Book Description
The early masterpiece of V. S. Naipaul’s brilliant career,
A House for Mr. Biswas is an unforgettable story inspired by Naipaul's father that has been hailed as one of the twentieth century's finest novels.
In his forty-six short years, Mr. Mohun Biswas has been fighting against destiny to achieve some semblance of independence, only to face a lifetime of calamity. Shuttled from one residence to another after the drowning death of his father, for which he is inadvertently responsible, Mr. Biswas yearns for a place he can call home. But when he marries into the domineering Tulsi family on whom he indignantly becomes dependent, Mr. Biswas embarks on an arduous–and endless–struggle to weaken their hold over him and purchase a house of his own. A heartrending, dark comedy of manners,
A House for Mr. Biswas masterfully evokes a man’s quest for autonomy against an emblematic post-colonial canvas.
Customer Reviews:
Incomparable.......2006-11-29
Naipaul is a genius.This book is above and beyond.If after reading this book you don't acknowledge Naipaul's genius, you can feel free to consider yourself a functional illiterate who has no love for the english language or understandig of the human condition.
Good Grief This Was Bad!.......2006-03-08
I am an AVID reader, pretty intelligent and read at least 1-2 books a week (more when on vacation). I have read books about all kinds of people in all cultures...and this book turned into a quest...a quest to FINISH it!!! I never stop reading a book once I start it, but I was about ready to shoot myself in order to end my distress. If you want to read a REALLY, REALLY good book about desperation in the Indian culture, you simply MUST, MUST, MUST read "A Fine Balance"...one of the best books I have ever read. It's always on my suggested reading list when people ask me for the name of a good book...along with "Life of Pi." I simply don't understand all the wonderful remarks about this book. It went on and on and on and on with the same thing happening to this man over and over...with only a change in his location. It would pick up every now and again, and I would think "now it's going to start to get interesting" but I was only entertained for a page or two before Mr. Biswas returned to his same ol' depressing self, repeating the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over and over...well you get the point. Boring, boring book. I would have given it 0 stars but that wasn't an option.
The Tragic Of The Commonplace.......2006-02-27
A rich, almost moment-to-moment depiction in the life of a hapless Trinidadian Indian, "A House For Mr. Biswas" is V.S. Naipaul's answer to "David Copperfield," a novel that uses his real-life experiences as showcase for his art and his darkly complex view of humanity.
Mohun Biswas didn't get many breaks in his life. Born into a miserable family made destitute by the freakish death of his father, he lost his vocation to be a holy man when forced to eat too many bananas, then took to sign painting, which landed him into a loveless marriage, not to mention a set of in-laws who browbeat him mercilessly.
All this is by means of saying "A House For Mr. Biswas" is a comedy that depends on your frame of reference. If you get worked up about butchered puppies, conniving solicitor's clerks, communist brothers-in-law who slap children for mishandling hands of cards, etc., you may find this book a long, difficult read. But if you approach it as a work of fiction, you may enjoy it for the rich gumbo it offers.
"She talked with pride of the beatings she had received from her short-lived husband," is Naipaul's description of one minor character, one of Biswas' in-laws. "She regarded them as a necessary part of her training and often attributed the decay of Hindu society in Trinidad to the rise of the timorous, weak, non-beating class of husband."
Few characters come off well, including Biswas, a drip who whines about the in-laws even as he eats their food. His one hope for redemption, it seems, is to find a house to call his own, but each effort to do this brings only greater grief and ruin, financial and otherwise.
I can see why people find this a tough slog, but of course Naipaul isn't writing to schmooze his readers with ideas of what a humanitarian he is. He may be the most dyspeptic Nobel laureate in history, though his uncompromising vision is also the source of much of his power. That's not to say "A House For Mr. Biswas" is without grace, just lacking sentimentality as it roots through the various passages of Mr. Biswas's life with pinpoint precision and pinprick candor. By the end, you feel much like you lived his life with him minute-by-minute, which may be Naipaul's most impressive feat in this very impressive book.
The absence of a central plot as well as the length makes this a harder read than other Naipaul tomes, and those wanting more of a story and less of a character piece may want to start with something like "A Bend In The River," which has other things going for it, too.
