Travels
by Michael Crichton
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Paperback (05 November, 2002)
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Reviews (104)

An exploration of "direct experience"...
In the Preface of this highly informative and entertaining collection of musings, experiences and travels of the body, mind and spirit, Crichton explains the reasons that prompted him to write this book:

"If you are a writer, the assimilation of important experiences almost obliges you to write about them. Writing is how you make the experience your own, how you explore what it means to you, how you come to possess it, and ultimately release it."

Crichton explores our need for direct experience. His premise is that modern man has lost his innate sense of himself and existence, relying on opinions, concepts and information structures, second hand knowledge, in order to make sense of the world, which, in the end, is a false perception. He proposes that the modern city-dweller, for example, cannot even see the stars at night due to the false light around him, causing a serious alienation from himself and reality. We've become so reliant on the media, hyper -realty, that simulation has become the real, thus we have generally lost our bearings, we have lost track of ourselves in relation to the greater scheme of things. Travel for Crichton, then, helped him to have "direct experience", thus achieving a greater sense of himself and his place on the planet. This book is about these direct experiences.

In Travels there are twenty- eight essays covering the author's early life in medical school and his bout with psychiatry, moving on to his first years in Hollywood as an aspiring writer and filmmaker, to his experiences in exotic lands and his musings on his experiences with the esoteric and the unexplained.These last essays are extremely interesting because Crichton attempts to rationally explain those phenomenon that dwell in the irrational - entities, other dimensional realms and the underrated "sixth" sense, that we've come to know as intuition. His proposition is that, fundamentally, just because certain phenomena cannot be explained "rationally", doesn't mean it doesn't exist. And to dismiss such phenomenon because it cannot hold up under the rigors of scientific analysis, is a mistake.

Crichton's Travels is a writer's exploration of himself and the world. It is an entertaining chronicle, at times hilarious and sad, and ultimately a strong argument for the need for all of us to have "direct experience", reinforcing his view that we also need greater insight into the mystical as well as the scientific, in order to truly understand ourselves and existence.

As usual, similar to all his books, Crichton has given us something informative, as well as tremendously entertaining.

Starts well but doesn't maintain
Authors are always trying to craft the ultimate opening sentence. In "Travels," Michael Crichton outdoes himself: "It is not easy to cut through a human head with a hacksaw." Crichton is off and running, and the first nine chapters, all dealing with his medical studies, simply fly by. It's absolutely engrossing material. The book takes a sharp turn into accounts of Crichton's world travels, and by the time he segues into the paranormal, the pace slows considerably.

Crichton discusses his experiences with psychic phenomena such as seeing auras, talking (and listening) to plants, palmistry, being possessed, and on and on. He is a skeptic with a medical and scientific background, so his perspective is an interesting one. He makes a good case for there being areas of consciousness that we have barely begun to explore.

I have read all of Michael Crichton's fiction, but this was the first nonfiction of his that I have read. One thing is clear: the guy can flat-out write. When I can read page after page and not even think about the mechanics of the text, I know the author is a good one. "Travels" is a fascinating book, particularly if you have an interest in exotic locales and the world of the paranormal.

A Journey of its Own
This book is as much about being a seeker of experiences, as it is about being a traveler. It is in my opinion, an indispensable `how to' guide. It teaches the reader to use outward places and experiences to enhance inward journeys. If you dream of new vistas, this book is unique in its approach to taking you there. I have given this book as gifts to several other special people along my path.

Travels is like a trinket you pick up on a stray beach in Bali, or a memory too dear to risk forgetting. Yes, it can be a bit indulgent. For example, some may not want to read about having fast-induced conversations with succulents or reading auras. But developing 'openness' to the unknown is critical to living or traveling, isn't it?

Overall, I think it's an education in understanding what travel is at it core, its essence.
... Read more

Isbn: 0060509058
Sales Rank: 26242
Subjects:  1. 1942-    2. 20th century    3. American novelists    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Crichton, Michael,    9. Literary    10. Novelists, American    11. Special Interest - Adventure    12. Travel    13. Travelers    14. Voyages and travels   

Timeline
by Michael Crichton
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (24 October, 2000)
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Editorial Review

When you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a"quantum foam wormhole," and step out in feudal France circa 1357, be very, very afraid. If you aren't strapped back in precisely 37 hours after yourvisit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in acivil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords, and peasant bandits alleager to cut your throat. You'll also have to dodge catapults that hurlsizzling pitch over castle battlements. On the social front, you should avoidprovoking "the butcher of Crecy" or Sir Oliver may lop your head off with a swoosh of his broadsword or cage and immerse you in "Milady's Bath," a brackish dungeon pit into which live rats are tossed now and then for prisoners to eat.

This is the plight of the heroes of Timeline, Michael Crichton's thriller. They're historians in 1999 employed by a tech billionaire-genius with more than a few of Bill Gates's most unlovable quirks. Like the entrepreneur in Crichton's Jurassic Park,Doniger plans a theme park featuring artifacts from a lost world revived viacutting-edge science. When the project's chief historian sends a distress call to1999 from 1357, the boss man doesn't tell the younger historians the risks they'll face trying to save him. At first, the interplay between eras is clever, but Timeline swiftly becomes a swashbucklingold-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox in the mix.Most of the cool facts are about the Middle Ages, and Crichton marvelouslybrings the past to life without ever letting the pulse-pounding action slowdown. At one point, a time-tripper tries to enter the Chapel of Green Death. Unfortunately, its custodian, a crazed giant with terrible teeth and abad case of lice, soon has her head on a block. "She saw a shadow moveacross the grass as he raised his ax into the air." I dare you not to turn the page!

Through the narrative can be glimpsed the glowing bones of the moviethat may be made from Timeline and the cutting-edge computer gamethat should hit the market in 2000. Expect many clashing swords and chasescenes through secret castle passages. But the book stands alone, tall andscary as a knight in armor shining with blood. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (1726)

Decent, for what it is
I found this book to be a lot like the movie-nothing spectacular, but fun and enjoyable if you take everything at face value. The pseudo-science won't stand up to much scrutiny, and while the history will probably do a little better, I'm sure it too is flawed. However, I didn't read this book for a science lesson or a history lesson. I read it to be entertained, and it did a good job of that.

True, there are quite a few plot holes, but I was able to overlook them and just enjoy the book and the adventures the characters were having. Anyone looking for realism or a strong plot will probably not enjoy this book, but I enjoyed it for what it was and didn't expect too much from it.

Quantum Foam?
Dr. Crichton once again presents scientific theories and thought in such a way that they come across as believable fact...

The premise of this book is dimensional travel. Everything from quantum foam to shroedinger's cat is explained in layman's terms in this book, and in this way, it's a great hitchiker's guide to modern physics.

The plot of the book, however, isn't quite what some of his other works have been. I enjoyed the dimensional travel; I enjoyed the scientific discussions. I found that the motivations of the characters were not well explained, and, the paradoxes inherent to dimensional travel are merely skimmed over. That makes the book lose a point with me.

Still, though, an enjoyable book.

