Book Description
Gary and Susan Hazen—high school sweethearts married for many years, born and bred in the Adirondack community of Lost Lake—live a simple and honest life and have instilled values in their two grown sons by example. But despite their efforts, Gary senses that his sons are starting to pull away and can’t help but feel he is at fault. His younger son, Kevin, has ambitions that extend far beyond the snowy edges of their small town. And his elder, Gary David, so fears disappointing his father that he is keeping an important part of his life secret.
The Grace That Keeps This World is a story about family, community, and the shared values that underlie and sustain human relationships. And ultimately, it is a tale of profound loss, human fallibility, and the love—romantic, neighborly, or familial—that can sometimes blur our line of vision.
A Book Sense pick
Includes a new essay by the author and a preview chapter of his forthcoming novel, Cotton Song.
Customer Reviews:
Great American Story.......2007-05-28
There is no pandering or flashiness here. This is a book about people who tend to keep their feelings to themselves as a way of being and a way of being with each other. Yet in each piece of the narrative, I could feel what they felt quite completely. The author captures much of what it means to be from rural parts of America: something I feel is not done well in many American novels. And I was struck by how beautifully he shows us how people who live in a world surrounded by nature develop their values for it.
Wonderful .......2007-05-13
Incredible story about family, love & community...written from the perspectives of several people who are all connected in this Adirondack community. Fantastically written!
A self-reliant Adirondack family's crucible.......2007-03-10
Tom Bailey's new novel about Mississippi race relations in 1944, "Cotton Song," has just been released. I hope that those who discover Bailey as a writer for the first time through that book will backtrack to this, his first novel.
"The Grace That Keeps This World" lovingly and luminously lays out the hard lives of the Hazen family who live in the middle of the Adirondack Park. Susan Hazen, wife and mother, alerts us in the prologue to unspecified tragedy that the Hazen father and his two sons will meet on the first day of deer hunting season. Then, the novel delves into the week before opening Saturday, shifting with each chapter between first-person perspectives (with one third-person exception) of family members and other residents of their rough-hewn community. Bailey portrays the reticences, the secrets, the fissures, the pride, the faith (religious and otherwise), the stubborness, and the concealed love that eddies between these characters. Twenty-first century readers are reminded that some folks still live rugged lives off the land; lives that count on the meat from antlered bucks brought down. The Hazens don't hunt for wall trophies. They don't waste a sinew of carcass. But the choice of the parents doesn't necessarily carry to the next generation. Sons Gary David and Kevin have to decide whether they will cleave to their strong-willed father's frontiersman-like expectations that his sons will work with him in their adulthood, or whether they will live more modernly and out of his shadow. The suspense builds over when and how they might declare independence. Will a huge family crack-up ensue because of "revolt" by the sons? Or will destinies and vantage points be forestalled and altered by the fateful opening day?
"The Grace That Keeps This World" is a work of aching depth and beauty. Although the the tragedy and its aftermath could have been elaborated upon, and there were other, earlier places in the novel where characters were too economic with conversation, this is a book that remains with the reader. Images of Susan Hazen in her kitchen or garden, of Gary Hazen chain-sawing thick limbs for winter heating or worshiping in the front pew at church, of Gary David tip-toeing around downstairs to keep from waking his mother at an unearthly hour, and Kevin practicing his memorized recitation from "The Odyssey" or wallking toward shots heard on the hunt don't fade away easily. The heart feels keenly the humanity, the fallibility, but also the grace, in these pages.
Four and a half stars.
Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes.......2007-02-28
Holy smokes! I was perusing a Boston Barnes & Noble for some "art literature" and came upon this gem. It was great to see the SU Literary Community making a big splash in the world of national conglomerates.
This book had it all grouse, guns, and American glory.