Sure, I found this heavy-going, but I was glad to read it, and read it again. At one point, Biswas's son, a stand-in for Naipaul himself, talks about Eliot's poem "Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufock," and there is a similar theme running through both that classic comic poem and this novel, something about the tragic of the commonplace and of the unique perspective of life's futility one reaches at middle age.
There is beauty as well as misery in such a view, of Naipaul making peace with an unhappy past. The same novel that throws up a rogue's gallery of misery makers, which torment our feckless protagonist with disconcerting ease, also dishes out lines that make you understand why life is worth living after all, why it has a nobility: "So later, and very slowly, in securer times of different stresses, when the memories had lost the power to hurt, with pain or joy, they would fall into place and give back the past."
A masterpiece without question........2006-02-19
It has been too long since I read this book [probably 15 years ago] for me to offer an erudite and detailed analysis. But I do remember vividly that when I read it that the word "masterpiece" came repeatedly to my mind. In a league with Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" and Paul Scott's "The Raj Quartet". Find the time to read it; you won't regret it.
The Life of a Looser.......2005-11-03
Big Book with no plot, the thing that makes it a classic is that Naipaul seems to write without any prejudice, from a very cold perspective this book changed my life like any other book. It is simply amazing.
Product Description
Has 2 novels in one book. A House for Mr. Biswas A Bend in the River
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A House for Mr. Biswas with Related Readings
V.S. Naipaul
Manufacturer: Glencoe McGraw -Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Naipaul, V.S.
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ASIN: 0078203732
Release Date: 2000-06-01 |
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- Can't really see what the big deal is...
- I can picture Enoch so excited by her character that she frantically types...
- O.M.G. -- Possibly THE best romance I've read to date
- Witty, clever and a great romantic Regency!
- What is it about heroes named Rafe?
|
Taming Rafe
Suzanne Enoch
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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England's Perfect Hero
ASIN: 0380798867 |
Amazon.com
Setting: Regency England
Sensuality Rating: 9
Rafe Bancroft suffers from terminal wanderlust, much to the dismay of his family. They want him to settle down, while he wants to set sail for China. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the funds to wander so far. But when he wins Forton Hall in a card game, it seems as if fortune has finally smiled on him. Planning to sell the Hall in order to finance his next adventure, Rafe is disappointed to find that it is nothing more than a ramshackle estate--a money pit rather than the money tree he had first envisioned. But Rafe has no idea just what price fortune is going to exact, for the Hall may be nearly derelict, but it isn't empty of inhabitants. Residing in the once grand old house is beautiful Felicity Harrington and her precocious 8-year-old sister, May, both of whom will go to any length to protect their ancestral home. At first Rafe has a difficult time convincing the two women of his legitimate claim to their home, but, inevitably, they concede.
Ever the practical woman, Felicity makes plans to apply for governess positions--and desperately tries to suppress her growing attraction to the handsome charmer. Meanwhile, Rafe struggles with his own feelings for Felicity as well as his growing pride for his possession and his commitment to the Hall and its people. Will Rafe's urge to wander the world win out, or will his love for Felicity keep him at home? Before the two have time to work out the problems that may keep them apart, greed and danger raise their ugly heads and threaten not only the two lovers, but May and the Hall itself.
Fast-paced and witty, Taming Rafe is a sexy Regency romp underlaid with heart and humor. There's nothing quite as fun as watching a rake who considers himself beyond redemption be saved by the good woman who believes in him. --Lois Faye Dyer
Book Description
No Woman Could Tame Him
Rafe Bancroft was nothing but a scoundrel! But the sexy, infuriating man was now the owner of Forton Hall, Felicity Harrington's ancestral home. The fiery beauty was determined to save her family-and herself-from ruin at the hands of the handsome rake. But how can she, when she lies in bed each night longing for her irresistable enemy's touch?
Until He Met The Right One . . .
Rafe might have won Forton Hill in a card game, but he had no intention of settling down. No, his plan was to sell the place and be off on his next adventure-until he met Felicity. Suddenly days-and nights-spent with Felicity in his arms seem far more alluring than any exotic land. His roguish heart can't explain it...unless love is the greatest adventure of all!
