Elizabeth Costello

Amazon.com

For South African writer J.M. Coetzee, winner of two Booker Prizes and the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature, the world of receiving literary awards and giving speeches must be such a commonplace that he has put the circuit at the center of his book, Elizabeth Costello. As the work opens, in fact, the eponymous Elizabeth, a fictional novelist, is in Williamstown, Pennsylvania, to receive the Stowe Award. For her speech at the Williamstown's Altona College she chooses the tired topic, "What Is Realism?" and quickly loses her audience in her unfocused discussion of Kafka. From there, readers follow her to a cruise ship where she is virtually imprisoned as a celebrity lecturer to the ship's guests. Next, she is off to Appleton College where she delivers the annual Gates Lecture. Later, she will even attend a graduation speech.

Coetzee has made this project difficult for himself. Occasional writing--writing that includes graduation speeches, acceptance speeches, or even academic lectures--is a less than auspicious form around which to build a long work of fiction. A powerful central character engaged in a challenging stage of life might sustain such a work. Yet, at the start, Coetzee declares that Elizabeth is "old and tired," and her best book, The House on Eccles Street is long in her past. Elizabeth Costello lacks a progressive plot and offers little development over the course of each new performance at the lectern. Readers are given Elizabeth fully formed with only brief glimpses of her past sexual dalliances and literary efforts.

In the end, Elizabeth Costello seems undecided about its own direction. When Elizabeth is brought to a final reckoning at the gates of the afterlife, she begins to suspect that she is actually in hell, "or at least purgatory: a purgatory of clichés." Perhaps Coetzee's Elizabeth Costello, which can be read as an extended critique of clichéd writing, is a portrait of this purgatory. While some readers may find Coetzee's philosophical prose sustenance enough on the journey, some will turn back at the gate. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

Since 1982, J. M. Coetzee has been dazzling the literary world. After eight novels that have won, among other awards, two Booker Prizes, and most recently, the Nobel Prize, Coetzee has once again crafted an unusual and deeply affecting tale. Told through an ingenious series of formal addresses, Elizabeth Costello is, on the surface, the story of a woman's life as mother, sister, lover, and writer. Yet it is also a profound and haunting meditation on the nature of storytelling.

Customer Reviews:

an overly cerebral, boring mess.......2007-04-11

I have read some wonder novels by Coetzee, and so without hesitation I purchased 'Elizabeth Costello'. What a mistake! 'Elizabeth Costello' is really not so much of a novel but rather a forum for the other to pontificate on a whole slew of life and death philosophical matters. Such verbage might be of interest to the top 0.1% of the populace with multiple doctorates and too much time on their hands. For everyone it's simply the sort of book that screams out "don't read me!".

Bottom line: maybe better served as fodder for a doctoral thesis?

Coetzee's Costello.......2006-06-20

The 2003 Nobel Prize did not mean resting on one's own laurels for novelist J.M. Coetzee, author of Foe, Waiting for the Barbarians and the formidable Disgrace among others. Since the Nobel he has already published another novel, Slow Man (Viking, 2005). Coetzee's latest novel, however, calls for a reading of his previous novel, Elizabeth Costello (Secker and Warburg, 2003) that for many reasons, offers a J.M Coetzee at his best. The novel picks up from the final years of novelist Elizabeth Costello, who is handed over to us as a renowned writer.

Almost every chapter exposes a speech, monologue or dialogue given by Costello on several occasions, mostly as guest speaker, when she is not engrossed in her private ruminations. The novel does not foreground a dense or over-eventful plot. On the contrary, the simple narrative strand allows Coetzee to utilize each new chapter as a point of departure for reflection on a particular subject. Thus, the elderly, cynical Costello is regularly involved in squabbles with intellectuals, fellow writers and intellectual relations alike.

It is difficult to discern whether Coetzee ventriloquizes through Costello or merely browses the range of subjects addressed in Costello's encounters: animal rights, the post-Cartesian questioning of human subjectivity, belief versus faith, the fiction of homeland, the oral and the written, evil, the nature of authorship and other areas. Sometimes one gets the impression that the novel is biting more than it can chew. Perhaps more than in any other of his novels, Coetzee here indulges the meta-literary: Costello's frequent ponderings about Kafka, and the Kafkaesque predicament as an oblique metaphor for her own existence as writer and human being lend an overall apocalyptic aura to the text. The Kafkaesque and the Swiftian intertext is dense.

