Customer Reviews:
Slim, elegant style.......2007-03-13
John McGahern. Probably the most distinguished of that heady band of potato laureates that include the likes of William Trevor. Amongst Women is a fine novel centering around Moran, a curmudgeonly old Irish Republican who dominates his family by sheer force of will despite being superannuated in his strength and his convictions, and his accomplishments are long behind him. In return, his daughters and saintly wife both love and are maddened by him in equal measure. The novel circulates around various members of Moran's family, especially his feisty daughters, with their loves, their rural rituals and their quintessentially rural stifling love that clasps them to their close, limited, family communities yet also drives them away to seek furtherance of their hearts desires.
McGahern is an accomplished stylist. The novel is full of perceptual triumphs that capture the small epiphanies, observations and sadnesses of quotidian lives. Food plays a big part, there are many spare yet sublimely elegant descriptions of white tablecloths being stretched out and food being brought forth for family reunions.
Despite much to acclaim in this novel, I didn't find it a masterpiece, as claimed on the blurb of my edition by John Banville (who I suspect of having pot laureate aspirations himself). The prose purrs beautifully and efficiently, without ever soaring to the heights of those very brilliant and very rare masterpieces of gentle understated literature. A novel that will satisfy rather than enthrall.
Predictable and boring.......2004-09-03
A very good friend that knows of my admiration for irish literature gave me this book as a present. Although my predisposition was the best, it was terribly hard even just to end it. I found it boring, uninteresting, dull and full of easy literary cliches. My friend told me it is regarded as an outstanding book in the second half of twentieth century literature in Ireland, but I only managed to finish its less than two hundred pages out of sheer stubborness.
Sure Mr. McGahern writes well, but in my opinion it is not only that that counts.
Family Matters in AW.......2004-02-05
Although Moran keeps high opinion of family he seems to keep distance even from the people he loves. He is almost unable to express love he feels either to his children or to his second wife Rose. There is one of the images of his complete loneliness and of his inability to move out from his shell, which is also partly caused by his superiority: `Moran ate alone in front of the big sideboard mirror, waited on apprehensively by the girls. After he had eaten, they had their own dinner at the side table.' (p. 35)
Rose accepts the role of mother for Moran' s children winning them over completely. She often stands between Moran and his children and works as a negotiator, alleviates their mutual disputes and discrepancies. We can also see both sides of Moran's personality through her eyes. She observes his peculiar nature and negative influence of his bad mood on his children: `For her there was always a strange excitement in his presence of something about to happen. Nothing was ever still. She felt inordinately grateful when he behaved normally.' (p. 58) She balances Moran's changeable behaviour with equable and calm nature and keep the family together.
It is important to realize how substantial the sense of togetherness is in the novel. Despite Moran's bitterness and unpredictable reactions he realizes that family is the most important thing in his life. He always highlights the necessity of mutual help under one roof: `Alone we might be nothing. Together we can do anything.' (p. 84) For Moran and subsequently for the whole family religious rituals represent a very important substance of their cohesiveness. The reader must also notice Moran's painful awareness of Luke's absence and the fragility of the relationship between him and his children. Ironically, Rose, a new member of the family, cements the Morans and becomes an integral part of their family. Moran's children always have the place where they can return to and find someone who loves them.
Not your ordinary, violent Da........2001-03-19
Set in rural Ireland, this uncompromising family drama revolves around Michael Moran, the father of five. A member of the IRA during the time of The Troubles, years ago, Michael has apparently repressed violent traumas which, we are led to believe, are responsible for his withdrawal from society and his current violence against his family--it is not the result of drink or the frustrations of poverty. Now the father of teenage children, he is disillusioned by what he sees as the fruits of this war, remarking, "Look at the country now. Run by a crowd of small-minded gangsters out for their own good."
Within his own household, Michael upholds all the values he fought for years ago. He's a hard, independent man, beholden to no one, and his word is law. To his family, however, he is often a tyrant--obstinate, cruel, full of hatred, quick to anger, and reluctant to apologize-and his second wife Rose his three daughters, and his two sons are "inordinately grateful for the slightest good will." Outwardly religious, Michael daily recites the Rosary, looking for religious help for his inner turmoil and the complications of his daily life. As he says, "the war was the best part of our lives. Things were never so simple and clear again."
