Book Description
Lighthousekeeping tells the tale of Silver ("My mother called me Silver. I was born part precious metal, part pirate."), an orphaned girl who is taken in by blind Mr. Pew, the mysterious and miraculously old keeper of a lighthouse on the Scottish coast. Pew tells Silver stories of Babel Dark, a nineteenth-century clergyman. Dark lived two lives: a public one mired in darkness and deceit and a private one bathed in the light of passionate love. For Silver, Dark's life becomes a map through her own darkness, into her own story, and, finally, into love.
One of the most original and extraordinary writers of her generation, Jeanette Winterson has created a modern fable about the transformative power of storytelling.
Customer Reviews:
Storytelling as Story.......2007-03-10
Jeanette Winterson never ceases to speak to the very core of me. Lighthousekeeping is a novel that reminds me of her first, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, but completely unique in its own way.
Lighthousekeeping follows the story of orphan Silver as she moves from place to place, first to a lighthouse after her mother dies, from the lighthouse to a hotel, from the hotel to Capri, and from there to places that might only exist in her imagination. Silver is mentored by Pew, the old lighthousekeeper who tells her that stories are light and the only way to make sense of the world, to truly see. The notion of storytelling is at the center of this sweet, moving, and poetic novel.
Jeanette Winterson uses Lighthousekeeping as a playground for the notions of storytelling, light and dark, of personal history and factual history, of the way humans view themselves and their pasts, of the way others view them, of the way others perceive history, fictional and factual, and by the end of the book, she has even included the reader in her journey as a lover of stories. It is a beautiful and engaging and quite simply moved me to tears.
If you are looking for a linear, plot-driven novel, you may be disappointed. The beauty of this novel is in the patterning, the attention to language and theme and the notion of storytelling as a story in itself.
FINDING A JOB WITH MEANING.......2006-08-05
Silver, the girlchild of an unwed mother and a seaman grows up on the seacliffs overlooking the fishing town of Salts in a house perched so precariously that all the furniture has to be nailed down and Silver and her mother have to rope themselves together to keep from falling to their deaths. Even their dog evolves deformed legs to navigate the steeply leaning floor! When her mother dies in an accident, Silver is apprenticed to an old lighthousekeeper named Pew, and begins to learn not only the beauty of this simple but important job, but also a little of the history of the family that built it. What follows are interlocking and parallel narratives of Silver's urge to find the meaning of her life and that of Babel Dark, friend of Darwin and Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived a double life while serving as the town's clergyman.
Lighthousekeeping is a nice book that recalls not only classic literature but also allows Winterson to use her penchant for creating half-real neverlands that somehow find solid ground in the real world. Many aspects of this novel are fairytale-like and the interweaving of historical personages and the connection of names to Treasure Island lend it an even more dream-like quality that recalls poetry more than prose. In some of Winterson's other works, her pseudo-gravitas is invested too much in the lyrical nature of her words to the detriment of the storytelling. But Lighthousekeeping is a rousing success. A good book.
Silver Skates To The Lighthouse.......2006-07-21
With LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING, Jeannette Winterson has written another wonderful love story, woven among historical possibilities in the lives of such as Charles Darwin, Robert Louis Stephenson, Richard Wagner, among other historical figures. The integrity of the story is held together with nautical themes, the greatest being the lighthouse.
What I have long been interested with Winterson's work is her beautiful prose that has been delicately transplanted to a contemporary format. Her imagery and diction generally stopped being produced with the literary masters from the nineteenth century, and this may be why her plots often return to those days, yet Winterson's style is not in the least antiquated.
If you are a fan of Winterson's body of work then you will surely enjoy LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING, as it is a striking variation of previous efforts, but Winterson through and through. To anyone unfamiliar with Winterson, and interested in a highly polished hybridization of romance and soft-eroticism, I highly recommend LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING as a first soirée.
