Customer Reviews:
It is a novel but a beautiful novel and explicitly spiritual in it's aims and goals........2007-08-16
Now, I didn't see the movie but from what I have heard Scorcese missed the boat as to what this novel was all about. (Just for the record, I think Scorcese is over rated!!)
This was a beautiful book. It is not blasphemous in any way shape or form. If one reads it to the end you will understand what I mean.
Are there are few uncomfortable moments? Yes! But that is the point of the book. The title of the book explains everything and is ITSELF explained on the last page.
If you are a Christian don't be afraid of this book or what others might say about the film. Go to a bookstore and check out the author's forward, and you just might find yourself buying the book.
A Riveting Classic.......2007-05-15
I picked this up not expecting too much. I thought that this would just be another safe retelling of a Bible story. Boy was I wrong! The Jesus depicted in this book is very human. He struggles with temptations and unpleasant situations. This book challenged me, made me think, and failed all my predictions. I like that this book is unpredictable but satisfying. This book really made me stay up late at nights until I finished it. I was in a book rut until I picked up this one. A riveting story. Oh and it will not bore you to tears, it's one of "those" classics!
It's a love letter.......2007-01-31
One cannot review this book as a work of literature, although it certainly is that. Kazantzakis wrote it as a love-letter to Christ and a meditation on the nature of the man. In that sense, he succeeded wildly, ecstatically, anachronisms and misplaced Greek characterizations and all. "Gunpowder", even - it's all part of Nikos Kazantzakis, and it all serves to drive us deep into the heart of his Jesus, and himself.
That said . . . I have to take issue with Kazantzakis (of course. Else why write a review?)
I was mystified at the ease with which The Baptist turned Jesus from his Gospel of "Love, Love" to that of "the Axe is laid at the root of the tree." Jesus seems to get the better of John in their discussions, arguing most persuasively why his message must differ from John's - and then he goes out sounding like John redux. Did his sojourn in the desert cause this change in direction? It seemed a little too facile for me.
And the ending (I'm perpetually disapointed by endings - seems to be a thing with me). . . why did he have to die? That was very disappointing.
Just kidding - what disappointed about the ending is that Jesus did not really prevail over the final temptation as he had in the desert. He was drawn in to his fantasy life, luxuriated in it even, and then was surprised to find himself once again upon the cross (hope I'm not giving anything away here). I suppose this is Kazantzakis' final identification with the humanity of Jesus, but it seemed an odd perspective on the final moment of Jesus' life as a man - surprised relief rather than victory.
It's too much to expect of a writer, that his inner-most meditation on the meaning of Jesus should provide any "answers" to a reader looking for illumination (I've given up on "Truth"). For all that I've failed in each of my three readings of this book over the last twenty years to fully grasp Kazantzakis' Jesus in all his dimensions, the journey has been well worth the cost in time and frustration. Kazantzakis was a natural writer as well as a Natural writer, and his Jesus is more human (with all that it entails) than any other treatment has dared allow him to be.
Used By Mel Gibson, It is All Fiction........2006-09-20
This narrative novel was written by Nikos Kazantzakis, author of 'Zorba the Greek' (also made into a movie) and 'The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel." It was written originally 45 years ago in Greek and some facts distorted in translation to English. The movie interpretation led people in the wrong direction and disrupted the Christian community as to the significance of such distortion. If you've read the New Testament, you read about the agony on the cross when Jesus called out, "Father, why has thou forsaken me." Nowhere in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, even Paul), is there any evidence that he attempted the life of a mortal man with Mary Magdelene. That is the devil's work, through Mr. Gibson, the director.
Christ was on this earth with a mission to help the downtrodden. Mary M. was a woman of ill repute and he came to her aid by demanding of the crowd," You without sin, cast the first stone." He did seem to enjoy visiting the other Mary and her sister, Martha; who was he partiala to: Mary who cooked for him or Martha who washed his feet?
The movie inferred that he may have avoided the cross and lived a family life with Mary M. some other hiding place, and produced an assortment of offspring. "Man without God was born as he is unarmed, and would have been obliterated by hunger, fear and cold..." Why did his mother, Mary, weep and pray for his soul at the crucifixion -- if Christ was not on the middle cross, then who was! Who appeared before his disciples after the ressurection?