A sleeper.......2006-09-03
Quiet and loving, this is a book to be read with care because each word is weighty. Reminiscent of Sherwood Anderson in its revelations of daily events unveiling the meaning of the big picture, for those who pay attention. Not without its funny moments: LOVE the handshake between Blaze Farley (an Anthony Trollope-ish name for a flashy home-town celeb-!) and Susan Hazan. Also, see if you can find the nod to Mr. Faulkner...
Customer Reviews:
A little disappointed...........2005-07-18
I read Simon and Cag's story before reading this one and I enjoyed their stories, so I was excited about getting this book. However, I was disappointed in this book because I though it lacked in a lot of ways. In the first story, (Rey's) It was quite different then all the rest of them because Meredith was the one that was chasing Rey and trying to get him to fall in love with her. In fact, he didn't even like her at all and had said so right up til the end of the book. Also, I found that it was a little stupid that she was keeping her job and schooling a secret from him. Why??? She would rather that he think of her as a prostitute than a nurse with a college degree? That doesn't make any sense to me. She has too understand why he thinks she is a hooker after the first night they met. It was an honest mistake on his part, anybody would have taken her for a hooker. Then she continued to let him think that and even lied to him when he questioned her. It made no sense to me. I really liked Rey in this story though. He was tough, and strong willed. Also very sensitive. If it wasn't for him then I would not have liked this story at all. He took care of things without even being asked. I did like this story better than Leo's though.
Leo's story was the one that I disliked most. I thought that Janie and him were so mismatched. The ending dragged on and on and on. Also, too much talk about her being a virgin. That was all Leo talked about. It got old pretty quick. He treated her more like a teenager than a full grown woman. I enjoyed a scene at the cattleman's ball about a fourth of the way through the story, when Leo and Janie had it out, but that was about it. Also, Marlie didn't fit into this story at all. She was telling lies to Leo about Janie, well if she went to that much trouble on keeping those two apart then why would she just up and leave? We never hear another word from her throughout the rest of the book. Also, Janie's dad Fred was a little unbelievable. He acted more than a friend to Janie than her father. All in all I think that Mrs. Palmer could have written these two stories better than she did.
Average customer rating:
- Well written in parts, but would have passed reading this
- My favorite of the franchise.
- fun, but quality decays...
- Lost In the Void?
- 2061 starts off okay, but...
|
2061: Odyssey Three
Arthur C. Clarke
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Clarke, Arthur C.
| ( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Card, Orson Scott
| Cherryh, C.J.
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
3001 The Final Odyssey
-
2010: Odyssey Two
-
2001: A Space Odyssey
-
Rendezvous with Rama
-
Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama
ASIN: 0345358791
Release Date: 1989-04-13 |
Book Description
Arthur C. Clark, creator of one of the world's best-loved science fiction tales, revisits the most famous future ever imagined in this NEW YORK TIMES bestseller, as two expeditions into space become inextricably tangled. Heywood Floyd, survivor of two previous encounters with the mysterious monloiths, must again confront Dave Bowman, HAL, and an alien race that has decided that Mankind is to play a part in the evolution of the galaxy whether it wishes to or not.
Customer Reviews:
Well written in parts, but would have passed reading this.......2007-08-23
Although very well-written in parts, I found myself lost in this book and caught in a trap of technical mumbo jumbo. I still am not sure what happened in this book or what it is about. It is hard to write in such technical terms and Clarke makes an honorable attempt, but it just seems to lack any vitality overall.
My favorite of the franchise. .......2007-05-24
First, this is an interlude story, sandwiched between the eagerly expected sequel "2010" and the eagerly expected finale "3001." Therefore, Clarke had some breathing-room to tell a tale without all of the anticipatory baggage. And this is what makes this book so much fun. He was free to tell a romping tale of science fiction, all the while using technology extrapolated from the headlines of today's science journals. You feel that the hardware portrayed in his books are just around the corner. And in some cases this is exactly what happened.
Like "2010," this book is a glide. It is free for the plodding self-consciousness that we found in "2001." After two novels, we can strip the set-up and back-story to a minimum, and focus on the complex plot. Clarke seems to be following Asimov's lead in writing a detective story, but in Clarke fashion, this is a detective story of cosmic proportions and grounded in hard and present-day science.
