered a job with a larger company. Fittingly, Helen’s job is in crisis management, and, as luck would have it, she is good at it. Did the reader expect anything different? No, the reader did not. From here on in, the message of the book seems to be one of repentance and forgiveness. Helen is even hired to work with the church in the scandal involving pedophile priests. The politically correct messages are ever present and the theme of diversity is truly well represented in this book. Each of the characters does foolish things but, most often, recognizes his/her situation before it is too late and solves the problem at hand. Sara knows her “boyfriend” is wrong for her and distances herself from him, Ben knows he has done a foolish thing, and he does everything in his power to repent and not repeat the offensive behavior. Helen realizes that temptation is everywhere and often gives advice she is incapable of following. The plot is fairly straightforward and transparent, and often contrived. The characters are a bit thinly developed, and their behavior is easily anticipated. Helen’s message is always the same. Stop the bleeding, turn the situation around, do damage control. How do you do this? You come out and apologize, face the crisis head on, own up to your mistake and you will be forgiven. That has not always been my experience, but this is a novel. People don’t want to be treated like idiots. They want the truth. They can handle it Helen insists. However, it is these handlers, these “crisis managers” who create that truth which will be palatable to the public, using a media forum that is only too willing to help. Is that really the truth? I am sure we have all seem a media frenzy that does the opposite. After the apology, they ask for more of an apology, etc. So is it the public making the decision or being manipulated? Apparently, the perception of truth reality is the key to redemption, not necessarily the reality itself. The idea is that people want to forgive, so if you confess (religious undertones here), you give them the opportunity to do that, and then supposedly you will be able to move on with your life. This theory works with individuals and corporations, and Helen’s gift is that she is able to successfully sell that idea to everyone. Yet, can Helen forgive her own husband for his errors after he admits the error of his ways, apologizes and pays for his mistakes? Perhaps it is easier to advise a stranger. Although Helen’s advice to others is to confess and tell the truth, when an old friend of hers, a famous movie star, thinks he is in trouble and reaches out for her help, she is flattered and encourages him to hide and not reveal what he thinks he has done to the world, just yet. If he does, the scandal will probably destroy him and she does not believe he has actually done anything terribly wrong. In her effort to help him, she may even have destroyed evidence by having him “clean” up, by moving him from the place where the “crime” supposedly took place without calling in the police, even though there was obvious probable cause to do just that. In her effort to prove his innocence, she ignores the responsibility of her job, alienates her daughter, compromises her husband, and does not tell the truth as she so often advises others. Her behavior is contradictory to that which she espouses. All of these unhappy, unfulfilled, unappreciative scheming, characters wanted to push the reset button. The haves were painted as selfish and greedy, while the have-nots were more deserving. The “evil rich” are on display as are the scheming “have-nots”. In the end, actions did not seem to matter, so long as public perception could be turned from negative to positive. Everything worked out in the “fantasyland” the author created. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| May 09, 2013
|
May 09, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0770437850
| 9780770437855
| 3.31
| 13,023
| 2009
| Feb 12, 2013
|
Two couples, brothers and their wives are dining at a wonderful restaurant known for its ambience, in order to discuss a major family problem. During...more
Two couples, brothers and their wives are dining at a wonderful restaurant known for its ambience, in order to discuss a major family problem. During the course of the evening, in this quiet, upscale establishment, completely out of place and inappropriate emotional outbursts and angry words are exchanged within earshot of other diners. At issue is the fact that each of the couple’s children is in some kind of deep trouble. Two of the boys, Michel and Rick, have committed a despicable act witnessed by the third, Beau. A decision on how to handle this crisis has to be made in concert, but one brother takes it upon himself to make the ultimate decision for all of them. As the couples proceed with their dinner, their characters are developed as their weaknesses are put on display for all to see. Their values leave a lot to be desired. Their first and foremost interest is their own personal need and the lengths to which they will go to either protect themselves or their children may surprise the reader. In their discussions, right and wrong, in the traditional sense, never seem to enter the picture. One brother, Paul, has emotional problems, he is jealous of his brother, Serge, a rising political star, in the running to be the next Prime Minister of Holland. Paul is a failure at life. He has lost control of his temper on several occasions and become violent. When he was a history teacher, he gave his class inappropriate assignments, and after psychological observation, he was given medication and placed on leave until such time as he recovered. Ten years have passed since he has worked. His wife Claire, seems level-headed, at first, but as the story progresses, we see the faults in her personality, as well. Her relationship with their only son, Michel, is extremely close, and often, Paul feels left out of the picture. Serge is primarily driven by his own self-interest and career; he is always on display and often playing a part as if on stage. He has to please constituents, at all costs, if he wishes to be elected. Then there is Babette, Serge’s wife. She is not a strong character. She is going through menopause and her emotional instability, as a result, is the highlight of her persona, during the dinner. She and Serge have one biological child, Rick, and another they adopted from Africa, Beau. All of the characters in this book have some fatal flaw that is exposed as decisions and judgments they have made throughout their lives are examined. This book would be better read than listened to on an audio. It is a Dutch novel and because it is a translation, it is sometimes hard to follow. The story jumps back and forth in time, mostly through Paul's voice and memories, in an effort to set the stage for the crime committed by the two cousins. There are secrets and confessions which are exposed, out of sequence, as Paul reflects on his life. These revelations are often confusing. With a book, it would be easier to go back and read a confusing passage in order to clarify any misunderstandings. The book explores family relationships, values, selfishness, greed, jealousy, misplaced loyalties and the lengths to which someone will go to cover up a crime. In very few words, the author forces the reader to contemplate heinous criminal behavior. Is the life of someone less accomplished, less financially able, therefore less worthy? Is an act less evil if the victim is evil? If someone performs an act of evil, is that person automatically evil? Can that person be rehabilitated back into society or will that person always be someone capable of doing more evil? Should we ever play G-d? Are evil acts ever justified? The book will make you wonder about the evil people are capable of and their capacity to justify it. The contemplation of cruelty and violence and the coldness with which it was enacted, was astonishing. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| May 08, 2013
|
May 08, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781619695603
| unknown
| 3.98
| 7,163
| Nov 01, 2012
| Nov 27, 2012
|
This murder mystery is the 16th novel featuring Detective Harry Bosch. It is a straight forward, simply written novel. Bosch is somewhat of a loose ca...more
This murder mystery is the 16th novel featuring Detective Harry Bosch. It is a straight forward, simply written novel. Bosch is somewhat of a loose cannon, a cop that does not follow rules in his pursuit of justice. Often in trouble because of his methods, he is successful in solving crimes that seem unsolvable. This novel is about the murder of a Danish journalist. The crime occurred in 1992, during the LA riots, after the Rodney King verdict came down acquitting the cops involved. What was Annika Jesperson doing in LA? Was she murdered because she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? The case was never solved. Fast forward, 20 years; it is now 2012. Harry Bosch is working on this unsolved, cold case. His superiors would like him to either drop it or slow down his investigation because if solved, the Jesperson case, (nicknamed Snow White), would cause political problems for those running for office. When he refuses, he is brought up on trumped up charges in an effort to have him dismissed from the force. Most of the characters exist on the surface of the novel; they are not fully developed. Harry is the main feature and we really learn little about anything other than the details of his investigation and his behavior. Harry’s heart may be in the right place, but he disregards universal rules and protocol. He has his own standard of behavior and it is often less than aboveboard. It was hard to understand how he got away with all of the stunts he pulled. Sometimes the plot wound around and was not always plausible. Although, at times, the story was a bit contrived and too obvious, the audio book did hold my interest. It was exciting and was a good easy diversion for a long drive. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| May 03, 2013
| May 08, 2013
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May 03, 2013
| Audiobook
| |||||||||||||||
| 0316176486
| 9780316176484
| 4.04
| 5,569
| Mar 14, 2013
| Apr 02, 2013
|
I liked this book, but I was a little confused at the end, I wasn’t sure what the author was trying to tell me. I didn’t feel like it was over when I...more
I liked this book, but I was a little confused at the end, I wasn’t sure what the author was trying to tell me. I didn’t feel like it was over when I absorbed the last word. The story was about Ursula Todd. Unbeknownst to her, She was given the opportunity to keep trying on her life until she got it right. Her returns to life were never ending; the little changes often saved the life of one of the characters, but they didn’t go on to do anything major to effect history; the effort seemed to serve no real purpose. How long would these lives continue to repeat themselves, and to what end? Would Ursula ever feel more than déjà vu, when she re-experienced a moment in time? The book begins in 1910. In Ursula’s first life, she dies in childbirth, In the next she is saved by the doctor’s fortuitous arrival and on and on, as the book moves forward. In each life, some problems she encountered in the previous one, are resolved. In each new life, she lives a bit longer and then dies in a variety of ways, drowning, suicide, in a bombing, falling, etc. Although some facts, and even some lines, repeat themselves, it is never boring. The first 2/3rds of the 20th century are illuminated through the many lives of Ursula Todd, yet, although we witness the major events she lives through, several times, there is no major effect on any of the the world’s significant incidents, leading me to wonder, what was the purpose of her repeating her life so many times? She was not being reincarnated in the true sense of the word because she came back as the same person, in the same family, not as another individual in another life. There must have been a reason other than the opportunity to be reborn, without any memory of the former life, or put in another way, without the ability to die, once and for all. The book never sinks into the morass of made for TV science fiction, but rather it allows the reader and the characters to re-explore their own lives and mistakes, often making changes for the better, but often unable to change it at all. It will make the reader wonder if it is a good thing to be