Wonder Boys : A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)
by Michael Chabon
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Paperback (15 December, 1995)
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Reviews (118)

Fantastically satiric
I stumbled upon this novel after reading James Joyce's 'Ulysses', so perhaps my desire for something simple may have been a bit strong.However, I still strongly believe that this is a wonderful piece of literature and one of the funniest novels.

Using first-person narration through the eyes of Grady Tripp, Michael Chabon is able to use a sardonic and quite hysterical point of view that takes us to the college life through the eyes of a creative writing professor who cannot get himself to finish his next novel 'Wonder Boys'.Interestingly, life after college isn't too much different than life during college, except the former is more focused on having intellectual parties with alcohol and pot.

We get to meet memorable characters, and with brilliant commentary on each it is easy to feel for not just the narrator's perspective, but everyone around him's as well.Tripp's oddball and troubled student, James Leer, is simply unforgettable - having a penchant for fabricating stories and thievery.James is the catalyst of everything that happens in the story, and he definitely steals the show when he is in the scene.He is with whom I had the most sympathy - a young man lost in the world.One of the most poignant moments is when Tripp stumbles into his home and sees a passed out Leer naked: Tripp says that he "felt sorry for James Leer when [he] saw his penis" (133), bringing to the mind Shaffer's 'Equus'.

Chabon also choses for the novel to take place in a weekend, which is quite a smart move because that gives it such a great rhythm and speed.Because it is in a more 'real time' style, the book is hard to put down, for every moment seems like something completely absurd is going to happen that will outdo what just previously occurred.

A dog dies, a transvestite changes, a young man finds himself, an older man finds himself, et cetera.It's a hopeful novel in the end, despite the bitter satire of Grady Tripp and Michael Chabon.I certainly think it's an amusing read, especially for those who've experienced the college life.

The Parties of Pittsburgh (Chapter 2)
Grady Tripp is a former 'wonder boy', a talented writer-turned-professor whose promising career has been derailed by womanizing and a hard-core pot addiction.He's been 'working' on his fourth novel, "Wonder Boys", for over seven years, producing 2,600 pages but not quite reaching the halfway point of his outline.Over the course of one weekend, at his college's annual "WordFest" literary gala, his world finally begins imploding beneath the combined pressure of his failing marriage, his editor, his lover, and his students (one worries him, one wants him).Close encounters with a transvestite, a tuba, and a boa constrictor do little to ease his predicament.

As in his debut, *The Mysteries of Pittsburgh*, Chabon employs a sardonic, first-person narration and academic ('town and gown') setting (still Pittsburgh) to create an unpredictable story colored with brilliant but troubled characters, hetero- and homosexual lustings, and prevalent substance abuse.He again proves himself as an absurdly gifted writer with a superhuman vocabulary and ability to select from that embarrassment of riches the precise bon mots to enliven and enrich Grady's narrative.It's the effortless effervescence of his storytelling that captivates and draws the reader along, since--although the set-up for Grady's calamitous weekend is excellent--the unfolding structure of the novel proves uneven.(And Chabon does perhaps grow too fond of uncommon words and allusions, especially with regard to furniture and fashion.)In particular, the visit with Grady's wife and Jewish/Korean in-laws for the Passover meal is far too long and detailed, especially since none of the characters or related issues reappear once he leaves.(In this aspect, as with *Mysteries*, a more comprehensive resolution of each plot-thread would have been welcome.)

Overall, *Wonder Boys* is a brisk, light, 'literary' read with a handful of laugh-out-loud moments and genuine insights into human relationships.But until the very end, Grady proves a passive protagonist, battered every which way by his acquaintances' escapades and his pot addiction; and (perhaps as an effect of the first-person narration) we don't come to understand or identify with the supporting characters as well as we should.

A good, entertaining read--but not a great one.An impressive whirl of bright, sweet cotton candy: an enjoyable confection, if not a satisfying meal.3-1/2 high-on-somethin' stars.

A truly fine work of fiction.
This is one of the very few books I will read over and over when there is a lull in the current crop of fiction.The characters in this book seem to spring from the page, they are so well drawn.Of course, no characters in my life were ever so witty, funny and collectively troubled.This is a wonderful book about success, the mistakes we make, and life in general.The scope is small, but that only lends an air of comfort to the story, and allows the real stars of the book, the characters, to shine.

The plot is fun, and moves briskly, and Chabon is arguably the most stylish writer out there today, so what do you have to lose? ... Read more

Isbn: 0312140940
Sales Rank: 48395
Subjects:  1. Authors    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Humorous    5. Humorous stories    6. Literary    7. Fiction / Literary   

The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli, Daniel Donno
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 August, 1984)
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Editorial Review

When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli, who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television network, he only wrote a book. But what a book The Prince is. Its essential contribution to modern political thought lies in Machiavelli's assertion of the then revolutionary idea that theological and moral imperatives have no place in the political arena. "It must be understood," Machiavelli avers, "that a prince ... cannot observe all of those virtues for which men are reputed good, because it is often necessary to act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness, against religion, in order to preserve the state." With just a little imagination, readers can discern parallels between a 16th-century principality and a 20th-century presidency.--Tim Hogan ... Read more

Reviews (211)

Compelling ... Especially for Despots
Perhaps it is fair to call Nicollo Machiavelli a teacher of the tyrants. After all, this early sixteenth century book has long served as a reference guide to the likes of Hitler and Mussolini, despots who ruled with an iron fist and unmitigated cruelty. Yet, certain aspects of Machiavelli's text might also serve in some capacity to aid a free society as well.

Written by Niccolo Machiavelli (a Florentine nobleman of the early sixteenth century) to a local ruler, "The Prince" is a short text of just over 100 pages which reads very much like a personal letter. The text was sent as a gift by Machiavelli with an explanation that he could not afford to purchase a gift and had written this instead. It is, at the very least, likely that the gift was meant to find the author a place in the royals hearts and obtain Machiavelli some recognition.

"The Prince" is simply a guide. It instructs the reader on becoming a ruler and in the maintenance of power. From launching attacks on fellow kingdoms to conducting oneself in public, this book covers it all. Machiavelli dictates that a ruler must be affable, yet must stand above others at all times. He must know how to please both his guards and his peasants. He must form alliances and know when to break them. He must never let down his guard.

More controversial are the many cruel "necessities" dictated by Machiavelli. Machiavelli unabashedly declares that when taking over (deposing) or otherwise unseating a leader you must kill all of his/her bloodline. There must be no one left to vie for the throne. And that is one of many of the mandates that has fixed him forever with a terrible reputation. One nickname for Satan himself is Ol' Nick, probably taken from the Niccolo in Machiavelli's name. When it comes to grabbing and maintaining power, Machiavelli pulls no punches. His suggestion of eradicating a leader's bloodline harkens one back to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 Russia, When Czar Nicholas and his family were slain. It is easy to imagine "The Prince" having been used as a reference by many of the world's cruel dictators.

Machiavelli also cites many examples from governments of his time, such as the emperors of the Roman Empire. In each case he explains why the leadership did or did not work and what we can learn from it.

I found this book very entertaining. "The Prince" is as harsh as anything being published today and enthralling, but it will appeal more to history or political fans than others. It is also short enough not to be too daunting a read. "War and Peace" it is not.

While Machiavelli's arguments are valid (albeit cruel) there is one bothersome detail in his work that serves as a blaring irony. Upon exacting on us some barbaric charge that bloodlines must be slain or that untrustworthy officers must be killed, the author will turn around and give reference to God and declare that a good leader should always keep aware of him. Ol' Nick vows to slay and then to do God's good work all in the same breath. Hmmm...

Fascinating. Edifying. "The Prince" makes me more aware of the world around me and even more certain that I never want to go into politics. One final thought is the much-used quote by Machiavelli, taken from "The Prince:"

"Fortune is a woman and must be taken by force."

