Book Description
Gamaliel Friedman is only a child when his family flees Czechoslovakia in 1939 for the relative safety of Hungary. For him, it will be the beginning of a life of rootlessness, disguise, and longing. Five years later, in desperation, Gamaliel’s parents entrust him to a young Christian cabaret singer named Ilonka. With his Jewish identity hidden, Gamaliel survives the war. But in 1956, to escape the stranglehold of communism, he leaves Budapest after painfully parting from Ilonka.
Gamaliel tries, unsuccessfully, to find a place for himself in Europe. After a failed marriage, he moves to New York, where he works as a ghostwriter, living through the lives of others. Eventually he falls in with a group of exiles, including a rabbi––a mystic whose belief in the potential for grace in everyday life powerfully counters Gamaliel’s feelings of loss and dispossession. When Gamaliel is asked to help draw out an elderly, disfigured Hungarian woman who may be his beloved Ilonka, he begins to understand that a real life in the present is possible only if he will reconcile with his past.
Customer Reviews:
Uprooting the roots of the Holocaust.......2006-06-24
From May 25-28 2006 a pope from Germany, Benedict XVI, visited Poland, in part to honor the memory of his predecessor, John Paul II, in part to call upon the religious faith of this largely Roman Catholic nation to revitalize the Christian roots of Europe. During his visit to Auschwitz -- which called forth memories of my own visit on October 31, 1987 -- the pope noted that the Holocaust was an attempt to slay the God of Abraham.
Truly this is "The Time of the Uprooted." Any endeavor to identify the Christian roots of Europe must begin by uprooting the historic roots of that which renders us oblivious to the obvious, the three faiths of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. How do we at once recognize and acknowledge one another's sameness and otherness? Is each faith set "apart from" the others for its own sake? Or is each faith "a part of" a Divine Providence to which Abraham chose to respond?
Apart from an uprooting of all that which sets us apart from one another, we are refugees on fragile planet that offers no refuge.
Pondering the "silence" of God during the Holocaust, I find refuge, during this, his centennial year, in the thought of Emmanuel Levinas, noting that both Wiesel and Levinas studied under Mordechai Chouchani. One-anothered into existence, we never cease one-anothering one another into the fullness of our humanity, a one-anothering that entrusts us with the responsibilities of Historical Providence.
Very beautifuly written book, and yet..........2006-01-05
I find that this novel is about a loser in life and I cannot stand reading about losers. Simply, the main character Gamliel had a "mild" experience as compared to others who survived the war. And yet for some reason Elie enjoys writing about losers in life who are searching for love, never happy, busy or accomplished. There is more to life than that and certainly more to Judaism.
Elie is at his best when he writes non fiction about real people such as in Souls on fire, Sages and Dreamers. It is a real shame that he wrote more novels than non fiction works and yet there is still time to rectify that... and yet...
BG
did not understand, but how could I?.......2005-10-31
This book is one that will make you think. I cannot understand the history of the author, I was born in 1951. Because of that, I can also not understand the history of the characters as much as I would like... I can only imagine, and I don't always like what I see.
Gamaleil, the protagonist (sp?) speaks of what it means to be a refugee, and a stateless person. His words are powerful.
He also speaks of other persons who he met....some funny, some tragic and some religious. And, most important to me in this book, he spoke of where he did not belong.
Something I took from this book, and the reason that I would recommend it is...well...two things
first, and foremost....we must try do do the best we can, especially if we can do so with a sense of humor (after all, Gamaliel and friends named their group with humor, macabre though it was).
But also, we need to work together for good. The past is horrific, let's all work on the future.
Mr. Wiesel's book gave understated hope for our future.
It is a book well worth reading.... take your time... your time will be well spent.
A deeply moving meditation on hope and despair.......2005-08-18
Elie Wiesel's THE TIME OF THE UPROOTED shouldn't work. With its sudden shifts in point of view, disturbingly eloquent children, truncated storylines and generally convoluted, if scanty, plot, the book should be a disappointment. But the Nobel Prize winner's meditation on despair and hope in the face of both the unthinkable and the mundane is deeply moving.
