Book Description
In these twelve wry, captivating stories, Jane Turner Rylands returns with more tales about the mysterious day-to-day life of Venetians, in which the conflicting forces of progress and tradition are very much at odds.
Once again we become insiders, let in on the attitudes and habits of characters from all strata of Venetian society—from very different backgrounds and neighborhoods—in one of the world’s most unknowable cities. Rylands makes us understand the subtle hierarchies of this Byzantine society with all its robust snobberies. The unique quirks, petty rivalries, and jealousies that lie just beneath the city’s elegant veneer are brilliantly observed.
Unforgettable characters from Rylands’s first collection make return appearances in several stories, and many new figures are introduced. An unscrupulous former race-car driver unveils a plan to save Venice; a fiendish son plans an aphrodisiac dinner; superstition and a possible curse add to a family’s very contemporary troubles over the restoration of their ancient palazzo, where a struggle ensues between decline and change.
As always with Rylands’s stories, we are easily drawn into this sophisticated but ultimately small-town world, and we come to understand the eccentricities of its citizens and the fragility of their future. In Across the Bridge of Sighs, Jane Turner Rylands evokes the poignant and lively world of one of our most cherished cities with all the power of a master storyteller.
Customer Reviews:
a slice of Venetian life.......2007-06-24
I disagree with the reviewer who said this book didn't bring Venice to life (although there is seemingly nothing about the Bridge of Sighs). First, these are short stories, not a Donna Leon mystery or the Great American-Italian novel. You have to be in the mood for short stories, I think, but if so and they are well written, you have a good read. Second, the stories center around the same people in the same neighborhood, who know each other, are related to one another, know each other's business and personal affairs, etc. Right away this makes the stories more real than a collection of detached tales that have nothing to do with each other. Finally, I haven't been to Venice (would love to go) but I've read a lot about it and these stories seem in agreement with works of other authors. It's good to remember that if you live in a place, New York, London, Paris, Venice, you get a different "feel" for it than does a person who comes for a week for shopping, sightseeing, eating in the best restuarants, going to the theatre. Real life is much the same everywhere in some ways. There is Countess Giulia shlepping her groceries off the bus from the mainland onto a boat to get home. There is Severino living with his parents and paying room and board at 29, probably because life in the city is expensive. A lot of the characters are rich people, I assume that the author knows a lot of rich people. But you get a good dose of reality too. All the small specialty shops going out of business thanks to the big box stores and supermarkets on the mainland. I felt the author gave us a look beyond the romance and the tourist attractions. I intend to find her first book and read it.
Venetian bon bons.......2007-05-08
I must admit that I'm a sucker for Venice, having been there on my honeymoon. The marriage failed but my love of the city remains. This book brings back the sights, sounds and smells of Venice . It is a quick read with its interconnected stories tied to the restoration of a palazzo. I do intend to read the author's first set of stories as well. I can hear the bells now.....
Very pale picture of a colorful city........2006-05-16
Where is the passion, the color and the life ? These bland stories paint a very pale picture of Venice - the city and people are never brought clearly to life. This book was a big disappointment for me.
Wonderfully enchanting.......2006-04-17
Ever since I read Venetian Stories I've been awaiting a sequel with all of the anticipation of a ten-year-old J.K.R. fan. Thank you, Mrs. Rylands, for not disappointing. I savored this book for over a week, trying to carefully digest each vignette before it slipped into the intertwined mass of the whole. Except for being short-changed at every turn, Venice is the best place on earth, and Mrs. Rylands' book only add to the richness that tourists are hard-pressed to appreciate. Bravo!
This should not be missed..........2006-04-07
KIRKUS REVIEWS, September 1, 2005:
"The author of Venetian Stories (2003) returns with another enchanting tribute to la Serenissima.
