Book Description
Here are Groucho's improbable tales of true romance, narrated with his characteristic panache and illustrated with splendid New Yorker-esque cartoons.
Customer Reviews:
"MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER" has the zippy title . . . .......2007-07-30
. . . but the better book of Groucho memoirs to begin with is GROUCHO AND ME, published in 1959, several years earlier than MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER (1963). In each book Groucho Marx's unique wordplay, jaundiced viewpoint and occasional tracks into surrealism entertain. But in GROUCHO AND ME there is no "me" other than Groucho himself, and not only is his wit enteraining, we get a coherent family picture of the Marx parents and their five boisterous children, growing up in near-poverty in the early 20th Century in the Yorkville (upper East Side, but too upper ever to be posh) district of Manhattan. Later on Groucho touches -- with some skips and jumps but chronologically -- upon the other places the gradually more successful family troupe lived, from Chicago to Broadway to Hollywood, where they hit the celebrated American "instant stardom" after paying dues for nearly thirty years, most of it not in the first-class venues.
Now, I will not maintain that MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER is "that's left-overs" in any derogatory way. Groucho's essays definitely entertain, but they are merely that, comic sketches or essays, usually arranged around the subject of Sex (Men chasing women, almost always), with occasional forays into politics and society, but only in an abstract way. Only the person with a flair for the artwork in this book and in Groucho's engaging but occasionally crotchety tone would put this book down as a product of the turn of the Sixties (as said, 1963).
The actual product I read -- the paperback edition from Da Capo Press -- has a printing error which is what led me to take my estimation from four stars down to three. The very end of the book is entitled "A Note on the Author by Groucho Marx," and it surely was meant to be short, but I can't say how short. My edition of MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER -- the only edition available new that I know of -- snaps off at mid-sentence at the end of the page: turn the page and there is nothing there but the publisher's UPC code! Now, Groucho loves to talk about himself by talking around himself, so to speak; and he certainly had a talent for setting us up for puns, situational follies and quick turns of speech ("Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas; how he got into my pajamas I'll never know.") But it wouldn't in any way be a Marxian touch for a book to end in mid-sentence. Beyond transferring data, are these things still proof-read these days for line intergrity and page coherence? We, the reader, deserve more for our $15.95 than 213 pages that end with what could only charitably be described as a production blunder. After all, in memoirs as well as Vaudeville, the closing act has to be strong.
Dry, Clever, Easy Read.......2007-05-12
I bought this book for my husband, who'd heard Groucho plug his book on a DVD of Dick Cavett interviews from the '70s. We had no idea Groucho had penned any books. It is a compilation of his views on Hollywood, relationships and life in general. Audible bellowing is heard throughout the house when he is reading this book. The cartoon illustrations by Leo Hershfield throughout in the book are very clever. A must read for all Groucho lovers.
DISAPOINTING.......2007-01-09
I bought the book after seeing an old Dick Cavette interview with Groucho, who has always been (Groucho, not Cavette) among my favorite comedians. The difference between the Groucho of film and TV sharpness of wit and rejoinder and the written word is an untenable one. If you are looking for the brilliance and quick-witted insanity of Woody Allen, buy Woody Allen, because Groucho and the written word are not the same as Groucho on film or in person. The quickness, the obsurdity are missing. Each punch line is drawn out and explained to death before delivery making it BORRRRRing. I read a few others of his books and so far, still no match for his live or scripted persona. Sorry Groucho fans., but 2.5 Stars
A Groucho is a Groucho is a Groucho.......2006-08-29
Groucho Marx is extremely funny and witty in this book not to mention his deep knowledge in many areas. He kept the irony and the lust for wordmingling throughout his life.The "Natural history of Love" is a chapter you must read! I never tire of this man!
His humor just doesn't translate well to the written word.......2005-07-08
Although there were a few laughs to be found, Groucho's personality just doesn't shine through on the printed page - without the ironic, self-effacing delivery he was so good at, most of this falls flat.
It was undoubtably written in a hurry and has a completely manic feel that overpowers the wit. It feels like I expected Steve Martin's novels to be like before I read them - a slalom of pun, dated jokes and double entendres you can read at breakneck speed.
I adore Groucho, but I think his stage presence was just too important to his humor for him to successfully write a book of this type.
