Book Description
In 1931, a young woman writer, living in Germany, penned her answer to Anita Loos's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the era of cinematic glamour. The resulting novel, The Artificial Silk Girl, became an acclaimed bestseller and a masterwork of German literature, in the same tradition as Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories and Bertoldt Brecht's Three Penny Opera. Like Isherwood and Brecht, Keun revealed the dark underside of Berlin's "golden twenties" with both empathy and honesty. Unfortunately, a Nazi censorship board banned Keun's work in 1933 and destroyed all existing copies of , The Artificial Silk Girl. Only one English translation was published in Great Britain, before the book disappeared in the chaos of the ensuing war. Today, more than seven decades later, a new translation is about to bring this lost classic to light once more.
At the beginning of The Artificial Silk Girl, Doris vows to write down all that happens to her—not as a mere diarist, but as the glamorous star of her own life-story. "I want to write like a movie," she declares. But, instead of scripting what she hopes will be a quick rise to fame and fortune as either an actress, or as the mistress/wife of a wealthy man, Doris describes a slow descent into near prostitution and homelessness. She becomes the cinematic lens through which we see pre-war Berlin. It is not the dazzling and exciting city of promise it seems to be on the surface; Doris unwittingly shows us a bleak, seamy urban landscape. In the words of another character in the novel, "the city is sick." It is "sick" with intolerance, cruelty, and apathy … On every corner, there are beggars and whores and men selling perfume and posters of naked women. Doris hungers for a real home, real silk blouses, real love … But, there is no Hollywood happy ending awaiting her, as there is for Loos's Loralei Lee.
Doris begins her career as an independent woman on the stage, in a play by Schiller. Soon she wangles her way into getting one line to recite. But, then Doris steals a fur coat from the theatre's cloakroom … She flees from the police and from her home city of Cologne, and travels to Berlin to stay with a friend. In Berlin, she is unable to get a job. Nevertheless, as long as she has the fur, the ultimate symbol of luxury and seductive glamour, she feels invincible. And she is unwilling to return it. When her living situation with the friend and the friend's husband proves difficult, Doris leaves, but has no one to whom she can turn. Will she be able to survive on her own on the streets of Berlin? Will she, at last, be able to give up on the Hollywood dream?
Keun is an important literary voice—at last rediscovered and restored to the same heights as such literary luminaries as Isherwood and Brecht. The Artificial Silk Girl belongs on the bookshelf of students of German literature, women's literature, and master works of classic fiction, in general.
Customer Reviews:
A Disinteresting Book, a Cliched Theme.......2007-01-04
This book is short, but still far too long for what it is; just another rehashing of the tired theme of socially constrained women using sex as a means to success in a by-gone era of male dominance. There are more substantial books on this topic, and I consequently wouldn't recommend this title to anyone but the most devoted, anachronistic feminist. There are no great statements made in this book, no profound conclusions reached, and no new perspectives offered. The book's history as a Weimar novel banned in Nazi Germany is somewhat interesting, but this does not make it worth buying (especially for $[...]).
Something for the Disenchanted.......2006-06-05
Although the Artificial Silk Girl (das kunstseidene Mädchen) is the story of a young woman in Germany during the 1920s, I feel as though this story could have taken place today. I believe that many young readers, who are dissatisfied with the choices we are given, will feel the same way and will be sympathetic to the protagonist's plight.
Doris has become disenchanted with life. She is unwilling to accept the dichotomous life that everyone expects her to follow: either become a mother or a whore. However, as Doris discovers, there is little difference between the two. Doris wants to become a "shine" ("Glanz") and chooses to leave her life as a wage-slave, moving to Berlin and ignoring the restictive choices forced upon her.
The Artificial Silk Girl is written through the eyes of Doris as she describes this period of her life in her "Hollywood movie style." The reader travels with Doris through her physical and emotional struggles and journeys. If you are dissatisfied with the choices forced upon us, read The Artificial Silk Girl--not for its answers, but for its familiarity.
