By Night in Chile

Average customer rating:

Quick Read.

Interesting story by a stellar writer

The dulling of the human conscience

A good read

Great for Chilean Literature Enthusiasts

By Night in Chile
Roberto Bolano
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0811215474

Book Description

A deathbed confession revolving around Opus Dei and Pinochet, By Night in Chile pours out the self-justifying dark memories of the Jesuit priest Father Urrutia.

As through a crack in the wall, By Night in Chile's single night-long rant provides a terrifying, clandestine view of the strange bedfellows of Church and State in Chile. This wild, eerily compact novel—Roberto Bolaño's first work available in English—recounts the tale of a poor boy who wanted to be a poet, but ends up a half-hearted Jesuit priest and a conservative literary critic, a sort of lap dog to the rich and powerful cultural elite, in whose villas he encounters Pablo Neruda and Ernst Jünger. Father Urrutia is offered a tour of Europe by agents of Opus Dei (to study "the disintegration of the churches," a journey into realms of the surreal); and ensnared by this plum, he is next assigned—after the destruction of Allende—the secret, never-to-be-disclosed job of teaching Pinochet, at night, all about Marxism, so the junta generals can know their enemy. Soon, searingly, his memories go from bad to worse. Heart-stopping and hypnotic, By Night in Chile marks the American debut of an astonishing writer.

Customer Reviews:

Quick Read........2007-06-01

Bolano writes with very long sentences and therfore I found that there was a rythm that I needed to acquire in reading this book. Bolano ties in historical facts of Chile which makes it interesting. It is a small book, therefore a quick read. I did not find this book to be one that I couldn't put down. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

Interesting story by a stellar writer.......2007-01-04

Bolano presents the odd story of this self-deluded literary critic and rightist in an unnamed country likely to be Chile, of course, in an engaging first-person point-of-view. Fortunately, Bolano keeps a tight grip on the character POV, and allows us to see the world from the skewed vision of this character, without revealing any unreliability. Still, the book, although a short one, bogs down a bit, particularly in comparison to Distant Star or the short stories in Last Evenings on Earth. An enjoyable read, though not his absolute best.

The dulling of the human conscience.......2005-09-16

The narrator of Roberto Bolaño's surreal novella By Night in Chile is an Opus Dei priest, Fr. Sebastian Urrutia Lacroix. Using the image of "the wizened youth," Bolaño brilliantly portrays the struggle for the survival of the human spirit trapped in Opus Dei for many years. His imagery is so vivid and provocative that the reader feels as if he or she is lifted up into his dream. "The wizened youth," or Fr. Sebastian's true self is being slowly destroyed by Fr. Sebastian's new Opus Dei identity. This interior battle captures the essence of the Opus Dei experience, as if Bolaño himself had been a celibate member. Initially, it appears as if Fr. Sebastian's newly-formed spirit is soaring toward the heavens; for example, he says "my prayers rising up and up through the clouds to the realm of pure music, to what for want of a better name we call the choir of angels, a non-human space but undoubtedly the only imaginable space we humans can truly inhabit, an uninhabitable space but the only one worth inhabiting, a space in which we shall cease to be but the only space in which we can be what we truly are." In reality, however, Fr. Sebastian's spirit, manipulated by his Opus Dei superiors, Raef and Etah (Fear and Hate spelled backwards) is slowly crushed over a period of many years because he denies the truth and his former self, "the wizened youth."

Fr. Sebastian is ordained an Opus Dei priest at the age of 14, at which time there isn't much of a struggle at all. In fact, Fr. Sebastian is happy to bury the memories of his unpleasant childhood; and is filled with "immaculate hopes" about his future as the protégé of the finest literary critic in Santiago, Farewell. Like so many others who join Opus Dei at an impressionable age, Fr. Sebastian is lured by the promise of an appealing and exciting adventure. The fourteen-year-old is impressed by Farewell's attire, his grand estate, and the prestigious company of the literary elite with whom he shares an exquisite meal. The name "Farewell" symbolizes Fr. Sebastian's bidding his former self farewell. When Fr. Sebastian meets Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet at Farewell's house, he says, "I bet the wizened youth has no stories like this to tell. He didn't meet Neruda." His new identity enthusiastically and blindly submits to the calling higher than himself - to change the tone of literature in society. As he matures in his career, his intentions become tainted when he gives himself a pen name H. Ibacache (meaning: was hidden) so that he could praise his own books and criticize those of his colleagues, calling for a return to the classics and more culture. His pen name symbolizes the burial of the universal truths found in literature as well as the concealment of his new identity as an Opus Dei member.

