Annie John: A Novel

Average customer rating:

i kept falling asleep . . . but kincaid is talented

Lovely writing but not Kincaid's best

A Fine Line Between Love and Hate

A real study of life on a Caribbean Island -- A different review

Appalling novel and annoying main character

Annie John: A Novel
Jamaica Kincaid
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0374525102

Amazon.com

Jamaica Kincaid beautifully delineates hatred and fear, because she knows they are often a step away from love and obsession. At the start of Annie John, her 10-year-old heroine is engulfed in family happiness and safety. Though Annie loves her father, she is all eyes for her mother. When she is almost 12, however, the idyll ends and she falls into deep disfavor. This inexplicable loss mars both lives, as each grows adept at public falsity and silent betrayal. The pattern is set, and extended: "And now I started a new series of betrayals of people and things I would have sworn only minutes before to die for." In front of Annie's father and the world, "We were politeness and kindness and love and laughter." Alone they are linked in loathing. Annie tries to imagine herself as someone in a book--an orphan or a girl with a wicked stepmother. The trouble is, she finds, those characters' lives always end happily. Luckily for us, though not perhaps for her alter ego, Kincaid is too truthful a writer to provide such a finale.

Book Description

Annie John is a haunting and provocative story of a young girl growing up on the island of Antigua. A classic coming-of-age story in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Kincaid’s novel focuses on a universal, tragic, and often comic theme: the loss of childhood. Annie’s voice—urgent, demanding to be heard—is one that will not soon be forgotten by readers.

An adored only child, Annie has until recently lived an idyllic life. She is inseparable from her beautiful mother, a powerful presence, who is the very center of the little girl’s existence. Loved and cherished, Annie grows and thrives within her mother’s benign shadow. Looking back on her childhood, she reflects, “It was in such a paradise that I lived.” When she turns twelve, however, Annie’s life changes, in ways that are often mysterious to her. She begins to question the cultural assumptions of her island world; at school she instinctively rebels against authority; and most frighteningly, her mother, seeing Annie as a “young lady,” ceases to be the source of unconditional adoration and takes on the new and unfamiliar guise of adversary. At the end of her school years, Annie decides to leave Antigua and her family, but not without a measure of sorrow, especially for the mother she once knew and never ceases to mourn. “For I could not be sure,” she reflects, “whether for the rest of my life I would be able to tell when it was really my mother and when it was really her shadow standing between me and the rest of the world."

Customer Reviews:

i kept falling asleep . . . but kincaid is talented.......2007-07-10

I tried reading Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and I
just couldn't finish it. The problems with the
story included Annie John herself. I didn't have
a problem with the sexual feelings, I just didn't realize
that was a "concern" until about 50 pages into the
book.

I kept waiting for some ephiphany or "aha" moment
that never came. She does struggle with her sexuality
but like Kincaid's writing in this story, that
particular storyline is very fluid and just kind of
floats along. It's not great but it's not wonderful
either. I would have liked Annie John to have some
emotion other than anger towards her mother, which
I still couldn't figure out why and maybe struggle
more with her feelings besides happiness towards
other little girls.

Another problem that I had, and A MAJOR ONE, is the
lack of dialogue in this story. Kincaid spends whole
chapters describing scenery that show the rich surroundings
of the Carribbean but the characters are not very well
developed. I understand why the story is told from the
point of view of a young girl but what I don't understand
is why characters such as the Red Girl are brought in
and then disappear a chapter later.

I previously read a masterpiece of Kincaid's called The
Autobiography of My Mother. I recommend reading that
book if you truly want to see Kincaid's gift as a storyteller.