New translation by Ankum captures spontanaeity and vernacular style of the original .......2006-03-13
I bought this book for the introduction, and because my German is rusty after 10 years of not using it. I was very impressed with this first English translation's success at capturing the mood of the original German text. Doris's spontanaeity, youth, naivite really comes through in Ankum's artful translation, and her astute observations of her Berlin does not lose its immediate, filmic narrative quality, which is crucial for a work that is informed by the film of the Weimar period and its treatment of the New Woman. I recommend it highly for students of German to read side-by-side with the original Keun text or for those interested in women's studies of the Weimar period.
Review by Jeanne Stepanova
The Artificial Silk Girl is the genuine portrait of a young woman.......2005-12-18
This outstanding novel by Irmgard Keun is the portrait of a young German woman in search of a new life. Doris leaves her small town and goes to Berlin with a stolen fur coat on her and the idea if becoming a star in her mind. She is fascinated by the glory of the "big city," as it is shown on television and in films. Is she going to get what she expects from the city? Is she going to end up with the love of her life, who will provide her the happy life she has been waiting for?
The book also presents a lively panorama of Berlin in the last days of Weimar era through the first person-narrative of Doris, who functions like a camera and creates vivid images of the city. The reader wanders in the streets of Berlin with Doris, gets lost in a crowd of beggars, prostitutes and men selling perfumes and naked women posters in every corner of Alexander Platz. In this respect, the book is almost cinematic, and it is a great choice especially for those who are interested in the social, cultural and political conditions of Germany in the early 1930s.
One year after it was first published Keun's book was blacklisted for its "anti-German tendencies" and "obscene" narrative. This book is a critical reflection of its time, and Keun does not give credit to euphemisms in her story. So I can say that The Artificial Silk Girl is a brave narration of the story a brave young woman. Through Doris's psychological insight, Keun reflects a dark and gloomy image of Berlin in an ironic style. I very much enjoyed my adventure with Doris in her search of wealth, love, luxury and glamour in the hidden corners of the city, and to witness her self discovery while she is looking for many other things. Original narrative, great story!
Average customer rating:
- Great introduction to Twilight Cove
- Love is sometime found in the place you least suspect
- First Time Won't Be the Last
- Great read with sharp characters, detailed settings
- Wonderful cute story!
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Lover's Lane
Jill Marie Landis
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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ASIN: 1590865847
Release Date: 2003-06-10 |
Book Description
For six years Carly Nolan has built a life for herself and her son Christopher, never getting too close to anyone. Nobody in the sleepy little beach community suspects she is running - from the mistakes she made in her youth, the memory of her fiancé Rick and his unexpected death, and the rich, powerful people who want to take away her child. She has carefully concealed her troubled past from the folks in the isolated haven of Twilight Cove. Until now.
Private investigator Jake Montgomery has been looking for elusive Caroline Graham since the day she disappeared with Rick's baby. All Jake wants is answers. He finally finds her living under an assumed name, no longer a wild teenager, but a beautiful, devoted single mother who captivates him like no one ever has before. As Carly cautiously allows Jake into her life, she begins to trust another person for the first time in a long while. She never imagines that Jake, caught between his mission and his growing passion, poses a threat to her protected world. For if her secrets are revealed, she might lose the child she holds so dear - and the man who possesses the key to her heart.
Customer Reviews:
Great introduction to Twilight Cove.......2005-08-27
Carly Nolan has always been alone, a runaway shuttled from foster home to foster home until she escaped to the California desert, where she met Rick Saunders. A month long affair resulted in the birth of his son. Rick is elated about settling down with his new family, but tragedy strikes, and he is killed in a car accident. His family wants baby Christopher, and is willing to pay 7 figures to get Carly out of their lives. Instead, she flees and starts over.
Rick's best friend, PI Jake Montgomery has searched for 6 years for "Caroline" (the name that everyone knew her by) and Christopher. A chance sighting of a painting similar to one he owns in a magazine, painted by Caroline, brings him to Twilight Cove, a seaside community where Carly has started over. He wants to reunite Christopher with his grandmother, not knowing the real reason Carly fled.
