Book Description
Tragic, comic, and utterly honest, this bestselling and critically acclaimed new work by "one of Israel's most gifted and prolific authors" (Helen Epstein, The Forward) is at once a family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history.
It is the story of a boy growing up in the war-torn Jerusalem of the forties and fifties, in a small apartment crowded with books in twelve languages and relatives speaking nearly as many. The story of an adolescent whose life has been changed forever by his mother's suicide when he was twelve years old. The story of a man who leaves the constraints of his family and its community of dreamers, scholars, and failed businessmen to join a kibbutz, change his name, marry, have children. The story of a writer who becomes an active participant in the political life of his nation.
Customer Reviews:
A Jerusalem childhood . . ........2007-07-23
This 500+ page memoir by Israeli novelist Amos Oz is an absorbing "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." The first 200 pages are about his mother's and fathers' families, Russian-speaking emigrants to Israel in the 1930s from Eastern Europe. An only child, he devotes much of the rest of the book to his parents and the years until his mother's death when he was still a teenager. It is a richly detailed book peopled with a Dickensian cast of characters. He allows readers to experience a total immersion in the daily life of a low-income Jerusalem neighborhood during the years leading up to and following the creation of Israel in 1948. It is a troubling story, capturing on the one hand the intensely felt emotions of being young, self-aware, and sensitive, while portraying also the humiliations and the least flattering of the author's personality and character, all played against the difficulties of his parents' lives and what seems to have been a disintegrating marriage.
Meanwhile, with its view of anti-semitic nationalism in Europe, readers can begin to understand something of the motivations driving zionist movements and the waves of Jewish settlement in Palestine before and after WWII. As Oz records the political discussions and obsessions of the friends of his parents, it's easier to understand the insularity and paranoia that led to the need for a homeland with defended borders and the eventual efforts to achieve military solutions to conflict with Palestinians and Arab neighbors. Though recognized today as a peace activist, Oz provides only hints of his evolution to a broader view, describing only his complete break with his past by leaving home for a kibbutz at the age of 15. As a companion memoir, readers will also be interested in "Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life," by Sari Nusseibeh.
Warm and passionate.......2007-07-09
This is a gem of a book. The autobiography of Israel's most popular author, this story is full of warmth, passion and heartache. It is the story of his childhood in Israel during the time of statehood, while including the childhoods of his parents in Eastern Europe just before World War II.
I highly recommend this book.
Israel's history, a very significant sample!.......2006-11-07
In this book, Amos Oz tells the story of his family, the convergence of several different countries and cultures into one man.
He describes precisely the mentality of the immigrants to Israel, the way the Arab/Jewish relationship changed with the creation of the State of Israel, and the formation of the Israeli people.
The book is hypnotic, it is hard to read it slowly, and dozens of stories are interlinked leaving no sewing signs. He narrates Israeli history and personal life as one.
The title is very accurate in representing the story. His life was surrounded by strong and controversial figures, which make a rich camp for enlightening insights by the author.
Lyrical memories.......2006-09-19
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS is a deeply poignant, lyrical tapestry of memories that will be much loved by admirers of Oz's work. The prose is finely crafted, as we'd expect from a writer of Oz's stature. This book is not a memoir, as such--its narrative is not linear, but waxes and wanes through various themes. Arching over the narrative is the shadow of Oz's loss of his mother. My one reservation about the book is that I feel Oz withholds from us--it's never really adequately explained why he changed his name to Oz or what train of thoughts led him to do this. Was he attempting to erase the trauma of his profound loss? Regardless, this work will linger with you after you finish its final pages.