It is a text of constant questioning: `Where is home?' How far can the writer be considered, as Costello words it, a 'secretary of the invisible?' Who is the supreme judge of literature, as one among many other human activities liable to judgment, and what, after all, can be the perils of literary activity? Elizabeth Costello sports Coetzee's crude signature style and espouses it with philosophical issues ranging from the Rousseau-Hobbes debate regarding the nature of good and evil in man to Heidegger's poignant exposition, in Being and Time of the meaning of "dying" as opposed to "perishing". Which is proper to man, and which to animal? But then, Costello herself is never sure, and within that tottering state of the human mind is where Coetzee's novel makes headway.

Mind over matter.......2006-06-11

Elizabeth Costello is a curious novel. More a patchwork of Coetzee's intellectual essays than a straight work of fiction, delivered through an invented protagonist: ageing Australian novelist, Elizabeth Costello, who tours the world giving lectures to various audiences and being venerated for an earlier novel 'The House on Eccles Street' inspired by Ulysses.

Philosophy, ideas, can often prove to be a wobbly set of poles upon which to construct a work of fiction. Although some of Coetzee's essays, delivered as a series of 'lessons' by Elizabeth, present interesting diadactical positions on issues such as animal rights and the status of African fiction, much of the novel comes across as fairly tired and careworn. In the end, poor Elizabeth seems plagued with doubt and regret. She ponders that if she had her life again, she would have more fun. None of this writerly business. And she acknowledges the ephemerality of even high quality literature such as her own. Her books, she muses, 'teach nothing, preach nothing; they merely spell out as clearly as they can, hear how people lived in a certain time and place.'

For me the most fascinating aspect was the way in which Elizabeth so reluctantly inhabits her guise as a venerated novelist, late in life. How this obviously translates into Coetzee's misgivings about literary celebrity. The global 'intellectual community' must present a tiring obstacle for world class writers who find themselves constantly forced to account for opinions, the provenance of which they themselves are not sure. This aspect is not brought out fully though. Coetzee deliberately keeps the structure flat and two dimensional so character development is kept predominantly to the minor characters that Elizabeth encounters during her intellectual wanderings rather than the author herself.

A compelling read, and re-read.......2006-05-30

This is such a tricky book that short reviews can't really capture it, even if the premise is simple: Elizabeth Costello goes around the world on the celebrity-writer circuit delivering lectures. Poorly. Those lectures are not cryptic but they are challenging and frequently original; the stories around the lectures are well-observed and clever; and it ends with a series of surprises.

It is not a coincidence that Ulysses is evoked on the first page. Give it a chance: Elizabeth Costello will actually become more and more interesting, and the puzzles, the tricks, the insinuations of the novel build up around those lectures - however poorly they are delivered.

A Search for Something to Believe In.......2005-10-17

"Elizabeth Costello" is the fourth book by J. M. Coetzee that I've read. It, for me, is clearly the least of the four. I found it awkward and, at times, fairly irrelevant for me. It tells the story of an aging Australian writer who expounds several theories in a series of lectures. We come to know a bit about her along the way but, frankly, what we discover is not very compelling. In the end, she is challenged in the hereafter to state her beliefs. She is unable to do so and her efforts are very instructive.

What I take away from "Elizabeth Costello" is the story of a writer who is looking for herself. She reaches for new meaning and new direction in her life. She expounds animal rights, she attacks fellow writers for their work, she reflects on her youth, etc. I got the sense of a person who is tired with life and looking for a purpose for her remaining years.

I enjoyed "Disgrace" and "Youth" because Coetzee showed us what he wanted us to see through the actions and reactions of his characters. We can relate to these individuals. "Elizabeth Costello" is too wrapped up in the academic world of the title character. Her limited associations fail to be meaningful to most readers. There are some interesting discussions of issues. I particularly enjoyed the debate regarding animal rights. I thought Coetzee did a good job of exploring both sides of the issue.

I'll gladly read more by Coetzee. After all, three out of four ain't bad.