Customer Reviews:
Can't really see what the big deal is..........2006-02-11
Since I love Regency romance, I decided to give this author a try. After all, she appears to be one of the "big names" in the business, and has a loyal following.
But I will not be counted among that number. This book started off well. It was funny and really grabbed my attention. While it's a well-used plot device, we all find the idea that the heroine, believing that the hero is bent on attack, beans him over the head, only to fall in love with him later, to be an interesting one. I was eagerly reading when the entertainment value of this book just started to fade out to nothing.
After over 100 pages, I felt that I didn't know any more about the characters than I'd learned from the first ten. I find this annoying. Characters (especially the main ones) should become more and more real to the reader, so that by the end of the book, they feel like old friends. That wasn't happening here.
Also, some of the things in the book just didn't seem to make sense to me. Like, how on earth does a woman alone manage to take care of all that livestock and manage the household tasks of cooking, cleaning and mending all by herself? Wow, she must be superwoman or something. Why on earth did she think that Rafe was insane? I didn't see anything in his behaviour that would have led me to think that he was nuts, yet the heroine decided that he was from the moment she met him, then hung on to that view. This got to be really annoying.
I tried to get past all this and keep reading, but the book just couldn't hold my interest. I didn't feel like the characters were falling in love. It just felt like they were gripped in the throes of lust. While sexual attraction is necessary for a good romance, it needs to be handled more delicately than this for it to be satisfying to the reader. In other words, I like it to be a bit more on the back burner, while the relationship develops with tender feelings. Physical attraction should be present between hero and heroine, but it can't ben the only thing drawing them together. That was the case here.
I couldn't make myself finish this, as my eyes kept glazing over as I read it and my mind kept wandering. I might read another of this author's books, but only if I don't have to pay any money for it. If you want really satisfying Regency romances that are keepers, I suggest the works of Sabrina Jeffries, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Mary Balogh, and Teresa Medeiros.
I can picture Enoch so excited by her character that she frantically types..........2005-10-08
Lovely book, however I am torn between a 3 and a 4 rating. Let me explain.
Rafe is a rakish, dissolute, second son of a duke who is at 28 still rebelling against his daddy. Leaving England frequently on "adventures" but truely he is really lost for all life fulfilling purpose.
Felicity is stunned to find out that not only did her brother leave her destitute in a crumbling estate but he also gambled it from underneath her and the new owner is said devil above.
Ok good premise. It is funny, and the younger sister remindes me Diana in The Philadelphia Story. The story takes on mostly the view of Rafe and you get to hear about how he melts everytime our Heroine smiles...which is so very romantic.
I have to say that perhaps I read to much into books of this type but I believe that people should have some accountablility for their writing otherwise it shouldn't be written. So here our my examples of things that should be accounted for...
#1: In the beginning of the story Felicity sends Rafe out to sleep in the stable. From the previous descriptions of rain and delapidation, and that the entire estate, duties and all repairs are managed by only one woman...who is always mending stockings and such... I can imagine that the stable has no fresh hay to lay upon. It just rained and the stable leaks badly. Do you know what kind of infestations live there? Rotten hay isn't sweet...when was the last time it was even mucked out?
#2: In order to fell their attacker (Rafe) May hits him upon the head with a tea kettle and that causes him to bleed. A lot. But next day his about town after sleeping in said stable, totally bloody. YUCK!! He doesn't even bathe til the next day.
#3: Rafe lives with her unchaperoned in her own house. Everyone knows they are lovers and besides some gossip that is all that happens. She should be ruined by the mere innuendo.
#4: Why the hell doesn't he leap to marriage the moment he took her virginity? He totally ruined her. What if she was pregnant? What a cad...I don't get the rest of the discussion in the entire book, he should marry her ASAP. The loss of her virginity goes completely unnoticed. Perhaps he feels that she is so lowly it doesn't matter to someone of her class.
#5: How does one woman keep care of all those cows and sheep? We know of at least 42 cows...some are about to deliver. They need things, how does one woman do it? It just isn't explained and therefore should never be brought up.
I am convinced that Enoch is so thrilled by her characters, which are good, that she just types mindlessly until her story is completely with little thought to these practicalities. I liked her book but I am aggrivated at these problems. I had the same problem with the other book Sin and Sensibility...it just wasn't thought out very well beyond what would happen to the characters.
