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- Four Connected and Simultaneous Narratives
- An excellent story but unnecessarily complicated
- amazing how Atwood manages to tie together every last strang
- my favorite love story
- The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
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The Blind Assassin: A Novel
Margaret Atwood
Manufacturer: Anchor
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ASIN: 0385720955
Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Amazon.com
The Blind Assassin is a tale of two sisters, one of whom dies under ambiguous circumstances in the opening pages. The survivor, Iris Chase Griffen, initially seems a little cold-blooded about this death in the family. But as Margaret Atwood's most ambitious work unfolds--a tricky process, in fact, with several nested narratives and even an entire novel-within-a-novel--we're reminded of just how complicated the familial game of hide-and-seek can be:
What had she been thinking of as the car sailed off the bridge, then hung suspended in the afternoon sunlight, glinting like a dragonfly, for that one instant of held breath before the plummet? Of Alex, of Richard, of bad faith, of our father and his wreckage; of God, perhaps, and her fatal, triangular bargain.
Meanwhile, Atwood immediately launches into an excerpt from Laura Chase's novel, The Blind Assassin, posthumously published in 1947. In this double-decker concoction, a wealthy woman dabbles in blue-collar passion, even as her lover regales her with a series of science-fictional parables. Complicated? You bet. But the author puts all this variegation to good use, taking expert measure of our capacity for self-delusion and complicity, not to mention desolation. Almost everybody in her sprawling narrative manages to--or prefers to--overlook what's in plain sight. And memory isn't much of a salve either, as Iris points out: "Nothing is more difficult than to understand the dead, I've found; but nothing is more dangerous than to ignore them." Yet Atwood never succumbs to postmodern cynicism, or modish contempt for her characters. On the contrary, she's capable of great tenderness, and as we immerse ourselves in Iris's spliced-in memoir, it's clear that this buttoned-up socialite has been anything but blind to the chaos surrounding her. --Darya Silver
Book Description
The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura?s story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled
The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact.
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"Told in a style that magnificently captures the colloquialisms and cliches of the 1930s and 1940s, The Blind Assassin is a richly layered and uniquely rewarding experience Opening with a terse account of her sister Laura's death in 1945, it is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a- novel, a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. With many threads and a series of events that follow one another at a breathtaking pace, everything comes together and readers discover that the story Atwood is telling is not only what it seems to be--but, in fact, much more."
Customer Reviews:
Four Connected and Simultaneous Narratives.......2007-09-13
The main story is about two sisters living in rural Ontario, and the marriage of one sister to an older and wealthy business man in Toronto.
Anyone who has read Dickens will have a certain déjà vu feeling here as we see strong traces of Dickens's famous characters Edward Murdstone and Jane Murdstone among Atwood's four protagonists. The characters in that novel, "David Copperfield," were an older brother and sister duo (the Murdstones) who dominated two younger people. They were bound together by a marriage, i.e.: the two younger and poorer people were David Copperfield and his mother, and she married Edward. That is the essence of Atwood's story here. It is about two sisters, Iris and Laura, and Iris marries an older man, and the story revolves about the two young sisters and the older "Murdstone like" duo. The older brother and sister team try to impose their will on the sisters.
Margaret Atwood, born in 1939, is a modern novelist, a poet, and a literary critic. She is best known in her native Canada as an award winning writer and as a socialist feminist activist, but she has recently blossomed late in her career and gained wider fame solely for her writing skills which include interesting short stories and novels. Atwood made the leap from a regional Canadian feminist writer to international fame and acceptance with the winning of the Booker prize in 2000 for The Blind Assassin after four previous short list trips. So, the present work is a key work for Atwood.
This is a key novel for Atwood. Interestingly, both her fans and her critics are right. The novel is interesting and it is entertaining but it is far too complicated and it has a total of four plots or narratives. The first 50 pages are a bit of a literary swamp as Atwood tries only partially successfully to launch the four stories simultaneously using bits of story plus formal announcements. After 75 pages or so, she settles down and it is primarily one story about two sisters and their growing up between the wars, and the marriage of Iris. The novel becomes a lot easier to understand and enjoy as that story takes over the novel. The plots become transparent about page 300 and by page 500 Atwood is doing a summary clean up.