Even though Fr. Sebastian becomes a successful literary critic, his spirit starts to rebel as he becomes bored with his book reviews and starts to write deep meaningful poems, which he quickly destroys. His Opus Dei superiors immediately step in to crush his dissenting spirit. In his struggle, the wizened youth appears, "The wizened youth is watching from a yellow street corner and yelling at me. I can hear some of his words. He is saying I belong to Opus Dei. I have never hidden that, I say. But of course, he's not even listening to me. I can see his jaws and his lips moving and I know he's shouting, but I cannot hear his words." Fr. Sebastian's superiors reward him with a "delicate mission in Europe" as a distraction and to bolster his fidelity to the organization. Raef and Etah hope Fr. Sebastian will feel as if he is part of something greater than himself, something with a divine purpose that he should feel privileged to belong to - Opus Dei, which means "The Work of God." Throughout his jaunt through Europe, Fr. Sebastian is treated with great affection. In Spain, he says, "they introduced me to "the Opus Dei publishers and the principals of the Opus schools and the Rector of the University, which is also run by Opus Dei, and all of them showed an interest in my work as a literary critic, poet and teacher, and they invited me to publish a book with them . . . and then they gave me a letter addressed to me and written by Mr. Raef, in which he asked How's Europe going, what's the weather like and the food and the sites of historical interest, a ridiculous letter but somehow it seemed to conceal another, invisible letter, more serious in content, and this hidden letter, although I couldn't tell what it said or even be sure it really existed, worried me deeply." Even though Fr. Sebastian has let his guard down and the wizened youth is absent in Europe, he still feels that something is not quite right. But, how can his spirit protest now that everything is going so well for him?

The actual mission in Europe is a portent of the death of Fr. Sebastian's spirit. He learns that the cause of the dilapidation of the exteriors of the European churches is pigeon droppings. The pastors throughout Europe solve this problem by becoming falconers, whose pet falcons murder the pigeons. As Fr. Sebastian travels through Europe, he is not troubled by the blood until he meets Fr. Antonio, who thinks it is a grave error for the predators to kill God's creatures since pigeons and doves are the symbol of the Holy Spirit, "who is far more important than most lay people suspect, more important than the Son who died on the cross, more important than the Father who made the stars and the earth and all the universe." His words haunt Fr. Sebastian who dreams of "falcons, thousands of falcons flying high over the Atlantic ocean, headed for America." The falcons represent predators of the spirits and Fr. Sebastian subconsciously fears for the deaths of many more spirits in the church.

When Fr. Sebastian returns to Chile, he and his spirit have a second, more tumultuous battle. As the country flares up in political turmoil, he starts having doubts again and his personal writing becomes so shocking and disturbing, that even he does not recognize it as his own. This time, however, Raef and Etah do not reward him; rather, they give him a punishment. They manipulate Fr. Sebastian into agreeing to give private lessons on Marxism to Pinochet and his generals. After they cleverly get him to admit that he has some books on Marxism in his personal library, Fr. Sebastian feels as if he must defend himself, saying "You know me, I'm not a Marxist." He describes himself in the scene as "trembling from head to toe and feeling more than ever as if it were all a dream." Raef and Etah try to reassure him "You'll be serving your country. . . Serving in silence and obscurity, far from the glitter of medals. . . you're going to have to keep your mouth shut." Soon after he gives the classes, he is confused about the moral ambiguity of what he has done. However, after some time has passed, Fr. Sebastian justifies his actions, "At the end of the day, we were all reasonable (except for the wizened youth, who at that stage was wandering around God knows where, lost in some black hole or other), we were all Chileans, we were all normal, discreet, logical, balanced, careful, sensible people, we all knew that something had to be done, that certain things were necessary, there's a time for sacrifice and a time for thinking reasonably." He has convinced himself that if there had been any unpleasant consequences from his lessons, they were necessary, and the wizened youth has lost another battle.