Brilliant piece of storytelling but, alas, not a memoir.......2006-05-26
Amos Oz likes to say "the first thing you should know about [his] autobiography is that it's not an autobiography. It's an imposition forced on [him] by the Library of Congress." An interesting confession considering "A Tale" was published under the genre "memoir" and went on to reap much acclaim - and quite a bit of money -- as a memoir, including The Koret Jewish Book Award for Autobiography. Asked by befuddled interviewers to clarify himself, Mr. Oz will say only that having asked the dead into his home, "they told him the stories he never heard". This is a writerly response, with much truth and sense, but it doesn't excuse Mr. Oz for allowing his publisher to tout the work as a memoir or to blame the Library of Congress. Actually, a good old-fashioned name already exists: a semi-biographical novel. Or, if that's not hip enough, call it a post-modernist novel, then, a nod and a wink to the reader to figure out what is real and what isn't. As it stands,the many fans of Mr. Oz ---until now I've considered myself one --- believe they're hearing true stories, not stories conjured by the artist if he listens hard. This year we've been brutal on American writers who've played on the popular taste for truth; we've held them to standards and shouted "foul" when they haven't lived up to them. It saddens me that a great fiction writer like Mr. Oz hasn't held himself to a higher standard. "Oz" in Hebrew, we're reminded again and again, means "strength." As a "moral conscience of the modern world", as we're also reminded
again and again, Mr. Oz demands "strength" from Israelis and Palestinians alike. And yet he wants us to accept with a titter of laughter that he was somehow coerced into calling his "Tale" a memoir. Shame on him. He should know better --- and something tells me he does.
Average customer rating:
- Creates Her Own World.
- Beautiful writing, haunting tales
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When Darkness Loves Us
Elizabeth Engstrom
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 United States
| Horror
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Engstrom, Elizabeth
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ASIN: 0812582268 |
Customer Reviews:
Creates Her Own World........2005-10-26
I remember reading this book several years ago. The thing that struck me about it then (and even now) is how successfully the author managed to create her own world. The caverns where the story takes place have their own set of rules. Daylight is a myth. Kidnapping is okay. Monsters dwell in deep, dark pools.
Given how well the author pulls things off, I am quite surprised that this book isn't still in print. If you can track it down online or in your local library, please do. It's a good read.
Beautiful writing, haunting tales.......1999-12-25
Elizabeth Engstrom has a way of making even the most horrific things beautiful simply by her words. If you can possibly find a copy of this book, do so immediately. The two stories in here will stay with you long after you're done reading.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Midstream, published by Theodor Herzl Foundation on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 3191 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Amos Oz's most emotionally rich book.(Book Review)
Author: Shalom Freedman
Publication:
Midstream (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: Theodor Herzl Foundation
Volume: 51
Issue: 3
Page: 23(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
Reviewing a 'great book'.......2005-11-03
Vanity of vanities. I am writing a review of my own review.
But I am not really writing a review of the review but rather trying to understand why I feel this book of Oz is a great work. Why I feel it gives so much. And what I believe the reviewer's job is in writing of such a book.
1) Describe what the book is about
2) Explain why it is so special. What makes it great.
3) Convey the enthusiasm and deep feeling you have for the book. I was tremendously moved in many places of Oz's book.
4)Convey honestly the reservations you have in the book while underlining its strengths.
5) This book is a remarkable telling of a family history in pre- state Israel( then Palestine) It sees the world through the eyes of a growing child. It gives a panoramic view of the society, but a most intense and deeply felt - view of the main characters, parents and family. It in a sense tells the story of pre- World War Two European and Palestinian Jewry.
6) It is in effect ' a history of the Feeling of those times' and a set of inner histories of the various characters.
7) Jokingly I want to say , in the words of the Camus character, the would be writer rewriting endlessly the first sentence about the Bois de Bouloungne " Hats off, Amos Oz"
This man done it -yes he did he done it he done done it he done it -he dah greatest.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 7473 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Marvelous memoirs.(The Story of a Life)(Omaha Blues)(A Tale of Love and Darkness)(Book Review)
Author: Arnold Jacob Wolf
Publication:
Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 54
Issue: 1-2
Page: 94(14)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1983 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Oz's Israel.(A Tale of Love and Darkness)(Book Review)
Author: Shalom Carmy
Publication:
First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Issue: 155
Page: 54(6)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- period romance at it's best
- A Most Suitable Romance
- Wonderfully delightful
- Fresh and Different
- Sing like a lark - we all need a Hero!
|
A Most Unsuitable Man (Signet Historical Romance)
Jo Beverley
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Devilish
ASIN: 0451214234 |
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author brings back the most beloved family in romance!
