Average customer rating:
- Part Southern Gothic, part Hollywood exposé, part political treatise, this book will endure
- Great entertaing book!!
- Funny and VERY Sobering
- A fun and enlightening read
- The Loss Of Innocence And Wonderful Sexual Awakening!!!
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Crazy in Alabama
Mark Childress
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Movie Tie-Ins
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Similar Items:
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One Mississippi
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Tender
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Crazy in Alabama
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Gone for Good (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
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V for Victor
ASIN: 0345432479
Release Date: 1999-09-07 |
Book Description
Meet Peter Joseph, aka Peejoe, a wide-eyed believer in the unbelievable, raised by his Meemaw in Pigeon Creek for a good part of his life. But it was his aunt Lucille who raised him for the better. And it all happened during that summer everyone was driven crazy in Alabama, with Lucille at the wheel.
It's 1965, and no force on earth can come between Hollywood and Lucille Vinson, Alabama's answer to Veronica Lake. (Just ask her.) Even if it means killing her husband, stealing a Cadillac, hijacking her nephew, and catching a few hours of sleep at eight-dollar motels. But how do you become a movie star when you're on the run for murder? Lucille's got a plan. Not to mention a tank full of gas, a hopped-up sense of liberty, and her number one fan, Peejoe, by her side. It was a darn good week for Lucille. But for Peejoe, it would be the journey of a lifetime. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Part Southern Gothic, part Hollywood exposé, part political treatise, this book will endure.......2006-10-28
Part a coming of age story and part awakening--both of a woman who has been kept down by her husband and of the African American community of 1960s Alabama, Crazy in Alabama is one heck of a read.
The story's main characters are Peejoe (Peter Joseph), a 12 year old orphan who was living with his beloved grandmother (Meemaw) until his crazy aunt cut off her husband's head and deserted her children. The aunt, Lucille, is the other main character. At 33, she has six children, a dead husband and a burning desire to make it in Hollywood, which is where she heads after she has committed the grisly murder.
Childress takes on big issues (race relations, oppression of women, the media, mental illness) and displays them unflinchingly. He also shows how there are some folks--leaders (Lucille also becomes some sort of de facto leader of women's issues)--who take advantage of serious situations for their own political gain.
Childress proves himself great in this book. He writes with such deft assuredness that he makes it look easy, but it's not. Clearly a student of popular culture, he weaves details (songs, movies, television) into a fine cloth and makes us feel as though we are right there with him.
Part Southern Gothic, part Hollywood exposé, part political treatise, this book will endure. But above and beyond all that, it's a great read.
Great entertaing book!!.......2006-08-13
This audiobook was fun and interesting to listen to, I had to keep driving to keep listening! I am not selling this because I want to share the humorous, sad and shockingly witty story with others!! I wonder if any of this is true, Mark Chilress?? They say "Tell the truth, and no one will believe you!""
I just LOVED it!
Funny and VERY Sobering.......2006-07-10
For once, an author has taken me to places I've never been and has set me up to turn me upside down in the closing pages. There is NOTHING in this story that can be clearly anticipated. Justice does a crazy (and hilarious) turnabout; racism in people in high places is not carefully put away in a neat package to satisfy the transparent do-gooders in our midst. For all his awesome way with humor, Childress takes his reader on a sustained rollercoaster ride into the depths of the integration conundrum which is still very much alive in this country and the heights to which the smallest of us can go.
A fun and enlightening read.......2006-05-03
This story is so intriguing because of the main two plots being told simulaneously. Peejoe is such a memorable character...reminds me a lot of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. His involvement with the racial issues teach him so much while he's growing up. He's the type of child who doesn't see color. On the other hand, Aunt Lucille is one crazy--but hilarious--broad! Her wild excursions are very entertaining, while shocking at the same time. It's neat how these two characters are going through two completely different things, yet they are both "growing up" and learning pretty much the same lesson about standing up for who you are, not letting anyone put you down, being an individual, etc. Overall, this was a great read...I'd recommend it to anyone.