Wiesel (and his translator, David Hapgood) skillfully controls the mood of the work, immersing the reader in the sadness of Gamaliel Friedman, a man whose life has been a series of struggles. A childhood spent in hiding from the Nazis and an adulthood spent in unhappy romances have left Gamaliel irreparably harmed.
Spiritual issues are pervasive in this book. A ghostwriter, Gamaliel is at work on a story of his own centered on a conflict between a rabbi and a priest. He is also enamored of a rabbi seeking to force the arrival of the Messiah. And he is preoccupied with a woman, near death, who he imagines might be the woman who protected him as a child. Each interlocking piece of his life adds heft to the book's spiritual themes.
Gamaliel's relationships with women, central to the story, are almost cursorily described. Each seems a rich vein of material that Wiesel barely mines. Indeed, the same could be said of many of the plot points.
THE TIME OF THE UPROOTED often feels like a slimmed down version of a potentially more ornately layered tale. Ultimately, however, Wiesel stirs the reader's emotions with economy and power.
--- Reviewed by Rob Cline ([...])
excellent but desolate look at humanity.......2005-08-12
In 1939, Germany is cleansing Czechoslovakia of the Jewish problem forcing the Friedmans to flee their home for Hungary. The Nazis soon march into Budapest where they continue to implement the final solution. Hoping to keep their son safe, the Friedmans leave their child Gamaliel with a young Christian cabaret singer Ilonka. She keeps him safe until the war ends. Gamaliel ultimately leaves Hungary and settles in New York.
Though residing in America for decades, Gamaliel feels displaced, a man without a country. Family life failed him as his wife committed suicide and his daughters hate him and he lost all contact with Ilonka years ago when she seems to have vanished. Work is unfair as he ghost writes for others to gain accolades. He has five fellow lost souls, who can tell interchangeable survival tales and only having to substitute names because their stories are identical. His only solace is the manuscript he has written Secret Book; life is miserable as he feels like a drifting refugee with no place to call home until a doctor asks him to talk with an ailing elderly woman who only speaks Hungarian.
Nobel Prize winning Elie Wiesel provides a well written but bleak look at the plight of the nation-less displaced people who once removed from their roots never find homes. Gamaliel is terrific as he reflects back on his melancholy life as a symbolism of all the refugees dislocated and relocated at the whims of the powerful and never knowing when if ever to settle in anticipation of the next dislocation. This is a desolate look at humanity even with a somewhat uplifting climax.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Anne Mallory makes her Avon debut with this exciting new novel in which everyone has something to hide...Masquerading the Marquess is sure to be loved by fans of Regency–era historical romance and mysteries.
Calliope Minton is a caricaturist in disguise. For her latest role she secures the help of Stephen Chalmers, the one true gentleman she knows and trusts. Unfortunately the role also plops her right into the lap of James Trenton, Marquess of Angelford, her favourite subject of ridicule and personal enemy. With James around, keeping her clever disguise becomes harder that she anticipates, especially since she's pretending to be a courtesan.
James Trenton has enough on his mind trying to discover the identity of the caricaturist who has been humiliating him in the papers, and the last thing he needs is the additional distraction of Calliope Minton.
But when Stephen disappears and death threats begin, Calliope and James reluctantly form a partnership to find their friend – and find a traitor. Slowly distrust transforms into friendship and animosity into desire.
Customer Reviews:
enchanting.......2007-06-10
like all the other books anne mallory has done this one is just as good it is actully my favorite so far
Three and a half stars to four stars.......2007-04-09
A good debut effort, the story was good, the characters were great but the whole flow was a little choppy. I found myself turning back to reaffirm who people were, and when the mean villan was described as an Earl, I had to flip forward to see who she was describing (which name was it, there were alot of people to keep track of in this book). So, Great Storyline, Great Characters, but it was all put together needing a little polishing. Also, the story ended a little abruptly, and there was not much as far as sexy scenes go. I like a little more than that in a "Romance story". I know the writer gets better, because I started with a more recent book then purchased her earlier books. So don't let this frustrate you, she does great work. I really like the playful banter between her heroes and leading ladies it makes everything better when there is a little humor involved.
