Sweet Hereafter: A Novel

Amazon.com

Atom Egoyan's Oscar-nominated The Sweet Hereafter is a good movie, remarkably faithful to the spirit of Russell Banks's novel of the same name, but Banks's book is twice as good. With the cool logic of accreting snowflakes, his prose builds a world--a small U.S. town near Canada--and peoples it with four vivid, sensitive souls linked by a school-bus tragedy: the bus driver; the widowed Vietnam vet who was driving behind the bus, waving at his kids, when it went off the road; the perpetually peeved negligence lawyer who tries to shape the victims' heartaches into a winning case; and the beauty-queen cheerleader crippled by the crash, whose testimony will determine everyone's fate.

We experience the story from inside the heads of the four characters in turn--each knowing things the others don't, each misunderstanding the facts in his or her own way. The method resembles Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and Gilbert Sorrentino's stunning Aberration of Starlight, but Banks's achievement is most comparable to John Updike's tales of ordinary small-towners preternaturally gifted with slangy eloquence, psychological insights, and alertness to life's tiniest details.

Egoyan's film is haunting but vague--it leaves viewers in the dark regarding several critical plot points. Banks's book is more haunting still, and precise, making every revelation count, with a finale far superior to that of the film. It's also wittier than the too-sober flick: the lawyer dismisses the dome-dwelling hippie parents of one of the crash victims as being "lost in their Zen Little Indians fantasy," which casts a sharp light on them and him, too. He's lost in his calculations of how each parent will fit into the legal system, and the ways in which he fits into the tragedy are lost on him. If only he and the Vietnam-vet dad could read each other's account of their tense first encounter, both of them might get what the other is missing.

Banks's wit is pitiless--it's painful when we discover that the bus driver, who prides herself on interpreting for her stroke-impaired husband, is translating his wise but garbled observations all wrong. The crash turns out not to be the ultimate tragedy: in the cold northern light of its aftermath, we discover that we're all in this alone.

Book Description

In The Sweet Hereafter, Russell Banks tells a story that begins with a school bus accident. Using four different narrators, Banks creates a small-town morality play that addresses one of life's most agonizing questions: when the worst thing happens, who do you blame?

Customer Reviews:

Utter perfection; calm, subtle and heartbreaking perfection..........2007-08-01

It's hard to write a review for the novel and the novel alone, for if you've seen the brilliant film adaptation they really mold into one amazing experience. Both the novel and the film add so many layers and compliment one another so well that I'm almost forced to advise everyone who has read the novel to see the movie and visa-versa. It's only in that way that you'll get the whole experience. That's not to say that either is incomplete but that each one is so well-rounded, so well fleshed out and so in tune that it's almost a continuation rather than an adaptation. That said I'll try and focus mainly on Russell Banks novel here but don't get upset it I reference Atom Egoyan's film adaptation more than once.

First I want to point out that Russell Banks is a masterful writer. This is the first novel of his that I have read and I'm so impressed that I've already ordered `Affliction'. His style is so calm and relaxed; it perfectly fit the atmosphere of the story. Some have mentioned this being boring or slow paced. It's far from boring in my humble opinion, but the slow pacing is essential to the feel of the novel. It helps you to get inside the aftermath of the tragedy by fully understanding the mindset of the town. If you've seen the film you'll understand better, for Egoyan also was able to brilliantly capture that pure unsettling serenity that Banks exposes on each and every page.

It was a very easy read, not something you long to put down. My only fault with the writing was more the arrangement. There are only five chapters, each with a different protagonist (except the first and last, each being the same) and each chapter is quite lengthy of course with no breaks in text to render a good stopping point. So, with that said it became difficult to find enough time to devote to finishing a chapter. I know that not everyone will have this problem, but for someone who can't seem to set aside more than ten minutes or so to get in some reading it can prove difficult. Don't let this detour you from divulging this brilliant novel. That would be a grave mistake.