The Loss Of Innocence And Wonderful Sexual Awakening!!!.......2005-04-19
This book is a rare gem from a very talented writer. The reader is introduced to two main characters namely Peejoe(short for Peter Joseph), a young boy and his Aunt Lucille. Lucille has decided she has had enough of domestic life and has aspirations of being a Hollywood actress. In an act of desperation she kills her husband and cuts off his head and stores it in a Tupperware container taking it wherever she goes!!!Peejoe and his brother are dispatched to live with their Uncle, Dove Bullis in the small Southern Town of Industry.This book succesfully explores the Themes of Racial Tension, Sexual Awakening and the Loss Of Innocence. All of this is written with a deft hand by the author, Mark Childress. I loved this book and eagerly await the next offering by this author.Things did indeed get pretty crazy in Alabama in the 1960's!!!
Average customer rating:
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Crazy In Alabama
Mark Childress
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 067085123X |
Average customer rating:
- The good life
- You don't have to "be there" to enjoy
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Bearing Witness: Not So Crazy in Alabama
Carla Thompson
Manufacturer: August Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
African-American & Black
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ASIN: 0963572083
Release Date: 2005-05-02 |
Product Description
When Carla Thompson, a Harlem native, landed in Montgomery, Ala., she knew she was in for an adventure. "Bearing Witness: Not So Crazy in Alabama" chronicles her journeys through the jungle of higher education, holidays with the relatives, and the world of churching. Each new adventure brings a cast of characters as varied as the patches on grandma's quilt -- from the itty bitty beauty queen to the wheelchair-bound whiz kid.
Customer Reviews:
The good life.......2005-07-17
After finishing her graduate degree at Loyola Marymount University in production, Carla Thompson decided to launch her career in Los Angeles. She managed to land low-level positions in Los Angeles production houses. She also had a lot of car trouble and maxed out her credit cards attempting to make her own videos but somehow, she wasn't making it big time as she had planned. Her mother, retired from the post office after 32 years, invited her to come stay with her in Montgomery until Carla could get on her feet. Although Carla had been raised in Harlem, her family was originally from Alabama and she had memories of not so pleasant summers spent with her grandparents there when her northern accent and Catholic religion made her an outsider. Carla didn't have high hopes for her new home in Montgomery. After accepting teaching positions in two local universities, she was pleasantly surprised at the "New South." It was not at all what she expected. She noted that blacks and whites have managed to create and maintain a peaceful coexistence and she didn't feel like that out-of-place person as she did when she was younger.
Carla Thompson has penned a delightful memoir. She describes her trip from Harlem to Los Angeles to Alabama in a funny, witty way that is sure to win the hearts of those who have made similar journeys and those who wish they had. It is an honest assessment of life as she views it. BEARING WITNESS is a pleasant book for a quick, enjoyable read.
Reviewed by alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
You don't have to "be there" to enjoy.......2005-06-09
What's a black, female, academic doing in a place like this? Going crazy? Growing. The book is a poignant perspective of a 21st century town that still embraces much of the post-civil rights thinking.
Having lived on both sides of the Mason-Dixon I could identify with many of the experiences. But what's great is if you haven't lived on both sides, it's okay. Carla will take you there. You'll be easily drawn into not only the time and place, but the author. I was left wanting more.
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Crazy in Alabama
Manufacturer: Recorded Books LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788740342 |
Product Description
When Lucille can no longer bear her oppressive husband, she drops a little rat poison in his coffee. Decapitating him for good measure, she stuffs the wayward head into a plastic lettuce keeper, takes it with her to Hollywood, and lands a role on The Beverly Hillbillies.
Average customer rating:
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Crazy in Alabama: Film Tie-In
Mark Childress
Manufacturer: Random House UK Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainment
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ASIN: 0099283875 |
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Crazy in Alabama
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 141767055X |
Average customer rating:
- Accurate and Entertaining...
- an off the wall story that kept my attention all the way.
- A funny and poignant story of the racially divided South.