You won't be disappointed if you read this book...but may be you will see what I mean and can imagine a bit less vividly that I can.
O.M.G. -- Possibly THE best romance I've read to date.......2005-06-15
I would love nothing more than to give this book way more than 5 stars, but Amazon won't allow it, so I'll do my best to extole its virtues.
When Julia Quinn, Amazon reviewers, or anyone says that Rafe Bancroft is the ultimate romance hero, they are NOT kidding.
I think it would be impossible to not adore & admire him.
This was truly HIS book. Yes, there is a heroine (Felicity), but
even she takes a backseat to this incredible man.
Rafe may have been a rogue, scoundrel, cad, rake, etc in his previous years, but his is one mature male now. It does not take him long to realize he is on the path to maturity & making his family proud. He doesn't do what he does to make them happy, but it is a sideline benefit. He does what he does because Felicity is everything he has ever wanted, but he didn't know it. He spent most of his life either in the army or running away from
England on trips around the world, just to escape his friends &
family (but especially his snooty friends).
He uses his engineering skills to help out in the reconstruction of Felicity's birth home. He does not just supervise, he gets in there & does the dirty work, right alongside all the other workers, and does not give a hoot that he is the 2nd son of a Duke.
His relationship with Felicity is wonderful, and his relationship with her younger sister, May, is great. It does not take long for him to realize that not only is he doing something he loves - carpentry - but that he loves Felicity & 8 year old May as well.
I can't believe the chemistry between him & Felicity -- it is awesome -- and the excellent interaction & dialog between him &
May. May is a very smart & very funny young girl for her age of 8 years. May thinks highly of Rafe and she does not let anyone say anything bad about him when she's around.
Most of the characters in this book had integrity to the max.
Rafe, Felicity, May, Rafe's relatives, and some of Felicity's
neighbors, all had loads of it.
Now for the villian -- I do wish he had been killed at the end of the book, because sending him off to the constable wasn't adequate, in my opinion. He was the lowest form of low & most definitely a sociopathic character.
This book, for me, ranks right up there with The Pirate Lord by
Sabrina Jeffries and The Duke & I by Julia Quinn as being the best historical (a.k.a. 'ton') romances I've read so far. I can't praise it enough.
My only hope is that Suzanne Enoch & Karen Hawkins (who wrote Lady in Red) would get together & write a book for May Harrington & George Baker-Sneed (George is from Lady in Red). I think they
would be a great couple -- in about 10 more years! (Both are 8 years old in their books).
I will most definitely read more Suzanne Enoch literature in the future, and I will absolutely keep this book and read it again.
This book is NOT to be understated.
As May Harrington says, "Rafe is 'top of the trees' and 'smashing'".
Witty, clever and a great romantic Regency!.......2005-03-01
Enochs books are not quite the depth of character as a Stephanie Lauren or Gaelen Foley - more light hearted and fun. Still this was a good read and kept my interest throughout with lots of great dialog and enough romance to keep a romantic like myself interested. Rafe was the perfect hero, a rake with a heart. And maybe not so much a rake as a man who truly needed a home and a purpose in life. Felicity gave him both - a reason to reform and a wonderful woman to love. You will not be disappointed in this book.
What is it about heroes named Rafe?.......2004-04-28
Julia Quinn, I think it was, wrote that you weren't alive if you didn't fall in love with Rafe Bancroft. Guess I'm living. I wasn't 1/4 of the way through the book before the delicious and delightful Rafe had captured my heart.
Felicity is an excellent match for him, who quickly shows his natural talents as a father with her 8-year-old sister Meg, who's a splendid secondary character.
The plot did not bore me, despite moments of feeling that we ought to get on with it, because it was so intertwined with the ups and downs of the romantic relationship. The villain's increasing villainy also helped to keep the tension up.
This is a definitive feel-good book. It's witty and charming and romantic. And Rafe?...Ah, go ahead and fall in love with him. Everyone else has.