Exploring the power of storytelling.......2006-06-20
In the bitter northern Scottish town of Salts, a young orphaned girl named Silver is thrust into the care of the hateful Miss Pinch. Silver is eventually taken in by Pew, a blind, yarn-spinning lighthouse keeper who regales her with never-ending stories about the tortured life of a nineteenth-century clergyman - Babel Dark, formerly a minister in Salts, and son of the Dark who built the lighthouse. As Silver matures and moves on, she takes the gift of storytelling with her to life in Bristol, in Europe, and finally in love ... Winterson's eighth novel is a departure from the cycle of fiction she's been steadily pursuing since the 1980s. Many readers will be surprised by its apparent simplicity, but behind the whimsy there is serious intent. Winterson's concern here is the power of storytelling. For her, there seems to be a certain strata of truth that transcends time and culture, a bedrock of human experiences - breaking away, first love, loss - that are best communicable through storytelling. Stories are how we make sense of our own lives, and the life of the species. Stories (art in general, even) form the authentic record of human experience, far more so than factual history. Fiction is truth in its most accessible form. "Lighthousekeeping" will quite likely appeal to students of literary studies, who will most appreciate the cunning interweaving of Jekyll and Hyde, Tristan and Isolde, ponderings on the Grand Narratives of Christianity and Darwinism, and Winterson's bold poetics and narrative structure. But general readers might find the insistent discussion of storytelling a little tedious, and wish that Winterson had simply told rather than self-consciously reflected so often on the telling. But through it all, there's still the thing that Winterson can always be relied on to give us: a powerful and shameless celebration of the agonies and ecstasies of romantic love.
A Poem Disguised As A Novel.......2006-05-12
Words. I kind of like them. Big, small--expressive, retentive--words build a story, one by one. And when the words are masterfully manipulated by a writer with a keen, lyrical style, the story becomes even more of a treat to enjoy, to savor. Such is the case with author Jeanette Winterson; her novel, LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING, ebbs and flows in abstract, poetic prose (Did you like the rhyme?) that is hypnotically appealing as it is beautiful.
This is a short novel overflowing with metaphors. Case in point: 'He wondered how many days he had in his life--in his whole life--and when they had fallen one by one, and him naked again, time's covering gone, would the leaves be heaped up, the rotting pile of his days, or would he recognise them still--those different-edged days he had called his life?'
Discuss.
This is a story about telling stories. It is a story about Silver, a young orphan, who goes to live in a lighthouse with kind, blind Pew, the lighthousekeeper. Pew is a cornucopia of stories--in particular, stories about the reverend Babel Dark, a tormented man who lived in the area a century before. Like his name, Babel has a dark side, very much in contrast to his public persona. The two stories--Babel Dark's torment, and Silver's interactions with Pew, with herself--become lyrically intertwined, feeding and nourishing each other, until both come full circle in a burst of poetic metaphor.
LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING is a poem that reads like a novel. Or vice versa. Winterson is a gifted writer; her book is as powerful as it is beautiful. Highly recommended.
--D. Mikels, Author, WALK-ON
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2006. The length of the article is 521 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Jeanette Winterson. Lighthousekeeping.(Book review)
Author: Ronny Noor
Publication:
World Literature Today (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 80
Issue: 2
Page: 57(1)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- Slow and Plodding
- Loved it...
- GREAT!!!!!!!!!
- Not What I Expected
- Not as good as the first two, but still entertaining
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Surrender My Love
Johanna Lindsey
Manufacturer: Avon
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Book Description
A Lady's Scorn
Wrongly branded a spy, the dark and handsome Viking lord Selig Haardrad suffered greatly in the dungeons of Lady Erika of Gronwood. And as he hung in chains, his magnificent body wracked with pain and fever, one thought sustained him: revenge!
A Viking's Vengence
Now Destiny's great wheel has turned--and Selig's exquisite, hone-haired tormentor has been delivered into the Norseman's hands. Now it is Selig who is the master, bound and determined to break the proud spirit of his captive "ice queen" and to conquer her with passion's sword -- never dreaming that his own heart will be vanquished by sensuous desire. . .and victorious love.