Toward the end of the novella, Fr. Sebastian's spirit no longer fights. During the literary soirées in the home of María Canales, whose husband was using their basement as a torture chamber, the wizened youth is invisible. Fr. Sebastian says "I can picture the wizened youth's face. I cannot actually see him, but he is there in my mind's eye." Because curfews were in effect, Fr. Sebastian admits that he sensed that something was not quite right at those lovely literary gatherings, "I thought how odd it was that, with all the racket and the lights, the house was never visited by a military or police patrol." But his ignoring of his conscience had now become such an entrenched habit, that the wizened youth appears to have died. Finally, Fr. Sebastian realizes that he no longer sees the wizened youth. "Where is the wizened youth? Why has he gone away? And little by little the truth begins to rise like a dead body. A dead body rising from the bottom of the sea or from the bottom of a gully. I can see its shadow rising. Its flickering shadow. Its shadow rising as if it were climbing a hill on a fossil planet. And then, in the half-light of my sickness, I see his fierce, his gentle face and I ask myself: Am I that wizened youth?" He realizes that he has spent his entire life fleeing from the wizened youth. He has denied his own eyes, memories, thoughts, and even his own writing. If he had not been a sleepwalker through his life, perhaps he would have come to the truth much sooner; instead, he was in a battle with his own spirit and almost killed it, as the falconers had killed so many of the pigeons or doves in order to save the churches from the pigeon droppings. It is sad that Fr. Sebastian doesn't see the truth until he is almost dead, but by having liberated his trapped spirit, he can finally be at peace with himself.

A good read.......2004-11-29

It is tempting when reading this volume, to check Chilean literary history or the politics of the Allende era ... but it is better to simply read the novel as a good read - at least for the first time. This is a novel that almost invites a study of its references and techniques, to the point one may gloss over the universal aspects of the story. While the novel is deliberately Chilean, the motifs of professional and ethical social climbing and compromising are universal. A young priest is "seduced" by the opportunity to be in the best literary circles - seduced into support of the right wing side of the Church and of politics. This volume is his own telling of his story, near the end of his life, in an attempt to excuse/explain/confess his choices throughout his life. The author's brilliance is in his compact telling of a universal condition in the very specific details of a particular life in a particular time.

Great for Chilean Literature Enthusiasts.......2004-07-14

I think I would have appreciated this book more if I was more into Chilean literature. Some characters, like Pablo Neruda, I could recognize right away, but most were unknown to me. Still I could follow the story, but I might not have understood all the nuances. If you aren't informed about Chile and have the will to look stuff up, this book could be a good starting point about Chile without being deliberate like a travel guide.

The novel also captures other aspects of Chilean history and society, such as the time leading up to Allende's downfall and Pinochet's dictatorship, the role of the Church in the mid- to late-twentieth century, the importance of politics, and other topics.

The voice and tone of the novel is unique. It flows as one stream of consciousness without paragraphs or chapters, and with many run-on sentences. At times the reader forgets that the page is the medium through which the voice is communicating, because it almost comes as direct as someone speaking. However, the narration is lacking for passion, which perfectly reflects Fr. Urrutia's low energy and apprehensiveness towards his vocation, but the book is not for those seeking an exciting narrative.

Average customer rating:

Loved this unusual little book.

Takes some effort

Zen Sleep: Enlightenment For A Good Night'S Rest
Eric Chiles
Manufacturer: Pilatus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Sleep Disorders | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Zen | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Zen Philosophy | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Mental & Spiritual Healing | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972395016

Book Description

Zen Sleep clears away the mental traps that feed insomnia, revealing sleep to be a moment like any other best left to proceed naturally and without effort. No prior understanding of Zen Buddhism required. More info at www.zensleep.info.

Customer Reviews:

Loved this unusual little book........2004-06-08

I am glad I took a chance on this unusual book. It offered practical insights into what I was doing to keep myself awake (like trying too hard to sleep). The first half is easy to understand, showing all the ways I was creating unneccessary stress at night. That made it much easier to rest. It gets progressively deeper from there, into heavy stuff that I am not sure the average reader can grasp. I had trouble with the last chapter Beyond a Self that Sleeps, and decided a Zen Master I am not. But the entire book gave me a completely different way of looking at bedtime. The overall message is that if each moment is allowed to proceed naturally, without force, then sleep will come. Simple line drawings illustrate such thinking outside the box. Readers not already inclined to see things intuitively, or dislike personal growth books, may not like Zen Sleep. But I loved it and think it offers something meaningful for anyone who struggles at night.

Takes some effort.......2003-10-20

This book is harder to follow than its website suggests. I had to reread some parts to understand, and the most profound insights didn't occur to me until days later. But the author does a good job deconstructing such an abstract subject as sleep. Some insights blew me away. There is little Buddhist history or theory here so if you want a comprehensive introduction to Zen there are better choices. But if you are merely curious about Zen, or already familiar with it, and have trouble sleeping then this is your book. Well written with intriguing illustrations.

Average customer rating:

An OK read

2 days of my life I'll never get back

The Ass And The Innocent.