I enjoyed the book, and thought it would have been a lot better without the frequent jumping between stories. It gets to the point where it is sometimes a distraction, and one tends to skip over plots that are less interesting. I thought the whole "Blind Assassin" subplot was not that interesting.
Overall, this is an interesting 525 page novel that takes two evenings to read. I rececommend the novel, but Atwood could do better. Simpler would be better. The book as a whole is a bit of a mess, but the heart of the book, which is the story of the Chase sisters is excellent and worth 5 stars.
An excellent story but unnecessarily complicated.......2007-09-10
The story of the Chase/Griffin families was riveting. The author's descriptions and characterizations were first class. I particularly liked how the characters of Winifred and Richard were depicted. I also enjoyed her subtle humour throughout.
However the crafting of the story was far too complicated for my taste, moving back and forth in time at random. Neither did I care for those fictional stories that the couple indulged in.
But this book is tremendously rich and I would recommend it.
amazing how Atwood manages to tie together every last strang.......2007-09-03
I love Atwood's books, but this one in particular is pure genius. A book so intricate, so tightly woven! I admit that the beginning was quite slow going, but around page 182 the book took off and the payoff was so worth it. Everything around me disappeared while I was reading this book.
I feel like I might want to read it again to capture everything that I missed.
I highly recommend!
my favorite love story.......2007-08-28
This could be my favorite book, perhaps ever. It's a love story. It's an amazingly clever concoction of words. It's science fiction, and it's a feminist novel. I don't know of any other book that is all these things wrapped up in one. Most of all, though, it is a love story, and an incredibly touching one.
I think to truly enjoy this book, it must be read twice - once to figure out what's going on, what happened, and then at least once more to enjoy the words and the story without the suspense, and to wish it had ended differently.
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.......2007-07-21
The Blind Assassin is the type of novel that my English professors would have assigned to me if I was a college student right now. This book encompasses everything my forward-minded professors adored in modern literature: complicated plots, creative storytelling, literary allusions, feminist implications, symbolism and foreshadowing - all wrapped up into a neat yet complex package.
For the non-collegiate reader, The Blind Assassin has a lot to offer too. It's got a little romance, a bit of a Gothic tendency and a sci-fi tale all woven into one. It's not surprising that The Blind Assassin is so widely read and the recipient of prestigious awards.
For this reader, I enjoyed the book's story-within-the story style. The majority of the story is written from Iris's perspective - a woman born of privilege whose loveless marriage and complicated relationship with her father and sister lead her into the arms of a lover. The second story is a fictional book "written" by Iris's sister, Laura. It features a nameless man and woman as they sneak around to hide their affair. Their time together was spent making love and creating a story about a far-away race of aliens. To be honest, I could have done without the sci-fi element. I wonder why it was even included except to show some symbolism. Writers of less ability than Atwood would not have been able to pull it off, but to her credit, she did.
Overall, I enjoyed The Blind Assassin. It definitely piqued my interest in Margaret Atwood's other works. Based on this book, I can see why she has earned such literary praise and is the favorite writer of many avid readers. I just wonder if Atwood, at the top of her game, produced The Blind Assassin robotically - its literary conventions are almost too perfect; the story, predictable; and the ending, done before. Perhaps that's the magic of the whole thing - and a grand show of force from a writer who can do it all.
Product Description
5 Book Set By Margaret Atwood; the Edible Woman; the Handmaid's Tale; the Blind Assassin; Oryx and Crake; the Robber Bride.