Rick is soon smitten with Carly when he discovers that she is not the trashy gold digger Rick's parents made her out to be, and hides his identity, which only makes matter worse when Carly is ready to return his feelings. He also falls for the town, and buys a fixer upper with the intention of getting to know Carly better.
Torn between his emerging feelings for Carly and Chris, and his sense of betrayal to Rick, he keeps his findings a secret from Rick's now-widowed mother, who has suspicions of her own and has him followed on a trip to Twilight Cove. Soon, Carly is served with a custody suit, and discovers what the real meaning of family can mean to someone who thought they were alone in the world.
What could have been the typical movie of the week plot is handled sensitively and the characters come alive on the page. This is the first in a trilogy of books, with Heat Wave and Heartbreak Hotel to follow. If Lover's Lane is any indication of the quality of the series, I surely won't miss them.
Love is sometime found in the place you least suspect.......2005-05-28
Sometime in the past, a young mother is made an offer that most would have to think about. Caroline Graham had plans on marrying her son's father until tragedy struck, causing Rick's untimely death. His parents, millionaires without a sense of humanity, want to raise the only his only son. So they offer Caroline a million dollars for her child. Arthur Litton, the attorney that makes the offer on behalf of the grandparents, is quick to remind Caroline that she would have no chance of winning a court case and would be best to take their offer. When Arthur leaves her that fateful day, she leaves town and seems to have mysteriously disappeared from life.
Fast forward to the present day. Jake is a PI that was assigned to track Caroline down when she first disappeared. He also happened to be a friend of Rick. After everyone else had given up on every find Caroline again, Jake still pursued it, not for the economical compensation from Rick's parents, but for the sake of knowing that his friend's child was being raised properly.
A picture of a painting leads Jake on what he feels will be another wild goose chase. Yet, there is something about that painting that reminds him of the ones that Caroline left behind in her disappearance years ago, that he has to investigate.
The story goes on to have Jake find Caroline; only now she is called Carly. While attempting to find Rick's son, he finds love along the way. I could go on and tell you the story, but it is best to read the book. You will find the warmth of a small town, the fears of a single mother always looking over her shoulder and refusing to open up to anyone and a man that finds true love while never realizing that he also had someone right beneath his nose in love with him.
A must read for any romance fan!
Frederick A. Babb
First Time Won't Be the Last.......2004-12-23
This was my first venture into reading Jill Marie Landis and it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line of this book. Her writing was smooth and easy to read without being stilted. The plot kept moving along at a good pace and I found the story brought me in quickly and held my attention and curiosity. I'm looking forward to her next book and will definitely seek out previous ones.
I gave it four stars because I felt she could have gone into more depth with the man who took her in and kept her paintings.
Maybe a sequel would be in order? I hope so.
Great read with sharp characters, detailed settings.......2004-11-10
The characters come to life in LOVER'S LANE, a turbulent tale of a young woman running from her past and desperate to keep custody of her son. I'm usually not drawn to books like this one, where it's more a story than suspenseful, but I simply fell in love with it, the characters, the town and the emotional pitfalls faced by Carly, Jake and Anna. I couldn't put it down after the first page. And I actually want to read the second, HEAT WAVE - and I'm not one to get caught up in a series. But it appears they are written as individual books in the same town, which I can handle. I'm not going to go into details of the plot, but I will tell you Landis' effort is well-written and captures your attention from the get-go.
Wonderful cute story!.......2004-11-01
Once again I don't know how I find all these books where you can tell what is going to happen. It was a good story though with a wonderful message and intrigue! You won't be sorry to pick this one up!
Average customer rating:
- Henrie O in her element
- Intricately woven tale
- Couldn't turn it off.
- I really enjoy the Henry O mysteries
- Henrie O does it again
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Death in Lovers' Lane (Henrie O Mysteries)
Carolyn Hart
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0380790025 |
Book Description
A Pulitzer Prize-winning ex-reporter and journalism teacher at ivy-covered Thorndyke University, Henrietta "Henrie O" Collins demands of her students the same steadfast dedication to the truth that was the cornerstone of her own illustrious career. So when beautiful, ambitious Maggie Winslow decides to investigate a trio of hitherto unresolved local crimes, Henrie O urges her to pursue the story with uncommon vigor.