If you yearn for a great story... PLEASE READ

Excruciatingly boring
Upon a Wicked Time (An Avon Romantic Treasure)
Karen Ranney
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0380795833

Book Description

Young Tessa Astley fell in love with the rakish Duke of Kittridge after one kiss. Now, her fairy tale seems to come true when she weds the handsome lord. Only Jered Mandeville doesn't want a soulmate, just a duchess to beget heirs. So Tessa starts a campaign to win her husband's heart. She might be able to convince the duke to fell again, once upon this wicked time.

Customer Reviews:

An OK read.......2006-02-05

This was an OK read, but very memorable in some aspects. The story felt disjointed, as if the author only showed me short vignettes into Tessa and Jered's lives that left me with very little understanding of these people and the motivations behind their actions. Everytime Ranney gave me a glimpse behind Jered's cultivated persona, he did something totally expected and hurtful to Tessa. Fine, he's a tormented "bad boy" with a father who pined away for the loss of his wife and an estranged sister, but Tessa's tolerance for his cruelty was unbelievably greater than any sane woman's, I think. Even so, the best part of this book was Tessa. She wasn't a static character, by any means. As Jered acknowledged, she had matured since their marriage, as a matter of survival, as a matter of course. She had changed in some matters, but in others, she was essentially the same throughout the course of the book. Always questioning, outspoken, and always, always, in love with Jered. Despite his actions and words, and her realization that he was (almost) nothing like the man she had naively constructed out of a portrait, she loved her husband. I didn't understand why she loved him so much, but I knew that she did, anyways. Love sometimes doesn't die, no matter how much you may want it to, or how much you know that it should--it isn't pretty, it isn't rational, and it can't be managed like a checkbook, with each and every number in its rightful place. I believed that Tessa had this kind of love for Jered, and this is what makes the book so good despite its other faults. This was my first book by Karen Ranney, and I don't think it'll be the last.

2 days of my life I'll never get back.......2005-11-15

This book is just plain boring. I wasn't for a minute convinced by the hero's motivation to act life the ass he is, and wanted to throttle Tessa for acting like a moonstruck nitwit. Her incessant chatter, jumping from one topic to another, also grated on my nerves as the dialogue lacked wit and sparl and doesn't serve any purpose other than to highlight how TSTL she is. A most unatisfying read.

The Ass And The Innocent........2005-09-21

There was simply so much frustration in this book. The heroine is a completely gullible young girl and the man is a complete ass. I couldn't see how a man can think he has the right to toy with a woman's feeling the first minute then turns around and have a public intimate flirting with another woman. For the most part, there was no character developement. He was the same ass with a love proclamation and she was the same gullible innocent.

If you yearn for a great story... PLEASE READ.......2005-08-16

I just finished reading "Upon a Wicked Time", By Karen Ranney

I almost did not buy this book considering the less than riveting reviews it received. Boy am I glad that I don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case other people's opinion. This was a wonderful, beautifully written, captivating novel. I had to force myself to put the book away so that I could savor it. The love story is realistic in the way that the Hero wasn't the average prototype used in other novels. I have always believed that women are attracted to the bad boys. Jared was bad. At the smae time he was and was not the most popular, nicest, and dangerous.

Ranney did not spend many pages explaining on how he was any of these things, from the nonchalant way in which he owned society the reader just knew what sort of person the hero was. Though like many he was a rake, he wasn't the average rake that could easily be reformed.

The story,
Tessa, the heroine has been in love with Jared since the tender age of sixteen after one stolen kiss. Years later Tessa gets what she has yearned for and becomes Jared's bride.
Jared doesn't want to marry, but must if he plans on having an heir to his Dukedom. He weds Tessa and after the wedding night leaves her alone and returns to London to pursue more carnal delights.
Tessa follows him into London, and make her presence in his life known and try to have a proper marriage. Jared tries hard to convince her other wise, but does agree to work on conceiving an heir. Yes there were times in the book that I hated Jared, and Tessa more for loving him. Ranney leads you through a wonderful dance of seduction, emotional turmoil, and humor. This book is wonderful. Boo to those who have not given it a chance. It's not their fault they are so use to reading mediocrity that they can't recognize a piece of art unless it comes in the form of "Quin".

My only complaint about this book, was that there was no room left for a sequel. Though I am not a huge fan of sequels, especially since after the second one they become repetitive and mostly about revisiting characters from prior novels than really focusing on the plot of the current novel. I would have loved an opportunity to read more about Jared and Tessa.

Excruciatingly boring.......2005-07-08

I am a great lover of romance and don't mind repetition as long as the story is exciting and there is electricity between the lovers. And I love Ranney's previous books, especially the series based in Scotland. This one is plain boring -- litterally nothing happens apart from the heroine suffering insults. When she gets hurt in the accident halfway through the book, I hoped things would finally move, but NO -- just more of the same. I'll give Ranney another chance with her latest novel.