With a main character who is never endearing, McGahern challenges the reader to empathize with Michael and understand why the women in his family remain tied to him emotionally, even after they have successfully escaped his domination and established independent lives away from the farm. Gradually, the reader begins to understand the overpowering need to form connections with the past, even when it is not pleasant--to forgive one's parents for their limitations while remaining strong and faithful to oneself. In clear, straightforward prose of immense power, McGahern piles mundane detail upon detail, creating a sensitive family story of great universality, one which will give the reader much to ponder.
A treat.......2000-12-16
A beautfully written and very touching novel
Average customer rating:
- "The war was the best part of our lives."
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Amongst Women
John McGahern
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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ASIN: 0571195261 |
Customer Reviews:
"The war was the best part of our lives.".......2005-08-06
Set in rural Ireland, this uncompromising family drama revolves around Michael Moran, the father of five. A member of the IRA during the time of The Troubles, years ago, Michael has apparently repressed violent traumas which, we are led to believe, are responsible for his withdrawal from society and his current violence against his family--it is not the result of drink or the frustrations of poverty.
Now the father of teenage children, he is disillusioned by what he sees as the fruits of this war, remarking, "Look at the country now. Run by a crowd of small-minded gangsters out for their own good." Within his own household, Michael upholds all the values he fought for years ago. He's a hard, independent man, beholden to no one, and his word is law.
To his family, however, he is often a tyrant--obstinate, cruel, full of hatred, quick to anger, and reluctant to apologize--and his second wife Rose, his three daughters, and his two sons are "inordinately grateful for the slightest good will." Outwardly religious, Michael daily recites the Rosary, looking for religious help for his inner turmoil and the complications of his daily life. As he says, "the war was the best part of our lives. Things were never so simple and clear again."
With a main character who is far from endearing, McGahern challenges the reader to empathize with Michael and understand why the women in his family remain tied to him emotionally, even after they have successfully escaped his domination and established independent lives away from the farm. Gradually, the reader begins to understand the overpowering need to form connections with the past, even when it is not pleasant--to forgive one's parents for their limitations while remaining strong and faithful to oneself. In clear, straightforward prose of immense power, McGahern piles mundane detail upon detail, creating a sensitive family story of great universality, one which will give the reader much to ponder. Mary Whipple
Average customer rating:
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Amongst Women
John McGahern
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0571165400 |
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The androgynous Trollope: Attitudes to women amongst early Victorian novelists
Rajiva Wijesinha
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 081912060X |
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But Little Dust: Life Amongst the Ex-Untouchable Buddhists of India
Padmasuri
Manufacturer: Windhorse Publications (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0904766853 |
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Men, Women and Property in England, 17801870: A Social and Economic History of Family Strategies amongst the Leeds Middle Class
R. J. Morris
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521838088 |
Book Description
R.J. Morris reveals how middle class families survived and surmounted the economic difficulties of early industrial England through an examination of wills, family papers, property deeds, account books and letters from the period. He argues that these families were essentially "networked" families created and affirmed by "gift" networks of material goods, finance, services and support--with property very much at the center of their middle class family strategies.
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Owl Meets Alien: Amongst Others On My Soul's Journey
Margarite Westo
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1410742881 |
Book Description
Botswana is widely regarded as a model African democracy. Since independence in 1966, the country has enjoyed unparalleled peace and stability within the African continent. It has also experienced unprecedented changes from being one of the ten poorest countries in the world to its current status as a middle-income country. However, in spite of the advances of the last thirty years, it still experiences high levels of poverty and inequality. Perceived inhibitors to progress are attributed to the younger generation's erosion of traditional values and a collective reluc-tance to take pride in the nation. This book offers an analysis of how the younger generation is reconciling globalisation influences with traditional cultural values and belief systems. It argues that this generation does care about their country, but has changed priorities. It further recom-mends educational interventions that might nurture the bestow Botswana's cultural heritage whilst ensuring an active, democratic citizenry that is relevant to modernity.
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The Queen of Naples and Lord Nelson: An historical biography based on mss. in the British museum and on letters and other documents preserved amongst the Morrison mss
John Cordy Jeaffreson
Manufacturer: Hurst and Blackett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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| Albania
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ASIN: B0006ADXCQ |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 7059 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: John McGahern's Amongst Women: representation, memory, and trauma.(Critical Essay)
Author: Robert F. Garratt
Publication:
Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35
Issue: 1
Page: 121(15)
Article Type: Critical Essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
On the peaceful and secluded estate of Lord and Lady Bottrel, the body of amateur flautist Tony Mills has been found, shot by his own gun. It appears to be suicide—but a closer inspection reveals some sinister inconsistencies, and Chief Superintendent Wycliffe is called in to investigate. As Wycliffe begins to unravel the last days of the dead man, another mystery is revealed—the disappearance of Lizzie Biddick, a pretty young girl who worked for the Bottrell family as a maid. Gradually, bitter family feuds and illicit relationships are uncovered—and then another body shatters the pastoral serenity of the Cornish estate for ever.