The story focuses around the small town of Sam Dent after a tragic bus accident leaves 14 children dead, the bus driver, Dolores Driscoll, and a 14 year old student Nichole being two of the only survivors. The novel shifts between four key characters, Dolores, Nichole, Mitchell (a lawyer) and Billy Ansel, a widower who lost his two children in the wreck. The story follows Mitchell as he tries to persuade the town's people to file a negligence suit against the town of Sam Dent. There are conflicting opinions in regard to the suit, to the money and to the accident as a whole and those opinions are fleshed out so well before us. Each of these four human beings has so much history, so much baggage, yet Banks' superb novel never gets bogged down. That is due in large part to his calm and steady style.

To me the novel excels in really exposing Mitchell Stephens, the lawyer, for the man he really is. He's troubled by the wayward course his only daughter Zoe has taken and this affects his almost every move. It's almost as if he's fighting for her with every breath, every case, as if she was his only motive. I feel that film adaptation excels in really exposing Nichole's character. That's not to say that Banks doesn't breathe life into the soul he created, but Egoyan's film effortlessly makes her the star, giving her so much substance and character and really fleshing her out in all due subtlety to make her relatable and heartbreaking, the moral center of a tragic accident. The book brilliantly relates Dolores Driscoll's account of the accident as well as the post-accident life in the small town, her treatment by the town's people before and after.

Somewhere where the novel and the film seem to tie or at least both deliver valiantly is in the case of Billy Ansel, the Vietnam-War Vet widower who loved his kids more than anything, the man who was trailing behind the bus waving to his children when he lost his whole world with the sight of a crash. His story is heartbreaking. The book though really delivers with its final chapter, something that is not delved into with the film, and it adds a few more layers to both Ansel and Driscoll. So, this is why I can't help but recommend both in the same breath. They both add so much and deliver so well that you truly must read and then watch or watch and then read to grasp the magic in its entirety.

1.5 Stars if I could...Flat, Unemotional, Disappointing.......2007-06-29

This is the story of what happens in one small upstate New York town when 14 children die in a school bus crash. This story is about the aftermath of the crash and the survivors.

I enjoy books that tell their tales with a variety of perspectives but I think Russell Banks did a poor job of developing the various voices of his narrators. If you listen carefully they all have the same voice, the same style of speech, or thought with long sentences and several thoughtful phrases interjected for clarification of facts or ideas.

I thought that this would be an emotional and moving book, how could it not be given the topic, right? Well, I have to say that I am a total self-admitted sap and this book didn't move me at all.

I thought the narrators were flat and somewhat unlikable.

I think that Banks would have done better to tell the story of the bus crash's impact on the town in the way that he eludes to it's effects at the end of the book. From the voice of Dolores Driscoll we learn the details of many different family's lives and how things have changed for them since the bus crash.

I will say that it was an easy read but not a moving one.

Haunting.......2006-04-18

I can only say this: I am haunted by every page of this novel.

Ambitious, but overshadowed by the film.......2006-02-05

While the Egoyan film meditates on the divine mysteries of pain and forgiveness, Mr. Banks's novel seems content to simply trinagulate the here-and-now motives of his four narrators. At times the first-person narration falls flat--the characters are a bit too reflective for their own good. Their words are also not sufficiently distinct, tending to follow a script for pushing the plot instead of acting like real people. I was also bothered by the repetition in the narratives of the first meeting between Billy and Stephens. Stephens's recollection of their first meeting is an almost word-for-word retelling of Billy's account. More aggressive editing would have caught this.

Only the Dolores Driscoll sections resonate, perhaps because she reflects the author's own voice, and perhaps because she resembles so many people I've known. She probes and reflects on her commonplace but heartfelt ruminations, and obsessively reports on their progress to anybody who might happen to be listening. Often, her reflections humorously miss the point, but she is so overwhelmed by calamity that you know she has to stop the flow in order to cope.