able to come back and try and fix mistakes over and over or is it a true “life sentence”, a prison within which Ursula lives. Ursula is a very unique individual, thinks on her feet, marches to her own drummer, but is also a good girl, very naïve and uninformed, very compassionate, and socially unaware. Her mother was often too judgmental, too sheltered herself, and very formal in her behavior. Her father is more soft and kind, gentler and more understanding. The siblings and other relatives and friends come in all stripes, promiscuous, prudish, obedient, malicious, independent, patriotic and free thinking. Ursula often has déjà vu, she is somehow carrying shadows of the memories of her past lives. Ursula’s experiences encompass every kind of human encounter: family life, love life, social life, work life, civil life, childhood, adulthood, independence and dependence, marriage and single spinsterhood. In her many incarnations she has involvements with friends, families, men; they are all different: some loving, some brutal, some heartbreaking. In each life, of necessity, some things are repeated and it gets a bit confusing and sometimes tedious, but with each life we are offered a different view of her behavior, a different philosophy of life, a different world view, a different set of reactions to danger, horror, fear, control, madness, a different way of living. As each new life ends, we hear the mantra, “darkness falls”, and yet the sky always brightens again, renews itself and Ursula begins once more. With each new life, the story is elaborated, beginning anew in a slightly different time frame, sometimes in a different setting. Choices are made which play out differently but sometimes with the same result as the fates could not be altered. Ursula's many lives span both wars and their disastrous consequences. In each new time period, more information is revealed about the setting of the world stage and each of the characters is more fully developed. Although it touches on the pain of the wars, the crippling effects, the monumental casualties and deaths, the anti-Semitism, the loss of all her loved ones, it doesn’t really delve into the details, just paints the atmosphere and then “darkness falls” again. On the whole, this was a great book to listen to, the reader was perfect; she had wonderful material to work with. She spoke so clearly and so emotionally, using just the right inflection, wherever it was warranted, as she sang and read, even quoting poetry beautifully. Her voice had a lilting rhythm, her tone was resonant when she related the awful gravity of the experiences the characters endured. Her English accent was charming and expressive in all the appropriate places. The story was less science fiction than it was about second chances. The only problem I found, was that there was never a definite conclusion to the book and so it disappointed me. I felt there should have been another chapter. As wonderful as the reader was in this audio, it would still have been a better book to read so that when the many lives became entwined one with the other, they could be unraveled, rechecked, simply by turning back some pages. Simply because of the sheer number of rebirths, I was often confused as to which life I was reading about; what years did it span, which characters had returned with Ursula, which scenes were being revisited? Even so, the author’s prose was magnificent. This author does not talk down to the reader. The quotes from literary masterpieces were beautiful and appropriately placed within the narrative and the story was very engaging. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Apr 28, 2013
| Apr 30, 2013
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Apr 28, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0316204277
| 9780316204279
| 3.95
| 26,454
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 14, 2012
|
When I started this book, I was not sure I would like it. It seemed strange, a bit discombobulated, perhaps a bit disorganized. However, it turned out...more
When I started this book, I was not sure I would like it. It seemed strange, a bit discombobulated, perhaps a bit disorganized. However, it turned out to be a really wonderful, delightful read. On a certain level, it is humorous, tender and tragic, all of at once. It is the story about all kinds of relationships, the story of a family that no longer communicates, that dances around each other as they search for meaning in their lives, in all the wrong places. The meaning of family is lost in the confusion. The characters are all flawed except for one, Bee Fox, the teenage daughter of Elgin and Bernadette. Elgin is an upwardly mobile, well respected nerd, working for Microsoft, receiving international accolades for his accomplishments. Bernadette is an international, award winning, female architect in a male dominated occupation. They are surrounded by people who can only be described as “phony”, working to build up appearances, rather than honest relationships, working to create impressions rather than friendships, working to achieve success in the workplace, rather than in the home. They are in denial about their lack of ethics or compassion for others. They seem woefully unaware of the consequences of their behavior. (The realtor had to know full well what she was doing when she handled the secret deal for Bernadette’s neighbor. She did what any cutthroat realtor would do. She represented the seller, however, and what she did was the precipitous cause of long term emotional pain for Bernadette.)They were all following a recipe for failure for someone or other, if not themselves. Bernadette’s downward spiral begins when she has a row with an influential neighbor. Angry, she sells her crowning achievement and is devastated when it is purchased by someone, secretly acting for her nasty neighbor, who then destroys the building and her architectural legacy. Because of this petty feud, without anyone’s notice, she begins to recede from the business and social world. She and Elgin move to Seattle where she purchases an old girl’s school to renovate. When she has difficulty conceiving a child, she declines further. When finally, her daughter Bala Krishna (divine child), better known as Bee, is born with a birth defect, she vows never to create another masterpiece if she can be cured. When she survives, she becomes obsessed with her vow to G-d and refuses to do anything else creative in her life, but she doesn’t share her reasons why, with anyone. She allows the house to sink into a decaying state of disrepair. She becomes more antisocial, complains about everyone, ridiculing them, and doesn’t like being around people. She does no work, participates in rare projects at Bee’s school and becomes rather reclusive. Her repartees with people are sarcastic which does not help her “make friends or influence people”. At the same time as she recedes from the world, she is a warm and compassionate mother and a faithful wife, although a poor homemaker. She does not cook, takeout is the order of the day, and she retreats to a trailer on the property, more often than not. Bee calls it her Petit Trianon. When I read about Bernadette’s habit of knitting away as her projects were created, I thought of Madame Defarge, although I would not characterize Bernadette as a villain, but rather an eccentric with an incredibly creative mind who seems terribly misunderstood in her current state. As Bernadette flounders, Elgin’s career soars and he is rarely home. He is a workaholic for Microsoft. He pads around in his stocking feet, makes presentations that are lauded by scholars worldwide and in general, seems lost in himself, naïve and a bit eccentric too. When his new admin, Sue Lin (a kind of universal gal Friday for his department, in charge of making all things run smoothly), a Galer private school “gnat”, an enemy of Bernadette’s, becomes involved in his private life, he also becomes tempted by the apple in Eve’s garden. Sue Lin is a good friend of Audrey, the Fox’s jealous neighbor, and the two of them tear Bernadette apart, daily, always looking for fodder for their nasty tongues and minds. Sue Lin has eyes for Elgin. Bee, is exceptionally bright, mature and well adjusted. She respects her father, loves her mother and excuses all of their foibles good-naturedly. She is happily making plans to go to boarding school, eagerly looking forward to it, actually, and just wants them to take one family trip, to Antarctica before she leaves. Her mom finds it hard to make plans which involve “people” participation, but she and Elgin reluctantly agree. Bernadette immediately uses her “personal secretary”, Manjula, a woman working in a call center in India, to take care of all of her purchases and appointments, unbeknownst to Elgin, who thinks she has come back to life, organizing and arranging the trip. Soon everyone learns that it was a very poor idea indeed, to use Manjula, since she gave her all of their personal information, and although she seemed to make everything happen with ease and aplomb, the FBI informs the family that Manjula is involved in a criminal ring, stealing identities. Manjula was a well kept secret, but now, because Elgin has also taken his admin, the “gnat”, better known as parent, into his confidence, she gossips and instigates with her friend Audrey, Bernadettes jealous neighbor, attempting to develop a closer relationship with Elgin for herself. Worried about Bernadette and the way she has declined, allowing their home to decay and not having normal social relationships, his concern increases when he finds out about Manjula, then about the terrible mudslide which was really Audrey’s fault, since she was the neighbor who insisted the blackberry vines holding the Fox’s hill together be removed for the school publicity brunch which was meant to attract upper class “Mercedes parents”, changing their image from second class “Subaru parents”, then about the accident in which she was falsely accused of running over Audrey’s foot, then her secret email to her friend Paul and her musings when she was depressed, thinking of ending it all, but not meaning it, he rushes to judgment and calls in a doctor to have her committed and convinces him to take her immediately to a hospital where she can be treated. The doctor, overly impressed with his own idea of himself, insists on an interview first but then intercedes when he finds out the FBI is involved in an investigation concerning them. Circumstantial evidence is making Bernadette seem a danger to herself and others, something she surely is not. Personalities, arrogance and self righteousness were the order of the day. Somehow, defying all odds, Bernadette escapes and disappears. Bee is devastated. Then, while at school, she receives an anonymous letter, everything that has happened, and she writes a book, discovered by her roommate (Bee is not doing that well socially, either), who immediately turns it over to the dean. She is dismissed from Choate, and in her anger, she devises a plan to search for her mom. On every page, the reader will laugh at the caricature of real life that the author paints. The women are gossipy and petty, the men work-driven and possessed with the search for acclaim, all are in self-denial wanting the wrong things out of life, deceiving themselves and overlooking the important things they are giving up or losing. All of them are a bit larger than life in all of their reactions, and as the author draws them so cleverly, we might even laugh at ourselves, witnessing some of the silly little flaws in her characters, looming larger than life in ours. Over reactions were the order of the day. Well drawn characters symbolizing the modern ills of society were not always likeable but always enjoyable to watch, as they performed, and yes, perform is really the active word here because they were all acting in one capacity or another, playing the role they thought appropriate, the role that society seemed to want of them. The only truly real character was Bee! She was herself always, honest, forgiving, filled with the joie de vivre, eager and bright, courageous in her convictions, experiencing love and sharing it with others. That is what really makes this book remarkable. All of the events and characters are too frighteningly close to reality! They are all supersmart: over-achievers, social climbers, immature victims of themselves and their own behavior. Yet, they are too close to real life characters, showing little compassion for others in their climb up the ladder, engaging in petty rumors and gossip without regard to the pain and/or shame they inspire, turning a blind eye to the needs of anyone but themselves. In the end, however, they all have aha moments of their selfish ways, and they repent or show remorse accordingly. However, this may be the weakest part of the story, or the fairytale version, since it all falls into place too neatly, becoming a bit tedious. It is as if the chess pieces were moved by someone else, and so, even the ending is an exaggeration, a caricature of reality. The characters are charming, even with their fatal flaws, because eventually they realize how “evil” they have been. Infidelity is excused and forgiven, malicious behavior is explained away, erratic episodes are accepted and everyone is one big happy family again. It is a bit Pollyanna, but it is a pleasure to read. Bee, the divine child, lives up to her name!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Apr 25, 2013
