Nesting: It's a Chick Thing Review

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Nesting: It's a Chick Thing Review"A home is like a man, you ought to live with it for at least a year before deciding on anything permanent. And even then it's a big gamble." Katherine Anne Porter. This sort of helpful hint peppers this book by people you might recognize. Oprah Winfrey and Anna Quindlan have either helpful hints or articles.
"Nesting: It's A Chick Thing" by Ame Beanland and Emily Terry is a cute book. I received it as a gift. It is easy to read, great illustrations, and all of the chapters are well written. However, the book is too simplistic for me. It will not change my housekeeping, cooking or gardening habits. This book is meant for young women just starting their life as newly weds, or out of college with a new home or apartment. The idea is terrific and should be marketed to the younger generation. It is a fun read, and will answer any question you can think of on decorating, cooking or gardening. Great hints on "Painting like a Pro"; "Starting from Scratch". with an empty room; "Starter Tool Kit"; " How To Set a Table"; "How To Host a Poker Party" ( that is one chapter that I really learned from); "Ultimate Comfort Food Menu"; "What You Need In The Kitchen"; How To Roast Anything"; Cottage Gardens"; "How To Use A Hoe"; "How Royalty Pulls Weeds"; and the best of all," Kindergarten- How to garden with children".
Ame Beanland is an editor and art director and would rather garden than eat, she says. Emily Terry is a public relations specialist and loves imperfect homes. They are a duo combo who has written "Chick Thing: Celebrating the Wild Side of Female Friendship". A book for your young daughters starting their newly independent lives. prisrobNesting: It's a Chick Thing Overview

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Diana - Her True Story - In Her Own Words - Completely Revised Edition Review

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Diana - Her True Story - In Her Own Words - Completely Revised Edition ReviewI enjoyed reading this book, and found it to be fascinating. However, I have since read "A Royal Duty" by Paul Burrell. Some of the statments made in these two books are conflicting. In "Diana, Her True Story", it is made to sound like Princess Diane was always at odds with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. In "A Royal Duty", Paul Burrell tells a different story. He maintains Diana had a loving and close relationship with the Queen and Prince Phillip right up until the time she died. It is a very interesting book, but after reading almost everything written about Princess Diana, there are so many different views and stories, it is hard to know which to believe.Diana - Her True Story - In Her Own Words - Completely Revised Edition Overview

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American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem Review

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American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem ReviewFor anyone with mid-western ancestors, this phenomenal religious and protestant work ethic mentality makes me ever more curious about my great grandparents and their beliefs and life style. It's simply fascinating. From the Chicago fire, to the strong belief in retuning all Jews to Palestine and converting them to Christianity ---an incredible piece of our past. And so very exciting to discover.
For anyone who was taken by "the devil and the white city", this is a must read!American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem Overview

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Women in Love Review

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Women in Love ReviewWritten in 1920 and often regarded as D. H. Lawrence's greatest novel, Women in Love is the complex story of two women and two men who scrutinize their lives and personal needs in an effort to discover something that makes the future worth living. The personal and social traumas of post-World War I, combined with the rise of industry and urbanization, have affected all four main characters, often at cross purposes as they explore love and its role in their lives. Intensely introspective and self-conscious, each character shares his/her thoughts with the reader, allowing the reader to participate in the inner conflicts and crises that each faces.
Ursula Brangwen, a teacher in a mining town in the Midlands, is attracted to Rupert Birkin, a school supervisor; her sister Gudrun, an artist whose sculptures have drawn some attention in London, is drawn to Gerald Crich, whose father is a mine owner. As the two women earn their living and consider the issue of marriage, which they regard as an impediment to their independence, the men deal with issues of sexuality and power, and whether the love of a woman is enough. Both men have homosexual urges which compete with their feelings for women.
Gerald is the most conflicted of the four. Taking over the mines upon the death of his father, he is fiercely committed to making them successful, even if that means hardening his heart toward his workers. He feels no sense of responsibility toward them, dedicating his efforts toward success and power, an attitude he conveys also toward Gudrun, who finds him self-centered but physically attractive. Rupert Birkin, who is eventually drawn to Ursula, is often thought to have been modeled on Lawrence himself, and his sensitivity, self-analysis, and feeling that love is not enough--that one must progress beyond love to another plane--display the kind of agonized soul searching done by many other young men of his age following the horrors of the world war.
Extremely complex in its exploration of the period's social and philosophical influences on the characters (who are archetypes of society), the novel is also full of symbolism, with many parallels drawn between love and death, which the characters sometimes prefer to life. As the love affairs of these four characters play out, filled with complications, disagreements about the meaning of love, questions about love's relation to power and dominance, and the role of sexuality, Lawrence projects the tumult of post-war England as the values of the past yield to newer, more personal goals. n Mary Whipple
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Catalyst Review

