Amazon.com
Each summer, Andrei Makine's narrator and his sister leave the Soviet Union for the mythical land of France-Atlantis. That this country is a beautiful confabulation, a consolation existing only in his maternal grandmother's mind, makes it no less real. Though Charlotte Lemonnier lives in a town on the edge of the steppe, each night she journeys to a long-ago Paris, telling tales that the children then translate with their more Russian minds: "The president of the Republic was bound to have something Stalinesque about him in the portrait sketched by our imagination. Neuilly was peopled with kolkhozniks. And the slow emergence of Paris from the waters evoked a very Russian emotion--that of fleeting relief after one more historic cataclysm ..."
Makine's first novel is a singing tribute to the alchemy of inspiration, but it is no less familiar with the sorrows of reality. And it is only as he gets older that the narrator begins to piece together his grandmother's far more tragic past--her experiences in the Great War, the October Revolution, and after. Dreams of My Russian Summers is a love letter to an extraordinary woman (it's hard not to see the book as autobiographical) as well as to language and literature, which the boy turns to in avoidance of history's manipulations. It has all the marks of an instant classic.
Book Description
Hailed as extraordinary from coast to coast and winner of both the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Medicis, France's top literary prizes, the national bestseller Dreams of My Russian Summers traces a sentimental journey that embraces many of the dramatic events in Russia during the twentieth century. Here is a poignant story of a Soviet boy's ascent into manhood in the 1960s and 1970s, and his extraordinary affection for his mysterious grandmother who seems to have been there for all the pivotal historical events. This epic tale is full of tenderness and passion, pain and heartbreak; mesmerizing, in every way.
Customer Reviews:
Depth of memory and connection.......2007-04-01
This novel is unque in placing me into the transparent and transcental dimension of memory. It let me feel the power of reflectoin and voices from the distant past or other worlds. This novel doesn't have to be compared to Proust's masterpiece. The stream of narration and the language (I am reading an English translation) is almost mesmerizing, sending the reader off this world. I would place this as one of the best literary work.
A beautiful reflection on what it meant to be Russian and French in the 20 th centruy.......2006-05-28
Andrei Makine's book, Dreams of My Russian Summer's, is a very special book. Even though the author wrote the book in French, and I read it in translation (English), the writing is fantastic. It takes a little getting used to it, it's very "flowery", just to give you fair warning, but once you get used to it, you'll appreciate it. And despite all the attention given to the language, quite a bit actually happens, the dialogue doesn't stand still. It's a moving and interesting story.
The story is told in retrospect in the first person. It's a memory. We are told that he has a grandmother who has both French and Russian backgrounds, born and raised in France and married a Russian and lived out the rest of her life there, making her way through world wars and quirky Russian society. What we're not told immediately is why the narrator is fixated on his grandmother's dual nationality, which is what the novel is about.
Take time to enjoy the language and to fully appreciate the details of the story. I immediately reread the first 20 pages upon finishing, just to make sure I didn't miss anything important. This 1995 book will definitely be read and reread for a long time.
Lyrical memories of idyllic summers past.......2004-04-04
Andrei Makine, born in Siberia in 1957, has written an prose ode to his French grandmother, a memorable account of life in Communist Russia as lived by the woman who gave him joy, comfort, and permission to dream of other worlds.
Each summer, Andrei and his sister visited this grandmother at the edge of Russia's vast steppes, and in the evening she told them stories of her past. Trapped in Russia after the revolution, she married a Russian and became a hardworking Soviet wife and mother - but she never lost the Frenchness of her utmost being. Slowly, over the years, she reveals harsh truths to young Andrei - but always with a lyrical and dreamlike quality that makes reading this book feel as though you're inhaling pure, gauzy poetry.
speak, memory.......2003-12-22
A lovely, lyrical "autobiographical novel". Makine, born Russian, has lived in France since 1987. This novel covers his extraordinary relationship with his grandmother, who sets his life in motion by re-telling stories of her French past. This is a wonderful book, filled with spare, powerful writing. One of the loveliest books I've read in a long time.