But the gifted future journalist's zeal may have cost her her life. The next day Maggie's corpse is discovered in Lovers' Lane--the very site of one of the unsolved mysteries the extraordinary young woman was exploring at the time of her brutal, premature death. The police and the Thorndyke powers-that-be are rabidly against Henrie O's involvement in the case. But, for Maggie's sake, the stubborn, sixtysomething investigator is determined to dredge up a past everyone seems to want to keep buried even if it means placing herself firmly in a relentless killer's path.
Customer Reviews:
Henrie O in her element.......2006-05-30
In the first two Henrie O mysteries, you read references about Henrietta Collins having been a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, but it's in this book that you get to actually see her strut her stuff. In "Death in Lovers' Lane," Henrie O is teaching at a college in Missouri that is a thinly disguised version of the University of Missouri and its excellent journalism school. Henrie O assigns an arrogant but brilliant student named Maggie Winslow to turn up new evidence in three unsolved cases from long ago. When Maggie turns up dead the very next day, a guilt-ridden Henrie O suspects that its her assignment that led to Maggie's death, and the former journalist sets out to find out who the killer is.
In the process, the intrepid Henrie O reinvestigates the three unsolved cases. She finds out the secret to not one death, but of six. Henrie O demonstrates the grit, tenacity, intelligence, and integrity you'd expect from a world-class reporter.
I know most readers prefer the Death on Demand series. As for me, I'm sticking with Henrie O. I hope you do, too.
Intricately woven tale.......2002-04-16
Henrie O is teaching journalism in a college located in a small town in Missouri. When she encourages her students to pursue investigative reporting, one of them named Maggie Winslow decides to try to solve 3 old police cases which include 2 sets of murders and a disappearance. Maggie feels that the cases may be related and so she begins her own investigation. Soon her body is discovered near one of the previous crime scenes and Henrie O decides that Maggie must have been getting too close to the truth about the cases. Risking her own life in the process, Henrie O picks up the investigation where Maggie left off. She finds many members of the University community who had opportunity and motive for committing one or more of the murders. Intricately weaving the cases throughout the book, Carolyn Hart's main character manages to solve the mysteries in an intriguing way. This is another winner in the Henrie O Series!
Couldn't turn it off........2002-02-19
This was my first Henrie O, and I'm here looking for more. Actually, I listened to the book in the car, and I didn't want to turn the car off when I got to work (or back home, either). In fact, even though it was for "car listening" only, I snuck it inside and finished it the other evening. I fell in love with Miss Marple on the couch watching her on late night movies. I fell in love with Henrie O in the car. I want more, and you will, too.
I really enjoy the Henry O mysteries.......2001-12-16
I find that these mysteries are a bit darker and bit deeper than Ms. Hart's Death on Demand series. However, they are worth the time to read them. I have enjoyed everyone I've read. This book was no exception.
Henrie O is a strong female who has not yet let go of her old reporting attitude although now she's a college prof. She encourages one of her young students, Maggie, to dig deeper into an old mystery of three murders. Maggie begins to do that and ends up dead. Henrie O decides that maybe it was her fault, that she pushed Maggie into the killers path. So picking up the path, Henrie O tries to figure out who killed Maggie and why.
All of the Henrie O novels begin with a short introductory type of chapter but quickly develop into a great mystery. The characters are well thought out.
These Henrie O books are very different from the Death on Demand series. The mysteries are a bit deeper and a bit darker. However, that doesn't make this series any less enjoyable.
Henrie O does it again.......2001-06-27
This was my second Henrie O mystery. I read SCANDAL IN FAIR HAVEN first. I did prefer that book to this one. But this is still a very good book.
Henrie O is always a fun read. She is a 60-something widow that drives an MG. She is working on the campus of Thorndyke University. When one of her top students Maggie Winslow is killed - Henrie O feels guilty. She had prodded Maggie to get more info on 3 old unsolved cases. Now Henrie O is worried she pushed Maggie into the path of a killer.