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Crazy in Alabama
Manufacturer: Putnam Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9993533645 |
Customer Reviews:
Accurate and Entertaining..........1999-08-08
I grew up in Alabama during the 60's and "Crazy in Alabama" is so accurate in the details of the "goings-on" of that time. I loved the book. It was so entertaining and made me laugh, yet made me somewhat ashamed for being from Alabama. The prejudice that was depicted of was so true-to-life and that prejudice still, unfortunately, exists there. I am so looking forward to the movie and think Melanie Griffith is perfect for the part of Lucille.
an off the wall story that kept my attention all the way........1999-03-20
Crazy in Alabama is exactly that, crazy. I liked lucille's chapters better than peejoe's, but his seem like they could really happen. I didn't exactly like the fact that she was set free by the judge but I knew it would happen. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something funny.
A funny and poignant story of the racially divided South........1998-09-03
This excellent book takes us back to the racially divided South and reveals a lot about both race relations and human relationships in a very funny and breezy style. Great storytelling! I have recommended this book to numerous individuals, all of which have thanked me. Childress is a terrific writer. Also enjoyed "Tender" by Childress.
Average customer rating:
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Crazy in Alabama-22.95
Childressm
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0831753293 |
Book Description
In this ironic, hilarious, and poignant story, Otto Prohaska is a submarine captain serving the almost-landlocked Austro-Hungarian Empire. He faces a host of unlikely circumstances, from petrol poisoning to exploding lavatories to trigger-happy Turks. All signs point to the total collapse of the bloated empire he serves, but Otto refuses to abandon the Habsburgs in their hour of need.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful: one of the best writers in the genre.......2007-08-28
There are very few books that I have both laughed and cried over. John Biggins writes with a love of language, a clear sense of irony, humor, and tragedy, an ability to infuse life into his characters, and a wonderful ability to tell a story that is engaging and compelling. In the broad genre of naval/military writing, the only author who compares as a writer is Patrick O'Brian.
If you like military and adventure writing, this book is great- the action is exciting and the story provides an insight into the world of early submarining and WWI Austria.
If you don't think you like military fiction, read this one anyhow; the writing is exquisite and the characters extraordinarily alive. It provides insight into a lost world that English speakers have no contact with- Austria Hungary before and during WWI during the decline and collapse of the Empire.
Otto Prohaska Is a World War I Hornblower.......2007-06-10
An amazing account of a little known arena in World War I which gives the reader, in the midst of a GREAT read, some historical back ground on the
current problems in Eastern Europe. Crammed full of very interesting detail, very creditable and suspect taken from real life, but disguised as fiction to protect both the innocent and the guilty. History with
a distinct flavor!
delightful story of a rare character.......2007-02-17
What a delightful story told by a centenarian with a clear memory of world war one. As a u-boat commander, he had many adventures, as well as a true love. Ever wonder how he got a camel down a subs hatch? I highly recommend this one.
Rescue John Biggins From Undeserved Obscurity!.......2007-02-16
In 'Sailor of Austria', John Biggins introduced Otto Prohaska, captain of an Austro-Hungarian submarine during the Great War. The tale is told from Prohaska's perspective as a 100-year old resident of a nursing home in rural Wales. Surprised by the interest of a young worker at the home, Prohaska sets about recording his story. This 'looking back' perspective allows a modern sardonic narrative voice somewhat in the manner of Thomas Berger's Little Big Man.
The manner of telling is reminiscent of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman: A Novel (Flashman), as others have remarked, but darker. At times the book is laugh-out-loud funny - particularly early in the book when the dire consequences of a submarine crew fed on rotten cabbage stew leads to a serendipitous result. Biggins gives the reader a convincing sense of life and death aboard the absurdly primitive WW I submarines.
As the book moves into the later stages of the war, humor takes a backseat and tragedy takes center stage. Biggins' remarkable description of the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire puts the reader amidst the shock and utter chaos of a crumbling world. And then the Spanish Flu makes its entrance.
It's exciting to see the renewed interest in John Biggins works, which were hardly big sellers when first published in 1991 but are now being brought back by McBooks Press. I was only recently put on to Biggins over on LibraryThing and the discovery's been one of those great unexpected experiences that come along only rare even to devoted readers.
Help rescue John Biggins from undeserved obscurity. The writing is really first-rate and so is the story. Highest recommendation.
