Book Description
The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, published for the first time in 1973, appeared with his reluctant consent in a much cut version in 1929 as SARTORIS.
Customer Reviews:
Trying, but worth reading.......2006-06-29
After being delighted by Soldier's Pay, Faulkner's first novel, and thoroughly entertained by Mosquitoes, his second, I moved on to Flags in the Dust with high hopes. Like the other books, it has hypnotizing, lush descriptions of the Deep South and obliquely rendered, fascinating characters. Much of it rings true and makes you really feel as if you are there is this bygone era. But I had problems being very interested in young Bayard, the handsome, hell-raising, irresponsible, moody, manly, drunken, self-destructive main character. The book seems to romanticize and glorify Bayard at the same time it is minutely describing his selfish, hurtful behavior. While Faulkner seems to partly explain Bayard's defects as a result of trauma over his brother John's death during WW1, it seems to me that Bayard would have been much the same regardless. As such, I didn't find him a very interesting character -- he reminded me of scores of other very similarly portrayed handsome, hellbent, brooding, self-absorbed young "heroes" in movies and books. So I took my consolation and pleasure from the much more interesting-to-me supporting characters such as Aunt Jenny and old Bayard and black Simon and young Bayard's wife Narcissa and old doctor Loosh Peabody.
Thoughts upon completing a quarter of "Sartoris".......2006-03-09
I love those works of art which bridge two eras; in music the early Schoenberg in "Death and Transfiguration", and all of Mahler; "Sartoris" is a literary example. Here you can see the developing Faulkner stylistically acknowledging some 19th century mentors in the exquisite descriptive chapters which open the book. A beautifully appropriate style in which to convey nostalgia for that period. It is rather heartbreaking that F. stopped writing like this, but I suppose he had to move on... I have not read the uncut version entitled "Flags in the Dust" but have a feeling, based on some reviews here, that the novel might be more enjoyable as "Sartoris"; from what I have read so far, it is not verbose at all, but really a gemlike work indicative of his debt to the great masters Zola, Flaubert, Eliot, Bronte, etc...like some recently recut old movies I've seen recently, sometimes it's just better the first time around.
The only Faulkner I truly enjoyed.......2004-04-16
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and express my feelings about Flags in the Dust using simple English. I took a course on Faulkner, and this was the novel I absolutely loved reading. I was frustratingly mystified by Sound and the Fury(particularly by all the accolades it has received), disgusted and disturbed by The Light in August, and had at least some admiration for Absalom, Absalom. Several reviewers describe this as "young" Faulkner or "developing" Faulkner - well, for me, this is Faulkner before the copious self-conscious devices - and seems far more genuine than his other novels. There it is - now I can only await the flood of "non-helpful" votes. It was worth it though.
Developing Faulkner.......2003-08-26
Apparently, "Flags in the Dust" is the original text of the novel published in a cut form as "Sartoris". Having read "Flags in the Dust", I could see why it was cut - as the blurb on the cover said, it's frequently "over-written". Here's just one example:
"...yet more ladies were sibilantly crescendic with an occasional soberly clad male on the outer fringe of their colorful chattering like rocks dumbly imponderable about the cauldron where seethed an hysterical tideflux."
And there's more where that came from. By the way, Faulkner seemed addicted to the use of the word sibilant in all its forms in this novel.
I got the impression that this was a young author trying too hard to impress. The finer parts of the novel are where Faulkner describes his characters in a more economical style. Despite the stylistic faults, there's much of interest in "Flags in the Dust".
Just after World War One, young Bayard Sartoris (a fighter pilot) returns to his family home in the South. His twin brother (also a pilot) was killed in the War. The South he returns to is in part an Antebellum relic (slavery exists in all but name), but also it's changing due to the influence of the War and industrial progress - some blacks are questioning why they are denied civil rights when they fought in the War.