Average customer rating:
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Wycliffe and the Dead Flautist
W. J. Burley
Manufacturer: St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Burley, William J. | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000VAK0ZY |
Book Description
From a gifted new voice in fantasy fiction comes the thrilling saga of a war-ravaged land and the remarkable young woman destined to restore it...
Fires of the Faithful
For sixteen-year-old Eliana, life at her conservatory of music is a pleasant interlude between youth and adulthood, with the hope of a prestigious Imperial Court appointment at the end. But beyond the conservatory walls is a land blighted by war and inexplicable famine and dominated by a fearsome religious order known as the Fedeli, who are systematically stamping out all traces of the land’s old beliefs. Soon not even the conservatory walls can hold out reality. When one classmate is brutally killed by the Fedeli for clinging to the forbidden ways and another is kidnapped by the Circle--the mysterious and powerful mages who rule the land--Eliana can take no more. Especially not after she learns one of the Circle’s most closely guarded secrets.
Now, determined to escape the Circle’s power, burning with rage at the Fedeli, and drawn herself to the beliefs of the Old Way, Eliana embarks on a treacherous journey to spread the truth. And what she finds shakes her to her core: a past destroyed, a future in doubt, and a desperate people in need of a leader--no matter how young or inexperienced....
Customer Reviews:
Didn't light a fire for me.......2006-05-02
"Fires of the Faithful" is not a terrible book, just the very definition of mediocre. This is a shame, as Bantam Spectra usually seems to be the only major fantasy publisher dedicated to quality and workmanship. They dig up authors who go the extra mile and give their books that extra zing, but "Fires of the Faithful" doesn't have it. The prose is almost robotically dull:
"It was a strange service. In form, it closely resembled the service of prayer and mourning that we had observed a month earlier, after so many students had received bad news through the mail--but there had been a bitter edge a month ago that was missing today. The death of an Emperor was a solemn occasion , but it was personal sort of mourning. None of us, except possibly for Domenico, had ever met the Emperor. I stole a look at Domenico, standing with the teachers near the front; his face was grim and inscrutable, and I couldn't tell if he was grieving over the Emperor's death, worried about the new Emperor, or thinking about something else entirely." (page 54)
I could note many flaws. One glaring one was Kritzer's frequent use of "kind of" and "sort of". Every beginning author kills those wimpy modifiers before they suck the vitality out of the sentences.
The big picture isn't much better. The story follows a thuddingly tedious pattern. Young innocent is exposed to the horrors and abuses of the outside world. Young innocent hears many lectures from other characters. Young innocent goes on long and perilous journey. Young innocent wisens up, leads an army, and defeats the bad guys, thereby fulfilling the prophecy. The most grating part is the stock villains. They are yet another band of evil priests, determined to root out heresy by the classics means of killing people and...killing more people.
fragmented.......2004-11-09
This book has a great lead and a few interesting ideas, but the plot is fragmented, wandering without focus. Whenever the book seems to settle down on something (music school, competing religions, evil magic, finding family, oppressive government), that plot line is put on the back burner and another takes over. The same happens with secondary characters; as soon as you like them -- poof! -- they disappear.
The "religious discourse" and weak Christianity links are overplayed by other reviewers -- this book does not go on a soap box preaching the author's religious message. The main tenents of the two religions are never even defined.
This is crap........2003-10-20
The characters here are completely unbelievable - Eliana is supposed to be 16? It doesn't even begin to work. Where did she get the military training and knowledge needed to begin this revolution? She's been in a tiny village and then a closed-off school her whole life.
Apart from those very basic problems, the characters themselves just didn't appeal. They were very stiff; Ms. Kritzer spent too much time making them "complex" and not enough time making them real, or bothering to make them consistent - it wasn't so much that they acted out of character most of the time as it was they never had a well-enough defined "character" to stay in. I never identified with any of them.
I also have a problem with all the religious themes; I don't have a problem with that sort of thing, but here it was awkward and distracting. The religions were too simple and too obviously an allegory for our religions. It was very obvious that Ms. Kritzer studies religion; apparently she felt the need to showcase her knowledge in her book.