Book Description

Gold is the final and crowning achievement of the fifty-year career of science fiction's transcendent genius, the world-famous author who defined the field of science fiction for its practitioners, its millions of readers, and the world at large.

The first section contains stories that range from the humorous to the profound, at the heart of which is the title story, "Gold," a moving and revealing drama about a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality: a gamble Asimov himself made -- and won. The second section contains the grand master's ruminations on the SF genre itself. And the final section is comprised of Asimov's thoughts on the craft and writing of science fiction.

Download Description

Compu-drama director Jonas Willard is looking for a new project when he is successfully bribed by a wealthy author to dramatize his science fiction novel. The creative challenge is a bit daunting, but when Jonas learns the payment of the bribe will be in actual gold coins if the author approves of the final piece... Hugo Award Winner, Locus Poll Award Nominee

Customer Reviews:

Not quite sure what the other reviewers read.......2004-07-29

It doesn't seem like the other reviewers read the same book that I did. The book I read consisted of a lot of self-congratulatory essays on Asimov's creation of the Three Laws of Robotics (which aren't really laws, but that's a topic for a different rant) punctuated by a bunch of shaggy-dog stories (MAYBE they were funny in 1955) and a couple of lame science-fiction stories. I know Dr. Asimov was a brilliant man, but this book in no way offers him tribute to his genius. For fans only. Maybe.

Good Collection of Asimov's Work.......2004-01-18

If you're a diehard Asimov fan like I am, you'll probably like this book. The main story, "Gold," details a filmmaker realizing the second part of ...And the Gods Themselves. For that alone, it's worth a look.

Asimov's more famous collections are a little more fun. If you're becoming an Asimov fan, it's best to start with his early science-fiction and then move through his career.

An author's gamble.......2002-09-13

"Gold" is an interesting piece of fiction. Clearly turning autobiographical at times, Isaac Asimov tells the story of an author determined to see one of his more famous works turned into something greater -- a "compu-drama", the brand-new visual medium of the future. It's an engaging story that uses its science fiction trappings to tell a tale about authors, stories, and the place the both of them hold in history. It is this theme along with the ways that different characters interpret the same piece of fiction that give this work its bite.

The fictional author would appear to be based, at least somewhat, on Asimov himself. The biggest clue to this is the book that the writer is looking to have produced bears a striking resemblance to one of Isaac Asimov's more celebrated novels. In fact, "resemblance" probably isn't going far enough -- for all intents and purposes, the book being discussed in "Gold" categorically is one of Asimov's more famous stories, at least, in most important respects (there is one section that is hinted to be different, but it seems clear that the bulk of the stories are identical in theme, plot, and characters). Readers who have already read that book will no doubt enjoy picking up some of the references. I had personally greatly enjoyed that book, and I found it quite interesting to get another interpretation of some of the more abstract concepts presented there. Not to say that Asimov explains them away; he merely presents an interpretation of the facts in a way that would be natural to someone trying to produce something so intangible in a visual context.

Amazon.com

14 new short stories, previously uncollected essays on science fiction and the craft of writing, and the Hugo Award-winning title novella about a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality.

Book Description

Gold is Isaac Asimov's first original collection of science fiction in over a decade. It is also his last science fiction collection, one containing all of his uncollected SF stories that have never before appeared in book form.

Gold is the final and crowning achievementof the fifty-five year career of science fiction's transcendent genius, the world-famous author who defined the field of SF for its practitioners, for its millions of readers, and for the world at large. The stories collected here for the first time range from the humorous to the profound, for Asimov was engaged until the end of his days in the work of redefining and expanding the boundaries of the literature he loved, and indeed, helped create. And there is more. For at the heart of this extraordinary compendium is the title story, "Gold," a moving and revealing drama about a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality-a gamble Asimov himself made. And won.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful for Writers.......2007-02-21

Final Gold comes in three sections, each of which is a quick read. The first is a collection of unpublished stories, some of which are nearly punchlines in length, to the point. Having read the Foundation novels (all of them, I think), it was refreshing to see how Asimov's minimalist approach to plot works in short form (rather well). Some amusing bits, such as the I in "Fault Intolerant" named Abraham Ivanov, the dispalaced author in "Cal," and the abbreviated takeover of the world by "Alexander the God."