Henrie O feels obligated to find Maggie's killer. She doesn't believe the woman arrested for the crime is guilty. So off Henrie O goes on her own little adventure.
Average customer rating:
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Friends, Partners and Lovers: Marks of Vital Marriage
Warren Lane Molton
Manufacturer: Judson Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Marriage | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Marriage | Relationships | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0817011870 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2000-05-30
Also attended his seminar. Very compassionate and realistic with good examples of how these principles might apply to everyday life. Best relationship book I've read.
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Average customer rating:
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The Book Lover's Guide to Boston and Cape Cod
Lane Phalen
Manufacturer: Brigadoon Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Nonfiction | Subjects | Books | Automotive | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Crime & Criminals | Current Events | Economics | Education | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Government | Holidays | Law | Philosophy | Politics | Social Sciences | Transportation | True Accounts | Urban Planning & Development | Women's Studies
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ASIN: 1880339080 |
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The Book Lover's Guide to Chicagoland
Lane Phalen
Manufacturer: Brigadoon Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1880339064 |
Average customer rating:
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The Book Lover's Guide to Washington, D.C.
Lane Phalen
Manufacturer: Brigadoon Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1880339099 |
Product Description
Four Condensed Novels:THE FOREVER YEARS by Ronald Anthony, COLD PURSUIT by T. Jefferson Parker, LOVER'S LANE by Jill Marie Landis, and TEMPORARY SANITY by Rose Connors.
Customer Reviews:
Not his best, but you can't hit a home run every time........2006-02-26
The Man Who Sold the Moon is a series of short stories by the great sci-fi master R.A.H. The short stories in this book were written early in Heinlein's career and cover the later half of the 20th century and how he predicted the future based on the occurrences of World War 2. The primary story is based on a character who's goal in life is to first visit the moon (being the first human) and then setting up a colony on the moon. Harriman (the character) uses is past business successes and his business savvy to convince his friends, his company, and complete nations of children to help back his venture, which is of the goal to fulfill a childhood fantasy instead of make money. The rest of the stories tell of the engineers who make that path possible via their inventions and work and it sets up a beautiful backdrop. The painful part of reading this was Heinlein's attention to detail around concerning everything but the inventions and many of his shady business practices and national politics seem to be more far-fetched than the inventions themselves. But in the end, I did enjoy it, but for all I would recommend that one sticks with Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress as they are much better stories.
Outstanding.......2005-05-21
This collection of Future History stories was published originally in 1950. There are six works of short fiction here, which were published between August of 1938 and September of 1940, with the exception of the title story, which was first published in this collection. This book was recognized by fans in the Astounding/Analog All-Time Polls in 1952, 1956, and 1966 where it was ranked 4th, 6th, and 14th respectively. There are some minor differences between this edition and the original edition. The stories in the original edition were in chronological order with respect to Heinlein's Future History, but for some reason they were put in a different order in this edition. The original edition also had an introduction from John W. Campbell, Jr., which is not included here.
The stories here are all very good if not great:
"'Let There Be Light'" is about a scientist who creates a cheap and efficient method of converting the Sun's rays into energy. When the establishment tries to take control of his invention, he finds a way to fight back. It was first published in "Super Science Stories" under the pseudonym Lyle Monroe in May of 1940.
In "The Roads Must Roll", moving roads have been created to efficiently transport people without the need of dangerous automobiles. A conspiracy of unsatisfied workers shut down one of the roads in an attempt to gain power, and lead a social revolution among the road technicians. This was first published in "Astounding", in June of 1940. It tied for 28th on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll of Short Fiction in 1971.
"The Man Who Sold The Moon" is one of Heinlein's D. D. Harriman stories. In this novella, D. D. Harriman is trying to gain ownership of the Moon. He plans and schemes with his business partners in an effort to generate the revenue needed to make travel to the Moon a reality. He wants to make sure the Moon is not controlled by any nation, to fulfill his dream of man moving to the stars, and his boyhood dream of traveling to the Moon. This story tied for 35th on the 1971 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll of Short Fiction. It was 5th on the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for Novella's, and won the Retro Hugo for Best Novella for the year 1950 that was awarded in 2001.
