Book Description
When cleaning lady Lily Bard discovers the dead body of her nosy landlord, her plan of starting a quiet new life may end in her death.
Customer Reviews:
Compelling.......2007-09-13
Charlaine Harris excels at writing characters who grab my imagination. Sookie Stackhouse. Harper Connelly. And now Lily Bard. There is no supernatural layer to "Shakespeare's Landlord" as there is in the other two series, but again we meet a character who has a burden that makes her an outsider. Lily's backstory is painful, making her social withdrawal understandable, and the picture Harris paints of Lily's life and her fears of opening up to others is stark and poignant. "Shakespeare's Landlord" is a good mystery but also a great story.
Another great series by Charlaine Harris.......2007-02-11
Lily Bard is a woman with a tortured past, literally. She has come to the sleepy town of Shakespeare to escape that past, to a place where no one will know her and what happened to her. She cleans houses for a living, which lets her live on the fringes of society but not part of it. A man is found dead in the apartment house next door to where she lives and someone uses her trash can to dispose of the body. To protect her secret Lily is drawn into the lives of people that could expose her secret, so she has to find out who killed her neighbor, before they find out about her. Lily Bard is one of the best drawn female characters of any mystery series I have read. This woman feels real, you really feel her pain and her determination to never be a victim again. The story draws you in, I couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to get the next one in the series. I highly recommend this book.
Hauntingly Vivid Dark Cozy.......2006-09-23
In the 1st book in the Lily Bard Mystery series, we are introduced to the complex character of Lily Bard. Lily is healing from emotional and physical scars she received in a brutal attack several years before, and has moved to the small town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, to escape the horror of that experience. On an evening that she has trouble sleeping, she watches an unknown person transport a dead body to the arboretum across the street from her home. The killer dumps the body, and leaves Lily to decide whether to expose herself and her secrets to the police, or to leave the dead body exposed to the elements. She provides an anonymous tip to the police, and finds herself as a target for violence once again. Working closely with the chief of police, Lily struggles to catch a killer while learning to heal some of the deep wounds from her past.
This book grabbed me right from the beginning and wouldn't let go until I had finished it much, much later that night. A voracious reader, I could read a book a day...if my schedule permitted. With this book, however, the schedule flew out the window, I blocked out everything else, and I settled in for a nice rainy evening with a great book. I was quickly transported to the small town of Shakespeare into the troubled life of Lily. I loved her dark, brooding character and enjoyed watching her learn to open up and to begin to trust others while facing some of the demons from her past. Lily is a strong yet vulnerable character, and I look forward to watching her evolve and blossom in future installments in this series.
Most books in the cozy genre are not as dark or haunting, and I found my thoughts returning to Lily long after I had finished the book. Lily reminds me somewhat of Kinsey Millhone, and if you are a fan of the series by Sue Grafton, you may want to give this book a try.
The next book in the series is called "Shakespeare's Champion". Enjoy!
The Shakespeare series are among the best genre novels I have ever read. Truly a class above........2006-06-28
I have one piece of advice to anybody interested in Shakespeare's Landlord: buy it, borrow it, whatever, just read it as soon as possible. Put it at the top of your pile. You'll be glad you did.
Lily Bard is one of the most compelling and, frankly, admirable heroines I have ever come across. She's got a very dark past, and from the very first page it's clear how much sheer will it has taken for her to make a new life for herself. Lily is independent, blunt, ass-kicking, solitary, and smart as hell.
The Shakespeare books are mysteries, and they're good ones, but the reason to read them is to watch Lily Bard's character grow and change. Charlaine Harris has a tremendous ability to infuse the most quotidien events with incredible depth, a true master of the 'show don't tell' school of writing. Her characters are both ordinary and monumental, and she writes about the South in a way that (really!) bears comparison to Faulkner and Toni Morrison.
The Shakespeare series in particular picks up on a lot of very delicate issues and tackles them head on: questions of race, class, and gender end up tangled in the crimes Lily has to solve. For women, in particular, thinking about how Lily has changed in response to her own past can be a real eye-opener.