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Der Blinde Morder / The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood
Manufacturer: Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag, GmbH
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 3442760364 |
Book Description
Margaret Atwood's novels are photographs of her characters' lives: while words only ever describe her protagonists' blurred visions of their pasts, their 'true' stories are told in subtexts which run parallel or even contrary to the main story line and which depict the unseen, the buried, the 'untrue'. Replete with intertextual references, her fiction illuminates that and why "[w]hat isn't there has a presence, like the absence of light" (The Blind Assassin). She plays with our conventional modes of perception to make us aware of the way we frame reality in our minds. In her book, Andrea Strolz discusses the interrelation between metafictional and intertextual features in two of Atwood's novels that share many similarities, even though written in different decades. She examines how Atwood weaves intertextual references into her fiction, how she facilitates a reader's recognition of the intertexts, and she shows that Atwood's narrator-prota-gonists also reflect on our age as one of intertextuality.
Book Description
HONEY AND THE HIRED HAND
Tall, dark and grumpy, Jesse Whitelaw could scare away cattle rustlers with a single growl. But wary widow Honey Farrell knew just how to tame the mysterious drifter. And it started with a kiss . . .
THE COWBOY TAKES A WIFE
To own a piece of Texas, Carter Prescott had to say "I do" and agree to protect Desiree Parrish from her abusive ex-husband. He'd thought he could handle being just a bodyguard -- until he touched his new bride . . .
THE TEMPORARY GROOM
Single dad and "no-good half-breed" Billy Stonecreek and wild "Whitelaw Brat" Cherry Whitelaw met and married in a single night for all the right reasons -- except love. Could a marriage begun in haste and seasoned with passion lead to forever?
Customer Reviews:
#1, 5 and 9 in Hawk's Way Series...Good Buy For Fans, 3 Emotioanlly Charged Stories.......2007-06-05
Hawk's Way Rogues : "Honey and the Hired Hand", "The Cowboy Takes A Wife", and "The Temporary Groom"
If you are already a fan of Joan Johnston's Romance, Western Adventure and Historical novels, you are probably aware that there are several different series of stories to get caught up in, featuring different families,their adventures, their romances and sometimes feuds."Hawk's Way Rogues" is a 3 in 1 book and has #'s 1, 5 and 9 in the Hawk's Way Series", modern day western romance/adventure novellas centering on the Whitelaw family. These combo books are probably the best way to go for collectors and some(including this one) have the family tree, and book order inside the book which is a great help in following the family through the generations. For individual purchase of these and other stories in the series, click on the title link I have provided throughout the review.
If you weren't a fan before,Honey and the Hired Hand(#1), will have you hooked, especially if you love a steamy romance! The story of Honey Farrell and Jessie Whitelaw is a fabulous romance and promises a great series to follow.
Honey is the widow of a Texas Ranger. Trying to run her ranch, and raise two boys, one already a teen, on her own, is too much for her to handle alone. Enter Jessie Whitelaw, who talks his way into the job of helping her run the Flying Diamond. Although the beautiful Honey is hesitant, there is something about the rugged cowhand that draws her to him. He's Hired! Each trying to keep their distance for their own reasons, Honey, not wanting to get involved with a drifter, knowing she will be hurt when he moves on, and Jessie has ulterior motives for being there, knows he will be moving on and knows he can't get involved with the luscious Honey.But of course, we know these two will fall into each other's arms eventually. Johnston keeps the anticipation going with tantalizing circumstances between the two, and when they finally can't resist each other anymore, the romance sizzles with steamy scenes.
As always in a Joan Johnston novel, there is much more to the story. There is always some sort of adventure, mystery or conspiracy going on. Honey has been losing her cattle to rustlers. She hopes her new hired hand can help her stop the thieves. But when her prize bull turns up missing, along with her 13 year old son(who wasn't all too happy about Jessie being there in the first place), the evidence points towards Jessie. Can he be the culprit? Or has he hired on for another reason. Will her son turn up safe and sound? Can Honey resist Jessie even when she thinks he's the bad guy?
There was only one part of the story, I found a little hard to swallow. As a mother, there is no way, even if involved in a passionate affair, you would wait 24 hours to check on your 13 year old child, who is supposedly staying at a friends. But hey, as the reader, I wouldn't have wanted that delicious love scene cut short though!