Too confusing and Not romantic.......2006-01-22
I gave this book a C on my grading scale.
This is the first novel for Anne Mallory and she seems to have reached a little beyond herself. In an attempt to keep things suspenseful she makes things very confusing. It isn't until about three quarters of the way through the book that you even know which way is up with the mystery. Scenes end abruptly and jump narrative randomly, leaving the reader confused as to where they are and who exactly is "talking". The reader simply needs more information to become invested in the outcome.
While Calliope is very likable there are too many other characters to keep straight, let alone get to know. This is the main problem with James; we get to know him so little that it's hard to see him as anything other than a jerk that blames her for everything.
When it does get going, and is understandable, the mystery is very good. Unfortunately it's ruined in the end by several large and unexplainable holes. Even in its high points the mystery still never made me care one iota about the outcome of the romance.
Finally I found it insulting that James offered to make Calliope his mistress. While I know that's really a personal preference of mine, she was pretending to be a mistress to his best friend, I couldn't help but feel that if he loved her he never would have felt she was beneath him.
Delicious! Hope to be reading Anne Mallory for years to come!.......2006-01-03
Masquerading the Marquess is wonderfully written with a blend of just the right emotional touches and light hearted humor. Masquerading the Marquess was the prefect read for a lazy afternoon. Anne Mallory knowledge of the period paints such vivid pictures that her readers feel they're a part of the action, and the underlying sexual tension will leave you squirming in your chair. Anne Mallory delivers a sensuous, humorous, adventurous plot. The sex was so hot to make you burn - the laughs had me wiping my eyes and holding my stomach - and the love story itself was precious! Filled with Lovable characters, exciting and action-mystery twists. Lots of laugh out-loud scenes and oh so plenty of heart warming moments. If you long to be swept into the lives of two enchanting people, I highly recommend this one.
A Decent Effort For A Debut!!!.......2005-09-25
Ms. Mallory's debut effort demonstrates that she does have what it take to be a good author, but there are still some kinks that need to be worked out. One thing that was a problem was the over population of characters.
Calliope Minton is not your average Regencey miss. She is a Caricaturist who just so happens to also play at being a ladies companion, and later a courtesan all with the effort to get scandalous "on-dits" for her next cartoon. Her plan, take down one member of the "Ton" at a time. But, instead she gets more than she bargained for. Now she has stepped into a mystery that tied to national security and her friend Stephen has gone missing and the bain of her existance the Marquess of Angelford is now forced to work with her in order to find out what happened to Stephen. The fact that these two strong willed people set sparks to flying everytime they're in a room together escapes no one except for...Callie and James. Will these two people manage to work together before they kill each other or will they finally admit to the attraction that they can't keep ignoring?
This story had a lot of potential but what kept it from being "great" was the convoluted connections between so many of the characters with little ryhme or reason for the reader to follow. It looks as if she was laying the ground work for a series and this would have been fine except again...too much with little connection. As a result this romance between James and Callie felt forced and was not truly believeable for the reader. One can hope that her next effort will be a tad scaled down with more attention to the "romance" and less attention to building toward a series. Still this was a decent read and I will pick this author up again in the future.
Official Reviewer for Romance Designs
Average customer rating:
- Slow down and take a breath
- A Solid Sequel
- Good book.
- I loved it, but not for the writing style or characters...
- Interesting read despite the flaws.