Faulkner describes the "old white" (and indeed "old black") attitudes, and yet portrays the poverty suffered by many blacks with great sympathy. Perhaps the dialogue will grate a bit to the modern reader - racialist words are used with great frequency - but perhaps it is impossible to depict the mores of the time in any other way.
"Flags in the Dust" is not a great novel, nor even a really good one, but it's a must for anyone who is interested in Faulkner's development as a writer.
G Rodgers
Faulkner's "Flags" Tastes Better Than It Looks.......2002-09-01
Before I read this book, I kept hearing what a horrible novel it was. However, it isn't horrible; it's just not nearly as fantastic as some of his other works. It's still definitely worth the read, though.
If you can make it through sentences that seem to never end and some repitition, you will find a great story of love, guilt, and Southern life. This book opens with the Sartoris family, and several young men (Bayard Sartoris and others) returning home from World War I, and the impressions war left upon them. Thrown in with a little bit of incest, love notes, and a daredevil, this book provides a good combination of mushiness (sp?), humor, and sorrow.
However, while some have said not to read this book as your first Faulkner, I disagree. And here's why: reading this book after you have read some of his other works really makes you look at this book in a more negative way, since his other works have been so great. Just remember, if this is your first Faulkner read, many of his other works are MUCH BETTER, so if you read this first and don't like it, there are MUCH BETTER ones out there. As far as reading goes, it's a pretty easy read (although you might have to keep track of all the Johns and Bayards), at least in comparison to some of his other books. Also, if you plan on reading other Faulkner books, this one is a MUST, since it introduces you to the Benbrows, Snopes, and the Sartorises-all characters that are found in some of his other novels.
Book Description
In this historical romance, ladies in the church quilting circle have their daughters compete with quilting squares to win the new bachelor pastor's heart. Patchwork Circle Book 1
Customer Reviews:
Bachelor's Puzzle ~ Reviewed.......2007-07-17
The women of the Maintown church ladies society are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new circuit-riding preacher - a bachelor, they are told. Zach Hartley is unlike any preacher the church has ever seen.
Zach does his best to fill the role of "New" preacher. He hangs laundry, washes dishes, tends children - whatever it takes; whatever needs doing he is ready to do. Zach gets to know and love these town people (a surprise to him). In Maintown he learns of life and the love he never had growing up.
The women of the sewing circle present the preacher with a welcoming quilt they are proud of. A competition starts up among the women as to who can make the best quilt block and win the preachers affections.
In the back of the book the Author has an offer for a free book. If you send a quilt to one of the 13 organizations (listed in the back of the book) that pass out quilts for different reasons; she will give you a book. The book also includes a pattern for the "Bachelor's Puzzle" quilt.
It doesn't get any better than that a quilt for a free book. This is the first in a series called "Patchwork Circle". I can't wait until the next book.
Reviewed by Nora St. Laurent
LifeWay Book Club, Buford, GA
Bachelor's Puzzle.......2007-06-25
Bachelor's Puzzle, book one of the Patchwork Circle Series, is Pella at her best!
Set in a fictional town, Maintown, Oregon, in 1882, she combines diverse characters and a plot with a twist. The reader is not sure which young woman will win the heart of the new minister. Could it be refined Ellie Newcomb or her tomboy sister, Maggie, or, one of the other eligible yung women?
I personally have difficulty keeping track of too many characters in a book. Therefore, I made notes on each character which I found unnecessary. Pella kept her characters consistent with smatterings of description throughout the book.
An added bonus for quilters is the Bachelor's Puzzle Quilt Pattern at the end of the book.
Pella sprinkles hints throughout the book like what happened between Ada Newcomb and Florence Parker in the past to cause their rivalry? Will we discover the answer in future books in the Patchwork Circle Series?
Quilted With Love.......2007-06-22
The town of Maintown is all abuzz when there's news of the new minister arriving in town. Even better, he's young and single! The young women of the town (and their mothers) are gearing up to present with a quilt, showcasing the talent of potential wives. Sisters Maggie and Ellie are among those in the chase to make their mark of impression on the quilt for the new preacher. When he finally arrives in town, he's everything they wished for and more! However to Ellie, there's something not quite right about the new minister. What secrets are he hiding? What girl will win his heart?