Lovely writing but not Kincaid's best.......2006-05-31

This novel has the same beautiful, flowing, sparkling language as LUCY, which I loved. The sentences are a joy to read (they reminded me a little of Thom Jones, with their relentless, driving, dialogue-free qualities). This is essentially a slice-of-life story about Annie's teenage years in the West Indies that ends with her leaving for England. Annie is an interesting and complex character and I admired the unquestioning way in which we are told about her falling in love (crush?) with Gwen and the Red Girl. There is a wonderfully female sensibility in this book, the kind that is confident enough to portray women in all their complexity, as bad and as good, as able to wish well and able to rejoice in other's pain. However, the mother-daughter relationship did not convince me. I felt as if the writer knew more about this relationship than the reader was being told and so when I came to the sentence `I no longer loved my mother,' I did not believe it because I had seen to reason for this. The mother changes as the daughter gets older and, even making room for normal teenage angst, there were parts of the narrative that seemed determined to have the mother and daughter estranged even if it was not organic to the rest of the narrative. Of course, this happens in real life all the time but the demands of fiction are different - the reader should not be expected to make assumptions from `real life.' Still, Jamaica Kincaid is a brilliant writer. Her language is superb and her story-telling, even if not best demonstrated here, is remarkable.

A Fine Line Between Love and Hate.......2006-05-21

At first, I was a bit wary about wanting to read this text as "Lucy" had not been one of my favorites. "Annie John" however, for being such a slim novel, was packed with the issues that result from teen angst in combination with the ever problematic relationship of a mother and daughter.
Annie and her mother start off with a wonderfully intimate relationship that Annie likens to "paradise" only to see it crumble as Annie matures into a sexual being, becoming TOO MUCH like her mother. It is at this time that Annie goes looking outside the home to replace the mother she now calls "serpent." Once expelled from paradise, Annie does what she can to spite her mother by thieving and hanging out with girls her mother disapproves of.
Like "Lucy," "Annie John" seems to have an evil side to her. She is angry and flawed as well as self-loathing and arrogant. In other words, she is turmoil personified. Her dark side is one reason I found this book so readable, but perhaps the most compelling thing about the novel is the mother/daughter relationship. Perhaps no one has figured out why such relationships are seemingly always fraught with intense animosity and competition, but Kincaid certainly relates the horrific reality of the fact quite convincingly.
While this story certainly contains no idealistic or happy ending, it is rich in psychology and what can only be deemed as troubling personal experience on the part of the author.
I recommend this one to any woman (or man)who ever experienced the fine line of love and hate with her own mother once upon a time.

A real study of life on a Caribbean Island -- A different review.......2006-05-04

This book reads like poetry. Ms Kincaid describes simple acts (such as doing laundry) with detail and with the perspective of a young girl. I tend to read an author's complete works. I have done so with Amy Tan and Paule Marshall. I was aware of Jamaica Kincaid but had never read her until Amy Tan named "Annie John" and "Lolita" as the 2 books which influenced her the most.
Ms Kincaid includes the small stuff which add up and leave the reader with the smell of Antiguan food cooking, and girls attending school wearing English-style uniforms.
This is a book that I will read and read again. I hope you enjoy it.

Appalling novel and annoying main character.......2006-04-12

I had to read Annie John for my English class and I can say that it is probablly one of the worst books I have read yet. Not only are the characters difficult to relate to, but the book is extremely dull and written as a comeing of age story. Basically, the book starts out with Annie, the protagonist a girl growing up in Antigua remembering how much her mother loved her when she was a young girl. Then, in the next few chapters, Annie describes herself as a 12 year old girl going to school and having an overpowering love for her friend Gwen. She has behavior problems and does some things that her mother seems shamed about and she further distances from her mother. The next couple chapters, she is an akward 15 yr. old in classes with older girls who are more developed then she is as she puts it and she dislikes this. At this time, her thoughts that her mother doesn't like her have escalated into her hating her mother and her thinking that her mother returns these same feelings. She doesn't love Gwen anymore and feels lonely. Finally, when she is 17 she leaves home and goes to train to become a nurse and oddly actually will miss her mother even though throughout the book (for the most part) she has shown strong resentment and hatred towards her mother....Anyway, this book was so extremelly horrible and I hope you don't ever read it. If you decide to read it or are forced to I pity you, because this book is trash and I don't see why anyone would publish it...BIG MISTAKE on their part.