All in all, I'd say avoid it. Usually even if I read a bad book, I want to read the sequel, just to find out what happens, but this didn't hook me at all. I never identified with the characters, I felt like I was getting a religious lecture wrapped up in a fantasy novel, and the plot itself was stiff and predictable. I have no interest whatsoever in any subsequent novels by this author.
Don't waste your time.
Adventurous.......2003-08-14
Eliana is a young music student at a conservatory somewhat removed from the outside world ravaged by war and famine and dominated by a strict religious order called the Fedeli. When the Fedeli come to the conservatory and execute one of Eliana's friends for apostasy and another friend is taken by the Circle (the powerful mages who govern the land), Eliana learns of the true nature of the famine and decides to return home. Finding her past destroyed, Eliana discovers the old religious ways and ends up in a refugee camp where no one is allowed to leave. She is distracted by her attraction to another young woman in the camp, but she finds herself considered a leader as she helps organize the already-established rebel forces. Now she must overcome her own inexperience if she's to lead. "Fires of the Faithful" is an interesting fantasy focusing on a young woman coming of age in a war-torn land. There is a lot of religious discourse, as Eliana learns more about the old religious ways and compares it to the Fedeli ways, and it's rather parallel to the Christianity/paganism debate. This can be distracting for some readers, but it doesn't necessarily hinder the story's flow.
Good Book.......2003-07-19
This book was very interesting in that it takes you to a differnt time and place. Eliana is a very dominant woman figure, and she is very intellegent. Mira, one of her closest friends is probably the most mysterious person in the book apart from Giovanni.
The only things that confused me were the religions, and Eliana's sexual prefrence considering that she seems attracted to both women and Giovanni. (Giovanni in the end...)
All in all, I enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to people who enjoy fantasy with a bit of magic.
Average customer rating:
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Faithful Under Fire
Ro Ellsworth
Manufacturer: Evangelical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 0852343515 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on September 4, 2007. The length of the article is 676 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: After fire, Bandon faithful celebrate their new chapel.(Religion)(A new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arises after an arson fire)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: September 4, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: D1
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- This book was annoying!
- Fantastic book about Asperger's syndrome.
- Reading an artichoke
- Wow
- she wrote my life
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Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome
Echo R. Fling
Manufacturer: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
ASIN: 1853027111 |
Book Description
During a routine parent-teacher conference in November 1991, Echo Fling was told by her son's teacher that his behaviour in class was 'not normal'. After two years at the pre-school, five-year-old Jimmy had failed to make any friends, had recently started to act aggressively towards his classmates, and was beginning to react violently to any changes in his routine. Echo was not taken completely by surprise: she had suspected for some time that her son was different from other children. Over the next five years, she and her husband accompanied Jimmy to doctors, medical specialists, learning consultants and psychologists. Finally, at the age of ten, Jimmy was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.
This is the book that Echo Fling needed when she first set out to have Jimmy diagnosed, and it will enable parents and teachers to understand and help other children with Asperger Syndrome.
Customer Reviews:
This book was annoying!.......2007-03-29
I'm 16 (Yes, I know I'm writing a kid review, but I'm too lazy to make an account =p)I have Asperger's syndrome. This story annoyed me to no end. Echo the mother babies jimmy through out the whole book, and referrers to him as disabled again, and again. I was offended by that, I may be on the autistic scale but i am not disabled in any way. What mother would willing referrer to Asperger's as a disability?!!! In my mind asperger's is not a disability at all. I mean come one I high heightened senses, above average intelligence, and if i care about something i can block the whole world out. Jimmy was put into 'special' classes, this again annoyed me. She should have let him go to elementary school with the other kids, or home schooled him. Most aspies go most of their lives with out knowing they have asperger's syndrome. Jimmy could have survived elementary school with out the extra help. I believe since i wasn't put into special classes that i forced myself to learn social skills and how to interact, making it simple for me in the future. The grammar as stated in other reviews is abhorrent, the whole time reading this book i would have a pen to correct errors. As most of you know aspies are pedantic, so horrible grammar drives us insane, and we must fix it. One more thing that bothers me is I've heard of parents who read this book then blow off getting a diagnostic because their children are not as cold as jimmy. SCREW JIMMY! I didn't act like him, and i have asperger's too. I was affectionate and loving to people around me that i liked. Maybe Jimmy was just cold because his mother was treating him like a disabled preschooler at the age of 10, i know that if thats how my mother acted reminding me everyday that I'm different, and speaking to my younger siblings more maturely than me i would disown her. No where on the diagnostic scale does it say 'patient maybe cold, unaffectionate, and not loving' I know other aspies who were like me too. If you suspect that your child does have asperger's look into it more, talk to some people at [...] DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILD GO HIS/HER WHOLE LIFE WONDERING IF SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THEM BECAUSE OF A BOOK! Trust me knowing that you have a reason for acting like you do is wonderful, but do not smother your child and only put him/her in special classes if you veraciosly feel its necessary. I know a huge amount of people are going to disagree with almost everything I've stated her, but thats a review from a person who has asperger's. i would love some comments =]
Fantastic book about Asperger's syndrome........2007-03-12
I read this book from cover to cover in 1 week. I couldn't put it down because I empathized with her situation since I have a child with autism. It's very personal, easy to read and riveting. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know that they are not alone in the pursuit of a treatment for Asperger's or autism. Don't give up on your child is what I got out of this book.
