Book Description
Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano has garnered millions of fans worldwide with his sardonic take on Sicilian life. Montalbano's latest case begins with a mysterious têtê à têtê with a Mafioso, some inexplicably abandoned loot from a supermarket heist, and dying words that lead him to an illegal arms cache in a mountain cave. There, the inspector finds two young lovers, dead for fifty years and still embracing, watched over by a life-sized terra-cotta dog. Montalbano's passion to solve this old crime takes him on a journey through Sicily's past and into one family's darkest secrets. With sly wit and a keen understanding of human nature, Montalbano is a detective whose earthiness, compassion, and imagination make him totally irresistable.
Customer Reviews:
II CANE DI TERRACOTTA - THE TERRACOTTA DOG - ANDREA CAMILLERI .......2007-02-10
Inspector Salvo Montalbano of Vigàta gets an urgent call from his best friend Greg the pimp they need to meet on the quick, Montalbano is informed that Greg was told to relay a message from Tano the Greek (the number two Mafioso) he wants a secret tête-à-tête. Tano the Greek had been in hiding for quite sometime and on every wanted policeman list possible, Tano had made his conditions very clear that Montalbano should come alone and tell no one. Sudden trembles and panic enter Montalbono head, then suspicion why out of the blue would a member of the Mafioso want to meet with him? Curiosity more than anything gets the better of him and he complies to go without calling it in.
Meanwhile in another part of Vigàta a supermarket heist is taking place, Montalbano soon finds out everything did not go according to plan. Why would anyone bother to set up a heist then not only abandoned the goods but also leave a whole bagful of cash?
Inspector Montalbano is then on the move again this time his called to Palermo Hospital urgently to listen to a dying man's words, which in due course leads Montalbano to a secret cave, two more bodies are discovered embracing each other, even more shocking these bodies had been there for at least fifty years what sort of twisted dark past was this, who were these people and why were they being watched over by a Terracotta dog? Montalbano needs to understand what happened here, he takes time rediscovering the horrors of a WWII past. It's the only way forward.
Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series, what I love firstly about this whole series would be the charactizations and language the usage of dialogue in conversation it's all been kept real it's got sharp wit and comic moments the sly comments on Italian life and culture keeps things interesting and really amusing. Montalbano is a fantastic leading character his middle-aged, melancholy vein, recites certain favorite authors' lines in moments of doubt and his clearly well read. His passion for great flavored food is endless and mouthwatering, his also a thinker and manages to untangle a spun web of lies and sort out the logic of his cases to get to the truth. Montalbano is not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. His got a huge female following of all ages because he has that attractiveness about him, one would be his "get to the point attitude" and can say it in many different ways. In spite of much temptation from women he remains faithful to his long time girlfriend Livia who in turn is happy to adjust her life and will calm and comfort in his time of need, Livia understands what his trying to achieve in his world that is corrupted and knows how to handle his darker moods. Montalbano loyal team continues to support him no matter what his faults and tactics may be.
The Fictional town of Vigàta is so vividly portrayed by Camilleri that it feels like a real place in Sicily; Camilleri himself in an interview said he based this town on his birthplace in Sicily Porto Empedocle, people of his home town have now recently changed the name to Vigàta to match the book in his honour. The whole series seems to have a timeless feel about them; I took a whole batch of this series on a recent vacation plotted up and read one to the next, it was addictive reading and I was not disappointed by any. Although you can start anywhere in the series, it clearly deserves to be read from the beginning. This is the second book in the series the first being (La form dell'acqua) The shape of Water.
A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, for the clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.
This book was an intriguing wonderful read, the one that will hook and reel you in.
A.Bowhill
The life of Sicily.......2007-01-04
I have become enamoured with the Italian mystery genre in the last 2-3 years. It has been an education to explore Venice with Commissario Brunetti and Florence with Marshall Guarnaccia or Sicily with Inspector Montealbano. All three authors (Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb, and Andrea Camilleri) know their locale and focus on the daily lives of the citizens, while moving along a rip-roaring story. But there are significant differences - Leon and Nabb write in English (Nabb uses British terms that remind me of Christie that break the spell) while Camilleri writes in Italian. He is Italian - he understands the importance of the land and the wine and especially the food that fuels Sicily. (The translation is superb.) Leon and Nabb certainly know their areas and their craft and they are very, very good, but Camilleri works the magic.
