Book Description
They were the family with everything. Money. Influence. Glamour. Power. The power to halt a police investigation in its tracks. The power to spin a story, concoct a lie, and believe it was the truth. The power to murder without guilt, without shame, and without ever paying the price. America's royalty, they called the Bradleys. But an outsider refuses to play his part. And now, the day of reckoning has arrived. . . .
Customer Reviews:
An indictment of American culture.......2007-10-07
"A Season In Purgatory" is not simply a fictionalized account of the Martha Moxley murder, nor is it just a trashing (or recounting, depending on your view) of the Kennedy family. While it uses both of these to full advantage, the result is more than that.
Dunne shines a light on the American desire for their heroes to come with a narrative that matches the national mythology - rags to riches, religious, family centered, generous, philanthropic, handsome or beautiful, and above all, successful. The fictitious Bradleys, who will stop at nothing to perfect this image and grab the power and money that is the reward for reaching the pinnacle of the American dream, leave a trail of destroyed lives in their wake. That Dunne has been able to write an interesting novel that also raises deep issues about "American values" is what makes "A Season in Purgatory" a great read.
By merging three generations of Kennedys as well as tossing in the Skakel family (Ethel Kennedy's family, one member of which was convicted recently in the murder this book was inspired by), we get a sort of Frankenstein's Monster - a creation that is so corrupt and so ultimately destructive that it is a tragedy both for iteself all all it comes in contact with. I also appreciated the details Dunne included - such as the family patriarch hiring a ghostwriter for his son's book and also buying up large numbers of the same book to ensure a bestseller, actions that have been attributed to Joseph Kennedy, for example. These, and other details, force us to realize that there really is always a "man behind the curtain". Dunne is famous for his hatred of the manipulation of the justice system by the privileged, and this book clearly shows how the blame for this lies not only in the willingness of the wealthy and famous to lie and cheat and buy "justice" , but of the public's willingness to let them get away with it in order to keep our heroes on their pedestals. A good job by Dunne, who can sometimes come across as pretty smug but mostly avoids that in this book.
Family curse.......2006-05-20
This is a fascinating read, a barely disguised ( or not at all) expose of one of the most notorious families of American political history. When Harrison, a teenaged boy is orphaned by the murder of his parents, he is scooped up under the wing of the family of his classmate, Constant, at boarding school. His excellence at writing makes him a useful friend to Constant, whose family has great expectations for him in a political future. When he witnesses some of Constant's worst excesses, he is bribed to silence by having his schooling financed by the head of the family. Being very young and inexperienced, he goes along with his position until he is grown and realizes that he will be forever in their thrall. It's not until twenty years later, when the murder committed by Constant becomes public, that he accuses the family of covering up the crime in which he was made an accessory, and he unburdens himself of the guilt he has carried for all of these years. The whole book is an indictment of the power of money and position, in smoothing over the less savoury parts of people's lives and characters and how these same people can learn to justify their actions and to blame everyone else for their own faults and weaknesses.
Excellent book!.......2006-02-20
I am only half-way completed with this book and it is absolutely incredible! It is of the sort that is so hard to put down! In that it is based on the Moxley murder, it is written prior to the trial of Michael Skakel, so it does go with the assumption of Tommy Skakel being the murderer. Both boys had been suspected of the murder. All the names have been changed, of course, as well as the addition of characters/deletion of others. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.
Great Reading.......2005-08-16
This was the second time that I read this book and I will read it again. The story was never dull and was very difficult to put down. Between readings, I did lend it to a friend who absolutely hated it and had a hard time getting through it. She said it reminded her too much of a prominent Massachusetts family. I had just thought it was an exceptionally good fiction novel. Upon the second reading, I also saw the similarities to the family but still enjoyed the book and believe the author got his point across.
Too real, too close to home!.......2004-02-26
Wow, this was riviting! The real story masked as a novel. Brought back all those scary memories from Greenwich and that mysterious murder in 1975. Did someone get away with murder?
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
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A Season in Purgatory
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HH02XQ |
Average customer rating:
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Season in Purgatory
Thomas Keneally
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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| Literature & Fiction
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Historical
| Genre Fiction
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ASIN: 0156798506 |
Book Description
At a school where basketball is king, the Villanova football team battles opponents both on and off the field. Low on cash and recruiting power, the Division I-AA Wildcats must constantly justify their existence to a prestigious academic institution and the students and alumni who bemoan the team’s “minor league” status. This story of Villanova’s 2005 season is an inside account of a football program wading through the political mire to bring glory to a school largely indifferent to its efforts.