One section I found interesting was the way he trapped a spiritualist into betraying herself... if the whole book would have been in this vein, it would have been much more satisfying.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful, Unsurpassed.......1999-01-22
Unexpected after the spectacular flameout that was "Ghost Dance", this is the signal work of perhaps the finest living American writer. A more intense, devastating, meticulously constructed work you will not find if you read every book on offer at Amazon. "The Art Lover" is like a shattering, vivid dream of another lifetime. Perfect.
Skillfully crafted. Exquisite writing........1998-07-10
If you like plot-driven stories, then this novel is not for you. However, don't get me wrong--there is a story here. This non-linear tale of a woman's life and the people around her is exquisitely written, and incredibly well-crafted. I've read all of Maso's novels now, and this is most certainly my favorite. A wonderful wonderful book.
a fresh blending of prose and poetry that does more than tel.......1998-05-09
Carole Maso brings us into the character's mind through a fresh blending of prose and poetry that does more than tell a story; it wraps the story around these lifelike characters in a way that invests us in their lives. I came away impressed by the nonlinear structure, touched by the characters, and identifying with some.
I look forward to catching up on the rest of Maso's work.
Book Description
How many times have you watched a popular movie and thought, "I'd like to write something like that," or "Even I can write better dialogue!" Here's your chance to learn how to write a novel...by watching movies like "Speed," "The Sixth Sense," "Clueless," "Die Hard," "While You Were Sleeping," and more!
For the first time, a professional writing instructor and movie buff will take you through the steps necessary to craft your own commercial novel using techniques found in your favorite films.
What can Hollywood's biggest features teach you about writing?
¥ How to watch movies with a writer's eye
¥ Infusing character traits into scenes and plots
¥ Using material goals to show internal motivation
¥ Techniques for making scenes do double duty, including foreshadowing and flashback
¥ What is a credibility gap, and how you should bridge it
Plus: Three 'tricks' for fixing holes in your plot, characters or anything else in your story.
Thompson guides you frame by frame through the ins and outs of writing a hit, in a text that is packed with "Quick Tips" and "Quick Fixes." This is an indispensable reference work that will have you polishing your prose--and preparing it for publication--in no time!
Customer Reviews:
A Must for Writers Who Want to Sell.......2007-06-08
My goal as a writer is to improve with each subsequent book I write. I have purchased and studied several books on craft, and Lights! Camera! Fiction! is definitely among the best.
My first historical romance novel, "Fire at Midnight" has finaled in nearly 40 writing contests and was recently sold to Medallion Press. It will be released in 2009.
Lisa Marie Wilkinson
My new favorite book on how to write a novel.......2006-12-30
Alfie Thompson's guide to writing novels is a "must have" for any writer's library. The book goes beyond the dense discourse found in so many writing instruction books and provides a practical "how to" approach that that teaches the reader to watch movies with a writer's eye.
Her approach provides an exceptionally fast and effective way for a fiction writer to absorb proven techniques for developing characters, creating interesting plots, building scenes, establishing motivation, strengthening conflict and fixing problems in a story.
Well organized and easy to read, this book is now my favorite book on writing a novel!
A guide to writing great novels especially for movie lovers.......2006-09-04
A Novel Approach To Writing: Lights! Camera! Fiction! by movie buff and professional writing instructor Alfie Thompson is a guide to writing great novels especially for movie lovers. Chapters instruct how to watch movies with a writer's eye for what works and what doesn't, blending believable character traits into scenes and plots, using goals to reveal character motivation, judiciously applying foreshadowing and flashback, the power of the suspense of disbelief and how to encourage it, smooth plotting, and much more. A Novel Approach To Writing is a valuable supplement to aspiring and practicing fiction writers, outlining how to absorb the most advanced techniques and inspiration from multimedia experiences and transform it into improved quality within one's own work.
Absolutely Fantastic!.......2006-09-01
This is a novel approach to writing...using movies to explain character development, external goals and motivation, internal goals and character development, premise (one of the biggies, that's hard to explain at times), tension, conflict, etc., etc., etc....
If you're a visual learner, this book will explain what hours of workshops fail to do...seeing what Ms. Thompson has done on the page to explain all of the above, seems so simple.
But then all great ideas do seem simple once explained. (Duh!)
I sure wish she would have written this book ten years ago, it would have saved me a lot of time in trying to write a compelling novel.
My red hat off to you...you deserve it!
