Amazon.com
A finely detailed depiction of the Depression era, Richard B. Wright's Clara Callan is told entirely in the letters and journal entries of two adult sisters, Clara and Nora Callan, and their older lesbian friend, Evelyn. The novel, Wright's ninth, made a surprising sweep of Canada's major awards for best novel--the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award--in 2001. Wright has the gift of making the reader care deeply about these characters and their worlds, which include small town Ontario, where Clara is a sensitive schoolteacher, and New York City, where the younger Nora has moved to become a radio soap opera star. Since both sisters are still "on the shelf," their roller-coaster love lives--Nora's in worldly Manhattan and Clara's in the more restrictive atmosphere of small-town spinsterhood--are a primary subject of their letters and Clara's journal.
This is a quiet book, studied and well researched, but thoroughly engaging and readable. Numerous references to period music, political events, and the looming war quite successfully place the reader at both the centre and the periphery of life in the 1930s. Side trips to Italy and to view the Dionne quintuplets feel entirely authentic. With deceptive simplicity, the author creates a world of clear images: "Nora came in from her shuffleboard game with a sweater tied across her shoulders, her hair damp from the rain." Most importantly, Wright has realized characters that come alive on the page--quite a feat considering the self-imposed limitations of this novel's form. --Mark Frutkin, Amazon.ca
Book Description
In a small town in Canada, Clara Callan reluctantly takes leave of her sister, Nora, who is bound for New York. It's a time when the growing threat of fascism in Europe is a constant worry, and people escape from reality through radio and the movies. Meanwhile, the two sisters -- vastly different in personality, yet inextricably linked by a shared past -- try to find their places within the complex web of social expectations for young women in the 1930s.
While Nora embarks on a glamorous career as a radio-soap opera star, Clara, a strong and independent-minded woman, struggles to observe the traditional boundaries of a small and tight-knit community without relinquishing her dreams of love, freedom, and adventure. However, things aren't as simple as they appear -- Nora's letters eventually reveal life in the big city is less exotic than it seems, and the tranquil solitude of Clara's life is shattered by a series of unforeseeable events. These twists of fate require all of Clara's courage and strength, and finally put the seemingly unbreakable bond between the sisters to the test.
Download Description
PerfectBound e-book exclusive extras: "Richard B. Wright: Hero of the Humdrum"; etc. It is the year 1934, and in a small town in Canada, Clara Callan reluctantly takes leave of her sister, Nora, who is bound for the show business world of New York. It's a time when people escape from reality through radio and the movies, when the Dionne Quints make headlines, when the growing threat of fascism in Europe is a constant worry, and the two sisters - vastly different in personality yet inextricably linked by a shared past - try to find their place within the complex web of social expectations for young women in the 1930s. While Nora embarks on a glamorous career as a radio soap opera star, Clara, a strong and independent-minded woman, struggles to observe the traditional boundaries of a small and tight-knit community without relinquishing her dreams of love, freedom, and adventure. But Nora's letters eventually begin to reveal that her life in the big city is a little less exotic than it may seem: though her career is flourishing, her free spirit is curbed by a string of fairly conventional and unsuccessful personal relationships. Meanwhile, the tranquil solitude of Clara's life is shattered by a series of unforeseeable events, turns of fate that require all of Clara's courage and strength, and that will put the seemingly unbreakable bond between the sisters to the test. Ultimately, both discover not only the joys of love and possibility, but also the darker side of life - violence, deception, and loss - lurking just beneath the surface of everyday experience. Clara Callan is a mesmerizing tribute to friendship and sisterhood, romance and redemption, written with such insight and passion that the characters' stories will remain with you long after you have read the last page."
Customer Reviews:
Highly Recommended.......2006-02-08
I became curious about this book after finding out it won both the GG Award and the Giller. I had read The Weekend Man and Final Things by the same author, and both of those were excellent, but this book showcased Wright's incredible talent at his craft.
This book is written in diary and letter format from the perspective of Clara Callan, a thirtysomething school teacher in the 1930s. It begins with her father's death, and her sister's move to New York City. Clara is alone in the small town that she grew up, and she chronicles a 4-year period in great detail.
I'm sometimes hesitant to read books by men with female protagonists because sometimes the unintentional maleness of the character's thoughts permeates their characterization. Wright does a great job writing from a female point of view, however and Clara and Nora are easy to relate to and seem like they could be the same women that live next door or that you interact with day to day.