HOTTEST BLOOD - Hot Blood Series: The Ultimate in Erotic Horror: I Hear the Mermaids Singing; Llama; Where the Heart Was; The Last Crossing; Damaged Goods; Hillbettys; Abuse; Forever in My Thoughts; Blind Date; Sex Object; Box 69; Prized Possession

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HOTTEST BLOOD - Hot Blood Series: The Ultimate in Erotic Horror: I Hear the Mermaids Singing; Llama; Where the Heart Was; The Last Crossing; Damaged Goods; Hillbettys; Abuse; Forever in My Thoughts; Blind Date; Sex Object; Box 69; Prized Possession
Jeff; Garrett, Michael (editors) (Nancy Holder; Bentley Little; David J. Schow; Thomas Tessier; Elizabeth Massie; Graham Watkins; Matthew Costello; Don D'Ammassa; Julie Wilson; Graham Masterton; Rex Miller; Jeff Gelb; Chris Lacher) Gelb
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Elizabeth Bishop: Questions of Mastery
Bonnie Costello
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Developmental Science (Cambridge Studies in Social and Emotional Development)

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Developmental Science (Cambridge Studies in Social and Emotional Development)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Personality | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521794595

Book Description

Developmental Science provides an account of the basic principles of the new developmental synthesis, as formulated by the Carolina Consortium on Human Development. Based on a collaborative statement, individual chapters outline implications of the orientation for method and theory in traditional disciplines. The chapters address specific developmental issues, varying across time frames, methodologies, disciplines, cultures and even species. They provide an inside look at the issues that confront modern social and behavioral study, including its strengths and problems.

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Elizabeth Costello
J. M. Coetze
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QRTTJ0

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Elizabeth Costello

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0965902579

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Elizabeth Costello
J. M. Coetzee
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Elizabeth Costello (ISBN: 0670031305)
J.M. Coetzee
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

HOTTEST BLOOD: The Ultimate in Erotic Horror: I Hear the Mermaids Singing; Llama; Where the Heart Was; The Last Crossing; Damaged Goods; Hillbettys; Abuse; Forever in My Thoughts; Blind Date; Sex Object; Box 69; Prized Possession; At the Count of Three

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HOTTEST BLOOD: The Ultimate in Erotic Horror: I Hear the Mermaids Singing; Llama; Where the Heart Was; The Last Crossing; Damaged Goods; Hillbettys; Abuse; Forever in My Thoughts; Blind Date; Sex Object; Box 69; Prized Possession; At the Count of Three
Jeff; Garrett, Michael (editors) (Nancy Holder; Bentley Little; David J. Schow; Thomas Tessier; Elizabeth Massie; Graham Watkins; Matthew Costello; Don D'Ammassa; Julie Wilson; Graham Masterton; Rex Miller; Jeff Gelb; Chris Lacher) Gelb
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
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Binding: Hardcover

Short Story International (SSI) Volume 11, Number 60 (Tales by the World's Great Contemporary Writers Presented Unabridged, Volume 11)

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Short Story International (SSI) Volume 11, Number 60 (Tales by the World's Great Contemporary Writers Presented Unabridged, Volume 11)
Panos Ioannides , John Haylock , Robert Muller , Joachim Nowotny , Romen Basu , Soon-tae Moon , Elizabeth Hill , Akhtar Husain (Raipuri) , Kevin Costello , and Grace Paley
Manufacturer: International Cultural Exchange
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Binding: Paperback

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Short & Sweet

Really Good

Jackson 4 President

She does it again!

Strictly Boring
Strictly Confidential Attraction (Silhouette Desire)
Brenda Jackson
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Taking Care of Business: The Elliotts (Silhouette Desire No. 1705)

ASIN: 0373766777

Customer Reviews:

Short & Sweet.......2007-05-15

I love Brenda Jackson's story. The problem with the Silhouette Desire is their too short and usually a continuation of someone else's idea. So, unless you read the whole series you might miss out on something or you might not get the whole idea behind the series. However, I enjoyed the heated tension between Alli and Mark. Once they were under his roof together it was like they couldn't stop the electric currents they kept passing to one another. As my headline says, it was short and sweet romance.

Really Good.......2007-03-07

This is the 3rd in the newest Texas Cattleman's Club series and was really good but not quite up to par with the first two in the series.

Mark inherits his families' ranch and wealth but his memories of childhood are bitter. His father was overly strict and unloving and Mark is further traumatized by the murder of his wife while he was oversees in the military. He now runs a self defense studio for women. He has vowed never to allow himself to have emotions for another person but then when his brother and sister in law are killed, he is named guardian of his baby niece Erika. Mark is having trouble keeping a nanny and he decides that his dependable Administrative Assistant Alli would be the perfect nanny. When he makes her an offer she can't refuse, she moves in to take care of Erika.

Alli is torn by Mark's offer...she has secretly been in love with him for 2 years now but the money he is offering could help her pay her sisters college expenses and buy a new car. When Alli realizes Mark is physically attracted to her she is surprised. Alli is an unexperienced twenty something virgin who dreams of a loving husband and lots of kids. Mark makes it clear if anything happens between them, it will be strictly physical. He believes he will be like his father and keeps himself emotionally detached from Alli and Erika, even though it is obvious how much he loves his niece.