Johnston keep the pace moving right along. The reader keeps turning the page to see what happens. I thought it was a great start to the Hawks Way series. Follow this one up withRancher And The Runaway Bride (Silhouette Desire, No 779). Johnston is real good at having one story flow to the next in all the series.
Cowboy Takes A Wife (Hawk'S Way) (Silhouette Desire, No 842) is # 5 in the line up, and it is the first one that branches out to family members other then the core Whitelaw siblings. It also should not be confused with another romance by the same title by Lois Faye Dyer. If you have been following the series, you may remember briefly meeting Carter Prescott, as Faron Whitelaw's half brother in 3rd in the series,Cowboy And The Princess (Silhouette Desire, No 785) . Ms Johnston, gives enough background and interaction with the Whitelaw's, so that this book stand on it's own.
Joan Johnston is amazing as she always matches up two wonderful characters, that seem made for each other, while still keeping the plot interesting and fresh. In this one Desiree Parrish and her little daughter Nicole are in danger. Carter Prescott is looking for a place to set down roots and call his own. Desiree owns a ranch and needs a husband for protection. She carries the scars, physically and mentally of an abusive relationship and has no hopes for a future relationship. Offering Carter a place to call his own,in desperation she proposes to him, a man she met once in her childhood and hardly knows. So hardly knowing each other, but each with their own reasons, and each with the scars and secrets of the past,they marry. Desiree who never thought she could let another man touch her, or make a man happy in the bedroom discovers new feelings with this man who treats her so tenderly. Carter too, starts to fall for Desiree, can hardly keep from spending every waking minute with her, and also learns to care for Nicole as well. These two strangers learn about each other's past and the marriage becomes one much more than one of convenience .There's danger brewing though, in the form of Desiree's maniac of an ex-husband.
There is much to overcome and Johnston keeps the reader turning the pages, as this multi-faceted story unfolds at a great pace in this romantic and suspenseful novella. A very good entry and something a little different from the rest in the Hawk's Way series. Next up is Unforgiving Bride (Hawk'S Way) (Silhouette Desire, No 878),which start of the next generation of Whitelaw kids' stories.
Book #'s 2, 3 and 4, make up the Hawk'S Way Bachelors (Trade Paperback) (Silhouette Promo) 3 in 1 book.
Temporary Groom (Hawk'S Way) (Silhouette Desire, No 1004) is #9 in Joan Johnston's Hawk's Way series of romance novella's revolving around Whitelaw family. This one is the start of the third generation,the grandchildren of Garth and Candy Whitelaw who's story is told in novella #4 Wrangler And The Rich Girl (Silhouette Desire, No 791).
The Whitelaw kids of all generations, although eventual pillars of the community, have through each generation been a bit on the wild side and have been tagged 'The Whitelaw Brats'. Cherry Whitelaw, one of 8 adopted kids by Zach and Rebecca(Disobedient Bride (Man Of The Month, Hawk'S Way) (Silhouette Desire No 937)), has had a troubled past, has built a wall around herself when it comes to love, and just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Even when it's not her fault, blame seems to find her. Just as she is ready to graduate from high school, she is suspended and kept from graduation and berates herself for having failed her loving adoptive parents once more.
Neighbor Billy Stonecreek has problems and a reputation for being bad aw well. having lost his wife in an auto accident only a year before, trying to raise his 6 year old twin daughters and work his ranch on his own, the anger within him grows and can't seem to stay out of fights. His ex-mother-in-law, a vile woman, is preparing a law suite to take his children away from him.
When these two meet, both licking their wounds from the night's events, they find they each have something to offer the other. Cherry wants to get away somewhere where she can prove herself worthy of her family and Billy needs a mother for his children to show the courts he is providing a good home for his children. So they form a temporary alliance and what else?..they get married. But can these two "bad" influences prove they are fit for raising a family? And can they do it without losing their hearts to each other, and in Cherry's case to the little girls who want no part of their new "step-mother".