(*)>

Imagine Yourself in Fourteenth Century France
If you like a book that has history and physics combined then you should read the novel by Micheal Crichton "Timeline".It's about four archaelogists who go back in time to Castlegard, France in the fourteenth century during the Hundred Year War.Their mission is to rescue Professor Johnston within 36 hours. Once they find the professor, the archaelogists must rely on their knowledge of history, and their instincts, to survive and return to the twentieth century. This is made possible by scientists working at ITC who use the quantum theory to connect wormholes,allowing people to travel to other universes existing at an earlier time.
The characters in "Timeline" find that life in the fourteenth century is not always what they had expected. This book gives an interesting view of France during the Hundred Years War.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves history and science or anyone who just loves an adventure.You won't want to put this book down. ... Read more

Isbn: 0345417623
Subjects:  1. 14th century    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. France    5. History    6. Science Fiction    7. Science Fiction - Adventure    8. Suspense    9. Technological    10. Fiction / General   

Jurassic Park
by Michael Crichton
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 November, 1991)
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Editorial Review

Unless your species evolved sometime after 1993 when Jurassic Park hit theaters, you're no doubt familiar with this dinosaur-bites-man disaster tale set on an island theme park gone terribly wrong. But if Speilberg's amped-up CGI creation left you longing for more scientific background and ... well, character development, check out the original Michael Crichton novel. Although not his best book (get ahold of sci-fi classic The Andromeda Strain for that), Jurassic Park fills out the film version's kinetic story line with additional scenes, dialogue, and explanations while still maintaining Crichton's trademark thrills-'n'-chills pacing. As ever, the book really is better than the movie. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (569)

A page turner
This is a great book.It is far better than the movie.The sequels are okay, but the first one is still the best.Anyone would like this book no matter their age.

I don't think that's tomato juice....
Jurassic Park is a gripping action title set on a private island of the coast of Costa Rica. Horrific and deep,it should please anybody with the ability to read.i couldnt put it down for all the tea in china, nor all the chinese waitresses who bring it.
John hammond is hungry to make something extraordinary.dealing with boigenetic company,ingen,they manage to create genetically engineered dinosaurs.hammond has an idea of having a dinosaur zoo where kids can marvel at these amazing creatures.unfortunately, his view doesn't include reality, and ingen comes across many problems creating this "zoo".
the way crichton writes is sheer genious.the words seem to flow together and, in time, you'll feel as if it's happening before your eyes.A modern classic written like Shakespeare for old people, jurassic park should not be missed by anybody.

Great Read
A book about Dinosaurs terrorizing a group of people who on a secluded island makes for a great adventure book.This book is the investigation of an island that soon will be opened to the public.And what the characters find is an island of terror where the Dinosaurs are let loose and thereafter terrorize the human characters, therefore, asking the question "Does man really control nature?".This book is a great read if you are looking for a fast paced action adventure that also going into the details of the area and characters.One of Crichton's best books. ... Read more

Isbn: 0345370775
Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    3. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Thrillers    6. Fiction / General   

The Lost World
by Michael Crichton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (17 September, 1995)
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Editorial Review

Written in the wake of Jurassic Park's phenomenal box-office success, The Lost World seems as much a guidebook for Hollywood types hard at work on the franchise's followup as it is a legitimate sci-fi thriller. Which begs the inevitable questions: Is the plot a rehash of the first book? Sure it is, with the action unfolding on yet another secluded island, the mysterious "Site B." Is the cast of characters basically the same? Absolutely, from a freshly minted pair of cute, compu-savvy kids right down to the neatly exhumed chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (who was presumed dead at the close of JP). But is it fun to read? You betcha. Hollywood (and Michael Crichton) keeps telling us the same old stories for a very good reason: we like them. And the pulp SF formula Crichton has mastered with Jurassic Park and The Lost World is no exception. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (520)

whats going on crichton????????
i shall start off this review by tell you that jurassic park is my favourite book, and for an 18 year old, i know that is kinda sad.
the lost world film was my favourite out of the trilogy, way better than the first, but is let down teribly by the t-rex being taken to san diego. thats just crap man.
but the lost world book? what is going on?
ian malcolm is the lead character in it, yet he died in the first book?
crichton decides that t-rex doesn't have amphibian based visual accuity, yet in the first book it was one of the major points?
velociraptors have no idea of social behaviour in the lost world, yet in jurassic park they have a striking social hierarchy?
the whole story falls to bits and it isn't as gripping or even as bloody interesting as the first one.

(...)

A Page Turner
This book is just so...great. This would have to be the best book I've ever read. Theres a great blend of action as well as charector development, theres also a great blend of Science inserted in as well. Michael Crichton knows how to write with suspence. Unlike Jurassic Park(Which I also loved), this book gets quickly to the point, it introduces some great charectors like Richard Levine for instance. The book can be gory at some times though but it wouldn't be that bad to read even if your not into gore and such(The killings are pretty descriptive though) maybe even more so than the first Jurassic Park. When I read this book I literally could not put it down. I had read around ten-fifteen chapters in one single day, thats how good the story is. This book just keeps you riveted and makes you ask for more. Theres one scene involving Dr. Sarah Harding and Kelly Chester on a motorcycle and it involves a Velociraptor, that would have to be one of my favorite scenes. Bottom line: This book is worth you hard earned money, I only paid like $7.00 but I would have paid $15.00 if I had to. I actually liked it better than the first. Highly recommended.

A major flop
It was with great anticipation that I read this book. I have been a Crichton fan for a long time and think the 'Jurassic Park' was one of his best books. This book is the sequel and continues where the first book left off.

To my knowledge, Crichton had never written a sequel to one of his books prior to this one. After the original novels success and the blockbuster movie based on the book, one can not help but think that Crichton felt some pressure (from Hollywood, fans, and the big payday - who knows) to continue the story.

Well, this book falls far short of the original. This book seems to follow the same script as the first book, but the characters are changed a little. It just isn't very creative regarding the characters, the premise of the story and without those it has nothing. I actually got the feeling when reading this book that some of it was written with movie scenes in mind.

My advice would be to read the original and skip this book all together. You will not be missing much. ... Read more

Isbn: 0679419462
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Cloning    3. Crichton, Michael - Prose & Criticism    4. Dinosaurs    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - Science Fiction    7. Horror - General    8. Science Fiction - General    9. Science fiction    10. Thrillers    11. Fiction / Horror   

California Blue
by David Klass
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1996)
list price: $5.99 -- our price: $5.99
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Reviews (11)

Inspiring
This book inspired me to become a distance runner. There should be a warning sign on the front of this book that says, "Caution: This book could change your life."

I read the book at the end of eigth grade, and the imagery and freedom of distance running appealed to me.

This is my seventeenth season of distance running.

Read this book. It could change your life.

California Blue a winner
This is a traykewl book! The way the author shows the teenage feelings is very effective and the relationships between John and Miss Merill and John and his dad are very realistic! This book rings true to what is happening in society today and the war between loggers and enviromentalists. A GR8 read!!