That's a standard Machiavellian idea for you. Pick up a copy of The Prince, and judge the book for yourself. For those of you who HATE the idea of power and tyranny, let me make a contrasting recommendation -- a recent Amazon purchase I truly enjoyed -- 180 degrees opposite from the philosophy of Machiavelli - it's a book called THE LOSERS CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez, a very engaging, comic novel told from the point of view of an admitted "weakling." Thank goodness.

Great introduction to politics.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is a great introduction to politics. Machiavelli encourages rulers to do what is expedient rather than what is moral.

A short guidebook on how to retain political power
In The Prince, Machiavelli advises 16th century Italian rulers to let ideals take a back seat when dealing with the sober realities of governing a state.The author suggests that it is often necessary for the ruler to be ruthless and unjust during both war and peacetime in order to retain power.In fact, Machiavelli asserts that it's better to gain respect by cowing the citizens into submission rather than being generous and gaining their love.

I found The Prince to be very interesting and enjoyable.Aside from the stuff dealing with what kinds of soldiers to use in war,the advice in it is still relevant today though perhaps more applicable to corporate management than to running a country.Human rights in the modern world are generally well protected and any unwarranted cruelties and injustices would be widely publicized and the ruler chastised.But in the competitive corporate world, putting nice and innocent employees out on the street in order to meet the bottom line is a daily occurrence.Or when someone makes it to an executive position, he/she frequently demotes rivals.Of course, when it comes to dealing with competitors, it's take no prisoners.I'm not saying it's right to do these things, but that's unfortunately how the business world works.

After reading this book, I wondered whether I would be capable of being Machiavelli's ideal prince.If I had to make certain unpleasant decisions in order to safeguard the state, could I follow through on them in good conscience?For example, if I uncover a rival's plot to assassinate me and then put him to death, Machiavelli wants me to murder the rival's entire family so that no revengeful action will be forthcoming.I suppose that I have a difficult time relating to the way people thought about human rights four hundred years ago.

More to the point, since I work in the corporate world I may one day have to make unpleasant decisions.I think that I just might consult The Prince to help me make those decisions.It's certainly not *the* authority on these kinds of things, but offers a sound, logical viewpoint that's worth listening to. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553212788
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Early works to 1800    3. European - Italian    4. History & Theory - General    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. Political ethics    9. Political science    10. Fiction / Classics   

Waiting : A Novel (Vintage International)
by HA JIN
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (19 September, 2000)
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"Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shuyu." Like a fairy tale, Ha Jin's masterful novel of love and politics begins with a formula--and like a fairy tale, Waiting uses its slight, deceptively simple framework to encompass a wide range of truths about the human heart. Lin Kong is a Chinese army doctor trapped in an arranged marriage that embarrasses and repels him. (Shuyu has country ways, a withered face, and most humiliating of all, bound feet.) Nevertheless, he's content with his tidy military life, at least until he falls in love with Manna, a nurse at his hospital.Regulations forbid an army officer to divorce without his wife's consent--until 18 years have passed, that is, after which he is free to marry again. So, year after year Lin asks his wife for his freedom, and year after year he returns from the provincial courthouse: still married, still unable to consummate his relationship with Manna. Nothing feeds love like obstacles placed in its way--right? But Jin's novel answers the question of what might have happened to Romeo and Juliet had their romance been stretched out for several decades. In the initial confusion of his chaste love affair, Lin longs for the peace and quiet of his "old rut." Then killing time becomes its own kind of rut, and in the end, he is forced to conclude that he "waited eighteen years just for the sake of waiting."

There's a political allegory here, of course, but it grows naturally from these characters' hearts. Neither Lin nor Manna is especially ideological, and the tumultuous events occurring around them go mostly unnoticed. They meet during a forced military march, and have their first tender moment during an opera about a naval battle. (While the audience shouts, "Down with Japanese Imperialism!" the couple holds hands and gazes dreamily into each other's eyes.) When Lin is in Goose Village one summer, a mutual acquaintance rapes Manna; years later, the rapist appears on a TV report titled "To Get Rich Is Glorious," after having made thousands in construction. Jin resists hammering ideological ironies like these home, but totalitarianism's effects on Lin are clear:

Let me tell you what really happened, the voice said. All those years you waited torpidly, like a sleepwalker, pulled and pushed about by others' opinions, by external pressure, by your illusions, by the official rules you internalized. You were misled by your own frustration and passivity, believing that what you were not allowed to have was what your heart was destined to embrace.

Ha Jin himself served in the People's Liberation Army, and in fact left his native country for the U.S. only in 1985. That a non-native speaker can produce English of such translucence and power is truly remarkable--but really, his prose is the least of the miracles here. Improbably, Jin makes an unconsummated 18-year love affair loom as urgent as political terror or war, while history-changing events gain the immediacy of a domestic dilemma. Gracefully phrased, impeccably paced, Waiting is the kind of realist novel you thought was no longer being written. --Mary Park ... Read more

Reviews (271)

wait out and chill out, then found out
the life itself is just a cycle, a dog-chasing-its-own-tail marry-go-around. looking for love when you are young, but once all the fire and lust die down, the commonly simpler, the more plain, the not-so-attractive ones are the ones you want to live with.
the only bad thing in your life in the once-upon china was that you have to get the approval of your marriage, either getting into or getting out. and you have to wait out the waiting period to get thenods. but time would play a very subtle trick on you, what goes around turns around, you'd find in the end that you were just running in a circle and would inevitably return to where you've started. so sometimes, chill out might be the better option for you to cool down the blind urge, mentally or physically.

A long-simmering love triangle
This is a well-written story that describes an unconventional love triangle stretched out over two decades.

The protagonists are Lin Kong, a Chinese physician serving his Communist masters faithfully; Shuyu, his peasant wife from an arranged marriage; and Manna Wu, a nurse at Mr. Kong's hospital.

The central drama of the book revolves around Mr. Kong's repeated attempts to divorce his childhood bride so that he can marry Manna Wu.Lin Kong himself is conflicted. On the one hand, he feels shame and guilt over even trying to divorce his wife, as she has done nothing worthy of divorce, faithfully serving both him and his entire family without a single complaint over the years. On the other hand, he longs to be with Manna, a much better match for him by intellect and by temperament -- so his repeated failures at finalizing the divorce fill him with a mild case of self-loathing.

One of the beauties of this book is that it stretches the narrative over nearly 20 years. You live with these characters for twenty years, seeing them change, age, and grow. This kind of story-telling is the antithesis of the whirlwind courtship followed by "and they lived happily ever after" (a la Bridget Jones' Diary).

The backdrop to this story is China, which itself changes dramatically from the 1960s to the 1980s. For a very different sense of China during the same period, I recommend reading the non-fiction "Gang of One" by Fan Shen.

The writing is astounding for someone who didn't learn to write in English until so late in life. I found the external events more dramatic and compelling than Lin's internal conversations with himself, which sometimes felt a little stilted.Still, overall, this is a compelling read and a remarkable achievement for a non-native writer.

