Book Description
While young men wage war against an evil empire of zealous mutants, the population of this modern inferno is afflicted with the epidemic of a radioactive virus. An opium-infused apocalyptic vision from the legendary author of Naked Lunch is the first of the trilogy with The Places of the Dead Roads and his final novel, The Western Plains.
Customer Reviews:
Untramelled Genius.......2006-03-24
This is the most accessible William Burroughs novel ever written. It has more structure, cohesion and plot than most of his other works, so if you are a first time Burroughs reader this is the one to go for...Burroughs is a genius and a prophet of 20th Century literature. His writing pushes the boundaries of imagination,sexuality, social interaction and time. He is an alien soul injected into the dead body of a homosexual junkie. He started shooting up as a 1 yr old baby and by the age of 2 he was having anal sex with other babies in nightclub toilets. His stream of consciousness will transport you to planets and worlds that transcend human experience but also unveil the instincts that drive us to the edge of depravity and extinction. William Burroughs is in love with humanity and he knows how to show it. After all he did shoot his wife in the head xxx
Bleeding Gums.......2006-03-17
Fierce symbolisms that rips out the guts of whitebread America. The most profound gem is Burrough's prediction of the AIDS crisis. He was able to capture in this book the symptoms he saw develop in the homosexual underground years before it was announced to the world at large.
A true vision of the future or past.......2005-12-03
Burroughs knew what he was talking about. This book along with the Place of Dead Roads was the final, most complete and coherant summation of the Burroughs vision/nightmare. Just by virtue of his personal style these books mix utopian essay, apocalyptic nightmare, gut wrenching horror, and valid cultural criticism. As far as experimental fiction goes, you won't find any more readable, in the Burroughs canon or anywhere else. A word of caution: these books are for thinking people; they are not brain dead entertainment with cutesy characters or happy endings. It is not easy reading. Burroughs regards the natural condition of humaity and civillization as ultimately dark and depraved. Few people want to believe that, and those who do may have a hard time coming to grips with such a pessimistic conclusion about human nature. Such a vision provokes and challengues us all. Those brave souls who, though cold, disoriented and terrified choose to light a candle with trembling hands and willingly descend the staircase into the forsaken cellar of Burroughs' mind will not return unscathed or unrewarded.
Vivid Imagination Or Was It All The Drugs?.......2005-06-21
I can't say that I want to "Be Like Burroughs" because there were some instances in this novel Cities of the Red Night (and others) where I thought he was on the verge of losing his mind. The stories span from homo-erotic pornography to violent surrealism but his talent was obvious. There are political messages on the nature of freedom and individualism, however an average reader could easily be distracted by but all of the surreal imagery and sexual situations. Yet I recommend that you read Naked Lunch first before reading this book.
Starts off great....Then Plummets....................2005-01-18
Yes, here we trip through a group of 1700's pirates cruising the sea, and at first really enjoying the waves, the comradeship, the nature, the heavens, and just about anything else one may enjoy on such a trip..It is a nice hallucinatory, semi sci-fi trip until it...frankly goes from the dreamlike to the grotesque to the ...well, let's just say scatalogical, to keep it simple. No doubt this odd fellow could write, but whether you want to share his truly bizarre daydreams is problematic, to be kind. Sure, he was in the same crowd as Kerouac, but universes apart! Read all of Jack K. before tripping into Burroughs!
Average customer rating:
- Delightful reading
- Love is where you find it
- Honest to life and spirituality
- Utterly enchanting....