Damaris Myddleton never expected to inherit a vast fortune-but she's ready to use it to buy the most eligible title in England. In comes Mr. Fitzroger, the dashing but penniless adventurer who first saves her from social disaster, and then saves her life. Now, trapped in mystery, danger, and forbidden intimacy, Damaris fights not to surrender her freedom and her heart to a most unsuitable man.
Customer Reviews:
period romance at it's best.......2007-08-11
A wonderful story that brings the characters to life, fallen hero, injured herioine, a must read for those who love the Malloren series. A insight into the Georgian period, a book that is hard to put down.
A Most Suitable Romance.......2007-03-27
Damaris Myddleton has recently become an heiress, and plans to buy herself a titled husband. To that end, she's made a list of eligible gentlemen who need her fortune. She's nothing if not practical, our Damaris.
Fitz is the perfect match for Damaris. He's calm and logical where she's no less logical, but lets her emotions get in the way occasionally. He takes her in hand, helps her salvage the situation, all the while reassuring her that she doesn't have to worry about him--after all, he's a 'most unsuitable man'.
Fitz, by the way, has his hands full. As if Damaris herself wasn't a handful, he's also been charged by Rothgar with protecting Ash from a danger Rothgar refuses to clarify, and is further enjoined to keep his protection a secret, even from Ash.
The Good:
The gender role reversal. It's usually the hero who's made plans regarding marriage that end up blowing up in his face because he hasn't taken love and fate into account, and it's fun and refreshing to see the same thing happen with a bright, determined heroine.
The blend of romance and adventure. The romance develops along with the danger, and the two combined kept me turning pages long past my bedtime.
The series development. Part of the Malloren series, it takes place right after Winter Fire. Damaris had expected to marry Ashart, the hero from Winter Fire, and when his engagement to Gemma is announced, she.... well, she makes quite a spectacle of herself.
Jo Beverley's writing. The vivid characters, the humor, the plots. And Rothgar.
The Bad:
Damaris takes some getting used to. Her temper tantrum made me wince, and she tended toward the emotional and the dramatic.
The Verdict:
It's always a treat when I find a new Jo Beverley novel in the mail, and A Most Unsuitable Man is no exception.
Wonderfully delightful.......2006-05-18
4.5 stars. This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. I found AMUM a delightful read with interesting storylines-both the main plot and the sub-and even when things cradled the line of unbelivablity, it was still entertaining. In truth the only thing I was confused on was the whole Prince Henry Stuart plot. We went through so much to unearth the truth and the very thing we feared is confirmed and then...nothing. That whole line of intrigue was completely anti-climatic. It looks like I'm in the minority when I say I liked Demaris (didn't care for the name though) I liked the fact that she was no great beauty AND she wasn't a martyr. The last thing another historical romances need is another martyr. I didn't understand the thirst for a title-but then again maybe it was the pirate in her. Fritz was chrismatic enough and he did all the right things. But no--they didn't blow me away as a couple-but I wasn't turned off by them either. Overall: a very good read.
Fresh and Different.......2006-03-11
In so many of the novels out now, the male aristocrat looks for an heiress to marry but ends up marrying the poor girl for love...this book is the complete opposite...Damaris the heiress is looking to marry to gain a title and ends up marrying a poor man for love...the characters are not ordinary and boring...both have been described plain in appearance but of course, attractive in their own way. Damaris is spunky no weak, whinny miss and Fitz is a strong man without being overbearing and bossy...
Sing like a lark - we all need a Hero!.......2005-07-01
Ah! Taming of the Shrew?
Not quite, but close enough.
Damaris, (lovely name) last seen shrieking & threating in the original book has a wonderful background to unveil as a plausible explanation for her grasping behaviour.
Her father was a merchant and varment of the high seas, and Damaris unabashedly shares his piratical tendencies. A girl after my own heart - in fact, just as ungracious at accepting a compliment. Applauded on her name, Damaris states baldly, "it means heifer in Greek". ..
So, likeable although occasionally dense heroine, handsome and clever hero - oh yes, a little about him. Fitzroger is a bit of a henchman for the redoubtable Malloren Duke, as well as being the good friend and sometime hanger-on for the man Damaris had planned to marry, Ashart.
Terribly honorable, not a bit servile and a wonder with the rapier!