Great!
There is no need for me to go into detail what this book is about. I just have to say that this is one of the best books I have read in a while. I love reading books that teach me about different cultures and what goes on in other parts of the world. I am not saying that agree with what went on- with Lin being in love with another womam while being married, but I understand that other cultures look at marriage different than I am use too, I thought what happen to Manna, with the attack was terrible and wish it would have been left out of the storyline. I must say that I loved Lin's brother in law's role in the book-looking out for his sister and all. This is one of the better books out there, I have already ordered more books from this author. GREAT! ... Read more

Isbn: 0375706410
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Literary    4. Fiction / Literary    5. Reading Group Guide   

The Satanic Verses (Bestselling Backlist)
by Salman Rushdie
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 2000)
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Editorial Review

No book in modern times has matched the uproar sparked by Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, which earned its author a death sentence. Furor aside, it is a marvelously erudite study of good and evil, a feast of language served up by a writer at the height of his powers, and a rollicking comic fable. The book begins with two Indians, Gibreel Farishta ("for fifteen years the biggest star in the history of the Indian movies") and Saladin Chamcha, a Bombay expatriate returning from his first visit to his homeland in 15 years, plummeting from the sky after the explosion of their jetliner, and proceeds through a series of metamorphoses, dreams and revelations. Rushdie's powers of invention are astonishing in this Whitbread Prize winner. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

solid, but far from his best
Having read a fair portion of Rushdie already, I came to the Satanic Verses with high expectations, but this book can't be placed alongside many of his other works. This is not to say that it is lacking in merit, but it certainly doesn't reach the heights he reaches elsewhere. In this respect, it compares to his more recent work Fury. If the ramifications hadn't been so serious, I would be inclined to dismiss the political dimensions of the work outright. More virulent charges against religion are commonplace.

Not Indian, Not Muslim, Not British Educated
For me, this book was interesting and very different, but I can't say I enjoyed it.Not being a British educated Indian Muslim, much of the context was beyond my reach.Why was there so much fuss over this book?My curiosity drove me to read it, but reading it didn't answer the question.Imagine being an Arab Muslim reading the Da Vinci Code and trying to understand the fuss over that book.If you liked Joyce's Ulysses and have time to devote to the unusual, you may enjoy Satanic Verses.But, if you don't like it after the first 100 pages or so, you might as well quit.Other reviewers have covered the basic plot, so I won't duplicate their effort.

Rushdie's cup runneth over
Explaining Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" is like trying to describe a Persian carpet to somebody who's never seen one:There are so many tiny, crazy designs interlocking with each other and contributing to the overall impression of exotic elegance and grandeur that it's difficult to know where to start.The novel itself begins with a bang--in the air, as a commercial jet traveling from Bombay to London explodes over the English Channel, sending all its passengers plummeting earthward, and proceeds from this ominous introduction to tell a multitude of fabulous stories linking the ancient with the modern.

The two protagonists, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, both Indian Muslims, both actors of unequal fame and fortune, both tied socially, culturally, and romantically to England, are among the passengers on the hapless plane and miraculously survive the descent, affected by the near-death experience in very different ways.Gibreel, who became India's most famous movie star playing elephant- or monkey-headed gods in "theological" films, is convinced he is "born again" and hallucinates that he is the archangel Gibreel, dictating divine decrees to a prophet in a cave and monitoring a pilgrimage to Mecca, and then that he is the exterminating angel Azraeel, who roams the streets of a riotous London sounding his horn of death.

Saladin, on the surface so much like Gibreel, becomes his antithesis and even his nemesis after certain revelations.Desiring to escape his ridiculous parents, Saladin came to London from Bombay at thirteen to attend school, became a struggling actor whose only employment opportunities were in campy commercials and television shows, and married a brittle English woman.After the aerial calamity and detainment by sadistic immigration officers, he undergoes a bizarre metamorphosis before discovering that his wife is having an affair with his old college friend Jumpy Joshi, a former nerdy radical who now teaches martial arts.

Gibreel's phantasmagorical dreams take him centuries back to a city called Jahilia in an unnamed desert where a vociferous businessman named Mahound receives holy messages from a visitant angel (Gibreel), assumes the role of a prophet instructed by God, and founds a religion called "Submission."The city's Grandee, threatened by this man's rising influence among the citizens, commands the poet Baal to satirize Mahound in verse and oppresses the adherents of the new religion until they flee Jahilia.After many years in exile, Mahound returns to Jahilia in a position of power, usurps control of the city, overturns its polytheism in deference to "Submission," and sentences Baal to death for mocking him, taunting the poet with an insinuatingly snide parting statement as guards drag him away to be executed.

A separate but related narrative tells of a contemporary pilgrimage to Mecca by a village of Indian Muslims led a bewitching girl named Ayesha who says they must travel only on foot and persuades them that the waters of the Arabian Sea will part for them to cross.The village zamindar (landholder) thinks this is madness and tries to stop them, especially his wife, who believes the pilgrimage will cure her terminal cancer.A wonderful tale of miracles, faith, and tragedy ensues in which Rushdie contrasts rural and urban Indian life and the vestiges of British colonial India.

Although his scenes often tend to the macabre or the violent, Rushdie is at heart a comedian, making his novel funnier than it needs to be by giving his characters and their actions almost cartoonish dimensions to respond to the outlandish world they inhabit.In a sense he is following the tradition of the English comic picaresque novelists of the eighteenth century, imagining great landscapes of the wildest possibilities and conjuring panoramic perspectives of being an Indian in England, of being a Muslim in India, of being an angel on earth or in your mind.Just beware that, as one character says, metaphors can and will be misinterpreted.

... Read more

Isbn: 0312270828
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General   

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (The 'Good Parts' Version)
by William Goldman
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (17 November, 1998)
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Editorial Review

The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic.William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure."Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text.Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "Fencing.Fighting. Torture.Poison.True love.Hate.Revenge.Giants.Hunters.Bad men.Good men.Beautifulest ladies.Snakes.Spiders.Beasts of all natures and descriptions.Pain.Death.Brave men.Coward men. Strongest men.Chases.Escapes.Lies.Truths.Passion. Miracles."

Goldman frames the fairy tale with an "autobiographical" story: his father, who came from Florin, abridged the book as he read it to his son.Now, Goldman is publishing an abridged version, interspersed with comments on the parts he cut out.

Is The Princess Bride a critique of classics like Ivanhoe and The Three Musketeers, that smother a ripping yarn under elaborate prose?A wry look at the differences between fairy tales and real life?Simply a funny, frenetic adventure?No matter how you read it, you'll put it on your "keeper" shelf. --Nona Vero ... Read more

Reviews (559)

Will make you smile until it hurts
I bought this book a day ago, and read it from cover to cover without stopping. This is probably the most charming book that I have read. Get a copy, and read it to someone you love.

The perfect book which gave birth to the perfect movie.
I have no problem admiting that "The Princess Bride" is my favorite movie of all time. I was a little skepticle about reading the book because I didn't want to ruin my love for the movie. Boy, was I ever wrong.
This book is just what the doctor ordered for any fan of the movie. It has all of the character background information that the movie lacks, not to mention continuing past the end of the movie....until the birth of Buttercup's Baby. It is true that the book is much darker than the movie (i.e. Pit of Dispare = Zoo of Death), but it's not distasteful. After finishing the book, I put it away with a new love for the story, but I did not loose any love for the movie since it is so different in mood and detail that the book.
I have read the book a few times now and every time I do, I then immediately watch the movie with equal zest. The book is a fabulous read for anyone with a passion for a great story.

Witty and charming
This is one of those other little gems that slipped under the radar when I was growing up.Once again, I remember the movie, but never knew that it had come from a book first.I must have seen the film a hundred times (thanks to USA network, TNT and the like).However, it wasn't until a few weeks ago, that I actually seeked it out in its true form, almost 15 years later.

What I was amazed with, was the faithfulness of the film to the text.They were almost dead on, with all the scenes, and especially the dialogue.Some things, as normal, were altered a bit or changed, but for the most part, what you see in the film (minus extra exposition and some character development) is what you read in the book.

It is a good read, filled with great dialogue and wittiness.Yet at the same time, some of the authors "intrusion" into the text can be a little distracting at times.And at others, it is neat to hear him talk about how certain ideas came about, that directly affected the "film" version. Now that i've read it, when I view the film, I can honestly say they were dead-on with the casting.The personalities they picked, were excellent.