The book was written as a novel by someone with aspirations to write about great happenings with his own twist. Gibson's movie blasphemed Jesus and his Jewish heritage, and the Christian Bible version in the New Testament. Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesized the coming of the son of God and his sacrifice so that we can be free to worship him in the denomination of our choice. His was the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. This book is fictional account of his life and does not claim to be true. Much of the content came from the author's imagination. He wrote modern history before there was such a thing, a precursor of today's historians.
"Everything Has Begun!" ~ Reconciling God With Man.......2006-07-17
I read Nikos Kazantzakis' `The Last Temptation of Christ' back in '75. It was assigned as required reading for a college course I was enrolled in called, "Radical Christianity". Actually I faked my way through the assignment, who wants to read another book on the life of Christ? I certainly didn't. It wasn't until the end of the semester and summer was upon me that I actually opened the book for the first time and begin to read. Once I began I couldn't put it down.
Kazantzakis is a brilliant writer who looks at the world and perceives the intangibles around us like no other author I've ever read. His narrative is surreal, hallucinogenic and disturbingly earthy all at the same time. His ability to look into the human psyche and translate its intensely personal contents into concrete terminology is truly amazing. At times his writing seems more akin to poetry than composition.
This life of Christ is unlike anything you've ever come across before, which explains why there was so much turmoil and Christian backlash over the release of the movie adaptation by Scorsese in '88. They still haven't learned that a closed mind can never be a truly spiritual mind. Don't pass on reading the book because you saw the film. The difference between the two is the difference between night and day.
One of my Top Ten Books of All-Time! My Highest Recommendation.
Average customer rating:
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Scandalizing Jesus?: Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ Fifty Years on
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
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ASIN: 0826416071 |
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- Finally an objective opinion on the Last Temptation
- Religious liberalism is not equal to secularism
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Film, Faith, and Cultural Conflict: The Case of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ
Robin Riley
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0275973573 |
Book Description
Scorsese's 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ arguably generated more resistance and conflict upon its release than any film before or since, engendering intense debate and even hatred between religious conservative protesters and liberal progressive defenders of the picture. This is the first full examination of the controversy, its participants, and their claims concerning the film's religious meaning. This debate reflects deep levels of social and cultural insecurity produced by the shifting role of religion and religious language in an increasingly secularized society, and demonstrates how a popular film about Jesus captured, inflamed, and strengthened existing animosities. Providing new insights into film's significance as an indicator of the changing relationship between secular and religious domains, the work offers a thorough and fascinating historical analysis of the various interpretations of Last Temptation and its reception.
Customer Reviews:
Finally an objective opinion on the Last Temptation.......2004-03-19
This is one of the best books written on the intense and volatile controversey surrounding Scorceses's masterpiece the Last Temptation of Christ. It deserves to be studied and debated because as of the opposition currently to Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ film. This book is a direct reply I would say to Larry W. Poland extremely biased book The Last Temptation of Hollywood. The protest against this movie will shock you and it will make you think. Now we can all view this masterpiece in a stellar DVD produced by Criterion. Read this book to get the lowdown on the fantastic opposition from Christian zealots and see the movie for the greatest artistic expression ever produced on film.
Religious liberalism is not equal to secularism.......2003-11-02
This book employs a complex rhetoric of scapegoating to describe the interaction between religious progressives and religious conservatives during the controversy over the film _The Last Temptation of Christ._ I initially skimmed it over with interest and some sympathy. It makes a fairly decent case that even if Scorsese saw the film as a vehicle for a positive expression of his religious beliefs and not an attack on the religious right, both he and Nikos Kazantzakis (the author of the original book) intended to tell the story of Jesus in a way that more or less ignored orthodox theology. I have to agree with Riley that there is an implicit attack on the religious establishment there.
As I read the book in more depth, however, I was less impressed -- the argument becomes overblown in the details, as when Riley asserts that "[t]he film's victimization of traditional Christianity is made apparent when nonconforming images and ideas about Jesus are placed in viewers' minds, thus erasing or displacing conventional associations and references" (49). Exposing people to alternative religious ideas and interpretations "victimizes" them?! What an insult to believers' intelligence and the strength of their faith! Powerful as art can be, I hardly think a single viewing of a film should be able to "corrupt" (if challenging people's beliefs can be considered corruption) a solidly established faith. To argue that LToC victimizes conservatives is as absurd as arguing that _King of Kings_ or the other great epics victimize liberals, or that street evangelism from both the religious left and right victimizes the other. (Notably, Scorsese himself confesses to being a tremendous fan of Biblical epics; Riley acknowledges this but does not explore its implications.)