Camilleri captures the angst and the pain and the loneliness of Inspector Montalbano. But he also captures in mouthwatering detail the need to eat with a focus on the quality and variety of food that stops the Inspector's world, even when he has to go long distances to find the right place to eat.
I like to read a series from the beginning. I like to meet and greet the protagonist and then watch him/her grow with fond memories brought about by references to prior books. The Terra Cotta Dog is the first of the series that has been translated into English. Apparently the entire collection is large and the selection for translation has been severe, but the stories and especially the translations have been excellent. This is the place to start.
I highly recommend all three Italian protagonists with Inspector Montalbano and Commissario Brunetti right at the top of my list of "must buy" when a new book hit the market. They take me to places I have never visited, though I now seem to know, and allow me to interact with people I would like to know better.
My colleague and his wife visited his ancestor's Sicily last spring for the first time. I got them 5 of the books and suggested they read them in the order they were written if they had the time. The results were astounding. Apparently there was a fight for the books amongst the 4 that went and Mr. Camilleri's introduction to Sicily through the eyes of Inspector Montalbano made the trip even more memorable than expected. They "lived" Sicily by reading the books - not the big things from the guide books, but the small rituals of life and especially the food. Yes, for the Inspector, it all comes down to food and this is what made the trip so memorable.
Enjoy your tour of Venice or Florence or Sicily!
more than meets the English speaking eye.......2006-12-12
Having read all the Andrea Camilleri books in Italian, I want to emphasize that the opening of Cane di Terracotta gives a perfect intro to Montalbano's character and ambience, and is an example of his best writing.
All Camilleri's Montalbano books read as if set for TV or movie, with quick moving short scenes, easily engaging the contemporary reader.
Can you imagine reading an Italian translation of Faulkner's works and being able to claim that you understood the depth of his writing? The same is true of Camilleri's Sicilian dialect being translated into English. Aside from his wonderful focus on the pleasures and travails of everyday life, and on the foibles of humanity, the true joy of his writing lies in its dialectical inventiveness, something that cannot be translated.
In fact, Camilleri has elevated his dialect to an art form, validating the usage of dialect in a world which is becoming ever more homogenized. Wasn't there a fellow named Dante that did a similar good turn?
I would encourage inquisitive readers to brush up their Italian so they can read other Andrea Camilleri books, especially those which are not Montalbano thrillers. My favorites are La Scomparsa di Pato, and La Concessione del Telefono. If your Italian is ok, you can learn the dialect from context as you read the books,
but if you want a little help, get Un Filo di Fumo, which has as its appendix a brief dictionary.
True Italian Flavor .......2006-03-23
This was the first Camilleri novel I read. I started it and finished it in a day. The plot is quick; it drives you along with Inspector Montalbano who is a real "character" in every sense of the word.
Montalbano uses fowl language, LOVES food; he's direct, smug, unpredictable, truly Italian and a great detective. These mysteries have a definite Italian feel to them which only adds to their charm. They may not be for everyone, but if you want a gritty story that keeps you turning pages (and don't mind a few fowl words and so on...) these stories will intrigue you.
In this novel two mysteries are solved. One mystery is from about 50 years ago and the other occurs in present day. Montalbano and his fellow officers unravel both in the way only they can - not always by the book and with a few surprises. You also learn more about Montalbano's ambiguous personal life, which as always includes food, women and a swim in the ocean.
The Snack Thief.......2006-02-27
Any and all of Camilleri's books are worth reading. The series of books are set in Sicily and Salvo Montalbano, Chief Inspector of the small town of Vigata, is a footloose,brooding batchelor, who manages his sleuthing and lovelife with equal skill. He loves his Sicialian seafood and eats with gusto, if and when he remembers to eat as he goads his men and himself in the pursuit of criminals.
Average customer rating:
- Well-characterized and cleverly crafted whodunnit
- What a series!