The essays on Science Fiction and on writing of said were intriguing tidbits for writers on the inside workings of an unparrallelled, prolific writer who had his first bestseller at opus 238, or thereabouts. You have to admire the guy's persistence and hard work.

Worth Its Weight.......2002-09-30

"The Final Science Fiction Collection [from Isaac Asimov]" is what the cover to GOLD proclaims, and to be honest, I find that to be a rather sobering realization. The Good Doctor was such a prolific author that even now, ten years after his death, the thought of that constant supply of words being silent is not a particularly happy one. So we are left with this collection, from the later stages of Asimov's career, which puts together a lot of pieces that hadn't been anthologized and were fairly difficult to find. The book is divided into three sections; the first, fifteen science fiction short stories; the second, eighteen essays about science fiction; the third, twenty selections about the art of writing science fiction. It's a bit of a haphazard collection with essays and material coming from a variety of seemingly random sources, but for someone looking for those hard-to-find writings this should prove invaluable.

The collection of science fiction stories is certainly passable. There's nothing particularly breathtaking or outstanding here, but the consistent level of quality is fairly high. There was really only one story that I seriously disliked, and the rest were at least average or better. A number of the stories would appear to be slightly autobiographical in nature, and it's interesting to see Asimov in a more reflective mood than usual.

The essays that deal with the topic of science fiction itself have been pulled from multiple sources. Some of them are editorials from his magazine, while others have been copied from introductions to SF collections. It's this section that gives one the slight feeling that this is merely a cashing in on the popularity of a famous author. Certainly it's odd to see Asimov discussing the particulars of the individual stories and themes that are present in the book he was writing for, but for obvious reasons aren't actually included in this text. Still, despite the strange nature of how they came to be included here, his thoughts and ideas on the subject are quite welcome. Whether Asimov is reminiscing about the "Golden Age" of printed science fiction or talking about the exact role of robots or aliens in the genre, his arguments are presented clearly and the healthy dash of wit familiar to his many fans.

The final third of the collection is a subject that Asimov knew well and loved speaking and writing about. He has a lot of tips for young and hopeful science fiction authors, as well as insights into his own creative process. Asimov's approach to describing science fiction is to talk a lot about his own science fiction stories. Not just that he liked talking about his own work (which, of course, he did), but by analyzing criticism and praise of his own writings he demonstrates his own particular way of developing stories. I found this section to be fairly interesting although he had covered this topic in other areas (in particular, his autobiography and in various introductions).

My only wish was that we readers had been given some information on the selection and editing process. Presumably only a fraction of the editorials and introductions that Asimov ever wrote were included here, but we aren't actually told what the criteria were. Possibly the editor(s) wanted only essays on a certain subject, but as the umbrella seems to have been fairly wide on this collection, it's difficult to ascertain what they were looking for. It's a minor complaint of mine, to be sure, but it would have gone a long way towards explaining the somewhat haphazard manner that the collection seems to take.

I recommend skipping through GOLD, mixing the reading order so that one experiences Asimov's thoughts in a random progression rather than attempting to view it as an arranged analysis (though eventually reading every work in the collection, of course). Asimov was an author who had a lot to say (a LOT to say -- over 400 books worth) and here is what will probably serve as his final written words on and about science fiction. It's a fitting tribute.

Thanks, Isaac.......2001-09-30

"Gold" is, according to the book's cover, the final science fiction collection from Isaac Asimov. One of the genre's most revered figures, Asimov died in 1992. "Gold" contains both short stories and a bunch of short essays. While the material in "Gold" does not quite reach the level of Asimov's best work, the book is still worth reading.

Part One of "Gold" sandwiches 13 short stories in between two longer tales of about 40 pages each. I found most of the shorter tales to be fairly forgettable, but the longer ones are fine pieces. The first of the two longer tales, "Cal," is a cleverly written tale of a robot who wants to be a writer. This is a moving tale which effectively returns to one of Asimov's great themes (the place of robots in human-dominated society). The second of the longer tales, "Gold," is a compelling story of a science fiction writer who hires a director to make a "compu-drama" out of one of his books. This thoughtful story is an interesting commentary on two things: (1) the relationship of science fiction to canonical "high" literature, and (2) the relationship of science fiction books to science fiction in other media.

The short essays are a mixed bag, but the best of them are delightful. They are full of amusing and enlightening anecdotes, often about other classic SF writers of Asimov's generation. Some of Asimov's essay topics include women and SF, religion and SF, the SF short-short story, plagiarism, and the background to the names of some of his fictional characters. Asimov's essay on book reviewing is particularly interesting; I think that everyone who participates in the Amazon review program should read this essay (entitled "Book Reviews," it's on pages 369-374 of the paperback edition).