And the plot, the plot the plot. Well... Damaris has been a bit of a vixen in the previous book and now must overcome her somewhat nasty reputation to make a suitable match. Being the girl she is, she determines to make the best match she can ie, the highest title she can purchase and has the notion to buy a Duke.
Reality steps in the way a little when she must realise that she doesn't in fact want a Duke, and there are plenty of obstacles to be overcome, such as a lurking menace which Fitzroger is meant to guard against.
And we all know how the heroine must fall in love with her guard!
kotori 2005
Average customer rating:
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A Most Unsuitable Man
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GS9LTW |
Average customer rating:
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A Most Unsuitable Man
Manufacturer: JO BEVERLEY PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739449532 |
Average customer rating:
- It really IS the book of Mormon . . .
- Same ol' arguments, but they finally get to Earth
- Plagarism of the Book of Mormon
- Wonderfully imaginative. The recolonization of Earth.
- The Character of the Patriarchs
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Earthfall (Homecoming Saga)
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0812532961 |
Amazon.com
High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches, programmed forty million years ago to guard the human settlement from all threats, especially themselves. In the latest in the Hugo- and Nebula award-winning author's
Homecoming series, the great artificial intelligence has lost control of the population, forbidden technology has been rediscovered, war has broken out, and the only repair lies light years distant on a lost and ruined Earth.
"There seems little doubt that the whole series will prove as readable--and as morally committed--as we've come to expect from Card." --Locus
Book Description
The Oversoul of the colony planet Harmony selected the family of Wetchik to carry it back to long-lost Earth. Now grown to a tribe in the years of their journey to Harmony's hidden starport, they are ready at last to take a ship to the stars. But from the beginning there has been bitter dispute between Nafai and Elemak, Wetchick's youngest son and his oldest.On board the starship Bailica, the children of the tribe will become pawns in the struggle. Two factions are each making secret plans to awaken the children, and themselves, early from the cold-sleep capsules in which they will pass the long decades of the journey. Each side hopes to gain years of influence on the minds of the children, winning their loyalty in the struggle for control of reclaimed Earth.But the Oversoul is truly in control of this journey. It has downloaded a complete copy of itself to the Ship's computers. And only Nafai, who wears the Cloak of the Starmaster by the Oversoul's command, really understand what this will mean to all their plans for the future.
Customer Reviews:
It really IS the book of Mormon . . ........2007-03-25
Hmm. I remember reading this series about 10 years ago, and for high school, it was a good read, but nothing outstanding. Now I find that there is absolutely no follow through after the third book, these books are just a thinly disguised re-write of parts of the book of Mormon. For those of us that wanted good SF not a religious treatise, it's downright disappointing. Now I know why Card never resolved the issues concerning the characters. It's because they were just the 'hook' to get us all interested in the Mormon theology. The first three books are just good enough, that when you get to the fourth and the fifth book, you find yourself very annoyed that the characters become flat and lifeless, just caricatures, really. Not to mention, incest starts happening. For example, one of Nafai's brothers and one of his nieces get married and have children . . . Does this happen in Mormonism? because for most of us, getting it on with our uncle is really foul.
Nafai and Elemak never really resolve their differences, or even have a 'final' showdown. The last book carries the reader far into the future and all references to those other characters, like Luet, Hushidh and Issib to name a few, are dropped, never to reappear again.
The series really started going downhill once the Rats and the Bats were introduced. I mean, how lame is this? After 40 million years, the only species to evolve are rats and bats. Not dolphins or the cockroach or - birds even? This is an insult to the reader's intelligence. This becomes the star of the show, with the characters stories taking a back seat and finally disappearing altogether. I read the last few pages of the fourth book hoping to find out what happened after Elemak woke up to find the Nafari gone and his wife with them. After all his cruelties, he never really gets what's coming to him. Nafai turns into exactly what Elemak hates, rather than becoming a full fledged personality of his own. The Prophet Nafai, hm. Ugh.