Beautiful.......2003-08-21
A work of art, Makine's use of language is stunning. Not a quick read, I frequently had to stop and ponder many profound passages. Literature as an art form is not dead.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT BOOK.......2006-03-02
After her husband leaves her and never returns, Katie Cutter has tucked her dreams away. She has lost all hope of having a family of her own. Every day washing clothes at the local laundry house makes her bitter and resentful at this abandonment as he has left her pregnant and alone.
A stranger appears at her mother's doorstep informing her that he is Noah Cutter, her brother in law - and that her husband has been killed. He offers her to come with him and Katie jumps at the opportunity to leave Boulder CO and start her life away from her mother's constant harping and meanness.
Noah offers to bring Katherine to his ranch. Although he has no use for women and has been around very few, he feels obligated to give his brother's widow and unborn child a home and sanctuary.
Katherine is a pretty little thing and as chatty as a magpie. She is outspoken and honest - always saying what is on her mind. He is a shadowed man, who speaks little and feels even less. His scars run deep - physically and emotionally so he has learned to avoid people and their censure.
St. John's marvelous storyline and character development in this book is sensational. It is a tender and sweet tribute of two people that find their need and love for each other. This was a great book - the love scenes where tender and the story lovely. Enjoy.
EXCELLENTLY ENTERTAINING - GOOD READ.......2005-09-22
I find it beneficial to reconsider a book before reviewing it.
Sometimes the mood I am in at the time of reading colors my perception of the story.
Noah Cutter was scarred inside and out. His perceptions of others reactions were colored by the treatment he received after his injury. [I find that our perceptions of others are never accurate.]
Katherine Cutter was pregnant and no longer hopeful of having a better life, especially for her child. On her mother: [You fast loose your emotional connections to someone who keeps putting you down.]
Noah loved his brother, yet still knew him in reality. His brother, Levi was not one to acknowledge responsibility.
Was it really the child he wanted to protect or the young woman he brother had claimed in marriage?
Noah found it easier to take Kate into his home as she didn't seem to find him different or repulsive. Her acceptance went a long way to changing his life.
Kate was finding it hard to live with Noah, as he kept telling her she didn't have to do anything. How would she spend her time? She was used to working.
This is a tender romance with a lot of changes to live through and misunderstandings to clear up. MaMa Cutter had definitely developed into a person with class distinctions as a rule to live by. [I would like to know where her income came from?]
A nice change of pace with some past history to clear up and an entertaining read.
Definitely Recommend - Again - Try it you may like it!
It's "Good" but somehow lacking.......2005-08-02
There's just something not "there" about this romance. Despite all the good things about this book, something is lacking.
The basic plot is tightly written & a good one: Katherine (Kate), abandoned by her husband, who married her basically because he wanted sex with her & she wasn't offering it without marriage, is taken into her brother-in-law Noah's home after the husband is killed in a brawl. Noah is outwardly scarred from a terrible accident involving barbed wire, when he was a young teenager, and inwardly scarred due to his cold upbringing by his stepmonster (not a typo). Kate is due to have her husband's baby in a few months. Yet they gradually feel attracted to each other and eventually marry, falling in love with each other as they learn about each other.
The writing is all right; the romance is warm & heartfelt, developing slowly (which I like), and the characters are believably motivated. Noah and Katherine have depth, and I really appreciate Kate's determination to make a go of her new life & her hope for deeper love with Noah. And yet, somehow the book is not a keeper. Maybe it's because the writing is just "all right", that I'm not feeling it. Some of the writer's writing is a little abrupt, a little flat, perhaps.
It's a good book, even a very good book, but even though it touched all the bases, I feel disappointment with it. Odd, isn't it, how one person's hit is another's miss?
INTERESTING PREMISE, BUT UNEVEN.......2005-08-01
I have liked some of Cheryl St. John's earlier books, but this one just missed, for some reason. The characters were inconsistent and not very well fleshed out. Noah's step-mother is supposed to be a woman from hell, who viciously made his life unbearable when he was a kid, but instead, she pretty much is portrayed as a snob. Katherine's mother is supposed to be abusive and oppressive, but instead, she just appears to be someone who denigrates her daughter, telling her "I told you so." Katherine's desire to leave her totally seems unwarrented. Noah is so silent much of the time and his thoughts are not told as much as I would have liked. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs that repeated--one again--the same thoughts. Much of the conflict in this novel is both h/h assuming that they know what the other is thinking, and, of course, each is wrong. I found myself impatient with both h and h. Katherine especially acted pretty stupidly in one time expecially. This novel needed to be sharper with more consisent characterization. The plot premise itself is intriguing, but it lacks depth. Instead of being shown characterization, we are told it. Reading this book is like eating Wonder bread when you crave a good, crusty roll with sharp cheese. It needed another--at least one--draft.