The research behind the book is very noteable, as the history of the times is effortlessly entertwined with the diary entries and serves as both editorial comment and historical re-telling.
This is a wonderful book and an incredible accomplishment. It is definitely the type of book you should buy and then pass around to your friends to enjoy as well.
Thought provoking.......2005-01-09
A wonderful book. I've been reading it for the past 15 months. I read it through once within a few days and since then I've been dipping every few days -- possible and enriching because it's told in journal entries and letters. I've read several others of Mr Wright. I would urge anyone (especially fifty-something males) to get a copy of his 'Weekend Man,' his first novel written in the early 70s. One of my most favorite works of fiction ever. As for 'Clara Callan,' it is easily one of the most satisfying novels I've read in recent years.
Wonderful novel.......2004-10-04
I loved how easily this story flowed. It is set during the Depression era and centres on two sisters, Clara and Nora Callan. Clara is the wall-flower who stays in the hometown she grew up in and leads what she feels is a fairly conservative lifestyle. Her life is revealed to us in journal entries and letters to her sister Nora. A horrible event shakes up her life in ways she never knew possible and eventually leads her down roads she felt she would never trod upon.
Her sister Nora is leading the glamorous life and becomes very much a socialite in her circles. Her correspondence with her sister shows us that all is not how it appears in her life either.
This book was a pure pleasure to read. The ability to find extraordinary in the ordinary and often mundane things in life shows the true talent of this author. I felt a connection to Clara Callan and was sad to see the story end.
Very simple story line, very complex repercussions.......2004-07-06
Clara is the good daughter who, after her father's death, stays in the family home, keeps plugging at her job as schoolteacher, plays her piano, composes a little poetry, and writes long letters to her sister Nora (the bad daughter) and long entries in her journal. The book is composed of those writings, as well as some from her sister and a friend, who are in New York living the high life.
Clara's quiet life in a small Canadian town (read: everyone knows your business and makes it theirs) is shattered when she takes a walk at dusk: she is raped by a drifter, gets pregnant, goes to her sister Nora in NY, and has an abortion. Returning to Canada, she picks up her life as tho nothing happened.
Then she meets a married man in a movie theater and becomes his lover. The story of their affair and its aftermath occupies the last part of the book and is the framework for Clara examining her past, her options, and her future.
An elegant and quiet book, and a very, very deep one with a heartbreaking Prologue.
Definitely worth a read, and don't hurry thru it; it demands some pondering.
Irritating.......2004-06-09
The book starts off really slowly and then achieves a certain momentum. However, when Frank enters the picture it turns into a boring, offensive, and totally cliche look at sexual relationships. Clara is supposed to be strong but she's just pathetic. I'm angry that I've wasted my time reading this trite junk.
Customer Reviews:
Same story Line as Corporate Daddy.......2005-04-18
This book has the same story line as Corporate Daddy, one of the books in the original Fortune series. Logan FOrtune is a top executive of Fortune TX Ltd, when 16-month old AManda Sue was thrust upon him because the mother died in an accident. His executive assistant, Emily Applegate, became indispensable as the temporary nanny. And love goes on from there ... :)
:).......2001-04-27
Jack Fortune needs help fast. He now has custody of his daughter after the death of his ex-wife. Unfortunately, his daughter is like a stranger to him. Amanda Corbain is Jack's assistant at work and she has had a crush on him forever. So, when Jack asks Amanda to be his daughters live-in nanny, well how could she refuse. Jack starts to see Amanda as more than his assistant. He sees her has the attractive woman that she is and she is great with Jack's daughter. Only Jack does not believe in marriage anymore and Amanda does. Jack may have to change his mind fast if he wants to hang on to the best thing that has ever happened to him.
Another boss-assistant marriage for the Fortune family. It was a fun story and it was nice to see a strong female character.
Book Description
When Taryn Webster takes a job as secretary to gorgeous millionaire Jake Nash, she is already fighting her attraction to him. Taryn is determined not to mix business and pleasure, so she tries to keep her distance.
But then Jake asks her for her help after hours! At first Taryn refuses, but she can't resist his persuasive arguments…nor his charming smile and tempting gray eyes.
Could this office romance lead to a journey down the aisle?