Understanding Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)

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Understanding Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)
Deborah Mistron
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Annie John: A Novel

ASIN: 0313302545

Book Description

Since its publication in 1985, Annie John has become one of the most widely taught novels in American high schools. Part of its appeal lies in its unique setting, the island of Antigua. This interdisciplinary collection of 30 primary documents and commentary will enrich the reader's understanding of the historical, social, and cultural contexts of the novel. Among the topics examined are slavery in the Caribbean, the various religions in the Caribbean islands, the controversy over Christopher Columbus, family life in Antigua, and emigrations from the West Indies to the United States. Sources include newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, first-person narratives and memoirs of life in the Caribbean, letters, and position papers. Most of the documents are not readily available in any other printed form. A literary analysis of Annie John examines the novel in light of its historical, social, and cultural contexts and as a coming-of-age novel. Each chapter concludes with study questions and topics for research papers and class discussion based on the documents in the chapter, and lists of further reading for examining the themes and issues raised by the novel. This casebook is valuable to students and teachers to help them understand the setting of the novel, its themes, and its young heroine.

Jamaica Kincaid's "Annie John": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 03, Chapter 2)

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Jamaica Kincaid's "Annie John": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 03, Chapter 2)

Manufacturer: The Gale Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B00006G3IC
Release Date: 2002-07-23

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."

Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students."

Book Description

Fleeing from imminent marriage, Lord Will finds refuge by the sea. Assuming the guise of a dandy, William is as far away from London scandal as he can get-or so he thinks. Then he crosses paths with a pretty outcast who might just be the solution to his problems.

Customer Reviews:

Good Read -Different, plenty of scandals.......2006-08-02

Both fleeing scandals and the the notorious ton of London, Lord Will and Miss Sophie Sommerset meet in the quite refuge of Burnham-by-the-sea. She's an odd one, a breeches wearing heiress (if married by her 30th) who likes to go fishing. He's intrigued and sets out to seduce, only to be seduced himself. Mis-understandings abound, a wager is placed, hearts are broken and scandals insue. Plenty of angst and action here. Its a wonder that there's a happy ending -almost wasn't.

I liked this one. The depth of scandal in this book is more than any other regency I've read recently and I'm not so sure its realistic the way everything is resolved, but its a good book. Sophie was a bit too bitter from the last third on, but that made the ending that more special. Not a deep intellectual, emotion-gripper like McNaught, but worth a read.

Great Read - Lots of fun!.......2005-11-04

I read all of the reviews of this book and agreed with the professional reviewers and the readers who rated it highly - this was a great, fun, and well-paced read. I enjoyed both hero and heroine, as well as the interesting secondary characters. Ms. Nash has a deft hand with building a believable plot, tangling her characters up in it and then getting them out again. She writes with wit, humor, and wonderful detail. I enjoyed this one tremendously. If you're a Regency Fan, keep Sophia Nash on your Amazon Alert list!

A Booklist Top Ten romance of the year-5 stars plus.......2005-11-03

This is one of the American Library Association's Top Ten romances of the year. It was a terrific book - very romantic, funny, and even a tear jerker at one point. I was surprised by how much I was moved by the demure heroine who had to grow into a mature woman when faced with a windfall. And her counterpart was superb, a dark hero with a scandalous past. If you like books set in this time period, I highly recommend this one.
I bought all the Top Tens this year and of the ones I've read so far my favorites were Jill Marie Landis' Heartbreak Hotel, Dangerous Passions by L. Kerstan, Stolen Magic by MJ Putney, and this book.

Not sure why people thought this was so good..........2005-08-01

I think it must be the racy scenes and the take-off on the popular sit-com 'Will and Grace'. I agree with some of the previous reviewers - there's not much to the plot. The characters aren't that well developed and you don't really find out much about them until the end of the book. But this doesn't make them mysterious - it makes you feel like you've jumped into the story in the middle. And the romance itself left me cold - mostly because I felt it was non-existent. In summary, not a lot of conversation or characterization, just a lot of well written lovemaking.