A touching story about love, healing and family........2005-07-24
Katherine Cutter had very small dreams...a family and somewhere to belong. Surely that wasn't asking too much. But when her husband gets shot, he leaves her pregnant and alone. Then his brother rides into town. Noah Cutter is a man who is used to living life on his own. He doesn't know what to do with a woman like Katherine. His scars run deep and he's not willing to let anyone in. But Katherine doesn't seem to know how to stay out. And gradually, Noah's not sure he wants her two. Together they can forge a new family...if only they can let go of the past, the pain.
St. John's ability to craft a deeply emotional story is amazing. His Secondhand Wife is another brilliant display of what this talented writer can do with a story!
Book Description
There is a gala opening for a new exhibition at the Tate Modern - "The Tomorrow Windows." The concept behind the exhibition is simple - anyone can look through a Tomorrow Window and see into the future. Of course, the future is malleable, and so the future you see will change as you formulate your plans. You can the see the outcome of every potential decision, and then decide on the optimum course of action. According to the press pack, the Tomorrow Windows will bring about world peace and save humanity from every possible disaster. So, of course, someone decides to blow it up. There's always one, isn't there? As the Doctor investigates and unravels the conspiracy, he begins a Gulliver's Travels-esque quest, visiting bizarre worlds and encountering many peculiar and surreal life forms...
Average customer rating:
- Still amazing...
- Wow.
- Long and tedious even though it's under 200 pages
- Read this book, again and again.
- Fiendishly clever and very insightful
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The Screwtape Letters
C. S. Lewis
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Who among us has never wondered if there might not really be a tempter sitting on our shoulders or dogging our steps? C.S. Lewis dispels all doubts. In The Screwtape Letters, one of his bestselling works, we are made privy to the instructional correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his wannabe diabolical nephew Wormwood. As mentor, Screwtape coaches Wormwood in the finer points, tempting his "patient" away from God.
Each letter is a masterpiece of reverse theology, giving the reader an inside look at the thinking and means of temptation. Tempters, according to Lewis, have two motives: the first is fear of punishment, the second a hunger to consume or dominate other beings. On the other hand, the goal of the Creator is to woo us unto himself or to transform us through his love from "tools into servants and servants into sons." It is the dichotomy between being consumed and subsumed completely into another's identity or being liberated to be utterly ourselves that Lewis explores with his razor-sharp insight and wit.
The most brilliant feature of The Screwtape Letters may be likening hell to a bureaucracy in which "everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment." We all understand bureaucracies, be it the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, or one of our own making. So we each understand the temptations that slowly lure us into hell. If you've never read Lewis, The Screwtape Letters is a great place to start. And if you know Lewis, but haven't read this, you've missed one of his core writings. --Patricia Klein
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
This adaptation of C.S. Lewis's biting satire received a 1999 Grammy nomination for best spoken-word performance, and it's easy to see why--the story fits the format perfectly. It's relatively brief (the unabridged reading takes a mere four hours), and contains only one character--the demon Screwtape, who writes letters to his novice nephew Wormwood, instructing him on how to best tempt his "patient" (a wayward soul on earth) into the bosom of "our Lord below."
Obviously, the book wasn't written with former Monty Python John Cleese in mind, but it's hard to imagine a better Screwtape. Cleese's voice provides the perfect vehicle for Lewis's dry, razor-edged wit. His uncanny comic timing and ability to milk each phrase for maximum effect betray an infectious enthusiasm for the story. It's clear that he's having a great time reading, and it's impossible not to laugh along with him. This inspired pairing of two of the 20th century's greatest wits makes for a meditation on the dark side of spiritual guidance that's as relevant and funny today as it was in Lewis's war-torn England. (Running time: 4 hours, 3 cassettes) --Andrew Neiland
Book Description
Now available unabridged on cassette and CD--C.S. Lewis’ classic Screwtape Letters--the engaging correspondence between two devils. Read by Joss Ackland.