Book Description
To arrogant Italian Gabriel Gessi, Rose has always been his plain, sensible secretary.
But when she returns from vacation with a stunning new look, Gabriel decides he wants to take her out of the boardroom and into his bedroom!
And the plain-Jane secretary—
Rose has been in love with her gorgeous boss for years, but her resolve to try and forget him weakens when they begin working more closely together—on a secluded Caribbean island!
Customer Reviews:
The Longest Read..............2007-03-02
Well I have to admit this was one of those books I had to force myself to get through. The only thing I could honestly say that I appreciated about this book is that "Rose" was not your typical damsel in destress. She actually had some what of a backbone when it came to dealing with the domineering and arrogant personality of her boss/lover Gabriel whose solution to "everything" was to throw money at it. To be honest the ending didn't ring true to me, it was very rushed. I would recommend that you borrow this from someone or your local library but don't invest in it unless of course your a die-hard Cathy Williams fan and just want to add this to your collection.
Average customer rating:
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La Secretaria Del Millonario (The Millionaire's Secretary)
Kathryn Ross
Manufacturer: Harlequin
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ASIN: 0373336896 |
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- A Phule and His Money
- Too Bad
- Absolute Garbage
- I wish such a sequel had not been forcedly published
- when good series get bad writers
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A Phule and His Money (Phule's Company)
Robert Asprin , and
Peter J. Heck
Manufacturer: Ace
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Phule Me Twice (Phule's Company)
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No Phule Like an Old Phule
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Phule's Paradise (Phule's Company)
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Phule's Errand (Ace Science Fiction)
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Phule's Company
ASIN: 0441006582 |
Customer Reviews:
A Phule and His Money.......2006-09-24
This book has none of the belly laughs associated with the first two books. It is written in an entirely different style, leading one to wonder if Robert Asprin or Peter Heck wrote it.
If this were the first in a series, the series would founder and die at book two.
Too Bad.......2006-07-25
I loved Phule in the early books. Unfortunately, the series has been going downhill ever since Asprin began collaborating, apparently in an effort to increase his productivity. The latest entries in the series just don't have the same sense of fun that the early ones had.
Very disappointing.
Absolute Garbage.......2003-11-19
I enjoyed the first two books in this series enough to read them a second time, but this collaboration was absolutely atrocious.
Every indication seems to be that Asprin wrote an outline which Peter J. Heck attempted to flesh out into a book: Unfortunately, Peter J. Heck has no sense of character or comedy. I only got a few dozen pages into the book before throwing it against the wall in total disgust, but time and time again I saw scenes which -- if the old Robert Asprin had been executing them -- would have been hilarious. Here, however, they fell flat and lifeless to the pavement.
There are no laughs here. The characters and the scenes are forced. All sense of a point is missing.
No matter how much you loved the first two books, avoid this installment at all costs. Indeed, the closer the first two books are to your heart, the deeper this book will thrust the knife.
I wish such a sequel had not been forcedly published.......2003-09-13
I loved Book 1 "Phule's Company" and Book 2 "Phule's Paradise", but I hesitated to read this Book 3 because of these negative reviews. But finally I did read it, because I wanted to find out by my own eyes why this book was so badly reputed and how it was different from the previous two books.
Now I do know why. I expected it not so good as the previous books but so-so enjoyable, but I am disappointed. It's still tolerable that the nice mixture of humor, wit and warmth has changed to a noisy slapstick comedy. But I can't help feeling something is wrong; the characters's behavior and/or speech have delicately deviated from those in the previous books. Especially, Beeker has been deprived of his flavor. For example, Beeker calls the big brass "enemies". They are enemies indeed, but it is very unlikely for Beeker to use such a straight expression.
It might have been very difficult for any writers except the creator to reproduce the charm of this series. Or Asprin's memory and/or affection for this series might have faded in the long gap. Anyway, I wish such a sequel had not been forcedly published.
when good series get bad writers.......2002-12-12
Where did this book go wrong? Let me count the ways.
A captain who pores over the files of his people before meeting them in the first book, manages to forget between books two and three that he was told he was getting his requested chaplain and a Zenobian observer.
His top three officers also forget this.
Neither the chaplain nor the observer appear on the paperwork that the Sergeant is reading names off of.
Sushi goes from very formal english to very casual.