If you are interested in going a bit beyond the movie, and seeing some extra info about Buttercup and Wesley, its a great little read (depending on what edition you get).And you can really see, just how honest/faithful they were, and careful, when bringing it to the big sreen. . .years ago. ... Read more

Isbn: 034543014X
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Adventure stories    3. Fantasy - Historical    4. Fantasy fiction    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - Fantasy    7. Goldman, William - Prose & Criticism    8. Love stories    9. Romance - Fantasy    10. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Cloud Mountain
by Aimee Liu
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1998)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $10.19
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Reviews (19)

Washington State Book Reader ~ LOVED IT!!
In the last few years I have read many books that deal with China's history and this book was by far one of my favorites. It is a beautiful book that I felt compelled to share with others and purchased more than one copy so I could lend it out and make sure to have a copy for my collection. This book will not dissapoint, especially if you are as intrigued with China and it's history as I am! When I got to the last 20 pages or so I turned them very slowly in hopes of making it last longer! :) I urge you to buy this book and one for your friends! It is a very moving picture of what a person can live through and still see the beauty in life around them!

Wonderful Imagery & a respose to another review
Aimme E. Liu has written a wonderful fictional accounting of a true story. I have been a friend of the Luis family for over forty five years. Aimee's cousin John was my boyhood friend. And we still keep up. The family story has always fasinaated me. (John is Herb Luis' son, Teddy in the book.)Although Aimee says it is about 70% true, I know through conversations with John's mother that basically ALL of the major persons, dates, places, and events are true. The 30% is mostly side sories and details for dramatic effect.

I also want to point out that in a prior review of "Cloud Mountain" by "Elizabeth" she states that the only place in 1908 where the name Jennifer existed was Cornwall. Well, the fact is Hope's real name WAS Jenny Trescott. In fact, I found that Aimee used family names for fictional charactors in several instances. But never the real name for the real person.

Although I have to say that I read this book because I had already heard the story and had a personal interest in it. But even if I hadn't I still would not have been able to put it down. Aimee Liu's use of words to describe are incredibly original (I don't know how she came up with some of them) and they really do "paint" a picture in your mind as you read.
She is a real literary artist.

This is not only a love story. In fact, I would just as much descibe it as a story of courage, of two people who dared tocross the bariers that a bigoted society had placed between them. It is also the story of a man committed to saving his counrty by bringing it democracy even if it could have cost him his life. It is a story of a woman who stood by him, travelled halfway around the world to an unstable society trying to grow up into democracy, but turned out to be a house of cards.

Read this book and take a trip back to a past and place few Americans are aware of. Enjoy the exciting people and places, but also learn a history of a different place, time, and people.

Interesting And Disappointing
When I received this book I was really eager to read it. The whole storyline appealed to me and I was convinced, based on the first few chapters, that I would enjoy it.I'm not sure when I changed my mind.Maybe it was after reading countless details about historical and political China when I just wanted to know more about the main characters.Sometimes I felt as if the author couldn't decide if she wanted to write a history book or a love story.While her descriptions of the surrounding enviroments within the book were very colorful and evocative, the presentation of historical events taking place was a bit on the boring side.I found myself fighting the urge to just skip over those parts.Also, the ending (which I won't give away) sort of left me feeling cheated. I suppose I could've overlooked all of those things except for one thing.The fact is, the main character just isn't very interesting or likeable.To me, that's a deal-breaker. ... Read more

Isbn: 0446674346
Sales Rank: 343615
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Historical    3. General    4. Historical - General    5. Literary    6. Fiction / General   

The Samurai's Garden : A Novel
by Gail Tsukiyama
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 April, 1996)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (98)

Eloquent Prose
This is a book that is best read slowly. Not because it has a difficult plot to follow but simply because it is beautifully written. The author has used eloquent prose to tell a story that is layered with personal stories and events that are delicately woven through the words of the narrator.

Stephen is a young adult who in the course of the book develops his first truly adult relationships with people beyond his own family. During his period of recuperation from TB he is removed from his usual environment into one that is both known and yet essentially foreign. One of the achievements of this book is to allow the reader to share Stephen's experiences as a young Chinese man becoming more familiar with Japanese culture and the four people who become important to him during his year in the village.

Set against the backdrop of the Japanese invasion of China the story sways between the changing world beyond the village and the intricate patterns of life that he observes and participates in daily. This is a book that offers the reader a window into a world where politeness, honour and silence are important but beyond which the characters live richly textured lives.

If you enjoy human drama rich in warmth and compassion then this is a book to cherish.

About the fragility and beauty of life
This story, written by an Asian American, takes place during the early part of World War II, and begin shortly before the Japanese invasion of China. It is about a young man's journey from being sick with TB in Hong Kong to recuperation and recovery in a small Japanese island village, under the care ofMatzu, a master gardener and caretaker at the beach house. It's a very simple story about how the gardener and the ordinary people in the village interact with the young man as he slowly gets better. The story is not about any big events, just about small but significant things that happen. It is about the things that teach both the sick man and the reader about the fragility and beauty of life. It's a simple, easy-going and rewarding read, and a beautiful story, and I recommend it.

Slow and lovely--especially enjoyable setting
Reading this novel is like entering a still, cool, greenly shaded world, where much that is of interest is going on under the surface.

Stephen, the young man who is the protagonist in this book is Chinese, but he is recuperating from TB in his family's summer home in Japan during the course of the book.While in Japan, he is befriended by the family's gardener, who introduces him to an intriguing friend.

The book takes place prior to the Second World War, and Stephen is worried about the Japanese assaults on his country--particularly the siege on Nanking.He is also worrying about family problems.Despite the background problems, Stephen becomes involved in his life in Japan.

Interesting elements include the treatment of lepers, Sino-Japanese relations, painting and gardening.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Isbn: 0312144075
Sales Rank: 3823
Subjects:  1. 1926-1945    2. Chinese    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Historical - General    7. Historical fiction    8. History    9. Japan    10. Fiction / General    11. Reading Group Guide   

Haikus for Jews : For You, a Little Wisdom
by DAVID M. BADER
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 September, 1999)
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Editorial Review

"Of all the many forms of Jewish-Japanese poetry, the Jewish haiku is perhaps the most sublimely beautiful," begins the foreword to the wickedly funny and tirelessly bizarre Haikus for Jews by David M. Bader. If you can't abide a little fun with stereotypes, read another book. But if you don't mind a little ribbing, take a look at the following haiku, which gives only a mild taste of the yummy-as-lox treats gathered in this collection: "Jewish voodoo tip -- / mention an acting career, / then watch for chest pain." And if you liked that, you'll love this: "Lightbulb out again -- / how many of us must meet / to change it this time?" And they just keep getting better. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The Chosen Haikus
The author of this priceless gem (okay, it does have a price, but there you are) says in his foreword, 'Of all the many forms of Jewish-Japanese poetry, the Jewish haiku is perhaps the most sublimely beautiful.'

Haiku is an art form that can be sublime, but the sublime often leads to the ridiculous.David Bader succeeds in both of these, and more, with wit, poignancy, and grace (and perhaps more than a few gefilte fish).

Five thousand years a
wandering people - then we
found the cabanas.

Some of the haiku illustrate history, sociology, psychology, and the propensity for retirement in sunny climates.Others are a bit more universal in scope, as I found myself illustrated in the following:

Hard to tell under
the lights - white yarmulke or
male-pattern baldness?

From this he makes a living?Bader claims that this is the eternal question when people see the kinds of things he writes.And of course, the answer would have to found in a haiku somewhere.Perhaps under a cabana.

As this is a book for people in a hurry, it should appeal to people everywhere, Jewish and goyim alike.A perfect gift!