Through the Wildcats' experience, Tony Moss explores the inner workings of college football, particularly the chasm between Division I-A, home of the most visible, successful programs, and Division I-AA, where crowds are smaller but competition is just as intense. As alumni and faculty question the cost of funding sixty-three football scholarships and a full-time coaching staff, Moss leaves us to decide whether the struggle is worth the cost to schools outside the spotlight and whether the game has any inherent value apart from the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
A Season In Purgatory - Villanova & Life In College Football's Lower Class.......2007-09-28
Tony Moss' account of NCAA I AA Football is wonderful book. Sports books aren't always the best in terms of writing but this was an exception. I found the book to not only tell a good story but also entertain the reader by the writing style. The examination focuses on Villanova but it really is much more than a story about one year in the life of a college football team. Readers who love football will find Tony's book to be not only entertaining but also a fairly honest picture. Why do schools consider moving up to Division I? What financial pressures exist playing at the I AA level? What challenges to I AA teams have relative to recruiting, gaining media exposure etc. are all covered. Very good book for fans of college football.
Book Description
No one could ever accuse Rebecca Tremaine of being a proper young lady. She's wretched at embroidery, pitiful at the pianoforte, and entirely too informed about the human body, courtesy of her father's Scientific Journals. And now she's been compromised by a dandy she despises! When her parents arrange a hasty marriage to save her honor, there is only one man she can turn to for help.Nobody has any idea that Irish groom Connor Riordan is actually the fifth Duke of Dunbrooke, "killed" in action at Waterloo, and he wants it to stay that way. But a true gentleman can never turn away from a damsel in distress. Soon Connor and Rebecca dash away and into a world of adventure, where they are pursued by bumbling highwaymen, a scheming duchess, and Rebecca's fianc+.Being by the side of the beautiful and desirable Rebecca jeopardizes Connor's secret every day#151;and tests his willpower every night. For if ever there was a reason to bring the Duke of Dunbrooke back from the dead, it would be to make Ms. Tremaine his Duchess!
Customer Reviews:
LOVED IT!.......2007-07-10
I adored this book! The characters were so sweet to one another. I know the age thing seemed a little weird to some but it was not until that Rebecca was 17 going on 18 that they made the romantic ideas known and he was 29 when that happened. So there was a 12 yr difference between them and during that time period that was not unlikely at all (but she still should have made him a little younger). However I loved his Irish accent and the sweet name he gave her "wee Becca". All in All I loved this book I thought both characters had a unique quality that sometimes gets looked over. Gentleness.
Couldn't stop reading!.......2007-02-16
A delightful book - I became involved with the characters from the first page. Both hero and heroine are unusual, intelligent, and compassionate people, who seemed quite believable in their actions and motivations. I had no trouble believing that the hero would choose to leave his constricted life of a duke's heir behind him; he wanted the challenge of creating his own life and his own fortunes. I saw no "ick" factor at all in his interest in the 12-yr-old girl, as our heroine is in the first chapter. He expressed NO sexual interest in her then; rather he recognized how unusual her character was as compared to the usual empty-headed daughters of the ton. Only when she became of marriageable age, and was in fact about to be FORCED into an unwanted marriage with a debt-ridden lout, that our hero developed a romantic interest in her.
A very enjoyable book.
An exquisitely woven tale of love and devotion.......2006-08-07
This is a touching tale about Rebecca Tremaine, an unconventional seventeen year-old who prefers delving through her father's books than overseeing the condition of her gowns. She hates playing the piano; embroidery and everything deemed appropriate hobbies for a girl of her station. Rather, Rebecca is perfectly happy with learning self-defense, how to load and fire a musket, going through her father's science journals and riding her horse.
Rebecca strikes up an unlikely friendship with her father's groom, Connor Riordan. Connor, however, is not who he seems. Wounded at Waterloo, Connor assumed the identity of a friend who was dead and slipped away. His father, the Duke of Dunbrooke, was told that Connor died on the battlefield.