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A Signal Shattered
Eric S. Nylund
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Nylund, Eric
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Signal to Noise
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Ghosts of Onyx (Halo)
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Altered Carbon: A Takeshi Kovacs Novel (Takeshi Kovacs Novels)
ASIN: 038079294X |
Book Description
The Earth is the graveyard of billions, thanks to mathematician and rogue cryptographer Jack Potter and the treacherous extraterrestrial creature known as Wheeler, Jack's one-time business partner in the trade of alien and human technologies. But Potter and a handful of others managed to escape the holocaust thanks to the miracle of teleportation. From the cold gray ruins of the Moon, the last pitiful remnants of the human race now stare down at the devastation that one of their diminished species unwittingly helped to bring about. Here at civilization's end, a beautiful Chinese mind assassin, a cold-blooded cybernetics genius, a DNA-manipulating "gene witch," and Jack himself stand at the threshold of a new day -- when accelerated evolution will open the door to the full achievement of human potential; when the epic saga of humanity will begin again and Jack will ultimately be redeemed...if he doesn't go insane first.
But Wheeler is still out there -- and out to finish what he started. And this universe isn't big enough for Jack Potter to hide himself in.
Customer Reviews:
Slow down and take a breath.......2007-03-22
First of all, this is an almost impossible read if you were not familiar with "Signal To Noise" that, in my opinion, was a superior book in many ways. My 4 stars is actually 3.5 rounded up. We have the same characters and the same general problem.
Let's forego all the silliness about capitalism gone mad or aliens who have the same psychological motivations as us or even the premise that there are hundreds of cultures at approximately the same windown (5,000 years or so) of technological progress. The problem is that the book starts out at the top of a roller coaster and never for a moment steps. It is a mad rush in the truest sense of the word - people fly around, appear, teleport, mix virtual and real, split into copies of themselves. Action, Action, Action...you almost get a headache at the relentless pace.
The first book had some moments of reflection and realization. This one substitutes movement for plot - they are not the same thing. I liked Jack and Panda, never understood Zero or Safa or the priest, though Isabel was a bitch-goddess. The science is absolutely mind-boggling, the electron computers, wondrous genetic drugs, but again, the winner was the use of metaphor, those unconscious symbols that were subject to interpretation. The description of metaphors was enough to merit 3 stars. At the beginnning, the Earth is destroyed when its rotation slowed by using the teleporter. With so few humans left they do the worst thing - begin fighting among themselves. Wheeler and an even worse representative of that species, Gersham who preferred slavery and torture to extermination, vie with Jack for a "deal" and yet, preposterously, he is able to defeat both aliens by modifying their technology. He and gal pal Panda settle down to talk of children and a new race.
Problems: Never revealing what Wheeler REALLY looks like, not crippling their planet, explaining Isabel or Zero, taking a breath.
A Solid Sequel.......2006-10-02
What would you do if you were somehow responsible with blowing up the human race, except for a small handful of people you chose to save? In only a true sci-fi manner, could that question resolve itself in a funny, ironic, dark, and somewhat optimist way.
The book picks up exactly at the close of Signal to Noise, with Jack trying to keep his sanity and some group of companions alive and together, while not being discovered by Wheeler. Nylund continues his fast-paced writing style, with the addition of a few new characters to add to his mosaic environments. While dealing with the aftermath of having 6 billion dead, Nylund poses the issues of how far would you go to save the few left, how far would you allow yourself to be gene edited to perfection and what would that perfection create. In addition, just to make things interesting, if there are multiple copies of a people are they required to be committed to the same partner?
Nylund uses a good deal of hard science in both books, but it doesn't come across as either overwhelming to the detriment of interesting characters, or used just to create a "solution" to a predicament. Nylund really ends up throwing a lot of philosophy and questions into such a fast-paced story that I found it enjoyable to read both books a second time a year later.
Good book........2006-08-07
This was a great sequel to "Signal to Noise". As you read, you are definitely drawn into the characters' feelings and thoughts, especially in a world where subconcious, hunches, and metaphors are a way of life in this story.
As you read, you definitely grasp the characters' feelings of hopelessness and struggle in the beginning, then it picks up as they find their path to survival. What follows are just as much twists and turns as the first book, which is naturally very unlikely for the setting of the story, but Nylund pulls it off with excellece.