| Apr 27, 2013
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Apr 25, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 159463176X
| 9781594631764
| 4.24
| 380
| May 21, 2013
| May 21, 2013
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| not set
| not set
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Apr 22, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1594488800
| 9781594488801
| 3.46
| 13,116
| Apr 30, 2009
| Apr 30, 2009
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This novel is a kind of Gothic, Victorian novel with overtones of spiteful spirits, coming to life and inhabiting a house, The Hundreds Hall, once bea...more
This novel is a kind of Gothic, Victorian novel with overtones of spiteful spirits, coming to life and inhabiting a house, The Hundreds Hall, once beautiful, but now decaying, after years of neglect. World War II and changing values in England altered the existence of many in the aristocracy forcing them to sell off their lands and even their homesteads. The Ayres family, mother, daughter and brother, were landed gentry trying to hold onto their lifestyle but the effort was costing the health of Roderick Ayres, the young Lord of the manor. Home from the war, injured and demoralized, it all seemed too much for him, and yet, he refused help from his family for that would demean his position. One day, Dr. Faraday is called to the Hall to treat Betty, the young teenage maid, who seems to be suffering from severe stomach pains. In the end, he discovers that she is pretending because she finds the house lonely and terribly frightening and wants to be sent home. The good doctor speaks to the family and arranges for her to have a better routine, keeping her away from the darker, scarier parts of the home, and does not reveal the secret of her false complaint. He dismisses her fears as childish foolishness and doesn’t tell the family. Before Dr. Faraday’s birth, his mother had been the nursery maid at Hundreds Hall. Although she no longer worked there, for she had married and was no longer in service, on one occasion, he had been there for a town party which was hosted by the family. His mom took him with her when she went into the kitchen to see her old friends. The house left a permanent impression upon him because of its grandeur. Older and now a doctor, he is the Ayres’ family physician. He is drawn to them and their home and often helps them through the trials of their daily life. He offers to help Rod, by treating his mangled, war-injured leg with a machine that might help restore its strength. Since they have no extra money, with the house bleeding their resources dry, he offers to do it as part of the work he is doing on a paper he is preparing. Caroline, Roderick’s sister, is a rather plain spinster. She volunteers to make sure Rod is available for the treatment. When Roderick and she express concerns about the house to the doctor, believing it is infected with something malicious, Dr. Farraday dismisses their apprehensions, as well. When their mother, Mrs. Ayres, falls prey to the atmosphere in the home, and even when tragedy after tragedy strikes, with no apparent reason, he still maintains that all occurrences could be attributed to their mental states of mind, and surely, he believes, they would see that nothing malevolent was taking place if they were thinking clearly. He was trained to think scientifically, after all. When the family decided to throw a party to welcome new neighbors and bring life back into the house and possibly a suitor for Caroline, even though their funds were so very short, the disasters truly begin; a child is brutally bitten by a normally gentle and elderly dog. Then Rod begins to have visions and odd events take place in his room. After the war he wasn’t well and this is thought to be a relapse. Soon he becomes obsessed with the evil in the house. Dr. Faraday, impresses on Caroline, and her mother, that he belongs in a hospital where he can get the proper care and then come home again when he was well. Shortly after that, Mrs. Ayres becomes quite odd as well. Stranger things begin to happen. Caroline wonders if a poltergeist could be inhabiting the house or if Rod could be causing the disturbances. During this time, an unexpected romance has blossomed between Caroline and the doctor, despite the difference in their ages and stations in life. He longs to live in Hundreds Hall and Caroline longs to leave it. Although they have become engaged, no date is planned and she finds excuses to keep putting him off. One can’t help but wonder if Dr. Faraday has ulterior motives, but he seems to love Caroline. Caroline is often remote, however. Does she have ulterior motives? Is each searching for a different solution to their own personal problems? The story is told with a light kind of banter between some of the characters, typical of English conversation, paying attention to manners and customs, even those that have become passé. With each evil occurrence and catastrophe, Dr. Faraday is always able to smooth everything over with a logical explanation. Although the women were often naïve and overly trusting, as perhaps would be expected of their class, I couldn’t help but think that the most naïve was Dr. Faraday, for he never broadened his mind or looked for anything, but the simplest, sensible answers. His ego was often hurt since class differences still existed and were quite evident, often in a display of haughtiness, because he did not come from the upper class. His presence in the home was often deemed to be professional rather than social. Although it sometimes felt a bit too long and tedious, the storyline moved well, holding my interest, and it kept me guessing as to what was happening in the Ayres home. Was madness brewing or was it an evil spirit haunting the premises? I kept guessing at the cause and outcome of each different catastrophe, but I never quite seemed to get a handle on a definitive answer. Therefore, when it ended, I was disappointed. I wanted another chapter. I wanted a more conclusive ending, and the author didn’t give me one either. However, if you like scary mysteries with inconclusive endings that keep you wondering, that have a thread of the supernatural running through them, with well defined characters, and romances that spring up between unexpected individuals, and you enjoy stories about big old decaying Victorian houses that seem to be characters, standing on their own within the novel, you will really enjoy this book, despite any of its shortcomings. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 20, 2013
| Apr 25, 2013
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Apr 20, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385721811
| 9780385721813
| 3.65
| 5,999
| 2002
| Oct 14, 2003
|
Just as the first chapter sets the stage for this brief but moving, heartbreaking novel, as the unnamed woman and her family prepare for an unknown jo...more
Just as the first chapter sets the stage for this brief but moving, heartbreaking novel, as the unnamed woman and her family prepare for an unknown journey into an unknowable future, the reader will put aside their plans for the day, their chores, their appointments, and simply prepare to keep reading, captivated by a tale that is so immense in its cruelty, so unfair in its scope as to be unimaginable by most people, and yet, this horror, this stain upon our nation, truly took place under the watchful eyes of an America steeped in fear. The brutality making headlines in Europe, had now marched lockstep to the United States, as an entire race of people were imprisoned for their race, their heritage, their religion, their beliefs, and although not as brutal as Hitler’s tactics were, the disgraceful and shameful behavior had an enormous impact on innocent people who truly believed they were Americans. Their lives were ruined as they were taken away, uprooted. Their belongings were looted and their homes vandalized. Americans were angry and felt justified in their cruelty and blindness. Why didn’t we imprison, Germans or Italians? Was it because they looked like us, because they didn’t attack us directly? The behavior was shameful and the blight it placed on the history of this country can never be erased. The author does a monumental job of setting the scene, imagining characters who remain nameless, which made them nondescript, removed them emotionally from the narrative, and, at the time, from the minds of the people perpetrating the cruelty. It was as if the strangers and their suffering had no connection to reality, to those who participated in their humiliation, or to us, the readers. We, as they, were merely observers; we don’t share in the guilt. We wear blinders. It begins with the woman. She is tired and overworked, alone and overburdened. Her husband is in prison. We see her kill the dog, without emotion, set the beloved parrot loose without a tear. She simply, stoically, does what has to be done. She has no other choice. The Japanese were obedient. Although they were Americans, truly believed they were, they were all displaced and disowned because one among them might be a traitor. How could you know which one? You had to remove the tumor, all of it. Didn’t you? We meet the young girl, a mere child, 10 years old, full of life. She doesn’t realize this adventure will be longer and lonely. She will enter puberty there, become a woman, away from her only home, and she will be forced to adapt. There is also her 7-year old brother, an innocent as well, playing with her as if they are going on vacation, not to a relocation area which was really a “prison” by any other name. He is missing his father desperately, wondering where he is, what is happening to him, will he ever return. Everything was unknown, a secret. He lived in his imaginings. The father was a handsome, strong, moral man who instilled his family with hope and values. In prison, he loses all hope; he is demoralized when he returns. He is changed. He was taken away in his bathrobe, humiliated and not afforded the rights of a citizen. He was, suddenly, an enemy alien. So he returned, when the war ended, no longer having hope or a future. But, everyone suffered, didn’t they? Wasn’t it a sacrifice all had to make for the health and safety of the country? It is really impossible to justify war when one weighs the price that is paid. The soldiers’ families were torn asunder, as men did not return home, as those that did, returned broken. All of the families were bereaved and forever changed. As you read, you can’t help but compare the cattle cars that transported Hitler’s victims, to the trains transporting the internees; you will see the gymnasiums, the gathering places where the Japanese were assembled and then your mind will jump to the squares where the demoralized Jews gathered; the confusion of both groups will be similar, at first, their fears will be the same; where were they going, for how long? The Jews were a peaceful people; they went quietly into the night, as the Japanese did, to an unknown fate. While the one was truly a temporary if unjust transport, and the victims weren’t murdered or starved as the other nameless, numbered victims were, they were forever scarred by their experiences. In her short thoughtful sentences, this author has written a beautiful testament to the silent suffering of a people which will make the reader wonder about the cruelty that we are all capable of committing, and wonder how was this allowed to happen? (less) | Notes are private!