I learned tons about quilting while reading this book. Quilting bees were huge social events that many women in town looked forward too. This was a time to get together for talk and friendship. I didn't realize exactly how important it was to be able to make such intricate squares for the quilt. I'll never take a quilt for granted again! I liked reading about all the mothers who kept trying to set their daughters up with any potential bachelor who came to town. There seems to be a great deal more single young women in Maintown than in any other book I've read set during that time period. It seems all those men who wanted mail order brides should move there instead! The story reminded me of Patricia Hickman's Millwood Hollow series with a pretend preacher fooling everyone. I liked Zach a lot and I was glad that he had enough sense not to perform a marriage which would later bring shame to the couple. He seemed like a really nice guy and seemed very cool and collected and able to fit into the role of a pastor easily. Maybe there's hope for him yet? My only complaint about the book is that Maggie acts very childish for her age. She is only two years younger than Ellie and is at the age where many girls of that time would already be married and have kids. Yet she acts without thinking and I would cringe during her scenes with Zach because for the most part he saw her as still just a girl. Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. I love this time period and I really enjoyed all the characters. The writing was top notch and shows how Pella knows as much about quilting as she does about Russian history from her other books. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
delightful post Reconstruction Era novel.......2007-06-12
In 1882, the female members of the Mainland Church look forward to the new unmarried circuit riding preacher Zack Hartley who will live in the small Oregon town even though he will be on the road more than home. The women work together on a welcoming quilt that turns into a somewhat acrimonious rivalry once everyone meets the handsome minister.
Zack fumbles with his religious chores, but no one cares. He visits the sick, but does not pray for a miracle; instead he does women's chores like the wash and the cooking. This only endears him further in the hearts and minds of the female practitioners who see a caring man who would make a good son-in-law. However, none of the women know that this eligible bachelor has secrets involving Portland crime rings and dangerous thugs that will make most of them withdraw their opinion that he is a prized spouse.
The first "Patchwork Circle" historical tale is a delightful post Reconstruction Era novel starring likable townsfolk and a devilish minister. The story line is lighthearted fun as the women compete to gain the attention of the newcomer whose earthly ways endear him with the sewing circle females. Yet with all the rivalry friendship that abounds as the women teach Zack (perhaps too easily) what caring for others mean; he has a serious chance for redemption and love if he can go through the eye of the Lord's needle.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
Best Romance Novel Series.......2007-10-02
I do not like romance novels. I hate them in fact. I was visiting my mom's house for a week and she had one of the Tyler romance novels and since I was bored and it looked better than the other romances that she had, I read it. I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up buying the whole series and reading it. This book was pretty good. All of them have the sappy stuff that I don't like about romance novels but they also have great characters and a rich town history. If you like romance novels you have to read these. If you don't like romance novels these are still entertaining books to read.
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8 Book Set; Sunshine, Bright Hopes, Wisconsin Wedding, Crossroads, Monkey Wrench, Whirlwind, Blazing Star, Bachelor's Puzzle (Welcome to Tyler - Romance)
Pat Warren ,
Carla Neggers ,
Marisa Carroll ,
Nancy Martin ,
Suzanne Ellison , and
Ginger chambers
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Neggers, Carla | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Warren, Pat | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OSSC76 |
Product Description
6 Mass Market Paperback Titles From Welcome to Tyler Series - F: Sunshine - G: Arrow Point - H: Bachelor's Puzzle - I: Milky Way - J: Crossroads - K: Courthouse Steps
Average customer rating:
- Better than the first by jordan
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Small Eternities (Withern Rise)
Michael Lawrence
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
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Binding: Hardcover
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Touching Darkness
ASIN: 0060724803
Release Date: 2005-09-20 |
Book Description
Four months ago in the snowy depths of winter, Alaric and Naia, two teenagers who'd never met, discovered they were living almost identical lives in different versions of Withern Rise, their riverside Victorian mansion. One day, they accidentally stranded themselves in the wrong realities.