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Catalyst ReviewI really enjoyed reading this book. It dealt with a lot of issues that many books just don't cover, and it was refreshing to read something different from fantasy for a change (I'm a big fantasy fan). It was also interesting to think about what the title means. To different people, Kate's catalyst was caused by different things... college, Teri, Mikey... it's up to you to decide just what was the turning point in Kate's life and what was the cause.
The plot follows an 18-year-old straight A chemist named Kate. Her father is a preacher, which makes the story interesting, because Kate is an active aetheist. She runs at night, irons clothes, cleans her brother's room, anything to get herself out of bed. This causes many of her friends (mainly Mitch, her boyfriend) to worry, but she explains that she can't sleep. Kate is trying to get into MIT, the college that her mother went to, and didn't apply to any 'safety' schools, so if she doesn't make it to MIT she's not going to college. The story also follows Teri Litch, Kate's neighbor, though Kate is still the main character.
Catalyst will keep you guessing. It's not a boring, predictable book, and I was surprised so many times in this book that it's not even worth it to write them down. Though the plot was unpredictable, the book still flowed extremely well. Happiness, confusion, loss, anger, grief, and unconditional love were all wrapped up inside, and I can assure you that this book is definately worth reading. :)Catalyst Overview

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Lapham Rising: A Novel (P.S.) Review

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Lapham Rising: A Novel (P.S.) ReviewHarry March is quite mad. He was once a brilliant, best-selling writer, but now he does little but watch Murder She Wrote reruns all day and hold two-way conversations with his dog Hector. Harry is a recluse who lives in a small house on a tiny secluded island in a river in the Hamptons, avoids other people whenever possible, and keeps his life's savings piled on the floor of a spare room, not knowing how much is there and seldom spending any of it. Harry was happy with his life until ten months ago when Lapham, a pretentious multimillionaire, started to build an ostentatious mega-mansion near Harry's island, effectively destroying Harry's idyllic seclusion. "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!" go the workmen's hammers. The real world is knocking, and Harry must do something to make it go away.
This scenerio, of course, could be the stuff of a horrific tragedy; instead, Rosenblatt has given us a wonderfully witty satire on pretentions and materialism, and to some degree on the pretensions of the anti-pretentious. This is a funny, funny book. It is one that I would gladly display in a prominent place in the library of Castle Pseudonymous, my summer cottage, if I could only find an exorbitantly expensive, signed, hand-illuminated first edition in gilt-edged Tibetan yakskin vellum.
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Moll Flanders (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) Review

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Moll Flanders (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) ReviewDaniel Defoe's 1722 novel, "Moll Flanders," remains a fascinating imaginative work, and is in many ways more interesting than his famous first effort, "Robinson Crusoe." Having seen bits of two recent film adaptations in the last couple of months on television, and being a budding 18th century scholar, I decided it was time I picked up my own copy of "Moll Flanders" and see the actual product on its own terms. A story no less about a castaway and delinquent than "Crusoe," in "Moll Flanders," Defoe attempts to set down the history of a woman with a wild and often desperate life. A character of infinitely more interiority and reflection than Crusoe, Moll gives us through a first person narrative, a look into various stations of life in 18th century England and America.
The novel begins with a tip of the hat to that fine progenitor of the novel, "Don Quixote," a Gines-like acknowledgment that Moll, as the author of her own story, cannot complete that story within the text of the novel, unless people can write when they are deceased. Amusements aside, Moll begins her story as Crusoe begins his, with an immediate acknowledgment of the instability of the modern self - the corruption of her own name. Born in Newgate prison, and having never known her mother, Moll finds herself among gypsies and landed gentry before settling in Colchester for the term of her youth. Here, she founds her sense of social ambition, unusual even for Jane Eyre in the 19th century, as one in which she figures to be a gentlewoman by earning her own living. Various mishaps and misadventures lead her through marriages, whoredom, and thievery as Moll attempts to find her place in the world as a woman of common birth. Early on she learns the lessons that will aid her on her journey, viz., the value of money, quick wit, and a sense of her own sexuality.
While Defoe certainly does not sugar-coat the wrongs of woman in the early 18th century - delving deeply into issues of feminine helplessness before the law, the difficulties of procuring stable employment, and various reproductive issues such as adoption, abortion, and infant mortality - yet he maintains a consistent character of Moll as an extremely strong, adaptive, and resilient female character. The most riveting facet of Moll throughout is her own sense of self-worth and importance, especially in her own history. For instance, while chronicling an encounter with a former lover, Moll tells us that while his adventures are worth their own narrative, this is "my story, not his." Moll's strength in the midst of doubt, desperation, and general loneliness keeps the reader's constant interest and admiration.
Defoe's exploration of inter-gender relationships are worthy of note themselves for the sheer variety of social, economic, and personal situations he includes in the novel. The economic theme stands out among these, and provides a link back to the preoccupations of "Robinson Crusoe." Like Crusoe, Moll is always aware of the value of her personal possessions, and conscious of how to exploit and husband her resources to best advantage. Also like Crusoe, "Moll Flanders" is keenly aware of the possibilities and drawbacks of English colonial ventures in America. Defoe's efforts to link all these themes to the lot of the English prison population, the family unit, and indentured servants and African slaves, are all managed extremely well within the text of the novel. For all this, "Moll Flanders" remains an entertaining, satisfying, relevant novel, and stands for me above "Crusoe" as a work of high literary value.Moll Flanders (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) Overview