Brilliant!.......2005-05-23

This book is amazing. Its narrative, presented from four utterly engrossing points of view, turns on an awful event, a fatal school bus crash in a small Adirondack town. Every time I drive down a snowy Connecticut street, I think of Dolores, the bus driver, and her bus full of kids. Russell Banks gives us, with his sparkling narration, a brilliant array of moral questions and human emotions. After reading this book I felt enriched, saddened, and thrilled by his art. The overall themes of this work are terrible loss and riveting transformation. Read it.

Amazon.com

Lacey Farrell, the heroine of Mary Higgins Clark's 15th novel, is having a bit of an identity crisis. While working as a real estate agent in New York, Lacey witnessed a client's murder, and now she's in hiding with a new name and a new life. But changing her identity doesn't completely remove Lacey from the web of danger and deceit that surrounds the crime; new clues keep popping up that suggest some kind of link between Lacey's family and the murder. Meanwhile, a new man comes into the heroine's life, further complicating an already murky situation. As any fan will tell you, Mary Higgins Clark never fails to deliver plot twists and turns that are as unexpected as they are thrilling.

Book Description

Mary Higgins Clark sends chills down readers' spines with the story of Lacey Farrell, a rising star on the Manhattan real estate scene. One day, while showing a luxurious skyline co-op, Lacey is witness to a murder -- and to the dying words of the victim.... The dying woman is convinced that the attacker was after her dead daughter's journal -- which Lacey gives to the police, but not before making a copy for herself. It's an impulse that later proves nearly fatal.

Placed in the witness protection program and sent to live in the Minneapolis area, Lacey must assume a fake identity, at least until the killer can be brought to trial. There she meets Tom Lynch, a radio talk-show host whom she tentatively begins to date -- until the strain of deception makes her break it off. Then she discovers the killer has traced her to Minneapolis. Armed with nothing more than her own courage and clues from the journal, Lacey heads back to New York, determined to uncover who's behind the deaths of the two women -- before she's the next casualty.

At once seductive and frightening, Pretend You Don't See Her is the "mistress of high tension" (The New Yorker) at her ingenious best.

Download Description

Manhattan real estate agent Lacey Farrell is witness to the dying words of a murder victim. The dying woman is convinced that the killer was after her daughter's journals. Lacey gives the journal to the police after making a copy for herself--an impulse that later proves nearly fatal. Placed under the witness protection program, Lacey's life changes and she meets a man. Unable to live with the facade, she breaks it off just as the killer traces her down. Lacey heads back to Manhattan, determined to uncover who's behind the murder--before she's the next victim.

Customer Reviews:

I'm confused..........2007-07-20

Overall, a readable book, short and to the point, it doesn't drag in any particular one spot. But I'm confused about something.

SPOILER ALERT. What was it that Isabella Waring supposedly saw in Heather's journal that was so obvious that it caused her to take such extraordinary measures to see that the journal got to her ex? Lacey Farrell only connects the dots in the journal herself after noting a change in tone in the writing in the journal after the journal mentions a lunch date with Max Hoffman, but only learns that Heather had fallen for the mobbed-up Steve Abbott after talking to Max's widow. There's no way Ms Waring could have known that information from just the journal itself or known the importance of talking to Max Hoffman.

Best of Her Recent Books!.......2007-06-19

It feels like Mary Higgins Clark put a lot of herself into Lacey, the main character. She's created a multi-dimensional heroine driven from her beloved Manhattan after witnessing a murder. Lacey is someone I would like and it's easy to get caught up in her fear and frustration.
The side characters provide plenty of suspects as the possible mastermind who hired the hitman. The story deftly slips from Lacey's efforts to figure out why this is all happening and into the thoughts of the hitman as he closes in on her. Additonal dimension is added through the thoughts of her mother, Tom (a romantic prospect), and other key characters. All fit into the puzzle somewhere and the reader struggles to work it out.
This is the best MHC that I've read in recent years. I don't know how I missed it when it came out in 1997 as I try to catch all her books for immediate reading. Pick this up for a good dose of suspense.

KEPT ME IN SUSPENCE!!.......2006-09-18

THis is definitly one of the best novels ive read from mary higgins clark it was very easy to read, but it had too many characters as usual and dificult to remember LOL but i loved it i was so happy with the ending and it kept me in suspence at all times!!!