I'm grateful to Riley for the opportunity to think through these provocative arguments, as well as for the detailed information about the reception of the film presented in this book. S/he is certainly right to point out that in the controversy over LToC, liberals persecuted conservatives just as conservatives persecuted liberals; in some ways, the controversy over Mel Gibson's _The Passion_ is a replay of events surrounding LToC, only with liberals on the offensive.
Overall, however, the book's agenda is tipped too strongly in defense of the conservative reaction. The book morphs into a polemic, misrepresenting the religious point of view it opposes. Instead of acknowledging LToC's theology as a distinctive religious viewpoint, Riley insists that Scorsese's attempt to emphasize the humanity of Jesus is "secular," ignoring the fact that the debate over Jesus' humanity versus his divinity has been an issue since at least the 4th century. To believe in a primarily human Jesus is hardly a non-Christian position. Further, scenes that Scorsese, Kazantzakis, and appreciative viewers have read as deeply spiritual and reaching toward transcendent truth are castigated by Riley as being amoral or rejecting the idea of universal ethical principles. At times, this is done in ways that ignore inconvenient plot points or dialogue. Finally, Riley's suggestion that Scorsese and Universal Pictures represent an aggressive secularizing conspiracy, when perfectly sincere beliefs about freedom of speech and the essential humanity of Christ would result in the same behavior is, I think, bordering on paranoia.
In conclusion, though it's true that both religious liberals and secular people tended to like this film more than conservatives did, Riley's implication that therefore religious liberals are just closet secularizers is an underhanded attack of the same kind that s/he condemns in this book, cloaked as it is in seemingly academic rhetoric. I remain unimpressed.
Average customer rating:
- Better than the first two...
- vastly entertaining
- well-written original mystery
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Death A L'Orange
Nancy Fairbanks
Manufacturer: Berkley
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Binding: Paperback
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Truffled Feathers
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ASIN: 0425185249
Release Date: 2002-06-04 |
Book Description
It's a culinary tour de France for Carolyn Blue and her family as they travel through Normandy and the Loire Valley with a group of academics. Where better to write about food than France? But when murder shows up on the menu, Carolyn is once again investigating crime as well as cuisine-and trying to stay one step ahead of a killer with an insatiable appetite. C'est la vie...
Customer Reviews:
Better than the first two..........2003-04-15
This is the third and best of the series thus far. It is once again told from two parallel viewpoints, one being Carolyn Blue and the second from her husband, Jason Blue. The Blues, along with their 20-year-old son, are on a tour of France with several professors and dean candidates from the university. Accidents start to happen and while Carolyn at first thinks them just that - accidents - she soon comes to realize that a pattern is developing.
Nancy (Herndon) Fairbanks uses a technique that I remembered also being used in a Marion Babson book in which the guilty party writes in a journal (although perhaps in the Babson book, it was a matter of hearing the culprit's thoughts, not necessarily a diary) and that helps the reader narrow the field of potential guilty persons down as the culprit refers to other members of the travelling party, thus eliminating several suspects.
All in all, an enjoyable read although a bit confusing at first with the introduction of all the characters.
vastly entertaining.......2002-06-18
I liked "Death a l' Orange" the best of all the books (so far) in the Culinary Mystery series. The best way I can think to describe this novel is to say that is both whimsical and surreal at the same time. The descriptions of the foods and sights of France were fantastic and made me wish I was about to embark on my own holiday of France. I also loved Nancy Fairbanks's vivid portrayals of the different bickering academics, and their wives, in the tour group -- it brought back memories of being in grad school all over again!