- Only the 2nd book I've ever finished and immediately re-started
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The Monk Downstairs: A Novel
Tim Farrington
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0062517856
Release Date: 2002-07-09 |
Amazon.com
Tim Farrington's The Monk Downstairs follows the beguiling romance between a jaded San Francisco graphic designer and a monk who flips burgers at McDonald's. Rebecca Martin is a 38-year-old single mom who has lost her faith in men; Mike is a disillusioned monk who's lost his faith in God. The two meet just after Mike leaves his monastery of 20 years and rents the downstairs apartment of Rebecca's house. The last thing Rebecca wants is another romantic entanglement, especially since she has the emotional well-being of her 6-year-old daughter, Mary Martha, to consider. (A charming character in her own right, Mary Martha also happens to be "an infallible detector of bullshit.") And the last thing Mike wants is to agitate his already troubled soul. But after a few backyard cigarettes together at twilight and a few melted barriers, a tentative love story is underway.
Although Farrington's plot revolves around a classic story of unlikely lovers, there's no sappiness or clichés in his highly polished narrative. Indeed, his vulnerable characters and realistic dialogue will feel especially poignant for grown-up lovers. When the big night arrives and the couple must decide whether Mike will sleep over, Rebecca speaks for all single mothers.
"This is not just about us anymore," she said. "If that freaks you out, then please, please bail now. Because if you are going to stay here tonight, you're going to have to have breakfast with my daughter. You're going to have to be a decent human being. You're going to have to be a man."
In Mike we see what it means to bring spiritual strength to a relationship. When Rebecca suddenly becomes sharp and anxious, he does not retreat, nor does he paw at her for reassurance. Instead he knows how to sit with her, as if in meditation, staying present while not getting caught up in her fear. And in Rebecca we see what it means to speak honestly to a lover. This all may sound too lofty and preachy to be a juicy read, but Farrington has the quirky characters and the masterful skills to make this a highly entertaining and inspiring tale of adult love. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Rebecca Martin is a single mother with an apartment to rent and a sense that she has used up her illusions. I had the romantic thing with my first husband, thank you very much, she tells a hapless suitor. I'm thirty-eight years old, and I've got a daughter learning to read and a job I don't quite like. I don't need the violin music. But when the new tenant in her in-law apartment turns out to be Michael Christopher, on the lam after twenty years in a monastery and smack dab in the middle of a dark night of the soul, Rebecca begins to suspect that she is not as thoroughly disillusioned as she had thought.Her daughter, Mary Martha, is delighted with the new arrival, as is Rebecca's mother, Phoebe, a rollicking widow making a new life for herself among the spiritual eccentrics of the coastal town of Bolinas. Even Rebecca's best friend, Bonnie, once a confirmed cynic in matters of the heart, urges Rebecca on. But none of them, Rebecca feels, understands how complicated and dangerous love actually is.As her unlikely friendship with the ex-monk grows toward something deeper, and Michael wrestles with his despair while adjusting to a second career flipping hamburgers at McDonald's, Rebecca struggles with her own temptation to hope. But it is not until she is brought up short by the realities of life and death that she begins to glimpse the real mystery of love, and the unfathomable depths of faith.Beautifully written and playfully engaging, this novel. is about one man wrestling with his yearning for a life of contemplation and the need for a life of action in the world. But it's Rebecca's spirit, as well as her relationships with Mary Martha, Phoebe, her irresponsible surfer ex-husband Rory -- and, of course, the monk downstairs -- that makes this story shine.
Customer Reviews:
Delightful reading.......2007-08-29
This gleeful, spiritual creation of Tim Farrington is an indescribable delight. It points to the beauty and depth of his soul and to the hope and joy that is the proper future of mankind. I loved it and in tandem with the sequel, a miraculous vision of hope emerges which will make you grow in quiet joy.
Love is where you find it.......2007-05-23
It's a straightforward plot: a 38-year old single mother of one rents her garage apartment to a former monk who has renounced the monastic life after 20 years. She is lonely, just ending an unsatisfactory relationship with a maybe-I-should-settle-for-less boyfriend; he is a contemplative, looking for silence rather than love. The blossoming of their relationship is rocky because her personal problems and his need for apartness both intrude.