Customer Reviews:
Slow and Plodding.......2006-08-15
I was given this book at the beach by my friend and had not read the previous two. In fact didn't know there even were other stories until a few chapters into this one. Maybe if I'd read the previous two I would've cared more about Selig and Erika.
However, if you are a big J.L. fan make sure you read the previous two before this one. If you don't you may find it as I did. Sloooooooowwwww and a bit dull. I didn't care for either of the characters and although all romance fans are guarunteed a happy ending Selig and Erika's personalities made their actions and motivations in the book so foregone that it was a trial to finish it out.
Seems like Selig was a bit of a fan fav. for this trilogy and it's a shame that more wasn't made of his story.
Loved it..........2006-07-22
Well, if you read my other reviews, they're short and to the point. I love all of J.L.'s works so far, and this doesn't fail me. An excellent read.
GREAT!!!!!!!!!.......2005-08-21
I love this one! I've read the others and i think this one is my favorite. It started a little slow but other than that it was so fantastic. I stayed up until 1:30 this morning to read it! I think the other reviewers pretty much summed up the whole story, but i just wanted to say if you liked the others in the Viking triology you won't be disappointed. Great job Johanna!!!
Not What I Expected.......2005-02-16
I could not wait to read Selig's story but what a disappointment it was. The book was more of a family reunion than a story about Selig and Erika. Although I enjoyed hearing about the rest of the family his story did not stand alone. I thought a couple of chapters could have been eliminated. The first two books in the Viking series I highly recommend they are excellent reads. Find this one at your local library.
Not as good as the first two, but still entertaining.......2004-12-21
This is the story of Garrick and Brenna's first child, Selig the Blessed, who we remember as the stillborn child who was "raised" from the dead in Fires of Winter and as the brother who also came back from the dead in Hearts Aflame. Now in this book, Johanna Lindsey has decided to put his life in danger once more, when he was ambushed on the way to East Anglia on a mission for King Alfred. Although he survives this, he ends up being mistaken for a spy and taken as a prisoner by Lady Erika of Gronwood, where he was nearly lashed to death. When his sister Kristen comes to his rescue, he asks her to take Erika as a hostage in order to exact his revenge.
Once again, we see the closeness of the family. We are also reminded of how dangerous Kristen could be when Erika incurs the wrath of her anger. If there is one family you wouldn't want to mess with, they're one of them - if you mess with one of them, you have to face the rest of the family.
Now unlike the heroines of the first two books, Erika came across as too timid. Although I didn't expect her to be as spirited as Brenna and Kristen, I wish that she had a bit more fire in her. Sure she felt guilty, but she didn't even try her hardest to defend herself when she was chained. As for Selig, too much emphasis was given on his unbelievably good looks, his pain and recovery, yet not much depth was given to his character. And in comparison with the first two books, the romance between Erika and Selig isn't as well developed. I didn't find the interaction as exciting. The author could have fleshed out the romance part a bit more in my opinion.
But if you have read the first two books, this would still be an entertaining read. For me, the highlight of the book is not so much the romance, but the involvement of Garrick and Brenna, Royce and Kristen and their friends and family.
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Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
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Surrender my love
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Manufacturer: New American Library
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Book Description
After her father's death leaves her family penniless and homeless, Alex Parker hopes to profit from her family's sole remaining possession, an aging steamboat called Amazing Grace. With the funds from this sale, she can buy back her family home. But she needs a captain and no one on the river wants to work for a woman. Needing help, she turns to Captain Matthew Kinkade, a man who wants the boat for himself, a man whose desperation drives him to agree to Alex's outrageous plan of marriage in name only.
The love Matt and Alex find aboard Amazing Grace is powerful, but is it strong enough to withstand her insecurities, his tragic past, and the violent acts of a man out to destroy them both?
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3 Massmarket paperback Titles By Holt - My True Love - Absolute Pleasure - Total Surrender
Book Description
Steven Brusts Vlad Taltos novels and his swashbuckling tales of Khaavren have earned him an enthusiastic audience world-wide. But To Reign in Hell has been out of print for yearscausing used copies to trade for improbable sums. Now, at last, To Reign in Hellreturns to print in a paperback edition, with an introduction by Roger Zelazny.