Because her husband has to undergo bypass surgery, Mrs. Atwater, a friend of the Blues, offers them their tour tickets to Normandy and the Loire Valley at a cheaper than usual price. Of course the Blues enthusiastically accept. A chance to partake in the sights and foods of Normandy is not something any amateur historian and budding food critic would willingly pass up! Another bonus is that the tour group will comprise of academics (and their better halves) from the university that Jason had been previously lecturing at. So that there would quite a few people that they actually know. The only caveat to all this is that Carolyn and Jason would also have to keep an eye on the Atwater teenage daughter, Edie. However Carolyn is sure that everything will be a breeze -- that is until she realises that 1) the tour group seems to be made up of bickering lecturers (and their equally quarrelsome spouses), three of whom are involved in a race for the deanship of the College of Arts and Sciences; 2) she notices that Edie Atwater is a budding mantrap who has attached herself firmly to the Blues' son; and 3) that a series of rather troublesome accidents seem to be dogging the group, and Professor Childeric, a medieval historian, in particular.
When the first accident befalls Childeric (he falls onto the luggage carousel at the airport), Carolyn thinks little of the accident despite Childeric's claims of having been maliciously pushed. But Childeric is soon the victim of another 'accident' and Carolyn begins to seriously wonder if someone is actually out to get the professor, as he insists. As the days pass, the 'accidents' take on a more sinister aspect, and Jason soon begins to worry about Carolyn's safety as Childeric seems to have attached himself firmly to her elbow...
As with the second book in this series, "Truffled Feathers," this latest Carolyn Blue mystery novel is also divided into two narratives -- Carolyn's at times humourous one that includes some rather entertaining sidebars of historical and gastronomical fact, is nicely juxtaposed with her husband's, Jason, more factual and matter-of-fact account of what's going on. In spite of the dual narrative plot device, the novel unfolded smoothly and at a brisk pace. Before I even knew it, I had devoured the novel and was lefty with that 'I wish there was more' feeling. "Death a l' Orange" is truly enjoyable read. Carolyn and Jason's tongue-in-cheek observations of the foibles of those around them (the French natives and the American tour group members) are bound to entertain. But in spite of all this light whimsy, Nancy Fairbanks also successfully imbues the novel with an air of sinister surrealism as the number of accidents mount and they begin to take on a darker hue. Thus lending a rather suspenseful tone to the book as you wonder what will happen next! Be warned however, charming and enjoyable though "Death a l' Orange" was, there is actually very little of the hunt-for-the-dangerous-prank-player aspect in this novel. Carolyn does try to tabulate what's going on and to figure out who the likely suspects are; but unfortunately is easily side tracked by the sights and foods and the private lives of the group members. Still, this is an entertaining and engaging novel that should not be missed.
well-written original mystery.......2002-06-07
Who can turn down a journey to France at greatly reduce rates? Certainly not the Blue family, especially Carolyn who is writing a book about New Orleans cooking and hoping to get another book on French cuisine out of this trip. She is also a syndicated food columnist who writes pithy little comments on each day of her trip and faxes them back to her boss in New York City. She can't wait to see to see Paris, Normandy and the Loire Valley to taste the food these places made famous.
When the Blues land at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, their luggage is lost. A prominent medieval historian, Professor Jean Claude Childeric who Carolyn struck up a conversation with, is pushed onto the luggage carrier and is seriously injured. He claims he was pushed but Carolyn and other members of the group think he's imagining things. They don't know that someone on the tour has a long-standing grudge against the professor and won't rest until he's humiliated, ostracized and hated by the rest of the group.
DEATH A L'ORANGE is a yummy treat for anyone who likes to read a well-written original mystery. Although the stalker manages to ruin the trip for everyone, even turning husbands against wives, the way it is done is very comical and will have readers chuckling out loud. Nancy Fairbanks has created a winning series and this reviewer can't wait for the next meal.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Many cookbooks for people with diabetes are written by nutritionists or dietitians, but while those books might present well-balanced and nutritional recipes, they often fail to focus on recipes that are flavorful and easy to prepare. Author Chris Smith is not only a trained restaurant chef and a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America--but he is also a person with diabetes.
You will find more than 150 recipes--everything from appetizers to entrees to desserts--arranged by season so that the freshest ingredients can always be used. You will also discover a simple and convenient way to organize meals up to a month in advance using the Diabetic Chef's unique meal planner.
Customer Reviews:
A bitter disappointment as well........2002-01-22
Nothing impressive about this book. In fact, this is one of those cookbooks I wish I never purchased. Does not go far enough in talking about the relationship of food and diabetes and is filled with only so-so recipes. You would be better off purchasing a good cookbook and cooking recipes centered around protein dishes.