- Quite Quirky but Enjoyable
- endless reader
- Slow Beginning But Should Be A Great Series
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Alpine Advocate (Emma Lord Mysteries)
Mary Daheim
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Alpine Betrayal (Emma Lord Mysteries)
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Alpine Decoy (Emma Lord Mysteries)
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Alpine Christmas (Emma Lord Mysteries)
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Alpine Escape (Emma Lord Mysteries)
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Alpine Fury (Emma Lord Mysteries)
ASIN: 0345376722
Release Date: 1992-10-24 |
Book Description
The debut of the Emma Lord murder mystery series.
After a year as publisher-editor of the Alpine Advocate, Emma Lord feels fine about her move to this small town in the foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains. What she really needs for her paper, though, is a big story. And she gets it--when handsome Mark Doukas, grandson of rich, old Neeny Doukas is murdered. Emma discovers that trying to get straight answers out of Neeny and his thin-lipped son is like poking a nest of sleeping rattlesnakes. What begins with an innocent story about the murdered man, ends with Emma conducting the most interesting, and probably the last, interview of her career from the wrong end of a .38....
Customer Reviews:
Well-characterized and cleverly crafted whodunnit.......2007-09-11
I picked up The Alpine Advocate virtually at random while searching for a new mystery and was pleasantly surprised. Emma Lord and the snowy Washington village she lives in do remind one of the impeccable Jessica Fletcher and her Eastern roots. There is something reminiscent here about Twin Peaks, with the eccentric locals and their closets full of skeletons. The novel does have its flaws: Ms. Daheim spends a few too many pages establshing a relationship between Emma and her old flame Tom and I impatiently read through these passages waiting for more clues about the murders. Although I dare not reveal the ending, the conclusion is quite satisfying, and it turned out to be one of those mysteries in which I thought I had everything figured out but was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Daheim's mysteries, and have already ordered the second novel in the series.
What a series!.......2007-08-14
Meeting all the delightful residents of Alpine can be a challenge. Make a list as you go (that's what I did). You will be well rewarded as this series progresses; it provides a lot of chuckles, and you hardly care who-dun-it. As I write, I have read down to "Icon" and was only disappointed once!
Quite Quirky but Enjoyable.......2005-12-13
In this introduction to her Emma Lord series, Daheim sets the stage, introduces us to her recurring characters, and of course provides a fun little murder mystery to solve.
Since this is a fanciful, cozy style murder mystery, the reader is prepared for the inevitable eccentric characters and the necessity to sustain disbelief in the interest of having an enjoyable story experience. Still, some of the characters' quirks and some of the coincidences are sufficiently over the top to warrant mentioning here.
For example, the main character, Emma Lord, hit the jackpot when her former boyfriend died, leaving her a quite substantial insurance windfall. This explains her ability to move to a quaint and super-quirky small town, buy its only newspaper, and set herself up as its editor. I can accept this as a valid plot device intended to set the stage and move the story along. However, nothing really explains her ambivalence to an advertising manager of stellar incompetence who came with the purchase of the newspaper, and who actively works to sabotage the paper's profitability. Equally incompetent is her junior reporter, who is portrayed as a likable but harebrained bimbo who can't spell and forgets to remove her camera's lens cap when taking photos in the field. Small town or not, no editor puts up with that for any length of time.
But, "quirkiness" seems to be the watchword, as is further illustrated by some of the characters' outlandish nicknames ("Eeny" and "Neeny") and weird personal idiosyncrasies (like the sidekick's bizarre propensity to rub the daylights out of her eyes whenever she becomes upset, which happens at the drop of the hat).
A particularly hard-to-swallow coincidence is the friendship between the main character's son, Adam, and the lynchpin character whose arrival in town is the catalyst that dredges up ghosts of the past and sets the rest of the story in motion. (They met in Hawaii after Adam moved there for college, and he arranges for his mother to pick him up at the airport). Really, what are the odds?
Still, let none of this serve to dissuade you from reading this book. Whatever this book's shortcomings, they are minor in the overall scheme of things. For all their foibles, the characters turn out to be likable (or detestable, in the case of the bad guys); the setting is unique and compelling; and most importantly, the puzzle portion of this mystery evidences a nimble use of time, motive and unexpected story twists that will delight the reader.
All told, The Alpine Advocate is a solid murder mystery that will appeal to those who enjoy quirky murder cozies. It's not bad at all for the first of a series.
endless reader.......2005-04-28
Sentences TOO choppy. Becomes very tiring in the beginning. Almost gave up on reading it.