"Requiem", though written before "The Man Who Sold The Moon", takes place after it. In this story D. D. Harriman is desperately trying to get to the Moon before he dies. He does not meet the health requirements for space travel, but he does have his money, and a tremendous resolve. This story was first published in "Astounding" in January of 1940. It tied for 17th on the Locus All-Time Poll for Short Stories in 1999, and won the Prometheus Hall Of Fame award in 2003.
"Life-Line" is the story of a scientist who is scorned by the scientific community for his claims that he can determine when people will die. When his work starts to affect insurance companies, he is sued. For his defense, he forecasts the deaths of the same scientists who rejected him at the start. All that is left is to wait to see if he is correct. This story was first published in "Astounding" in August of 1939. It tied for 14th on the 1971 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for Short Fiction written before 1940.
"Blowups Happen" is a story about the dangers of nuclear power, and the psychological affect it has on those who work in the plant who are depended on to keep it from blowing up and killing millions of people. This story was first published in "Astounding" in September of 1940.
Another Heinlein Great Book.......2005-03-23
"Let there Be Light" This is a story about two scientists who discover a method to use sunlight for energy. (Sound familiar). The scientists run into a snag, however, because the power company doesn't want the world to have cheap, non-polluting power. In this story, Heinlein is, as always, ahead of his time. The story itself has a few loose ends such as, who is really the father of the scientist. The story hints that he may be a politician but never lets us know. Also, and this is a spoiler question, do the two scientists form a romatic relationship? A good, quick read.
"The Roads Must Roll" In this story all transportation is done by moving roads, which sound rather similar to a juiced up, horizontal escalator. The story looks at what happens if a small group of disgruntled employees decide they want to be in charge and take over one of the moving roads. A good look at specialization and unionization.
"Blowups Happen" This is a story about the occupational stress workers experience at a nuclear power plant. This is a great look at occupational hazards and the extremes society will go to ensure they have power when they want it.
"The Man Who Sold the Moon" and "Requiem" These stories are about D. D. Harriman, a man who dreamed of going to the moon as a boy, and makes sure it happens as an adult. Both are great stories that look at how determination can get you almost anything.
"Life Line" This was my personal favorite story. It is the story about a man who discovers a way to tell exactly when a person will die. This story takes a look at our fear of death and how knowledge is not always a good thing. It also takes a quick jab at insurance companies and their greedy ways.
This was a very enjoyable collection from Heinlein, which I have come to expect. He truly is the master.
Great Entry Point to the Heinlein Corpus.......2004-03-08
The stories in this book belong to Heinlein's Future History series, and most editions of this book reproduce the two page chart of that future, detailing the social, scientific, and political changes that would happen in the next seven hundred years or so.
"Life Line" was Heinlein's first published story, and it was immediately evident that he brought a new focus to field of science fiction, for although this story has a neat gadget, a machine that can predict the exact day and hour of a person's death, all the emphasis of the story is on how such a device will impact individuals and society as a whole, rather than on the `golly gee whiz' of the device itself. Certainly not his best story, as it is too short and the characters are not fully fleshed out, but it started a revolution.
"Let There be Light" deals with two scientists who figure out a way to transform sunlight into electricity at near 100% efficiency and extremely cheaply, but who find they can't sell it due to pressure from the existing power generation companies. The two main characters are near stereotypes, and the attitude of the male towards his female counterpart may strike many as extremely chauvinistic, an attitude that was quite prevalent in Heinlein's writing from this period. But it should be kept in mind that this was the general American attitude towards women at this point in our history. Of more interest is the apparent `conspiracy' of the power companies to bury this invention. Heinlein's explanation for their actions brings this into focus as a natural reaction of companies attempting to protect their source of income - and in doing so exposes one of the real problems with unfettered capitalism.