Amateurish effort........2006-09-11

This was a quick, easy read. Unfortunately, Clark seems to have no faith in her readers, feeling the need to smack us in the face with the clues. This was a very predictable book - predictable plot, predictable addition of characters and their actions, predictable outcome. Because of her hamhanded treatment of the clues and red herrings I knew immediately what would happen. A bit more finesse might have kept me guessing until the end. She never even explained how and why the conveniently placed villains (police dept, restaurant) reported to each other. I was disappointed she never tied up loose ends. Other novels of hers are better, but perhaps try another author!

She's done better.......2006-05-09

'Pretend You Don't See Her' didn't have the wallop of some of Mary Higgins Clark's other books(particularly the older 'Stillwatch' or the more recent 'Daddy's Little Girl' or 'Night Time Is My Time'). This one seems to have just sort of fallen together, as we're quickly told a few things about Lacey, and almost too much about the supporting characters. The journal that's supposed to tie everything together only muddles things even more. The stereotypical 'Italian mobster' bad guys, and the sometimes stilted and outdated dialogue, seem out of place for a mid-90s book. The tension is drawn-out and forced, and can't over come the predictability of what's going to happen(or actually, what's not going to happen; the major flaw of the book is that it makes a point of suspense out of something the reader knows isn't going to happen, anyway).
Sure, it has a happy ending...it's the beginning and middle that need help.

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Pretend You Don't See Her

Manufacturer: Book Club Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GLADSW

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Pretend You Don't See Her

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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Silent Night: When Catherine Dornan's husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holdiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys' spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree, where 7 year od Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wllet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in WWII, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protecrt his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins.

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"Destiny is a persistent master, but sometimes the path it lays is shrouded in mist." Merlin

Two Briton warriors are caught in a fierce snow storm and forced to take shelter in a foreboding abandoned castle, where they encounter a spectral figure, a man in a Druid's robe, seemingly as old as time itself.

The old man tells the warriors a story that begins with Arthur's journey to the annual tournament in London. But what happens at the journey's end, when Arthur first sees Caliburn, the Sword of Destiny, will become lost in Arthur's legend as it grows over the centuries.

This is a time of great turmoil. The powerful Saxons are planning to invade Britain. The barbaric Celtic tribes of the north are growing bolder, and the raids of the Norsemen continue unabated.

Arthur faces other challenges as well - an ambitious brother, a spy within the Briton ranks, a meddlesome and jealous woman.

But despite Merlin's years of grooming, Arthur is still a distracted and indecisive youth, more interested in play than training, more focused on women than duty.

And so the world of Merlin's Britain is about to be turned upside down.

Customer Reviews:

A Brief Arthurian Interlude.......2002-03-14

This is a very short tale of a brief episode in "King" Arthur's life, hence the brief review. It details the "Sword in the Stone" scenario and how circumstances made for a very different beginning to Arthur's reign. This would have been better marketed as a short story rather than a novel, it is only 137 pages long. I really liked Renzulli's twist on the beginning of the Arthurian legend and wish he would have went into greater detail and scope by writting a lengthier novel. It is definitely worth the read if you are into Arthurian Legend!

A Great Read.......2001-12-09

A page-turner. I read Caliburn easily in a single sitting. Renzulli creates a new chapter in the Arthur legend but one that should have been there all along--an Arthur who is not quite ready to be king. Renzulli's Merlin is different too, equal parts of magician and charlatin. And there are some interesting "new" Arthurian characters--the great battlelord Vollo, the beautiful Brenna, and the meddlesome Maeve. Mix in an interesting plot and some exciting battle scenes and you've got a great read.

A Legend Lover's Dream.......2001-12-01

As a lover of the legend of King Arthur, I found this new twist to be truly delightlful reading. So many variations of the Arthur legend exist, yet Caliburn offers new insight to young Arthur's psyche. How Arthur confronts his roots, his sexuality, his destiny, all of this and more is addressed in this new twist on an old tale.