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on January 19, 1997. The length of the article is 680 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: De amores y toreros. (crítica de una novela de Fernando Schwartz, escritor español)(TT: Of lovers and bullfighters) (TA: critique of a novel by Fernando Schwartz, Spanish writer)
Author: Jorge Munguía Espitia
Publication:
Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 19, 1997
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Issue: n1055
Page: p63(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- One of the better romance anthologies
- Birds, Bees and Babies '94
|
Birds, Bees and Babies '94: The Best Mistake/ The Baby Machine/ Cullen's Child
Nora Roberts ,
Ann Major , and
Dallas Schulze
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Roberts, Nora | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Roberts, Nora | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Captive Star
ASIN: 037348285X |
Customer Reviews:
One of the better romance anthologies.......2005-11-16
From the back cover:
The Best Mistake by Nora Roberts
Zoe Felming wasn't looking for a lover, or a husband, or a father for her young son. She just wanted a tenant. But when sexy single J. Cooper McKinnon turned up, Zoe needed to figure out--had one of the biggest, or one of the best, mistakes of her life just walked in the door?
The Baby Machine by Ann Major
Kate Karlington desperately wanted a baby. All her potential daddy candidates, though, were preoccupied with her wealth. Then there was sexy, single dad Jim Keith Jones--who was just plain interested in Kate. He'd be her "baby machine," if Kate agreed to his price...
Cullen's Child by Dallas Schulze
The last thing live-in lovers Cullen Roberts and Darcy Logan ever dreamed of was that they'd become instant parents. But that was what happened when Cullen gained custody of his young niece. Trouble was, while Cullen adored the child, Darcy hardened her heart. Would Darcy ever admit the secret pain that kept her from loving this little girl?
And my review:
Nora Roberts is a master storyteller, not doubt about it. Not many authors can make a good, believable romance in 100 pages, but she can. I just loved the little boy - he was a full character instead of a flat plot device, like children so often are in romance. And I liked watching Cooper's transition from standoffish man to father figure. Four stars.
Ann Major's story was the weak link in this book, in my opinion. She writes conflict between characters very well, but the romance always feels a bit lacking. I find that "I love you, but I'm too proud to tell you so I'm going to lose you rather than risk being vulnerable" attitude of the heroine was quite grating by the end. Okay for a one-time read, but not to re-read. Three stars.
Dallas Schulze's story was the reason I bought this book as she is one of my favorite authors. I was not dissapointed. This story was very good. The characters were well developed. And though I don't want to give anything away, Darcy had very valid reasons for holding herself at a distance from the baby. I loved watching Darcy being drawn to Annie (the baby) in spite of herself. I kept the book for this story. Five stars.
Though the middle novella was a bit of a let-down, there were no "stinkers" in this book, which is rare for an anthology. I recommend this one.
Birds, Bees and Babies '94.......2005-02-19
THE BEST MISTAKE by Nora Roberts
Zoe Fleming wasn't looking for a lover, or a husband, or a father for her young son. She just wanted a tenant. But when sexy, single J. Cooper McKinnon turned up, Zoe needed to figure out - had one of the biggest, or one of the best mistakes of her life just walked in the door.
THE BABY MACHINE by Ann Major
Kate Karlington desperately wanted a baby. All her potential daddy candidates, though, were preoccupied with her wealth. Then there was sexy, single dad Jim Keith Jones - who was just plain interested in Kate. He'd be her "baby machine," if Kate agreed to his price...
CULLEN'S CHILD by Dallas Schulze
The last thing live-in lovers Cullen Roberts and Darcy Logan ever dreamed of was that they'd become instant parents. But that was what happened when Cullen gained custody of his young niece. Trouble was, while Cullen adored the child, Darcy hardened her heart. Would Darcy ever admit the secret pain that kept her from loving this little girl?
Customer Reviews:
A Great Followup For Flatland.......2005-03-29
Once reading the book Flatland, I thought the world of Flatland could not get much better. Then I read Sphereland. It is written in modern English, which is slightly easier to understand than the already not-too-hard Victorian style of Flatland. The book elaborates on what Abbot left out in Flatland, based on new discoveries coming mostly from Einstein since 1880, when Flatland was first published. The style of writing is similar to that of Flatland and amusing. There is a short yet good summary in the beginning of the volume of the Flatland world, just in case you did not read it, read it long ago, or just did not understand a few things about it. As in Flatland, the concepts are easy to understand, even for a high school student. You will find that the theories of dimensions are not too complex if you did not understand them before. It is also a short read. As in Flatland, there are a few diagrams to help you understand a concept being conveyed. The book does not present complex mathematical formulas; actually, it presents none at all. I thought that this book was very interesting, even if you are not interested in mathematics or dimensional theory.