From this you laugh?
David Bader has come up with a masterful concept: combine the poetic form of Japanese Haiku with kvetchy Jewish plaint.And bubule, it works.

The book is best savored like bonbons, just a few at a time.Some are wry, some confirm the American Jewish experience, and some are laugh-out-loud funny; even my shaygitz husband completely lost it with:

Today I am a

man.Tomorrow I return

to the seventh grade.

I got it as a birthday gift and I LOVED it!Buy one for a gift and another for you.

A little humor nosh.
If your sense of humor needs a nosh - you should have this by your side.I wouldn't hurt! ... Read more

Isbn: 060960502X
Subjects:  1. American Contemporary Poetry    2. Form - Limericks & Verse    3. Haiku, American    4. Humor    5. Jewish wit and humor    6. Jews    7. Judaism - General    8. Senryu, American    9. Topic - Religion    10. Humor / General   

Book of Five Rings : The Classic Guide to Strategy
by MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (28 May, 1988)
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Editorial Review

To learn a Japanese martial art is to learn Zen, and although you can't do so simply by reading a book, it sure does help--especially if that book is The Book of Five Rings. One of Japan's great samurai sword masters penned in decisive, unfaltering terms this certain path to victory, and like Sun Tzu's The Art of War it is applicable not only on the battlefield but also in all forms of competition. Always observant, creating confusion, striking at vulnerabilities--these are some of the basic principles. Going deeper, we find suki, the interval of vulnerability, of indecisiveness, of rest, the briefest but most vital moment to strike. In succinct detail, Miyamoto records ideal postures, blows, and psychological tactics to put the enemy off guard and open the way for attack. Most important of all is Miyamoto's concept of rhythm, how all things are in harmony, and that by working with the rhythm of a situation we can turn it to our advantage with little effort. But like Zen, this requires one task above all else, putting the book down and going out to practice. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Reviews (90)

Great Martial Arts--but that's it
This is a wonderful book on swordsmanship.It's not about strategy.Strategy is very high level (there are three levels of warfare: strategic, operational, and tactical).This book is about tactics.Strategy is how to win a potential war from a national level; operational refers to how an area commander (e.g. General Schwartzkoff) fights a theater; tactics is how you take a hill or defend your ship.I've got tons of experience in program management, have published articles on management, have scientific degrees and an MBA, and I fail to see how this is a management book.It seems like a HUGE stretch to me.The rating, unfortunately, seems to depend on what one expects from the book.I expected something that would be strategically useful (or at least operationally) from a management perspective.Sun Tzu's "Art of War" (one of my favorite books and far better, I think, than von Clauswitz) certainly qualifies.This book does not.

Not influential in his own time, but who cares?!

Musashi's now-famous 'Book of Five Rings' is simply not the most influential sword-fighting book written in Feudal Japan. The most important book on Japanese swordsmanship, and the text of the Shogunate's own selected shool of swordsmanship is 'The Sword and the Mind': available as a translation by Hiroaki Sato. Musashi had a very personal and unique style of fighting involving the long and short swords used together. Quite possibly his style developed through the influence of his father, who was an expert in the jitte: a parrying weapon held in the left hand. Even if wielding the long sword by itself, he recommends holding it only in one hand, and developing the strength to do so: he mentions how often you will have to grab enemy spears or other objects with your left hand while fighting, and how holding a sword in two hands limits your sword's movement.Musashi was fully devoted to swordsmanship, and it seems as if he spent all day every day of his life swinging his swords about: no wonder no one could match him! Musashi's main principles are: 1) Train as much as possible 2) Always be on the attack, and turn every defence into an attack 3) Do unexpected strange things to confuse the opponent 4) Attack while the opponent is in the middle of doing something else such as taking a step or breathing etc 5) keep yourself relaxed while fighting 6) Train to achieve complete control of movement. There are lots of little useful anecdotes he tells us about, such as how to keep the sun at your back and thus in the opponent's face. He also gives us a window into 17th Century battles concerning the benefits and detriments of the various weapons and so on. What clearly rings through the entire book is that this is the work of someone who is intimate to an incredible degree with the movements of the sword and the body. A great deal of his strategy involves timing and rhythms: catching the opponent at just the right moment. There is no doubt that these principles are of the utmost importance in winning any kind of sport; however, they are very simple principles and really depend on the swordsman having an incredible amount of skill and training which gives him enough freedom of movement and acute sense of timing to carry them out. One can sense the love Musashi has of fighting and the thrill he gets at his feeling of superiority at winning. However, Japan was not as impressed with his style as he was. It was the two-handed style outlined in 'The Sword and the Mind' that became the standard for samurai. I am not a duellist who's life is on the line, so I am not in a position to muse about why the preference remained for a two-handed grip, but certainly having more control of the blade, more speed, and a longer sword must have been factors. So, even though Musashi was undefeatable, he became so using apparently inferior weapons. While this is all the more impressive, it also means that his style is defective in its most basic element: its weapons! I should probably add here that Musashi clearly was acquainted with literature, and the fact that he was trying to immortalize himself through his book is obvious on every page. He was a great artist too, and his paintings and sculptures have been prized ever since he created them. He wanted to remain the best swordsman after his death, and this book was conceived as his means to that end. There is a great deal to be sure to be learned from this work - it is quite possibly the best book ever written on hand to hand combat, and it is very well organized. I should add too that where Musashi speaks of large-scale military manoeuvers he is speaking from experience, since he fought in and commanded in several battles. We however must remember that in his own time and later his style of two swords hardly had any students - and there are no fencers from his Nito school that ever became famous. While his very seemingly-practical 'hands-on' approach to swordsmanship appeals to us impatient moderns, the deeply introspective, psychological mind-games of Munenori's "The Sword and the Mind" appealed to the samurai of the Edo period.However, the samurai of that period took on the role of civil servants and their role as warriors became less and less important, so practical advice on winning battles such as Musashi gives seemed less relevant to them than spiritual cultivation.It is really a miracle that Japan's greatest samurai actually wrote a book telling us how to become as great a fighter as himself!This book is a guide to success in martial arts, and it will give your martial arts knowledge a touch of 'class', since this book is a true classic of the best kind: if you can quote Musashi in your teaching, it can only look good for you!I ought to note that Thomas Cleary's edition of the "Book of Five Rings" also contains the entire "Sword and the Mind" of Munenori, so Cleary's book would be ideal to buy!

Like poetry it suggests more than it says
Okay, so I really have no clue as to what compelled me to buy this book.I hate to admit it but it looked "pretty" and it looked "historical," so I got it.I also love the Japanese film classics starring Toshirô Mifune as the ultimate samurai warrior.Many of them illustrate a combination of charm, sophistication, humor, even comedy, with violence, ruthlessness, and arrogance.The comparative lack of graphic bloodiness tends to focus the viewer on the human dynamics and art of the situation, and while some of these classics have been translated by the Hollywood film industry for Western tastes, what transpires still has a "foreign" feel.One sees the action and senses that something going on here is different, uncomfortable.Upon reading a few paragraphs of the Book of Five Rings : The Classic Guide to Strategy, I understood why.

For one thing, I had not understood that the character in the samurai collection that Mifune had been portraying had actually been an historic individual living in a unique period of Japanese history.Why I should have been surprised, I don't know, since the exploits of the likes of Pat Garret, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holiday became the basis for a good deal of 19th and 20th Century pulp fiction, TV series, and movies in the United States.In fact, the period in Japanese history that the translator describes sounds not unlike the "Wild West."The sod busters and the ranchers have made their peace, leaving hundreds of gunmen unemployed.The lucky ones find work as lawmen while the unlucky wander the country looking to enhance their reputations by lethalconfrontations to see who's "fastest on the draw."The winner may ultimately find a job as a peace keeper; the loser finds a spot on boot hill.In the case of the American western, the contestants use guns;in the case of the Japanese samurai, they use swords and other equipment.Still there seems something more to it. The something more, I think, is a philosophy, a school, an etiquette, even an art that leaves the Western mind a little uncomfortable.