An American who has lived in Venice for more than 30 years, Rylands writes with the simplicity--the apparent transparency--of someone experiencing a world in translation, but she is a singularly perceptive outsider, and her portrait of Venice is finely nuanced. She conveys whole life stories in a few lovel sentences, and she reveals all the charming truths buried within small, inconspicuous encounters. Characters flit through the collection, sometimes in a starring role, sometimes mentioned in passing--just like in life. "Restoration" -- a story of love, fate, and a crumbling palazzo--balances the vicissitudes of reality with fairy-tale undertones, and "Vocation" offers a similar mix of the provident and the pragmatic. "Design" is a sharply hilarious but not unkind portrait of new money triumphant. "Fortune" is a priceless little comedy of manners, a gem that would sine in any setting. Indeed, each entry in this volume stands on its own as a well-crafted and entertaining work of short fiction, but it's only in viewing the collection as a whole that one appreciates the grand scope of Rylands's project. With these subtly intertwined stories, she offers both a telling vision of Venice's current state of entrophy and a carefully hopeful glimpse of its future. Many of the characters in these stories leave Venice, but a few of them return. Foreigners and arrivistes are ejected, but some are embraced. Considered altogether, these stories suggest that the past can only survive when it's married to the future, and that the real wonder of Venice is not its network of canals but its community of people--noble, flawed, loving, spiteful, sad, gracious, interdependent, and wholly human.
Elegant, worldly-wise and as captivating as the city it celebrates."
This says it all.
Average customer rating:
- Love In-Depth
- Entertaining but No Surprises
- Great Romance
- behind
- A Page Turner --- Really!
|
Behind the Pine Curtain
Gerri Hill
Manufacturer: Bella Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Lesbian | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
Lesbian | Romance | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Coyote Sky
-
The Killing Room
-
The Target
-
Too Close to Touch
-
Storms of Change
ASIN: 1594930570 |
Book Description
Jacqueline Keys was ostracized from her small hometown of Pine Springs, Texas when she was seventeen, sent away because she was gay. Her family was the largest employer in the county, owning Pine Springs Lumber, and her father was mayor of this small town. Her mother could not accept the fact that her only child was gay, could not tolerate the gossip about her family. So, with a hundred dollars in her pocket and a one-way bus ticket out of town, Jacqueline was told not to come back until she had come to her senses. And that included being prepared to marry the son of a business associate of the family.
Fifteen years later—long after she'd hitch-hiked to Los Angeles, long after she'd worked nights to put herself through college, and long after she'd written her first best seller, No Place For Family—Jacqueline is persuaded to go back to the tiny town of Pine Springs after her father's death.
The quick trip she'd envisioned for the funeral turns into weeks as she learns her father's business is suddenly hers to manage. And she is also again face-to-face with the woman who, as a teen, had been Jackie's first crush. She and Kay had been inseparable as kids, and later as teens. They find themselves falling back into their old habits, and Jackie is soon fighting the same feelings she'd had when she was seventeen.
But living behind the pine curtain, Kay is afraid of her love for Jackie, afraid of what her family will say, afraid of how the town will react. Jackie refuses to hide, refuses to crawl back into the closet, so once again, she leaves Pine Springs . . . alone.
Will Kay let her go? Or will Kay follow her heart?
Customer Reviews:
Love In-Depth.......2007-05-10
Understand the depth of love two women can feel for each other with this delightful romance that goes beyond carnal desires.
Entertaining but No Surprises.......2007-03-22
Gerri Hill is a fine writer and "Behind the Pine Curtain" is a typical example of her work. If there's anything to be said for Hill, she knows how to write a romance that showcases the full depth of feeling one woman--one *person*--can feel for another, beyond the simple carnal attraction that frequently limits other authors' depictions of relationships.
Nevertheless, I must confess to being a little disappointed. When I read a blurb, I expect it to be a teaser--an appetiser to whet my palate for the main-course. Unfortunately, the blurbs to Ms. Hill's books frequently *are* the books, simply summarised. If you've read the blurb, you've read the book, just with less detail. I confess, I want more book or less blurb :).