Not a Southern Vampire in sight..........2006-02-20
But Ms. Harris's writing style is just as unique, and just as compelling.
I'm not a fan of mysteries, normally. They seem to fall into one of two groupings: the Dame Agatha group and the Deaver group.
The Marple mass always seem to have a little murder with supper. They are slightly horrified, but everything seems so silly... the death is never really... real.
The Deaver denizen are just the opposite. A killer is always a serial killer, and they're always out to find nastier ways to kill, gorier trophies, and trickier ways of hiding themselves among the population.
Ms Harris's mystery leans more toward the Murder She Wrote grouping. The murder is treated as a puzzle, and the victim almost as a side story. But the reason for this is we're learning the life of Ms. Lily Bard, and her chosen environs of Shakespeare, AK.
Early on, Lily discloses the icky feeling that the victim gave her, so the lack of concern with his murder is totally explicable. Also, Ms. Bard has quite a back story of her own, and I found myself turning the pages just to see how she'd react in different situations.
I read this in an afternoon. I love Ms. Harris's writing style - if you're a Sookie fan, I think you'll like this simply because of the lead character. I also think if you like the first group of mysteries above, you'll like this. There are enough little twists and turns to make the pulp mystery reader happy.
Heck, I'll probably even read the rest of the series when they're available at the library. I don't usually do that for series...
(*)>
Product Description
Set of 3 paperbacks in Charlaine Harris's Lily Bard Mystery series: Shakespeare's Landlord, Shakespeare's Champion, & Shakespeare's Counselor.
From the Publisher
Anne, the forgotten Bronte sister, produced a novel more relevant today than either Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. This is a Victorian classic of astonishing power and passion, anticipating the struggle for equality of opportunity for women.
Download Description
It is autumn of 1827 when a woman named Helen Graham moves into the deserted, stately moorland manor Wildfell Hall with her young son. The neighbors take immediate notice of this awkward circumstance, and she is subjected to their jealousy and the idle rumor they spread. They discover she is escaping a brutish marriage and has taken an assumed name to prevent her husband finding her. She must unchain herself and her son physically and emotionally from his roguish influence and earn a living. The imaginative power and realism of these characters involved in marital hostilities urge the reader to view the far-reaching aspects of their struggle with a more compassionate understanding. The husband she left, Arthur Huntingdon, was a selfish womanizer who only wanted to satiate his own desires. Even though Helen offered to help him turn his life around, he had no wish to give up his drunkenness or adultery. At last Helen grew to despise him as much as she once loved him. But when she witnessed his attempts to make his son a chip off the old block, her motherly duties overrode her responsibilities as a wife, and with the help of her brother she runs away to the obscurity of a small town. Here she meets Gilbert Markham who falls in love with her and requests her hand in marriage. She refuses him and offers an explanation by supplying him with references to her journals and letters that will eventually convince him of the desperation of her married life. As the plot advances and mysteries unwind, what Gilbert and Helen say--and also what they don't say--gives the reader access to Bronte's scourging accusation of the sexual ambiguities of 19th century Britain. And even though they are often unaware of their insensitive reactions to their own beliefs, they realize they love each other. When Arthur Huntingdon dies, they are finally allowed to marry.
Customer Reviews:
Loved this........2007-09-18
The romantic ending was much too brief after the long story leading up to it, but it was a good read.
A Victorian tale for the modern reader.......2007-07-16
The elaborate Victorian prose style of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall does not obscure a story that is recognizably modern--that of an idealistic young woman who wants to save her brutish, alcoholic husband from himself.
Reviled for its "morbid love for the coarse, not to say the brutal," The Tenant of Wildfell Hall continues the theme Brontë began in Agnes Gray--that nurture's role in shaping in a person's character and future is more important than parents and other authority figures realize or take responsibility for. As Helen says of Arthur, she wants "to do my utmost to . . . make him what he would have been if he had not, from the beginning, had a bad, selfish, miserly father . . . and a foolish mother who indulged him to the top of his bent . . . doing her utmost to encourage those germs of folly and vice it was her duty to suppress."