California Blue
This book is about a boy named John Rodgers who runs track and has a relationship with his father while having a crush on his biology teacher, Ms. Merril. Johns father works at the logging mill and doesnt have the timeor patience to deal with John. Also,John loves catching butterflies around the logging mill and around the tons of sequia trees near the mill. One day, John finds an unusual blue butterfly and he discovers that it is a rare unknown he discovers that it is a rare unknown butterfly which signifys the discovery of an unknown species. The only problem is ecologists want to shut down the mill in hopes that the butterfly can live peacefully and flourish. I recommend this book to just about any age and it is a great book that is a quick and fun read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0590466895
Sales Rank: 67147
Subjects:  1. Butterflies    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Environmental protection    4. Fiction    5. Nature & the Natural World - Environment & Ecology    6. Social Situations - General    7. Juvenile Fiction / Nature & the Natural World   

The Partner
by JOHN GRISHAM
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (07 January, 1998)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.19
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Editorial Review

Literary slugger John Grisham returns with a story about-- surprise!--a lawyer in trouble.Patrick Lanigan had been a young partner in a prominent Southern law firm.He had a beautiful wife, a new baby girl, and a bright future.Then one winter night Patrick was trapped in a burning car; the casket they buried held nothing but ashes.

A short distance away, Patrick watched his own burial then fled. A fortune was stolen from his ex-firm's offshore account.And Patrick ran, covering his tracks the whole way.

But, now, they've found him. ... Read more

Reviews (819)

Impressively bad-a complete waste of time
It was a real task to get through this but Grisham has a record of turning out good stories so I thought this would eventually turn into a good story. I was wrong. If you choose to read this be aware that you can read the first 50 pages and the last 50 pages and get 98% of the story without wasting your time on the 350 pages in the middle which drag on endlessly. And there's absolutely no reason to read the last 5 pages of the book for any reason.

While it's pretty clear that Grisham phoned this one in it was still on its way to a possible 2 star performance (maybe even a 3 with a great ending) simply because it's a mildly interesting story and because so many other thriller writers can't write at all. But with the last five pages Grisham turned this into a zero stars book.

There are so many problems with this book that it's hard to now where to start, but let's start with characterization. At no point did I feel I knew the main character and at no point did I care what happened to the main character (or anyone else). Grisham tells us what the characters are doing and lets us in on a few idle thoughts but we never really know these charcters. The bad guys are bad but that's about all we know about them.

The legal complexities of the story are a little bit interesting if you're an attorney. If you're not I doubt that anyone would really care. But everything is predictable until the last two surprises.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEAD
QUIT READING NOW IF YOU CARE
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD STOP NOW

The first surprise (as to who ratted on Patrick) is both irrational and illogical. If Patrick wanted to stop the chase he could have hired an army of lawyers and worked out a deal with the Feds BEFORE turning himself in. There was no need for drama at all. Same with a possible state prosecution.

The second surprise (she disappears) simply has no place in this story. I don't care that Patrick loses her and I don't care what happens to her, but her disappearance simply doesn't fit into the story. It doesn't fit what we know about any chracters in the story nor does it fit into any of the story lines.

My guess is that Grisham never really knew how to end this. He also probably read through it and realized what a bland predictable read it is and decided to do something existential. Unfortunately this isn't an existential story. So the ending is just BS.

Another Great Book!
This book was awesome. As with some of the plots in Grisham's books, this one is a little on the extraordinary side. Unbelievable as it may be, the book is still awesome. The story is about a young law firm partner who cleverly fakes his own death. His fictional demise is created when he is believed to have been trapped and burned alive in a blazing car crash. After his funeral, Patrick stole 90 million dollars from his old firm and made his way to Brazil where he lives in peace for four and a half years. He is found and tortured at the behest of the firm and the companies that fell victim to his thevery.

Patrick has the money and has secrets that can destroy a powerful group of prominent people and companies. A battle of stategy ensues as Patrick uses his valuable information as leverage with the FBI. The book ends with a twist. An awesome book overall.

definitely worth reading
book was really really fun to read, interesting , deep, very nice and ingenius plot, but the ending killed it.it would've had a nie ending, yet grisham chose to give the ending a surprising but out of place twist.basically everything was good except for the last 2 pages of the ending. ... Read more

Isbn: 0440224764
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    3. General    4. Legal    5. Suspense    6. Fiction / General   

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel
by Barbara Kingsolver
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1999)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
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Editorial Review

Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they'vearrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate--teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (1279)

A healing look atlife's scars
This is a book about how life can be unfair, how people can be horribly biased in their views, how religion can be hokey (on many counts), and explores the reactions of those subjected to trauma in five very distinct voices.I admired Kingsolver's ability to lend a unique voice to each of the story's narrators: the wife and daughters of a self-righteous, horrid minister.The blights and scars the Congo imposes upon this family are healed in very individual ways, much like the Congo itself grows over with vines and heals itself after an injury.This book explores the effects of values on a world society, and highlights how superficial many Americans (and Europeans) can be, and the imposition of the American government on other nations' leaders and governmental organization.It even touches on the nature of God, if such exists, and the presence of the supernatural in the natural.At the very least, even if the concepts explored are antithetical to your own views, this book prompts deep thought and discussion.Highly recommended.

Poisonwood Bible review
I have chosen to write my book report on the novel Posionwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. The book is set in the Congo, just as the fight for freedom from Belguim peaks. A white missionary family has just arrived and is caught in the political battle. They face many times of trouble during their stay.
At the head of the family is a strong, fervent Southern Baptist Man who is determined to spread God's word to every poverty stricken child. Nathan Price will let nothing stand in his way and certainly has no time to deal with his wife, Orlenna, and their four daughters. With his "It's the Lord's way!" and indifferent attitude towards his family, many of the local villagers dislike him.
Following in his wake is Orlenna and the daughters, Ruth May, Leah, Adah, and Rachel. The eldest is Rachel whose beauty and pale, fine hair amazes the locals, is very vain and lazy. The twins Leah and Adah are complete opposites. Leah wants to be just like her father and tries to please him. But Adah is less than perfect with her crippled left side. She looks at the world with a whole different viewpoint. Adah rarely speaks, and reads & writes backwards. The youngest, Ruth May, has a completely child like view of the world. Her entertaining descriptions of the Congo keep you laughing throughout the book.
Another thing that gives the book an extra twist is the fact that every other chapter is told by a different person. Mainly by the daughters, but Orlenna gives you kind of flashbacks at the beginning of the chapters.
So if you like political power struggles, crazy Catholic birds, and the tribes of Ham you should definitely read this book.

Annoyingly good
I read The Poisonwood Bible knowing that it was a hippie touchstone, the staple of hairy-armpitted Fair Trade obsessives who eschew deodourant and will admit, if pushed, that they think Marx will eventually be proved right. As such, I was well prepared to hate the book. Sadly, I couldn't.

It's beautifully written, evocative and painful. Whether one respects the underlying politics or not, it's very difficult not to invest emotional capital with the characters, and to be moved. The pacing of the story is unusual: it departs from normal narrative rhythm and keeps the reader off-balance. The use of language is calculated and effective, funny and clever.