This is a really decent story but the problem is if you have read the first two books in the series you will realize Mark and Jacob are pretty much the same character (unloving father leads to a relationship phobia son)...also, there is a little bit of a conflict between the books in the series...in one of the earlier books, Alli helps her friend with a sexy look and gives her condoms to take on her date, but in this book, Alli is a virginal girl who doesn't have a clue...I love these series and like how they get different authors to do the books so they remain fresh, but they should do their homework to make sure each story is original. However, it really is pretty good.

Jackson 4 President.......2006-08-17

Brenda Jackson has done it again. She is a pioneer author who can take a storyline and do incredible things with them. I'm as impressed with this book as with her previous titles. The release dates for Brenda's novels are always marked on my calendar as soon as I receive her newsletter. I want them on the same day they hit the bookstore. This is a must read book.

She does it again!.......2006-03-06

Ms. Jackson does it again! I am an avid reader of her books and I have enjoyed all the ones I have read thus far. This book was no exception. The only thing I did not get was the Texas Cattlemen Club angle but the ONLY reason for this was b/c I haven't read the other books in the serious. Still it did not take away from the story. This was classic man and women care for each other but they keep it to themselves. But once they were honest with themselves then love came right on in. I am big on the "tugging at the heart strings" factor, in this book it was Mark having to deal with his past, his brother's death and the his role in his niece's life (caregiver vs father figure). I enjoyed it very much and read it in a day!

Strictly Boring.......2005-11-20

I have read many of Brenda Jackson's other books and thought that I couldn't go wrong with this one. It just shows that you can't judge a book by it's author. This was terrible. The story line was unbelievable, you really need an imagination for this one. It was torture from beginning to end.

Strictly Confidential Attraction: A New Texas Cattleman Club - The Secret Diary

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Secret Love Uncovered

Strictly Confidential Attraction: A New Texas Cattleman Club - The Secret Diary
Brenda Jackson
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWT6B8

Customer Reviews:

Secret Love Uncovered.......2007-04-18

Widower, Mark Hartman is in a bind after letting his sitter go and needs help with his baby niece. He seeks that help in his Administrative Assistant, Alison Lind, who works for Mark at his Self-Defense Studio. Mark is also a member of the Texas Cattleman's Club, a secret club of men who besides their regularly day to day jobs, serve as a committee to help protect the town's citizens when called upon to do. Therefore, Mark is away from home at times which may run well into the night, so he decides he needs a live-in nanny -- someone who will be there for his niece when duty calls him away from home.

Ali is a young woman who has the burden of supporting her younger sister, who is now in college. Therefore, Ali would love to earn the extra money which Mark offers in exchange for becoming a sitter to his niece. However, Ali is skeptical because that would mean moving in and living with Mark. That's not a bad idea, except that Ali has feelings for Mark that are not the feelings one have for one's boss. Ali is attracted to Mark and has been hiding her feelings for the two years she has worked for him. Needless to say, Mark has feelings for Ali also and has been trying to cover up his feelings. So Mark decides when Ali moves in that everything would be strictly on a business relationship. Easily said, but hard to do, especially when Mark and Ali run in to each other when both decides to check on baby Ericka during the night.

Ali comes to the decision that she must resign her position as nanny, but Mark has truly enjoyed having Ali around and does not want her to go. Is what they both feel for each other something more or can they keep it down to "Strictly Confidential Attraction?"

12 - BRENDA JACKSON -RIDING THE STORM - A LITTLE DARE - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - STONE COLD SURRENDER - THE DURANGO AFFAIR - IAN'S ULTIMATE GAMBLE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTRACTION - SCANDAL BETWEEN THE SHEETS - JARED'S COUNTERFEIT FIANCEE

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12 - BRENDA JACKSON -RIDING THE STORM - A LITTLE DARE - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - STONE COLD SURRENDER - THE DURANGO AFFAIR - IAN'S ULTIMATE GAMBLE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTRACTION - SCANDAL BETWEEN THE SHEETS - JARED'S COUNTERFEIT FIANCEE
BRENDA JACKSON
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VNLQG8

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** PLEASE NOTE 1 BOOK HAS LARGE BLACK "B" ON FRONT COVER. 12 - BRENDA JACKSON -RIDING THE STORM - A LITTLE DARE - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - STONE COLD SURRENDER - THE DURANGO AFFAIR - IAN'S ULTIMATE GAMBLE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTRACTION - SCANDAL BETWEEN THE SHEETS - JARED'S COUNTERFEIT FIANCEE - THORN'S CHALLENGE - THE CHASE IS ON - SEDUCTION, WESTMORELAND STYLE.