"The Roads Must Roll" gives you get a good sense of just why Heinlein came to dominate the science fiction field so rapidly, as the story rings with real world ambience, even though the envisioned technology is one case where Heinlein got it seriously wrong, seeing giant conveyor belts, or rolling roads, as replacing the car and railroads, thus leading to a strong dependence of the economy on them. Those who keep those roads rolling are in an obvious position of power and the story is all about one such case of the `little guy' attempting to force things to go his way. The story is well told, the characters on both sides of this battle are quite believable, the social organization makes sense. Thematically, the story addresses the sense that many who work in essential industries have that THEY should be the ones who make all the decisions, who cannot see that our civilization is made of many specialties, all of whom are necessary to the continued functioning of the society as a whole. Within the confines of this story there is an encapsulation of many of the larger battles caused by this attitude, from the great owner/union fights of the early portion of twentieth century, to the more generalized battle between the ideas of socialism and capitalism.
"Blowups Happen" deals with the stresses that men come under when trying to monitor and control an atomic power plant, with the knowledge that one small error could make the whole thing blow up and wipe out at least three states, if not the whole planet. Written in 1940, before the exact details of controlled nuclear fission were known, it may seem a little dated today. But as the story is truly about how people react under this kind of extreme pressure, and what, if anything, can be done to help people cope with it, it is still a very relevant story.
"The Man Who Sold the Moon" is the longest piece here. D. D. Harriman is a man who not only has a dream of traveling to the moon, he has (almost) the financial means to do it. Harriman's schemes to not only raise the necessary money but to ensure that he will retain control of the moon once he gets there are convoluted, devious, devastatingly logical - and almost the complete antithesis of the way NASA has actually gone about it. You might think that this story is hopelessly outdated - after all, we've actually been to the moon! But the story has much to say about the world of today. Government financing of space travel will only go so far. Private financing and people figuring out how to make a profit out of this frontier will be the ultimate driver - and a very large amount of the points this story makes are very applicable to such an approach. But perhaps more important than the actual method Harriman uses to achieve his dream is the very fact that he has such a dream. Heinlein invariably presented the point that without dreamers there would be no progress, no hope for an eventual better world. Perhaps this is flaw in his writing, but I, for one, would much rather read about heroes, the dreamers, those who are attempting to change things for the better, than yet another story detailing the tribulations of a semi-neurotic Joe everyman.
"Requiem" continues the story of D. D. Harriman, now very old and in frail health, still trying to get to moon, having been prevented by his financial partners from going as too valuable to risk. This story pulls out all the emotional stops, though it is quite understated in terms of direct exposition. I have read it multiple times, and it still causes me to choke up a bit when I reach the end. It's the best story here.
There are places where the age of these stories is all too evident, a congenital hazard to writing science fiction, and in places Heinlein's writing technique is not as polished as it could have been, being written very early in his career. But these stories still have power, are still engrossing, still have much to say about people and the world of today.
Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
Space Travel as It Should Have Been.......2003-03-13
The principal story bears the title of this collection of short and not-so-short Heinlein tales, most of them a part of his "Future History" timeline.
Delos Harriman, an aging business mogul with the dream of traveling into space, makes good his childhood hopes by creating the first moon shot through commercial and private ventures rather than with government or military support. His pursuit of this dream against opposition on all sides makes for a wonderful tale of legal chicanery, innovation, and genius. Through commercialization of space, Harriman opens the final frontier to humanity and establishes the basis of many Heinlein stories to come.
A later story in the book, "Requiem," brings Harriman's tale full-circle as the founder of all space travel finally achieves his personal dream of reaching the moon; legal wrangling and fear of his health had kept him earthbound for decades after the first moon mission.
The stories in this book all make up a portion of Heinlein's "Future History," but the order they are presented in is not logical. "Blowups Happen" and "The Roads Must Roll" should be among the first tales and "Requiem" one of the last, but as a timeline for the Future History is included, one can see where the tales are supposed to fit in.
Some of the technical details are indeed dated as Heinlein penned many of the stories during the Golden Age of science fiction; he decided upon attempting revisions to "Blowups Happen" that such changes actually detracted from the stories as continually revising them for new developments was counterproductive. Read them for what they are and the ideas they contain, not necessarily for the scientific aspects.