Oddly enough, this book almost does not feel like a "2001" novel, since the Monolith and Dave make bare cameos at the end of the novels. So it is like The Horse and His Boy, Masters of the Vortex (The Vortex Blaster), The Hobbit or The Children of Hurin, whose stories that do not fit in the overall continuities of their respective series, but are none the less part of the broader legendarium.
Primarily, this book explores the setting, and also ties up the loose ends with Floyd's life. And recheck the publication date--1987, one year after Halley's Comet made a rather pathetic pass at earths. I was alive at the time, and this book help sooth the letdown. Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake were more impressive.
The South African subplot germinated in the brainstorming session of "2001." The original preface to "2001" mentions "Kwame Chaka, supreme president of the African Federation" (The Lost Worlds of 2001, p. 13)
Sometimes Clarke's characters seem like Athena--spring fully-grown form his head, and without father and mother. This is not quite true: we see Poole's family wishing a happy birthday, and in The Lost Worlds of 2001, we can read the unused back stories of the crew of the Discovery. And we meet Dave's mother, mistress and his dead brother in "2010." So it is there, but the characters are usually focused on the task at hand.
Yet this story takes family values to a deeper level. It focuses on the reconciliation, or reunion, of Heywood Floyd and his long lost son Chris. Of course, Dr. Floyd has had a very convoluted personal life (like many famous people do), and this book brings some sanity to his personal life.
And certainly there are friendships, which are an aspect of love. (Plato: The Symposium (Penguin Classics), C. S. Lewis: The Four Loves, Truman G. Madsen: Four Essays on Love).
This book has some drawbacks. The first is with the nature of Star Child Dave Bowman. The fact that the name `Star Child' does not appear anywhere in this or the next book tells us something: Clarke has neglected his theme "God made man in His own image" (Lost Worlds of 2001, p. 39). The Star Child is now "eBowman,"a lap-dog to the First Born, and later, a semi-used subroutine, akin to a Yahoo! Widget.
This loss of faith in his old idealism probably leads to the weird conversation that eBowman has with the newly "echoed" eFloyd. In it, Clarke via eBowman asserts that Compassion, Justice, truth are more important than love. First of all, how can you have compassion without love? And isn't Clarke/eBowman just saying that he LOVES compassion, truth, and justice?
Aristotle let the secret out when in "The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics)" he showed that a well-rounded life involves compassion, justice, truth, and love--all of these are essential for the constellation of character. Too bad early Christians listened to Plato more than St. John when they asserted that God was without body, parts or passions. Like the guy said, "That which is without body, parts and passions is nothing."
As I said, this book does not feel like a 2001 novel, since the monoliths do not play a major role, and the theme is not advanced. This is where the change in tone becomes patently obvious: "2001" is euphoric, "2010" is idealistic, "2061" is optimistic, but "3001" is sarcastic. The franchise ends with a crash landing as they crash the Cosmic Server.
*
I think there is a fifth novel possible, in-between this one and "3001." We could have eHal, eDave, and eFloyd map the monolith, explain where eFloyd went and why he does not appear in "3001," or retell the time when eDave met the First Born.
*
In addition to the text, I love the book's original cover. The illustrators are artists, not mathematicians, so the monoliths loose their 1x4x9 proportions, and are slowly becoming golden rectangles (The Golden Ratio). Them there is the ghostly figure of Dave Bowman emerging form the monolith, with a somewhat panicky look on his face. Over his shoulder looms the cycolptic Hal. I the cover artist deserves kudos for figuring out a clever way to show the ghost of Hal--the ever-familiar monocle camera. Beneath them is the Great Wal and Tsienville, with the budding Europans. Behind them, the smaller monolith hover like the flying deck of cards in Alice in Wonderland." Science fiction, yes, but also a touch of pre-adolescent fantasy.
fun, but quality decays..........2006-12-31
Typical of Clarke, he begins a series with a powerhouse, but the quality of the series decays over time. This is a fun read if you've read the prior two, and the period of time spent on an asteroid (!) makes for good sci-fi.