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| Apr 12, 2013
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Apr 12, 2013
| Paperback
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| unknown
| 3.92
| 4,716
| Jan 01, 2013
| Jan 2013
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This author’s dynamic prose brings the characters to life. In this audiobook, the reader is superb. She is sensitive to the narrative, doing all the v...more
This author’s dynamic prose brings the characters to life. In this audiobook, the reader is superb. She is sensitive to the narrative, doing all the voices well, expressing the content with just the right amount of emotion, like a stage performer, enabling the listener to feel the emotions of the characters, and live in the scenes described. When the book opens, we meet a semi-resentful Anne Morrow Lindbergh, married 47 years to Charles. He is no longer strong and handsome, but rather ill and frail. They are on a plane heading to Maui. Charles has chosen Hana to be the place he takes his last breath. He hopes they both will be buried there together. They are traveling together, for one last time, to this final destination. As the narrative moves on, we learn more about Anne, who has lived in Charles’ shadow, most of their married life. Her dad, Dwight Morrow, is the Ambassador to Mexico. He is a successful man and he expects Elizabeth, his wife, to be a dutiful spouse and mother to their children. She is an educated woman, a graduate of Smith College, and one day in the future, she will become the acting President of that institution. Anne’s sister Elizabeth was the family beauty and Anne felt like a plain little sparrow when compared to her. After Colonel Lindbergh’s successful flight, in The Spirit of St. Louis, he is feted by the world. He visits Mexico and meets Anne and her family. He is confident, but shy, doesn’t like social gatherings at all. Anne is rather shy as well, believing she is in her sister’s shadow and could never be preferred in social situations. She retires to the background as an observer. Soon, however, Charles chooses Anne to be his bride. He is not demonstrative in public, but is privately an amorous and affectionate man, although excessively controlling and rigid. His stubbornness and often unrealistic expectations, could border on cruelty. He reacts with cold logic and calmness in most situations, a character trait which stood him in good stead, most of the time, but it was almost his downfall during Hitler’s time. Always the obedient wife, Anne, like her mother, subjugated herself to her husband’s demands. She was his “crew”. They flew, and she flew with him. It was a time, in history, when women went to college to find a husband, when they were lost without a man to provide for them and so they acted accordingly. Anne eventually gains fame on her own, writing a best seller, “Gifts From The Sea”, based on her meditations about life. It especially touched women of the times. Anne Morrow was really a thoughtful young woman, given to adventure, even against her better judgment sometimes. Charles tamed her for most of her life. He was so single-minded in purpose, as to be quite selfish and arrogant, believing he was justified in his behavior because he had the one right way. Their marriage was one in which he had the control and power, much of the time, and Anne simply followed his guidance. Her behavior was partly due to the standards of those times and partly due to his very controlling and demanding, rigid personality. He was larger than life; he was the hero who had chosen her when he could have chosen anyone. He persuades her to do things she would think better of, but he always seems to woo her back to his side. He was extraordinarily handsome and popular, and they were the darlings of the world, until World War II, when some of Lucky Lindy’s ideas were contrary to popular belief. They suffer a well-known tragedy when their first child is kidnapped and murdered. They weather that storm in different ways. Five more children are born, he travels a great deal without her, they no longer “fly” together. Anne was the first woman to have a license to pilot gliders! She was so accomplished, but often overshadowed by her hero, husband. As the years pass, they begin to have secrets from each other. Anne Morrow Lindbergh eventually finds her own voice and forges ahead, making friends and a life she enjoys, confident and sure of her own place in the world. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 07, 2013
| Apr 12, 2013
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Apr 07, 2013
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1400063256
| 9781400063253
| 3.75
| 11,415
| Nov 08, 2008
| Nov 11, 2008
|
Lean and long, nicknamed Old Hickory, Andrew Jackson was elected the 7th President of the United States, in 1828, at age 61, when there were only 24 s...more
Lean and long, nicknamed Old Hickory, Andrew Jackson was elected the 7th President of the United States, in 1828, at age 61, when there were only 24 states in the union. He served two terms. In 1845, when he died, three more states had been added. Orphaned at age 14, he later became a lawyer and rose through the ranks of the military, ascending in political life to achieve the highest office of the land. He believed that to preserve the union, he alone had the right message to bring to the country. As early as the beginning of the 1820’s, talks of secession were in the air. During the Civil War, Lincoln quoted him and held him up as an example, revering his achievements and philosophy. In 1823, the Donaldsons, (Emily and Andrew, niece and nephew of the Jacksons) and Andrew and Rachel Jackson, set out for Washington. Jackson lost his first bid for the Presidency to John Quincy Adams, but in 1828, he was more successful and was elected President. Shortly after, Rachel dies and never gets to live in the White House. Emily Donaldson steps in and performs the duties of First Lady. Her husband, Andrew, becomes his right hand man. Jackson’s love for Rachel Donaldson ran deep. She was married to another man when they fell in love. When her first husband filed for divorce, they misunderstood and thought it was a final decree. When they married, they committed bigamy and adultery, a sin for which they were reminded and admonished many times over the years, even though it was completely unintentional. Jackson’s philosophy was often a contradiction in terms. He was anti-slavery, but he owned slaves; he mistreated the Native Americans, while at the same time, he adopted an Indian child, raising him as his own. After learning of some gruesome details of battles between Americans and Indians, he ordered their slaughter, brutally in battle. He believed he was well within his rights because he believed in white supremacy when it came to land ownership and so forcibly removed them from their lands; he believed in Democracy in and elitism out, but often his behavior was the opposite. He believed that to preserve the union, all manner of behavior was legal and acceptable. Jackson was the founder of the modern Democratic Party. He believed the many had to be protected from the power of the few. He was loyal to his friends and determined in his behavior. He accomplished many of the things he set his mind on, even when it was against popular opinion. He believed in a government that was the least meddlesome in the affairs of its citizens and a citizenry that had an active role in the government, yet he often made policy that opposed those principles. He believed that he had the right ideas to improve the country and should have the final word on all matters. During his time in office, the Mormon religion was founded, Evengelicals rose in numbers, railroad lines multiplied and many Liberal Arts Colleges were founded. Meachem dwelt on the minutia of Jackson’s administrative woes and not enough on Jackson and his accomplishments as he described the atmosphere and environment of the times over which Jackson presided. The details that were included were repetitive and the timeline bounced back and forth. Between that and the unmodulated voice of the audiobook reader, the thread of the narrative and concentration of the listener, was often lost. In addition, rather than filling in the details of Jackson’s career, the book seemed to be more interested in the gossip of the time, concentrating on the in-fighting in the government, the strict adherence to social mores of the times which created scandals, and the women who perpetuated them. The book seemed preoccupied with the petty indignities of life rather than the broader more important issues of the day. Rumors about the wife of John Eaton, Jackson’s Secretary of War, continued for the better part of the book, and it was exceedingly distracting! Eventually, during Jackson’s second term Eaton offers to resign and ultimately, most of the cabinet is then replaced by a new “kitchen cabinet” of unofficial advisors. Still, Margaret Eaton’s iniquitous behavior remains a topic of concern until the end. I could not help but wonder, why? It sidetracked the ultimate purpose of the book. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 06, 2013
| Apr 07, 2013
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Apr 06, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1250042399
| 9781250042392
| 3.96
| 23
| Apr 16, 2013
| Apr 16, 2013
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For the parent or grandparent who is looking for a book to enchant their middle grade youngster’s imagination, this would be a good choice. This autho...more
For the parent or grandparent who is looking for a book to enchant their middle grade youngster’s imagination, this would be a good choice. This author and illustrator have provided 3rd to 7th graders with a hilarious read which is written in a very humorous cartoon and text format. The main characters, Andy and Terry, have been charged by their publisher to produce the book they had promised, which is now overdue, by the very next day. The book becomes the comical story of how it came to be, and it literally explodes off the page with laughs as the reader learns of all their escapades on a single day in their lives. Andy and Terry seem like overgrown kids, and the reader will romp through the pages with them, as they alternate between procrastination and determination in their effort to fulfill their obligation. The banter between them will absolutely delight youngsters. In this first book of a new series, Andy, the author, and Terry, the illustrator, live in a wonderful, imaginary 13-story treehouse, with amenities a child can only dream of: see-through pools, an automatic marshmallow dispenser that knows to spit them into your mouth when you are hungry, a video conferencing telephone. The wondrous discoveries on each floor will enchant the 8-12 year old. Magical things occur as if they are everyday occurrences, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary under the pens of both these talented men. The drawings are so much fun to explore, although some are a bit too busy as to become complicated, most are really easy to unravel and follow. They are simply drawn and very clever. Each new chapter follows from the preceding anecdote and is illustrated appropriately. There is one cautionary note to parents. Some language is not politically correct and might not be considered acceptable. The use of terms like stupid and birdbrain do occur, but they are not overused and seem appropriate to the episode, rather than insulting. There are some silly violent behaviors but nothing bad really seems to happen as a result. Also, lying is discussed as a method of solving a problem. Although some of the episodes are a bit gruesome, none are over the top, and in the end, the reader will definitely be left chuckling and not concerned. The escapades are really witty, and the silly humor in this book will give every reader something to smile or laugh about. Overall, after all is said and done, this book sure captured the way young middle school kids talk to each other and think. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Apr 04, 2013
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Apr 04, 2013
| ebook
| |||||||||||||||
| 0307595129
| 9780307595126
| 3.29
| 13,729
| Jun 14, 2011
| Jun 14, 2011
|
“Maine”, by J.Courtney Sullivan, is largely the story of Alice Kelleher, a very direct, headstrong and outspoken matriarch, and three generations of h...more
“Maine”, by J.Courtney Sullivan, is largely the story of Alice Kelleher, a very direct, headstrong and outspoken matriarch, and three generations of her family who seem to become weaker with each successive generation. She is a devoted Catholic, driven by an almost religious fanaticism to do her duty and perform some act of kindness before she dies, in order to make up for her sins and ensure that she is not consigned to Hell. She is known for her sharpness of tongue, coldness, drinking and sudden mood swings. Her husband is a gentler man who restrains her and keeps her centered and in check. The characters in this family are examined with illuminating detail, and their life experiences are explored. Their differing and misguided perceptions of life’s events, that they all seemed to experience and interpret differently, are exposed and dissected. Their secrets are bared, and when exposed, they cause ripples throughout the extended clan. The audio was done well, with an expressive reader who enlightened the listener in her telling of a tale that illustrates family dysfunction and flawed judgment in all of the characters as they interacted with each other and the world. The story is told in the voices of three generations of the women of the family: Alice, Kathleen, Ann Marie and Maggie. Each chapter dwelt on one character at a time, rotating from one to another throughout the book, as the events which determined the paths they chose to take in life were uncovered. Although, at first, the picture might seem to be of a perfect extended, multigenerational family, living a nirvana-like existence, enjoying summers in their beachfront cottage in a small, insular community which was once an artist’s colony in Cape Neddick, Maine, the reader soon discovers that each of the characters brings with them a raft of troubles and predisposed conclusions, arising from their lifestyles and backgrounds, and the situation is not what it seems to be on the surface. When that surface is scratched, using the memories and experiences of each, the characters are exposed with all of their warts and foibles, as they developed into active members of this dysfunctional, family group dynamic. This family harbors many secrets and, therefore, holds secret animosities toward each other which are most often based on misconceptions about events. This creates giant rifts between family members who hold grudges that continue with the passage of time, and continue to encourage vindictive behavior toward each other. In the end, some do metamorphose into better people; others remain their same intransigent, stubborn selves, continuing to exhibit discordant behavior wreaking havoc upon the peaceful coexistence of the family. Each of them lives in a fantasy world of their own creation. All of the complications of life, in general, are examined: sibling rivalry, faith, religion, loss, illness, tragedy, love, homosexuality, criminality, neglect, alcoholism, relationships, marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, and parenting. This intergenerational saga explores a slew of raw emotions. The reader will, at some point, identify with many of the emotions that are exposed: nostalgia, sadness, joy, humor, disbelief, shock, anger, and even frustration, as they identify with many of the experiences and feelings of the characters. For instance, I was very familiar with the geographic areas the book describes, the towns and the atmosphere, and it aroused childhood memories of a simpler time and adult memories of a more complicated one. Because it covers three generations, there will be something for each reader to identify with, within a particular place or time period. The reader’s life and ordinary experiences will often come uncomfortably close to home to those of the novel’s characters. This book is an interesting read which will, in the end, leave the reader with a question about Alice’s ultimate choices and fate. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 29, 2013
| Mar 30, 2013
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Mar 29, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1594202710
| 9781594202711
| 4.00
| 1,262
| Jan 01, 2011
| May 17, 2011
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| not set
| not set
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Mar 28, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1862076553
| 9781862076556
| 4.15
| 2,307
| 2003
| Jan 15, 2004
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None
| Notes are private!