I think this is an excellent novel, damn it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060930535
Subjects:  1. 1960-1997    2. Congo (Democratic Republic)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. History    6. Literary    7. Fiction / Literary    8. Reading Group Guide    9. Missionaries   

The Bean Trees
by Barbara Kingsolver
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (29 March, 1989)
list price: $13.00 -- our price: $9.75
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Reviews (343)

Uplifting Read
The Bean Trees is an uplifting novel showing the incredible power of love and friendship. To avoid becoming "barefoot and pregnant," Taylor Greer sets out from her native Kentucky not knowing where to go or where she would end up. After a stranger gives Taylor a two year old little girl named Turtle, Taylor gets stuck in the exact situation she left Kentucky to avoid. After her car breaks down in Tucson, Arizona, it seems almost to be fate when Taylor rents a room belonging to Lou Ann, another single mom born and raised in Kentucky. Unlike the fiery Taylor, Lou Ann depends on her recently departed husband, Angel, ands seems unsure of herself. The two form an immediate friendship, one that helps both women come to find themselves. Lou Ann discovers confidence in herself and accepts and cherishes her life as a single mom, with Taylor at her side. And Taylor finds that her friendship with Lou Ann and her love for Turtle is enough for her to call Tucson home. Home is where the heart is, and Taylor realizes how true this is.

Bean Trees sucks
Bean Tress sucks. Turtles a dumb ass. She's mentally retarted. Taylor should have given Turtle to Child Services. She also should have given the illegals up to INS. Terrible book. WASTE OF YOUR MONEY>

Starts great- but grows dismal and ends flat.
The first half of the book was a great read; I just loved Kingsolver's quirky writing and believable characters-
However, once a social worker enters the scene, it was game over for me. That's when the author gets on a soap box, with underlying societal commentary- and the story quickly loses its magic... ... Read more

Isbn: 0060915544
Sales Rank: 6845
Subjects:  1. Automobile travel    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Indian children    5. Literary    6. Romance: Modern    7. Women travelers    8. Young women    9. Fiction / General    10. Reading Group Guide   

Pigs in Heaven
by Barbara Kingsolver
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 October, 1999)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Reviews (166)

Terrific read; a must-have for Kingsolver fans
I read this after loving The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer.Only after finishing it did I learn it was a sequel to The Bean Trees.I enjoyed it as a stand-alone work, so I'm interested to go and get the backstory.They certainly don't need to be read in sequence to be meaningful, though.

Kingsolver amazes me with her diverse settings and topics.The first two novels I read were set in Africa and Appalachia, respectively.Here is yet another setting--the southwest, and yet another culture--Native American.She doesn't repeat themes or settings as an author, and I admire her for that.

The story is told so well that I mimicked all the emotions of the main character, Taylor.She and I both came to trust one character in the story, and when she betrayed Turtle and Taylor, my heart was ripped right out along with Taylor's.

This book has cemented Kingsolver as one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to exploring more of her works.

Moving, heart-warming tale...
I have come to be a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver, and Pigs in Heaven is one of her most moving and endearing books.This book is actually a sequel to The Bean Tree, and the story centers on Taylor Greer and her adopted Cherokee daughter, Turtle.

The Greer's have a life-changing experience while visiting Hoover Dam. Turtle sees a man fall off the dam, but nobody but Taylor believes her.When a man is finally rescued, Taylor and Turtle end up on the Oprah Winfrey Show.The legality of Turtle's adoption becomes an issue when a Cherokee lawyer happens to see the program and starts asking questions.Pigs in Heaven debates many difficult issues involved in any adoption including what is best for the adoptive mother, the birth family and most of all, the child. But there are also other delicate problems such as what is best for the tribe, and what obligation does a white mother owe an adopted Native American child.There are no easy answers.

My one complaint about Pigs in Heaven is that there is a major coincidence that seems a bit unbelievable (I won't tell for fear of spoiling the story).But I forgive Kingsolver this indiscretion for the beautiful prose to be found here, as well as the heart-warming ending. Most of Kingsolver's characters are short on book learning, but are keen observers of the world around them. Some of my favorites include:

On parenting, "it's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run."

About women's friendships, "Sympathizing over the behavior of men is the baking soda of women's friendships, it seems, the thing that makes them bubble and rise."

Or while complaining about men who refuse to talk, "I think Roscoe used up his whole vocabulary when he asked me to marry him.All that's left now is `Where's it at?' and `When's dinner?'"

Even Kingsolver's chapter titles are priceless.The two about Las Vegas are called "The Twilight Zone of Humanity" and "The Church of Risk and Hope."

I haven't read a Kingsolver yet that I didn't like, and have Prodigal Summer waiting in the wings.

impressed
The first time I read The Bean Trees I was immediately attached to the young Cherokee, Turtle.I admit that I was hesitant to read Pigs in Heaven.I didn't want to be disappointed.After reading it I was relieved, while it is not as good as The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven did not let me down.It kept me attached to Turtle and her interactions and relationships between others.If you have read The Bean Trees and found yourself completely moved by it, I would recommend you to continue your reading through Pigs in Heaven.Nothing is ever as good as the first, but Kingsolver impressed me by writing a sequel that was truly impressive. ... Read more

Isbn: 006109868X
Sales Rank: 10533
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary    5. Reading Group Guide   

Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)
by Garth Nix, Leo and Diane Dillon
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (30 October, 1996)
list price: $17.99 -- our price: $12.23
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Editorial Review

After receiving a cryptic message from her father, Abhorsen, a necromancer trapped in Death, 18-year-old Sabriel sets off into the Old Kingdom. Fraught with peril and deadly trickery, her journey takes her to a world filled with parasitical spirits, Mordicants, and Shadow Hands. Unlike other necromancers, who raise the dead, Abhorsen lays the disturbed dead back to rest. This obliges him--and now Sabriel, who has taken on her father's title and duties--to slip over the border into the icy river of Death, sometimes battling the evil forces that lurk there, waiting for an opportunity to escape into the realm of the living. Desperate to find her father, and grimly determined to help save the Old Kingdom from destruction by the horrible forces of the evil undead, Sabriel endures almost impossible exhaustion, violent confrontations, and terrifying challenges to her supernatural abilities--and her destiny.

Garth Nix delves deep into the mystical underworld of necromancy, magic, and the monstrous undead. This tale is not for the faint of heart; imbedded in the classic good-versus-evil story line are subplots of grisly ghouls hungry for human life to perpetuate their stay in the world of the living, and dark, devastating secrets of betrayal and loss. Just try to put this book down. For more along this line, try Nix's later novel: Shade's Children. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (474)

Great beginning to a great trilogy.
Garth Nix's Sabriel is a work of art. Your idea of fantasy will change radically once you read this, and some day this book will probably become a classic. If you don't like fantasy, read this. I guarantee it will change your mind.

Hell Hath No Fury....
...equal to that of Sabriel's world.

Sabriel is perhaps the most complex and desperate story that has been told within the past fifty years. The entire story holds an unsettling undercurrent of fear, and urgency, and of unimaginable consequences, and for this reason will one have greatest difficulty tearing one's eyes from the page for things like food and sleep. Sabriel's world is crafted with utmost care and consequently is undeniably believable, for all of its fantastical elements. Even the realm of Death cannot be denied, so comprehensive and sombering is it. The manner in which Magic and Death are approached in Sabriel is unique and yet will soon feel familiar.