Reading an artichoke.......2007-01-15
The title refers to the thorny layers the author had to go through to get to the heart of her son's problems, but it could just as easily apply to her writing. If you have no grasp of proper grammar, syntax, punctuation, or spelling, there will be little to distract you from what is, at times, a moving tale of one mother's odyssey in finding the correct diagnosis for her son.
As someone with several years' experience in magazine editing, though, I found myself cringing continually at random or missing commas, quotation marks and capitalization, to say nothing of phrases like "right of passage" and sentences that range from clunky ("In every home, the kitchen table is the center of the universe, and our house is no exception.") to incomprehensible ("The only option was to go begging the new HMO.").
Also, while Mrs. Fling has undoubtedly rigorously educated herself on Asperger's Syndrome, there are a few significant gaps in her overall knowledge base. A few, in no particular order:
1. Santa. She gives a convoluted explanation to her 10-year-old about Santa Claus being "a fairy tale that grown-ups make up for their children to bring them happiness through giving." (Whatever that means.) But the Santa myth does have its roots in the story of a real person: St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra. There are a few good picture books for children about the saint and how he became associated with gifts coming down the chimney. You have to look past all the reindeer-and-elves twaddle to find them, but these are the ones I read to my children so I can tell them about Santa with a clear conscience.
2. Homeschooling. "Since he would be turning six ... the law said we had to place him in an educational setting. We could not opt to wait out another year or we'd have the authorities knocking on our door." Wrong. Homeschooling is not only legal in all 50 states, but becoming more mainstream all the time, with an estimated 2 million children in the U.S. learning at home.
3. eBay. She writes of driving all over three states to find her son's favorite chewing gum, Halloween costumes, and toys; why not just log on to eBay?
Also, her husband comes across as a scowling penny-pincher; it's hard to tell whether he's more upset at his son's problems or what it will cost to address them.
The book would have benefited tremendously from the attentions of a good editor. There is a story here; most helpful to me were the accounts of how she addressed specific issues with her son, and what resources she relied on to help him. (These are missing from the infinitely better written "Finding Ben," in part because nothing seemed to help the unhappy boy in that book.)
Another good thing about this book is that it has convinced me to get a second opinion for my own son, who received the same diagnosis but has almost none of the same behaviors as her son.
Wow.......2006-07-07
This is a great read. There is a huge amount in the book, I feel like I'm reading about my own son. The obsessions, clothing, new places and holiday problems are the same as I experience! The mum's frustration and sadness I can associate with and had a bit of a cry in some places myself because I can empathise with her problems. However, I wouldn't have my son any other way. He is so great and I have had the opportunity of play dates with "normal" boys and find they are hard to entertain and change their play every 5 minutes. My son can sit down for 2 hours or more with the same toys and not give anyone grief. I also can empathise with her daughter as my daughter also misses out on a lot of entertainment because of my son's extreme behaviour. He will not allow her to interrupt or join in with his play which hurts her feelings. Thoroughly recommended to parents, the book helps as it makes you feel like you're not the only one who has to pander to your childs obsessions in order for peace to reign in the house.
she wrote my life.......2005-09-07
I can't say enough about this book. Those of us who searched long and hard for the diagnosis of Asperger's in our kids know her pain and her joy. What can I say? I laughed, I cried, I cried some more.
Books:
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- Blue Gold: A Novel from the NUMA Files
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- Call It Sleep: A Novel
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