It's a touching and poignant story, and will be especially relatable to adoptive parents and children, and those "new" parents who may have found themselves with an "instant" step family. Ms. Johnston really pulls the emotional strings in this one. You can't help but find yourself rooting for this new family to make it,for Cherry and Billy to open their hearts, and also to turn the temporary situation into a permanent one. And of course, it wouldn't be a Johnston novel without some very intimate romantic moments as well.
It's a wonderful and fast read that I found hard to put down, and it is not necessary to have read any of the others in the series to get involved in this one.Next up in the series isVirgin Groom (Hawk'S Way). I'll review it as soon as I read it.
You can find more of Joan Johnston's series and full length novels, and the order they should be read by clicking onto my So You'd Like To Guide of the series and their order through my profile page.
Individually I gave 2 of these 4 stars and one(The Temporary Groom") 5 stars, but going with 5 stars for the three together in this economical 3 pack.
Enjoy the read.....Laurie
Pleasant read.......2006-12-25
I found three high interest stories within Hawk's Way Rogues.
With Honey and the Hired Hand and The Cowboy Takes A Wife, there are two very strong women and men who are unusually steadfast in their way until they find Honey and Desiree respectively. In The Temporary Groom, both Billy Stonecreek and Cherry Whitelaw are impulsive characters, which leads them into all sorts of collective trouble.
While Honey and the Hired Hand felt like a plot line that has been repeatedly revisited (widow falls for hired help), its intent did not detract from the purpose of Honey's reluctance or grief for her late husband.
In The Cowboy Takes A Wife, Desiree is a much more desperate woman to Carter Prescott, but he too keeps deep secrets about his past. As Carter heals himself, he finds his love with Desiree something he knew he had yet to experience in his past.
I had a harder time believing in The Temporary Groom that a man would believe that marrying a 18-year-old high school drop out would be the solution to all his problems. But in the end, the real truth of family's love, forgiveness, and inner strength reigns.
In addition to these stories, inside this edition of Hawk's Way is a family tree to help you sort out the complex family of Hawk's Way Ranches. This family tree links the stories and the anthologies also written by Joan Johnston.
Hawk's way Rogues.......2005-09-11
I love this author so I knew without a doubt that the book was going to be great. I also liked using your service because I have not been able to get the book in the stores.
Great read!.......2002-12-08
Fun, sexy and exciting. Lots of romantic tension. Liked it as uch as "Anything, My Love" by Cynthia Simmons and "New Mexico sunrise" by Peterson.
Download Description
"
Beloved by millions of readers,
Anne McCaffrey is one of science fiction's favorite authors. Writing with award-winning author Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, she has created the bestselling Acorna series focusing on the adventures of the brave unicorn girl.
Now the exciting saga of the next generation begins.
First Warning
Khorii, daughter of the near-mythic Acorna and her lifemate, Aari, must contend with an overwhelming legacy to forge a path of her own through a universe filled with new adversaries and adventures.
A simple journey home to visit her parents turns into a race against time when Khorii happens upon a derelict spacecraft drifting in space, its crew dead in their seats. But this gruesome discovery is only a dread harbinger -- a deadly plague is spreading across the universe and not even the healing powers of the Linyaari can slow its horrific advance. Khorii, one of the few unaffected by the outbreak, must find the nefarious perpetrators and a cure before the disease consumes all in its path -- including her beloved parents.
"
Book Description
From the best-selling author of The Bloodline of the Holy Grail and Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark comes an explosive historical detective story presenting secret archives on the mysterious life of Mary Magdalene, the hidden lineage of Jesus and Mary, and the real two-thousand-year-old conspiracy involving the entire history of Christianity.
Mary Magdalene is described in the New Testament as Jesus' close companion--a woman he loved and his financial sponsor. And yet, in contrast, the Church teaches that she was a prostitute who became repentant. Why the discrepancy between scripture and dogma?
Why does Mary appeal so romantically to artists who have painted her throughout the centuries as something much more significant than the Church traditionally portrays?
What is the secret of Mary Magdalene and how much do we really know about her relationship with Jesus? Were they married? Did they have children, and if so, who makes up the messianic lineage?