Now it's summer, and heavy rains have caused the river to overflow. Withern Rise's grounds are under water when Alaric and Naia find their separate ways into an earlier reality -- a small eternity -- and meet a boy called Aldous. Aldous Underwood.
But who is this Aldous? Is he the old vagrant Naia has met in the present day, or an Aldous destined to die very soon, under mysterious circumstances? And will their meeting change Underwood history?
Customer Reviews:
Better than the first by jordan.......2005-11-18
It's four months after Alaric and Naia switched lives and things are going all right. Everything is flooded and one day alaric and Naia are just sitting in the tree when they both get blurred back in time to 1945 the year of Aldous Underwood's death.(If you read the first book you'll know who he is.)
Anyway the mystery unwinds and Alaric learn's who caused Aldous who would have been there great uncle if he hadn't. Alaric is given chances to prevent the death when in another small eternitie erupts and Aldous still lives.
Small eternities is a thought provoking book that you'll love if you liked the first.
I reccomend this book to hard core action packed sci-fi/fantasy fans.
Also reccomended:A crack in the line
The Compass
The subtle knife
The amber spyglass
and for the heck of it: all Harry Potter books.
Read the first one A crack in the line then read this one.
Never start in the middle of a story.
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Small Eternities (Withern Rise)
Michael Lawrence
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ASIN: 006072482X
Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Book Description
Four months ago, Alaric and Naia, two teenagers who'd never met, discovered they were living almost identical lives at alternate versions of Withern Rise, their family's riverside home. One day, they accidentally stranded themselves in the wrong realities. It's summer now, and heavy rains have caused the river to overflow. Withern Rise's grounds are under water. When Alaric and Naia find their separate ways into an earlier reality, they meet a boy called Aldous Underwood. Who is he? Could he be the old vagrant Naia has met in the present day? Or is he destined to die tragically young? And will their meeting change Underwood history?
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Small Eternities (Withern Rise)
Michael Lawrence
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000IOEQ1C |
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Small Eternities (Aldous Lexicon Trilogy)
Michael Lawrence
Manufacturer: Orchard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1843628708 |
Book Description
The mystery has begun
Alaric
It's been two years since his mother died in a terrible train crash, and Alaric's life continues to unravel. He and his father are barely on speaking terms, and Withern Rise, their Victorian mansion, is in shambles. Trapped at home during a blizzard, Alaric stumbles into a parallel world; a reality in which his mother is still alive. There's only one problem ... someone else is living his life.
Naia
Naia tries not to dwell on the horrible accident two years ago that nearly took her mother away. Now that life with her parents in Withern Rise has returned to normal, Naia thinks the worst is behind her. But during a freak snowstorm she's confronted by a stranger. Why does this boy look like her? Why does he have the same thoughts? The same memories? Who is he?
Alaric's and Naia's discovery of each other sets off an electrifying chain of events. And as their lives - and lifelines - entwine, the two teenagers uncover a truth with the power to rearrange, or even erase, their very existence.
Customer Reviews:
How It Influenced Me.......2006-08-15
This book really influenced my life. The characters curiosity of each other and each others lives made me appreciate everything that i have and everyone that i know even more. And it also made me be more cautious with everything i do.
Crack in the line.......2006-05-24
A crack in the line by Micheal Lawrence is a book about Alaric Underwood who is fourteen years old. Two years ago his mother died in a train crash and had a 50/50 chance of living. Now his father has left for a buisness trip and Alaric is left with is aunt Liney. One day he goes into the river room (his mother's favorite room) to find his mother's greatest creation: Lexie's Folly. When he touches the Folly he is sent to an alternative world where everything is the same except his mother is still alive and there is another person living his life a girl named Naia.