Slow Beginning But Should Be A Great Series.......2004-04-12
Having finished reading a "so so" mystery series,(Can't say which series.)
I have now started on Mary Daheim's second series of books. Her B & B Series is my favorite of all mystery series. I love them and am really looking forward to the Alpine books.
The Alpine Advocate is ok. A slow start, but many series start out slow. It was good enough to have me starting the second book as soon as I had finished it.
Emma Lord, 40ish year old former Seattle reporter was shocked when her fiancee, from twenty years previous died without ever remember to change beneficiary on his insurance policy at Boeing. With a windfall of a half million dollars, Emma buys two things, The Alpine Advocate, a newspaper in the small town of Alpine at the foot of the Cascade Mountains and a green Jaguar.
Emma as been publishing for a year when Mark Doukas, grandson of rich, old Neeny Doukas is murdered at an old boarded up mine on his grandfather's property. Rumors were that he had found gold.
Suspicion falls on another grandson, college student Chris who had just arrived in Alpine after being banished to Hawaii with his late mother, who had enraged her father for marrying someone he didn't approve of.
Sheriff Milo Dodge is trying to investigate but Emma keeps popping up asking questions and tracking down clues with her employee Vida.
Chris is Emma's son, Adam's college roommate and she doesn't want to believe he could be a killer. Plus, everyone else is acting suspicious.
Phoebe, who has been old Neeny's mistress for years. Mark's father Simon, who's having an affair. Marks' brother-in-law, Kent who he had a big fight with the night of the murder. And almost anyone else. Mark was not liked by very many people in Alpine.
Will Emma solve the crime or will the murderer think she's getting to close and put an end to her?
What I like about this book is that I liked so many of the people Emma is wonderful and so is Vida, a sixtish grandmother, who knows everything and everyone in Alpine and is related to half of them.
I liked Emma's sort of, starting to be, maybe but probably not, romance with Milo Dodge, the sheriff. She goes out with him, doesn't really enjoy it, finds him a little dull, but is a little put out when he doesn't at least try to make any kind of pass at her.
This leads me to what I don't like about the book.
Emma has a son, Adam in college in Hawaii, he seems to have the IQ of a turnip. He was born out of wedlock, the result of an affair, Emma had with married, Tom Cavanaugh, a wealthy publisher.
Tom had married a wealthy woman and used her money to become even wealthier. When Emma and his wife both became pregnant at the same time, he chose to stay with the money instead of Emma and has not helped her at all in Adam's support.
1. Emma keeps saying they were in love. If they were so much in love, how come his wife ended up pregant at the same time she did. Wouldn't you at least expect a man who's supposidly madly in love with you not to be sleeping with another woman, even if she's his wife.
2. Tom never supported or acknowledged, Adam. Emma says she told him, she could take care of the baby herself and didn't need him. That doesn't justify him not being a man and stepping up to the plate.
When he shows up in this book, Emma is still crazy about him. Now he wants to get close to Adam and help him. Nice, after twenty years and his own kids are a mess and his wife is halfway to a nuthouse.
Problem number two is also a man - Ed Bronsky, her advertising salesman at the newspaper. Ed spends most of his time trying to talk people out of taking ads, to take smaller ads, not to use pictures, in other words, try to make as little money for the paper as possible.
A newspaper can live or die on it's advertisement. Emma says she can't fire Ed because she's too soft hearted. There's a fine line between soft-hearted and soft-headed and she has definitely crossed over in this case. I know he's used for the humor value, but it just makes Emma look stupid, if she doesn't want to fire him, move him to another position, and hire a salesman, she could afford the extra person if she got someone who did his job.
Even with these problems, I enjoyed the book. I hope Emma realizes what a loser Tom is and he isn't too involved in future books. She should look a little closer at Milo, being a small town sheriff doesn't have to be a negative. Maybe he just needs some one to get him going.
I only gave the book 3 stars because I know how much better Mary Daheim can write and I'm sure the series is going to improve a lot more. The fact that I'm "excited" that I have 15 more of the books in this series to read, says a lot. The books are currently up to "P", Alpine Pursuit.
I'll be reviewing each as I finish them.
Book Description
Welcome to Alpine, Washington, where murder and mayhem is all in a day’s work!