Helen's background is also revealing. Raised by her uncle and aunt, she exemplifies the modern concept of the adult child of an alcoholic--self-righteous and controlling. Knowing that Arthur is flawed, she marries him with the objective of changing him and saving him for God. It can be speculated that Arthur, intrigued by Helen's youth, beauty, passion, and apparent demureness, envisions making her a more worldly woman. Neither knows the other beyond the surface, and each seems to want to transform the other into his or her own image. This is not the basis for a happy or durable union, as Helen learns.
Failing to control the father, Helen turns her attentions to her son. Quite rightly, she is horrified when Arthur makes his son a pawn in their marital battle, teaching him the manly Victorian arts of sport and predation, love of drinking and carousing, camaraderie without friendship, and disrespect for and the subjugation of women. Even Brontë seemed to be aware that Helen's approach is also disturbing in its own way, for the child-rearing debate between Helen and her new neighbors is the basis for an entire chapter before we learn her history. While many of Brontë's contemporaries would have agreed with the vicar's argument that experience builds character, Helen slowly reveals how experience of the wrong kind without a moderating influence can destroy character.
The structure of the novel is undoubtedly awkward; it is unlikely that anyone would share such intimate details and thoughts as well as another person's entire personal journal with even the dearest friend without a compelling reason. Gilbert, who is introduced, perhaps symbolically, as a hunter of predators (hawks), disappears from the story as he reads Helen's tale. This diminishes him, relegating him to Helen's redemption and reward. On occasion, for example, in "Domestic Scenes," Brontë's tense changes and irregularities make Helen's journal lose its currency and distract the reader with lapses into a novel-like tone.
The structure does, however, allow the reader (and Gilbert) to meet the reclusive, protective, guarded, almost-grim Helen before we find out about the life that has shaped her and her inflexible opinions. The revelation of her character, and the strength she has to flout convention when her conscience and sense of duty require it, helps to complete Gilbert's growth from sarcastic village wit to the kind of mature man more worthy of her.
Brontë's stated purpose was "to tell the truth, for the truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it . . . Let it not be imagined, however, that I consider myself competent to reform the errors and abuses of society, but only that I would fain contribute my humble quota towards so good an aim . . . ." Helen's story, like that of Agnes, reveals the uglier aspects of Victorian family life, usually idealized, that resulted when women had few rights, men abused theirs, parents did not take responsibility for instilling healthy values (such as respect for life) in their children, and divorce was out of the reach of most. Beyond the impressive gates and parks, within the stately estates, behind the closed doors, lurked family and social problems that could not be hidden or denied away. Helen's story was disturbing not because of her depiction of Arthur's demeaning, childish, and amoral behavior, but because she exposes the falseness of the idyllic family life her society held dear and because she is willing to abandon what society considers her duty to her marriage to perform her real duty to herself and her son.
Anne Brontë's work has been compared unfavorably to that of her sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Yet its psychological insights, including the very coarseness and brutality of which contemporary critics complained, make up for Brontë's lack of literary finesse. Her portrayal of Arthur, the fun-loving, amoral, pettish, selfish hedonist, and his boorish social circle resonates today. Despite his country gentleman status and his debt-supported wealth, Arthur is recognizable in all times and classes. Helen, too, is familiar as the long-suffering wife who finally takes action when her child is threatened.
Although much has changed since Brontë's time, her characterizations and insights on family life hold true today, making The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a classic in its own right.
A good attemp.......2007-05-21
I agree, having read the book, that Gilbert was brutish and at times overyly "girlish" in expressing his emotions. The ending was rather abrupt. But because it's just from letters, that's to be expected.