Naia looks exactly like Alaric in every aspect and there are almost a like and they soon discover why Alaric was sent to her world. Micheal Lawrence wonderful book about two similar worlds coming together explains a lot of mysteries of the world. This is a book you'll never forget. It challenges your mind to find the real truth about the follys.
Imperfect but captivating.......2006-04-04
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I bought it as a remainder for next to nothing and was pre-reading it to see when my niece would be old enough for it -- if it were good enough to give her, that is. As it turns out, I find myself jealous of her getting to be old enough to read it, because I think she's going to dive in and only surface for meals.
One reason I liked this book so much, I think, is because the theory of quantum alternate universes is an idea that I find very persuasive and comforting. As a result, this novel gives me more food for thought to chew over while it also mixes in the "supernatural" aspects of the family tree, the oddly old and young Aldous, and so on. As an adult who was once a child who experienced a painful loss of a loved one, I found the treatment of grief to be very affecting as well.
I was disappointed to find that the second Withern Rise book is not yet out in paperback. My niece has probably 4 years until she's old enough to start the trilogy, and I hope I'll have finished all three before then. ;-)
The one argument I have with the book is the rather spare style in which it's written. It feels to me as if some coloring and fleshing out is missing, although from reading the author's comments in the essays at the end of the volume, I can see that's a deliberate choice of his. This difference in taste is far from sufficient to turn me off the book, however.
Intruiging plot, lacking in many other things though..........2006-01-10
Alaric and Naia. Two different people, two different sexes, two different minds. They have never heard of each other, seen each other, or ever acknowledged that they were born. But, they share the same face, the same thoughts, the same house, same room even. It turns out there's a parallel universe, where everything is the same, except for one major thing. Alaric's mother died in a train wreck with a 50/50 chance. Naia's mother was in the same accident, but survived with her 50/50 chance.
One day Alaric finds a way to travel to the parallel world (by accident of course) and everything he's ever known tangles itself up with could-haves, would-haves, and can-haves.
It is an interesting, thought-provoking novel about what things could be like. What could happen if you did one thing different? It's insane about how much your head winds around it. But the writing and characters are severely lacking. We know who the characters are, and sometimes how they would act, but we never get to know them. Even if there is going to be two to other books, we should know them as maybe a friend would now. The writing style is a bit lacking in detail too. There's amateur mistakes popping up everywhere, and sometimes they distract from the story. The plot has too many "Huh?" moments too, and the author just leaves us wondering- but not in the good way.
The only character that really caught my eye was Alaric's aunt Liney. She's fantastic. Her head is a bit whacked, she wears bright, outlandish clothes and she'll try anything, headfirst. She is one of the best characters, and behind her "faults" she's got a great personality. Eager, fun, loving, one of the reasons why I went through with the book.
Overall, it was an okay book, not something I'd pick up again. I recommend this book for any person who is looking for a deeply twisted plot, but doesn't care if the characters aren't developed very well yet.
Speedy, intriguing and worth the read.......2005-12-16
When I first received this book last Christmas I was unsure to whether I was going to like it or not. The plot seemed to be a little on the lame Sci-Fi side and I could see a "Winkle in Time" rip off on the horizon. However, after reading it I found myself impressed, not by the plot as so many others are, but by the author, what he revealed of himself in the text and the way that his mind works.
The guy's brain works in the same way that mine does and that's rare. He gets an idea, builds on it and he doesn't give a damn if it fits a format or works in the context. He is also very analytical and funny. My favorite part of the story is when Naia starts reading Aldous' paper that had been written years before. The text is about four pages and it's a rant about different scenarios that can be played out by our subtlest alterations of our daily routines. It's brilliant. The way that the man writes is brilliant. I was, however slightly disappointed by the resolution of the main plot. I guess that everybody gets what they always wanted, but I kept thinking about how much more the author could have done with it. Overall it was a quick, enjoyable, thought provoking and fun read that I would suggest to any literature lover.
Mat Perrin, esq.