Unique topic, decent presentation.......2007-01-13
Biggins' first three Otto Prohaska books were given to me as a gift by a friend who enjoys historical fiction. He loved them. I just liked them.
The story itself - a 100 year old Otto Prohaska, submarine commander in World War I, war hero, decorated by everyone over the years, relating his WWI adventures - is interesting, and the setting of a submarine in the Austro-Hungarian navy paddling back and forth in the Adriatic and the occasional trip to Africa, or the Middle East, is positively unique. Prohaska's exploits are episodically written, however, and there is at least one point at which just about anything you would dream up for a sub commander takes place. He is stuck on the bottom, is depth charged, drops armored cruisers and destroyers, runs blockades, is bombed by and takes out airships, goes ashore to meet various natives, is decorated and loses the occasional sub. In that sense, it might as well be Star Trek.
Further, I found the character of Prohaska himself to be a little tedious, and too precious by half. He finds himself in deep emotional turmoil when he, as a veteran soldier, founds he has killed a fair number of the enemy; finds True Love very early in the book, conveniently a sister of a shipmate, and remains completely and totally faithful to her for the duration of the book (a sailor?!), and of course is hypercompetant and never really makes a wrong decision while all around him others do. His decorations are well and truly earned. In one very important instance, where Otto has potentially made a serious mistake and his career not to mention personal life is at stake, it would have been a great plot point to see how he dealt with this...but then it turns out he was innocent all along. It was not to be. I felt cheated of the one moment of potential imperfection about the character. It's a little heavy handed, and there is little of the humor or humility of a Flashman novel.
Biggins is not much of a dialogue writer (especially as concerns Otto and his lady), and some of the situations are particularily stilted - like the way in which items from his distant past just pop up and jog his memory at the most frankly impossible times. This is clunky writing.
However, there is still much of interest. Biggins is at his best in describing life aboard a sub, the machines themselves, and the mechanical stuff involved. Further, the missions themselves are well explained and mostly credible. There are some humorous episodes (especially early in the book) and the discussion of the various ethnic groups and the falling apart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are well handled. (It turns out that virtually everyone is prejudiced against someone, except of course Otto himself.)
The book is better conceptualized than most historical fiction; but the characters are wooden, and frankly this will not stand up to anything by George Macdonald Fraser. Still, many readers looking for an unusual setting for historical fiction will enjoy it.
Book Description
Culled from their best-selling devotionals, these "best of" devotions from Patsy Clairmont, Barbara Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, and Thelma Wells are now available as individual books by your favorite WOF author to add to your collection or to give as a gift to your sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, or friend.
Book Description
With her unique "gloomie-busting" sense of humor, Barbara Johnson reveals the secrets to overcoming tragedy and pain. Positive, uplifitng, and always funny, each of her short chapters is full of powerful wisdom and irresisitable wit. You'll discover how to cope with disaster, repair shattered relationships, handle overwhelming grief, forgive the unforgivable, cultivate patience, and much more. You'll gain encouragement from her compassionate responses to letters from other hurting parents, and rediscover joy through her collections of humorous quips and quotes.
Customer Reviews:
A God Send!.......2006-10-28
This book was given to me by my Pastor's wife, when I completed my nervous breakdown after my oldest son (then just 19) announced that he was a homosexual. I had nerve problems already, it's just that it was more than I could handle. He had held positions in our church, was a soloist, etc. Anyway, she gave me the book, and I read it at least twice. Then I passed it on to another "basket case". I recommend you buy more than 1 copy, because the last time I saw the very 1st book, it was dog-earred and ragged. You see, we (the ladies of our church and community) read it and pass it on. I was really glad to find some of these books "gently used", so that I can afford to add some more copies and titles to our "library". In fact you can hardly tell that this last one I bought was read, I'm sure it was. I recommend it for anyone who wants to be entertained. It's not all "Preaching". She shares what she has been through so you know that you're not alone. And she is one of the best comediennes I have ever heard.
help for hurting parents.......2005-07-07
Excellent. I've read the book myself plus have purchased several more for other hurting moms that I know. You can listen to Barbara because she's been through what you are going through and offers hope and practical insight. Highly recommended. Helps get you through the desperate times with the right perspective.