Sabriel leaves her prestigious prep school in the land of Ancelstierre in search of her father, imprisoned in Death. She is soon confronted with a burden most eighteen-year-old girls should not ever have to bear, as Colonel Horyse points out, as Abhorsen, the binder of the Dead to Death. From the moment she traverses the heavily guarded and greatly feared border into the Old Kingdom, a land of rampant Dead, necromancers, and anarchy. She is guided by the mysterious magic elemental Mogget, and guarded by the clouded Touchstone, a man imprisoned in the likeness of a figure head for two centuries. Sabriel soon finds herself entangled in a monumental struggle between one of the most powerful creatures Death has to offer, with whom her father had struggled for decades.

The characters are unique and mostly lovable, lending at least a grain of relief to their dire plight. It's necessary, too, to view Sabriel not only as a flat, self-sacrificing heroine, but also as a girl who is irritated by Touchstone's servility and Mogget's sardonic manner. They truly come into themselves and it's good to see humanity in these few who are destined to fight against what was once human, and now won't stay dead.

The urgency of the plot will be unsettling in the first read, but is so delicious that you will come back for more, in rereads and in its successors (Lirael and Abhorsen). You will be on the edge of your seat for the entire story, and near the end don't be surprised if you fall out of it for your suspense and fear for the characters' safety.

Mr. Nix has painted quite a picture to behold with Sabriel, and he should be commended for it, perhaps with a read of his fantastic genius.

read or die
"read or die" is the title for my review, and I will explain to you why. You MUST read this book, or you will die without reading the BEST OF THE BEST books in the world. And also this book is about a necromancer, who, of course, deals with Death. [yes, I added the capital D in for a reason. you will find out as you read along.]

ANYWAY...
When I first picked up Sabriel, I did not expect much from it, and thought of it as a short fantasy book that might be interesting. However, as I started reading it, I became absorbed by the magical world, literally, of Garth Nix's Sabriel.


Here's the general idea.

Sabriel is a girl, and obviously the main character, of this story that takes place in a world where Charter Magic and the Dead roam about on one side of a wall, while the other side is completely modernised with guns and tanks in the military. Sabriel is raised on the modernised side, known as Ancelstierre, so she can be protected from the dangers of the free magic roaming about. Her father, a trained and special necromancer, lives on the other side, known as the Old Kingdom, and teaches her the art of his trade, which you will read about. Sabriel's father, one day, sends her a messenger, and she wonders what happened to her father, so she takes a journey to go find out.
As Sabriel is travelling, she meets many creatures, friend and foe, and many adventures await her. I can't say the ending is entirely expected, because there are definitely quite a few twists in the story that help it surprise and lock the reader's mind. In fact, there are many clever parts of the story where things that people may never have imagined will happen, and truly shock the reader. [In a good way, of course.]


When I read this book, I could not put it down at all. My parents kept told me to do homework over and over again, but instead I would read and read and read, not letting it go or even letting the book out of my sight. In fact, I carried this book around wherever I went, until I finished it, and immediately reserved the next book, Lirael, from the library. I wish I had more money because I want to buy the book and keep it for myself, not just borrow it. That will probably have to wait until I get a job.

A page turning, mind capturing book, you will never regret abandoning that other book for this one. Garth Nix will definitely intrigue and captivate you in his beautifully written book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060273224
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr
by Garth Nix
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (30 April, 2002)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Editorial Review

Fourteen years have passed since the necromancer Sabriel bound theGreater Dead Adept Kerrigor beyond the Ninth Gate and helped restore KingTouchstone to the Old Kingdom throne. Now she rules at his side as Abhorsen, thesole necromancer of the Old Kingdom, keeping the people safe from the dark powerof Free Magic. But this is not just Sabriel's tale. It is also the story ofHedge, a mysterious necromancer who is digging up a monstrous evil that couldutterly destroy the Old Kingdom. And it is the story of Prince Sameth,Touchstone and Sabriel's only son, who would rather fight an entire army of Deadthan disappoint his beloved parents. And Sam's friend Nick, who has unknowinglyloosed Free Magic into the Old Kingdom, blissfully ignorant of its completemalevolence. But mostly, this is the tale of Lirael, the only daughter of thefuture-seeing Clayr who does not possess the Sight. Burying the pain of herSightlessness in the Clayr's great library, Third Assistant Librarian Lirael'sinsatiable curiosity will soon lead her to an unbelievable destiny that may evenbe connected with that of the great Sabriel herself.

Garth Nix's stunning sequel to Sabriel, full of Mages,Moggets, and even a Disreputable Dog, is on par with the equally superb works ofPhilip Pullman and William Nicholson. And fantasy lovers of all ages will bethrilled to discover that Lirael ends with more questions than answers,which will mean a third dip into Nix's beguiling Charter Magic. Bothexhilarating and mesmerizing, this fine novel is pure enchantment. (Ages 12 andolder) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Reviews (197)

Timeless continuation of a terribly good story
"Lirael", sequel to "Sabriel", picks up the thread fourteen years later, and the world has changed so much in those fourteen years. A king and queen rule, the Charter Stones have been restored, and the Dead are finally beginning to stay that way. Order is coming back to the long-chaotic Old Kingdom.

Or perhaps it isn't. The Clayr, whose ranks Lirael has spent years aspiring fruitlessly to join, cannot See anything around the Red Lake as their gift would allow. Charter Stones raised in the region are constantly broken. And a mysterious necromancer roams the area.

But Lirael doesn't know any of this. She is a misfit in her own family, by so many means. She doesn't have the bronze skin and blond hair of every other Clayr, rather sporting black hair and pale skin. Her mother never told her who her father was, and the secret was lost forever when her mother left the Clayr's Glacier and died years later. And Lirael is fourteen and Sightless, a phenomenon simply unheard of. Finally, at age eighteen, she is sent away on a perilous journey, because the Clayr have finally Seen the Red Lake, and she is part of that vision.

She is joined later by Prince Sameth, who is heir to the title Abhorsen, but fears Death so greatly that he cannot even study from its book. He carries his own problems into the mix.

Some may see Lirael as too self-pitying and exaggerated in her lonliness, but perhaps those people haven't ever experienced such a state. I know that I, at least, can relate strongly to these feelings she has, having experienced all of them in the same intensity as she. It's similar for Sameth; anyone who has ever felt pushed into something perverse to them can relate.

Mr. Nix focuses more on people than action in "Lirael", but the change is not at all unwelcome. If one didn't grasp the concepts of Lirael and of Sameth beforehand, "Abhorsen" would feel flat and the characters would fall neatly into generic slots. It's also refreshing to see Sabriel and Touchstone as something other than stalwart and self-sacrificing heroes. Even through the omniscient eyes of the narrator, they take on entirely different attributes now.

"Lirael" is a fitting companion to "Sabriel", and hopefully readers will come back to see relationships and ties explored even more intricately than before.

Lirael: Duughter of the Clayr
It was a graet book but doesn't have the best ending. It's like stoping the story in the middle. Besides all that though it was still exciting and well writen. Definately get this book.