9 - BRENDA JACKSON - RIDING THE STORM - A LITTLE DARE - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - STONE COLD SURRENDER - THE DURANGO AFFAIR - IAN'S ULTIMATE GAMBLE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTRACTION - SCANDAL BETWEEN THE SHEETS - JARED'S COUNTERFEIT FIANCEE

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9 - BRENDA JACKSON - RIDING THE STORM - A LITTLE DARE - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - STONE COLD SURRENDER - THE DURANGO AFFAIR - IAN'S ULTIMATE GAMBLE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTRACTION - SCANDAL BETWEEN THE SHEETS - JARED'S COUNTERFEIT FIANCEE
BRENDA JACKSON
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U3DRO8

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**** ($3.99 USA POSTAGE FOR ALL 9 BOOKS, WHICH WILL BE MAILED AT THE MEDIA - BOOK RATE WHICH IS SLOW SURFACE MAIL AND FREQUENTLY HAS A SLOW DELIVERY TIME BY THE USA POST OFFICE).

Book Description

Contemporary visions of cosmic transformation, mutation and madness - many inspired directly by the thoughts and writings of H P Lovecraft, others reflecting his strangely presentient themes, perhaps unwittingly, in their own bizarre sub-text. The Starry Wisdom is a long-overdue retrospective, which reveals him to be a true prophet of the 20th century. It will appeal not only to readers of H P Lovecraft, but to all lovers of innovative art and literature in the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.

Contributors include: J G Ballard, John Beal, William S Burroughs, Ramsey Campbell, David Conway, John Coulthart, Michael Gira, Adle Olivia Gladwell, Rick Grimes, James Havoc, Dan Kellett, D F Lewis, Brian Lumley, D M Mitchell, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Mike Philbin, Robert M Price, Stephen Sennitt, Peter Smith, Don Webb, Henry Wessels, Simon Whitechapel.

Customer Reviews:

Repressed America.......2006-06-13

I can't add to what James Stephen Garrett has said about the merits of this book. I shouldn't respond to the negative reactions and I won't go into detail. Suffice it to say that the reactions to this on the UK website are far more balanced and intelligent than those here on Amazon.com. My impression is that many of those who have responded negatively have missed the point of this volume entirely.
This book was an attempt to rescue Lovecraft from the ghetto of 'pulp' or 'genre' fiction and the Role-playing crowd who have, on the whole, trivialised his most important themes - cosmic horror and alienation, the collapse of civilisation, man's insignificance in the vast scheme of the universe.
Those who were turned off by the scatalogical content should realise that this was merely an attempt to reflect the general miserable thanatoptic state of our culture at present. If you want escapism, please read the Hobbit or Winnie the Pooh.
This was an important book and a thought-provoking one. This is not simple entertainment.

Overrated.......2005-06-06

I picked this up and read it a month or two ago. It was originally published in 1995 by Creation Books, and I got a reprinted edition. Likely it is familiar to most long time mythos fans. The cost is less than $14.00, plus shipping. Based on what I thought about it they should have paid me a similar amount to take it off their hands. Production qualities are good.

Mostly it was a terrible mish mash of poorly written drivel. The bulk of it was so bad that it tainted the rest for me. For some reason the authors seem to think that using various words for body orifices is cutting edge.

The only reason I can think of for anyone to buy it is the graphic version of Call of Cthulhu by John Coulthart. And even this was maddening! The artwork was exquisite, but it was presented in very cramped panels. Enalarging this work to a few pictures or even one picture per page would have been worth every extra penny I had to pay. As it was, the 2 page depiction or R'lyeh could not be laid out to really enjoy without breaking the spine of the book. The fantastic details were lost in the tiny panels. What a disappointment! Maybe someday someone will reprint Mr. Coulthart's work in a more convivial form.

Other than that I can honest to goodness think of no reason that I want to reread any of it. Maybe I will try the Lumley and Campbell works again some day. They were lost in the haze. Price's story about Shub Niggurath was better than his usual product and is also available in the Shub Niggurath Cycle.

Spend your Cthulhu bucks elsewhere, gang

Octopussy.......2004-12-14

"The Starry Wisdom: A Tribute to H.P. Lovecraft" is far more than a tribute. It is an update, a confirmation of the First Article of Faith of the Esoteric Order of Dagon: that with strange aeons, even Death may Die.