Customer Reviews:
Still amazing..........2007-09-21
This book was great, it's particularly interesting how screwtape gets more overt with his utter disdain for his nephew. It was an absolutely fascinating read.
C.S. Lewis is still amazing.
Wow........2007-09-16
The genius of this book astounds me. C.S. Lewis is somehow able to teach valuable lessons on every page while speaking as a demon. And it makes you laugh, too. The reader is smiling one moment and squirming at an uncomfortable recognition of self the next. The book is fairly short and could be a quick read, but you will want to stop and digest each letter for a while before moving on to the next. Excellent for a study group.
Long and tedious even though it's under 200 pages.......2007-09-03
This is an incredibly dull book. I was forced to read it for a religion class and I can't believe there aren't more bad reviews of it. It is very tedious and the wording is old, making it all the more hard to read. I am not a hugely religious person and I would never recommend this book to a friend, possibly an enemy, but never a friend. If you're having sleeping problems, this book would be a great remedy.
Read this book, again and again. .......2007-08-25
Some books can only be read once and then forever forgotten. Some need to be read more than once, and they will still strike us afresh everytime we come back to the books. "Screwtape Letter" definitely belongs to the latter category. Other than the literary style of the book, which is very "tickling" (in a good sense), I will recommmend the book to be treated as a kind of "manual" to discern divine truths from false and half truths. The book will train our thoughts not just to stay positive, but more importantly to stay godly. The book does so by making us aware of how often we have been obtusely blinded by devilish thoughts.
Fiendishly clever and very insightful.......2007-08-01
C. S. Lewis was, without a doubt, one of the best writers of the century, and this book is C. S. Lewis at the height of his powers. It is clever, entertaining and insightful, at points even profound. At points you're almost tempted to take notes. People tend to think of "informative" and "entertaining" as opposites, or at least mutually exclusive. Lewis proves that that isn't true by writing a book that is both at the exact same time.
Some people seem think that this book is depressing or too heavy, but I don't think that's true. It's definitely not a dime novel or pulp fiction, and I suppose it does require a lot more thought than a lot of novels, but don't let that stop you. This book is wonderful satire that's not that hard to read.
If you've never read this book, I definitely recommend that you do so.
Customer Reviews:
Charming insights on the man.......2006-01-07
Lewis is largely known for his "Screwtape Letters," "Chronicles of Narnia," and "Mere Christianity." He ranges from the steeply theological to captivating children's fiction. What "Letters to Children" does is bridge the two worlds.
Bear in mind it is a collection of letters, not polished literature. You get a lot of asides and witticisms that one might say off-handedly to someone one never expects to talk to again. He thanks children for correcting the punctuation in his book. He always mentions the dreary weather in England. And he notes more than once that the children always seem to know who Aslan is, even when their parents don't get it.
But what is priceless about the book is that it captures a part of Lewis that he himself observes in his autobiographical essays. He is not particularly interested in or even familiar with children; he simply shares with them the same interest in great story-telling. Perhaps the best letter is the one in which he gives a little girl several tips on good writing. He encourages the children to write stories of their own. He almost discusses books with them the way you would expect him to with his colleagues at Oxford and Cambridge, and he gives children just that much respect. Lewis has an adult mind and a boy's heart, and that is why many of us continue to be in love with Lewis.
"Letters to Children" is a great read for the Lewis connoisseur who wants to know more of how his mind worked.
Letters from a Gracious Man.......2002-05-16
Every time I read another book by C.S. Lewis I become more grateful for his life and his writings. This book is a gem, and a wonderful window into Lewis' soul. He answers these children's letters with self-effacing grace and humor, and with a sincere respect for their opinions and their dignity. While being a great writer has no particular connection with being a good person, this book is, to me, irresistable evidence of Lewis' personal goodness. The Angler (as he once referred to God in "Surprised by Joy") snared a fine specimen when he snared the soul of C.S. Lewis.
A bit lacking.......2002-05-03
This is one book I had wanted to read for along time. It just seemed like an excellent idea to be able to experience an author in this extraordinary way, communicating with his number one fans: kids.