Customer Reviews:
fairly seriously overrated.......2007-10-04
To Reign in Hell is a book that I have known existed for a long time. I hadn't read it, but had been saving it up for a rainy day. I had actually expected to like it. Brust is a writer that I kind of generally admire. Zelazny *really* liked this novel. And I *really* like Zelazny. All in all, it seemed to me a book that I was going to enjoy, or at least not hate.
So as you can guess, I hated it. I nearly didn't finish it, and I finish pretty much everything that I read.
It was a clever enough conceit, but the characters were terrible. The motivations and reactions were so childish and predictable that I was nearly physically annoyed at a certain portion of the book. Particularly in the sections involving Abdiel, it was like reading five year olds trying to plot. Dreadful. I guess since we all know how the story ends (the book is a loose retelling of the Fall of Satan), Brust did not particularly care how he got us there. Too bad.
The book isn't entirely bad. Like I said, the conceit is nice-- the general concept and plot are good. I often liked the tone; I'm a fan of dry. I guess that I can see what Zelazny saw in it. But not enough of what he saw in it, I'm afraid.
Didn't work for me, but others might like it........2007-10-03
Admittedly, I'll give Stephen Brust kudos for tackling an ambitious project: a telling of the Angelic Fall that is both novel and original. I also found it mildly ironic that the most sympathetic characters in this book are the ones traditionally considered "bad" - Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, etc. - and the characters traditionally considered good" - Yahweh, etc. - come off poorly. That alone should tell you if this book is for you, and I suspect accounts for much of the 1-star reviews: there is a high probability that TRIH will offend the religiously sensible/closed minded. Of course, there are other reasons not to like it, which is where my griping comes in.
For starters, I didn't care for Brust's prose at all. I found his writing style dry, repetitive, and descriptively spartain. His dialogue seemed especially weak: characters speak in almost monosyllable sentences, and again there is a heavy redundancy. For some reason, Beelzebub spoke Shakespearian English, which especially grated on me.
Of course, one can dislike an author's prose yet still like his plots - several of my favorite authors actually fall into this category! Unfortunately, his handling of the plot was my other major stumbling block. To justify that would require my delving into spoilers - something I refuse to do in a review - so please pardon my vagueness. Suffice it to say that key aspects (such as the nature of creation, Waves, etc.) struck me as internally inconsistent. Maybe I missed something, but there is just too much in this novel that is left unexplained. This left me feeling disenfranchised at first, and cheated by the end.
My other main problem was that much of the plot conflict relied on one conniving angel whose motives I never did fully grasp. Without giving too much away, he's able to do a "Jedi Mind Trick" to cause a lot of misunderstanding that just snowballs out of control. This seemed a weak convenience, especially since there were enough opportunities presented throughout where the misunderstandings could very easily have been cleared up. Obviously that would have stopped the novel in its tracks, but it still felt forced and contrived to me.
All in all, TRIH had some potential but just didn't live up to it. If you're interested in speculative theological fiction and have a lower threshold for contrivance and weak writing than I do, then *maybe* give it a go. It's a fairly quick read, so you'll know within 50 pages if it's for you or not.
Horrid.......2007-07-29
This is the WORST book I have ever read. It slams God over and over...Its stupid and I hope it never gets to anyone else.
Arlene Bradshaw
Wonderful read, shockingly well done!.......2007-06-21
This book was suggested to me from Amazon, and the premise was enough for me to buy it and give it a chance. It was part of a big order so it took awhile to get around to reading it.
The book starts off really strong, and to some the writing could come off as strange and hard to understand. I had no troubles, just time. I ended up setting this book down again (before the climax of the story began), only to recently pick it back up and I'm ashamed to have ever set it down.