Excellent book.......2005-07-22

My two favorite romances this year (so far) were this book and the first in Mary Balogh's new series. I really liked this novel - set during the Regency period because the interaction between the two main characters was wonderfully funny and also very passionate. The duel and waltz scenes were great - really made you feel like you were right there in the period.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

A strange idea for a book, this one, mostly probably an excuse for another justice league story to keep some fans happy.

In the middle of the whole Hal Jordan hoo-hah, he comes back to help the JLA save the earth from one of those big bad menaces, knowing full well what he will become.

Mistrust and action follow.

This is readable although it is DC crossover.......2006-11-10

It is not even near three books with death and return of Superman, but it has great ending. You don't have to know lot about DC history before events in this book. Three and half stars , maybe...

Hal is saved for the ending.......2006-04-20

Basic Storyline is that the Earths sun is getting sucked up by an alien species. No matter what the planets super heros seem to do they cant stop it. Near the end Kyle finds Hal (Parallax) near the end of the universe and asked him to save his home planet. After doing some sould searching Hal decides to help, but in the end must give all the energy he has to do it. Killing himself to save a planet full of those who see him as a murderer. A great way to end the life of Hal Jordan, the greatest Green Lantern.

The end of Hal Jordan...for now........2006-02-13

The Final Night is at first one of your standard summer comic book crossover events. When a creature known as the Sun Eater extinguishes the Earth's sun, the entire planet begins dying. Superheroes who at first take the apocalyptic threat lightly find that the Sun Eater is not so easily stopped and that they too seem doomed. This is in many ways a standard story designed to drum up sales by featuring as many superheroes as possible. Then Hal Jordan shows up, and the standard story changes.

Of all the Silver Age heroes, no one got a worse treatment than Hal Jordan in the 90s. Deemed too one-dimensional for modern readers, he went through a series of events that did lasting damage to his legacy as a hero. Superman's enemies destroyed his home city, driving Hal insane and causing him to destroy the Green Lantern Corps, giving up his role as Green Lantern and becoming the nigh-omnipotent Parallax in the process. In a few years, Hal went from being an iconic hero to a murderous villain. Writers intended him to come off as sympathetic and misunderstood, but he really came off as a murderer and a psychopath with a few whiny diatribes to justify his actions.

Halfway through Final Night, Hal's replacement as the Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, seeks him out to help save the Earth. Hal knows from the beginning that he can destroy the Sun Eater, but that the process will likely kill him. He spends most of his on-panel time going through the shattered remains of his life, visiting friends that he left behind, his old lover Carol Ferris, and the grave of his best friend Oliver Queen as he comes to terms with what he must do. We know from the time he starts walking down memory lane that he will sacrifice himself in order to save the day. The story isn't about suspense; it's about one of the DC Universe's finest heroes coming full circle and giving up everything to save the world. This comic does what six years of DC writers failed to do: it makes Hal Jordan sympathetic again. It reinforces the fact that despite all the wrongs he has committed as Parallax, he is still a hero.

Of course, no one stays dead in DC Comics. Hal returned three years later when he became bonded with the Spirit of God's Vengeance in the Day of Judgment crossover. Then, in Green Lantern: Rebirth, he finally returned to life and took up the mantle of the Green Lantern again, bringing hope and light back into the DC Universe. Some might argue that these later stories weakens the impact of the Final Night; I don't agree with them. While we know now that Hal eventually comes back, the story here does not entertain the notion that he will ever return. Hal gives his life knowing that many people will remember him as a villain and a murderer. He gives everything to do the right thing, knowing that most people won't even know that he saved them. The weight of Hal's decision remains real in this story, regardless of whether or not he has returned since.

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night.............2004-05-19

Those word will forever inspire all who reads this to give it all they got with no fear of personal consequences.
A being so powerful to block out the sun and starts to consumes it. None of earth (on eath, off, and even from different time)greatest superheroes could stop it. (Yes even Superman failed) Every means to stop or devert it falls to failure. And in the end, a once hero, now labeled by his peers, a supervillan is called by his succesor: Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)to help.
This so-called supervillan is Hal Jordan going by the name of Parallax.
Bacially blacked balled by the world for the "Zero Hour" incident, he is face with the decision that would decide the future of not only earth but the entire galaxy if the Sun-Eater prevails. The story give you early hints his fate but it still hold you to every word. At the end he proves that he's still a hero, still the greatest Green Lantern as he recites that famous oath;
In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night..No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might. Beware my power....