Escrima goes from being a Phillipino stick fighter speaking broken english to speaking perfect english, right down to the slang, and being a gambler who owes Sushi money.
No one recognizes the lizard lurking around the corners of the casino as a Zenobian, even though the company had first contact with them.
Everyone has gone from mildly competent (and lucky) to being the Keystone Kops.
Phule refers to the company as the Omega company, even though this had been established in the first book as being derogatory slang for the *type* of company, not their official name.
The humor was forced, the plot was contrived, none of the characters sounded right.
I could probably go on, but by this point, I hadn't finished chapter three, so I didn't think there was any point in reading the rest of the book. Needless to say, I don't think Mr. Heck bothered to read the first two books of the series, and it shows.
My recommendation is, read Phule's Company and Phule's Paradise, by Robert Asprin, and skip the inferior immitations by Peter Heck. If I could give this book zero stars, I would.
Amazon.com
Beyond the Walls: Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life is, like Kathleen Norris's The Cloister Walk, a memoir of monastophilia. Paul Wilkes, a writer whose articles on spirituality have appeared in The New Yorker and other magazines, has long been interested in the monastic way of life. When he reached middle age, however, he made a serious commitment to spend a portion of each month with the brothers of Mepkin Abbey, a Roman Catholic community in South Carolina. He left his wife and two teenage sons during his visits to the Abbey, in hopes of bringing the peace of cloistered life back to his home and work. "Monasticism is spirituality laid bare," Wilkes writes. "[I]t is the human yearning to open one's self to the divine spirit within"--a yearning that, he points out, insinuates itself into most aspects of everyday life. Wilkes's attempts to practice poverty, chastity, detachment, and other monastic virtues in his secular life are related with humor and thoughtfulness. Beyond the Walls is one to put on your bookshelf right next to Norris's explorations of the same territory. --Michael Joseph Gross
Customer Reviews:
Practical applications are gems........2001-07-25
I have had a hard time thinking of this book by it's main title: Beyond the Walls. I have been calling it (in my mind) Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life which is, of course, its subtitle.
I had hoped for more personal stories of life at the monastery, and then life outside the monastery with the author putting his monastic lessons into practice. While there was a good bit of that, there was also a lot of philosophizing which I often found tedious. I felt as if I had to slog through the theory to get to the next practical application.
Nonetheless, the lessons learned were valuable, and I'm glad I own this book.
I have mixed thoughts.......2001-04-04
This book contains a lot of substance in terms of applying monastic principles to daily life. It is well thought out and I extracted some useful information from it.
However, being a Traditional Catholic, certain things in the book were major sources of irritation for me. The author regards Karl Rahner and Teilhard de Chardin as brilliant theologians! There is also a lot said about Catholic Monks learning from Buddist Monks! This book is definately a product of post concilliar thinking.
Your position on eccumenism will determine whether you like or dislike this book.
Benedictine Wisdom for the Home.......2000-07-31
Wilkes offers us an invitation into monastic spirituality, not for monks this time, but for you and me, for our daily lives, right where we live, in the midst of day-timers, cell-phones and soccer practices. For another book like "Beyond the Walls", look up THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2000, 192pp., trade paperback). Welcome to the cloister without walls!
Spiritually uplifting.......2000-06-25
Mr. Wilkes takes the essentials of monastic life and demonstrates how the practices of the monks he has come to know can be incorporated into his own life as a layman with a family. These essentials, such as prayer, discernment, stability, community, are neatly arranged in individual chapters or essays. This is a beautiful, thought-provoking and spiritual book.
Refreshingly Honest.......1999-11-25
The courage with which Paul shares his struggles and success with monastic wisdom for daily life is refreshing. His candor and vulnerability invite the reader into his life and to an examination of one's own life in light of Paul's reflections. I've been to Mepkin and it was an absolute delight to "see their faces" and "hear their voices" through Paul's wonderful descriptions. This is one to be savored time and again. I strongly recommend it to the spiritual wayfarer looking for solid guidance and a kindred spirit struggling with the Spirit.
Books:
- Crossing Bully Creek (Milkweed National Fiction Prize)
- Dating Games: A Novel
- Desertion: A Novel
- Die Physiker
- Dream of Scipio
- During the Reign of the Queen of Persia
- eFictions
- Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes
- Einstein Intersection
- Elizabeth and Her German Garden
Books Index
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