Sassy, intelligent, single mother Emma Lord has always wanted to own a newspaper. And when she inherits half a million dollars from an ex-boyfriend, she is able to do just that. She buys The Alpine Advocate, local paper of the sleepy town of Alpine, Washington. Unfortunately, there’s not much to write about in a small town. But then the murders start, and Emma finds that not only does she have front-page stories to write, she also has killers to uncover!
In this volume, the first three Alpine Advocate novels are included in their entirety. Whether you’re already a fan of Emma Lord and the residents of Alpine, or this is your first visit to the Cascade Mountains, you’ll love the quirky characters, surprising plot twists, and fast-paced writing that exemplify this series. Welcome to Alpine!
In
The Alpine Advocate, family drama reaches a fever pitch when rich old Neeny Doukas’ handsome grandson Mark Doukas is found murdered. Evidence suggests that Mark’s brother Chris, the black sheep of the Dooukas clan, may be to blame, but suddenly everyone in the family is acting suspicious. Emma and her trusted assistant Vida, who knows everyone in Alpine and is related to most of them, are on the case!
Next in
The Alpine Betrayal, Dani Marsh, who left Alpine years ago to become a Hollywood movie star, returns home to shoot her latest movie. Soon after her arrival, her ex-husband Cody Graf goes berserk with an axe, and is later found dead on a deserted back road. Emma covers the story for the local paper, but she and her friend Milo, the local sheriff, don’t think they’re getting the whole story. Why does everyone in town seem to hate Dani? Did Cody Graff really overdose, or was he murdered? Emma is determined to find out!
Finally there’s
The Alpine Christmas. Winter in Alpine is picturesque, with deep snow, Christmas trees, frozen lakes, and carolers. But the beauty is tarnished when a woman’s severed leg is found in the lake, and another woman’s dead body turns up in the forest. Emma Lord is joined on the case by her brother Ben, an irreverent priest visiting from Arizona. Can they find the killer before more women wind up dead?
Product Description
The editor and publisher Emma Lord is duty-bound in a small town in the foothills of Wahington's Cascade Mountains
Average customer rating:
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THE ALPINE ADVOCATE
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQ02OM |
Product Description
Set of 4 paperbacks by Mary Daheim from her Emma Lord Mystery series: The Alpine Obituary, The Alpine Advocate, The Alpine Nemesis, & The Alpine Betrayal.
Product Description
5 massmarket paperback Titles in Emma Lord Series - The Alpine Advocate - Alpine Betrayal - Alpine Decoy - Alpine Escape - Alpine Fury
Average customer rating:
- Not just Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat...
- I love this book, its a funky and informative scene book.
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Art After Midnight: The East Village Scene
Steven Hager
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0312049765 |
Customer Reviews:
Not just Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat..........2002-10-10
This book changed my life as an artist. I picked it up the paperback version of this in the late 80's when it was first published and it shaped the style of art I do today.
My favorite person in this book is still relatively unheard of: Kenny Sharf. Many of the artists are unknowns, and that is what I like about this book. It's nice to hear about artists other than the standard Andy Warhols. It talks about graffiti art, punk art, the clubs (CBGBs, Club 57, Mudd Club), the music (the Ramones, Klaus Nomi, Television to name a few), the parties (Lydia Lunch, Ann Magnuson, the Fun Gallery)...the whole art scene in the East Village during the 70s and 80s. Most of the illustrations are in black and white (at least in the paperback), which is a shame because I bet the artwork is better represented in color.
Great read!
I love this book, its a funky and informative scene book........1998-11-27
Well, i am not from New York and don't know how authentic this book is - but i certainly enjoyed it. Art after Midnight chronicles the development of the East Village Art Scene. It's interesting to read about Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat before they became famous. Lots of great pictures and history. A treasure.