It is a collection of illustrations and poems and wickedly twisted tales that pay homage to the Grandmaster, the Old Man of Providence---and then venture further into the darkness, without an oil lamp. Here you will find stories of a world inverted, of reason cast into the mad grinning abyss of the Universal and Uncaring, of a universe itself unhinged and gone mad. The writing is mad; the illustrations themselves, with which this nasty little volume is peppered, scream their insanity. This is not a safe volume. Here you will find no reclusive bachelor scholars penning correspondence to other sequestered academics.

This book will not comfort you. It will not give you a whiff of the familiar. It will not tuck you into bed at night. Quite possibly, it will pull itself across your floor with its toothy, fleshy suckers, crawl into bed with you, and introduce you to the glory of the polymorphous Azazoth. Here are 21 short tales (two of them pen-and-ink depictions), four "essays" on Lovecraft (penned, evidently, by deranged former academics in rubber rooms) and the collection's crowning glory, John Coulthart's masterful graphic adaptation of Lovecraft's seminal "Call of Cthulhu". This is a black tome of infestation, sexual evil, corruption.

Think back to the first time you read H.P. Lovecraft; what disturbed you? What was it about "At the Mountains of Madness", or "The Colour out of Space", or "The Call of Cthulhu", or perhaps "The Dunwich Horror" that pinioned you with its nasty pinkish-grey suction pads as you lay there reading---what peeled off your skin and got into your system, infected your blood?

For me it boiled down to two things: the uncaring, merciless, godless void of the universe, in which good and evil were meaningless conceits batted aside by the gibbering monsters barely conscious of petty, pathetic man. The other was the strong undertone of perverse, perverted Sex: think of the miscegenation implicit in virtually all of Lovecraft's work, from "The Dunwich Horror" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth" to "The Horror at Red Hook" and "The Thing on the Doorstep". There are deep and dark vanities to be sated, perversions to be explored that would not have survived the light of the Puritan day, deals to be struck, bloodlines to be entwined, new works of the Flesh to be consummated.

These Beings---these nihilistic Gods, these savage Beasts---don't just want to eat and rule. They want to breed. They want to corrupt. There lies the horror of Lovecraft: there lies the stink, the deadly pallor, the ripe rot, of this glorious collection.

I hate Lovecraft pastiches; those hollow imitators, happy to rob the Master's tomb and string together words like "eldritch" and "antediluvian". Only Brian Lumley's "The Night the Sea-Maid went Down", "Ward 23", and---surprisingly---Alan Moore's overwrought "The Courtyard" get anywhere near to that territory, and even then skirt the worst excesses of the Lovecraftian pastiche.

By far the best tale in the volume is David Conway's warped, wicked, revolutionary "Black Static", which throws SETI, bio-technology, and virtual reality into the cauldron, mixes thoroughly, sets to boil, and conjures up a black feast of horror that takes the Mythos to its logical conclusion.

Ramsey Campbell's fine "Potential", Simon Whitechapel's "Walpurgisnachtmusik", and Robert Price's "A Thousand Young" are all juicy, gory, nasty little tales of amoral players who find themselves played. J.G. Ballard is at his least obtuse and most shivery in the lyrical "Prisoner of the Coral Deep", while William S. Burroughs conjures up the Interzone, espionage, and horrific corruption in "Wind Die You Die We Die".

Grant Morrison is both sick and clever with his "Lovecraft in Heaven" a delicious literary spurt of rotten, leathery decrepitude, a revelatory little tale of realization achieved on the Old Man of Providence's deathbed, when he realizes his nihilistic little horrorverse is all too real. "Pills for Miss Betsy" actually made me physically ill---not because it's gory, but because it's patently out of its mind.

A few of the stories in "Starry Wisdom" are deranged trash---as you would expect of any Cthulhu cult, particularly at the extremes---upper and lower---of the intellectual bell curve. "Hypothetical Materfamilias", while ambitious, is one of them; "From the Mouth of the Consumer: Rotting Pig" is another. Ignore them. Or submerge yourself in them, if you're that far gone---shoggoths don't care about the sanity of their adherents.