For five years, Connor served as groom and was saving money for passage to America. Because of the abuse his father heaped on him, Connor had no plans to return and become his father's successor, until Rebecca's desperate situation changed his plans.
A money-grubbing gent, named Edelston, was trying to compromise Lorelei, Rebecca's older sister, but got Rebecca instead. Rebecca was trying to spy on him and Lorelei when he caught her and passionately kissed her. Outraged, her father demanded a marriage between the two and Rebecca became desperate to get out of it.
Connor decided the only way out of the situation was for him and Rebecca to flee. Two days before the wedding, they fled north toward Scotland. A couple of plot twists, however, would put their lives in danger, forcing Connor to reveal himself as the Duke of Dunbrooke and confront his enemies.
This was such a great read. Julie Anne Long is such a talented writer. Her writing has poignancy to it that I think is perfectly suitable to this genre. Her uncanny ability to use words to bring her heroes and heroines to brilliant vibrancy, weave a tender and heart-rending tale of such undeniable attraction and all-consuming love is simply breathtaking.
Ummm .... Ewww.......2006-08-06
I finally gave in to all the recommendations in my book club and read this book. I however, do not share the same glowing opinion I was almost not able to finish; but I read it all to give my book club the benefit of the doubt. The writing was okay but there was an ICK factor: the relationship between the heroine and the hero seemed like pedophilia since the hero stays with the heroine's family to be near her when she was just 12 and he's mid 20's EWWW. Another creepy thing is that he calls her "wee Becca" Double EWWW.
Excellent regency Adventure.......2006-06-03
This is the first book I've read by Julie Anne Long, and now I can't wait to read others! She pens a fabulous romance full of adventure, suspense, and endearing characters. Connor and Rebecca were so real they practically leaped off the page. If you like regencies but want to read something fresh and different sparked with humor, grab this novel!
Customer Reviews:
Fresh Plot but Distracting Writing.......2002-12-11
The eighth Duke of Chatham, Jonathan Carlisle's sister, is trying to get him married off. The problem is that his mother was their father's second wife and she was a servant before they married. Carlisle doesn't want to marry a Pampered Princess of the Ton, but he also does not want to marry someone who is not of the same class as he, because his mom was treated poorly by society.
To get away from his matchmaking sister, Carlisle takes an 'urgent business trip' and while is set upon by paid killers. Dr. Edger Pickering and his daughter Melanie, who are hiding in the country, save the Duke's life and care for him while he recovers and during his recovery he discovers that Melanie and her son need his help.
This is the first book that I have read by Susan Grace and as much as I enjoyed the plotting the writing was distracting. I'm not sure how exactly to describe it - it's not that the prose is horrible, it's just that it was written at like a sixth grade reading level. The plot is fresh the characters are likeable, but the writing is distracting in its simplicity and the characters hold views and conversations that don't fit into the era that it is written in.
Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.......2002-09-21
Lady Catherine intends to see her younger brother, the eighth Duke of Chatham, Jonathan Carlisle married. Nine mistresses in ten years have kept Jonathan satisfied, and he has no intention of falling in with his sister's matchmaking. So he ducks her introductions to yet more eligible women by escaping with friend Bertram Lewis on a "very urgent business trip." When Bertram cancels at the last minute, Jonathan sets out alone, only to be threatened at gunpoint by kidnappers. Then a flash of lightening startles his horse and he is thrown from his horse over a cliff.
Sighted clinging to a log, Jonathan is rescued from the waters and cared for by Dr. Edger Pickering and his daughter Melanie. Recognizing that his damaged fine clothes indicate wealth, the doctor and Melanie carefully conceal their identity. Melanie's eight-year-old son does not speak, so does not represent a threat to their anonymity. When he awakens from his coma, Jonathan immediately realizes that Melanie is keeping secrets. Fearful she might be part of the kidnapping plot, he claims amnesia. Soon they find themselves fighting their mutual attraction and the truths they both conceal.
In the most endearing installment yet of the infamous Lady Cat's family, THE RUNAWAY DUKE combines mystery and romance in a marvelously entertaining read. Melanie's determination to protect her son lends her character startling strength given the years of abuse she endured at her deceased husband's hands. Jonathan's certainty that she is the woman for him despite the impediments between them will warm reader's hearts as he determinedly seeks the answers to Melanie's problems. Further, the exciting conclusion provides a powerful climax to this carefully plotted tale. An absolutely memorable read, THE RUNAWAY DUKE earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.