Another lovely tale from Bronte.......2007-04-28
This is a very different novel from the other of Anne Bronte's that I've read, Agnes Grey. The story is told mostly from the first person viewpoint of Gilbert Markham as he and his fellow villagers meet the mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall, the widowed Mrs. Graham, who has a bit of a mystery about her and her young son.
As feelings grow between the two main characters, the story is shifted to the viewpoint of Mrs. Graham as retold through a diary she wrote, and about her life married to an abusive, unfaithful alcoholic, and her efforts finally to extricate herself from the marriage.
An interesting tale, and I give the author marks for tackling what in her time would have been a most controversial topic (women just did not leave their husbands, no matter what the reason). Some of the melodrama is more than a tad bit over the top, Helen was just too pure and good natured, and having a woman writer write in the first person viewpoint of a man was a bit of a stretch for me. Gilbert was at times too emotional in a womanly sort of way -- I mean throwing himself down on the wet ground and having a good cry over a broken heart was way over the top for me. He was also a bit too brutish and rough at times for my taste, and not always very likeable, but that is the author's choice as to how she wrote her characters.
Other than those quibbles it was a very entertaining read and some very thought provoking topics to take with you when finished with the book.
Loved It!.......2007-04-16
I read all of the Bronte sisters novels when I was a teenager and I will have to say the The Tennant of Wildfell Hall was absolutey my favorite. I loved Jane Eyre also. I always wondered why Anne Bronte did not get more attention for her novel, while her sisters got plenty of attention for their writing!
Customer Reviews:
This is a Romance novel?.......2007-09-22
I could have really liked this book the back of the book sounded really good but the beginning part where Sebastian forces Lara to marry him against her will and force her to consumate the marriage all on the orders of his king in order to prove that the castle is under his control if Lara doesn't she will be murdered along with her brother and sister. That really ends the book for me. The author can dress it up all she wants but what it is rape. Which is not only disgusting to read its even more disgusting to find it in a romance novel where the heroine is raped by the hero. I mean are you kidding me? And this is a romance novel? The author expects me to root for Lara too live happily ever after with the man who raped her? Skip this book.
Aaahhh, what an escape..........2006-09-28
Needless to say, as a mother of three, I don't have a lot of time to read. This book however, only took me one day. It was even better then my last trip to Scotland,which was, two weeks ago. Terri Brisbin is a master short storyteller. Her characters are thoroughly three deminsional. You've cemented in me, a great fan, Terri! Cheers and I can't wait for the next Highland love story.
The Maid of Lorne hits the spot.......2006-03-13
What's an honorable heiress to do when presented the choice of dying or marrying the enemy who's conquered her castle home? Lara, Maid of Lorne, has to do whatever it takes to protect her motherless siblings, and if that means marrying Sebastien of Cleish, then that's what she'll do. But Lara won't make marriage easy for him. A clash of wills soon ensues, and as time goes on, the two began to respect each other...but will they fall in love?
An engrossing look at the time of Robert the Bruce, Terri Brisbin creates memorable characters that will pull you into caring for them. Lara is spirited and brave, and the pinnacle that holds her family and its home together. The arrival of Sebastien into her life is one of torture for her, but soon turns into one of longing. Even if you don't know the history of the medieval times, then let the enjoyable The Maid of Lorne whet your appetite for a tale of love, honor and the couple who find happiness together.
You won't want to miss reading The Maid of Lorne for stellar story-telling and memorable characters.