With some of the techniques of sword work and battle strategy, I think that as Musashi himself informs the reader, it is very difficult to "write" how to do a mechanical task.One can only convey the "feeling" that performing such a task has for the expert writer on the subject.In modern times this facet of the learning process is overcome by photo illustrations, but even then only to a very limited extent.As the author points out, there is no substitute for experience with the process and practice, practice, practice.Even the very limited experience I acquired years ago when I took fencing lessons helped me picture more clearly some of the moves the author described.

Part of the difficulty in connecting with the author's experience as he performs the various actions of sword fighting may be that this book is a translation from the Japanese, was originally written in an older version of the language, and embodied an ancient version of the culture itself, one that is no longer available even to modern Japanese let alone a Western translator.A warrior of Musashi's time may well have connected far better with the similes he uses than a modern person.The unique benefit of this fact, however, is that a great deal can be read into the work.Part of this is the author's intention, but part of it is due to the very ambiguity of the work.Just as the author himself suggests, the reader who does not concentrate on the words but allows the mind to float over them makes all sorts of interesting discoveries.For instance a book on dealing with problem people suggested a technique much like Musashi's "To Know the Times," essentially to match the rhythm and intensity of the subject until one can gain control of that rhythm to de-escalate it.His "To Become the Enemy" immediately brought to my mind the individual characters of Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and his opponent George McClelland.As Musashi suggested, the enemy always feels he is outnumbered which means that a few may defeat many if they are trained in The Way.Or as Lee is reputed to have said before a battle, "The Army of the Potomac is a very good one, unfortunately General McClelland brought himself along."Lee understood The Way.He knew that McClelland's personality, or lack of The Way, produced vast armies of the enemy in his mind.

In all a very interesting and surprising book, one I expect to read again and again to mine for concepts.For a slender 95 pages, the author, like a good poet, has packed each word with a maximum of information because they encapsulate concepts and principles. ... Read more

Isbn: 0517415283
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Life - General    3. Early works to 1800    4. Management - General    5. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    6. Military    7. Military Science    8. Military art and science    9. Personal Growth - Success    10. Sale Books - Adult    11. Strategic Planning    12. Swordplay    13. Self-Help / General   

Siddhartha
by HERMANN HESSE
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 December, 1981)
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Editorial Review

In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to theriver. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, likethousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons.But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born theson of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, andcharisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising futurefor the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then alife of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until hewas just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. LikeHermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has agood dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphanychallenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither apractitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes toblend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending thereader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation SherabChodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, puttingher version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Reviews (360)

This book will make you think
This is one of the best books I have read. I just finished reading this book for the second time, and discovered many new things that I had not considered or was not able to understand before. Herman Hesse was extremely interested in eastern religions and philosophy, and this book shows his profound understanding of the teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism. I don't think it's a coincidence that the two main characters of the book -- Siddhartha and Govinda -- are named after real like people (the actual name of "The Buddha" was Siddhartha Gotama, though in this book he is only referred to as Gotama; Govinda a contemporary of "The Buddha" was a follower of the Ajivikas -- a practice which is defunct now).

Siddhartha is a fictional account of one man's quest for self knowledge and inner peace. Set about 2500 years ago in India (when the real Buddha was alive and preaching), the story chronicles the life of Siddhartha from his adolescence to old age. During the course of his life, he meets many teachers: the Samanas (ascetics who practiced extremelt forms of self-denial and pain), a beautiful courtesan, a rich merchant, a ferryman, and the river. Though he learnt the most from the river, towards the end of the book, an old Siddhartha realizes that "every wind, every cloud, every bird, every beetle is equally divine and knows and can teach us as well as the esteemed river."

This is one book that I intend to read on a regular basis not only to learn from it, but also to see how changes in my own personal perspectives change my interpretation and understanding of the book.

A Classic
Excellent book. Almost everyone love to travel and so did Hermann Hesse to Buddha's birth place. Very few people can understand the spiritual richness and depth while visiting a place. It is neither just geography nor the traditional outfits and customs. There lies the greatness of this author.

( I didn't properly understand the need for stressing the word `Brahmin' wherever possible. I understand that Caste system still exists in India and this Brahmins are on the top of the ladder. Some believe that they have Aryan linage. Initially I got a feel of Nazis and adherents of Nazism behind this book who thought the purported `Aryan race' were superior to other races.But how can it be? Hermann Hesse was condemned by the Nazi government and he was against the German militarism. I felt like I should have read the original work than the English translation to clear this misunderstanding).

The Perl or gem we get from this book is the truth:"wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish" and that is the reason why Jesus could not convince that he was the son of God.

Author gives us the truth that if we are in the spiritual path, what we need not do is spiritual shopping. There is no need to change his/her faith for finding the truth. If we are open, we can always learn from everything, even from a river. And he tells us that "the potential Buddha already exists in the sinner; his future is already there. The potential hidden Buddha must be recognized in him.."

Why should I tell a lot and lot about the book? It will spoil the thrill. So, you read it or not? Don't read this book, be with it. And don't read this book just once,at least the last chapter...read it again and again.

Awesome !
I read it during school days and loved it. Was quite refreshing, elegant, subtle yet quite deep. Felt a need to revisit it again after few years and loved it still. My friend has gifted this to so many of his well wishers after hearing about it from me and reading it himself. Good to have ! Also makes a good gift for anyone who is philosphical, intellectual or open minded. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553208845
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Fiction / Classics   

Kissing in Manhattan
by DAVID SCHICKLER
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (05 June, 2001)
list price: $21.95 -- our price: $21.95
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Editorial Review

David Schickler's debut seems at first to be a lot of fun: a gaggle of young Manhattanites with fancy jobs and fine educations chase each other around town, falling in love or not. In a series of linked stories, Schickler gives us a perverted heiress; a bumbling schoolteacher whose teenage student proposes marriage to him; a bad comic who finds his métier in off-off-Broadway theater. The writing is cool and a bit willfully naive: "Rally McWilliams was profoundly lonely," begins the title story. "She wanted to believe that she had a soul mate, a future spouse gestating somewhere in Nepal or the Australian Outback. But in Manhattan, where Rally lived, all she found were guys."

The mood turns dark, however, with the introduction of Patrick, a thirtysomething Wall Street trader who collects women and spends his evenings tying them up in his room. In short order the book's easy comedy is torqued into something more dramatic by Patrick's descent into violence. That Schickler doesn't play to his strengths is not necessarily a bad thing: one admires a writer who reaches beyond facility to something more difficult. But the transition from lighthearted sexual ronde to dirty realism is a bit bumpy. On the other hand, the novel's picture of a dark, desire-ridden Manhattan is an attractively seductive slice of escapism. The linked-stories format gives rise to a feeling of multiplicity, which is just the right tone for a book about a city crowded with pleasures. Describing James, a love-struck young accountant, Schickler writes: "His mind tonight was on the fine and the illicit pleasures of the planet, on their merits and dispersement. Some people cut daisies, thought James. Some visit Wales, or choose cocaine, or dig latrines for the poor and the weak." Everyone, it seems, is after something different. But it's desire itself that interests the author of Kissing in Manhattan. --Claire Dederer ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Unbelievably good and timely!
I found an "advance reading copy not for sale" on my bookshelf, and I truly don't remember buying this book.Much like the serendipity that drives these stories, I picked it up this past rainy weekend bored, and by page 11 was turning down page corners and underlining it like a text book.If you are a romantic or just lusting for some hope in life, this book is the fountain that will refresh you, it's music to your ears.Others have gone on and on about the plot and the interwoven stories but the lyricism of the language hooked me.Far from flowery, the directness and sheer will of the dialogue these characters have the gumption to utter gave me great hope in my current day lacking serendipity.This has moved to the top of my favorite list of books, inspiring, hopeful, and dreamy in the directness, it is thrilling and page turning near the end!