Book Description
Hotel heiress Katherine Breckenridge just wants to make a lasting difference in her world by running her late mother’s charity foundation. But she fears she lacks the passion and courage to be as successful as her mother was--a fear that’s realized when money from the foundation goes missing and Katherine’s one shot to recover it is ruined by Rafe Noble. Two-time world champion bull rider Rafe Noble is at the top of his game when tragedy hits. Guilt stricken over the loss of his best friend, Rafe accidentally drives his truck into the lobby of the Breckenridge Hotel during Katherine’s fund-raiser. With a broken knee, a ruined reputation, and the threat of several lawsuits, Rafe goes back to his family’s ranch--the Silver Buckle--to recover. Desperate to save the foundation, Katherine heads to the Silver Buckle to talk Rafe into helping her raise the needed funds. But a few days under the bright Montana skies give her more than she bargained for, and Kat discovers there’s more to both herself and Rafe Noble than she realized.
Book Description
Imagine a world where families are allowed only two children. Illegal third children -- shadow children -- must live in hiding. If they are discovered, there is only one punishment: Death.
Among the Hidden
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
An American Booksellers Association Kids' Pick of the List
Among the Impostors
International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice
Among the Betrayed
An America Library Association Quick Pick
International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Children's Choice
Average customer rating:
- Among The Betrayed by Margret Perterson Haddix
- Among The Betrayed by Margret Perterson Haddix
- Scary3rdBook Shadow Children Series
- Among the Betrayed
- Among the Betrayed
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Among the Betrayed
Margaret Peterson Haddix , and
Margaret Haddix
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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ASIN: 068983909X |
Book Description
What does it mean to save yourself?
Nina Idi -- a third child in a society where families are allowed only two children -- has been betrayed by the boy she loved, and arrested by the Population Police for exposing other alleged third children. Angry and confused, Nina knows only one thing for sure: She is innocent of the charges. But now she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life: Get three other prisoners to admit they are shadow children and be spared herself, or refuse to cooperate and be killed.
The options are clear. The choice, Nina discovers, is not....
Customer Reviews:
Among The Betrayed by Margret Perterson Haddix.......2007-03-15
Nina is among the many shadow children in her school. She has done nothing wrong in her life, except for being illegal. One day, she woke up in a prison cell, handcuffed to the ground. She finds out that her beloved, Jason, has now betrayed her. Later on she meets a new character who she has called "The Hating Man". He tells her that she has to help him with something or she will soon be killed. Her task is to go into another cell with three other shadow children. She has to find out info about them and see if the truly are shadow children. Later on, she starts talking to them and they become kind of close. But, they won't tell her anything because they think they are being watched by hidden cameras. Which they weren't. "The Hating Man" was secretly feeding her humungous thanks giving meals, bribing her to try harder. She does'nt have that kind of cold heart, how evil. If he were to find out they were shadow children, he would kill them in an instant. One day while she was talking to him, a gaurd burst through the door. He was holding his neck, the gaurd had been poisoned. "The Hating Man" wasnt paying attention to her. Oddly enough, the keys were sitting right there on the table. She used this opportunity to escape, she grabbed the keys and ran. She opened up the cell and got the three kids. They all escaped together. No one even came looking for them. She told them about the school that she thought was safe, so they could temporarly live there. The younger kids actually knew how to get there. Once they got there, they finally settled in. She discovered a planted garden behind the school. They stole fruits and vegtables during the night. One night, Nina went to pick some more and some one pounced on her. It was Lee. She was dragged off to Mr. Hendricks house not too far away. After talking to him, she saw something. It was "The Hating Man". He was actually Jen Talbot's dad under disguise. The whole jail thing and escape was planned for the safety of them. She had been set up just to see if she could be trusted. Later on she found out everything and was glad she was safe. Well, for now. She later actually agreed to help them. Had Nina just agreed to help fight the population police? Yes, she had. The settings were in the jail building, outside of the Hendricks School, and inside Mr. Hendrick's home. This book was fantastic, and I would definitly recomend this book to anybody that I know!