Fantasy Shocker
This book was really a good sequel to Sabriel. It included all the magic, suspense, and action the last one did, but with a whole new story. Its story may not be as action packed as Sabriel, but certainly lives up to a sequel. It's a little long, but no problem for a good reader. It's a great book for any fantasy fan and it immerses you in a world that almost seems real. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060005424
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Fantasy    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Magic    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Abhorsen (The Abhorsen Trilogy)
by Garth Nix
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 January, 2003)
list price: $17.99 -- our price: $12.23
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Reviews (121)

The Cherry on Top
To begin with, "Abhorsen" is one amazing thriller that not only puts you on `the edge of your seat,' but "Abhorsen" also is a mystery within the mystery. I personally love the whole story line that Nix has plotted, but in order to read this and be able to follow the plot, you should at lease read "Lirael" first. Unlike "Lirael," "Abhorsen" picks up right where "Lirael" left off. Also answering many of the questions that rose up in "Lirael," "Abhorsen" is a final wrap-up that left vivid images into my mind and stuck there for days. Garth Nix has done an excellent job wrapping up his trilogy, but I think it would have been better if he didn't end the book so quickly, since it seemed like it just swirled in my head and that's probably just because I still have unanswered questions.

"Abhorsen" begins where "Lirael" left off and its prologue creates a bit of a bang as well. With the main characters being Lirael, Sam, the Disputable Dog, and Mogget, the story follows their journey to the Red Lake where they are going to try and stop the Destroyer from killing the world. On their journey, they learn new things about the history of the Charter and about their foe. Placing his characters and scenes in remote and unusual places, Nix created a book to hook readers of any age group. Instead of a child's fairytale fantasy, this story goes deeper into the niceness and holds you to the edge of death itself. "Abhorsen" is a book that should be put on a school's reading list because it's that good. Over all, I recommend that you read this book, but also read the prequels, "Sabriel" and "Lirael" before you do, so you not only get a better understanding of the story, but you enjoy the thrill "Abhorsen" holds in store as well.

Abhorsen
Lirael, a daughter of the Clayr who See the future though ice, Sameth of royal blood, The Disreputable Dog, and Mogget the servant of the Abhorsen take on a life threatening journy to save the world from the freed Orannis who will distroy all living!
I admire Garth Nix because of how he writes. Because of reading The Abhorsen Trilogy I love to practice archery and fencing.

If you haven't read this book...
This book is by far the best book I have ever read, and most likely the best book I will read. I am just surprised that it hasn't had that much publicity. It is like a hidden treasure, buried deep in the YA section of the bookstore. Read it, don't miss out. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060278250
Sales Rank: 62431
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

The Tree of Red Stars
by Tessa Bridal
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 May, 1997)
list price: $21.95
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Reviews (12)

Do not go quietly
Magda never did. Whether you agree with her political fight, you must agree that Magda fights it well. Born into a family with plenty of privedge, Magda stays conscious that not everyone is as fotunate.

Tessa Bridal's writing is wonderfully lyrical as well, as she explores Magda's coming of age and growing sense of self and country.

Exactly what I was looking for
My husband and his family are from Uruguay - and I have been trying to learn more about the country's history and culture. What a blessing this book has been! Exactly what I was looking for.

Andrea,NJ
Having come to the states at the age of 4 and visiting Uruguay a hand full of times since then,I could have never imagined what life was like in Uruguay at that time. Tessa Bridal did a wonderful job of bringing me a vivid picture. I had a hard time putting the book down as Magda always had me intrigued.I was not expecting the intensity I felt towark the end of the book, but I can not imagine it any other way. I would recommend this book to anyone,Uruguayan or not. You will laugh,cry and feel great emotion. ... Read more

Isbn: 1571310134
Sales Rank: 1081299
Subjects:  1. 1904-1973    2. American First Novelists    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Historical    5. General    6. Historical - General    7. History    8. Montevideo (Uruguay)    9. Revolutionaries    10. Uruguay   

Chocolat
by Joanne Harris
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (07 November, 2000)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Editorial Review

Vianne Rocher and her 6-year-old daughter, Anouk, arrive in the small village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes--"a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bourdeaux"--in February, during the carnival. Three days later, Vianne opens a luxuriant chocolate shop crammed with the most tempting of confections and offering a mouth-watering variety of hot chocolate drinks. It's Lent, the shop is opposite the church and open on Sundays, and Francis Reynaud, the austere parish priest, is livid.

One by one the locals succumb to Vianne's concoctions. Joanne Harris weavestheir secrets and troubles, their loves and desires, into her third novel, with the lightest touch. There's sad, polite Guillame and his dying dog; thieving, beaten-up Joséphine Muscat; schoolchildren who declare it "hypercool" when Vianne says they can help eat the window display--a gingerbread house complete with witch. And there's Armande, still vigorous in her 80s, who can see Anouk's "imaginary" rabbit, Pantoufle, and recognizes Vianne for who she really is. However, certain villagers--including Armande's snobby daughter and Joséphine's violent husband--side with Reynaud. So when Vianne announces a Grand Festival of Chocolate commencing Easter Sunday, it's all-out war: war between church and chocolate, between good and evil, between love and dogma.

Reminiscent of Herman Hesse's short story "Augustus," Chocolat is an utterly delicious novel, coated in the gentlest of magic, which proves--indisputably and without preaching--that soft centers are best. --Lisa Gee, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (191)

An excellent book

Chocolat, by Joanne Harris is an intriguing novel about a delightful and slightly magical person that changes the lives of many people.

This compelling novel is told through the eyes of two characters in a diary-like style.The first point of view is Vienna Rocher's, a single mother who has moved into a small religious town with her daughter, Anouk.In the town she opens a chocolate shop across the street from a church at the beginning of Lent.

The other point of view is from Pere Reynaud, the priest of the town.He sees Vienna as a pagan who has come to the area to corrupt his community with the sinful temptation of her chocolate shop.

Throughout this book Reynaud battles with his insecure faith and temptations, while Vienna fights with her past, for her friends, and for her new business.

Even though this book is from the eyes of only two characters, you learn about the lives of everyone who lives in the town; their secrets, conflicts, and personalities.

I loved the way Joanne Harris used very descriptive writing.
"The windows are open, and the through-draft would be cold if it were not for the heat of the stoves, the copper pans, the rising vapor from the melting couverture. The mingled scents of chocolate, vanilla, heated copper, and cinnamon are intoxicating."

I enjoyed reading this book; I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a fun and humorous book that is still very deep.

Delicious
Chocolat is truly a treat for all of the senses.The element that I appreciated most was the humor.The sheer ridiculousness that chocolate could be responsible for the complete corruption of the soul was worthy of a giggle-fit.To think that such a simple and innocent thing could ever be considered heinous is border-line hilarious in a world full of so much scandle.

Harris breathes a life into her characters that adds to the sensory tale.The strength, vivacity, and compassion in Vianne Rocher is something to be admired, yet Harris did not create a character so perfect that we cannot sympathize with her.Vianne, like many of us, is searching for her true place.