Fall in love with Manhattan
You could travel the depths of the world and still find nothing as spiritually uplifting as that which one gains from this novel.Kissing in Manhattan, one of a few by David Schickler, is well deserving of 5-stars.It is a truly unique story and rare find:quoted as "haunting".Kissing in Manhattan consists of a series of linked stories, all following a few young Manhattanites while devouring issues such as love, life and sex- revealing to readers a beautiful, magical, and yet dark, twisted and depressing illusion of Manhattan that you will love.Kissing In Manhattan is a novel with such great depiction of life and love in the large city that anyone will find it appealing, and forever wish to meet the people and see the places so greatly detailed, but find only through the alluring words of Schickler, which, unfortunately, leave readers with an ache for more with an abrupt ending with out full conclusion.
Kissing In Manhattan is a great novel for a wide range of people.First, it is a very quick and easy read and at the time one spends reading this novel, no one can be disappointed.Especially since it will immensely lighten the heart of any reader.However, it will appeal greatly to those with a heart of imagination and lust for romance.Overall, this book is incredibly depicting of a sexy, mystical world all with in Manhattan.Of course not everyone will love this book, but many will find it difficult to put down.
Everything about the book is creative and magical, from the people, to the situations, to the writing.The people throughout this mix of short stories are so unique that they could only exist in this magical world of Schickler.There is the shy James Branch, who finds comfort in talking to his apartment elevator.James Branch's roommate, Patrick Riggs, finds enjoyment through tying women to his bed, leaving them alone for hours.Furthermore, the situations throughout this novel are just as bizarre as the people.Douglas Kercheck, a high school teacher, finds himself in a bind as he is asked to marry a student at the request of her parents.James Branch stumbles across an eerie underground jeweler, what is mysteriously gone the next day.Last but most important, it is the writing that so greatly sets this book's magical undertone.
There is not much to criticize about Kissing In Manhattan, other than that it misses a complete ending to much of its stories.The main story consisting of a love triangle between Patrick Riggs, Rally McWilliams, and James Branch has a great ending.However, the other half dozen stories do not come back into play.Some characters do revive, but at most just a name mention, but their stories detailed through their pages are abruptly ended.There is not mention as to whether Mr. Kercheck and Nicole marry, or any information as to what happens after Jeremy Jax reveals himself on stage as the anonymous and acclaimed "Fourth Angry Mouse".This may have been a strategy of Schickler, however, it will leave readers with an obnoxious and insatiable itch for more.
Kissing In Manhattan is an amazing novel written by David Schickler.This book reveals to audience a truly magical world that one would wish to encounter, yet can only be found in the pages of a novel.For those who embark on the adventures found in this novel, they will forever see the strangers they meet daily in their own lives in a new light.One will forever carry the imagination taken in through this book.And one will forever hope to meet the people and see the places that can be found only with the use of imagination.Kissing In Manhattan is a novel worthy of numerous readings, for it will spark imagination in every reader.

Lubricious
My theory is fiction writers (especially regarding their first novel) is analogous to my theory on psychiatrists.Every psychiatrist I know has gone into the profession to learn more about their own particular psychosis.Likewise, every author writes his first novel to exorcise his secret fantasies.If this is indeed the case, Schickler is one messed up dude.

Each story is about a character's search for a lover and ultimately acceptance the taciturn landscape of a Manhattan apartment building - the Preemption.We are introduced to each character in terms of their principal personal flaw, be it physical or emotional.(What is Schickler's own personal flaw?Perhaps he had both an unsightly birthmark and total insecurity about a childhood loss).Each of these flaws is at the core of Schickler's stories.The stories focus on the pursuit of the opposite sex.We eavesdrop on each characters fantasies and insecurities.(I think Schickler must secretly desire to order a gorgeous travel writer into his jalopy).One thing is for certain, Schickler idolizes beautiful women.Every woman in the book is gorgeous and lubricious.The most developed character (and thus - according to my theory - the character most closely resembling Schickler) is a stock trader with deviant sexual practices that I won't reveal (suffice to say Schicker's dates had better be suspicious of nice diners).

In the end, Kissing in Manhattan is clearly Schickler's own little personal fantasy with names changed to protect the innocent.It's a book about losers scoring the knockout babe, about dazzling women allowing themselves to be dominated by eccentric men, and ultimately about ONE man's quest to find sexual satisfaction and acceptance of his personal shortcomings.That man's name is David Schickler.
... Read more

Isbn: 0385335660
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Manhattan (New York, N.Y.)    4. Short Stories (single author)    5. Fiction / Short Stories (single author)   

Kitchen God's Wife
by Amy Tan
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (22 April, 1992)
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Reviews (136)

Life does go on (Sue in Flemington, NJ)
I didn't actually "read" Kitchen God's Wife, however, I listened to it on an audiotape version.I started "listening" to books when I had a long commute to work and sometimes it is difficult to get your head programmed into the audiobook but not so with this read.I actually think that listening to this story is actually a benefit - not that Amy Tan needs any help with describing events.The only downside is I found myself in tears behind the wheel of my car! However, the background music and Amy's beautiful voice - really make the characters come to life even more.
This is such a powerful read and one need not be of Chinese heritage to appreciate it.Love, loss, survival and pain are a universal theme and Amy Tan surely hits on each in this novel.
The heroine, Winnie, has overcome such incredible loss and hurt -it is amazing she has anything left to give in her later years. I believe her loss made her want to love even more. Her incredible spirit and huge capacity for giving - especially to her daughter Pearl is beautiful.
I must admit that at one point I thought "how can she take one more thing", but she does.
This story is a testament to human spirit and I missed the characters one the book was finished.This is the first Amy Tan novel I've read and do plan on reading more.

Entertaining, but Not as Good as Joy Luck Club
Authors probably get very tired of seeing their books compared to their others.I can understand that.But I've only read two books by Amy Tan:"Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God's Wife."I absolutely loved "Joy Luck Club," so I expected to fall in love with "Kitchen God" as well.But this time it just didn't happen for me.

There was a good amount of detail about Shanghai and Chinese history, which I thoroughly enjoyed.And the characters (especially the Chinese women, of course) were likable enough.The plot (mother has secrets/daughter has secrets) was okay too.But the secrets weren't all that astounding, so I felt the book let the reader down slightly in the end.

Bottom line:Good book, but if you had to choose only one Amy Tan, read "Joy Luck Club" instead.

It's the characterization that gets me
One thing I love is when a character or cast of characters captivate me. I can see them, I can hear them and I can sympathize with them. Amy Tan always produces this for me. As I understand it, this novel was loosely based on Amy's mother's life, making it all the more interesting and intriguing. I've read it at least 5 times and come away with something new and different with each reading.
... Read more

Isbn: 080410753X
Sales Rank: 11178
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Literary    4. Fiction / Literary   

GARDEN OF EDEN
by Ernest Hemingway
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 September, 1995)
list price: $13.00 -- our price: $10.40
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Reviews (69)

It was crazy!
This is the first book of his I've read. I just got it because I'd heard so much about him.
So it's amazing, the way he can make you feel that you are there, on an exotic vacation.
But all it is, is drinking and sex! First they have a drink, then they have sex, then they drink somemore, get a haircut, have sex, drink, go swimming, drink, have sex. PLEASE.
Well it is David and Catherine's honeymoon. But still! I don't think it was worth me reading... though I think he is a great author, the subject of the book was implausible and silly. You go on your honeymoon and end up falling in love and having sex with another woman? and your wife does too? crazy!