Green Lantern Light!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Very well written

A bit disappointed

Craving for something more

now I'm waiting for the sequal to Gehenna.. wait a sec...

Interesting, but flawed

Gehenna, the Final Night: The Final Night (Vampire the Masquerade)
Ari Marmell
Manufacturer: World of Darkness
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1588468550

Customer Reviews:

Very well written.......2005-07-08

First things first, this is my first exposure to Vampire: the Masquerade (VtM), so if you don't want a noob's opinion skip this review. On the other hand I've been reading fantasy for about 15 years; I just happened to see this particular book in a used book store and grabbed it. In a way I'm sorry since it's basically the beginning of a re-birth of the VtM world, and I never experienced that world before this (plus now I know the fate of many characters whom I suspect are regulars in the world).

At any rate, this book was surprisingly well written. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to bad writing, but Marmell was able to weave a tale that kept me truly interested. The main character (Beckett) was a sort of morally grey character that I genuinely liked. None of the characters were over the top, the dialogue flowed, I was never left wondering what in the nine hells the author was talking about - in short, this book avoided all of the major problems I've run into in other similar books. The plot was fast-paced and jumped around a lot, but the layout of the book made it fluid and easy to follow.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and can't think of anything bad to say about it (which is in itself a testament to its quality). I simply wish I had read some other stuff in the VtM world first.

A bit disappointed.......2005-02-10

I just finished reading Gehenna. This is the first Vampire novel I've actually read. Having read as much as I can about the metaplot from the roleplaying books, I was a bit disappointed in the ending.

Like a previous reviewer, I wanted more questions answered. I wanted concrete answers to all of the "myths" about kindred society.

That doesn't take away from the fact the author, in my opinion, did a great job with writing the novel. The descriptions he used, especially describing the beast and how it reacted to stressful situations, was great.

Craving for something more.......2005-01-18

I bought this book because I wanted to know how this great series ended. Was I disappointed? A tab bit. There were several prominent figures from pervious novels that weren't even mention like Aisling Sturbridge, Isabel Giovanni, or Khalil. There's no written note, e-mail, or confession. Guess we have to make them up ourselves.
If you want, buy the book for some easy reading but don't expect much. This book was suppose to coincide w/ the storyline on the recently release game Bloodlines, especially concerning the Anarch Smiling Jack.

now I'm waiting for the sequal to Gehenna.. wait a sec..........2005-01-17

I have been a long time fan of the V:TM plotline, mainly game focused material but books as well. I was hoping this "finale" would answer my questions, provide details, uncover secrets, maybe even show a man-behind-the-curtain and basically wrap-up the world of darkness vampire plotline as I knew it. Although the writer does a very good job of outlining the cause and effects within the game itself, he dodges all the major storyline meat I wanted to chew. I wanted to read a book with some answers, and at the end of the book I felt very much like the main character did, which is that the answers aren't going to come. I feel I wasted my time reading this book; it is written well, I will give it that much credit. BUT. If you are looking for the climax of Gehenna, battles between elders, devastating mystery powers, mythic figures, ancient secrets revealed, basic kerblaam stuff, and the rest of that epic carp, look further. I can say that near the end of the book, I kept checking how many pages I had yet to read as there were too many questions and plotlines left unanswered and untouched. Now, I guess its time to start waiting for Gehenna: The Next Final Night. Or maybe Gehenna: Final Night #XVI: Caine Vs. Himself...