Amazon.com
The third story in this volume takes place 16,000 years in the future. When you realize that the 33 stories are ordered chronologically, you begin to grasp the scale of Cordwainer Smith's creation. Regimes, technologies, planets, moralities, religions, histories all rise and fall through his millennia.
These are futuristic tales told as myth, as legend, as a history of a distant and decayed past. Written in an unadorned voice reminiscent of James Tiptree Jr., Smith's visions are dark and pessimistic, clearly a contrast from the mood of SF in his time; in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s it was still thought that science would cure the ills of humanity. In Smith's tales, space travel takes a horrendous toll on those who pilot the ships through the void. After reaching perfection, the lack of strife stifles humanity to a point of decay and stagnation; the Instrumentality of Mankind arises in order to stir things up. Many stories describe moral dilemmas involving the humanity of the Underpeople, beings evolved from animals into humanlike forms.
Stories not to be missed in this collection include "Scanners Live in Vain," "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," "Under Old Earth," "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal," "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons," and the truly disturbing "A Planet Called Shayol." Serious SF fans should not pass up the chance to experience Cordwainer Smith's complex, distinctive vision of the far future. --Bonnie Bouman
Book Description
Includes 33 stories that represent Cordwainer Smiths entire SF works except for the novel Norstrilia. These stories are "classics" of the field such as "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," "The Game of Rat and Dragon," "Scanners Live in Vain," and "A Planet Named Shayol." Appearing for the first time in print are "Himself in Anachron" and the completely rewritten adult version of his high school story "War No. 81-Q." Introduction by John J. Pierce.
Customer Reviews:
The Glory That Was Cordwainer.......2007-06-21
Cordwainer Smith was unique. Although the contents of this volume represent more than half of his entire science-fictional output, what he lacked in quantity he made up for in superb and very different quality. His prose is colored by some very non-standard phrasing and imagery, at least some of which came from his close connections with Chinese culture (his god-father was Sun Yat-sen, and he was a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek). There is a feeling, an ambience to his stories that I have never seen even approximated by any other author. But the themes he tackled in his stories are ones that everyone can relate to, covering prejudice, greed, lust for power, crime and appropriate punishment, and the seeming boundless desire to go where no man has gone before.
Perhaps the main highlight of this collection is "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", which is a very forceful retelling of the Joan of Arc story. I ended up in tears at the end of this one when I first read it, and subsequent re-reads haven't lessened its impact. I've had this one in my top ten `best of sf' short fiction list since my first encounter with it.
"A Planet Named Shayol" will make you do some heavy thinking about just what can or should be done to punish a society's law (or custom) breakers, or if punishment is ever even really justifiable at all, and will give you a nightmare vision of just what hell on Earth (or any other planet) just might be like.
"The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" may be the centerpiece of his entire envisioned future history, as the Instrumentality of Mankind, which for centuries has managed the human population to avoid disease, war, or hard labor (for which tasks the Underpeople were created), is driven to the conclusion that a viable civilization must have some dark elements, as championed by Lord Jestocost and girly-girl Cat-person C'Mell.
Almost all of the stories here are part of Smith's envisioned universe governed by the Instrumentality, a vision that stretches from near-Earth future to a very distant far-future galaxy where humanity has spread almost everywhere. Smith clearly has some overriding messages: his fear of all-powerful ruling bodies, his attachment to all forms of life and the respect that each individual should have, and a basic belief in the power and utility of religion. All the details of this universe are not filled in, and it is sometimes the tantalizing glimpses of what he does not describe that will capture your imagination, and your wish that there were more stories about this unique world. His Underpeople are marvelous creations, showing not only those traits normally associated with the best of humanity, but also characteristics of their underlying animal heritage, whether it be cat, dog, or turtle.
Not every story here is a gem, most especially those not set in his Instrumentality universe or those dealing with the very near future. But they are all very readable, and the overall level of quality here is absurdly high. Read this first. Then take on his only sf novel, Norstrilia. You won't regret it.
--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
Cordwainer Smith.......2007-01-09
essential to any fan/student of the genre.
the beginning of the transition from the space opera to the "soul" of free-form fiction...
d
A major SF book.......2006-03-04
This books belongs to the library of every SF fan.