Bitter Disappointment.......2002-01-12
Cooking is a joy and a hobby for me, when accurate instructions are provided. Regrettably, I was no further into this book than page 8 before discovering a substantive error: Chicken Breast Roulade clearly must require more than 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.) Chicken Stock in order to produce final portions of 1-1/2 Tbsp. for each of four servings, particularly after it has been reduced by half. Pages 11 and 12 show lovely photographs which, regrettably, are mis-identified. With such careless editing, how can one trust anything else in the contents?
Epinion Review!.......2001-07-16
Still hot off the press, "Cooking with the Diabetic Chef" is the first diabetic cookbook actually written by a chef who suffers from diabetes. As someone who has recently read a lot of diabetic cookbooks (blech!), I am quite impressed.
Several months ago, when I first learned that I was a Type 1 diabetic (I have to inject insulin several times a day), I ran around to the library and several bookstores looking for some cookbooks that might allow me to return to normalcy. I was pretty horrified by what I found. While there were a lot of books to choose from, they really didn't contain the sort of food that you might want to eat every day, or that someone else (a non-diabetic) might want to share with you.
Cooking With the Diabetic Chef puts all those other books to shame. I've read the whole book and made several of the recipes and it seems to contain nary a clunker. What makes the difference is that it was written by someone who actually eats the food and is a chef to boot.
Chris Smith, the author, begins with a forward that explains how devastated he was as a student at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) when he discovered he was a diabetic. Apprenticed at one of New York's most prestigious restaurants, Le Cirque he was unable to keep up with the fast paced environment, feeling tired and run down. When he learned what was wrong he was quite plainly horrified but soon discovered that with proper management he would be able to pursue his dreams.
His new book, published by the American Diabetic Association, proves that healthy food doesn't have to be flavorless and bland. One of my favorite recipes so far is the Cajun Sweet Potato (very spicy and to die for). I have also made several of the more normal (which is what I had been looking for) recipes such as blueberry muffins, banana pancakes and crab cakes. All of them were excellent (the lunch crowd at work begged for tastes of the leftovers), not a bit bland or blah, something you would be proud to serve or share with non-diabetics.
It's an attractive paperback with photographs that will make you want to try all the recipes. If you know someone who is diabetic, this book would make an excellent gift. It has a good mix of fancy recipes (something you might feed company) and recipes for simple comfort food. It is one of the best cookbooks I have ever read or used and it is THE BEST diabetic cookbook I have ever seen.
CNN Commentary.......2001-07-09
ATLANTA (CNN) -- When Chef Chris Smith was diagnosed with diabetes seven years ago, his physician advised him to drop out of culinary school and find a new vocation altogether. "My doctor said it would be just too hard to work around all that food," he says.
Instead, Smith decided to put his professional experience to use. He began conducting diabetic cooking seminars and is set to release his first cookbook in June. "Cooking with the Diabetic Chef" is a guide to eating that strives to add intense flavors to food without adding fat, salt and sugar.
"I want to break barriers," Smith says. "Most people might have two or three chicken recipes that they know how to make. I want to give them a whole library of ways to prepare chicken. I want to show diabetics that there is variety."
"We don't want the diabetic diet to be a sentence," agrees registered dietician Margaret Fowke. "That is probably the biggest concern diabetics have when they are first diagnosed. They say, 'Oh my gosh, I can't have my fried chicken and my chocolate chip cookies.' We feel they must have some flexibility in their diet plans."
Quotes from the Media.......2001-03-01
Connie Martinson Talks Books - "Quote" "...a must for any family with someone who is a diabetic; plus, the recipes are very good."
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- The Man with a Load of Mischief
- The Song of Hannah : A Novel
- The Spirit Archives, Volume 17
- The Terra-Cotta Dog: An Inspector Montalbano Mystery
- The Visitant (The Anasazi Mysteries, Book 1)
- Tooth and Nail (An Inspector Rebus Novel)
- Tuesdays with Mantu: My Adventures with a Nigerian Con Artist
- Two Trains Running: A Novel
- U.S.A.: The 42nd Parallel / 1919 / The Big Money (Library of America)
- Unexpected Blessings
Books Index
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Zorba the Greek
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The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection
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