It's not quite a typical love story. His battle with God (or with himself, it's not clear which) is a real one, which is revealed through a series of letters to a friend at the monastery; her issues are also treated very thoughtfully. There's no attempt to simplify the messiness of the characters' lives. It's a quick read, but not a shallow one, and all the characters, even the peripheral ones, are treated with respect, tenderness, even love. There are no villains or heroes here. I liked it very much, and am now planning to read the sequel, The Monk Upstairs: A Novel.
Honest to life and spirituality.......2007-05-21
I've spent the past few months reading only Self Development, New Age, Religious books - so I was ready for some fiction. I chose the right book. This novel blends every day life, the day to day just BEING of it, with a spiritual life saver.....not heavily, just "hey, you've got to live your life, and if you take notice of it - there's also that elusive "something else" out there/in here that goes along with you. I love the way you get to understand Michael Christopher through his letters to his old abbey. How those letters explain where Michael is coming from, and what he's learning. Being a single Mom myself too, the way the author describes Rebecca's life is soooo accurate - (BTW - I love the use of biblical names - Mary Martha, Rebecca, etc...even the street and bus names!) I had to remind myself it was written by a MAN!
I read this book in one night - could NOT stop turning the pages - I highly, highly recommend it and thank the author for a great piece of work.
Be blessed and keep smiling.
Utterly enchanting...........2006-11-11
One of the best and most delightful books I've read this year (2006). Farrington has it just right and I was rather convinced that he was a religious, but evidently not. I did have a problem with the monk explaining in a letter to his former superior what the Bible related about Mary and Martha, I mean, REALLY! While I understand the device, it was pretty silly. I don't know how else he could have done it, but had I been his editor (of which I'm very capable), I'd'a called him on it. Moreover, he had a bride walking toward her groom to Mendelssohn, which is a recessional, brides marching TO Wagner. Not only that, but it wasn't so long ago that there was no music permitted in church that wasn't WRITTEN expressly for the church. No matter, NO ONE would walk up the aisle to the exhuberant strains of A Midsummer Night's Dream, really, one would have to skip.
Only the 2nd book I've ever finished and immediately re-started.......2006-07-07
I was astonished to hear a couple of people in a library book group describe it as a "beach read," but then they were at least 10 years older than me (I'm 47). To me the 2 main characters are both going through a midlife crisis of examining what happened to the "Big Picture" ideas and ideals of their younger days, and figuring out what they believe now, and how they got from those youthful grand-philosophy ideals to a state of just getting through each day/week/month doing what they have to to pay the bills. All things that hit home for me now. Maybe when you get many years past midlife crisis reading about it is a "fluffy beach read" or maybe these ladies never had a self-examining midlife crisis. One had skipped over the letters that the former monk writes back to a friend still in the monastery, which are the author's technique for telling us what's going on inside his (the monk's) head; others read them but found them annoying. Maybe they're just incapable of reading such introspective stuff. I had to re-read it to decide which one of us was nuts; I'm still in the middle of the 2nd read-through, but I'm still enjoying it.
In any case, I thought the deeper, introspective stuff was well-balanced with the humor. The only thing that might have strained credibility a bit was that the monk's re-entry to a sexual life wasn't more awkward after being celibate for 20 years.
Book Description
Farscape has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting and original sci-fi shows in years, mixing great scripts and characters with state of the art special effects.
Following the huge success of the first volume, Farscape: The Illustrated Season 2 Companion provides in-depth coverage of the show's amazing second season. With unprecedented access to the show's stars and production team (including Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon), the book takes an exclusive, detailed look behind the scenes, and also includes an episode guide to the whole of season two, with a look ahead to season three... It's a book no Scaper can be without!