However, this is tripe compared to 2001, and by all means stop at this book. Whatever you do, don't read 3001 - it will just make you cry. Some authors need to learn how to quit while they're ahead.
Lost In the Void?.......2006-04-21
If there are authors for whom I have the utmost respect, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is surely one of them. Every book of his I read in the past never disappointed me and most are among my very favorite fiction works. "2001: A Space Odyssey" was particularly fascinating and "2010: Odyssey Two" is a very worthy sequel which successfully extends the mythology of its predecessor.
"2061: Odyssey Three", however, leaves something to be desired and definitely cannot be regarded in the same light as the previous two books. Clarke's undeniable wit and especially his gift for writing prose are still very much present, but I find "2061" to be lacking a bit too much in the plot department. Forget the drama, tension and mysticism of "2001" and "2010", because unfortunately you won't find that here. More importantly, we are not let in on much more regarding the Dave Bowman mysterious existence - or lack thereof - and the few we get about that and Europa's secret is scarce at best and confusing at worst. And it's frustrating that every situation that could possibly lend itself to something interesting and dramatic ends up resolving itself in a banal fashion.
Even the under-achievements of Clarke are not bad books. And it's certainly hard for me to classify "2061" as a bad work. The problem is, the standard had been set so high that "2061" just doesn't live up to it. Perhaps the final odyssey, "3001", sets the record straight? No matter. "2010" and especially "2001" more than make up for everything else, even if they leave a lot of questions hanging in the air - or should I say, in the void of deep space?
2061 starts off okay, but..........2006-03-15
I love the series of stories about the monolith, and I began the story with excitement, but in the end I felt unfulfilled. At the beginning, I thought, "How cool, landing on Halley's Comet. How cool seeing some of the steps to figure out what Mt. Zeus is."
(Beware: Spoiler here...) This is a story that is ultimately about a rescue mission to Europa, but at the end of the book, he doesn't even talk about the actual rescue! He skips to Ganymede base, after the crew of Galaxy is rescued. Clarke was a great writer, and you can see it in the prose, but he lets you down at the end.
His discussion in the final chapter about the place of Europa and the monolith is clarifying.
Average customer rating:
|
2061 Odyssey Three
Gene Walden
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 5551594467 |
Customer Reviews:
Mediocrity goes on.......2005-07-14
When I read this book right after it came out, I remember thinking that it was well-written, coherent, followed a rational progression from its predecessor, and created vivid mental imagery. At that time, I would probably have given it four, or possibly even five, stars. I was really looking forward to reading this entire series, after enjoying "2001".
But my comment on "2061" is the same as for "2010": So, how come I cannot remember any of it? I certainly remember 2001, but that might be because of the movie. However, I read, enjoyed, and clearly remember the entire "Rama" series. The only thing that I can think of is that this book is technically very good, but just has nothing wonderful or spectacular about it. The "Rama" series left me with indelible memories. Neither 2010 nor 2061 did so.
How sad, especially as Clarke can write wonderfully.
Customer Reviews:
Possibly the best self-help book ever!.......2007-09-09
Appropriate for anyone high school age or over. Full of revelations about self-image, getting free from "what other people think", learning to love and appreciate yourself, learning to trust yourself, and so much more great stuff we all need to know. You read it and say, "That's so true! How could I have been missing that all these years?!?" Get yourself in good working order and then you might be able to tackle the rest of the world...or live in it anyway, without getting beat up yourself! Easy read, in a day or over several weeks. Lots of food for thought. A life-changing book! Would be great on audio, like to listen to while in the car!
Thought Provoking.......2007-04-28
This book is an excellent one for anyone who wants to take control of their life and be truly happy. The author makes the reader think about what is really important in life and directs one to complete many activities which help you to achieve true happiness. A definite must read!!