Right up there with Flatland.......2001-08-01
Thanks to whoever conceived the idea of publishing a combined version of Flatland and Sphereland - I would probably have never read this book otherwise - its under-known and under-rated. As a satire, Flatland is arguably better, but as a popular math / physics book, I find Spherland of a much higher quality. I would go so far as to say that there is no better way to understand conceptually the notion of a curved space than to read Burger's analogy. Get it before it goes out of print!
A worthy extension of the classic Flatland.......2001-05-19
In my opinion, the best popular mathematics book ever written is "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions" by Edwin A. Abbot. Designed to be as much a satire on nineteenth century British society as a book on spatial dimensions, I have seen excerpts from it in several books on multi-dimensional space. This book opens with an excerpt from Flatland, and then moves on to describe how the universe of the Flatlanders is changing due to the universal expansion of their living surface.
The social commentary continues in "Sphereland" as newborns are killed simply because their parents prefer large angles in their shapes. Dogs are either of mongrel or pedigree stock depending on which mirror image they are. Finally, Burger also satirizes the intellectual segment, when the findings of the knowledgeable experimentalist are almost rejected out of hand as they do not conform to current physical theories. The sphere continues to make periodic appearances in "Sphereland", but it is also subject to emotional frailty, becoming quite angry at some of the suggestions the humble Flatlanders make about the world he inhabits.
While it does not match the high quality of Flatland, Sphereland is still an excellent description of the differences in the properties of spaces as additional dimensions are added. Being restricted to three dimensions, humans can only conceive of space with more than three dimensions with mathematics or by analogy. Both are used here and it is done well without resort to sophisticated mathematics. The satire also is of a high quality, although it must be read with an eye to the fact that it is an extension of the social commentary of Abbot. He was a strong advocate for the emancipation of women, working very hard to promote womens rights, and Flatland was only one part of that struggle.
Sphereland is a worthy sequel to a book that sets the standard for popular mathematics and social commentary. As long as you read it as that, it will be very instructive and amusing.
Decient novel if you love math........2001-04-20
I feel that this novel is a bit to math consumed for my taste. This book is great if you like the dull, carried out sci-fi novels. My advice is to stayclear of this book.
Customer Reviews:
Really a Master Piece!.......2005-08-05
I found the work yet unequalled among those I have read on missions. I have recommended and is recommending it to all who are intrested in the study of missions and to those who may like to why mission today is still a necessity.
Eliseus.
A Condensed History.......2002-12-11
Stephen Neill provides a comprehensive look at the history of Christian missions in his book, A History of Christian Missions. From the very first Christians in Jerusalem to the spread of the faith all around the world, the author presents the facts needed to understand this remarkable expansion. The book is divided by time periods: the conquest of the Roman World (100-500 A.D.), the Dark Age (500-1000), the early European Expansion (1000-1500), the Age of Discovery (1500-1600), the Roman Catholic Missions (1600-1800), the new forces in Europe and America (1792-1858), the heyday of Colonialism (1858-1914), Rome, the Orthodox, and the world (1815-1914), and a look at contemporary missions since 1914. In each of these time periods, Neill spins the globe and offers an explanation of the mission efforts in each respective region. Because his book is fairly concise, he is able to only focus on the most novel and notable moments of Christian expansion. He does an excellent job in weeding through the vast amounts of history associated with Christian mission to show the flow and various shifts in method, means, and motivation. While this is a clearly comprehensive look at Christian missions, it is very much a history book. It is full of the facts of Christian mission - those, which encourage and those, which embarrass the Christian today. Neill offers an honest depiction of Christian missions, showing the successes and failures. This is a book that everyone should read, Christians especially. It is so important to understand how faith has reached you, and this book demonstrates this growth. Also, in reading this book, one develops more of a sense of gratitude and humility. Each phase in history was full of men and women who were ready and willing to participate in mission with the understanding that they possessed of the purpose, means, motive, and goal of Christian missions. But, Christians, this is not a book to read for daily devotional. It is not until the end of the book that the concept of God's hand in mission is considered and scripture is incorporated. This history book does end with a call to continue in the history of Christian expansion, for "there is plenty still to be done" (478).
A Great Resource for Church and Mission Historians.......2002-12-11
This book is a must have for any church historian or anyone interested in the history of Christian missions. It is concise and thorough up to the point when it was written which was the late 1960's. Stephen Neill sets out to provide a look at the entire history of Christian missions and succeeds very well. This book can be used as a reference for any student or professor of Christian missions.