Among The Betrayed by Margret Perterson Haddix.......2007-03-15
Nina is among the many shadow children in her school. She has done nothing wrong in her life, except for being illegal. One day, she woke up in a prison cell, handcuffed to the ground. She finds out that her beloved, Jason, has now betrayed her. Later on she meets a new character who she has called "The Hating Man". He tells her that she has to help him with something or she will soon be killed. Her task is to go into another cell with three other shadow children. She has to find out info about them and see if the truly are shadow children. Later on, she starts talking to them and they become kind of close. But, they won't tell her anything because they think they are being watched by hidden cameras. Which they weren't. "The Hating Man" was secretly feeding her humungous thanks giving meals, bribing her to try harder. She does'nt have that kind of cold heart, how evil. If he were to find out they were shadow children, he would kill them in an instant. One day while she was talking to him, a gaurd burst through the door. He was holding his neck, the gaurd had been poisoned. "The Hating Man" wasnt paying attention to her. Oddly enough, the keys were sitting right there on the table. She used this opportunity to escape, she grabbed the keys and ran. She opened up the cell and got the three kids. They all escaped together. No one even came looking for them. She told them about the school that she thought was safe, so they could temporarly live there. The younger kids actually knew how to get there. Once they got there, they finally settled in. She discovered a planted garden behind the school. They stole fruits and vegtables during the night. One night, Nina went to pick some more and some one pounced on her. It was Lee. She was dragged off to Mr. Hendricks house not too far away. After talking to him, she saw something. It was "The Hating Man". He was actually Jen Talbot's dad under disguise. The whole jail thing and escape was planned for the safety of them. She had been set up just to see if she could be trusted. Later on she found out everything and was glad she was safe. Well, for now. She later actually agreed to help them. Had Nina just agreed to help fight the population police? Yes, she had. The settings were in the jail building, outside of the Hendricks School, and inside Mr. Hendrick's home. This book was fantastic, and I would definitly recomend this book to anybody that I know!
Scary3rdBook Shadow Children Series.......2007-02-23
Nina,Percy,Matthias,Alia try to escape from the Population Police Jail.Percy,Matthias,Alia play a trick on Nina with the Hating man(aka Mr.Talbot)and the guaed who acted like he was posioned.They wanted to see if Nina was really going to betray them.She got the keys and went back for them and they went with her to the woods.The next day they went back to Hendricks School for Boys then they ended the book.
Among the Betrayed.......2006-12-18
Among the Betrayed is a suspenseful and unpredictable book by Marfet Peterson Haddix. Nina Idi is an illegal third child at the population police station. she is asked to betray 3 other illegals. but she remembers how she was betrayed and didn't like it.
One day an officer was poisoned and dropped his keys. then an officet took her to ger cell were the other illegals were. but he didn't have a key and Nina had the guard's keys. so the officer left her alone. so Nina got the other illegals and are trying to escape. Will they get out and what will happen next?
Among the Betrayed.......2006-12-08
So we're three books into Haddix's Shadow Children series. The first book ended with Luke leaving the world he's grown accustomed to. The second book ended with Luke finally accepting the new world he's been thrust into. With the passing of each book we've been left to wonder, 'What's next for Luke?' We are not given those answers quite yet in book three, Among the Betrayed, and that might annoy some series fans (it surely did my 5th grade class at first) who've grown fond of Luke. But give Nina Idi some time. I promise she'll grow on you.
Haddix decided to take a step away from Luke Garner and show us how the Population Law is affecting another third child, Nina Idi. Nina has been captured by the Population Police and been given an ultimatum: either help them by deceiving a group of third children she's just met, or be executed. After befriending the three third children she's supposed to betray, she realizes that the choice is not as easy as she'd like it to be.
My biggest gripe with the first two books is how slowly they begin. A lot of time is spent describing the world through Luke's very sheltered eyes. To make Luke's transformation seem realistic, this has to be done but it can cause many yawns while reading. Obviously, I was scared when I was introduced to Nina, imagining another one-third of a book being wasted while we were getting to know another sheltered third child. But that's not the case. Not the case at all.
Haddix has learned from her mistakes. She makes the transition from Luke to Nina rather swiftly. The story starts out with high tension and doesn't let up until readers are brought to the light. It took my 5th graders a while (they missed Luke) but eventually Nina won them over. It works because Haddix doesn't tell us about Nina all at once. She lets the secrets of her past come out slowly, over the course of the book. Haddix loves action and it's a good thing, because it's Nina's human-like reactions to the drama that unfolds that causes us to care for her. She's in pretty deep, and you want her to make it out alive.