Lots of room for improvement........2006-02-15
Lara, the heir to the MacDougal lands, is faced with an ultimatum. Robert the Bruce has defeated her father in battle and banished him to England. He demands that his sworn man, Sebastien, offer Lara the choice between marrying him or forfeiting her life. Happily, she makes the right decision. While Sebastien attempts to make his rape as pleasureable for her as possible, nevertheless, it is a rape of a female captive by an enemy soldier, who now presumes to set himself up as Laird of MacDougal lands at Robert's orders. Even more terrible, he sends their bloodied wedding-night sheet all over Scotland as proof that he's consummated the enforced union! Lara is pressed into service as a spy by her wicked cousin, Eachann, who likes to torture and kill living things. His threats against her young brother and sister are effective. What a terrible situation to find herself in! Lara is torn between her lust for Sebastien and her fear of her evil cousin. Worse, her own father hates her and has disowned her, we really don't know why, as this would presumably be a horrific punishment in those times, reserved only for the most wayward and depraved daughters. And yet within a few chapters, he is secretly promising her to Eachann, who is dreaming of all the horrible things he's going to do to her once he has her in his possession. The reader will find these tortured family ties as confusing as they are incredible. Meanwhile, Margaret, her trusted lady-in-waiting, is flinging herself into a torrid affair with Sebastien's best friend! Her younger brother adores Sebastien, and even her little sister thinks he's an improvement on their father! All three characters are sadly underdeveloped, a pity because they could add a great deal of insight into the emotions of the principals as well as the mindset of the times they were living in. Lara has nowhere to turn, and finally has to decide where her lots will fall and what decisions she will make concerning her future and that of her siblings, and indeed, that of her clan, as well.
This is a fairly good formula romance. All the elements are present: The damsel in distress, the proud warrior, the monstrous bad guy, warfare, victory and defeat, and of course the happy ending. The reader could wish for better character development. Where do Lara's loyalties truly lie? And who is Robert the Bruce and why does he hold so much power over everyone? He came across as a shadowy puppetmaster who (by the way) is fighting to claim a kingdom and would presumably not have time to establish such tight-knit control over his warring subjects. And yet he is the lynchpin of the story, because it was his order that Sebastien and Lara marry, unless she preferred for Sebastien to kill her, something he was prepared to do to the woman he later vows he was instantly in love with. And just for fun, I suppose, the Black Douglas was thrown in, with no apparent cause other than to leer at Lara. It is no use to bring both these historical figures in at the end to help wrap things up. Lara's credibility is destroyed when she pledges her love to Sebastien, knowing that she had already betrayed him to Eachann, all the while indulging in licentious wifely behavior that frankly defies belief.
Skepticism aside, the author interfered with a promising story by "telling" too much, explaining too many things away or substituting those explanations for things unshared with the reader. Would the devoted handmaiden of a ravished noblewoman truly throw herself into the arms of her mistress' despoiler? It is conceivable that she might, but only to better her own fortunes...and that would make her something of a villainess, wouldn't it? Would Lara's sibings really take to Sebastien so quickly? What did they know that Lara (and the reader) did not? Children might be excused, but adults should be deeper in their emotions if the story line is going to fly.
The elements of the story are very promising: a free-spirited, beautiful herione in desperate circumstances yearning for a brave, handsome warrior to fall in love with her and set her free, plus a seasoned, highly intelligent (only because the author told us so) man of the world who can be trusted (only because the author told us so), who is struck with love for the heroine at first sight, and yet completely prepared to decapitate her should she refuse to marry him (?!?!?), a despicable villain, and a tumultuous era in history. One could only wish that women were accorded a little more dignity than was found here, particularly since this is a "love story."
A Great Book!.......2006-01-23
This was my first Terri Brisban Book and I definitely am ordering more. The story and characters were very well created and I could so feel with them and it was a wonderful historical love story. I would definitely keep this on the shelf for another read.