You find yourself scanning the few moments featuring Shedemei in the fifth novel, to see if she ever even mentions any of them. She doesn't. You have no idea how they died, what happened to the next generation, nothing. Why spend so much time building these characters if they were nothing more than a cheap ploy to get us to read a watered down version of the book of Mormon? I guess Card did this series as opposed to walking around door to door sweating his 'hooy' off trying to sell his religion. This was done in air conditioned comfort I assume, and he fulfills whatever obligation. I just know I will not be picking up any of this author's works without serious thought beforehand. I feel cheated and disgusted.
Same ol' arguments, but they finally get to Earth.......2006-10-19
Earthfall is the continuing story of Nafai and his companions as they travel to Earth aboard Basilica and their trials as they settle. They find that there are two sentient species on Earth - the Angels are bat-like creatures that are almost always born as twins and the Diggers are large, mouse-like rodents that live underground. They have been living in a savage harmony for 40 million years, until humans come back.
The story begins as the group makes ready to leave Harmony on the starship Basilica, a ship that has been preserved for the 40 million years since humans first arrived on Harmony. The group argues over many things, most importantly the sleep schedule of the children, as the deep, cryosleep will cause the body's functions and growth to slow while children that are awake will grow to be near-adults and be able to choose sides, to follow Nafai or follow Elemak.
Once they reach Earth and settle, they discover the Angels and Diggers, which were foretold in dreams in the earlier books in the series. The humans quickly dominate the indigenous species and discover that they've upset the balance and that they must fix the situation.
Meanwhile, the patriarch of the group, Volemak, the former Wetchik, is dying. Because of an oath taken by all in the group that Volemak would be the leader until his death, the settlement, now made up of four generations, must take sides.
New characters are developed in Earthfall, those being the children and grandchildren of the 8 original travelers. Some take after their parents and some do not. Then there is question of genetics - who must marry and who must not? A new Earth is also set here...one that is not the same as when humans were last there.
One thing that has become stagnant in this series is the continuing rivalry of the Nafai camp and the followers of Elemak. It's the same arguments of power all over again for the nth time. There are characters killed off in Earthfall, but it does not change the same rivalry that seems to never be quelled, only fueled.
Earthfall is volume four in the Earthbound series by Orson Scott Card.
Plagarism of the Book of Mormon.......2004-10-04
Orson Scott Card is Mormon, and if we didn't know it before, now we do--he based the entire plot of the Homecoming series on the Book of Mormon. It's so pathetic that I am speechless.
Wonderfully imaginative. The recolonization of Earth........2004-02-28
This book, just like all the others in this series, is great for many reasons, but what I especially liked about this particular one was the greater role played by the angels and the diggers. In getting to know the digger/angel people (particualarly Pto and Poto) on a personal level, a whole new demension is added to the story. All of the original characters continue to act just like you'd expect them to, so something new was needed and Card provided it with the introduction of the angels and diggers and their societies. I really liked how all of the events in this book unfolded and the next book promises to hold lots of excitment. Shedemei as somekind of "Mother Earth" and Nafai and Elemak as the angel's and the digger's kings, with war on the way. I only hope that the last few pages of this book are not literal because that would mean that the next book would contain none of the old characters at all, but instead would take place sometime in the distant future when only legends and stories survive from all that has happened so far.
The Character of the Patriarchs.......2003-12-06
As the journey continues Card matures the characters. Yet we see no one flat- everyone, the most evil, has good points; the most good have their own private evils. The Patriarchal disagreements continue- Card uses the vast history of the Genesis stories of Jacob & Esau, Joseph, Abram, and Moses in one cast of characters to give us an idea of how the issues those men dealt with might be recapitulated 40 million years from now on another planet. And so just as in the time of the Judges and the Kings in the Old Testament, here people try to stop the journey from happening, and try to keep the people of God (God now being referred to as The Keeper of Earth) from reaching the homeland when they are almost there. Many of the followers attempt to gain their own power and ignore the desires of the oversoul and the Keeper, just as occurred in the time of the Kings. And yet in the midst of this, as in II Isaiah, one rises up to be a Suffering Servant to bear the burdens of his people.
But when they reach the promised land, not everything is perfect, for there also, the Philistines and Canaanites are already there. How shall they deal with them? In warfare, or bringing them into their new nation? Both options were chosen by the Israelites at different times, in different places in Palestine.