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0
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Mar 24, 2013
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1451695195
| 9781451695199
| 3.71
| 9,183
| 2012
| Oct 23, 2012
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I wanted to like this book. I wanted to believe it. The author seems so sincere. Who would not like to think that there is something beautiful beyond...more
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to believe it. The author seems so sincere. Who would not like to think that there is something beautiful beyond death, that there is nothing to fear, that we can do no wrong and we will be unconditionally loved? Yet, my determination was severely tested by the author’s presentation. When Eben Alexander describes his (NDE) Near Death Experience, in 2008, brought on when he descended into a coma from a rare form of an e-Coli Virus,from which there was little hope of his recovery, he fills his tale with a rather large view of himself. He often apologizes for this, but kind of arrogance is, nevertheless, ever present. I felt as if he believed someone had elected him to the top post, to sit at the right hand of G-d. His explanations were often too technical or needed to be accepted based on his word or blind faith. Because he is a man of science, he came with good credentials, but the book left me wanting more. I needed some substance and the book felt thin in that department. If people coming out of comas go into psychotic states, hallucinating, why is it not possible for them to go into a psychotic state and also hallucinate entering into it? If scientifically it is impossible when the Neo Cortex is compromised completely, perhaps the science is wrong. Surely we know little enough about the brain and how it works to simply believe that what he experienced was real and not a dream state of some kind. He had been unhappy in prior years. His family life and professional life had suffered. He was adopted and was unsuccessfully searching for his roots, until a recent contact with a sister proved somewhat fruitful, and he learned of other siblings. He learned that his parents had married and he had a sister who had died. Perhaps his NDE was merely wish fulfillment, on his end. When describing his NDE , he speaks of the Realm of The Earthworm’s-Eye View, a place of misery, The Gateway, a place of celestial beauty, where he met the beautiful girl on the butterfly’s wing, and The Core, where he felt communion with a greater being, where he felt close to the Creator, to Om, to G-d, to Jesus. Although he justifies the validity of his experience with claims that these are concepts that are new to him, it seemed doubtful to me, a non-Christian, so how could it not be so to him, even if he was not a religious Christian at that time? Are those concepts not universally reminiscent of Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and/or Limbo? Eben realized, as an adoptee, that he had always somehow felt abandoned, unloved and when he thought about his NDE, he wondered why he was the only documented case of a person who had an NDE that had not been aware of who he was, during the experience, and the only one who had not met anyone who had died during his life who would lead him through and comfort him, as others had. Why had his father not come to comfort him, to tell him everything was all right; he had not been able to please him and he wanted his forgiveness. These thoughts reinforced his feelings of abandonment. He began to question the legitimacy of his own experience. When he was still a doubter, in 2008, shortly after his recovery, he went to church and was asked to light an advent candle. Walking up, the music and scenes and sights before him seemed more beautiful than they had in the past, and he was overwhelmed. Since his illness, it would seem that this environment had more meaning for him, and he was brought to tears. The experience evoked memories of his NDE. Eben began to realize that we are so much more than our physical bodies. Still unsure of himself, there was one final act that convinced him he should spread the word about his experience in order to enlighten the world. As a scientist, he believed his word would be more credible than the word of others who had had similar experiences. So when he received a picture of a deceased sister, sent to him by his biological sister he realized she looked oddly familiar. Soon he realized, the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. He had met someone he knew. The girl on the butterfly wing in her angelic form was, he believed, his dead sister. He had been reading a book by Elizabeth Kubler Ross in which a young girl relates a NDE to her dad and explains that she met her brother, but she had no brother…her father confessed that a few months before she was born, her brother had died. This revelation about his own dead sibling, gave him renewed hope and faith in his own NDE. Eben believes that consciousness resides some place other than the brain. Paraphrasing, he says, “we live in the dimension of the familiar, but the grander universe is here, now, with us, in a different frequency.” He believes you don’t have to die to access this frequency, “to access the truths behind the veil”, you just have to learn how, but don’t try to hard, for that will defeat you. Meditation is a useful tool. To understand the grander universe, you have to be part of it, become one with it.” Eben himself admits that his experiences are very hard to describe and it is evident in his writing which is unclear, at times. I found that there was too much information, too technical at times, but there were not enough facts to make it credible. He says his experience in the Core was greater than his ability to understand it, to put into words, that he was able to absorb knowledge at a faster rate, immediately understand things that would take months, even years in ordinary time. In this place, time didn’t matter. So, although he couldn’t explain it, are we to accept his explanation and beliefs on blind faith? Why was he chosen to pass on this message? I thought the connections he made could be coincidence rather than providential. He had been scientific in his thinking, but now he was more spiritual. Eben wrote that the Creator allows evil to exist because we have free will, but who is the Creator? He says we are all part of the divine, part of G-d, who is all loving and forgiving. He says the divine is always with us, and our job is to grow toward the divine. If we are all part of this G-d, this OM, then who is it or what is it? I have trouble with blind faith. The book feels too Christian in its concepts to be universally accepted. I believe Eben is being a bit presumptuous when he assumes we can all achieve this divine state. Can Jews or Muslims, or Budhists or Hindus achieve this state without disavowing their own faiths? After his experience, he founded ETERNA, a non-profit organization to serve the greater good, to advance research into spiritually transformative experiences. The organization offers comfort and spiritual guidance to those going through difficult times with illness, etc. (Eben believes that you have to earn your entry into the higher planes of the realm he visited. Perhaps, he wants to earn his own by being G-dlike, good and compassionate.) There simply was no PROOF OF HEAVEN, for me. The pieces fell into place, all too conveniently. However, I encourage other readers to draw their own conclusions. Your own background may alter your view and you may find greater inner peace than I did, when you read about what happened to him from the onset of his illness to the time of his recovery and then also learn a bit about his past. As a physician, he also has checkered history which warrants investigation. Perhaps this is all about Alexander’s need for love, compassion and forgiveness. He believes, from his NDE, he learned that everyone is loved, they have nothing to fear, and they can do no wrong. That is the strongest message he received. That is also his strongest need, so perhaps it was his own wish fulfillment during his coma, rather than an ”other worldly” experience. At the end of the day, though, do we all have to be Christians to have this experience, to attain this afterlife? I have told little about his experiences, so the reader may draw their own conclusions as they read the book.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 23, 2013
| Apr 24, 2013
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Mar 23, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0670026603
| 9780670026609
| 4.35
| 23,042
| Dec 31, 2012
| Dec 31, 2012
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This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally driven love story that when I reached the last ten pages, I had to briefly pause. I simply did not...more
This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally driven love story that when I reached the last ten pages, I had to briefly pause. I simply did not want it to end. I needed to mull over what I had already read and hope against hope that there would be a fairytale ending, but I knew however the author concluded this novel, it would be well done. When it begins, we meet two of the world’s “beautiful” people, planning a future vacation together. She wants easy, lolling on the beach, he wants rough, hiking and parachuting. On that day, when he leaves to go his high powered job, where he is CEO, he checks his phone messages and finds many missed calls. Because it is raining, he decides to leave his motorcycle behind and runs out into the storm to find a cab, not an easy task on nasty day in London or any major city. As he walks/runs, he begins to retrieve his messages, and his phone rings. Somewhat distracted, stepping into the cab, tragedy strikes Will Traynor. Now, fast forward, two years later; we meet Louisa. She has just been fired. Her family relies on her salary to survive. Her sister, Treena, is a single mom, living at home as does her ailing grandfather. Her dad expects to soon lose his own job. In what has been a largely futile job search, Louisa finally answers an ad for a caregiver. Although she has no previous experience that qualifies her for such a position, she surprises herself by getting the job and then wonders, what she has gotten herself into, since her charge, a still handsome man, is rude and angry, most of the time. Once a free living, adventurous man, he is now helpless, confined to bed or a wheelchair. He is now a quadriplegic with little use of anything but one hand, and that, only minimally. He cannot adjust to this new unhappy condition. Louisa is not sure she is up to this job, but she desperately needs the money so she remains and works even harder. Let me warn you reader, keep tissues on hand. As she cares for this defenseless, ill-mannered man, she comes of age, rather late in life. This is a tragic, bittersweet tale of unrequited love, not because there is no love, but because the love cannot be fulfilled. Will Traynor has a secret which will ultimately change the course of Lou’s life and his. Realistically, in his former life, their love never would have been allowed to see the light of day. It was the disastrous accident that brought these two people, diametrically opposed to each other, into the same sphere of influence. Coming from two different worlds, one rich, the other barely eking out an existence, one ambitious and adventurous, the other far less driven, living in the shadow of a brilliant sister, and content with very little, having very little ambition, one disabled, resentful, wishing he could do the things he once did and one able-bodied who has no wishes to do much else with her life, one will wonder how on earth will these two will even be able to interact in the same space, peacefully? Could two so different human beings find any common ground to travel? Well, in six months time, against all odds, Louisa brings color and joy into Will’s world, and he teaches her to expand her horizons and reach her potential. She wants nothing more than to do that, together, with him. The author has taken a very grim topic and with the artful use of humorous dialogue, has made a very difficult subject easier to read about. Having to depend on someone for every need, having pain almost all the time, being unable to sleep, haunted by memories of what you once were and never will be again, essentially a prisoner in your own body is devastating, and the reader will feel that character’s extreme distress and his wish to bring that suffering to an early end. The reader will feel her frustration as Louisa agonizes over which is more important, her obligation to her job or to her boyfriend. Although there are times when serendipitous coincidences or uncharacteristic behavior seems contradictory, the books mainly succeeds in inspiring the reader to think about a truly controversial topic, euthanasia, and to explore the reasons it is sometimes considered and the ethics and morality of the choices made by those involved in these kind of life and death decisions. This is a beautiful love story; Will gives Louisa an new lease on life, even has he contemplates taking his own. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 23, 2013