The last two chapters WILL get your blood pumping. Awesome book.
I loved it, but not for the writing style or characters..........2005-08-18
I just finished this book, and I definitley enjoyed it. I did not know it was a sequel until now, although I suspected it from where the story began.
Let me first say that I don't think I need to read the first book. This one does a pretty good job of explaining everything, though the author's sentiments seem like they began prior to the story. If you don't have much interest in computer programming, physics, the quantum sciences or astronomy, a lot of this stuff is going to feel pretty alien. But otherwise you're fine.
The bad points of the novel include the author's quick writing style into which he still manages to throw every full phrased idea on his mind into the sentence. There isn't much heartfelt elaboration on anything nontechnical. The characters are pretty basic, for the most part. You could have gotten them out of a mail-order set. This may be related to his technical background but you can tell he is eager to grow as a writer, and is doing a pretty good job as of the date of this book.
The good points of this book are the constant motion of ideas. This is very fast paced and usually fluid. He tosses a huge amount of interesting ideas into the story, and I suppose that is mostly what the story is. The characters figure out previously unknown properties of physics and spacetime just to get out of a panic situation, even without the 'unified theory'. They hack and rewrite technology given to them by advanced civilizations and use it to defeat godlike villains. This book even made me think about astronomy in completely new ways.
I recommend this book to any nerd looking for something quick and satisfying to devour.
Interesting read despite the flaws........2004-10-14
I had first read Nylund when I picked up his book Dry Water, which I found to be promising, but not really fulfilling.
A Signal Shattered, to my mind, gets a lot closer to a mature work by a talented author. This is true despite some problems that I had with the book while reading it.
My biggest problem was that I was one of the unlucky few who did not realize that this was a sequel, and so I read this book without having read Signal To Noise. As a result, it took me a *long* time to figure out what was going on and probably longer than most people to get into the plot. I would agree that this was probably the wrong way to go about the book. For me, it is a pretty strong statement about the quality of the book that not only did I eventually get into the plot, I enjoyed reading the book quite a bit.
While Nylund has cyberpunk elements to his writing, I think he would be more reasonably compared to a writer like Tim Powers than to more traditional cyberpunk writers. His predominant strengths as a writer lie in his mix of concept and science with a strong lean towards the mystical in places. I would agree that perhaps more attention could have been paid to developing the character reactions to the situation they find themselves in, but I also should say that I was only a little bit bothered by the absence.
Average customer rating:
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A Signal Shattered
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HKFEYK |
Book Description
John Wheeler met Bob Adamson (a student of Nisargadatta Maharaj) on a trip to Australia in 2003. In short order, Bob cleared up John's doubts and questions and pointed out to him the fact of our real nature: self-shining, ever-present awareness. Bob Adamson has encouraged John to share this understanding of 'who we really are.' The articles contained in this book (extended by another 30 articles in this edition) cover some of John's experiences with meeting 'Sailor' Bob Adamson and various aspects of the understanding which subsequently unfolded. Interspersed with these are chapters of email correspondence with enquirers who have been drawn to this radical and direct approach to self-realisation.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-09-23
This book - the first of four, and the best - is right on the money - it gets right to the point and is almost crystal clear in its pointing. If you really see what John is so obviously pointing to, all conflicts,suffering,problems spontaneously disappear. The "I" thought is the keystone to the illusory edifice. John will show you or rather point out the illusory nature of this concept and "you" will taste the freedom. Now keep this up,as old conditioning may tend to bring "you" back, but with continued clear viewing you will be set free.You cannot possibly get any clearer an understanding than from John(or Bob Adamson for that matter). Good Luck!
A signpost.......2007-08-15
For anyone on a spiritual path and sometimes getting lost along the way. John seems to me like a signpost, a guiding light pointing out another direction to explore and he does so in a patient and gentle manner.