Great Romance.......2007-03-16
Gerri did it again. I felt for Jackie and how horribly she was treated. I loved both characters, and the sexual tension between them. Gerri brought me right into the life of Kay and her family. This book was good all the way through. Not just a happy ending.
behind.......2007-01-04
Better reading than the last few... at least booze is not the central theme this time.. maybe she's hearing that all lesbians do not ingest bottles of liquor every day
A Page Turner --- Really!.......2006-11-14
While still in high school, Jacqueline Keys was banished from her hometown by her parents after she came out as a lesbian. Fifteen years later, when her father's death compels her to return, she is a college graduate and an established novelist. Despite her success, many residents continue to resent and ostracize her. As a teenager Jackie was secretly in love with her best friend Kay Garland. When Kay welcomes Jackie and they begin to spend time together, old memories come back and new feelings begin to surface. As the story unfolds, both women struggle to resolve newfound emotional quandaries.
The plot is totally captivating. Jackie must confront the frustrating problems that accompany unexpectedly inheriting her father's business, while Kay must deal with the town's reaction to her new association with Jackie. The secondary characters are so realistically portrayed that they sometimes almost steal the show. The insightful characterization of Jackie and Kay is masterfully done.
I was hooked on this book from beginning to end. The author did an excellent job of letting me actually feel the emotional ups and downs of both protagonists. And as usual, the sex was hot (yummy!). I'm a big fan of Gerri Hill. Until now my favorite of hers was Hunter's Way, but this one is even better.
Customer Reviews:
A entertaining read.......2005-06-16
This collection of essays originally published in newspapers around the country is a pleasant read. Borders captures everyday life with clear writing and at- times strong emotions and humor. The concluding piece about living in the town where the bulk of the space shuttle Columbia's debris landed in 2003 is especially compelling.
Average customer rating:
|
Behind the pine curtain: Portraits of Peter Prep
Simeon Thole
Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Baby-3 | Ages 4-8 | Ages 9-12 | Animals | Arts & Music | Books on Cassette | Books on CD | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Computers | Educational | History & Historical Fiction | Issues | Literature | Obsessions | People & Places | Popular Characters | Reference & Nonfiction | Religions | Science, Nature & How It Works | Series | Sports & Activities
ASIN: 0814610412 |
Average customer rating:
|
East Texas: Tales from Behind the Pine Curtain
Mike Dougan
Manufacturer: Real Comet Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Midwest | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0941104257 |
Amazon.com
Many of us wish we could get by with less sleep. Beggars in Spain extrapolates that wish into a future where some people need no sleep at all. Nancy Kress, an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and columns on writing, has created another thoughtful but dramatic statement on social issues.
Leisha Camden was genetically modified at birth to require no sleep, and her normal twin Alice is the control. Problems and envy between the sisters mirror those in the larger world, as society struggles to adjust to a growing pool of people who not only have 30 percent more time to work and study than normal humans, but are also highly intelligent and in perfect health. The Sleepless gradually outgrow their welcome on Earth, and their children escape to an orbiting space station to set up their own society. But Leisha and a few others remain behind, preaching acceptance for all humans, Sleepless and Sleeper alike. With the conspiracy and revenge that unwinds, the world needs a little preaching on tolerance.
Book Description
Born in 2008, Leisha Camden is beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent . . . and one of an ever-growing number of human beings who have been genetically modified to never require sleep.
Once she and "her kind" were considered interesting anomalies. Now they are outcasts -- victims of blind hatred, political repression and shocking mob violence meant to drive the "Sleepless" from human society . . . and, ultimately, from the Earth itself.
But Leisha Camden has chosen to remain behind in a world that envies and fears her "gift" -- a world marked for destruction in a devastating conspiracy of freedom . . . and revenge.
Download Description
Nancy Kress's landmark genetic engineering story, one of the most critically acclaimed SF novellas of the last decade. A rich financier compels scientists to create for him the perfect daughter--smart, beautiful, and with no need to sleep. Kress masterfully explores the social implications of "Sleepless" people in a novella you will never forget. Hugo Award Winner; Nebula Award Winner; Fictionwise eBook of the Year (2000)
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good, but needs more character and plot development.......2007-09-24
Beggars in Spain is an interesting book based on an interesting premise. I debated between 3 and 4 stars though, because there were serious problems with the book. I decided on 4 stars because even with its problems, it's still a great book to add to your repetoire of modern sci fi writers. I have all the books in the series and found them to be good reads.