Exciting battles, villains, sexy women all combine to create a very different slant on this timeless character. Now I know know what happened to the boy who became King of Camelot!

Average customer rating:
Caliburn: The Lost Saga of King Arthur
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Destiny is a persistent master, but sometimes the path it lays is shrouded in mist. Such was the lesson learned by young Arthur, whose path to kingship was not as clear as legend holds.

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Thumbs Down!
Pinocchio As It Should Be
Review

Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi
Manufacturer: DH Audio
ProductGroup: Book
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Book Description

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of Pinocchio includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Elizabeth Engstrom.Once there was a lonely woodcutter named Geppetto-who dreamed of having a boy of his own. So one day he carved a boy out of wood and named him Pinocchio.When the puppet comes to life, it's Geppetto's dream come true.Except Pinocchio turns out to be not such a nice boy after all. Pinocchio enjoys nothing better than creating mischief and playing mean tricks. As he discovers, being bad is much more fun than being good. For a while, anyway.Happily for Pinocchio, he will learn that there is much more to being a real boy than having fun.A magical tale that has entertained children of all ages for more than a hundred years, this lavishly and gorgeously illustrated new edition is the perfect introduction of a timeless classic to a new generation of readers.And that's no lie!

Customer Reviews:

Thumbs Down!.......2002-01-12

Sorry to be destorying Carlo Collodi's famous book, but Disney has won me over. No major violence is softened in the 1883 Collodi version. The cricket is intensionly killed. Geppetto is a JERK in the oringnal beginning. I do not advise "Pinocchio" unless it's Disney.

Pinocchio As It Should Be.......2001-01-29

The story of Pinocchio as it was meant to be, he wasn't a sweet innocent puppet, more a selfish brat. There's a good moral slant here though, and of course, the story being told by Bill Pullman in that wonderful slightly gravelly voice makes for easy listening.

Review.......2000-05-05

This book is very short and is written poorly in a summary. It does not tell important things that happen. It has no Jimminy Cricket, no going to school, and Pinocchio finds Geppetto by accident which is not so. He is supposed to get a note telling where Geppetto is and Pinocchio is supposed to go to him. This book is not written very well. Take my advice. It's a third graders point of view. I don't recommend this book and I don't think any other third grader will.

Book Description

Practical tips and easy exercises for relieving the stress of everyday life
Get a Grip! offers powerful, prescriptive advice for living and thriving in our high-stress times. Integrating techniques that relax the mind, the body, and the spirit, it presents quick and easy ways to make the day less stressful-and get the most out of each and every day. For business owners, office workers, and even those who work at home raising a family, Get a Grip! helps them understand the sources of their stress and deal with it effectively with advice on such topics as: stress-busting exercises, breathing techniques, meditation, visualization, diet, attitude, humor and work/life balance. Though it's impossible to lead a completely stress-free life, Get a Grip! will help everyone-from CEOs to homemakers-deal with the difficulties of daily life.
Bob Losyk (Fort Lauderdale, FL) is a business consultant, trainer, and international speaker whose clients include American Express, Honda, Marriott, Taco Bell, IBM, and Inc. magazine, among others. His articles on management have appeared in such magazines as Futurist, Travel Weekly and Training & Development Journal.

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Customer Reviews:

More Recycled Garbage.......2007-05-15

Another book that recycles the information found in the THOUSANDS of other similar books about the SAME topic.

This guy throws a bunch of "TO DO" things at you, like MAKE TIME TO MEDITATE, MAKE TIME TO EXCERCISE, BREATHE DEEP, DON'T BINGE EAT.

Heck if I could FInd the time to Meditate, and find the time to hit the Health Club after my 2 hour commute home each night, I wouldn't have the stress to begin with.

Once again I heard about the Flight or Fight response...it's getting kinda old now,..how many books are gonna carry that snippet of information.

It was an absolute waste of more than 10 bucks which caused me even more stress.