Laurence Gardner takes us on a detective trail to piece together the true controversial significance of the Magdalene story and its astonishing implications. These include the real da Vinci connection--the true meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci's paintings and why the Renaissance Church censored portrayals of the Magdalene--and information on the sacred marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Plus the truth about the enigmatic Templar society called the Priory of Scion and the underground stream that protected the sacred heritage of the messianic descendents. And much more!
* From the best-selling author of Bloodline of the Holy Grail.
* Dan Brown's smash hit The DaVinci Code has sparked a huge interest in Mary Magdalene, and Lawrence Gardner reveals the truth behind the Mary Magdalene mystery.
* Includes 50 color illustrations
Customer Reviews:
Then - what - is the legacy of Jesus?..........2007-08-19
I found this a very eye-opening book, one that I had really waited all my life to read. Basically I agree with most of the other reviewers: Dr. Gardner is a shrewd detective but leaves a number of questions unresolved (which is understandable and - in my opinion - also the most honest thing to do...) however, the paramount question arising after reading The Magdalene Legacy is the very one I auspicate someone should soon bend upon and write an equally enthralling book about.
If Jesus was the heir in a lineage of orthodox priests, and far from being a mystic figure with supernatural powers he was instead a religious/monarchic heir, designated to unite Israel against the roman invader, if he was a prince of great riches* etc. etc.
then WHAT have we been believing in all our lives? What is the heritage of Christ?
Then give me Che Guevara, Gandhi, Garibaldi, even Napoleon: for the same money we know more about them and their teachings.
I urge anyone, but in particular catholics, to read this authoritative book. And to consider how Christianity is really not at all what we thought it was (but we had hints...)
*one of the aspects that I really miss in Gardner's analysis is the financial power of Jesus family. After all, according to Gardner's findings, they should have been surrounded by servants, maids and perhaps even slaves, as well as by accountants, superintendents and other administrators. In order to set up a reign in exile Maria Magdalena and her following should have brought along a conspicuous, stately fortune with which to thrive for years...
And the Templars?...
How many royals have rusted away unseen and forgotten for lack of money? This is obvious, if we consider that lineage, power and money are the elements not of any form of mysticism or spiritual research but of worldly power.
The Magdalene Legacy.......2007-07-03
A real eye opener. Its refreshing to read another point of view, which for all we know could be speculation, but it rings more factual than the other religious books available. I called refreshing because for centuries organized religion has been sowing the seed of deceit, and hiding the truth from people. Once again it proves that religion is no more than a private club thatgets away with all sorts of discrimination, sexual abuses, and murder.
Good writing but too many errors.......2007-04-12
Laurence Gardner is an excellent writer, and who doesn't like a good story, especially a conspiracy. The problem is that his latest book, The Magdalene Legacy isn't meant to be a novel, but an historical text. As such, it falls way short of even the most minimal standards. There are two main problems with Gardner's text: the plethora of errors and the theories that he presents as facts. Here's some examples:
* "In the NT Gospels, various female companions of Jesus are cited on seven occasions (p. 1)". Not true. The lists occur at Mark 15:40, 15:47, and 16:1, Matthew 27:55, 27:59, and 28:1, Luke 8:1 and 24:10, and John 19:25. That's 9 lists, not 7.
* "Magdala was a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee (p. 9)." By all accounts, there never was a city called Magdala. The city Gardner refers to had many names, including Magadan, Dalmanutha, Taricheae, and Migdal Nunaiya, but never Magdala.
* "She [Mary] anointed him with spikenard oil on two separate occasions (p. 16)." In fact there is only one anointing, described differently in all four gospels, but nonetheless only one.
* "They [the Hebrews] also objected strongly to the fact that Jesus wanted to share access to the Jewish God with Gentiles (p. 29)." Of course we can't be sure where Gardner gets this information, but his comment flies in the face of Matthew 10:5 ("Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not"), Galatians 4:4 ("God sent forth his son...to redeem those who were under the law"), Matthew 15:24 ("...I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel"), etc.