Questions - Why are the Sleepless so perfect? I felt that Kress didn't fully explore the possible repercussions of actually becoming "sleepless." What psychological effects would this have? What would really happen if a human didn't dream anymore? Why are the sleepless automatically so intelligent? Also, why are they so industrious? Just because some is awake for 24 hours, it doesn't mean that they will use all of that time being productive. Why were the majority of the sleepless in America when so many other industrilized nations had the money to use this technology? If the sleepless were so super intelligent, then why was Leisha Camden so utterly naive about her sister's relationship (or lack thereof) with their father?
All in all, a good book. I think that as Kress gains more experience, her writing and characters will drastically improve.
Super Reader.......2007-08-27
This is another take on the mutant children theme. The Sleepless are named such because they are born with no need to sleep. This does give them an advantage in study time, but they also seem to be superintelligent, and it seems that they have physical advantages along with their mental mutations.
The fate of all mutants is to be feared by the general populace and those whose power structures they threaten, but one of the Sleepless, Leisha, attempts to bridge the gap, even if it costs her fellowship with her own kind.
Smart science fiction, sometimes dense but ultimately worth the work.......2007-08-23
In total, "Beggars in Spain" is that kind of intellectual science fiction that you must consume slowly, if you don't want to choke. This is not a "rip-roaring good yarn;" it's a thoughtful, complex exploration of some essential questions of human nature and society--specifically, the de facto entitlement of the favorably born; the envy of those who aren't. Who would imagine that such a deep examination would arise from a little girl's resentment of her own exorbitant need for sleep?
The central premise of the novel involves the genetic manipulation of our offspring by a humanity obsessed with (and innately frightened by) perfection. Humans engineered without the need for sleep have twice the time to study and learn, to work and achieve. (It helps that their genetic alterations seems to preclude the "obsession with Tetris" gene that has dogged my own productivity. I'm not sure an additional 8 hours a day would stand me in such good stead.) As these Sleepless age, their differences isolate them physically and philosophically from their society--and sometimes from each other.
This book was given to me by a friend after a discussion about the moral of the children's story "Rainbow Fish". He thought that tale supplemented this--almost a primer of how the have-nots pressure the haves into watering their gifts down. I think he has a point. But that doesn't make this book some philosophical moral tale. There are some conclusions offered here, but for the most part this is a book of questions. Pride and prejudice? Thoroughly explored. The impact of giftedness on economic exchange? Examined. The psychological impacts of segregation and intermingling? Check. Now draw your own conclusions.
The novella that opens the book is a complete story, and it is probably the easier read. I found it a page-turner; the pace and the character development kept me engrossed. The continuation felt more distant, more intellectually engaging than emotional, but it still contributes significantly to the development of the ideas in the book. In some ways, it reminds me of Orson Scott Card's "Ender Saga." In the first book of that series, when Ender is young, the story is close and immediate. As Ender and the story progress, the awareness of character and reader expands to take in more. I'm not sure "Beggars in Spain" would have been successful if it had not also started with that narrower view. While the ideas throughout are sound, that first, immediate impression can be useful in propelling readers through some of the denser parts.
In brief, it's sometimes effortless reading, sometimes not--but the cumulative impact makes it worth the effort of chewing thoroughly, even when it sticks to the teeth.
disappointing.......2007-06-28
I purchased this book in Spain... Besides this curiosity, I must say I really wanted to read this book after reading some reviews, however it slightly disappointed me. It is a good book though, but to me it was very plain and simple. I thought it would have deeper characters but i find them to be pretty simple and not much realistic. The story looks to me rather unrealistic too, the events and actions that happen.. i'd never think they could really happen. I was expecting something that would have some "philosophical implications", or let's say something that would make you think about it, but there was none of this.
I would say it's like a long tale, but a tale nevertheless.
Begging for real characters.......2007-06-18
This book came highly recommended, and of course it has also won a ton of awards, but I wasn't impressed at all. There's very little characterization. The characters seem to exist just to move the plot along, ie "And then THIS happened and I'm going to tell you about it now!"
I was also reminded of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," in which the flat characters exist only as mouthpieces for Rand's philosophy.