Barbara Johnson is hilarious!!.......2004-12-28
Wow, Barbara Johnson is extremely hilarious and down to earth. She teaches us how not to take problems so seriously and to stop asking "Why". She is a woman of great faith and has gone through alot and come a long way in life. If you are going through a tough journey in life right now this book will help you to put everything into prospective and will remind you that God is always in control.
barbara Johnson your the best........2001-08-18
I love her books there funny, she understand everyday life and there problems and tries to help us apply the word and make things go a little easier. Times are tuff and raising children even harder and examples from others helps you put things in to prospective. You can't put this book down once you start. Buy it it great!
Harmful to Reconciliation.......2001-07-28
Barbara Johnson is clearly a loving, honest person who wants to help others. However, based on the attitudes in "Stick a Geranium in Your Hat" (the only book of hers I've read) I suspect she has hurt countless people and torn apart numerous families.
Mrs. Johnson's son loved someone she didn't approve of and she wished him dead. He was a good boy who cared for others, did well in school, and made her proud...until she learned of his "crime." Perhaps she and I simply have differing beliefs, but I find it hard to understand how a woman who professes so much love and says she believes in a loving god can be so judgemental and harsh. I think of all the people who turned to her during difficult times. Instead of helping them truly love and accept their children, she preached "unconditional love" that had a pretty big condition on it--you believe and practice as I do or you are a horrible sinner that is acting against God.
Despite my shock at so much judgmentalness against a good person, I did find some value in her attitudes about feeling your pain and still finding joy in life. However, those thoughts were so overwhelmed by her treatment of her son and other gays that the book wasn't worth it.
If you are having difficulty accepting someone's homosexuality, this book will not help you have a loving, respectful relationship with that person. This book will tear apart your family. This book may help you feel justified in your anti-gay beliefs, but you will lose your child or loved one if you accept the author's bias.
Average customer rating:
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Best of Barbara Johnson, The
Barbara Johnson
Manufacturer: Vida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0829736182 |
Book Description
Spanish Edition. This selection of 60 of the best devotionals from Barbara Johnson represents the cream of the crop. Johnson has brought comfort to thousands of women with each of her books. Barbara has personally experienced pain and that is precisely what makes her strength and courage truly inspiring. Her humor makes us laugh heartily and her reflections bring us to tears. In the good times and the bad, Barbara has clung to God, and because of this she is more than qualified to help us see that God supports us and will never leave us, regardless of what life brings.
Average customer rating:
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Understanding World Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Islam
George W., Jr. Braswell
Manufacturer: B&H Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Religion & Spirituality
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Comparative Religion
| Religious Studies
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Similar Items:
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Understanding Sectarian Groups in America: The New Age Movement, the Occult, Mormonism, Hare Krishna, Zen Buddhism, Baha'I, Islam in America
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What You Need to Know About Islam & Muslims
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Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions
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Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs
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The Illustrated Guide to World Religions
ASIN: 0805410686 |
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive study.......2007-05-07
Dr. Braswell has written an excellent book giving the major tenets of each religious expression and tradition as mentioned in the book's title. He unapologetically and undogmatically presents his Christian stance in light of the existence of the other world religions. The last chapter in the book showcases a perspective that is personal and yet Christ-honoring.
Books:
- Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / Nightmare ... / I Married a Dead Man (Library of America)
- Days of Bitter Strength (Chung Kuo Series , No 7)
- Death Is Lighter Than a Feather
- Delta of Venus
- Digging the Vein
- Dirt Music : A Novel
- Dorian Greyhound: A Novel
- Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (Penguin Classics)
- El Reino del Dragon de Oro
- Eve's Prescription (Indigo: Sensuous Love Stories)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry
- Ten Years Later
- The Lives of Dwarfs: Their Journey from Public Curiosity Toward Social Liberation
- The Marvel Encyclopedia
- Uncertainty and Information: Foundations of Generalized Information Theory
- Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter
- The Man Who Ran the Moon: James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo
- Taxation, information exchange : agreement between the United States of America and Guyana, signed a
- Foundations of Economics: A Beginner's Companion