Finally, a personal note. Isaac Asimov was one of my childhood icons, and many of his classic stories had a profound influence on me. I will also never forget the opportunity I had to hear him speak in person at a New York City convention: he was as delightful and charming in person as he is in print. If you are a fan of Asimov or of that great generation of SF writers in general, don't miss "Gold."

Not one of his best, but still great, as always.......2001-06-22

This book is surely not one of Isaac's best books, but still, its a great book as all of him are. If you are interested in stories, and nothing else however, you might be disappointed, for the second half of the book contains essays and articles from the various magazines he was involved(I was disappointed at first). But if you take the time and read them too, you might find them interesting and funny, as they are also writen in Asimov's style... (P.S: I did not yet read the hardcover version - but I guess its pretty much the same - right?)

I paid for this why?.......2001-03-22

This book seemed like an attempt by the publisher to squeeze some more money out of Asimov's name. The stories read like someone went through all of his collected writings and picked whatever hadn't been published yet. I found the inclusion of his incomplete essays and introductions to different shared-world series to be expecially annoying, as they had no follow-up. The centerpiece of the book, the story of a producer attempting to make a play out of "The Gods Themselves" was simply too boring for me to get through. I'd much rather have found it in a library, so I wouldn't have been fooled into paying for it.

Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection

Average customer rating:

Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Gold : The Final Science Fiction Collection
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEN05Y

Book Description

Island of the Sun recounts the American psychologist Alberto Villoldo's return to Peru in search of the Quechua Indian shaman Don Jicaram. The authors' earlier book, Dance of the Four Winds, described Villoldo's first initiation, under Don Jicaram, into the secrets of the Inca Medicine Wheel and the spiritual journey of the Four Winds. Villoldo had begun that journey in the South, "where one goes to confront and shed the past." With use of the powerful mind-altering plant ayahuasca, he had continued to the West, a direction also inhabited by fear and death. Now in Island of the Sun he prepares himself for the journey to the North, where lies the wisdom of the ancient Inca shamans. Traveling from Machu Picchu to the "Island of the Sun," a sacred site in Bolivia, Villoldo uncovers a profound secret about the journey to the East--the journey home.

Customer Reviews:

The Proof Is In The Pudding.......2005-10-14

I must say how true it is when they say not to judge a book by its cover! Or, in this case by opinion only with no firsthand experience. I am currently studying with Alberto Villoldo through The Four Winds Society. Alberto will be the first to tell you that you must experience this to really understand and I will attest to that in full measure. The experiences and healing and wisdom of this system are profound. Having been a student and practitioner of alternative modalities since I was 15, I can attest to the fact that this system is like no other - and it works, as quickly as one is able to assimilate the process. Nothing else I tried, including traditional therapy - it only made things worse - has been able to fully release the deep seated issues of the extremely hostile enviroment I was born into and lived surrounded by for the first 30+ years of my life. If you are truly ready to be fully alive and free of the past - this will take you there in a graceful manner. And, it is fun as well as extremely effective. He also does not exclude useful modern medicine, there is a time and place for both.

Reality or fiction?.......2005-05-04

For those seeking more info about Dr. Villoldo's lack of detail and other concerns regarding truthfulness in contemporary shamanism, please see "The Selling of the Shaman and the Problem of Informant Legitimacy" which appears in the Summer 1990 issue of 'Anthropological Research', Volume 46, Number 2. Dr. Villoldo is prominently featured.

ISLAND OF THE SUN by Alberto Villoldo, Erik Jendresen.......2002-12-30

In ISLAND OF THE SUN, co-authored with Erik Jendresen, Alberto Villoldo relates his Peruvian odyssey in search of his teacher, Don Antonio. ISLAND OF THE SUN is a dramatic, poetic adventure -- a profound exercise in suspending ones disbelief, in expecting the unexpected, in stretching the imagination, and in shattering the boundaries of consciousness. In short, it gives a glimpse into the mind of a shaman. It has been said that to know and understand a shaman, one must become a shaman. Villoldo has become a shaman. His story is a captivating articulation of his journey into the unknown; its imagery, vivid and enchanting - "the Sun glistened in playful white sparkles of light on the green waters. I listened to the cicada hiss, the high-pitched cacophony of the birds and the insects, the whir and hiss and chatter and hum that bounced off its surface and filled the clearing with music."