As I reflect on this book, I continually see new Biblical parallels, and gain new insights- into the book, my understanding of Biblical exegesis, and into my own relationship with God. Card lays out how the Keeper's awesome plan will go forward, and how He wants to bring everyone She can into it. I contemplate how the same is true of God.
The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-Greek-English
Customer Reviews:
Far Future SciFi with a Touch of Fantasy.......2007-06-21
HOMECOMING: EARTH (1995) is an anthology consisting of two novellas from the "Homecoming" series; EARTHFALL (1995) and EARTHBORN (1995).
A couple of "post catastrophe" earth dwelling non-human sentient species are described. They are evolved from Bats and Rats, and are semi-believable and semi-interesting.
Some of the human characters in the stories have "special powers", which are explained away by evolution of 40,000,000 years or by technology, but to me these "special powers" make the books seem a little magical, and give these SciFi stories a "fantasy" leaning. Nevertheless, I found the stories to be enjoyable, and worthwhile reading.
These books contain very little violence (compared to most modern SciFi works), and would be suitable for teenagers.
Average customer rating:
- Enjoyable Book. An Absolute Must
- EARTHFALL - A NEW STAR RISES
|
Earthfall
Joel Dodd
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Epic
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ASIN: 059513551X |
Book Description
Faced with the destruction of the Earth by an unstable sun, the Earth's people conceive the Tunis Project. Sent to search the stars for a new home for the Earth's people, the Tunis and her crew return to find an Earth that has been devastated by extreme solar flares. The surviving colonies are brought together to create the Exodus, nothing less than the complete evacuation of humanity to a new planet, far from the solar system.
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable Book. An Absolute Must.......2001-06-14
I enjoyed this book immensely. EARTHFALL by JOEL DODD is very good as it is not farfetched and is easy to pick up and read. I was recommended the book by Joel Dodd himself as he is my High School Science teacher. I thought it was good for his first book. He is going to become well-known in the science fiction world. I look forward to his next book.
EARTHFALL - A NEW STAR RISES.......2001-01-19
EARTHFALL is the first novel by New Zealander Joel Dodd. Set primarily in the near future, Dodd has chosen a recurring theme, that of humanity's search for a new home away from the solar system, but has worked the story into a compelling tale that uses its characters as mechanisms for the story. This has given Dodd scope for developing the story itself, akin to ensemble drama, with no stand-out characters to focus upon.
Of the characters, the first whom we meet is Danis Pasqel. Pasqel is the senior engineer, and commanding officer of the Tunis. The Tunis returns to Earth from a mission to find a suitable planet to which Earth's people can be safely evacuated, hopefully before an increasingly erratic sun destroys the inner planets. Pasqel and his core group of officers lead the way through Earthfall, providing the continuity required by the story's structure.
Departing from a safer, linear story, Dodd has crafted the story into two separate stories that are told in parallel via alternating chapters. The first story begins with the approach of the Tunis to the solar system, dealing with the Tunis' crew and the greatly-altered Earth that they return to. The second story begins in our near future, with the introduction of a boy to astronomy. The boy grows to become a leading international astronomer, who identifies the sun's probable future. The two stories converge with the introduction of the Tunis' crew as project recruits before the Tunis is built.
Dodd has kept all technology to a practical level, with no unexplained gadgets and wonder-machines. The reader is not expected to make any assumptions. The technical detail and the science involved is sufficient to satisfy readers of a tech nature, but without overoading the story. The prose is of a classic style - in a recent interview, Dodd admitted to being a fan of Hugo, the Brontes, Conrad, Scott and Dumas, in addition to many of the great SF writers. The result is an SF tale written in language that is descriptive and well-crafted, with a distinctly poetic flavour emerging to create some evocative imagery at key points in the story. The perspective at times segues smoothly from the dominant spectator viewpoint to first-person, and back, sometimes within a paragraph. The effect is highly effective, giving the reader sudden flashes of personal insight, to see the story through a character's eyes, if only for a brief moment.
Dodd is a newcomer to the world of SF writing, but has made a statement with his first published novel. We can be assured of more novels from Dodd in the future. This reviewer looks forward to reading Dodd's next book. If you take SF seriously, support a new author and take a look at this novel.