As for the plot, it's interesting, but it clanks along kind of relentlessly. I couldn't help wondering if Nancy Kress did extensive outlining of the plot before she wrote this book, because I felt like I was reading a fleshed-out plot outline. As I said above, there was a feeling of, "OK, and now THIS happens. And...wait for it...now THIS happens!"
I have read only this novel, and have not read "Beggars in Spain" in the original, shorter, novella form, but it was pretty easy to discern where the novella ended and the rest of the novel-length book was tacked on.
Maybe it was the hype that set me up for high expectations. I was really disappointed.
Average customer rating:
|
Beggars in Spain
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I19HAA |
Average customer rating:
|
Beggars in Spain
Nancy Kress
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000UTGRL2 |
Book Description
Presents a readable and appealing introduction to what otherwise might seem an inaccessible religion of late antiquity.
Customer Reviews:
Gnosticism 101.......2007-02-20
If your passion is Gnosticism than this book is for you. One you would keep in your library. Very complete. I wish I owned the hard cover. This book will orient you to Gnosticism complete. I recommend reading this book BEFORE you read the Nag Hammadi Library. Not a book for everybody simply because you may not want to go into this much detail on the subject. After reading this book I can read more detailed Gnostic scriptures and have a much better understanding of what it is I am reading. This book was originally written in German by the Gnostic Scholar Kurt Rudolph. I enjoyed this book!
to Heady.......2007-01-05
This book may be helpful to some, not me. It all seemed to be to heady, if that is a word, and I didn't feel the urge to go past the first page. As I said maybe for some, not for me.
A "Must Have" for Modern Gnostics.......2006-10-03
GNOSIS: The Nature & History of Gnosticism by Kurt Rudolph is one of the ultimate resources on the subject of gnosis. A scholar of the very finest caliber, Rudolph meticulously explores the earliest origins of a loosely connected spiritual movement that can be historically traced back to at least the year One Common Era. Within this context the author alludes to the fact that Pagans, not just Christians, were associated to the Gnostic view of a universe under the domination of the Demiurge (Satan or exploitation). The author describes the inevitable conflict between the myriad Gnostics sects and the Church Establishment. The Gnostics were concerned with individual liberation, while the early Church was obsessed with imposing a rigid fundamentalism and considered the Gnostics to be the worst heretics-and dealt with them accordingly. The author also demonstrates the fact that Gnostics were involved in astrology, numerology & magic. He also states the compatibility of modern Gnosticism and socialism
The Gnostic Gospels
The Gnostic Bible
Living Gnosis: A Practical Guide to Gnostic Christianity
The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom
A Good Overview.......2004-08-16
For someone looking for a reasonably detailed and well-written introduction to Gnosticism, this is an excellent starting point. Covering most of the major Gnostic phenomena, it covers a difficult topic in a way that is pretty easy to get into.
Sometimes, it is a bit "wordy" and heavy going, though overall, it is an excellent intro.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Touchdown!.......2002-03-14
Rudolph the East German scores a touchdown on the zero yard line with this important expose of gnostics living and dead. While Hans Jonas tends to dwell on the myth of the pearl and the e-mail to soul trapped in Egypt, Rudolph crosses the line, and suffice it see his marshland journal of the Mandeans and the spread of the Manichees which reached the Pacific and installed gnosticism as a state relion in Uighurstan knows no equal. There are also pictures for the kids to color in.
Books:
- Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
- An Artist of the Floating World
- Angel Dust Apocalypse
- Annie John: A Novel
- Ashenden Or: The British Agent
- Behold the Many: A Novel
- Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
- Charlie Russell Journal
- Chasing Rumi: A Fable About Finding the Heart's True Desire
- Cloudsplitter: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Calvin Coolidge
- The Sacred Tree
- Stelarc: The Monograph
- PRINCIPLES OF FOREST ENTOMOLOGY Second Edition
- Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
- Scientific Computing
- The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science
- The Biology and Management of Red Alder
- Owning a Piece of the Minors
- Camino a la Grandeza Financiera, El: Los 10 Pasos Para Crear Riqueza, Seguridad y un Futuro Prospero
Venetian Stories
The City of Falling Angels
Falling Palace: A Romance of Naples
In The Spirit Of Venice
Suffer the Little Children: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