| Apr 18, 2013
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Mar 23, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0385532415
| 9780385532419
| 4.13
| 275
| Oct 02, 2012
| Oct 02, 2012
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In this audiobook, the reader is superb; the presentation has perfect cadence and expression, and a lengthy book, that could have become tedious, beca...more
In this audiobook, the reader is superb; the presentation has perfect cadence and expression, and a lengthy book, that could have become tedious, because of the excessive detail, is instead, incredibly interesting and engaging. The author’s use of language, with his ideal choice of words and his understanding of the information, is completely engrossing. This book is a remarkable feat of detailed research and organization. Grant becomes totally real and human. Born Hiram Ulysses Grant, he was later called U. S. Grant because of a clerical error that was made when he attended West Point. After attempting unsuccessfully to revert to his real name, he acquiesced and accepted it, but insisted on using his middle name, Hiram, as well. He was good at soldiering until he was brought up on charges of excessive drinking, forcing him to resign rather than have the charges on his record. He then tried his hand at farming and at managing his father-in-law’s assets, but the forces of nature, the confluence of political events beyond his control, and his own inability to make sound decisions, sometimes being too naïve, or too soft a touch, caused him to fail at everything else but working in the service of his country. As a soldier, he was influential in many battles. He was sent far and wide, corresponding with his sweetheart Julia, for several years before they could marry. Often stationed in places he could not bring his wife and children, he was lonely and missed them desperately. His wife was stoic, bearing children without his presence and raising them without his help, while often expressing support for his efforts. Because he was not able to accumulate a fortune, large enough to allow him to leave the service, he remained. Grant was so devoted to the preservation of the Union, that he rarely returned home and only saw his second child for the first time after more than two years. At that time, his fortunes deteriorated, and after the birth of two more children and an inability to earn a living and make a success out of his life, he finally asked his disappointed father for help. He was allowed to enter into the business of two of his brothers. He was, actually, finally, good at something, other than soldiering. When asked to go back into the militia, he initially refused. At the time, Lincoln was President, and war was imminent because of the secession of the South. Eventually he entered the regular army, rather than the militia. A soft-spoken, humble man with no remarkable accomplishments until he was a soldier, he had a hand in all of the major events of the century in which he lived and worked. His achievements during the Civil War showed a remarkable grasp of military skill and judgment. Eventually, he was made head of all the armies and finally of the War Department, as part of President Johnson's cabinet after Lincoln’s assassination. Grant often disagreed with Johnson, and for the sake of the Union, although a reluctant candidate, he ran against him and won. His run for the Presidency was an act of duty rather than desire. He was unique in that he was propelled mainly by his interest in the preservation of the Union and not by personal, political ambition. He did not want the losses and accomplishments of the Civil War to be rescinded by a President who sought to remove the power of the Congress and reverse the gains achieved for the country, which were accomplished through great hardship, the loss of thousands and thousands of lives, coupled with thousands and thousands of casualties. He was motivated by the desire to make sure that those sacrifices should not have been in vain. Equal opportunity for all was the foundation of his Presidency. In many parts of the South, the Confederacy, although vanquished, was not willing to give up its lifestyle. The Ku Klux Klan was allowed to run rampant, committing completely unjust acts of brutality and murder without penalty. Were it not for Grant’s intervention, sending in the army, they would have continued without check. He worked untiringly for people of color and Native American Indians. I was surprised to learn that Grant, a Republican, was so preoccupied with abolishing slavery. He spearheaded the effort to give equal rights to freed slaves and fair treatment to the American Indian. It was the Democrats who were largely against these practices. Without the Republicans, that equality and freedom might never have been granted, and the fight against slavery might not have succeeded. I was also surprised to learn that during his career, despite his interest in equal rights for all, he singled out the Jews for punishment because of their control of cotton sales. These sales greatly enhanced the South’s ability to fight on and engage the North in battle. Grant made some pretty controversial anti-Semitic statements and issued some pretty anti-Semitic directives, some of which were reversed by Lincoln because they condemned a whole class of people. These people were even fighting for the cause of the Union. They were rulings that were not just against the peddlers, that he found irritating, because they controlled the cotton sales which funded the South. Although his purpose was motivated by the need to cut the South's capability to supply itself, so he could defeat them at Vicksburg, he later, when running for the presidency, disavowed the statements and apologized for making them. His behavior ever after was always to increase the rights of others and to support fair treatment for all, so I have to assume the stress of the war affected his sound judgment and was not representative of who he was or what he believed, as he so claimed. All of the battles that General Grant was engaged in throughout his career are described and Grant’s enormous successes and failures are detailed. The man who could not please his father or gain success in private life, was incredibly capable as a soldier, plain-speaking, open-minded, evenhanded and honest, he goes on to become the highest ranking officer in the service of his country and a two-term President of the United States. When he dies, prematurely from Cancer, he is revered and viewed in state for days. His final resting place is Grant's tomb, a place of honor, in New York. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 19, 2013
| Mar 28, 2013
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Mar 19, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 1455512133
| 9781455512133
| 3.52
| 831
| Feb 05, 2013
| Feb 05, 2013
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After listening to the audio version of the book, I wondered, is it an exposé, Erik’s memoir, an essay on marriage and parental responsibility, a trea...more
After listening to the audio version of the book, I wondered, is it an exposé, Erik’s memoir, an essay on marriage and parental responsibility, a treatise on love with an expiration date, or simply a straight forward confession of willful, deceitful behavior, given only because he was caught? Is the love of a wife or a child so great that logical, rational thought becomes all but impossible when the relationship with them is threatened? Did Eric want to be discovered, to repent for his life of lies, a life based totally on deceit? Is this why he pushed the envelope, knowing his actions would probably also bring about the discovery of his real identity and his disgrace? Did he risk all because of his devotion to his daughter or because of his memories of a similar event? I could not decide if he was malicious or simply misguided, naïve or cunning, creative or destructive. For sure, his actions put him on a downward spiral of his own making. When the story begins, we find Eric Kennedy reading a lengthy statement that he has written to his wife in an attempt to explain his behavior and to influence her to forgive him. He finally tells the truth, in the hope that it will alter his future, and mitigate the charges against him and his eventual sentence. Privy to his innermost thoughts and the reasons for his many irrational actions, the reader learns of the trials of his childhood, and begins to comprehend his loneliness and sense of loss when his wife separates from him, thereby removing his daughter from his life on a daily basis, as well. Eric still loves them both, dearly, has difficulty getting beyond the moment and recovering from the loss. He is in denial, ever hopeful that life will return to normal, but what is normal or real for Eric Kennedy? Eric Kennedy, AKA Erik Schroder, has reinvented himself in order to more perfectly fit in with a teenager’s life in America. At age 5, holding his father’s hand, he crossed the East German border and began a new life. He never saw his mother again. Soon, he moved to America where life was different but never easy, for an outsider. Poor and insecure, bullied by thugs, he grew more and more unhappy. When he learned of a posh boy’s camp in New Hampshire, he yearned for that life; and so, at age 14, Eric ceases to be a German immigrant and becomes a full-fledged American by becoming a character he makes up totally out of his imagination. Applying to become a camper there, using a fictitious name, he is surprised to actually not only get accepted but to also receive a full scholarship. His new persona is confident and from a more fortunate background than his own. He is no longer a foreigner in a foreign land, impoverished and alone, with only his father, a cold, distant, self-protecting man, for company. As Eric Kennedy, he is often mistaken for a relative of the Kennedys of Hyannis, rather than his real identity, which is a non-citizen lost in a sea of loneliness. Eric keeps up this fraudulent personality, distancing himself from his father and creating a wonderful background, complete with a childhood in a marvelous, affluent community on Cape Cod, very near the Kennedy Compound. He forges documents, attends University and eventually marries and has a child. He is not very ambitious; he is grateful for what he has but doesn’t seem to want much more. As a stay at home parent, his judgment when it comes to child rearing often seems flawed. When cracks begin to form in the relationship between him and his wife, Laura, he is not quick to notice, and when finally, she wants a separation, visitation rights with his daughter take on a life of their own, especially as they are being curtailed, more and more, as time goes by, because Laura continues to find his behavior aberrational and seeks to cut his visitation rights and privileges to protect Meadow, their child. Devastated, Erik/Eric, makes even more foolish decisions than he has in the past, takes greater chances, even though he knows he is heading into the maelstrom; he is soon on the run. The story feels like it is about the deconstruction of a human being who has constructed himself out of whole cloth to begin with and doesn’t seem to be realistically aware of the dangers facing him if he is found out. After awhile, It seemed as if Eric wasn’t sure where the old Erik began and the new Eric ended. Was his foolish attempt, as a teenager, to recreate his life and create a fantasy, really worth it? It was always fraught with the danger of discovery. It forced him to cut his ties with his father, the only person who loved him in America. How does that effect him? Did it make sense to push the envelope with Meadow, as he did, knowing it would lead to his detection as a fraud? Can he justify his actions and be saved? Can the reader find any redeeming qualities in Eric? Is he misguided or unstable? He absconds with his daughter when she is only one year older than he was when his father absconded with him, albeit under different circumstances, which he never really wanted to uncover. Is his loss of his country and his mother what propels him to re-enact almost the very same scene with his daughter? Has he been harboring the pain of that loss and the bitterness of that separation all these years? Is it déjà vu that has caused him to snap? Has it poisoned his mind so much that he cannot determine right from wrong any longer and just wants to preserve his relationships regardless of the cost? Will he languish in prison or find some other form of justice to repent? The end of the confession will leave the reader wondering because final judgment has not yet been rendered. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 12, 2013