Vianne, in many ways, is just as lost as Reynaud is.The parallels that are evident between the two main characters in conflict are fascinating.This creates a conflict much deeper than the superficial conflict between Vianne and Reynaud.In fact, much of the deep conflict is man vs. himself (or herself for that matter)

If you are thinking that Chocolat is merely a "light read", then you may suprised.Although the plot flows well, and the surface storyline and conflict are quickly grasp-able, do take the time to think deeply about this novel, and you may find some hidden sweets about yourself.

A Must Read
Chocolat by Joanne Harris is definitely a must read.As a girl who loves novels like Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy a more contemporary novel.This being true, I have to admit that I could hardly put the book down.Joanne Harris was able to grab my attention from the first sentence and she kept my full attention until the end.The little unsuspected twist and turns in the novel help to keep the reader interested and always wanting to know what will happen to Vianne and little Anouk.

It is a story of Vianne Roche and her daughter, who open a chocolate shop during lent in a devoutly catholic region.It is a whimsical tale with talk of magic, sorcery, and river gypsies.I loved that the author didn't rely solely on romance, as one is lead to believe by the movie.Instead Harris turns to developing enticing and realistic characters.It is easy to feel the characters' wants, from Vianne's want of belonging to Armande's want of a little fun.You can even feel the over-zealous priest's want of order and piety. The descriptions of all the chocolates and recipes are simply mouth watering.Chocolat is a charming tale of small town life that really pulls at the heartstrings.Read this book with some chocolates, a box of tissues and enjoy!
... Read more

Isbn: 014100018X
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    5. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    6. Romance - General   

Dalai Lama, My Son: A Mother's Story (Compass Books)
by Diki Tsering, Khedroob Thondup
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (08 May, 2001)
list price: $12.00 -- our price: $9.60
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Editorial Review

The Dalai Lama's mother was illiterate but was a natural storyteller. When her granddaughter asked her to talk about her life, the stories began to roll out. She told of her wedding at the age of 16, her state of virtual servitude as a married woman, murderous ghosts, and her two dead sons left for the birds. Then, after a three-year drought and other strange events preceding the birth of her fifth child, the lamas came from Lhasa, and her Cinderella future was cinched. With her son the Dalai Lama ensconced in his palace, this nondescript peasant woman whose 16 children yielded three incarnate lamas, strolled her garden estate and hobnobbed with the aristocracy. And yet the intrigue, the perils of domestic and international politics, would soon take her husband's life, drive her remaining children into exile, and have her yearning for the quiet drudgery of her former life. Diki Tsering speaks with the unadorned simplicity of an ordinary country girl about a life that was anything but ordinary. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Dalai Lama, My Son
A serious, yet interesting audio book about the story of the Dalai Lama as told from his mother's perspective. Only 4 cassettes long, this unabridged version of the book drew me into the unique culture of Tibet in the early 20th century. The music was peaceful as well as the voice of the reader. In addition, I recommend the breath-taking video "Kandu"; also about the upbringing of the Dalai Lama.

...
I beleave this book was insightful. It was fairly simple to read, and was worded well. however, reading this, and several other books for an honors project, i must say that it takes a different reader to enjoy. i also read invading tibet, which i thought was much more fun to read. Dalai lama my son is a good book, but to me it seemed flat.

Tibet in a Different Light
This is a magnificent autobigraphy.Also, a very upsetting one. The "Tibet in Exile" website claims that Tibet had women's rights. This book by the Dalai Lama's mother claims otherwise. In Amdo, which is Eastern Tibet, they had a customthat seemed to work for adultery. But not for women. The family of the woman who was the offender were required to kill her. Dike Tsering goes into more detail. Also, if a man died leaving his wife alone, she was required not to marry for three years. Then the family would conduct "secret negotiations" for profit. This caused many Tibetan women to commit suicide. The book also displays the tremendous impact of astrology. How you got married, who you married, and so forth. The astrologer was consulted on all matters of importance in the family. And there were ghosts. One ghost was resposible for the deaths of four of her children. In Lhasa, there were tremendous class distinctions! And Diki Tsering displays them simply as horrible snobs. This applys to the aristocrats who lived off their "bonded laborers". And wouldn't even call them by name. They also acted like Diki Tsering was nothing but "a farm hand". The two regents who controlled Tibet while the Dalai Lama was growing up were Reting Rinpoche and Taktra Rinpoche. Reting was the first regent, until he was supposedly assasinated by Taktra Rinpoche. The author also believes, as did the people of Tibet, that Taktra Rinpoche poinsoned her husband, the father of the Dalai Lama, because he was friends with Reting Rinpoche. Nevertheless, Reting Rinpoche was not without violence. A Tsipan Lungshar led amovemovement for reform. Reting Rinpoche had his eyes goughed out as punishment. I find the testimony of Diki Tsering very good. She is really strong and seems to speak with great truth. I believe her about the ghosts and the astrology. But about the other issues, and as a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, I am more depressed than usual! But I do feel that this is a must read for people who do want to save Tibet. We have to know our "weakspots" so that they don't come back later to haunt us. And I don't mean ghosts! Please buy and read the book. Thank you very much. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140196269
Subjects:  1. 1901-    2. 1935-    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Bstan-®dzin-rgya-mtsho,    8. Buddhism - Tibetan    9. Dalai Lama XIV,    10. Family    11. Parental Memoirs    12. Religious    13. Tibet (China)    14. Tsering, Diki,   

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
by JUNG CHANG
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (03 October, 1992)
list price: $16.95
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Editorial Review

In Wild Swans Jung Chang recounts the evocative, unsettling, andinsistently gripping story of how three generations of women in her family fared in thepolitical maelstrom of China during the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was awarlord's concubine. Her gently raised mother struggled with hardships in the early daysof Mao's revolution and rose, like her husband, to a prominent position in the CommunistParty before being denounced during the Cultural Revolution. Chang herself marched,worked, and breathed for Mao until doubt crept in over the excesses of his policies andpurges. Born just a few decades apart, their lives overlap with the end of the warlords'regime and overthrow of the Japanese occupation, violent struggles between theKuomintang and the Communists to carve up China, and, most poignant for the author,the vicious cycle of purges orchestrated by Chairman Mao that discredited and crushedmillions of people, including her parents. ... Read more

Reviews (259)

Buy it, read it, treasure it
Of a dozen or more books that I have read on China, this one definitely rates as the best of the lot. Tracing the lives of three generations of Chinese women, from the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the end of the Cultural Revolution, it is as good for its historical account as it is for its personal insights. Often tragic and often heart-warming, it tells China's modern history exceptionally well. Having had more than 250 highly positive customer reviews which (at the time of writing) give it a four-and-a-half star average, the popularity of this book speaks for itself. The reader will not be disappointed, no matter how far we reviewers go to setting it up for a fall as if by trumping it up too much. We could never do this, as our writing skills barely compare! It is not only the best book I have ever read on China - a history, a multi-biography, and an adventure story in one - it is one of my favourite books of all time. Buy it, read it, treasure it.

An Incredible Book
'Wild Swans' is perhaps the greatest book of all those I have read. It is simultaneously a chronicle of the epic events that shook China and the world during the 20th Century and a person tale of survival in a world gone mad.