Amazon.com
It's trite but true: you can't keep a good man down. Holier-than-anyone Jesse Custer comes back from the dead--or wherever--in the eighth collection of Preacher, All Hell's A-Coming. Garth Ennis's knack for developing characters slowly and almost effortlessly pays off more and more with each issue, and by now Custer, his lover Tulip, and his vampire friend Cassidy are as complex as anyone you're likely to meet. The story arc focuses on Tulip's own resurrection from her unlife of booze, drugs, and Cassidy as she reunites with the Preacher, and this powerful tale doesn't require any superheroic conflict to affect the readers. (Fans of the Voice will be disappointed to learn that it's only used once, in an amusing throwaway scene.) As this develops, the nefarious Grail suffers from internal struggle, and poor Arseface finds himself on the backside of fame, setting the stage for plenty of future weirdness. In addition to the regular collected issues, All Hell's A-Coming includes the one-shot "Tall in the Saddle," a fast-moving story from Jesse, Amy, and Tulip's younger days. If you've never met the Preacher, isn't it about time you found the fear of God? --Rob Lightner
Book Description
It's trite but true: you can't keep a good man down. Holier-than-anyone Jesse Custer comes back from the dead--or wherever--in the eighth collection of Preacher, All Hell's A-Coming. Garth Ennis's knack for developing characters slowly and almost effortlessly pays off more and more with each issue, and by now Custer, his lover Tulip, and his vampire friend Cassidy are as complex as anyone you're likely to meet. The story arc focuses on Tulip's own resurrection from her unlife of booze, drugs, and Cassidy as she reunites with the Preacher, and this powerful tale doesn't require any superheroic conflict to affect the readers. (Fans of the Voice will be disappointed to learn that it's only used once, in an amusing throwaway scene.) As this develops, the nefarious Grail suffers from internal struggle, and poor Arseface finds himself on the backside of fame, setting the stage for plenty of future weirdness. In addition to the regular collected issues, All Hell's A-Coming includes the one-shot "Tall in the Saddle," a fast-moving story from Jesse, Amy, and Tulip's younger days. If you've never met the Preacher, isn't it about time you found the fear of God? --Rob Lightner
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Some history of the hell raising (among other nastiness) of both Jesse and Tulip, plus a confrontation, reconciliation and more of the same at an old friend's. Jesse fancies her friend, her friend fancies Jesse, especially compared to the usual losers she comes across. Neither will do anything, partly because both of them realise that Tulip will blow the hell out of them if they do, for one thing, and that they are more valuable as friends. Jesse does it to Tulip again.
The Calm Before the Storm.......2004-10-16
In this, the penultimate instalment to the remarkable Preacher run, Garth Ennis sets the scene before it all comes crashing down in The Alamo. An interweaving of narrative focuses on things that were: the younger lives of Tulip and Cassidy; the last story, `Tall in the Saddle,' looks at a younger Jesse, Tulip, and Amy, and shows the extent of Jesse's moral imperatives. Jesse's Texas-style justice borders on the sadistic in much of these pages. Nothing new there, I suppose, but there's some pretty graphic stuff, which further makes difficult the ability to unequivocally embrace Jesse as 'the hero.'If Preacher can 'mean' anything, surely the interrogation of whether good people can do bad deeds must be one of its hallmarks.
There's an undercurrent of themes here, most notably, the grand vision of America as the home of second chances and fulfilled dreams. That such a naïve suggestion could even be seriously articulated in as cynical and dark a text as Preacher (particularly when it's delivered by an ex-porn actor), shows the broadness of the canvas with which Ennis paints. Although Ennis clearly does believe in the notion of redemption, as witnessed by Jesse's spiritual rebirth in the appropriately-titled `Salvation,' and Tulip's deliverance from her own personal hell in these pages, our good buddy Arseface, though, is a living example of what happens when we too-openly trust and believe in goodness and decency. And people like Cassidy demonstrate the morality of people who manipulate that trust for their own benefit...
All in all, this is a good read. I would have liked more plot and less background (did I really need to know all I did about Tulip? And why is her father's hand inexplicably replaced by a hook?), but I can see Ennis playing the role of maestro here, having things quiet down before the finishing crescendo.