| Mar 13, 2013
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Mar 12, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0385534205
| 9780385534208
| 3.63
| 1,183
| Jul 12, 2011
| Jul 12, 2011
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The Things We Cherished, Pam Jenoff The story really begins in Bavaria, with the seemingly innocent introduction of a handmade clock, in 1903. It is an...more The Things We Cherished, Pam Jenoff The story really begins in Bavaria, with the seemingly innocent introduction of a handmade clock, in 1903. It is an Anniversary Clock, a unique clock that is wound only once a year, that has been built by a farmer who hopes to sell it for enough money to pay for passage to America for himself and his pregnant wife. The book then fast forwards to 2009 where we meet Charlotte, a lawyer from a modest background, daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Once very much in love, she was jilted by her boyfriend. Brian decided to get engaged to a woman who was from the same social class and more compatible to him. Instead of working as planned, with him at The Hague, she changes course and becomes a Public Defender in Philadelphia. After several years pass, Brian reappears suddenly and asks for her help. He is representing Roger Dykmans against the charge of being a Nazi collaborator responsible for sending many innocents to their deaths, including his own brother. If Brian is successful in getting him an acquittal, he is virtually guaranteed to make partner in his firm. Charlotte spent three years studying the Holocaust in Eastern Europe and is a great forensic investigator. Her mother is now dead, and all of her other close relatives died in Europe at the hands of the Nazis, so she is very much interested in the case. Although she is still smarting from the pain of her broken engagement, she consents to give Brian a week’s time, if he will help one of her clients in return. Brian believes that Charlotte will be able to discover evidence with her forensic skills and will provide a plausible defense for his client. He believes he has missed something in his own investigation, and so he agrees to her terms. Charlotte sets off for Germany, only to be stood up at the airport by Brian, who said he was unavoidably delayed, and so she is forced to travel alone. Once in Germany, she is shocked to find that it is Brian’s brother with whom she will be working in this investigation, even though the brothers are still very much estranged. Together, they travel to Poland and investigate the war years in order to try and prove Dykmans’ innocence. Dykmans, himself, is unwilling to help in the investigation to clear his name. Charlotte is often put off by Mike’s coldness and distance and an uneasy, seesaw working relationship develops. She wonders if he dislikes her and why. As their friendship grows, the development of a romance in the story feels a little bit contrived, at first, but for the most part, it comes together, in the end. As they investigate Dykmans’ past, they learn of a great secret love in his life. Between the two of them they discover many subtle subplots that intertwine, sometimes not very clearly, but they all do eventually connect and work their way into the plot and the mystery’s solution. The novel serves to explain how hard it was to survive during the war and how hard it was to help each other, even with the best of intentions, and yet, love somehow survived and thrived, lasting decades, even in the absence of hope and the loss of the loved one. It was a time when no one could be trusted and evidence was easily lost or destroyed. Happy or unhappy coincidences often meant the difference between life and death. What is it that holds the key to the puzzle of Roger’s guilt or innocence and will it be discovered in time? To find out, you must travel with Charlotte and Roger on their journey to discover the truth. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 08, 2013
| Mar 19, 2013
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Mar 08, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0062231707
| 9780062231703
| 3.18
| 548
| Mar 05, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
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0
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Mar 08, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0062105620
| 9780062105622
| 3.85
| 1,851
| 2011
| Apr 23, 2013
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Mar 08, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 1590514904
| 9781590514900
| 3.39
| 568
| Sep 01, 2010
| Oct 23, 2012
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I think it took a genius to write this book and make it readable, likeable and fun. It could easily have been a book tossed into the dustbin. The stor...more
I think it took a genius to write this book and make it readable, likeable and fun. It could easily have been a book tossed into the dustbin. The story mocks every convention of modern society in tongue-in-cheek ways with hilarious plays on words even with the names of characters and places, some almost unintelligible in the audio addition because they are so foreign sounding. The book is unusual in that it is not addressing the reader at large, but is supposed to be a private conversation between Peter (Petrus), the narrator, and the reader, you, and it feels that way, as well. You are engaged in a private conversation, almost outside the boundaries of the book. The Fino children, Hans, Tilte, Peter (in order of their age), and Basker III (the dog), all reside on the island called Fino, in Denmark. The children are pranksters who have mastered the art of deception. They come from a strange background of characters, a hump-backed great-grandmother and parents who could easily be considered good-natured charlatans, who have been leaders in their Church. Their Father is the “miracle-making” pastor who leads services in which there are magical occurences and mother plays the organ and is a craftswoman, as well. She is multi-talented. All residents have many jobs since they live in a very small town, and she is no exception. Their jobs are often contradictory in nature, making the reader chuckle under their breath, as the thief may be the one in charge of the alarm systems and the person of religion may be dispensing advice on debauchery. The head of the school is Alexander Beastly Flounderblood, aptly named, as is Leonora Ticklepalate who in Tibetan nun’s habit, lives the life of a monk while giving telephone advice about various sexual exploits. Basker III is the third in a line of hounds named after the supernatural hound in the book, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Tilte is the 16 year old sister of Petrus and Hans, whose spiritual nature and cleverness can have a mesmerizing effect on everyone, in essence tilting the world her way. She discovered that there is a door that exists within everyone that leads to freedom. There are so many characters and their names are double entendres that also indicate their background. The reader will simply smile as Polly Pigonia comes to life on the page. She had a pig farm which she has turned into an ashram. Finn Flatfoot is the local policeman, Svend Sewerman was a builder of sewers, Pallas Athene is a goddess who runs a brothel. Is Peter the rock and is Hans a metaphor for Jesus, with Pallas Athene, his Mary Magdalene? Within the witty dialogue and the use of sleight of hand in this fantasy, there is also a serious message hidden, and it is apparent at the end, more than anywhere else, in Peter’s final words. Peter wants to tell you, the reader, about the door to the room. “The self is a room inside the prison”. He wants to show you how to escape the prison which is our self. Within us there are rooms of joy and sorry, pain and pleasure. If we move outside the room, through the door, and we don’t think, we can let go of our baggage and become free. Within each of us is also an elephant which can be a dream, a burden an unfulfilled hope, both good and bad. Sometimes we have to let go of that elephant as well. Peter can see the elephant within. Does the reader also see the elephants people carry with them? When we stop thinking and walk through that door, is that the meaning of life or the end of it? What is the true escape? This is not a book for everyone. Reading this is a trip into a world of madness, nonsense, mystery, romance, subterfuge, silliness, crime, religion, right and wrong, terrorism and bravery, and they are all mocked by the author. The book arouses so many conflicting thoughts in the reader, but the book is never overbearing. It turns all trials into triumphs, all tragedies into happy endings. The reader will wonder if it is not, perhaps, really about the meaning of life, on its serious level, even as it mocks all of society’s conventions, all of the religions, all of the mores, all of the people in power. One has to take the time to ferret out the true meaning of the tale and of each word, sentence and name, in order to discover the inner message of the author and not just be influenced by the lightness of the plot through the use of trompe l’oeill. There is much more to the story than meets the eye. Is everyone flawed, in a prison of their own making, or has the world created the prison for them? . (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 08, 2013
| Mar 10, 2013
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Mar 08, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0385360452
| 9780385360456
| unknown
| 3.47
| 19
| Apr 16, 2013
| Apr 16, 2013
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Mar 04, 2013
| Audio CD
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| 039307157X
| 9780393071573
| 3.84
| 121
| Mar 11, 2012
| Mar 11, 2013
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War makes enemies of former friends and pits them against each other. War puts countries and people on different sides of issues that previously were...more
War makes enemies of former friends and pits them against each other. War puts countries and people on different sides of issues that previously were of no concern to them. They are forced to design weapons to destroy the country and countrymen of those they once cared about and previously did not hold in contempt. Nowhere is the conflict that we face in war more evident than in this novel which is based on true events of our not so distant past. The time is May 1935.The place is Hamburg, NY. There we meet Campbell Richards and Lacy Robertson. Stuck on a ferris wheel, they speak about his dreams of flying and her hidden fears. He is insecure, views himself as inadequate because he stutters, but is working very hard to get it under control. She is quite lovely and composed, more forward in her behavior, and he feels a bit out of his depth but very lucky to be with her. Next, still in May 1935, we move to Karuizawa, Japan, where we meet several families at a gathering. Anton Reynolds and his wife Beryl are there with their young son, Billy. Hana and Kenji Kobayashi have a young daughter, Yoshi. The scene is pleasant and polite on the surface, but as the story moves on, you may change your mind about your initial opinions of several of the characters. The men, while expecting proper decorum from their family members, often defy convention themselves. Now fast forward into April of 1942. We are with Campbell Richards as he ships out to sea on the Hornet. He is a pilot, part of the Doolittle Raiders, and his mission is to drop bombs on Tokyo. With adverse weather conditions and low fuel, many of the pilots are not sure if they will be able to return safely afterwards. For the next two decades, from 1942 until 1962, we follow the course of events that shape the lives of the families we met, before the war, in 1935, when there was only a hint of what was to come. We watch as their lives intersect, finally bringing some justice, resolution and reconciliation to all of them. Some of what we learn and witness through their eyes will shock us. Some of it will make us realize the futility of it all. In the end, what is really accomplished with war but death and destruction? Someone wins and someone loses, but is it really as clear as that? Aren’t the winners, losers too? This book concerns itself largely with the war on one front, the one with Japan. Who is to say which “enemy” was the more dangerous or cruel? For Americans reeling from Pearl Harbor, it was the Japanese and their kamikazes and their take no prisoner attitudes, their brutal treatment of POW's. For the Japanese, it was the fire-bombing of Tokyo and the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that defined cruelty. The first two segments of the book seemed too light in character when compared to the more serious nature of the subject matter in the rest of the novel. They almost seemed to have been written by a different author. The use of crude language, even though it was rare, did nothing to enhance the novel, but rather it detracted from it and distracted this reader’s attention. The inclusion of a homosexual character seemed contrived and I was hard pressed to figure out why it was necessary. It didn’t improve the plot or create greater interest. Overall, however, the characters were well developed, the subject matter was of great concern, and the novel was engaging and will captivate the reader. I recommend it as a good read and as a novel book clubs will enjoy discussing. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 02, 2013