It's a compilation of many very original short stories that in the ends describe a whole strange world.
Some of the stories are so evocative that you will remember them for a long long time.
Give it a try.
Timeless, original, and engaging!.......2006-01-03
When I read the short-story Scanners Live in Vain, I was bowled over. I could scarcely believe it was written over fifty years ago. By creating a future so divorced from our present time and so unique in it's voice and details, Smith had succeeded in writing a story that would retain it's startling freshness. But Smith's "Instrumentality of Mankind" stories have more than just staying power: they are very powerful and intimate reflections on the human condition. I also highly recommend Cordwainer Smith's novel "Norstrilla". Cordwainer Smith inspired Robert Silverberg to write science fiction. -nuff said.
Universe of Incandescent Bliss.......2005-10-29
Serious fans and historians of science fiction must obtain this compendium of all the known short stories by Cordwainer Smith, who deserves far greater fame than he got when he did most of his writing back in the 50s and 60s. At the time, Smith simply sold a few stories to a few SF mags, but it turns out that they were interconnected vignettes from a vast future universe and mythology that Smith was creating in his mind for decades. This vast fictitious universe covers the development of man over tens of thousands of years and across the galaxy, in an expansive style that is reminiscent of Frank Herbert. Meanwhile, Smith's method of creating narratives as if they were told by an old storyteller, even farther in the future, could be compared to J.R.R. Tolkien, who also created his own universe and history of tremendous proportions.
Smith was a storyteller of remarkable literary ability, as he explored scientific advances without getting too technical, and introduced very heavy themes of humanity and morality without lapsing into preachy conclusions. Very few writers in any genre have this kind of ability for kicking off deep speculation and introspection in the reader. Just about all of the many stories here explore the re-emergence of real humanity after many millennia of human dispersal across the universe, with a few glimpses of mirth or action amidst general darkness and melancholy.
A few stories of note include the disturbing "A Planet Named Shayol" in which humans are farmed for body parts on a deceptively tranquil prison planet; "Think Blue, Count Two" which describes what could really happen on a typical SF mothership transporting humans for hundreds of years to a new space colony; "When the People Fell" which very creepily explores how regular people will be used for space colonization; or "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal" in which Smith twists time travel and even history in remarkable humanistic ways. Of special note to SF historians is "War No. 81-Q" which lampoons the fallacy of war for profit and entertainment, a form of satire that's unbelievable for a story first written way back in the 1920s (and Smith was in high school at the time to boot). Those are just a few of the tremendous stories in this collection by an author who richly deserves to be treated as a grand master in his field. The sheer breadth and depth of Smith's literary universe is simply astonishing. [~doomsdayer520~]
Customer Reviews:
Meet Cordwainer's Universe!.......2007-04-11
Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life.
He was educated in China, Germany and USA. He loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.
My first contact with the author's stories was "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard". It was obvious for me that this was a fragment of a greater story, full of mysterious and provoking ideas as the Rediscovery of Man, the Eketeli and so on. I was captivated by the imagery and searched for more works from Cordwainer Smith. Little by little they were appearing in different sci-fi magazines and short stories collections.
With this book you have the opportunity to read almost all the "fragments" constituting Cordwainer's universe, with consistent references to the underpeople, the Instrumentality, the Scanners and the rest of the interlaced icons of this particular Myth.
Remarkable stories are: "Mark Elf", "The Game of Rat & Dragon", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons" and "Under Old Earth".
A special mention must be done for "Ballad of Lost C'Mell" and "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" both dealing with the relationship of humans and underpeople. Mr. Smith had a very particular relation with cats and dogs. He loved them and his underpeople characters show this love.
As final note I may point out that "The Dead Lady..." is a forceful recreation of Joan D'Arc martyrdom.
This book contains a wonderful collection from an unjustly underrated author.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Book Description
Karl Rahner (1904-1984) was one of the most significant theological voices of the twentieth century. For many his theology symbolizes the Catholic Church's entry into modernity. Part of his enduring appeal lies in his ability to reflect on a variety of issues in theology and spirituality and direct this plurality into a few basic convictions. In addition to the main themes of Rahner's work, this Companion assesses his significance for contemporary theology through dialogues with many current concerns including: religious pluralism, spirituality, postmodernism, ecumenism, ethics and developments in political and feminist theologies.
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