Leads up to the incredible finale.......2003-05-12
This collected volume, which leads up to the incredible finale of the Preacher series, finds Tulip leaving her new life of booze, drugs, and Cassidy to try to get her life back together. After that (and a rousing backstory on Tulip's childhood and her meeting with Amy), she and Jesse are re-united proving one of Preacher's many themes: love is stronger than death. The best parts of All Hell's A-Coming is undoubtadly Jesse learning all of Cassidy's dark and dirty past. This part is pivotal for a few reasons: longtime fans of the series have no doubt grown to love Cass, and now their opinions will be surely changed. Also, this is the plot progressing set up the final, pivotal events that come in the next and final collected volume; Alamo. The final story, a backstory on one of Jesse, Tulip, and Amy's criminal misadventures, isn't one of Ennis' better written stories, but think of it as an added bonus.
Ain't Got That Old Feeling.......2002-10-18
I had really high expectations for this volume. It didn't quite measure up.
Okay, yeah, the characters are great. Fine. But the Tulip backstory feels obligatory and pointless, and I don't think it develops too much about her. It really didn't require two issues, that's for sure.
The rest of this volume seems kind of useless, repeating all the themes that have gone before. And between this volume and the last one, I'm wondering when Ennis will stop feeling the need to include sexual perversion in every issue. I'm not a prude, I just think it's a little past the point where it enhances the stories. It just feels repetitive now.
There's no real action in this book, and not a lot of solid story.
Finally, the action Jesse takes at the end of this volume, together with his actions towards Gunther at the end of Salvation make me truly question Jesse as a hero. This would bother me less, except that Ennis seems to think these actions are fine and jim dandy.
Almost there..........2002-09-01
This is the next-to-the-last (the penultimate, if you will) in the series of collected Preacher graphic novels, and it's a good one. It's probably not as good as Salvation, but still it's one of my favorites.
This is the last bit of breathing space we're allowed in the series before the plot takes over and bulldozes us towards the conclusion in book nine. Here there's still some room to move sideways as well as forward.
The books starts with some backstory on Tulip. We visit her childhood and find out why she's who she is, and why she's so good with a gun. Then at long last Tulip and Jesse are reunited.
There's also some Grail business to take care of, and we get some QT with Arseface before Cassidy shows up at the end of the book like a mangy dog at the door step. Jesse makes an appointment with him to settle their difference like real men...at the Alamo. And on we go to the rousing conclusion of the series...see you there.
Amazon.com
In the tradition of Thomas Merton, Kathleen Norris gives us an intimate look at how religious life fills a gap in the soul. Her poetic sensibilities internalize the monastery as a symbol of spirituality, with its sanctity and humor, questioning and uncertainty, rhythm and vigor. Beyond moral precepts and Bible stories, Cloister Walk is a very personal account of religion lived fully. It depicts a depth and beauty of spirituality in monastic life that has survived the vicissitudes of Roman Catholic politics and pomp.
Customer Reviews:
Inside View.......2007-05-23
This interesting book gives the reader an unusual inside view into the cloistered life, especially for those of us who would dearly love to have the experience but probably never will have the privilege.
Mertonian in Character.......2006-06-12
Folks, I've been listening to the audio version of _The Cloister Walk_, by Kathleen Norris and I have to say that I like what I am hearing.
Ms. Norris is an Episcopalian--her bio says she started as a Presbyterian--imbued with an exquisite spirit for things Benedictine and monastic, granted to her by the Holy Spirit through her call as a Benedictine Oblate, which makes us colleagues of sorts, though we have never met.
The book is Ms. Norris recounting her experience in various Benedictine communities and of the Spirit of charity, celibate chastity, adoration, and liturgy she discovered therein. She approaches spiritual exercises, the Word of God in the Bible and in the Mass, with the soul of a poet. In fact, she sees these sacred objects and activities first as poetry, endowed with the power to communicate hidden things through word and metaphor and song.
Her chapter on "Virgin Martyrs" touched me the deepest. I have never heard the interplay of virginity and martyrdom so clearly explained before. In fact, in this chapter, Ms. Norris succeeds in rescuing for a feminist audience the true meanings of virginity and martyrdom, reassesing its value as a woman's assertion to her own identity in counterpoint to a world that holds a woman's body physical and psychological integrity as something of little value, scandalous even, and paradoxically anti-woman.