Readers wishing to see the Future History unfold in their logical order and entirity should consider the book "The Past Through Tomorrow," another Heinlein anthology devoted to the stories of that series--but this book is a good place to start.
Average customer rating:
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THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON
ROBERT HEINLEIN
Manufacturer: NEW ENGLISH LIBRARY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Adventure
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| General
| Graphic Novels
| High Tech
| History & Criticism
| Series
| Short Stories
| Space Opera
ASIN: 0450004317 |
Customer Reviews:
Still a great book for discipleship and loving others.......2007-10-07
This is an outstanding book on how to live a life that demonstrates the life of Jesus. It is much more than the history of New Life Church but rather a pattern adaptable for churches and people. Practicing forgiveness, living from the tree of life, choosing humility, showing respect and cultivating character are just some of the topics covered here. This book is about discipleship that results in fruitfulness.
This book is as relevant today as it was when it was written, despite recent events with its author. Ideas are pregnant with wisdom in this book, such as "Christians have built a cultural wall that non-Christians don't understand, so we need to overcome it as often as possible." The following is prophetic "We have a choice. We can learn to discipline our bodies and live a Spirit-filled life in the seclusion of prayer and fasting, or let the Lord teach us those lessons in public."
Pastor Ted's 5 principles are important if we want to be effective witnesses:
1. Focus on the absolutes of scripture
2. Promote the ministry of Christ and His Word above your won mission or method
3. Pray to raise the overall activity of the Holy Spirit in your city (not just in your life and church)
4. Appreciate one another's respected interpretations of scripture
5. Practice supportive speech and actions toward others
Read this book if you're interested in having less contention and arguing in your church and life. Read this book for the next level of discipleship and witnessing.
Pastor Haggard's advice: go to another city.......2006-11-19
for soliciting prostitutes and drug buys!
In his own city, he practiced self-hate, hypocrisy, and bigotry.
How very, very "christian!"
But now that he's gone from his mega-mall church, those "christians" left behind can still practice those godly virtues on their own.
Heaven or Hell for people in your community-Your Choice.......2006-03-04
Ted has a way of making things simple in this book. It does so much more than explain how to make it hard for people to go to hell from our city. It helps establish a biblical worldview and really tests your motives. Very humbling. I would recommend it to those in leadership as well as the congregation.
Remember, whose kingdom are we building?
Jesus Revisited.......2002-12-27
Solid as a rock, piercing as a thunderbolt, soothing as anointment oil, inspiring as the scent of a rose, straightforward as an innocent heart - Ted's words reflect his Christ-like character, do make the Lord's teachings very alive and securely point the way for those who want to live by them and make them alive in this age of intense spiritual threats and even greater spiritual opportunities.
Practical spiritual insight........2002-07-29
This is a light read, and easy to understand. The book is set in three sections addressing different aspects of Haggard's plan to " Make it hard for people in your city to go to hell".
Section one is a brief, but interesting look at the work the author has done in Colorado Springs, Co. There is some detail as to the actual church planting up through the growth and health of the New Life church. Some specific and difficult spiritual confrontations are listed here and throughout the book.
Section two contains practical advice on how to implement biblical priciples into reaching the lost of your city and region. This section offers a practical guide to building a relationship with other christian leaders in your area.
The third section gets up close and personal. It was by far the best part of the book. It will cause you to consider your approach to reaching the lost and your personal walk with the Lord. This portion of the book was invasive and will give you opportunity to do some self evaluation. This teaching is important for all of us interested in approaching the Lord's work in the harvest.
We've seen some of these principles working in our town and believe they can work everywhere.
Books:
- The Best of Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke (Conservative Leadership Series)
- The Bronze Horseman: A Novel
- The Circus in Winter
- The Complete Fiction of Nella Larsen: Passing, Quicksand, and The Stories
- The Distinguished Guest
- The File On H.: A Novel
- The Final Confession of Mabel Stark
- The Ghost Stories of Muriel Spark
- The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines
- The Laws of Evening: Stories
Books Index
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