* Talking about the Talpoit ossuaries, Gardner claims that "the ossuaries were individually inscribed...Mary...Joseph...and Mary (p. 33)." In fact these ossuaries were inscribed Marya, Yose, and MariamnekaiMara, and there is considerable opinion that none of the females refer to family members of Jesus, since they are not written in Aramaic, but instead in Latin and Greek.
* "Herod was an Idumaean Arab (p. 56)." Herod was a Jew from Idumea, not an Arab.
* "...the Essenes evolved from their Hasidic base to become a monastic, Egyptian-style healing community known as the Therapeutate (p. 57)." The Therapeuts were a completely separate sect, as Philo and Josephus both indicate. It's true that they had many similarities with the Essenes, but they were different.
Beyond these obvious errors, Gardner seeks to rewrite history to his own curriculum. For example:
* "...Nero, who had executed Peter and Paul (p. 22)." Of course it's possible, but it surely isn't history. We have no idea how Peter and Paul died, and while it is commonly believed that Peter perished in Rome, Paul is said to have died in Spain. Apparently Gardner has access to facts no one else has.
* "...in Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus refers to Jesus again...(p. 31)." Virtually every Josephus scholar agrees this is a later addition by Christians and not original to Josephus.
* "The Nazarenes were a sub-sect of the Essenes (p. 53)." That's certainly possible, but many scholars consider these two groups are separate groups.
* "...when the priestly caste of Hasmonaean Maccabees (Mary Magdalene's ancestors)...(p. 56)." No one knows who Mary Magdalene's ancestors were. This is Gardner's theory, but he presents it as fact, with no documentation.
* "The Essene community was referred to as Nazrie ha Brit and it was from this name that the term Nazarene derived (p. 53)." That's also possible, but there are a half dozen other theories about the origins of the term.
You get the idea. All these errors and the re-writing of history should not suggest that Gardner's book is completely worthless. There's lots of interesting information about ancestral lineage and artwork, and occasionally he gets it right about Mary Magdalene.
The book has excellent illustrations, many of them in full color. It has a long list of footnotes and a good reference list. In addition there is an appendix with lots of good material, although mostly about Jesus. And, of course, there is a genealogical chart.
Beginning students should steer clear of this book. It's too difficult for them to distinguish between the errors and the facts. But anyone with a good knowledge of the life and times of Mary Magdalene will be able to sort through the nonsense to get to some of the useful contributions that Gardner offers.
Deep Reasoning...........2006-05-30
What makes this a top notch exploration of Mary Magdalene's role in the ministry of Jesus and her life and its impact is how well the author has researched the material.
The sheer linquistic analysis alone is worth the read, as well as the logic applied to discussing complex sequences of events involving cultures and traditions totally foreign to us who live today.
I have to admit, I was stunned in several places but totally convinced, and not because the book told me to believe something but because it laid out the facts and let me reason it out for myself.
The only thing which saddens me is the unwritten but probable end of the line of David when the Merovingians finally ceased to exist. Which is not to say a bloodline didn't go foward, but the line of King David can only go through the father to the son, and that failed at the end of the Merovingian dynasty.
This book is worth its weight in monatomic gold.
It's A Matter of Perspective .......2006-04-13
Having read all of Gardener's books, and having heard him speak a number of times, I admire him for his ability to put together a book such as this in such a short time. Gardener was originally hired by the Council (perhaps that is not quite the term) of Princes in Europe to trace their genealogy. Since he was paid to do this, I am suspect as to the validity of this research and especially since they opened their archives to him. However, Gardener writes well and presents a believable story. For those wanting to know more about Mary Magdalene, I suggest reading Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.
Books:
- The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Went into the Closet (Cat Who...)
- The Cat Who Went Up the Creek
- The Cinderella Hour
- The Day of the Jackal
- The Dice Man
- The Dolphins of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)
- The Fighting Agents (Men at War (Paperback Jove))
Books Index
Books Home
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