I adore "Starry Wisdom". I adore it because it is the very embodiment of anti-pastiche: it takes everything you know about the Lovecraft Mythos and turns it on his rubbery head. And frankly, Lovecraft himself was a man far ahead of his time---and even he hadn't lived through the horror of World War II, of the atomization of human cities, the development of brutal biological weapons, mass genocide in Africa and Southeast Asia, the insanity of 9/11 and suicide bombers. His lonely New England woods and tottering Yankee farmhouses are paved beneath strip malls and 6-lane superstreets and big box stores that only get bigger and more impersonal: would he write about reclusive scholars now?

"Starry Wisdom" carries Lovecraft to the next level. It is corrupt; it is sexual; it is evil. Inject.

When the Stars Smile Back.......2003-03-20

Within the confines of Lovecraftian tributes there are sometimes successes that combine elements of the fantastical with the bizarre, mixed results that couple the failings of one author with the successes of another, or - in the most rare instances - there are failures that can be found utterly without merit. These are the wonderful worlds that we throw ourselves into whenever purchasing a set of names attributed to a larger creator, and its something I normally fear because I've touched the eye of the proverbial oven one too many times. Still, within The Starry Wisdom, you have something of the middle man of the bunch, giving you pieces of the lore that are actually well-written and concise, as well as pieces that have no redeeming qualities, however. Unfortunately that is the lifeblood of many collected pieces, however, and everything has to be taken as such because of this. Happily, though, I have to say that there are some things in the book that I wouldn't want to be without.

Of all the stories within the chronicled tales here, there is an artistic adaptation of Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu done by John Coulthart that is immaculately done. The quality of the work is fantastic and captures the visions within the madness so very well. Few things merit praise as much as this does, and it truly makes the book worth buying by itself. Still, there are other noteable contributions that add to this as well, including a little Robert M. Price (A Thousand Young), some Brian Lumley (The Night Sea-Maid Went Down), David Conway (Black Static), Ramsey Campbell (Potential), William S. Burroughs (Wind Die, You Die, We Die) and a little Allan Moore (The Courtyard). There are also pieces from Grant Morrison (Lovecraft in Heaven), James Havoc and Mike Philbin (Third Eye Butterfly), Henry Wessel (From This Swamp), JG Ballad (Prisoner of the Coral Deep), Dan Kellet (Red Mass), Simon Whitechapel (Walpurgisnachtmusik), DF Lewis (Meltdown), John Beal (Beyond Reflection), CG Brandrick and DM Mitchell (The Exquisite Corpse), Micheal Gira (Extracted From the Mouth of the Consumer, Rotting Pig), Adele Olivia Glawell (Hypothetical Materfamalias), Don Webb (The Sound of a Door Opening), Rick Grimes (Pills Fro Miss Betsy), Peter Smith (The Dreamers in Darkness), Stephen Sennitt (Nails), and DM Mitchell (Ward)that can be hit-or-miss depending on what you demand from your authors. Many of these titles have come and gone through various books in the past, some more than others, and there are many that I really didn't like in the set. Still, the illustrated portion of the book was done in ways that made it seems so wondrously worth obtaining and I'm glad I put it into my collection because of it.

For fans of HP Lovecraft's works, then you might want to look into these titles - provided that you don't own them already. I would also suggest picking it up because of the reason I listed before, noting that the illustrated portions of the book are something done in the most commendable of ways. Even if you aren't a fan of Lovecraft but you love some of the things doe with his ideas, then this would be worth at least looking into because of the tendrils making sweet music in the background of nightmarish dreams. To a point, depending on your ownership already, it comes recommended.

Unpleasant and disappointing.......2002-09-17

This anthology, overall, is IMHO quite horrible. There are so many disgusting sexual references and appearances of excrement that one wonders if it was a requirement for the stories' acceptance for the book... In particular, "Walpurgisnachtmusik" brings to mind the ludicrous over-use of the [f word] in the first 10 minutes of Tarantino's "From Dusk Till Dawn."

The ONLY reason I don't condemn it entirely is that there ARE a few good things in here. Most notable is Coulthart's graphical adaptation of "The Call of Cthulhu," an excellent adaptation indeed. Some others stand out- Lumley's "The Night Sea-Maid Went Down" (a reprint, admittedly), Conway's "Black Static" (just ignore the unpleasantness at either end), Webb's "The Sound of a Door Opening," Moore's "The Courtyard" (again, dodge the few unpleasant bits, which seem especially superfluous here), and Mitchell's "Ward 23." Campbell's "Potential" is tolerably good, as well.

In short, if you can buy this book cheap, it's probably worth it; otherwise, give it a pass until you CAN find it cheap. If nothing else, buy it for the Coulthart segment, the one part that Lovecraft might have truly considered a tribute...