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O Pioneers (Bantam Classics) Review

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O Pioneers (Bantam Classics) ReviewCather published her second novel, O Pioneers, in 1913 at the age of 40. Together with My Antonia it is the novel for which she is best known. Years after writing the book, Cather wrote of it " Since I wrote this book for myself, I ignored all the situations and accents that were then thought to be necessary."
The book takes place on the plains of Nebraska in the late 19th Century as the Prairie is settled be Swedish, Bohemian, and French immigrants trying to eke out a living from what appears to be a harsh, inhospitable land. The heroine of the book is Alexandra Bergson who inherits her father's farm as a young woman, raises his three sons and stays with the farm through the harsh times to become a successful landowner and farmer.
The books speaks of being wedded to the land and to place. In this sense it is an instance of the American dream of a home. It also speaks of a strong woman, not in cliched, late 20th Century terms but with a sense of ambiguity, difficulty and loss.
This is a story as well of thwarted love, of the difficult nature of sexualtiy, and of human passion. There is also the beginning of what in Cather's works will become an increased sense of religion, Catholicism in particular, as a haven and a solace for the sorrow she finds at the heart of human endeavor. Above all it is a picuure of stark life in the midwest.
There is almost as much blood-letting in this short book as in an Elizabethan tragedy. Cather's picture of American life on the plains, even in her earliest books, is not an easy or simple one. Some readers may quarrel with the seemingly happy ending of the book. I don't think any will deny that Alexandra's happiness is dearly bought or that it is bittersweet.
I tendend to shy away from this book in favor of Cather's later novels. I feared that it would be conventional and trite. The stereotyping was mine,however. This is a thoughtful, well written story of immigrant life on the plains and of the sorrow pain, and strength of the American experience.O Pioneers (Bantam Classics) Overview

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Photographs of Dorothea Lange Review

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Photographs of Dorothea Lange ReviewA wonderful book of eighty-five, beautifully printed, Dorothea Lange photos. I think the best ones are forty-seven from the thirties when Lange was part of a small group of photographers employed by the Government to record the plight of the rural poor. Their output (now in the Library of Congress and accessible to all) was the most complete photographic record of a nation ever undertaken. Lange and Walker Evans were, depending on your point of view, the most talented of this group and you can see why by looking at her photos in this book. Keith Davis says in the introduction... "Her photographs are at once bluntly factual and deeply sympathetic. While Lange recorded innumerable scenes of destitution, she consistently evoked the resilience, faith and determination of her subjects". I think her point-of-view comes across in all the work shown in this book. After the thirties the remaining photos cover her work up to 1958.
All the photos have dated captions and many have background information about what is being shown plus the thoughts of Lange and her subjects. The back of the book has a chronology, bibliography and print source. This is a lovely record of her photographic work but if you want to know more have a look at Dorothea Lange: The Heart and Mind of a Photographer, a really comprehensive look at her photos with excellent essays which include several reproductions of spreads from her photobooks.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
BTW: This is the second book of American images I have reviewed in the last few days, the other one was a selection of photos taken over a number of years by British photographer Nick Waplington of a small town in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences (also the books title) but what a contrast, the Lange book has captions and other information, the photographer's thoughts, chronology, bibliography, sources while Waplington's book has none of this, not even page numbers! It raises questions (least to me) about how publishers regard their readers.Photographs of Dorothea Lange Overview

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Sons and Lovers (Bantam Classics) Review

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Sons and Lovers (Bantam Classics) ReviewSons and Lovers is a book that has been set for years in school for children to read. Somehow doing this usually means that most people emerge with a hatred of it but Lawrence's book is of such quality that it is able to survive.
It is about a woman who marries a coal miner someone who is below her class. While he is young there is some joy in her life but as she grows older the class differences create a wall between them. She lives for her two male children who she tried to keep out of the mines and to ensure that they can live middle class lives. As she grows older the children become more important to her. The death of the oldest means that she suffocates the younger son with a love that affects his normal development.
The story is told through the eyes of the younger son. There is little question that the novel is autobiographical and based on the early life of Lawrence. His life is almost identical to the events portrayed in the novel.
Lawrence was a prolific novelist and short story reader but this work is probably his most accessible. His later novels tended to be more about peoples relationships but without the social content.
Nowadays the class issues have receded a bit into the background. At the time of its publication the book would have been seen as revealing the divisions that operated in Britain. Most critics tend to focus on the relationship of Lawrence and his mother as the primary focus of the novel. To some extent this is true but the book is much more. It is a portrait of a society thankfully now gone. It is the portrait of a young man being propelled by his mother to escape his fathers destiny. Unlike Lawrence's other books which have tended to date this book is easy to read and still a classic.Sons and Lovers (Bantam Classics) Overview

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From My Sisters' Lips Review

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From My Sisters' Lips ReviewIf I could give this book six stars, I would. I happened upon this book after seeing it in a bookstore, and from the moment I opened to the moving dedication ("For my husband, the wind beneath my wings"), I could not put it down. Na'ima B. Robert, a woman born of a white South African father and black South African mother, found Islam while a university student. She gives us an honest and insightful glimpse into her own life and the lives of Muslim women living in the West.
She begins by sharing her own journey to Islam that included soul-searching after a life of "glorified rebellion" in which she and her friends were regulars on the party and boyfriend scene. She then sought solace in Afro-centricity, and, finally, Islam. A trip to Egypt with her band, where they performed in concert, introduced her to Islam, but only superficially. The sight of a Muslim woman covered in hijab prompted her to ask a question often asked of Muslim women: "Why do you cover yourself? You are so beautiful." The author says, "To this day, her answer hits me with its clarity and simplicity. 'Because,' she said, 'I want to be judged for what I say and what I do, not for what I look like.'"
The honesty and insight that follows is indeed a "unique celebration of Muslim womanhood", as Na'ima B. Robert introduces the reader to the unseen world of Muslim women, that is filled with strong bonds of sisterhood, glamorous women-only parties, and friendships like one could never find in the world. She interviews others who accepted Islam and who were born into it, albeit only by name. And through their stories we see the patience, determination, and faith of women who turned away from the emptiness of the glitters of the world to accept the richness of faith and trust in God.
The stories of others interwoven throughout the book make the honesty and insight poignant, as the women candidly share the beauty of Islam without shying away from sharing what its lifestyle entails in the way of struggle and sacrifice, all of which the author and the interviewees maintain is definitely worth it.
She says, "But by far the greatest trial for me and many others was actualizing what is really the essence of Islam--submission. To become Muslim is to become one who submits to the will of Allah. That means ego out, arrogance out, pride out: the self is brought to heel."
She says further, "And something that has continually surprised and touched me is the unshakeable conviction of everyone of the sisters I spoke to--that the pain, tears and heartache have all been worth it--not one of them would take back their shahaadah (testimony of faith said upon becoming Muslim) if ever they had their time again."
I found myself taking notes on the moving quotes, lessons, and stories that the author and her "sisters" share. With subjects ranging from non-Muslim family and Muslim women's dress to love and marriage--Muslim-style, polygamy and motherhood, Na'ima B. Robert has offered the reader more than a book. She has offered us a gift, which is indeed a cause for "celebration".
Thank you, Na'ima B. Robert. May God forever bless you and your work, in this life and the next.From My Sisters' Lips Overview

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Vanity Fair (Bantam Classic) Review

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Vanity Fair (Bantam Classic) ReviewMany consider William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) a minor novelist who wrote in a time when George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and Anthony Trollope ruled the roost of British literature. Out of all of his works, "Vanity Fair" is the most recognizable in literary circles, although Stanley Kubrick immortalized Thackeray's "Barry Lyndon" in a film of the same name. "Vanity Fair" appeared in serial form in 1847-48, a process of publishing used to great success by Charles Dickens. The introduction to this Everyman's Library edition, written by Catherine Peters, says that the title of the book came from John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress," an immensely popular work in circulation at the time.
"Vanity Fair" centers on the exploits of two British women, Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley, beginning roughly at the time of the Battle of Waterloo and ending at some time in the 1830's. The two women are polar opposites: Becky is a conniving, domineering, sometimes insensate woman who constantly attempts to secure a position in high society. Amelia is a rather plain, simple girl who trusts people too often and ends up getting her heart stomped on repeatedly. The two women are ostensibly friends, spending their youth together at a finishing school and occasionally running into each other throughout their lives. Thackeray often likes to place the two in opposition to one another: when Amelia falls into a crisis, Becky is moving in the highest circles of society. When Amelia comes into luck, Becky's fortunes plummet. This see-sawing action helps move the novel through a series of intricately detailed scenes showing off Thackeray's sense of humor, his caustic critiques of English society, and his insightful commentary into the human condition.
Arrayed around these two figures is a veritable constellation of major and minor characters, all with their own foibles that Thackeray exposes in minute detail. There is Joseph Sedley, Amelia's obese and selfish brother who nearly marries Becky in the beginning of the book. George Osborne appears through part of the book as Amelia's fiancée and eventual husband, a vain man with an eye for the ladies and a spendthrift attitude. George's friend William Dobbin also figures prominently in the story. Dobbin is an admirable man, marred by his inability to come to terms with the feelings he has for Amelia. Other characters appear and disappear rapidly, too many to outline here. It is sufficient to say that Thackeray does not worry about overburdening the reader with too many cast members, and with nearly 900 pages in the book, he definitely has the time to adequately describe numerous scenes and people.
I do not know much about literary tags, but I will say that Thackeray must certainly fall into the category of a realist writer. His goal with "Vanity Fair" was to write a story that went against the romantic hero/heroine novels of his day. The subtitle to this book, "A Novel Without a Hero," clearly outlines the author's intentions to oppose unrealistic, feel good literature that failed to properly reflect genuine life. In this respect, Thackeray succeeds admirably by creating characters that exhibit both good and bad traits during their lives. For example, Becky steals and schemes her way through life but performs an amazingly beautiful service for Amelia at the end of the book. Does this make Becky a heroine? Hardly, as Becky does not change her ways after this event. Thackeray constantly sets us up to see a heroic act, only to dash our hopes a few pages later.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel is Thackeray's acidulous wit. Everyone comes in for a drubbing here, from the aristocracy to the common man. Names often reflect the author's scorn: nobles carry such embarrassing monikers as Lord Binkie, Lady Bareacres, and Lord Steyne. Sharp is an effective name for Becky, exposing her character and incisive wit. "Vanity Fair" is full of backstabbing, lying, adultery, stealing, pride and general rowdiness, and no one is above these base behaviors.
A slight problem with the story concerns the numerous narrative digressions that wax philosophic about relationships, women and their roles in society, and bad behavior. These insertions do become taxing at times even though they often help move the story along. Thackeray wants to make sure you know what he is trying to accomplish; he wants you to see yourself and your friends and family in these character sketches.
A bigger problem for me concerned this particular edition of the story. There were no footnotes or endnotes in the Everyman's Library version to help explain the jargon or place names of Thackeray's England. While the author's use of language never approaches the level of Walter Scott's Scottish vernacular, to cite an extreme example, it is still a problem at times. I recommend picking up the Penguin Classics version of "Vanity Fair," since Penguin editions usually employ explanatory notes.
"Vanity Fair" is a long yet worthwhile read. The book is hardly unreadable, an unfair label often attached to this agreeable story. If you enjoy reading 18th century English literature, you must read "Vanity Fair."Vanity Fair (Bantam Classic) Overview

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The Age of Innocence Review

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The Age of Innocence ReviewIt was a glittering, sumptuous time when hypocrisy was expected, discreet infidelity tolerated, and unconventionality ostracized.
That is the Gilded Age, and nobody knew its hypocrises better than Edith Wharton.... and nobody portrayed them as well. "The Age of Innocence" is a trip back in time to the stuffy upper crust of "old New York," taking us through one respectable man's hopeless love affair with a beautiful woman -- and the life he isn't brave enough to have.
Newland Archer, of a wealthy old New York family, has become engaged to pretty, naive May Welland. But as he tries to get their wedding date moved up, he becomes acquainted with May's exotic cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, who has returned home after dumping her cheating husband. At first, the two are just friends, but Newland becomes more and more entranced by the Countess' easy, free-spirited European charm.
After Newland marries May, the attraction to the mysterious Countess and her free, unconventional life becomes even stronger. He starts to rebel in little ways, but he's still mired in a 100% conventional marriage, job and life. Will he become an outcast and go away with the beautiful countess, or will he stick with May and the safe, dull life that he has condemned in others?
There's nothing too scandalous about "Age of Innocence" in a time when starlets acquire and discard boyfriends and husbands like old pantyhose -- it probably wasn't in the 1920s when it was first published. But then, this isn't a book about sexiness and steam -- it's part bittersweet romance, part social satire, and a look at what happens when human beings lose all spontaneity and passion.
Part of this is due to Wharton's portrayal of New York in the 1870s -- opulent, cultured, pleasant, yet so tied up in tradition that few people in it are able to really open up and live. It's a haze of ballrooms, gardens, engagements, and careful social rituals that absolutely MUST be followed, even if they have no meaning. It's a place "where the real thing was never said or done or even thought."
And Wharton writes distant, slightly mocking prose that outlines this sheltered little society. Her writing opens as slowly and beautifully as a rosebud, letting subtle subplots and powerful, hidden emotions drive the story. So don't be discouraged by the endless conversations about flowers, ballrooms, gloves and old family scandals that don't really matter anymore.
In the middle of all this, Newland is a rather dull, intelligent young man who thinks he's unconventional. But he becomes more interesting as he struggles between his conscience and his longing for the Countess. And as "Age of Innocence" winds on, you gradually see that he doesn't truly love the Countess, but what she represents -- freedom from society and convention.
The other two angles of this love triangle are May and Ellen. May is (suitably) pallid and rather dull, though she shows some different sides in the last few chapters. And Ellen is a magnificent character -- alluring, mysterious, but also bewildered by New York's hostility to her ways. And she's even more interesting when you realize that she isn't trying to rebel, but simply being herself.
"Age of Innocence" is a subtle look at life in Gilded Age New York, telling the story of a man desperately in love with a way of life he hasn't got the courage to pursue. Exquisite in its details, painful in its beauty.The Age of Innocence Overview

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Fan-Tan Review

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Fan-Tan ReviewYou're supposed to be willing to give every book 50 pages or so before giving up on it, right? I seldom give up on novels and usually read the whole thing... usually there is some enjoyment to be had even in a below average book, ya know?
Well, Fan-Tan threw me on the mat and made me say uncle. I can't believe anyone published it. It's like the product of a hundred drunk monkeys with typewriters.
Let me treat you with a portion that really blew my mind.
"His memory was a mess, as full of giant holes as an old sock. Scotland was an accent he loved. On the other hand, he thought a lot about the future. "That is one of my characteristics, Lorenzo," he said firmly to the bum of a Portuguee who occupied the bunk above, all aswamp in his noisome reflections."
You may believe I have taken that passage out of context and this is a great book. You may think I am a simple minded fool who can't handle stream of consiousness writing.
However, I think it is a crime againist humanity that those sentences happened IN A ROW. Also, "on the other hand" needs to have what was in the first hand in the general proximity of the phrase.
I couldn't get very far in this book.Fan-Tan Overview

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Late Bloomer Review

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Late Bloomer ReviewThis is a fun book that puts down romance novels and their readers but actually is a romance novel, after all. Ironic and funny--I enjoyed it.Late Bloomer Overview

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POPCORN POPPIN ON THE APRICOT TREE Review

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POPCORN POPPIN ON THE APRICOT TREE ReviewThis is a great book with amazing characters. Written so you can understand and sympathize with Annie Peters and her siblings. I was not brought up Catholic but I can still relate to the characters which I find to be the mark of a great writer. I can't wait for the next book Faith Ann!POPCORN POPPIN ON THE APRICOT TREE Overview

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Four Great Plays of Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder (Enriched Classics Series) Review

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Four Great Plays of Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder (Enriched Classics Series) ReviewIt is at least 50 years since I read these plays, but I have seen them performed during these years. I suggested "A Doll's House" to my book group because I believed that, though the play was written over 100 years ago, the subject matter would still be relevant. I was right. The women were so intrigued with the material, as well as the writing, that many of them went on to read the rest of the plays in the collection. The notes relating to the plays add to the interest and are enlightening.Four Great Plays of Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder (Enriched Classics Series) Overview

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