The layout of this book is somewhat difficult to get used to at first. Neill lays out the book in a chronological thematic format. He will start with one era and then move through the different areas of mission. For example, in the chapter on The Heyday of Colonialism, 1858-1914 Neill starts with the European background before moving through the mission efforts in other parts of the world. He starts with Japan before moving onto China, the Philippines and the rest of Asia. Then he jumps back to the beginning of the period and starts again with India before moving on to Africa and South America. In other words, it can be chronologically hard to follow at times but if you pay close attention to dates you should be able to know where you are at any given point in the book.
One of the good things about Neill's layout is how he divides the chapters. They are broad, sweeping categories that, as a history major, I found easily recognizable. Sample chapter titles are: The Conquest of the Roman World, A.D. 100-500 and The Age of Discovery, 1500-1600. He details the kinds of missions that were going on during each time period, thus making it the paradigms of the times easily identifiable. Perhaps the best part of this book is seeing God's work put into a historical context. Neill makes it effortless to see God's work in the world through the various missionary movements.
Neill tries to recreate the history of mission in both a biographical and in a movement oriented sense. I think he does a good job showing not only the widespread global or dominant power movements such as detailing Protestant and Catholic missions and their respective mission societies, but also relating the trials and tribulations of the individual missionaries who went out into the field; individuals such as James Hudson Taylor and Adoniram Hudson. The former founded the China Inland Mission and the latter was the first Protestant missionary to settle in Burma. These lives stories are inspiring on a personal level even though they are usually brief.
This brings me to my one criticism of this book: it is too short. Neill crams almost two centuries worth of Christian missions into one 480 page book. Since his goal is only to give a concise history of the Christian mission movement this unfortunately means that he has to cram a lot of information onto every page. The biographic details of the missionaries are at a bare minimum. And at times it feels like you are simply reading one fact after another after another and you start to lose sight of the more personal element in the story. That is why I would recommend purchasing a book like Ruth Tucker's excellent From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya in addition to Steven Neill. Tucker's book provides a more personal, biographical view of Christian missions and fills in some of the spots Neill was forced to gloss over. The stories in her book are very inspiring as well and it is an easy read.
That said however, I still give this book five stars. It is an excellent and concise resource for anyone studying this topic and is a very interesting book to read. It's a Penguin Classic for a good reason; it paints a cohesive picture of the history of Christian missions without completely skipping out on the people who made that history come alive.
Christian Mission Understood on its own terms.......2001-12-23
In my reading of his, Neill not only has the intention to catalogue 'just the facts' into a coherent, singular historical narrative but also to examine whether or not Christian expansion and missionary activity is to be seen as a part of conquest and colonialism. This books conclusion says, quite eloquently, that mission and militant and political expansion work on completely different levels in history though at times mission becomes blurred by the latter, either through demogoguery or by its culpability in its endorsement and support of colonialism and/or imperialism. This is an interesting book which succeeds foremost in demonstrating that christian mission is pluriform, not exclusively European and not always attached to political ambitions of conquest and expansion.
Average customer rating:
|
Africa for the African. Second Edition
Joseth Booth
Manufacturer: Kachere Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Africa
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Southern Africa
| Africa
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Missions & Missionary Work
| Evangelism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Imperialism & Independence
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 9990887233 |
Book Description
'I cannot afford to be a participator, by passiveness in such stupendous and widespread wrongs as I perceive are being abundantly inflicted upon the African race. Hence my appeal...to the British Queen and Government...that "Africa for the African" be made a reality as far as each has the power to bring it about.' Joseph Booth penned his appeal in 1897 in protest of the racist stereotpying of the Africans by the colonisers; and witnessing the unjust and inhumane exploitation of the native peoples, for the sole benefit of the Europeans. He drew his ideas from the social and political messages he inferred from the Gospel and his appeal was published only thirteen years after European leaders met in Berlin to divide up the African continent. The book, which was not welcomed by the colonial government in Malawi was first published in 1897 in the US and is now republished in Malawi. Laura Perry reproduced the text of Booth's second edition, compared it to the first edition and added explanatory footnotes.
Books:
- Mississippi Flyway
- Nowhere Else on Earth
- Observatory Mansions: A Novel
- Olivia
- On a Dark Night I Left My Silent House
- One Part Angel: A Novel
- Paradise Reclaimed
- Parzival: A Romance of the Middle Ages
- Philip Roth: Novels 1973-1977, The Great American Novel, My Life as a Man, The Professor of Desire (Library of America)
- Provinces of Night: A Novel
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