Book Description
The Farscape phenomenon continues to accelerate as the adventures of astronaut John Crichton and his crewmates aboard the living starship, Moya, extend beyond the hit TV show into videos, DVDs, novels, comic books, CD-ROM games, and action figures. The show is now heading into its fourth successful season on The SCI-FI Channel and has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season!Farscape: The Illustrated Companion provides an in-depth look at TVs hottest new science fiction series. This comprehensive and very readable tome contains a detailed episode guide, character biographies, glossary, and plenty of nifty behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights from the cast and crew. The authors had access to everyone from the shows creator, Rockne S. OBannon, to the talented artists and craftspeople at the Jim Henson Creature Shop, making The Illustrated Companion a necessity for every fan this side of the Uncharted Territories.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I was hoping for........2005-09-08
As one of the other reviewers pointed out, the episode synopses are brief. As a matter of fact, they only cover the setup for each episode, and omit the resolution. It's like reading teasers. I was hoping for something that would actually summarize the entire episode. In that regard, this book was a disappointment, and I won't be buying the rest of the series.
To be fair, the books are lavishly illustrated with drawings and black and white photos. The background material on production, and actor and producer interviews are interesting. If you're looking for *complete* plot summaries for each episode, keep looking, as this book doesn't have them.
Enjoyed More Than I Thought.......2005-08-03
This book actually has pretty terse episode descriptions and spends a lot more time on actor and staff impressions, descriptions of the props, sets and costumes, and generally interesting things that you don't get from watching the episodes themselves. Lots of nice photos.
No color pictures.......2003-07-25
Ok, as a Farscape fan I enjoy the content of this book but there's not a single picture in color except on the front and back covers.
Book Description
It's official. Farscape is simply the most highly acclaimed sci-fi show on TV. Following the massive success of volumes one and two, Farscape: The Illustrated Season 3 Companion continues Titan's bestselling series with in-depth coverage of the show's most exciting year so far. With unprecedented access to the show's stars and production team (including Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon), the book takes an exclusive, detailed look behind the scenes, and also includes an episode guide to the whole of season three, with a look ahead to season four... It's a must for all Scapers!
Book Description
"TV's smartest sci-fi series… also the sexiest!" — Entertainment Weekly
Following the massive success of volumes one to three, Farscape: The Illustrated Season 4 Companion continues Titan's bestselling series with in-depth coverage of this highly acclaimed show's incredible fourth year. Once again, we've had unprecedented access to Farscape's actors and production team to bring you a detailed episode guide, behind the scenes secrets, and even an exclusive Foreword from Crichton himself, Farscape star Ben Browder!
"This is the best thing on the box SF-wise, and ranks up there with the top 5 TV dramas full stop." SFX
Book Description
For all those who live in fear of never quite "measuring up," this honest account of one woman's spiritual crisis provides a new look at the transforming power of God's grace in the midst of weakness. Readers will be encouraged to relinquish the role of spiritual "orphan" and embrace a forgiving heavenly Father.
Customer Reviews:
From Fear to Freedom.......2004-01-03
HONESTY HONESTY HONESTY. This book is for every Christian. No one is exempt. Evangelical Christians understand we are saved by Grace through Faith alone, but when it comes to sanctification, we are so dishonest about our overwhelming need of God's grace every breathing second of our life. Worse yet, bad teachers & pastors keep pilling on more guilt of the law without a balance of Guilt, Grace & Gratitude.
Are Jack and Rose Marie bucking the heavy emphasis of law in our sanctification that the Reformed tradition advocates? Are the Miller's advocating a Lutheran position of sanctification as getting use to our justification? (More on Lutheran doctrine of Sanctification, read Lutheran Seminary Prof. of Systematics & Author of Christology David Scaer) I believe the Miller's are advocating the proper Biblical position that the body of Christ grows in their faith by being attached as branches to the vine. We are to keep our eyes focused on the Jesus Christ the author and perfector of our faith.
I was blessed by the quote at the beginning of the book by Francis Schaeffer "The present value of the blood of Christ." was proclaimed by Schaeffer when a crisis would present itself. I have reworked this quote after reading this book to say in all trying circumstances: "This situation is another opportunity to see God's faithfulness of Grace and Mercy work in my life." vs. the old defeating attitude, "Here I go again, another trial I can't control".