Average customer rating:
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Earthfall
Jerry E. Brown
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0441859143 |
Book Description
A comprehensive and revealing look at the druids and their fundamental role in Celtic society that dispels many of the misconceptions about these important religious figures and their doctrine
• Written by the world's leading authority on Celtic culture
Druidism was one of the greatest and most exalting adventures of the human spirit, attempting to reconcile the unreconcilable, the individual and the collective, creator and created, good and evil, day and night, past and future, and life and death. Because of the oral nature of Celtic civilization our understanding of its spiritual truths and rituals is necessarily incomplete. Yet evidence exists that can provide the modern reader with a better understanding of the doctrine that took druidic apprentices 20 years to learn in the remote forests of the British Isles and Gaul.
Using the descriptions of the druids and their beliefs provided by the historians and chroniclers of classic antiquity--as well as those recorded by the insular Celts themselves when compelled, under Christianity's influence, to utilize writing to preserve their ancestral traditions--Jean Markale painstakingly pieces together all that is known for certain about them. The druids were more than simply the priests of the Celtic people; their influence extended to all aspects of Celtic life. The Druids covers everything concerning the Celtic religious domain, intellectual speculations, cultural or magical practices, various beliefs, and the so-called profane sciences that have come down from the Celtic priesthood.
Customer Reviews:
lot of nonsense.......2007-03-26
a lot of nonsense thrown together to sell to would-be modern pagans. At least they don't ask for "offerings." I respect this style of fund raising far better.
Insightful and Comprehensive........2006-03-23
Admittedly, I do not have much to add to the reviews already posted about this book. Markale does a wonderful job of developing each chapter into a comprehensive exploration of a given topic, presenting evidence and counter-evidence, weighing sources and coming to intelligent conclusions. I found the essays of Part Four: Druidic Thought particularly appealing to my personal love of theology/philosophy, but the chapters in Part Two on various deities within the Celtic pantheon were also of great interest (though perhaps not as valuable if the reader is not familiar with at least some basic Celtic myths and story-cycles).
Two aspects likely to raise objections, especially from Neopagan Druids today: Firstly, as more deeply explored in the final chapters, Markale puts forward a vision of druidic philosophy and belief which is essentially monistic/monotheistic in nature and, though perhaps politically opposed to Christianity at the time of the latter's arrival (or forced entrance) into the Celtic world, does not inherently conflict to modern, more tolerant eyes. Secondly, Markale insists that druidism, being an aspect of a particular class of priests and judges within the ancient Celtic social framework, is inseparated from that framework and so is not a valid spiritual tradition today (the single, four-page chapter devoted to the issue of "Neodruidism" displays this view perfectly).
If the reader can look past these two minor concerns (or, better yet, understand and appreciate the spirit of scholarship and intellectual honesty from which they spring), there is a great deal of valuable information and insight to be found in the pages of this book.
A No-Nonsense Examination of the Druids.......2006-01-30
The difficulty of writing a factually accurate book about the druids is that not much is known about them. They passed on their tradition orally and no written record about their religion comes directly from them. An author has to rely on the accounts of them from their enemies--Christians and Romans. Markale states that much of the neodruidism of today is based on flights of fancy rather than historical accuracy.
The book goes on to cover who their gods were and what druidism actually is, relying on accounts of writers like Julius Caesar. It gives basic information about these topics and this primary section of book is rather dry.
I liked the beginning and ending of the book the best, in which Markale becomes more theoretical and speculates about how the Romanization and the Christianization of the West has had its downsides and Druidism has some attractive features to its belief system. It is a tantalizing theme that I wish the author would have explored more. The author suggest that Druidism could be beneficial to modern society, as some seek to return to their pagan roots. But then again, so little is known about Druidic beliefs, I don't think there is much to quest after.
The Druids did not believe in sin or an objective truth, but rather believed in relative truths based on different situations and in responsibility for one's actions and the consequences for those actions.
The druids themselves were the priests of the society that had power over even the king. They were also judges, teachers, physicians, and poets--the intellectual class of that society, as opposed to the warrior and artisan classes.
The many gods of the celts were in a system of false polytheism that represented the many functions of one god.