Book Description
The best of Savannah, Charleston, and the Golden Isles
The homes and haunts of colorful Savannah eccentrics featured in the best-selling Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil-- with an excerpt from the novel
Charleston's lovingly preserved historic district, harbor mansions, antebellum churches, and Old City Market
Side trips to Georgia's subtropical Golden Isles and wildlife-rich Okefenokee swamp
10 pages of maps locating restaurants, hotels, and sights
Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget
Grand hotels, modern motels, town-house inns, and cozy B&Bs
Dining with local flavor and international flair--hot and spicy BBQ joints and hearty neighborhood cafés
Book Description
"In actual fact, the only thing that matters in life is love, yet the inquisitive mind must be fed a few facts... Look at Baghdad!" commands Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi's lively and imperious aunt Fatima, one of the characters in this delightful collection of personal essays. Aunt Fatima would have approved of this book, for as her niece turns her eye first on Baghdad and then all the lands of the Middle East, ending with her research into women's customs in the Emirates, she devotes herself as a lover does to all the intimate details around her. Whether she recounts a trip to buy a rug, a childhood incident on a Lebanese playground, or explicates Arab poetry, al-Rawi's collection is full of all that Aunt Fatima recommends-her beloved poetry, the ever-present history of these ancient lands, tender and intricate accounts of daily life, and quirky, nuanced tracings of the workings of the human heart.
Customer Reviews:
Excelent mix of history& personal view.......2007-07-18
A very enjoyable journey that takes you outside the limits of this world.Lots of valuable informations blended with areal life story.
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful and brilliantly written
- "It Died Eight Times My Love. After that, Love Stays Dead.."
- A young adults book
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East of Midnight (Hodder Silver Series)
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Lee, Tanith
| ( L )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0340843721 |
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful and brilliantly written.......2006-06-01
'East of Midnight' is quite an underestimated book, but when I first saw it on my cousin's bookshelf I knew it was special. It presents concepts and ideas little thought of in any time or place, even fancifully, and in a manner which draws you in with the reality of it all. Beautifully contrived with a flowing plotline, 'East of Midnight' is a book you'll want to read from start to finish. I was, in fact, nearly run over by a car at the airport in a rather stupid attempt to cross the street with my head buried in the book. Be careful not to let this happen to you, as anyone who reads it is liable to fall under the book's woven word tapestry of a spell and do some fairly unintelligent things with their head stuck in the clouds. The concepts in the book are thoughtful and mature, but the book itself is an easy read. I recommend this book to anyone.
"It Died Eight Times My Love. After that, Love Stays Dead..".......2004-12-10
Tanith Lee once again proves herself a master of Young Adult fantasy with this wonderful (but apparently little known) story of the battle of the sexes. Set in a gloriously created world where women ride horned lions and rule over mankind, "East of Midnight" is a book that is easy to read, yet raises a range of questions on the differences between man and woman and the way in which we interact with each other.
At the beginning of the story, Lee herself writes where the inspiration for it came from: "Old legends have it, before men were kings, women ruled large areas of the world. They were as powerful and ruthless as any of the man-ruled states which came after. Indeed, the harshness of men towards women in many early societies was, they said, due to the cruelty the female societies - matriarchies - had already displayed toward men.
"And so what happens if a young man from a male-dominanted world gets thrown into a world of matriarchy? Fascinated by this thought, I set out to explore the whole thing in this novel."
Dekteon is a young runaway slave who is miraculously saved from his former master when he's transported into another world by the magician Zaister. But things are not quite as simple as that. Zaister is the husband and consort of King Izvire - the stunning woman who rules over a matriarchal city. Every five years she takes a new husband - because the former one must be sacrificed in order to ensure the natural balance of the world.
Zaister has long plotted his escape, and his rescue of Dekteon (who is his double in another world) was merely so the two could switch places. Now whilst Zaister finds that freedom in Dekteon's world is not all it's cracked up to be, Dekteon finds himself amongst the beauty of Zaister's world with only a month left to live before he's sacrificed.
But Dekteon does not have the same fear of women ingrained in him that the rest of the men of this world do, and begins a campaign against them that no once else would dare. Up against Izvire, his mother-in-law Kyrast and his daughter Vesain, Dekteon attempts to escape his death-sentence and stop the needless deaths of the king's consorts.
The story races along on every page, being continually colourful, fascinating, exciting and nerve-wracking as the countdown to Dekteon's death creeps closer. Lee not only vividly describes the matriarchal world where women are dominant and men subservient, but takes a deeper look at what makes these opposing genders tick. Far from taking the women's side, Lee portrays them as hard, merciless and sexist rulers, who nevertheless feel true remorse and loneliness when their husbands are killed. There are no true good-guys or bad-guys here.