Interesting, but flawed.......2004-04-30

This was only the 2nd WOD novel I've read. I've played the game a few times, but am not a fan of Role-playing. The world itself is interesting, though, and so I bought this book.
It was good, but could have used a little tighter editing. Also, a lot of characters were introduced, and I think most of them have been around a while. This might be good for people who've followed the whole series, but it made it hard to figure out motivations we (it seemed) were assumed to already know.
I'd say this is worth reading if you want to know how it all ends (for now) and you might like it more if you know who all the characters are.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: The Final Conflict: Yet More of the Best (?) from the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (Bulwer-Lytton Contest)

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My Students Sometimes Write Like This (Unintentionally)
Too much of a good thing
The original collection of Bullwer-Lytton entries.
One of the funniest books I've ever read.
Absolutely hilarious

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: The Final Conflict: Yet More of the Best (?) from the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (Bulwer-Lytton Contest)

Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140157913

Customer Reviews:

My Students Sometimes Write Like This (Unintentionally).......2001-11-04

It was a hot and dusty night (for you see, dear review reader, I live in a desert, where the nocturnal temperatures sometimes do not go below 90 degrees -- that is in the height of summer, as when I began this humorous tome I am reviewing) when I sat down to read the submissions of frustrated Victorian 'wannabees' who have more time on their hands than American Vice Presidents (present times excluded, of course) to dish out poorly conceived sentences modeled on that paragon of forgotten 19th Century literature, Bulwer-Lytton, whose flowery prose brings to mind the brain of soap opera producers who don't know when to stop; and neither did I, because this book was so darn funny, I almost wet myself -- therefore, I highly recommend it as a pleasant diversion better than Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- and that's saying a lot.

Too much of a good thing.......2001-06-15

Scott Rice, ed., It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: The Best of the Bulwer-Lytton Contest (Penguin, 1984)

It seems like a can't-miss idea, right? Publish the thousand or so best of the myriad entries the Bulwer-Lytton contest got in 1984. And, really, there's a lot of funny stuff here. But two hundred pages' worth does get old. Definitely a bathroon-read kind of book. It does divulge such brilliant bits as "a crowded elevator smells different to a midget," though, so it's worth your time. ** 1/2

The original collection of Bullwer-Lytton entries........2001-02-15

The Bullwer-Lytton fiction contest (named for Edward George Bullwer-Lytton, who is responsible for the novel "Paul Clifford" (1830) which is famous for the opening line, "It was a dark and stormy night...", often spoofed, most famously by Snoopy in the "Peanuts" comic strip) has been an annual contest since 1983, the object of which is to write the worst possible opening sentence to a hypothetical novel. To be honest, this one isn't QUITE as funny as "Dark and Stormy; the Final Conflict", which is the only other collection that I've read yet, but it is still well worth reading if you have the particular warped sense of humor to enjoy parodies of overblown purple prose.

One of the funniest books I've ever read........2000-10-03

The Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest is an annual contest run by Scott Rice of San Jose State University. in which he challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels; the inspiration for the contest (and the title of it) is Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, who wrote the much-spoofed "Paul Clifford" in 1830, the novel that begins with the phrase, "It was a dark and stormy night...". This book is the fourth of, so far as I know, five collections of the best (most stunningly bad?) entries to that contest.

Absolutely hilarious.......1999-10-19

Many of us how to write bad Hemingway. Lots of us can write a bad novel noir, after, say, Raymond Chandler. But just a few pages of this book instruct us in a much broader range of bad writing. This book is a true classic and should be in every library. Or maybe, supressed...

Escape the Coming Night: An Electrifying Tour of Our World As It Races Toward Its Final Days

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Escape the Coming Night: An Electrifying Tour of Our World As It Races Toward Its Final Days
Dr. David Jeremiah , and C.C. Carlson
Manufacturer: Word Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Escape The Coming Night

ASIN: 0849932955

Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock: Memoir His Last Collaborator The Final Unproduced Screenplay The Short Night

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Lost In the Mail
An insightful behind-the-scenes look at the master's methods
Underwhelming
A master struggles to work up to the end

Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock: Memoir His Last Collaborator The Final Unproduced Screenplay The Short Night
David Freeman
Manufacturer: Overlook TP
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ASIN: 087951728X

Customer Reviews:

Lost In the Mail.......2005-08-04

I did not recieve this item and have had no response from my email. I was charged for it though! Something for nothing , wish I had a job like that.