The druids believed that the world was an illusion, but did not seek to withdraw from the world, but to act in it, figuring that your body was given to you for a reason and was to be put to good use.
The druids had a deep knowledge nature, often living deep in the woods, and considered themselves part of nature, not masters of it.
The remains of Druidism can be still be found in places such as Wales, Ireland, and Brittany. Although Ireland was never Romanized, it did peacefully switch from Druidism to Christianity because there are actually some similarities between the belief systems, otherwise, Ireland would have kept to its old beliefs. Many from the Druidic class became Christian priests. The Celtic church has some remnants of druidic influence on its Christianity.
Markale is mildly critical of those in the west who have gone after the religions and philosophies of the east because he thinks that such belief systems will not ultimately help solve the west's unique philosophical problems. In other words, you can't solve western problems with eastern beliefs; the two systems are not compatible. --But I must say that Hinduism was originally an indo-European belief system.
Finally a real depiction of the Druids!!!.......2005-12-05
I have read many, many books on the subject of Druidism and have read most of the documents the author mentions in this Book. Most books give a Wicca Neo-Pagan spin. Jean Markale takes you into culture and magic of the real Gauls/Celts using documented and archeological proof to back his claims. As a Druid/Celtic Revivalist I found this book to be inspiring and enlightening. No druid's library would be complete with out this book in it. If you're looking for fluffy Druidism don't look here, but if you are looking for reality look no further.
Detailed Insight Into The World of the Druids.......2005-11-07
Jean Markale's book "The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature" must be read several times to grasp all that it says. This is not in any way because the book is poorly written - on the contrary it is very well written, and contains so much information that it must be read several times just to begin to grasp the depth of its content.
Markale begins by looking at the history of the druid's name throughout history, where both Greek and Latin historians recognized that druids were knowledgeable of the secrets of nature ~ they were much more than mere magicians. Furthermore he shows a link between druids and the disciples of Pythagoras. (Though it is quite unlikely that the druids had any direct contact with Pythagoras himself.)
We see the role of druids in society. Often serving as judges, counselors and advisors to kings, and peacemakers between nations; the role of peacemaker in no way prevented the druids from participating in combat if there was a need to do so.
The druids are contrasted with the revealed religions of Islam and Christianity. Without disparaging the great revealed religions, Markale clearly shows that druidry and all the texts that belong to it are well worthy of interest and study.
The great knowledge and power of the druids naturally leads to the question: Where did the druids come from? Markale explains the common misconception that the druids were the builders of the megalithic monuments (such as Stonehenge). We then see good evidence (in "The Battle of Mag Tured) that druidry was studied by the mysterious `Tuatha de Danann'. It is said that "The Tuatha de Danann were in the Isles of the North of the World, learning science, magic druidism, sorcery and wisdom, and they surpassed all the sages in the pagan arts." This of course leaves us to question just were are the `Isles of the North of the World'. If we are to take this as literal we have a clear connection to Nordic culture. This seems to be incontestable for there is certainly a strong connection between the druids and the vitki (rune masters) of the North.
It was the Tuatha de Danann that brought the four fundamental talismans of Celtic Theology: The Stone of Fal (or Coronation Stone); the Fiery Spear of Lugh; the Sword of Nuada; and Dagda's inexhaustible cauldron.
Markale continues by offering insight to the `gods of the druids'. Although we read of "The Father of All" and "The Three-Faced Goddess" we also see that the druids did not follow their "gods" in the way of those who profess one of the revealed religions, rather they interacted with the gods of a well established `mythology (?)' / faith.
Though the druids did not `worship' in the manner of today's religions, they did have a number of initiations and rituals. Markale gives us insight into the druid sanctuary, the mistletoe and plant rituals, sacrifices and the four elements. It was (and is) the four elements that reveal the power of the druids in that they have the ability to control earth, air, fire and water. Each element is used in various rituals bringing the druid into closer contact with nature.
Finally, Markale comments on neo-druidry. Today there are many groups that attempt to follow the traditions of the druids. The religious thought and theology of the druids carry on today... offering knowledge, wisdom and insight to those who seek it.
Overall, I found "The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature" a very interesting and enlightening book, well worth study and reading.
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