You can get the same info for free at Helpguide.Org,..but hey,....wadda I Know.

Like Grabbing The Hand of A Friend Who Wants To Help You Up.......2005-03-17

Get a Grip! gives readers some realistic strategies for knocking down the strongholds of stress in their lives. While there are a lot of books on the market dealing with stress management, author Bob Losyk recognizes an important point about his audience. The people who read this book are probably living stressful lives and therefore don't have a lot of free time. They want help and they want it now. This reviewer can honestly say that the author respects his readers' time constraints and offers actual and practical solutions.

The chapters are arranged in a logical progression, with key thoughts separated into subheadings for easy reference. Throughout the book are interactive quizzes that help the readers identify issues in their own lives. The first chapter sets the foundation with a clear definition of stress, its causes and its effects on the body. This reviewer applauds the holistic approach the author takes. The body, mind and spirit of a person are intimately connected and this book never loses sight of that fact.

After defining stress, the author then offers tools to overcome it. Exercise, meditation and even laughter are some of the topics covered in the chapters. What is wonderful is that each approach to relieving stress is actually something that people can do right now. And that's the point of the book. Stress is here, yet the ways to overcome it are also readily available.

The author is a nationally recognized expert on workplace issues and trends. Readers will feel as if they have a private audience with someone who understands their lives and who wants to help them. The writing style is friendly and touched with humor. The author has a reputation of solving performance and productivity challenges in companies, and therefore readers can trust the message he brings to them in this book.

Get a Grip! is like grabbing the hand of a friend who wants to help you up.

Get a Grip.......2004-12-17

This is a book for everyone who has ever thought for a moment that they were under stress. Reading this book would also help so that you can prevent stress from infringing on your mental, emotional and/or physical health. Bob Losyk has filled his book with loads of useful ideas and tools. You will benefit from his own experiences and lots of other experiences that he discusses in his book. The time taken to read this book is an investment in a more productive and happy person that you will become. You will find your work performance to be more energizing and satisfying. This book is a must read in today's fast-paced, "get it all done no matter what" world that we work in.

Robert C. Preziosi

Comprehensive Treatment of a Vital Topic.......2004-12-06

Twenty-five years ago, when "burnout" was just being recognized as a high-stress, hit-the-wall phenomenon, I was there. I went through that experience, and recovered. I still have vivid memories of living a great number of the symptoms that are included in the classic definitions of job burnout. It's not pretty. Everyone in the world of work is advised to learn the warning signs, the avoidance techniques, and the secrets to leading a happy life with stress under control.

Bob Losyk's book will tell you how.

With my intimate knowledge of the field of stress, from living the out-of-control side to managing it well today, I found this book to be the most thorough I've read on the topic. Losyk explains stress, stressors, and symptoms with a breadth and depth that covers everything the reader needs to know. I was pleasantly surprised by the volume of information he managed to squeeze into these pages. Even with anecdotes to illustrate his themes, there are few wasted words in this book. And that's important: people with stress problems have little patience with rambling!

The book is comprehensive, addressing meditation, diet, exercise, time management, and so much more. His "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Stressors" is filled with practical advice. Challenged readers could even start there and be ready for instant progress. Just thumbing through the book and looking at the boxes with assessments, action plans, and capsulized knowledge will be a valuable experience.

The book might have benefited from an index, but the table of contents is detailed enough the help the reader find specific information easily.

With the pressures of work, career, and questions about whether to stay or go, this book offers powerful support for management and non-management workers alike. As lead author of "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People," I'm keenly aware of what is happening-and what will be happening-in the workplace. Losyk's book will be a vital tool (perhaps a life-saver) for a lot of people.

Stress Management Manual .......2004-11-26

I intend to keep this book easily accessible as a reference. It is one of the most useful, clearly written, books on stress management that I have come across. The suggestions are easily implemented and I found them to be effective almost immediately. It was most enlightening to be made aware of signs of stress in myself that I didn't even realize were present. I recommend it as a tool for handling stress in any situation.

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