I compare Norris' work on contemplation with that of Thomas Merton, without the latter's fascination for things oriental or his inclination to please everyone by being everthing to every one--and that's a sad, but true criticism of my beloved Thomas Merton.
Now, the downside. Actress Debra Winger read the book and although she pronounces every word clearly and distinctly, she does so with so much flatness that she sounds unenthusiastic about the subject matter. She should've read this with wondernment; her business-like tone is too, well, depressing.
Anyway, buy the book or listen to the tape if you're a busy person like myself. You won't regret either.
The Cloister Walk.......2006-03-01
If you liked Kathleen Norris' Amazing Grace you will love The Cloister Walk. It is a beautiful personal narrative of her faith journey as well as a journal about writing poetry. She uses such beautiful metaphoric language. A joy to read.
Five stars doesn't do justice to this book........2005-12-31
First of all, after reading a few of the reviews of this book here in amazon, I have to wonder: are you reading the same book the rest of us are?
That said, this book fully deserves five stars. The author is smart, devout, and eager to learn. A Protestant, she tells of her experience in a monastery over a period of several months. I believe the person who would get the most out of this book is either a Protestant or a "seeker" eager to grow spiritually. We Protestants know too little about the traditions of our Catholic brothers and sisters: there is a rich spirituality there we can draw from (and vice-versa.) This is not a difficult book to read, yet it is not an easy book to read, either. It's easy in that the author writes so honestly and plainly it's like talking to an old friend about her experiences. However, since nearly every chapter is profound one can't skim through this book like a Grisham thriller. The very nature and objective of the book is to be food for spiritual growth. It takes a while to chew some of this stuff. I recently picked the book back up after reading the first 275 out of 400 pages. I set it down for months, not because it's boring but because, I suppose, my subconscious mind needed to chew on those 275 pages a while. The book has been lying around as if it knew I was going to pick it back up at the right time.
How many books can you say that about? Precious few, my friend.
Add this most substantial book to your devotional reading and , after reading it, I guarantee you will find yourself picking it up over and over over the years.
Recommend this Book.......2005-08-04
There is little I can add to all the wonderful reviews that have covered this book. It is a wonderful peak inside monastic life, and the impact that the monastic lifestyle/worldview has upon a soul. Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
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The Cloister Walk
Kathleen Norris
Manufacturer: Riverhead
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000H7G7WG |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on August 1, 1997. The length of the article is 3660 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.
From the supplier: Religious associates are laypersons affiliated with religious orders who receive instructions in the charism of the order and try to bring this charism into their own lives. Catholics from all walks of life are associates. Some associates are non-Catholics and even non-Christians.
Citation Details
Title: Who's following orders? The appeal of religious associates.(includes related articles on association and text of the associates' creed of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate)
Author: Deirdre Daly O'Neal
Publication:
U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 1997
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: v62
Issue: n8
Page: p31(6)
Article Type: Excerpt
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Cloister Walk 8-copy Counter Unit
Kathleen Norris
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Monasticism
| Other Practices
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1573225894 |
Average customer rating:
- I cannot believe I am first!
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The Cloister Walk Group Guide
Kathleen Norris
Manufacturer: Riverhead Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Catholicism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational
| Catholicism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Norris, Kathleen
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1573226769 |
Customer Reviews:
I cannot believe I am first!.......2002-11-05
This is an important book for all who wish to experience a spiritual jouney taken with and open mind, open heart and a down to earth real life perspective.
For all who have read Norris' other books this is a must. It was my first and I continue to search for others wishing there were more.
This is the story of non Catholic woman who becomes an "Oblate" with Benedictine monastaries and convents. This spiritual jouney includes spending extended periods of time as a resident in these unique communities.
The day to day workings of these communities, their use of scipture, how this effects her personal life and the warmth with which she tells her and their story should not be missed.
I have to buy more copies because I keep on giving what I have away.
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- The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying
- The Blind Assassin: A Novel
- The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (Cat Who...)
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