DON"T UNDERESTIMATE THIS ONE!
A number of Hemingway's works were published afer his death.Some of them probably should have stayed where ever it was they were stashed.This is not one of them.I am not a big Hemingway novel fan, preferring his short stories. This is an exception though. This is a twisted story and does indeed have it's dark side.But, being obviously, at least partially autobigoraphical, it stands to reason that it would be rather quirky, as Hemingway himself was.In this work we see flashes of the old Hemingway, the young Hemingway and all of his brilliance.It is a far better work than some of his later stuff.I must admit to have read this one several times and it has become one of my favorite of his works.I remember putting if off for quite awhile, and am sorry I did as such.Recommend this one highly.

Bizarre and Stark--in a good way!
Very bizarre and disturbing love triangle drives the plot of this book, written in Hemingway's genius minimalistic writing style.Not my favorite Heminway, but worth the read regardless. ... Read more

Isbn: 0684804522
Sales Rank: 53679
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961    4. Literary    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Literature: Classics    7. Love stories    8. Riviera (France)    9. Fiction / General   

The Hundred Secret Senses
by Amy Tan
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 October, 1996)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Reviews (176)

Dreaming of the world of yin
This book was amazing. I finished it in only two days, and I don't regret the sleep I sacrificed. This was beautiful. It was so entertaining, and interesting, and unexpected. I was continually surprised and delighted and saddened and joyous as I turned the pages. The character of Kwan is truly one of the most interesting I've ever encountered. What a delightful journey. Having not read anything by Amy Tan in many years, I'd forgotten just how POWERFUL a writer she is. My dreams have been saturated with the world of yin these last two nights, and I don't imagine these images will be leaving any time soon.

Outstanding book that I can't stop recommending
I put off other things on my weekend to finish this book because I was so involved in it, and I've been recommending it to other readers since finishing it.This book was more beautiful to me than The Joy Luck Club, but it took me a little longer to get into the book and realize how amazing it was.

The plot is summarized well on Amazon.While reading, I had a little trouble getting into Kwan's Miss Banner previous-lifetime stories.I, like Olivia, thought Kwan was a kooky dreamer.Of course, her stories have a deeper meaning, and I urge you to stick with them so see Tan's beautiful resolution of the relationship between Olivia and Kwan.

In the beginning of the book, I thought Olivia knew herself the best, and that Kwan was just an overly-emotional meddler.As the book progressed, Tan convined me of the depth of Kawn's character, and my feelings about everyone in the novel changed.Tan is a masterful storyteller for taking me in this journey of discovery.

This history of China is well-treated in this novel, and I wanted to learn more about the Taiping Rebellion when I finished.Don't be put off if you don't like historical fiction, though, because I'm not usually a fan, but I found myself entirely wrapped up in this.

Very Good... But Haven't We Been Here Before?
Of Tan's first three novels, this is definitely her most substantial.(I've only just begun reading The Bonesetter's Daughter, but it already has the potential to be even better than this.)Tan's characters in The Hundred Secret Senses seem so much more solid to me than those in The Kitchen God's Wife or The Joy Luck Club, especially Kwan, who is just delightful in a slightly zany way.The story is also more interesting, I felt, than those of her two earlier novels, introducing an element of the supernatural only hinted at in her other books.

That being said, I do have one "complaint."I think Tan's a wonderful writer, but I wish she'd branch out a little.Yes, the adage is to "write what you know."Clearly, Tan knows her stuff when it comes to San Francisco's Chinese-American population, and so she chooses to focus on this.But it's starting to seem like she's a one-trick pony.Every book seems to have the same type of characters.Not just Chinese-Americans, but women who are in troubled relationships, women whose epiphanies have to deal with the nature of their female relatives, etc.Certainly, these characters are easy to relate to, but I'd like to see Tan use her considerable palette of talents to paint a broader picture on the canvas of literature. ... Read more

Isbn: 080411109X
Sales Rank: 79405
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary    5. Fiction / Literary   

Lewis Carroll: The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works, Deluxe Edition (Literary Classics)
by LEWIS CARROLL
Average Customer Review:
Leather Bound (30 August, 1995)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
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Editorial Review

This beautiful, 868-page leather-bound volume contains a delightfulcollection of stories from one of history's most beloved children's authors.Lewis Carroll's stories are still as fresh and appealing as when they were firstpublished more than a century ago. John Tenniel's original illustrationsaccompany the Alice stories and bring to life the wildly popular characters sowell known to us all: the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and apassel of others.

Carroll, one of 11 children, knows his audience well. His stories--clever,provocative, and bizarre--capture the imaginations of children worldwide. Thougha prolific storyteller from childhood, he went on to become a mathematician, a fact evidenced by the Tangled Tales serial, which contains amathematical equation in each installment.

Other stories included in this collection are "The Hunting of theSnark," which was composed backward, in a sense, when inspiration for thetale came by way of the last line; "Rhyme? And Reason?"; the Sylvieand Bruno books; and the original Alice story, "Alice's AdventuresUnderground," penned and illustrated in Carroll's own hand. Two never-before-printed poems, originally inscribed in two storybooks and presented asmementos to a little girl and boy, conclude this enchanting collection. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Kinda disappointed
Of course, it is very nice to have pretty much every Carroll work you could want in one volume, however there is one major drawback here.While the blue leather binding and gold gilt text and page edges are quite nice, I found the actual pages to be a very low quality thin paper.Also, the margins are very small, cramming alot of text on each page, while the paper and print quality actually take away a minor of the illustration detail.Overall, not a bad collection, yet I think "The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll"thru B&N is superior even without the bells and whistles.

MK

THERE'S ONLY ALICE
The indeterminate way that Alice In Wonderland appeared could probably never happen again.Somehow the book would not have had the same ring to it if either of the other sisters had pestered Charles Dodgson for the tale to be written down.
The majority discover Alice via the Disney movie which combines elements of both "Alice In Wonderland" and "Through The Looking Glass",changing much along the way.
Thus Alice is only sat in the tree at the beginning in this version.
In the original tale called "Alice's Adventures Underground" some of the characters are missing such as the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter.This is because Dodgson added them later when the book was published with a title change and John Tenniel's artwork
Alice is,today,a massive cottage industry,fuelled by the Internet
and collecting Alice goes three ways really as it adds Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell.
To my mind the most fascinating area of all collecting

A Monumental Achievement
Outside of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, I enjoy no author in any language more than I do Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, known to the world as Lewis Carroll.His bizarrely creative mind stands alone in world literature, and his maze-like stories (which can be interpreted by the reader in a variety of interesting ways) are both immensely enjoyable and intellecutally stimulating.These tales, from the immortal "Alice" books (translated and quoted from more often than any English language text besides Shakespeare and the King James Bible) to the early "Phantasmagoria," are largely accessible, succinct, and simple, yet driven by a striking undercurrent of delicious parody and delightful nonsense.In the age of Marx and Freud, men who attempted to explain everything, Carroll, more than anyone else, stood up for true art; his work (especially the twisted "Hunting of the Snark") defy conventional academic interpretation and application to the real world, thus embodying Nietzsche's sentiment that "we have art so that we don't go insane."His highly creative vocabulary puts his work on the cutting-edge, over 50 years before anyone had heard of his most visible successors, James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov (who translated Carroll into Russian), et al.Perhaps it a testament to Carroll's greatness that his works, more than almost any others of the Victorian age, endure so visibly during the modern day; his patented blend of simplicity, wordplay, and, above all, imagination, may never again be seen, and thus ought to be treasured very highly indeed. ... Read more

Isbn: 0517147815
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    3. Literary Criticism    4. Sale Adult - Literature - Classics & Contemporary    5. Fiction / Classics