A Light at the End of the Tunnel.......2004-04-21
I am 19, and this book has opened my eyes so that I know what I want and need to make my life happy. I need to be a whole person on my own. This book is astounding. It is dissected into 10 easily understood categories and each one leaves a lasting impression. After reading this book there is no way you can forget the messages that have become so deeply ingrained in your soul.
HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB.......1999-12-31
This book gives you a great insight in what it is important in life and inspires you to take charge of your own life and happiness. It helped me during one of the most difficult periods of my life. I recommend it highly.
A positive way to turn your view of life around!.......1999-04-12
This book helped me through one of the toughest times of my life. It made me look at myself in a totally new way, and I came away with such an improved image of myself and my life that I am now truelly happy! Something I thought impossible a year ago. I am not a deeply religious person and that is not a necessity even though the author is a Catholic priest. I have passed it on to my children and hope it will give them a positive start on their young lives.
Book Description
This book is a free translation of an Eighth Century, Buddhist Classic, the BODDHISATTVA WAY OF LIFE by Santideva. Over the past 1,200 years, this book has probably sold more copies than any other Terevada Buddhist book, except the early Pali Cannons. This UNIVERSAL POWER OF SPITITUAL AWAKENING is clearly defined by Santideva. It's common to all spirituality and philosophy, so it's not necessary to convert to Buddhism or any other religion. And it will not take you from 3 to five years to get well as your Western Psychologist may contend. You can end suffering now! Oddly the ancient, Greek philosopher, Aristotle wrote ETHICS about 2,500 years ago. Aristotle and Santideva are in perfect agreement: that is, true happiness comes only from Virtue. College professors are still arguing over how this could possible be true. But with Santideva there's no argument. Suffering is scientifically ended by following the simple practice outlined in the book.
Book Description
Really knowing we all have the power to choose happiness at any moment, in any situation, is truly empowering. This book is a great reminder that happiness is found right here, right now.
"Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
Abraham Lincoln
Product Description
How can we stay engaged with life day after day? How can we continue to love what we do year after year? How can we make lemonade when life gives us lemons? These are all questions best-selling author and beloved teacher Sylvia Boorstein asked herself when she started writing Happiness Is an Inside Job. The result is her best work to date, a warm, wise, and instructive book on how we can cultivate happiness even when the odds are against us.
As Boorstein has discovered in over four decades of practice and teaching, the secret to happiness lies not in monastic solitude but in cultivating our connections with the world, with family, friends, colleagues, and even those we do not know well. In this beautiful book, she reminds us that our hearts want to console, appreciate, encourage, and love--and that restoring those qualities leads to a solidly grounded sense of happiness and the best way to live.
Average customer rating:
|
Joy Choice: Happiness Is an Inside Job
Elizabeth B. Brown
Manufacturer: Fleming H Revell Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Self Help
| Protestantism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Ethics
| Theology
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Sunrise tomorrow
ASIN: 0800755316 |
Books:
- The Grass Crown
- The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes
- The Kitchen God's Wife
- The Lions of Lucerne
- The Map of Love: A Novel
- The Mark: The Beast Rules the World (Left Behind No. 8)
- The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
- The Myth of You and Me: A Novel
- The Piano Tuner: A Novel
- The Seville Communion
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook
- Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Mentalization Based Treatment
- Equal Danger
- Gardening in the Lower Midwest: A Practical Guide to the New Zones 5 and 6
- History: Fiction or Science
- Mathematical Methods and Algorithms for Signal Processing
- Journey Of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives
- Jerri: A Black Woman's Life in the Media
- From the Indian Kickapoo Reservation to the Bright City Lights
- Sun Tzu's Business & Management Series: Applying Sun Tzu's Art of War in Customer Service, Corpo
The English Teacher
Cotton Song: A Novel
The Myth of You and Me: A Novel
Abide with Me: A Novel
The Double Bind: A Novel