I'm not going to praise Haddix for making any literary masterpieces that will stand the test of time, but I'm hooked and so are my 5th graders and that has to be a good sign. So far the books are getting better and better, but here's hoping we get back to Luke and find out what he's been up to.
Average customer rating:
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Among the Betrayed
Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0606292659 |
Product Description
4 Book Setby Margaret Peterson Haddix; Turnabout; Running Out of Time;among the Impostors; Among the Betrayed.
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Amazon.com
Whether you're getting back to your roots or getting ready for your first seder, it couldn't hurt to get a little help with your Yiddish, and the formidable Rabbi Benjamin Blech is here to lend a hand with the self-deprecatingly named Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish. This language has been a strong influence on American English and pop culture, so even if you're a hundred miles from the nearest synagogue you can learn plenty just from browsing the Rabbi's words of wisdom. It's not just vocabulary lists and pronunciation guides, either--that would be far too boring for such a vibrant language. You'll learn why a culture that typically uses two languages (Hebrew and whatever's local) needed to develop a third, and why it stuck. There's also lots of Jewish history and contemporary Yiddish American crossovers to put the language in its context--and, given the importance of humor in Jewish culture, there's a liberal helping of jokes and funny moments to help you grasp words and concepts. Chapters on holidays, travel, food, family, health, entertainment, and more round out your Yiddish experience. If you want to gossip with your local yenta, understand Lenny Bruce routines, or get to know one of our nation's founding cultures a little bit better, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish will make you a maven. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
You're not idiot, of course. You can serve up a mean s'il vous plait in a French bistro, live la vida loca for a night of margaritas, and manage a sayonara! after sushi, sake, and karaoke. But when it comes to throwing around a little Yiddish, you feel like a total nebbish! Don't throw your hands in a helpless "Oy, vey" just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish is your guide to this unique tongue, whether you're tackling rules of grammar or just throwing around some key phrases so you sound a little less goyish. In this Complete Idiot's Guide you get a fascinating explanation of how and why Yiddish developed, an easy introduction to the Yiddish alphabet, as well as the distinctive sound of Yiddish, and all the Yiddish you'll need for communicating with family and friends or for bargain-hunting on New York's Lower East Side. This book contains a treasury of Yiddish words and phrases for every occasion.
Customer Reviews:
Complete Idiot?.......2007-06-13
It's a series - not to worry.
Say, there's a "Baby Names for Dummies", so what's to kvetch? MY name wasn't in the book, was yours? It's your mother you should be talking to, not us! Once in a while, she'd like you to call, too, or at least write. So, what could it hurt? Your finger, it's broken, is it?
fun but disappointing.......2006-11-11
we were disappointed with the content and glossary of this book.
it was fun to skim and read over, but it didn't offer us much of an indept exposure to the most common terms.
we found that most of the words we looked up and were interested in just weren't there.
otherwise, it is easy to read and laid out in an interesting format for skimming.
Fun, OK, but..........2006-07-03
OK, a little smaltzy, but a mildly fun trip into the beginnings of the Yiddish culture/language adventure. However, had I known that it was all transliteration (and not particularly well done), I wouldn't have bought it. Really, Hebrew letters and a few creative Yiddish fixes for vowel sounds and the right to left business is not that big a deal. You can do it in two weeks starting from scratch, or less. The experience of several generations of American Jews dragged to the Bimah seems to have poisoned everyone's minds about the aleph bet difficulties - small and easily surmounted. Remember, many in the first generations were literate in Yiddish and Hebrew, not to mention Polish or Russian, and learned English on top of that! Also lots of typos both in the text and the transliterations; fortunately I bought a used copy and an editorial fanatic had been through it with a sharp pencil and equally sharp comments. Sheva Zucker's Yiddish - A Textbook for Beginners, Vol. 1 or Zuckerman and Herbst's Learning Yiddish in Easy Stages are better, if you really want to learn.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish.......2006-03-11
I found this book informative and humorous, but I do wish it had covered grammar a little more in depth. All in all, though, it's worth having...ROBERT WLADYKA
Yiddish Review.......2006-02-22
I am Currently enjoying this book very much. I am learning a lot
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