This book is comprised of questions and answers and I found many of the questions to be my own so I found it very relevant. I feel John is clear, concise and relates well to the modern American. I like this book a lot and recommend it to anyone that feels they need a little nudge.
One of the best .......2007-07-07
John Wheeler is simply a master at gently but ruthlessly throwing you back on that which you already are - presence awareness. This book is mostly a series of question and answers - John has a very simple and loving way - he's very patient but also unfailingly catches the questioner as they fall back into the mind, into the sense of "I" - John gently directs them back and continuously reminds them of what they are. John is one of the most "respected" authors writing about Advaita or NonDuality today - a student of Bob Adamson - he has gone beyond the mind and resides in the clear presence awareness of which he speaks and points to. To be more clear - he shows that there is no one to go anywhere, no one to achieve or attain, nothing to do but BE WHAT YOU ALREADY ARE. All of his books are very highly recommended.
The clearest expression of reality.......2007-06-10
The author, John Wheeler, does not waste any words. This is one of the clearest book of pointers to reality. Get it, savor it again and again.
Very easy to "get".......2006-06-25
John Wheeler's writing is direct and easy to "get." Since starting to read this book (I'm nearly through it) presence awareness is very obvioius most of the time and there is a deepening into it. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been reading non-dual books and still seeking. This could be what makes things very obvious.
Customer Reviews:
Real Good.......2006-02-25
The only gripe that I have with this book is that the author could and should have placed more detailed information in the text. Otherwise this book is strong medicine for those parents educators and concerned community activists and excellent documentation on the genius that is inherent in urban, rural and suburban children….One of the most important detail being….some children already have a head start, it is up to the community to make sure this advantage is continued…..I’ve already put some points to good use.
The enduring pen of Dr. Amos N. Wilson.......2006-01-05
Both descriptive and prescriptive, this work by the esteemed ancestor must be read by Afrikan parents and educators alike.
One of the best books I have read.......2001-09-04
To me few books are 5 star books, and I have never been compelled to write an online review of any book. But I must say that this book is so thought provoking and at the same time enlightening, that I had to write something. This book is a must read for any parent / teacher that wants to get a clear and intelligent perspective on how to properly teach / raise black children in the current society that we live in. It is not a long drawn out book, it is relatively short and to the point. As a parent of a two year old, I must say that after reading this book, I feel: motivated, educated, and stimulated to teach my child not just be "smarter" , but to be a better person overall.
Awakening the Natural Genius in Black Children.......2001-03-16
I have have read and digested Dr. Wilson's books for years. This book, however, is for educators in urban settings. As an elementary principal in Columbus, Ohio it is imperative to know how to seperate good literature from exemplary literature. This book is exemplary. The main reason is because it requires critical reflection from beginning to end. The author wrote in a manner as to provoke questioning of one's psychosoical value system and how this value system is subconsciously transmitted to our children during the educational process. As a result of institutional and covert racism, many teachers mistakeningly teach Black children strictly from a Eurocentric perspective. This method of transmitting knowledge is harmful to both teacher and pupil. Dr. Wilson's book is gut-wrenching, sad and extremely enlightening. It's is highly recommended- but not the fainthearted.
This book is valuable for cultural insight of Afro-America........1999-01-31
I found this book to be quite interesting from start to finish.It gives description to psychoneurological development in different genotypes in a way that desribes what may be the differences in learning styles.Prenatal development and its relation to stress and responses was also fascinating when drawn in correlation to fetal development.I would highly recommend this book to parents of Black children or those individuals that work in close contact with Black children RE.esp.Early Childhood Ed.
Books:
- The Torment of Others: A Novel
- The Vagina Monologues: The V-Day Edition
- The Vision of Emma Blau : A Novel
- The Wasp Eater
- The Woman Chaser
- The Worst Journey in the World
- The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis
- Three Weddings and a Giggle: Fine Print/Sweet Chariot/Bride on the Run (Palisades Pure Romance Anthology)
- Unless: A Novel
- Up the Down Staircase
Books Index
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