The men Dekteon and Zaister are our main protagonists, and have very different views on women and how they are to be treated by them. Though by the end of the story Zaister gets away with far more than he rightfully deserves, together their attitudes form an insightful way of looking at the world and the roles of men and women.
"East of Midnight" is a rich, exciting, poignant read that deserves more recognition than it appears to have. With strong and realistic characters, a beautiful visual landscape and a problematic situation that can be overcome only by the two sexes working together, this is in every particular a great book.
A young adults book.......2000-03-21
I love this book, and have read it several times. It is about two worlds, one of them ours, in the days of slaves. The other a world where women are dominant. It flicks back and forth between the two. It was an incredible read, I thoroughly recommend reading it if you can get your hands on a copy. I think Tanith Lee is a great childrens writer.
Product Description
5 massmarket paperback Titles By Higgins - A Season in Hell - In the Hour Before Midnight - East of Desolation - Luciano's Luck - Storm Warning
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EAST OF MIDNIGHT
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: Beaver Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000SUIQAI |
Average customer rating:
- WOW.....Upset when it was over....so awesome that I wanted more!!!
- Heated and sexy
- A Wonderful, Wonderful Book
- Absorbing
- This book is stunning
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In the Midnight Rain (Beeler)
Ruth Wind
Manufacturer: Thomas T. Beeler Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Wind, Ruth
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Madame Mirabou's School of Love: A Novel
ASIN: 1574903594 |
Book Description
Looking For The Past...
Ellie Connor is a biographer with a special talent for piecing together fragments of the past. Her latest project, though, promises to be her most challenging--and personal. Not only is she researching the life of a blues singer who disappeared mysteriously forty years ago, but Ellie is also trying to find the truth about the parents she never knew. The love child of a restless woman who died young and an anonymous father, Ellie has little to go on but a faded postcard her mother sent from a small East Texas town--the hometown of her latest subject.
Could Mean Finding Her Future
It is there that Ellie meets Blue Reynard, a man with deep roots and wide connections who may help her find answers. With a piercing gaze and cool grin, Blue is as sultry and seductive as the Southern night air. Beneath his charming surface, however, lies a soul damaged by loss. Despite her better judgment, Ellie finds herself irresistibly drawn to Blue's passion--and his pain. But Ellie's been lured by sweet talk and hot kisses before. How can she possibly stay with blue when every instinct tells her to run?
Customer Reviews:
WOW.....Upset when it was over....so awesome that I wanted more!!!.......2007-08-08
Okay, yall, I suck at reviews b/c I cant seem to say what I want without telling all. LOL But I had to try with this book. My Grandmother sent me this book b/c I will read anything. I picked it up 2 days ago and couldnt put it down. I got so wrapped up in the story of Ellie, Blue, and Mabel. The chacters in the book are wonderfully written. Even the supporting characters draw you in. I love Blues and Jazz and this books makes them come alive on paper!!! You can almost hear the music swirling around you as you read!! The story behind the story is just another draw of this book. I have never been SO pleased with a book. Again all I can say is WOW!!! Go Ruth for writing such an AMAZING book. I honestly was upset when it was over....so AWESOME that I wanted more!!!
Heated and sexy.......2003-06-17
I really enjoyed this sensual romance as the hero and hrone fight their demons of the past to trust to love. Both have loved and lost and so are fearful of getting involved with each other, but anyone can see Blue and she are made for each other.
Interesting secondary characters create a very believable world. As always her heroes are divinely sexy, very manly, but perceptive and sensitive. The mystery element as she seeks her identity, which, if not entirely surprising. is handled well. A super read, one any lover of romance and women's fiction will really savour. She has a wonderful way with language and a true ability to capture setting and character with wonderful details.
A Wonderful, Wonderful Book.......2001-12-23
This is a book that you will continue to experience long after you finish. The book is filled with love and secrets. The secrets which are uncovered lead not to unhappiness but to more fullfillment for the people involved.
Along the way, you experience the beauty and meaning of music, that special kind of music called the Blues. You find yourself wanting to hum an old song or turn on the radio and find a new tune to refuel you with a passion for life.
There just is so much in this one book. It is impossible not to love it and not to remember for always.