As a step father of two unsaved adult children 19 & 27, I found great encouragement from the Miller's new confidence in prayer for their daughter Barbara's salvation.
Several years ago, I dropped out of the Miller's Sonship course because I was afraid my mentor was going to abandon me in my orphan state and not raise me out. I have been passionately reading sound Biblical material on the implication of the Fall and how it radically turns me into an orphan fearing the unknown. Both Sonship and this book will be life changing for you like me. Nearly every page has a sentence or paragraph that I have highlighted. "Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"!
Has this book changed my life? Yes. Why did I give it four vs. five stars like the other reviews?
Rose Marie by her own testimony in Chapter 6 describes a true conversion experience of seeing her sins and the righteousness of Christ. "I was so deeply convicted of my sin against God and awed by his receiving love that I barely made it through lunch that day." "Was this a conversion experience? Many people have asked that question. I am not certain. I had known all the right Christian words. And I prayed and had seen answers to prayer, especially in matters of health, protection, and material provision for our family. (Rose Marie-that is common grace, not regenerating grace-my words) But before Switzerland my working religious outlook does not seem to have generated by grace. Below the surface, mine was a religion of self-control through human will power, and my primary interest was in self-justification, not in Christ's justification." Rose Marie must edit this section before its next printing and say I was not saved. I was trusting in my own righteousness. I could not forgive, and scripture is clear Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Many details were left out. The story was shortened. I would like to know more about Rose Marie's relationship with her sister, mother and father when they lived in her and Jack's home. How did she handle a home full of people from the congregation that Jack was pastor when she had a mentally ill mother and sister to care for? Was her husband Jack adding additional burden? To my memory, Rose Marie does not share much about what her friends said to her during her struggles before her conversion experience in Switzerland. All her advice seems to come from her husband Jack.
"Why do I have such a hard time trusting God whenever the way before me is unfamiliar?" Read the book and be blessed!
Freedom From Legalistic Christianity.......2003-05-07
As a Christian who struggled with legalistic Christianity, the Lord used this book to open my eyes up to His saving G R A C E. I realized through this book that I can't do anything on my own and that even Christians try to live the Christian life without Christ. The Lord used this book to help me see that I don't need to live the Christian life by rules, laws, and regulations. Just by His grace. And when I come under His grace, everything else follows.
For every woman.......2003-01-25
I don't think there is a woman alive who would not be touched by this book. Rose Marie's struggles resonate with most women. We have given this book to many of our friends and they all have been encouraged.
From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons and Daughters of God.......2000-04-14
This book is absolutely amazing. God truly speaks through her writing! If you are a woman who struggles with feeling like she doesn't "measure up," hates being "out of control," read this book! There is GRACE for God's children and there is acceptance in HIM! He loves us and is with us at ALL times!
Life changing, real life examples, teaches grace.......1999-05-12
Rose Marie has done a wonderful job of weaving Biblical truths about personal grace and forgiveness with vulnernably told stories from her own life. If you live like an orphan when the King Himself is your Father, this book is for you. She helps the reader understand how we choose to live as rejected people, judged people, miserable people, complaining people, life's victims. She goes on to teach the loving grace and forgiveness of God. She also addresses those situations that are beyond our control, and how to accept and pray for others who hurt us. Its a whole new perspective for the person trained in leaglism. It added balance to my life in the form of personal grace that spills over to others, and has helped bring me closer to my loving Father,God.
Books:
- Clockers
- Coming Through Slaughter
- Davita's Harp
- Death in the Andes
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel
- Dreams Of My Russian Summers: A Novel
- Faith for Beginners: A Novel
- Fear and Trembling: A Novel
- Feast of Snakes: A Novel
- Fortunate Son: A Novel
Books Index
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- Farm Appraisal Principals: Gentlemen Scoundrels Professionals
The Place of Dead Roads: A Novel
The Western Lands
The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead (Burroughs, William S.)
Nova Express
Naked Lunch: The Restored Text