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Small Eternities (Withern Rise)
Michael Lawrence
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: B000IOEQ80 |
Book Description
A spiritual crisis sent Orthodox rabbi Gershon Winkler to remote regions of the Southwest, where he studied with Native American healers. From them he began to recover the long-lost wisdom of what he calls “Aboriginal Judaism”: the religion’s tribal roots. This book tracks his personal journey and draws from a dazzling mix of sources to detail the surprising connections between two seemingly unrelated religions.
Customer Reviews:
Crazy-Wise.......2004-11-30
This book can best be described as crazy-wise. Completely defying the historic trends within Judaism for the past several hundred years, trends toward more philosophical, rational modes of thinking, Winkler plunges back into Jewish tribal origins. While his re-reading of Jewish sources may seem eccentric at times, he is not making this stuff up, merely viewing them with an archly-shamanistic POV. His refusal to embrace Christian-derived "spirituality" that, overtly or covertly, devalues earthly physicality is perhaps the most powerful contribution to his unearthing (pardon the pun) authentic Jewish spiritual practice.
When he is being original, he even more interesting. Frankly, his interpretation of Ohr v'Choshek (the meaning of light and darkness) in Jewish mystical sources can most charitably be described as "strong." More bluntly, he turns the traditional mystical perspectives on light and darkness, unity and diversity, being and nothingness, completely inside-out. His interpretation also undermines much of Jewish tradition, both exoteric and esoteric, on messianism. I'd be curious to hear his thoughts on that. Still, it is provocative and compelling, and is well worth reading. I'd recommend strongly, in fact.
I don't see the majority of American middle-class Jews embracing shamanistic Judiasm, but this book will be interesting to anyone looking for compelling post-modern ways of being Jewish. It will be especially interesting to those who already know the sources and are looking to have their cherished assumptions shaken up a little. Fascinating.
Judaism...the next 2000 years........2004-09-27
Rabbi Winkler is doing an amazing thing for Judaism. If it weren't for his writings on what the "Hebrews" really were/are/could be, I think I would have simply left my Judaism behind. But I am so thankful that this scholar and spirit has done the work he has done. In this book, he shows how Judaism is full of rituals, ideas, practices, and teachings that fit under the category "shamanic." He talks about how Judaism is a path very much in touch with the natural world around us, all creatures, the heavenly bodies, etc. He discusses how the Hebrew language is one based upon a shamanic (pantheistic?) interpretation of the universe.
I have studied Buddhism a lot, and shamanic traditions a little, and have always found these other traditions to be so much more grounded in real human experience than the Judaism I was raised with. What Rabbi Winkler does is show how Judaism, at its core and in its origin, was just as grounded as these other paths, just as open and responsive to human experience in all its manifestations. Rabbi Winkler is revitalizing Judaism. I highly suggest this book as well as any other by him.
Excellent!.......2003-11-03
First of all, I will say I am not Jewish. My background is Baptist. I enjoy reading books which give me a more thorough understanding of scripture, and this one does. Reading this book feels like a remembering of information I have known in my deepest heart. Winkler's explanation of scripture passages, interspersed with story and quotes from ancient rabbis is masterful and intriguing. My copy is now heavily underlined for study, and I recommend it heartily.
Books:
- Four Mothers: A Novel
- Futility or The Wreck of the Titan
- Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: A Novel (Vintage International)
- Henry James: Complete Stories 1874-1884 (Library of America)
- Here's to You, Jesusa!
- Hitler's Niece: A Novel
- I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft)
- I Wish I Had a Red Dress
- Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kirstein, and Their Circle
- Leaving Cecil Street: A Novel (P.S.)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno
- The Tenants of Moonbloom
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- When I Was Your Age, Volume One: Original Stories About Growing Up
- Building Electro-Optical Systems: Making It All Work
- Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray
- World According to Peter Drucker
- The Federal Republic of Germany Since 1949: Politics, Society and Economics Before and After Unifica
- Indiana Business Directory 2000-2001: The Ultimate Sales & Credit Tool
![The Wild Palms: [If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0679741933.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