Villoldo sees his mission as that of translating the ancient psychology and truths contained in the Medicine Wheel of the Incas into a Western framework - into a psychology of the sacred. He sees the Medicine Wheel as providing a neurological map for the evolution and transformation of our species by accessing the state of consciousness that informs life. He sees the Medicine Wheel as offering a path through which we can override the oftentimes violent survival mechanisms of our primitive limbic brain.

Villoldo presents the symbolic imagery of the archetypal energies contained in the Medicine Wheel. In the South (serpent), we confront and shed the past like a serpent sheds its skin. In the West (jaguar), we overcome fear and death. By experiencing ourselves as conscious energy, death loses its sting and becomes but a doorway to one of infinite phases in eternity. In the North (hummingbird), we experience the knowledge and wisdom of the ancients. We access a sea of consciousness as vast as time itself. In the East (eagle), we experience a transcendent, comprehensive, vision of what we have learned. We share our story with the world as caretakers of the earth. That, he says, is our return home.

The psychology of the ancients is based on direct shamanic experience in different domains of consciousness. Its approach -- of experience and exploration -- is from the inside out; its goal -- to know, understand, and be in harmony with the forces of Nature. In Villoldo's experience, that approach requires a new state of mind - one that allows but is not distracted by subjective experiences. The skills required come naturally in the process of "serving experiences." He explains that when one's intent is in harmony with the experience, it is served. Otherwise, it is just an experience.

In shamanic awareness, Villoldo experienced innumerable altered states of reality by shifting his perspective to unaccustomed dimensions. The most profound, for me, was his experiencing the integrity of a multisensory dream body awareness in which everything was reflected within him. He described it as like being a champagne bubble with all images of life reflected upon its inner surface. As his teacher later pointed out, in that, everything was reflected but the seer himself, for the seer is invisible.

Purity of intention is the key to shamanic exploration. Abandoning preconceptions is necessary and essential. To master the stillness required in the dream body, Villoldo says that one learns how to be conscious without being self-conscious. Through purity of intention, it is said to be possible to enter a realm beyond dreaming -- a wondrous, rich dimension of magnificent power and splendor. Maintaining purity of intention is the challenge.

Shamans of Peru practiced an alchemy of the soul. They were said to be able to influence the past as well as the future because they understood the relationship between time and light. It is said that in becoming light (an Inca, a Child of the Sun), time was dissolved. Shamans knew that time doesn't fly only in straight lines like an arrow - it also turns like a wheel. When those two kinds of time intersect, says Villoldo, that is sacred, ritual time -- one can influence the past and summon destiny from the future. The challenge is not to let knowledge of the future influence present actions or intent. Therefore, the shaman must be able to keep a secret from himself.

Villoldo's teacher, Don Antonio, points out that in all the great cultures developed north of the equator, God is a descending god -- the Divine comes from the heavens and descends to the Earth. For the Incas, the only great culture to develop south of the equator, the god-force is ascending -- it "rises from Earth to the heavens like the golden corn." Antonio envisions the new caretakers of the Earth as coming from the northern hemisphere. ( A prophecy of hope and perhaps even a vote of confidence, I think, for those of us in the northern hemisphere.)

Villoldo points out the paradox of psychology -- that when we study the human mind, it is the mind studying itself. He adds that modern science has failed to identify the psyche or subject of this study. The mind continues to evade us. From his extensive laboratory research as a psychologist and his inquiries as a medical anthropologist, Villoldo testifies that mind cannot be derived from the neurology of the human brain. He believes that psychology is like physics in that the act of studying the psyche alters it . Villoldo strongly believes that now is the time for humankind to turn consciousness on itself and step into a grander consciousness in the evolution of mankind. He sees the path of the shaman as giving us clues for this process of exploration, discovery, realization, and transformation. He sees the path of the shaman as offering hope for a better world and a new humanity.

Strong, but not as convincing as FOUR WINDS.......1998-12-13

This is a great tale, and fairly accurate and instructive. The Western world is sorely lacking in instruction about the non rational, can't put your tongue on it realities of which the author speaks. While what I know of Peruvian shamanism is very small compared to the author's knowledge and direct experience, I suggest that this effort to capture End Journeys is both admirable and riveting. I have used FOUR WINDS as a guide to non ordinary reality since my discovery of it as a legitimate map; my work in the Celtic otherworld supports what the author here describes in terms of the Peruvian landscapes of non ordinary reality. But personally, from a shamanic perspective, I want more of Antonio's accurate and real mentoring, and less of the neophyte journeyer's somewhat predictable story line. As a tale, the book is not as finely crafted as FOUR WINDS either. Nonetheless, a great read, but just not as instructive or as easy to read as I found FOUR WINDS. /D.L. Smith 12/12/98

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