The story is great, all the key names are written extremely well. To read lines from "Satan" and "Lucifer" without seeing relentless evil and ill-intent is surely a change for some, and it takes the ability to read those as just names to truly enjoy this story.
I highly suggest this to ANYONE.
A Great Re-Telling of the Fall of Satan.......2007-04-20
The first wave of angels come out of uncertainty and nothingness. Yaweh, is one of the first, but he's not God. He is essentially duped into declaring himself as God. The Son is a spoilt brat. The hero, of course, is Satan.
Piers Anthony's "For Love Of Evil" seems childish and quite plain compared to this well written and entertaining story. We all know that Satan will fall, but its in the 'how' of this fall, and the 'why' of it that Steven Brust keeps the reader interested. This book makes for great commuter reading.
Customer Reviews:
The test of time gives this book an F.......2007-07-09
Time is the true test as to the truth of a concept. Whether it is Christianity, Republicanism, New Age, Conservatism, Liberalism or you-name-it, time is the only true test for validity. Most of us probably agree that Christianity has passed the test of time. Many of the different sects of Christianity have not. Derek Prince's "God Is A Matchmaker" is the progeny of the Sheparding sect. Over the many years, I have watched countless (literally hundreds) of otherwise level-headed Christians fall into lockstep with this heavy-handed way of finding a mate. Some were in the ministry and most were from middle-class Americana. Example: People getting engaged 5, 10, even 15 times to different people, and then still trembling with fear as they walk down the aisle with the one they finally marry. If I had to put it into percentages, those who allowed this sheparding mentality to govern their mate-choosing are probably 75 percent unsuccessful. They are either divorced, still unmarried or living in a literal hell with someone that some spiritual leader commanded them to marry. Such spiritual leadership has a motto of, "Let us do the thinking for you." Well our Creator gave us good brains, and anyone who sacrafices their brain to the whims of an authoritarian pastor or other leader is headed for a life trainwreck. You have a brain. USE IT! Read the Bible for its wisdom (especially Proverbs) and quit listening to the pied pipers who tell you that you can't hear God without their help. It's time to GROW UP, people.
Derek Prince's Paean to Marriage.......2006-11-04
In God is A Matchmaker, the late Derek Prince wrote not only his most famous book, but one that provides encouragement and comfort to those looking for and ultimately waiting for God to provide a mate.
Prince details his two marriages and the poignant journey leading up to both. This book will not be loved or liked by those who possess politically correct viewpoints on marriage, and it won't provide comfort to those who don't believe in God. But to people who love the Lord, and who seek His provision, this book can help to give them the assurance that God can do anything if we believe and trust in Him.
God Is A Matchmaker is a thoroughly engaging, entertaining, and informative book.
Hmmmm ..........2006-06-22
Many women in churches are single and this is a source of unhappiness and frustration. Derek Prince was married at 30 for 30 years. He was then single for a whole 3 years before meeting his second wife (Ruth) and, after her death was single for 5 years before his own death at the age of 88.
Fine if he wants to offer advice to married people because he has shedloads of experience of marriage. But his experience of singleness is pretty sketchy, as far as I can see.
And as for Ruth Prince's suggestions about a teapot ...
Ladies--Read This Book--There Is Only One Matchmaker (and it's not you!).......2006-04-29
For some reason, there has been an increase of divorced women in the church who believe they must bring singles together for matrimony. They seem to think that their own experiences have provided them with "wisdom" in this area (question: how does sin equip and qualify one for ministry?).
Well, this wonderful book by Derek Prince points the right way for all believers for this most important decision of their lives. It is God Himself who brings couples together for His own will and glory. The chapters on practical preparation for marriage are crucial. It's a pity that more folks fail to receive such quality counseling before marriage, and instead listen to the gurus of "christian" psychology (or the local Minervas in their midst).
Excellent marriage reference material.......2005-10-24
This book helps to gain an understanding of both husband and wife roles in marriage accordinding to God's plan. It's easy to read as a companion to the Bible and does a great job of referencing scripture. Great for parents, pastors, teachers, family, and anyone preparing for marriage.
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