Absorbing.......2001-10-01
Hadn't even heard of Ruth Wind before but halfway thru this book I'm looking for other books of hers. All the ones listed seem to be either much lighter in nature or out of print. She's a terrific writer with an ability to draw you into her characters' feelings and to the atmosphere. I hope she writes another "real" book.
This book is stunning.......2001-07-14
This is the first book I've read by Ruth Wind. If you can put this book down willingly, you are a stronger person than I. Her descriptions are excellent. Pay attention to all the characters for this is not just one story. Very emotional. It will tie you in knots. (pleasant knots).
Average customer rating:
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Nearing Midnight II: New World Order And The Middle East
Alfred Adams
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1425751695 |
Book Description
High-Performance Skating for Hockey provides the very best instruction by one of the world's top skating instructors, Steve Cady. From essential fundamentals to advanced techniques, learn and master every key skating move to gain the confidence, control, and speed you need to excel on the ice. Improve efficiency, power, and stamina quickly using the book's 37 practice drills.
Serious hockey players and coaches know that every split second counts. High-Performance Skating for Hockey will give you the winning edge every time you take the ice.
Customer Reviews:
Almost has it all..........2007-04-15
I really like the format and the progression from basic skating through advanced skills. The author tried to make it a comprehensive skating resource, but didn't quite make it. If you have some skating experience or have attended a hockey skating school, this book should catapault you to the next level of your game. The drills are excellent and after doing them for a few months, I noticed a HUGE change in my skating style and fluidity as well as my speed incresing.
If you're new to skating, I'd recommendtaking a hockey skating class at your local rink or at worst get the Laura Stamm book (bring with to the rink for practicing) or get your hands on the Robby Glantz "secrets of hockey speed" videos and "dry-land" train yourself while watching them. Those will show you in slow motion and real time on-ice foot and body positioning to make you an efficient skater as well as some advanced skating techniques.
Once you have skating down, you can go full-steam into this book as the descriptions make much more sense and the drills won't feel so uncomfortable. You should notice a change in your skating abilities in no time.
Pales In Comparison To Laura Stamm's Power Skating.......2003-02-11
This book was extremely disappointing. I expected a book similar to Laura Stamm's Power Skating book, which I already own. However, this book was not even close to the quality of Stamm's book.
My biggest complaint about Cady's book is the lack of detail the author gives about each skating technique. The book is very short and only takes a couple of hours to read. Most of the techniques are covered in about 1 page of text. Then some tips are given, covering about 1/2 page. Then several pages of drills are given. So very little info is given on the actual mechanics of each skating technique. All the techniqes are discussed in a very general sort of way, and all the details which are essential to mastering the technique are missing. Furthermore, the techniques are very hard to visualize since no illustrations at all are provided - only general photographs in which it is hard to see what the author is emphasizing.
If you really want to improve your skating, I would highly recommend Power Skating by Laura Stamm and Herb Brooks. Stamm's book is a masterpiece and goes into great detail on each skating technique. Best of all, Stamm's techniques are very intuitive, so it is easy to apply when you actually go on the ice. Stamm's book is filled with illustrations and detailed photos so that you clearly understand each technique. As soon as I started applying the skills I learned in Stamm's book my entire game improved dramatically. I've been skating for 20 years, and this is by far the best book to teach you how to skate like a pro.
Good fundamentals.......2001-06-20
Everyone who has played hockey knows that the most important aspect of the game is skating. This book and Laura Stamm's book on power skating are must reads for anyone seriously picking up hockey for the first time. Even players who have been slogging around the ice for some time will find his or her skating will improve after reading this book.
This book goes into step-by-step detail on forward stroking, backwards stroking, forward and backwards crossovers, hockey stops and transitions from forwards to backwards skating. If you read this book and practice hard you'll be the top player on your hockey team next season.
The best book I ever read.......2001-01-27
When I started hockey I wanted to be very good. After my first hockey season I got this book in Toronto. I used this book over the summer and now I'm one of the two fastest players on my team. This book concentrates on key points like good form and bad form. I would recommed this book for anyone who wants to be better.
Very helpful for the first time skater........1999-02-01
As a first time hockey player this book made all the difference! The book is set up in such a way that you can progress at a good pace. The instruction on stopping was worth (to me) the cost of the book. As I progress the other drills will help all areas of ones skating. This book I would recommend without hesitation.
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