Sadly, when I read it, I didn't like it that much. First of all, it was a very short read. I finished reading it in one afternoon. Secondly, I found the book to be lacking information, because letters are presented here and there, but most of the time we don't get to read a "two-way" conversation, so it is hard to follow. Also, I expected to read letters to and from many children, and was a bit disappointed when I realised only a few children's letters were featured.
Still, I love C.S. Lewis, and was very happy to read his Letters to Children, and feel as if some had been written for me.
"yours ever... C.S. Lewis".......2002-01-12
It is said that as regularly as the mail arrived, professor Lewis sat down at his desk and personally responded... even if the correspondents were little children who had come to know of him through his Narnia books. In fact, he felt it was his God-given duty to do so! "C.S. Lewis: Letters to Children" is a collection of these heartfelt responses, spanning nearly 20 years (1944-1963).
Lewis's own direct contact with children was limited. He once said, "I theoretically hold that one ought to like children, but am shy with them in practice." (Letter to Arthur Greeves, Dec.'35). And in his "The Abolition of Man" he says (chap.1, para.11) "I myself do not enjoy the society of small children... I recognize this as a defect in myself." What he may have lacked in direct contact with children he certainly seems to have displaced with these personal letters, in which we see a lofty Oxford academic who is able to freely converse with children about such diverse topics as (of all things) Zoroastrianism, cats, the Gauls, Virgilian hexameter, the Renaissance, and his opinion that human faces are much easier to draw than animal faces. Never does he talk DOWN to his younger "friends". He usually signs off with an affectionate "yours ever"! And often he sprinkles a question or two of his own in a letter, which, rather than dismissing the sender, invites a response, showing he values these children. For example, an American girl (Joan) received 28 letters from Lewis over a 20 year period!
Why do I give this book a rating of 5 stars? Is the writing as deep, weighty, and significant as War & Peace? Not even remotely. But, to me, it is remarkable that an academician/author of the caliber of C.S. Lewis found the time to write such beautiful simple letters to inquiring kids all over the world. There's something very refreshing (for Lewis fans like me at least) about picking this book up and just turning at random to any letter. One ends with "It is still cold here but the snowdrops, crocuses, primroses and daffodils are up and the thrushes are building nests." Or another "Well, I can't say I have had a happy Easter, for I have lately got married and my wife is very, very ill." Such disclosure is an example of the respect Lewis felt children worthy of. One word of caution though: Does a proper appreciation of this book require a familiarity with Lewis's works? Quite frankly: Yes! The Narnia books! Because so many of the letters are alluding to Narnia, readers unfamiliar with that cycle of books may find most of this book quite boring.
Lewis never tired of corresponding with his child fans. His final letter, to a boy named Philip was written on November 21, 1963. The following day Lewis passed away peacefully at his Oxford home. Earlier, he had written the following to a group of fifth graders:
"I'm tall, fat, rather bald, red-faced, double-chinned, black-haired, have a deep voice, and wear glasses for reading.
The only way for us to get to Aslan's country is through death, as far as I know: perhaps some very good people get just a tiny glimpse before then.
Best love to you all. When you say your prayers sometimes ask God to bless me,
Yours ever, C.S. Lewis"
A Lovely Collection from a Gentle Scholar.......2000-12-26
This is a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in C.S. Lewis. The letters are only a representative selection, but if you have read collections of epistles by anyone then you will be prepared for the character of this genre. By its very nature correspondence is occasional and somewhat disjointed. The letters in this volume are especially well-chosen, however, and the editors focus upon letters to the same children as they grow older, letters from the whole of Lewis's career, and letters addressing similar topics. Several themes emerge: childhood imagination, honesty with children (even fair-minded criticism), sympathy for their concerns, the busy schedule of a scholar, poetic details in the everyday, and clear-headed reasoning in even small matters. Lewis writes with a wry sense of humor, respect for children as people, and selflessness. The letters from the end of his life are especially touching. I heartily recommend this book to anyone familiar with Lewis, although novices would do better to start with __Surprised by Joy__, __Mere Christianity__, or one of the Narnian tales.
Average customer rating:
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C.S. Lewis: Man of Letters : A Reading of His Fiction
Thomas Howard
Manufacturer: Ignatius Press
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