An insightful behind-the-scenes look at the master's methods.......1999-09-20

After having years ago started and abandoned Donald Spoto's dry, psychologizing biography of Alfred Hitchcock, I found this book by Hitch's last collaborator a welcome surprise. It offers a far more tangible and intimate portrayal of the actual, day-to-day functioning of Hitchcock's genius, thrown into sharp--and often comic--relief by the old man's inexorable decline. This often poignant, always clear-eyed memoir examines Hitchcock's working methods in illuminating detail: his exploratory process of developing the screenplay, his focus on the minutiae of his characters and the topography of their environment, his views on editing and image size, shock vs suspense, "horizontal cinema" vs "pure cinema," and his use of rhythm and tempo to elicit detailed performances that help audiences identify with his characters. The author's penetrating analyses of Hitchcock's films, and his insightful behind-the-scenes commentary on the included screenplay made me want to go back to view again films I've watched a dozen times. This book is a treasure for Hitchcock fans, and required reading for working or aspiring writers and directors.

Underwhelming.......1999-09-18

This book reveals more about its insolent author than about Hitchcock. I do not take issue with the notion that Hitchcock was suffering and struggling in his final days, but I do take issue in this largely disrespectful account. There is enough of historical value here to make the book worth reading, but barely. The first hand accounts make for some interesting reading, but it seems as if the author is stretching to increase his page count. As a result, he pads with uninspired analysis of Hitchcock's previous films including sections on such commonplace information as Hitchcock's cameo appearances. The bulk of the book is the script for "The Short Night" which is underdeveloped, having been cancelled as a project before a final draft was completed. The author describes what some of the changes may have been for the next draft.

A master struggles to work up to the end.......1999-09-16

I've read "The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock" with pleasure. Before saying why, I want to comment on a review posted by another reader. It's a misguided attack that cries out for a response. The objection seems to be that the Hitchcock that emerges isn't the one the reader wanted him to be. So? The book is a balanced and nuanced portrait of a great artist at the end of his life. Hitchcock was in bad shape. The pleasure of this book and the reason that people should read it is that we can see his struggle from day to day. Far from being "tabloid commentary" it's an immensely moving story. There's sadness in Hitchcock's deterioration, but there's inspiration in his refusal to quit. This book is about Hitchcock's humanity.

Night Fishing for Trout: The Final Frontier

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Night Fishing for Trout: The Final Frontier
James L. Bashline
Manufacturer: Willow Creek Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0932558429

An Actor's Life: From First Night to Final Curtain a Theatrical Anthology

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An Actor's Life: From First Night to Final Curtain a Theatrical Anthology

Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1857934164

AMAZING STORIES - Volume 64, number 6 - March Mar 1990: Whatever Gets You Through the Night; The Final Cut; Lenin in Odessa; Over the Long Haul; The Diplomacy Guild; Voice in the Desert; Stout Hearts

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AMAZING STORIES - Volume 64, number 6 - March Mar 1990: Whatever Gets You Through the Night; The Final Cut; Lenin in Odessa; Over the Long Haul; The Diplomacy Guild; Voice in the Desert; Stout Hearts
Patrick Lucien (editor) (W. T. Quick; Michael A. Stackpole; George Zebrowski; Martha Soukup; David Brin; Judith Tarr; J. R. Dunn) Price
Manufacturer: TSR - Birthright
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0SUEY

ASTOUNDING TALES OF SPACE AND TIME: Hobbyist; Late Night Final; Hindsight; Thunder and Roses; E for Effort; Protected Species; Historical Note

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ASTOUNDING TALES OF SPACE AND TIME: Hobbyist; Late Night Final; Hindsight; Thunder and Roses; E for Effort; Protected Species; Historical Note
John W. (editor) (Eric Frank Russell; Jack Williamson; Theodore Sturgeon; T. L. Sherred; H. B. Fyfe; Murray Leinster) Campbell
Manufacturer: Berkley Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVWHYA

ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY - Volume 53, number 2 - February Feb 1969: Coin of the Realm; An Academic Crime; Up Where the Air Is Clean; Just a Night's Work; Project Murder; Poison in the Cup; Dover Pulls a Rabbit; Rear Window; The Final Adventure

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ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY - Volume 53, number 2 - February Feb 1969: Coin of the Realm; An Academic Crime; Up Where the Air Is Clean; Just a Night's Work; Project Murder; Poison in the Cup; Dover Pulls a Rabbit; Rear Window; The Final Adventure
Ellery (editor) (Stanley Ellin; Henry T. Parry; Robert Twohy; William Fay; Steven Peters; Christianna Brand; Joyce Porter; Cornell Woolrich; Shane Stevens; H. Heidenfeld; Jack Leavitt) Queen
Manufacturer: Davis Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HK49IW

Book Description

Fr. Brackley uses the timeless insights of Ignatious to explain a genuine spiritual methodology: True ways of decisionmaking for living better, more fulfilled lives.

Customer Reviews:

Discernment TODAY.......2007-09-14

An insightful, comprehensive, and essential up-dating of the Ignatian call to discernment, especially in today's world. Highly recommended!

Saint Ignatius of Loyola's exercises updated.......2007-03-21

This is a great book to be read by christians and not christians living in the actuarial world, full of stress, worries and deceives, which teach us how to turn back our eyes, heart and soul towards God, with him in our hearts and life, and facing the world with hope, following the steps dictated by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his book of spiritual exercises.

Ignatius for challenging the New World Order.......2007-02-02

Some months ago I met the author at a conference. Two months ago I read this book while on an Ignatian 30-day retreat. It was excellent spiritual reading and is exactly where I am at in my life now: trying to discern how I might be part of the struggle against the excesses of global injustice. Brackley takes the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola and helps us see how in the process of the Exercises we might move away from a me-directed spirituality [all too common in much spirituality] to a spirituality of solidarity and engagement. Its all very inspiring stuff...I am not normally one to enthuse over books of spirituality - all too often they vary from drippy piety mixed with no theology thru to sound ideas mixed with ponderous heavy-bottomed theology. Brackley is remarkable in that his theology is interesting, contemporary and combined in the right measure with his exposition of the Exercises and ideas for doing the Exercises. Excellent stuff! I wish the anti-globalization activists I know would read it - it would nourish their souls and inspire their activism!

A NEW LOOK AT THE EXERCISES, DESTINED TO BECOME A CLASSIC.......2006-12-05

A NEW LOOK AT THE EXERCISES, DESTINED TO BECOME A CLASSIC
The wisdom of St. Ignatius spoken of in the title is, of course, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and this book is Dean Brackley's interpretation of them. Jesuits have been writing this kind of book for centuries. Many are pious, run-of-the-mill productions. A few are exceptional; and I believe this is one of them. The "Foreword for Skeptics" alone is worth the price of the book. Ellen Calmus, a friend of Brackley and the copyeditor of the book, was not what you would call a believer and took the job with no real interest in religion. But the text chipped away at her unbelief, and one Christmas eve, when having nothing in particular to celebrate she was working on the copy, the light dawned and her life changed. A year later she was baptized by the author. This will probably not be the average reaction to the book, but it is worth reading. The author is a man of intelligence, learning and insight steeped in Ignatian spirituality and he speaks from a depth far beyond mere words with a new and fresh voice in a way that might be heard by the post-modern seeker. As Professor of Theology and Ethics at the University of Central America since 1990 and a successor of the Jesuits martyred there the previous year, he might be expected to stress the social justice dimension of the Exercises. And he does, but in so gentle a fashion that he opens up possibilities without imposing guilt trips on the reader. Brackley is faithful to the teaching of Ignatius, but offers even those familiar with the Exercises new insights and perspectives. The book will be particularly useful for those giving or making or studying the Spiritual Exercises.

Enlightening!.......2005-12-10

This is the first time I have studied the wisdom of Ignatius, and I am enthralled! Dean Brackley does a fabluous job of relating these wise thoughts to today's world. He educates, challenges, and inspires his readers. I reccommend this book to everyone.

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