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The Starry Wisdom, A Tribute to H P Lovecraft

Manufacturer: Creation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HK8BOK

Book Description

This book draws provocative and stimulating conclusions about meaning and significance of Christian ministry.

Customer Reviews:

Quick Read.......2007-09-08

This is a well written personal narrative about a Harvard Professor that experiences a renewal of faith when he leaves the academic world. As he gives up that which has given him security he remembers where real security comes from.

His experiences aren't profound; however, they do offer some simple reminders about the important parts of life.

Leading in Love.......2007-08-01

True Christian leadership should be done from the raw core of Jesus's pure, pristine love.

Leadership efforts can become tainted and corrupted with relevance and arrogance, glossed over with the appearance of power and importance.

Some Christian leaders are controllers and dictators who expect obedience. But even Jesus didn't do that; He was a servant-leader.

This book doesn't preach about what you should or shouldn't do. It just indicates that leading, guiding, and teaching should come from the humbleness of Jesus's love (which has nothing to prove and there are no competitions) instead of from power, intimidations, or judgments.

I am sad for those leaders who think their popularity and importance are getting them brownie points in the Kingdom, and also for those participants in church groups who are miserable because they are expected to be a certain way.

Even though this book is small, it has a much greater impact than most drawn-out books. Just like Jesus's Love: Simple, but yet great.

Everybody should read this book, and know Jesus's Love.

extraordinary, challenging, very useful.......2007-06-05

Henri J. M. Nouwen has taught at the University of Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard, he is the author of several books, and a priest. I have found In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, a very fruitful reading and a practical, challenging book. In its pages beat several values like human sensibility, sincerity, humbleness, and biblical influence. I could declare the book's theme to be the temptations and virtues that the Christian leader will deal with in the 21st Century.

In several ways, the writing deals with the new experiences and ministerial perception that Nouwen has felt in his own flesh, and that he thinks that must characterize the true Christian leader. When the author changes his residence from the academic world of Harvard to L'Arche, his social experiences, his ministry as priest, and his spiritual insight was changed too. The L'Arche community in Toronto was far different from that of the academy. Working with the mentally handicapped was the Master's teaching for the professor Nouwen. In L'Arche, Henri Nouwen didn't have anyone to impress with his book, because they couldn't read. They weren't impressed with his performance, knowledge, or social influence either. In this situation, the author confesses that he must be only who he was, a vulnerable man. The author says, "I am telling you all this because I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self." This is a message that I am sure that many of my colleagues do not want to hear. Our culture celebrates success before authenticity, greatness before insignificance. If we have nothing to offer to the World, why preach the Gospel? Well, we don't have anything from ourselves to offer, but we have Christ, His message, and hope. Isn't that enough? In my perception, the author is not pretending to cancel human participation in the kingdom of God, but to moderated it. The women and men that serve God are not the center of the message. God is.

Reading this book, I have receive new insight about the ministerial attitudes that moved a servant of God to serve and love. In these days, when we are hearing that if your church is not growing fast or using some specific strategies, maybe you aren't a minister of Christ. Other people is saying that if you are not "swimming in money", God is not blessing you, etcetera. The words of Nouwen are very important. He says, "The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?" Another rewarding insight was about the dangerous temptations that every minister must resist and how to resist them. Based on Jesus's temptation, Nouwen refer to three of these current temptations: the temptation to be relevant, the temptation to be spectacular, and the temptation to be powerful. On the other hand, the author suggests three spiritual disciplines to win over these temptations: the discipline of contemplative prayer, the discipline of confession and forgiveness, and the discipline of theological reflection.

From my perspective all the book makes sense to me, and is a valuable source of inspiration for the minister in the 21st Century. A time when the churchman is having old temptations in new packages, the same strategies that have worked for the man Jesus Christ, will work for us today, and ever.

A Breath of Fresh Air.......2007-04-17

I greatly appreciated Henri's book and it was a breath of fresh air which make me think very deeply about my life and ministry. I am a former Roman Catholic and appreciate the thoughfulness of Nouwen.

short and easy... but a challenging read.......2007-04-07

This book is definitely a breath of fresh air in a market filled with books about Jesus being whatever you want Him to be in the mold of the world's system. It's a call to come out of the erroneous mindsets we have about leadership to embrace the humility of Christ. Servant leadership that lays down its life for the sheep. One that is not a hired hand, leading in a professional spirit. It's a short and easy... and challenging read

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

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In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417665831

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In the Name of Jesus; Reflections on Christian Leadership
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Manufacturer: Crossroad Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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