As the personal stories of three generations unfold against a backdrop of war and revolution it is hard to remember at times that one is actually reading a true story - not a novel and not embellished in any way. This book drew me in more than any other I have read and despite its considerable length I completed it in just one day - almost in a single sitting.

Starting in the last years of the two millennia old Chinese Empire the book moves into the uncertainty of the warlord era that followed Sun Yat-sen's 1911 revolution and then passes into the age of Kuomintang and Japanese oppression before passing on to the civil war when the author's mother witnesses spectacular brutality on the part of the Kuomintang and decides to throw her lot in with the communists. The narrative continues on through the civil war and onwards - revealing a world increasingly worse as Mao's megalomania grows and madness grips the world's most populous nation.

The climax of the book comes with the onset of the Cultural Revolution and the stories here are both spectacular and terifying simultaneously - seeming like a real life 1984 as one by one friends and relations meet terrible fates in purge after purge - torture, execution, exile...

This book is not a light-hearted read - it is the tale of the events that collectively constitute China's 20th century history - perhaps the greatest tragedy of last century. Everyone should read this book - it is insightful and powerful.

History worth reading
"Wild Swans" is the autobiography of Jung Chang, a London-based writer who grew up during the Cultural Revolution in mainland China.Her story covers three generations of her family's history.Chang's grandmother was a concubine whose feet were bound at the age of 2, just before the practice disappeared in the early 20th century.Chang's mother was a hard-working government bureaucrat whose passion for Communism glowed brightly in 1949, but was extinguished during the repressive years of Mao's leadership.And Chang herself endured the hardships of life in China in the 1960s and 1970s, but emphasizes that her suffering was minor compared to that of her countrymen.

"Wild Swans" is a great book.It's one of those rare finds that both educates and captivates.Readers who have an interest in Chinese history will discover a fascinating account of life under Mao and Deng.And those who enjoy a first-person memoir from an author who led an interesting and challenging life will be drawn in by Chang's stories."Wild Swans" isn't the best-known memoir out there, but it's a good one to read and share with others. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385425473
Subjects:  1. 1952-    2. Asia - China    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Chang, Jung,    8. China    9. Historical - General    10. Women    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Chang, Jung    13. Social Science / Women's Studies   

Congo
by Michael Crichton
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (23 November, 1992)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Editorial Review

If you saw the 1995 film adaptation of this Crichton thriller, somebody owes you an apology. While you're waiting for that to happen, try reading the vastly more intelligent novel on which the movie was based. The broad lines of the plot remain the same: A research team deep in the jungle disappears after a mysterious and grisly gorilla attack. A subsequent team, including a sign-language-speaking simian named Amy, follows the original team's tracks only to be subjected to more mysterious and grisly gorilla attacks. If you can look past the breathless treatment of '80s technology, like voice-recognition software and 256K RAM modules (the book was written in 1980), you'll find the same smart use of science and edge-of-your-seat suspense shared by Crichton's other work. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (223)

Below Average Crichton
I like monkeys just as much as the next guy but I was disappointed with the number of pages it took to get to the good part. Usually Crichton writes a great first chapter then he goes into explanation then the last 50 pages are awesome. In ''Congo" only the middle was almost no explanation it was just boring.

On the positive side monkeys are cool.

On the negative side it was kind of boring.

Not one of his best
From almost the very begining you know the main characters are going to survive.You keeping reading things like "Ross later stated that..." and "When asked about it later, Elliot said..." so you know they live to tell about it.Where's the suspense in that?Half of the story was technical stuff or historical stuff, which was only slightly relevant to the story.And you didn't really get into any action until the last quarter of the book (the rest talks about the journey there, which is only mildly suspenseful).And even then the action doesn't last for more than maybe 1 page.The gorillas attack a couple of times, the volcano errupts and some natives attack.
One thing I did like was the parts with the signing gorilla.

Michael's Best Book
Having read all of Michael Crighton's work, Congo in my opinion is his best. Please do not compare Congo the book with Congo the movie - which was a hideous interpretation at best. I'm still scratching my head over Mr. Crighton's approval on that particular screenplay. The book is simply wonderful. ... Read more

Isbn: 0345378490
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    5. Suspense    6. Thrillers    7. Fiction / Suspense   

The Blue Sword
by Robin McKinley
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 April, 1991)
list price: $5.99 -- our price: $5.39
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Reviews (191)

worth 10 stars
I agree with Ms. Abigail wholeheartedly. This Book was interesting in the beginning but the more you got in to it you just couldn't put it down. This is my first Robin McKinley book and my most favorite book of all time. I LOVE IT. I recommend all the Robin McKinley books to everyone who wants to go to imaginary places and likes a touch of love.

Excellent adventure!
Truly outstanding adventure plot that is easy to follow and fun to believe in; a loveable heroine with gumption; a touch of romance and the mystical; and excellent writing!Although this was written before its prequel, The Hero and the Crown, read the prequel first so you can enjoy the flashbacks and references to the prequel.It does move a bit slower than The Hero and the Crown, but stick with it - you'll be glad you did.

Pretty slow, but overall good.
Robin has a very unique writing style that many cannot comprehend and do not like. She tends to bog things down with excessive details, making her books hard to read. Her plot lines, however, are excellent and they make a great story. If you want to read this book, be prepared for a slow beginning and make sure you have the patience to read through this slow moving plot.
I loved Robin's books once I got myself to read them, because at first they were just to boring and confusing to get through the beginning. Once you do, however, they turn very good. ... Read more

Isbn: 0441068804
Sales Rank: 94428
Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Fantasy    3. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic   

The Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 March, 1989)
list price: $5.99 -- our price: $5.99
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Reviews (213)

Rather Depressing
This book didnt really have a high point. The book was simply depressing. :-/

Yes, yes, yes - read it!!
This prequel to The Blue Sword is outstanding!Good, fast-moving plot, great adventure and a believable "cause" for the heroine to accomplish; realistic and sympathetic characters, excellent writing, a touch of romance, a happy ending.My 12-year-old devoured it, laughing out loud in places, cheering out loud in others, and wanted more. Read it before The Blue Sword, but do have TBS on hand because you'll want to hang onto this story line as long as you can.

Worthy of Praise
In the Hero and the Crown, McKinley as usual creates a vivid, magical, seemingly real world with realistic characters that readers cannot help but feel attachment towards.This story is much darker and more "grown-up" than it's sequel The Blue Sword, but in being so it becomes to my mind the more superior of the two.
I do give the book five stars as it is really a wonderful story, but again, characteristically of McKinley's novel, the reader should be prepared to be left with some unanswered questions and a bit of confusion as to how magic in the novel occurs.The only other obvious criticism with the novel is, at least to my mind, is that I found myself finding Tor less and less appealing as the story progressed and Luthe developed.
Again, those are the only problems I found with this wonderful book.It is truly worthy of all the praise and honors it has gained. ... Read more

Isbn: 0441328091
Sales Rank: 70147
Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Literature - Classics    2. Classics    3. Fantastic fiction    4. Fantasy    5. Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic