The Death of Vishnu: A Novel

Amazon.com

The title of Manil Suri's first novel gets right to the point. His protagonist, having purchased the right to sleep on the ground-floor landing of a Bombay apartment house, slips slowly from a coma into death. As this aging alcoholic takes leave of the earth, his neighbors surround him, arguing over who gave Vishnu a few dried chapatis, who called the doctor for him, and who will pay for the ambulance to cart him away. Meanwhile, the hero of The Death of Vishnu is lost in memories. Drifting through increasingly vivid scenes from his past, he recalls his relatively rare snatches of love and joy--and especially his romance with Padmini, a self-involved prostitute. On one particular day, it seems, he stole one of his employer's cars and drove his love interest to the honeymoon town of Lonavala, where he showered her with gifts and finally lifted her veil to kiss her like a bride:

Then the absurdity of the situation strikes him. The preposterousness of his images, the foolishness of his feelings, the comicality of chasing currents that skim across Padmini's face. He thinks how absurd this whole trip has been, how absurd is the presence of the two of them in Lonavala, how absurd is the scenery itself that stretches before them. He thinks of poor, ridiculous Mr. Jalal, waiting back in Bombay for his Fiat, and of how Padmini will react when he asks her to buy them petrol so they can get back.

Vishnu also recalls his secret passion for Kavita Asrani, the beautiful teenage daughter of one of the families for whom he works. Given the protagonist's focus on his hapless love life, the scope of Suri's dazzling debut may appear narrow. However, the apartment house upon whose floor Vishnu spends his final hours functions as a microcosm of Indian society. It helps to know even a smattering about Hindu mythology or India's religious conflicts. But even if you don't, there is plenty to relish in The Death of Vishnu, with its comical, richly drawn characters, loving attention to the details of everyday life, and provocative exploration of destiny and free will. --Regina Marler

Book Description

Vishnu, the odd-job man in a Bombay apartment block, lies dying on the staircase landing: Around him the lives of the apartment dwellers unfold: the warring housewives on the first floor, lovesick teenagers on the second, and the widower, alone and quietly grieving on the top floor of the building. In a fevered state Vishnu looks back on his love affair with the seductive Padmim and wonders if he might actually be the god Vishnu, guardian of the entire universe.

Blending incisive comedy with Hindu mythology and a dash of Bollywood sparkle, The Death of Vishnu is an intimate and compelling view of an unforgettable world.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent exploration of the Indian psyche.......2007-09-16

This book is able to make the reader understand Indian culture and the lives of middle-class Indians much better than a textbook or documentary. I place Suri's book up with Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance" as quintessential Indian novels.

Suri, through his characters, explores the many facets of Indian culture. Through Vishnu, the reader sees how the poor live hard lives, yet have brief rewarding moments. Through Mrs. Asrani and Mrs. Pathak, the motivations and social pressures faced by Indian women are examined. Through Mr. Jalal, the consequences of a purely intellectual life and the struggle to find religion are put out in full, disturbing display. Through Kavita and Salim's romance, the hardships faced by lovers from different religions and backgrounds are shown, as well as the hardships in balancing new ideas with old traditions. All of these issues are deftly explored. Suri does not editorialize or preach. He presents his story in a straightforward way, and allows the reader to make his own judgments.

The storytelling is crisp and well-paced. Suri, a mathematician, employs precision in moving the story between the many different story lines at just the right time. Each subplot could have been an extremely interesting novella by itself, but in Suri's hands, they all interweave to create a mesmerizing whole. All of the main characters are explored and fleshed out. These characters are what make the book such a joy to read.

Suri is one of the bright new authors on the Indian literary scene. I eagerly await his next book.

Vivid but confusing.......2007-08-06

The strength of this novel is also its weakness. Manil Suri makes no attempt to write down to Western readers as he plunges us into the tragicomic sitcom of quarreling families in this Indian apartment building. Foreign terms are thrown around without the usual clumsy attempts at translation. Characters come and go with sometimes bewildering rapidity -- Hindus, Moslems, and agnostics; vociferous or silently suffering; in love, in grief, or in anger -- all are etched with a sharp pen that skewers hypocrisies with wicked glee, but can occasionally sketch the outlines of more genuine growth and feeling. The result is something that feels entirely authentic, and is absorbing from moment to moment. But it is also a difficult book to follow, especially because the main connecting thread -- the story of Vishnu, the unofficial janitor who lies dying on the stairs -- is told through myths and memories, and contributes little to the forward momentum of the realistic portrayal of life around him.

A God Lies Dying on the Steps?.......2007-07-20

Manil Suri's debut novel 'The Death of Vishnu' was inspired by a real man named Vishnu who lived and died on the steps in the apartment building in Bombay where Suri grew up. That's correct, my dear fellow Western reader 'lived and died on the steps'. Even the mildly attentive reader will immediately grasp that 'The Death of Vishnu' is not a standard piece of Western literature.

The book centers around Vishnu as he lies dying on these steps where he has lived for years occasionally serving the needs of the apartment dwellers, who offer him weak tea and stale food in return. Vishnu, of course, is also the name of a major god in Hinduism and Indian mythology, the preserver of the Universe. Vishnu begins to dream while his life force ebbs. Another apartment dweller on his own almost inadvertent search for religious insight suggests that this often-drunk and dying Vishnu really is the Lord 'Vishnu'.

'The Death of Vishnu' is peopled with an array of interesting characters who live in or work near the building like the Asranis, Pathaks, and the Muslim Jalals, as well the cigarettewalla and the paanwalla, Short Ganga, and Tall Ganga (the book has a handy glossary). Suri explores the tribulations of living in arranged or negotiated marriages (and also the act of arranging and negotiating of these marriages), the search for religious enlightenment, religious conflict, middle-class social pretensions (all the fiercer for being so pedestrian), and more. There is a lot going on in 'The Death of Vishnu' and Suri intended this busy-ness to reflect the reality of life in Bombay (as he calls it).

'The Death of Vishnu' is the first of a trilogy with each book bearing the name of a major Hindu god. The second book The Age of Shiva: A Novel is due out in early 2008. For the Western reader like this reviewer, 'The Death of Vishnu' at times presents challenges of interpretation - is Mr. Jalal's semi-accidental search for enlightenment supposed to be comic or not? India is a very strange place to Westerners, but Suri deftly brings it closer without greatly Westernizing the story.

Highly recommended.

A thoroughly delightful book.......2007-01-15

When is this fine author going to come out with a second novel? "Death of Vishnu" was an absolutely delightful read. I'll snap up Suri's next one if he ever gets around to putting one out.

Interesting debut.......2006-07-06

In Manil Suri's debut novel, one enters a surrealist world on the brink of magical realism. The reader can't tell what is "real" and what isn't, but the result is the same. The reader is taken on a journey into an alien, yet familiar, culture; it is alien in the sense that one is unsure how to proceed, but familiar because these are people and characters just like any other. They all have their foibles. In this novel, though, it would seem that the characters have more foibles than strengths, and it is amusing to watch their lives unfold.

I appreciated learning about Indian culture from the point of view of an expatriate. I can understand why the characters acted the way they did, although in the end it would seem that they should have taken their actions all the way to their logical conclusion. The plot is interesting, if confusing a little. I had to reread the first few chapters just to get everyone's name straight, but that could have been my fault. Overall, this book belongs in the canon of modern American literature, if there is such a canon.

This was my first foray into, what I would call, Indian-American literature, and I look forward to reading more by this author (if he ever writes any), and reading more South Asian and Indian-American literature.

Average customer rating:

The Death of Vishnu: A Novel (P.S.)
Manil Suri
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0061467065

Amazon.com

If classical music always seems to be playing in the background of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles's intelligent and very funny books about Inspector Bill Slider, chalk it up to the fact that the London copper's live-in lady friend Joanna is a professional violinist, and many of their friends are musicians. That plus the barrage of literary puns and quips that Slider exchanges with his chief assistant, Atherton, gives the series a distinctly upscale aura.

This seventh installment begins in a setting of rare architectural beauty, an elegant old house on a private estate set amid the bustle of West London. The browbeaten daughter of a famous historian has started her day in a very unfortunate manner--by discovering a dead body in a trench about to be filled with cement. The body belongs to the wife of Eddie Andrews, the contractor scheduled to do the cementing. Naturally, Andrews becomes the chief suspect--especially when it turns out that he knew of his wife's ongoing infidelities. But this happens so early in the book that seasoned mystery readers will soon consider other suspects, including a flashy but shallow real estate agent and the crusty old historian.

Meanwhile, Slider deals with personal matters of equal weight: Atherton's shaky return to duty after having been seriously wounded, and the decision by Bill's own runaway wife to leave the man she ran off with. This could seriously affect his and girlfriend Joanna's plans for their own future. "He didn't go straight home," Harrod-Eagles writes after Slider visits his distraught wife. "He drove around a bit, not really aware of where he was going; just going, with that instinct to escape the emotional scene that throughout history had made men leave home, fleeing their mother's pain, their wife's, their children's, going to the Crusades, to war, to the Colonies, the Antarctic, the Moon, the pub...."

Other Slider books in paperback: Killing Time, Death to Go, and Grave Music. --Dick Adler

Book Description

Critics on both sides of the Atlantic praise Cynthia Harrod-Eagles as one of the best of the new generation of crime writers. "Slider and his creator are real discoveries for detection fans demanding quality and heart as well as ingenious plots," says the London Daily Mail. "Perfect literary pitch," says the New York Times Book Review. Like her esteemed mystery-writing predecessors, Harrod-Eagles starts with an appealing detective team, but she adds a sharp-edged wit and an intriguingly contemporary take on human relationships. Bill Slider, Jim Atherton, and Joanna the violinist are here to stay.

The Old Rectory, West London, is the kind of house Detective Inspector Bill Slider covets with an "edifice complex." But on his "copper's pay," it's not likely he'll ever live in such a magnificent structure. Huge and imposing, with three sections built over a number of centuries, it now must add "crime scene" to its list of distinctions. A body is rather spoiling the view from the back terrace.

Only two people live in the big house: famed historian Cyril Dacre, suffering through the final stages of a terminal illness, and his mousy daughter, Frances Hammond, who had the unpleasant experience of discovering Jennifer Andrews's corpse. She was lying, fully clothed, in a trench dug by her husband, Eddie, a builder whom Frances had hired to repair the terrace. Did he dump his wife's body and hope to cover it with concrete?

Could the death have been an accident, with someone depositing the body in panic? Where was Jennifer in the hours before her demise? Why didn't her husband report her missing? If it was murder, where did the crime occur? And who is the killer? It looks to be a straightforward case, but Slider finds that nothing makes sense. As in his own marriage, there is far more going on than meets the eye.

With impressive police procedural detail, delightful wit, and the cast of characters readers have come to love, Shallow Grave proves once again that Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a writer to savor and applaud.

Customer Reviews:

a/k/a Death of A Shallow Woman!.......2003-05-22

I don't know why, but when the book opens upon Slider checking out the corpse in the ditch, talking with Mrs. Hammond, I thought it might be her, but then immediately was taken on the road that lead to Eddie Andrews. Now this seemed just too easy to me, and I then thought it was the slimy David Meacher, but that also seemed too easy. For a nanosecond I thought it might be "Lady Diana", the long-suffering wife but it didn't seem likely so I went back to my first instinct: Mrs. Hammond. Then when it was briefly mentioned that Cyril Dacre could get about without his wheelchair..............you get the picture!

This is what I enjoy about Ms Harrod-Eagles' mysteries. They really are a mystery! The characters have become "friends" of mine as our writer makes them so real, human. I especially enjoyed Mr. Whitton, the neighbor who had so much insight to share with Slider. The fact that he exists without a telephone endeared him to me. And I am in the middle of a nightmare with car troubles so it was almost comforting to see that Joanna and Bill have them as well. (Misery loves company!) But again, it made them real people who could jump off the pages and really exist. I like that!

I would really love to see these books made into movies in Britain. (Hollywood would ruin them!) You know how you get a certain picture in mind of what these characters would look like? I see Ed Norton as Slider, Cameron Diaz as Joanna, Rob Lowe as Atherton.....not sure about the rest. Looking forward to my next read.

Wickedly Humorous!.......2003-05-03

Ms Harrod-Eagles' series on Bill Slider continues to delight. Her writing is wickedly humorous and her characters "breathe". This is an excellent edition to the series. We see Bill Slider at his best in this one. He is the most likeable detective out there right now, I think. In this book a woman is found dead in a construction hole at the Old Rectory. How did she get there? Was she even murdered? Bill and Jim Atherton set out to track the killer. It appears like a straightforward case at first since they discover her husband was terribly jealous, and he really had no alibi for the time of the murder, but as they delve deeper, they find a woman who has been leading a rather unsavoury life, and has been upsetting and making people angry for some time. As always, Ms. Harrod-Eagles characterizations are great. Cheif Inspector Porson is an absolute gem. I caught myself chuckling more than once at his Porsonisms. Read this series if you like intelligent writing with a diamond hard wit laced right through the whole story.

One of the best books in an outstanding series.......2000-12-08

Slider and Atherton investigate the death of Jennifer Andrews, a contractor's adulterous wife. Her body is found in a trench the man was about to permanently fill. The construction was taking place on a fancy estate occupied by an ailing historian and the wimpy daughter he browbeats. Both knew the dead woman, and neither liked her. In fact, no one seems to have liked her much -not the (married) boss she was having an affair with, or the co-worker whose place she took in doing so, or her notoriously jealous husband. Even her priest despised her. As Slider and Atherton investigate the murder, they each struggle with their own relationship issues. Atherton's wondering whether the bachelor life he's raised to an art form is really all that wonderful. Slider's still living with one woman, and married to another woman who is living with another man. His estranged wife, Irene, wants to divorce and financially destroy him, or maybe reconcile with him instead; she's not sure.

My favorite parts of Harrod-Eagles' books are the witty banter among the coppers, and their brainstorming sessions about their cases. As always, the police officers trade funny quips, puns, and put-downs as they share theories and speculation about a murder. The relationship between Slider and Atherton is the deepest and most complex in the series, and there's some reflection on that in SHALLOW GRAVE. The plot is somewhat predictable and the resolution not particularly surprising. Those shortcomings might bother me in another book, but not in this one. If a less-than-compelling plot can bring together such imperfect but utterly likable characters as populate this series, and inspire writing as good as Harrod-Eagles', that's fine by me. This is one of the best books in the series.

Oh,That Cynthia Harrod-Eagles!.......2000-09-26

Mischievous is the word for our Cynthia. She leads us down a bunch of pleasant garden paths, lets us believe we've solved the mystery and then hits us with the real solution leaving us with the I-should-have-seen-that feeling. And she plays fair withal. The reader should pay attention to the chapter headings: "Lettuce,With a Gladsome Mind" and "Sick Transport Glorious Monday" for just two examples. One can see that the author's puns are as clever and plentiful as ever. And thank heaven for Superintendent Porson. Long may he reign! Great plot, fine characterization and a load of mischief. A cracking good read, in fact.

Enjoyable.......1999-08-29

Another good entry from Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. Bill Slider and Atherton seem to be good police officers. English mysteries are always a fun read because they put me in the mood to revisit the English countryside to spend some time in a pub or to have high tea ata "good" hotel. Since I don't get to England very often, I pull out a Harrod-Eagles, or a Ann Granger, or any number of other such books, fix a cuppa and sit back and enjoy. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read. Go back and start from the beginning of the series so you can enjoy all the details.

Average customer rating:

Satisfying mystery - less satisfying personal characters

Shallow Grave (A Bill Slider Mystery)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Manufacturer: Time Warner Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Blood Sinister (Bill Slider Mysteries)

ASIN: 0751520179

Customer Reviews:

Satisfying mystery - less satisfying personal characters.......2001-04-18

A body is found in a hole dug at the back of an old Rectory in a highly respectable London Neighbourhood and Detective Bill Slider of the Shepherd's Bush Police Station is called in to investigate. In fact the case at first sight seems astonishingly simple. Jennifer Andrews, the deceased, has been placed in a hole dug by her husband, a builder, to shore up an old terrace. Had Frances Hammond not been out walking her dog in her backyard, no one might have seen the body before Andrews had a chance to fill in the hole and bury his wife for ever. After all, he had been following her around all night - even threatening to kill her.

However there are things that just don't add up - why was Jennifer's handbag left in his car?, Why did Frances Hammond's dog not bark in the night when it heard the intruder dump the body and why did no one hear his footsteps on the gravel path?

Jennifer Andrews was no saint either - she had been having affairs, and who had she gone to meet the night before? - it certainly wasn't her husband. And what does the real-estate agent Donald Meacher have to do with this all?

I do like Harrod-Eagles mysteries but her characters of Bill Slider, his lover Joanna, Ex-wife Irene and his side-kick, Atherton just seem a bit cardboard to me. They don't seem to have real emotions - just reactions handy to creating a bit of personal angst. I found that side a real let down.

This is Harrod Eagles 7th book in the Bill Slider series (there are 8 of them so far to April 2001) and I'm not sure how many more there are to come. She does write a great and enjoyable mystery. The personal life doesn't intrude too much into the real story of the mystery.

Average customer rating:
Shallow Grave: A Bill Slider Mystery
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SBCA4U

Book Description

An old woman who spends her days scrubbing the floors might be an unlikely damsel in distress, but Lord Dunsany proves once again his mastery of the fantastical. The Charwoman's Shadow is a beautiful tale of a sorcerer's apprentice who discovers his master's nefarious usage of stolen shadows, and vows to save the charwoman from her slavery.

Customer Reviews:

Very well done from beginning to end.......2007-07-08

Ramon Alonzo is a young man who has been sent to live with, and learn from, a famous wizard. He is only interested in how to turn base metals into gold. His sister is engaged to be married, and the family hopes that a small chest full of gold will suffice as a dowry.

While studying with the wizard, Ramon meets an elderly charwoman who has no shadow. The wizard took it many years ago, and refuses to give it back, keeping it in a locked box. She is basically trapped at the castle; she was chased out of the nearby village years before as some sort of demon, because of her lack of shadow. In a moment of chivalry, Ramon vows to retrieve her shadow. The charwoman urges Ramon to never, ever give up his shadow.

As part of his teaching fee, the wizard demands Ramon's shadow, but replaces it with a fake shadow that looks, and acts, like the real thing. Ramon figures that he has gotten a great deal; the ability to create gold for nothing. That is, until the day that Ramon is also chased out of the local village as some sort of monster. The problem with his fake shadow is that it does not shrink or grow depending on the time of day; it is the same size, all the time.

Ramon receives a letter from home, and is told to forget the gold; make a love potion, instead. He creates one on his own, and during a visit home, it is given to a visiting Duke. The potion nearly kills the Duke, and causes great embarrassment to the family. He is bedridden for several days, during which time Ramon's sister is the only one who can get near him. In the meantime, back at the castle, with much patience and diligence, Ramon finds the combination to the box of shadows. He releases several shadows, including his own, and that of a young woman. He brings it to the charwoman, not knowing if it is the right one; it is. Ramon figures that the shadow of the young woman will turn into an elderly crone. To his delight, the transformation goes the other way, and the charwoman turns into a young woman. After they escape from the wizard, the next problem concerns Ramon's family. Since she is not of noble blood, will they accept her as Ramon's bride?

From the first few paragraphs, the reader will know that they are in the hands of a master. Dunsany is generally considered the most influential author in the entire fantasy field. Stories like this will justify such a claim. It is very well done from beginning to end, and will get the reader looking at their shadow in a whole new way.

Shadows.......2005-06-24

Before Tolkien told his children bedtime stories about hobbits and dwarves, there was Lord Dunsany. One of the early fantasy writers, Dunsany only wrote a few full-length novels -- one of which was the haunting, beautifully-written "Charwoman's Shadow," a story that slips into the grey place between good and evil.

Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, and now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic.

Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadow in exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, and he finds his very soul in peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, and get back both of their shadows.

Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are set in fictional lands full of magic and wizards and gods. This one is slightly different, as it is set in a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, and magic is something which leads to evil. But the plot in this book has the same sort of otherworldly edge that his more fantastical works do. (Although if any Harry Potter fans think that Rowling created the "philosopher's stone," they'll be sadly disappointed)

It has a straightforward plot, which is made more elaborate by his flowery prose. Dunsany was one of those writers who dwelled on the more beautiful details of his stories, and as a result, "Charwoman's Shadow" has the feeling of a dream. Especially in scenes where really strange things happen, like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up and racing away.

Ramon Alonzo is a good hero -- he's a nice guy who gets enmeshed in bad things for good reasons. The charwoman Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. And the other two characters show the good vs. evil struggle: Father Joseph, a kindly priest, and the cold, cruel magician who "scorns salvation" and shows no pity to someone he's wronged.

"The Charwoman's Shadow" is not only an early fantasy novel, but also an exquisite little story of love, magic and kindness. Definitely worth checking out.

A classic of fantasy...come learn the magic of language!.......2004-03-25

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, better and more succinctly known by his title, Lord Dunsany (pronounced "done-SANEY"), is perhaps the most important British fantasy author to appear before Tolkien. Lord Dunsany's work has little connection to Tolkien's except that both create feelings of wonder in readers that whisk them away to fantastic worlds. Dunsany's work has a less realistic, more ethereal quality than Tolkien's, and draws strongly on the traditional fairy-tale, while at that same time energizing the simplicity of the fairy-tale with his sense of drama (Dunsany was also a playwright) and with his magnificent, fluid, beautiful writing. His 1927 novel, "The Charwoman's Shadow," is one of his greatest works, second only to "The King of Elfland's Daughter."

Edward Plunkett was born in 1878, became the 18th Lord Dunsany upon the death of his father in 1899, and made an unsuccessful attempt to run for parliament in 1904. With his failure in politics, he began writing his stories of the fantastic, beginning with the collection (currently in-print) "The Gods of Pegana." He enjoyed great literary success and acclaim until his death in 1957, but sadly, at the end of the century, his literature seemed in danger of vanishing from the minds of all but ardent fantasy historians and those who could afford the out-of-print volumes containing his work. But Dunsany has suddenly roared back into print; if you're a lover of fantasy, you cannot miss "The Charwoman's Shadow." It ranks as one of finest novels of the fantastic.

The story takes place in a fantasy vision of medieval Spain: "Picture an evening sombre and sweet over Spain, the glittering sheen of leaves fading to somberer colours...Picture the Golden Age past its wonderful zenith, and westering now towards its setting." Young Ramon Alonzo goes to learn the One True Art -- the art of magic -- from a master magician who lives in an old house in the woods. The Master requires a fee, however: Don Alonzo's shadow. The boy surrenders it, believing it is of no use to him. But even as he advances himself in the magic arts, he soon learns there are serious consequences to losing your shadow. An old charwoman who works for the Master seeks Don Alonzo's aid, for she too lost her shadow many years ago to the Master, and she desires it back. The two enter an alliance, one that Don Alonzo starts to regret when he discovers the youthful beauty of the old charwoman's shadow.

There are no action set-pieces in "The Charwoman's Shadow," no epic battles, no swarms of monsters and demons, but every sequence in the book is full of unforgettable images and beauty. The scene of re-attaching the shadow makes the book a masterpiece on its own; it reduced me to tears the first time I read it. Lord Dunsany will remind you of no other writer, and you'll thrill to discover his unique take on fantasy, feeling if you were sharing a secret private encounter.

Dunsany's word magic pulses stronger than any of the actual magic that appears in the book. In fact, the book is really about the power of language itself; we spend time with Don Alonzo pouring over words and learning their secrets. As Peter S. Beagle (author of "The Last Unicorn") says in his brief but powerful introduction, Dunsany had "an understanding that the right name for a character can imply an entire culture, a history, a music, a world; that a single word chosen properly can persuade a reader that he shares a folklore he can't possibly know...To open this book is, like Don Ramon Alonzo, to begin learning the true nature of enchantment from a master."

I can't give a better recommendation than that, so I will only second him: open this book and fall deep into the fantasy of language.

Master of prose, unfairly burdened with the role of pioneer.......2003-08-05

Those approaching Dunsany because of his reputation as a proto-fantasy writer (in the sense we now use "fantasy" to decribe a genre) are bound to be disappointed. Happily, he hails from an age before such labels solidified into something restrictive, and his intoxicating prose can be regarded as "fantastic" in its looser sense. He was also a good deal more versatile than the description "fantasy-writer" would suggest, at one point with five plays being staged concurrently on Broadway.

The reviewer who cites Dunsany's dreamy style hits closer to the mark. Dunsany is not about plot. He is all about atmosphere, and the joy of language. Here, as elsewhere, there is a heavy perfume in the air, and an admitted stream-of-consciousness at work. If details seem to appear out of nowhere, it is probably because they do. It is part of what makes Dunsany so fascinating. The reader is aware of a fecund imagination spontaneously drawing connections with every sentence. This is unfettered inspiration at work, and it is refreshing in a day when conformity (and bland prose) rules to encounter a writer so obviously delighting in his own personal muse. Yes, certain cells recur, mantra-like, simulating the rhythm of the ancient epics. It is the structure of instinct. Remember, Dunsany was an unrepentent anachronist, setting down all of his flowery, wonderful inspirations with a quill. He was also an Irishman, and as such, of an apparent genetic predisposition to unspool beautifully-crafted tales.

Comparisons to Tolkien are useless, and do a grave disservice to Dunsany's art. In Tolkien you find myth; in Dunsany, fable. His writings are not writings for children, as some have suggested (although I suspect children unspoiled by too much Gameboy would enjoy them), but rather fairy stories penned for adults. One needs have lived long enough to have experienced regret, and nostalgia, of the retreat of the fantastic from the more prosaic world of "maturity," to fully appreciate the special bittersweet qualities that inform most of Dunsany's fiction.

I haven't checked if it is still in print, but those who enjoy this work should definitely try and locate a copy of "Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley," as it has much in common. In fact, I find it slightly perverse for Del Rey not to have published it first, as a knowledge of "Rodriguez" enriches one's understanding of the novel under consideration. You will learn more about the bowmen, and experience further enchantment (and romance) in Dunsany's imaginative Spain.

What's more, it may be the finer book.

A fantasy classic.......2002-11-24

Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, and now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic.

Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadow in exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, and he finds his very soul in peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, and get back both of their shadows.

Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are set in fictional lands full of magic and wizards and gods. This one is slightly different, as it is set in a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, and magic is something which seeps naturally to great evil. But the entire world it's set in has the same sort of fantastical edge that his books usually do. Kids with a good attention span can read this, though some may be bored by the gradual pace and flowery language. And the language is very flowery. Dunsany writes in his standard dreamy prose, with a lot of very strange imagery (like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up and racing away).

Ramon Alonzo is a nice leading character -- he's a good guy who gets enmeshed in bad things for good reasons. His spiritual struggle and chivalrous rescue of the charwoman Anemone and her shadow are central to the plot. Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. The magician is a cold, unsympathetic character who "scorns salvation" and shows no pity to someone he's wronged. Father Joseph serves as the counterbalance for the magician, a kindly priest who helps Ramon Alonzo out.

A beautiful story about love, magic, and kindness, this is a must-read for fans of classic fantasy. See why Dunsany is still one of the best.

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THE CHARWOMAN'S SHADOW
Lord (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett) Dunsany
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345030850

Average customer rating:
THE CHARWOMAN'S SHADOW
Lord (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett) Dunsany
Manufacturer: Unwin Paperbacks - Unicorn Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Fantasy | Gaming | Large Print | Media | Science Fiction | Writing
ASIN: 0048232319

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The Charwoman's Shadow

Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HX7NNW

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The Charwoman's Shadow (Del Rey Impact)
Edward John Moreton Dunsany
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVDH8M

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The Charwoman s Shadow (Del Rey Impact Ser.)
Lord Dunsany
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MOX16Y

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The Charwoman's Shadow
Lord Dunsany (Edward Plunkett)
Manufacturer: Unwin Paperbacks - Unicorn Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEDDD8

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THE CHARWOMAN'S SHADOW
Lord Dunsany
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GREFDU

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CHARWOMAN'S SHADOW
LORD DUNSANY
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P7S16I

Book Description

A complete guide to the side–effects and treatments – both conventional and alternative – for endometriosis, from a respected name in the field who also suffers from endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a debilitating reproductive and immunological disease that affects 7–10 million American women each year. The disease occurs when the same kind of tissue that lines the walls of the uterus grows outside the uterus in the pelvic cavity or some other area of the body, usually significantly affecting the woman's fertility and often causing pelvic pain. And as with any condition that affects fertility, the results are often emotional and psychological as well as physical.

As someone who suffers from endometriosis, and who has connections to a wide network of healthcare professionals, Morris is the perfect person to guide sufferers through diagnosis, treatment and living well with the condition. Like the previous titles in our successful Living Well series, this book will offer a holistic approach to living with the disease. The author will offer strategies for coping with the psychological aspects of endometriosis, including how best to tell others about the condition; treatment options including alternative and complementary treatment plans; dealing with infertility; and weighing the hysterectomy option. The author will draw on her relationship with fellow sufferers as well as medical professionals to help readers, making this the most comprehensive guide to endometriosis available.

Kerry–Ann Morris was diagnosed with endometriosis in 1999. Since then she has become one of the most active members of the endometriosis community, and has started an outreach website for the disease. She has relationships with many fellow sufferers and experts in the medical community, making her the perfect author for a book on holistic treatment.

Customer Reviews:

full of information!.......2007-09-07

I honestly recommend this book, it is helping me to understand what endometriosis is and how to live with it.

Great Resource!.......2006-11-15

This book is a great resource for anyone suffering with endometriosis. I found it to be easy to read and understand. I like the fact that the book not only contains the medical facts but also contains real life stories from women who have the disease. These real life stories really helped put my own situation into perspective and provided me much comfort-it really helps to know I am not alone.

I recommend this to both women who have been recently diagnosed or long time sufferers of the disease like myself. I so wish this book had been around 12 years ago when I was diagnosed. This book alone has given me more information about the disease than some of the medical professionals I have talked about. Kerry Ann really did her research and the result is wonderful!

Great Book On Endo!.......2006-10-25

Kerry-Ann is able to take a lot of the mystery out of this disease. She breaks the informaion down into bite size pieces that are easy to understand. Her book is full of "lightbulb moments." Things began to make sense and the "light came on" a number of times as I read the book.

I suggest this book to any person dealing with this horrid disease.

No thank you.......2006-07-05

I bought this book after being diagnosed with endometriosis. In my case, the diagnosis had been completely unexpected and I was looking for some answers in regards to how this disease would effect my life.

Although there was some useful information in this book (particularly in the first few chapters), in general this book left me feeling as though my whole world was about to end. I have since found out that many women live ordinary lives with only minimal disruption caused by this disease. Reading this book, however, I was given the distinct impression that I would eventually end up in so much pain I would not be able to leave my home and that I had no chance of ever having children.

This book did me absolutely no favours, and I would not recommend it.

A good starting point.......2006-06-08

Recently diagnosed with endometriosis, I went searching for a book that would help me get a handle on the disease. This is a good reference guide, giving clear, concise and up-to-date information. It's well-balanced, providing information about medical and alternative options; it does not advocate one particular course of action but aims to educate the reader about the options that are out there. I am very pleased with my purchase and recommend the book highly.

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