| Mar 13, 2013
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Mar 02, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0547318359
| 9780547318356
| 3.71
| 3,968
| 2010
| Oct 05, 2010
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This novel is a trip down memory lane for anyone of a certain age. Two wars are being fought at the same time; one is in Europe and the Pacific where...more
This novel is a trip down memory lane for anyone of a certain age. Two wars are being fought at the same time; one is in Europe and the Pacific where World War II is raging and the other is in the Jewish neighborhood of Weequahic, in Newark, New Jersey, where a polio epidemic is raging. Neither war will end well. Is the story ultimately about how we face a crisis and go forward into our future? Is it about control, who does and who does not have it in the face of tragedy? Is it about unfounded, unrealistic guilt and shame? Is it about the Jewish experience or the experience of everyman? Two characters, the narrator and the protagonist, each were afflicted with polio and its after effects, but both face their futures in different ways. One character takes control of his life and masters it; one relinquishes control, wallows in self recrimination, railing at G-d about the life he has been given, somehow always feeling like he has missed out and always wanting more. He is too short, his eyesight is too poor, his background is wanting, and when he was rejected from the armed forces, branded 4F, he was devastated. He is not easily satisfied, and in fact, always finds the negative and disappointment in a given situation, rather than the silver lining. During the summer of 1944, Eugene Cantor is the Director of Playgrounds; he loves his job. He is a Physical Education teacher and he really enjoys being with the children. He wants to mentor them, to help them become strong and principled. He is in love with a teacher from a wonderful family and life is going well for him, even though he feels a bit like he is always behind the eight ball, a bit short changed in the game of life. He was raised by his grandparents; his mother died in childbirth and his father was a thief. He carried the shame of his crime within himself. Did he also carry the guilt for the death of his mother? His grandfather always emphasized hard work, strength of character and always doing the right thing. Although devoted to them both, his grandfather became his role model. Perhaps he also instilled that feeling of guilt within him, that he carried his entire life. Growing up, he always missed the atmosphere of what he considered a normal family, one with both parents offering encouragement and love. Even though he acknowledged the great love his grandparents shared with him, he hungered for what he did not have. This becomes a pattern for him. He always sees the dark side. Does he transfer that feeling of guilt onto every other aspect of his life, always making his burden a bit heavier? The story proceeds along innocently enough, at first, but the pace picks up as you realize the fear the community is living with on a daily basis because of the war and the polio epidemic. Who will get a telegram about their son, whose child will come down with polio? No one knows, and furthermore, no one has any control over either which makes them even more impotent and afraid. There was a good deal of irrational fear as they waited for the next shoe to drop, the next victim to fall, always anticipating the next tragedy. The book is narrated by Arnold Mesnikoff who is more than a decade younger than Eugene. He plays in the playground’s baseball games which Eugene (Bucky Cantor) organizes during that fateful summer of 1944. At the end of the book, the effect of those early dual wars is illuminated by the chance meeting of the two men, about three decades later. Each of them reacted to the events of that summer in their own unique way. The different roads they chose determined the lives they led and the obstacles they faced. Each had to face a challenge. Would they meet it with courage and strength or surrender to a different destiny? Although the book is about a small Jewish enclave in New Jersey, anyone growing up in that time can't help but feel nostalgic. Although it was more than a decade later, I remember the same atmosphere: the air raid drills, air raid siren tests, polio scares, anti-Semitism, rivalry between Jews and Italians. Who doesn't recall the stoops in front of their attached homes, each with a narrow driveway separating them from their nearest neighbor and a postage stamp piece of property with a tree in front, newly planted? It could be a number of other Jewish communities in any urban center, not necessarily Newark. Roth has captured the true spirit and persona of the Jewish families of that time, their expectations, their hopes and their pressures. The relationship between parent and child, adult and minor was one of authority vs. powerlessness. Improper behavior, disobedience, weakness, was cause for guilt and shame, not only heaped upon the wayward one but also upon the entire family. So many in that era lived in just such a house, in just such a neighborhood, hung laundry from the window, attaching it with clothespins to a line attached to a tree, some distance away, which was on a pulley system. (Who doesn’t remember the times the clothes that fell had to be retrieved by running down flights of stairs and then rewashing them by hand?). We hung out at the corner candy store, had ice cream sundaes with abandon, never thinking about calories. Who doesn't remember the shoemaker or the "druggist" who had as much respect as the doctor and whose advice you often sought first, before even calling a doctor? Times may have been different, even more dangerous, with the cold war and diseases with no vaccines, but the people seemed more connected, happier to communicate with each other then. Perhaps it was the invention of Air Conditioners or television that forced people inside and away from the communal gatherings in the street, in order to escape the heat or to simply socialize. Soon windows were closed, doors were shut, people sat alone in their homes, more isolated, entertained by a box with pictures and sound, and they no longer participated with each other to the same extent. They escaped from the real world into a world of fantasy. Perhaps that escape is necessary in the real world, in order to survive and not let life get you down. Is it the ability to find a silver lining inside of every cloud or the doom and gloom, sky is falling attitude that should prevail? Mr. Roth captures the prevailing atmosphere of the times, the terrible fear of the disease for which their was no treatment or cure, not even a known cause that could be blamed, though they tried to find one; the Italians, the Board of Health, and even Mr. Cantor, the Playground Director was accused. He accurately describes the over-anxious Jewish mothers, their over arching need to protect and provide for their families, the culture of learning, the desire for education that is ever-present in the Jewish neighborhoods along with the ever-present shadow always lurking, of anti-Semitism. It was a time for Jews to gather their courage, stand tall and squash their image of meekness; they must face their difficulties, their trials with courage and fortitude, and this means Polio, as well. Ignorance was the main problem. No one knew how to stop the disease just as no one knew how to end the war quickly. There were so many deaths, untimely and unnecessary. Was anyone at fault? Should anyone feel guilty? Should someone be punished? Was everyone blameless? Who or what was the real enemy? Why did some fare better than others? Why did some handle their burdens more satisfactorily? In the end, doesn’t this story have a larger meaning? Couldn’t the community be anywhere and the people be of any race or religion? Wouldn’t any neighborhood have reacted in similar fashion? Or, wouldn’t they? This brief book will make you wonder about all these questions, but it will not give you the answers. Those you must find for yourself. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 02, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
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Mar 02, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0670026220
| 9780670026227
| 3.88
| 3,132
| Jan 01, 2012
| Sep 13, 2012
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Antonio Mendez originally planned to be an artist. He put his skill to work at the CIA where he became Chief of Disguise, worldwide, at the age of 33,...more
Antonio Mendez originally planned to be an artist. He put his skill to work at the CIA where he became Chief of Disguise, worldwide, at the age of 33, and shortly after, he was promoted to Chief of Authentication. He used his skills to exfiltrate compromised agents, informers and operatives. He created scenarios, new identities and documents, for people in desperate need of rescue. He was good at what he did. He was good at most everything he tried. He built a home, created paintings, and was a family man, while at the same time he was an excellent undercover agent within the system. When the American Embassy in Teheran was overrun by militant students and hostages were taken, six employees were able to sneak out and get away before they could be captured. They wandered around seeking refuge and finally were given safe harbor by the Canadians. After being hidden for three months in the Ambassador’s home, time was running out. News of their escape was out and it was only a matter of time until it would be made public, possibly making their capture imminent, the treatment of the other hostages worse and creating an international incident for Canada. Mendez was in charge of the mission to rescue the Americans. They needed a cover story in order to be able to fly out of Iran without being recognized and detained. He originated the idea of making the movie, Argo, in Iran, in order to smuggle them out. Credible personas and plausible disguises had to be invented for all of them. He had to change mild mannered diplomats into flashy Hollywood personalities and himself into a Hollywood producer. When Mendez arrived in Iran to meet them, he had no idea if he could pull it off. He had no idea if they would be able to accomplish all they had to in order to escape, but he laid out the plan and helped to train them in their new incarnations as brash, outgoing Hollywood personalities. They had to look and carry themselves differently, and they had to really become that person in only a matter of hours, playing the part realistically in order to pass the checkpoints and be able to board the plane that would take them to freedom and safety. After the rescue, Mendez was promoted to full colonel and over the years, he received many additional honors, even though they were not made public because operations of the CIA are clandestine and kept secret. There are many unsung heroes working there. Until the 50th anniversary of the CIA, when it became public, no one really knew the truth about what took place or who was really responsible for the success of the operation to free the Americans in hiding. It was not easy to come up with a plan that would work, but ultimately, Mendez did and he pulled it off.. The book is really exciting. Mendez has smuggled out other operatives and defectors, and he describes several of these missions. They were dangerous and harrowing. When he left his family for a mission, it was a wrenching moment. He never knew if he would return safely. Mendez, a mild mannered and rather ordinary looking man, was a courageous and dedicated secret agent, not in the manner of James Bond, but in the manner of an operative who had to fade into the crowd so as not to be noticed, an operative dedicated and loyal to his country. Mendez was a highly successful secret agent. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Feb 27, 2013
| Mar 07, 2013
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Feb 27, 2013
| Hardcover
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