Book Description
This contemporary classic, the story of a Palestinian who becomes a citizen of Israel, combines fact and fantasy, tragedy and comedy. Saeed is the comic hero, the luckless fool, whose tale tells of aggression and resistance, terror and heroism, reason and loyalty that typify the hardships and struggles of Arabs in Israel. An informer for the Zionist state, his stupidity, candor, and cowardice make him more of a victim than a villain; but in a series of tragicomic episodes, he is gradually transformed from a disaster-haunted, gullible collaborator into a Palestinian-no hero still, but a simple man intent on survival and, perhaps, happiness.
The author's own anger and sorrow at Palestine's tragedy and his acquaintance with the absurdities of Israeli politics (he was once a member of Israel's parliament himself) are here transmuted into satire both biting and funny.
Customer Reviews:
Very Unique & Engrossing Story.......2006-07-11
I absolutely loved this book. It's not your run of the mill Palestinian literature - Emile Habiby is a very unique writer who is quirky & quick-witted. Anyone can enjoy this story - it has a universal human truth and is extremely touching. The character of Saeed is so different and out there, you can't help but have a soft spot for the poor guy. It is one of my favorite books of all time.
Too many un-glued stories..........2005-04-17
As much as I tried to get into the book, I felt like there was too much effort to talk about a whole lot of things in a short time. There were so many events that took place, and not enough time spent to explain clearly the situation, or give a better history to the dynamics of what was happening...
I also felt that the translation could have taken a lot of what the real intent was. I was not able to live the story, and get involved to what was taking place...
The Victor and the Vanquished.......2002-03-14
Saeed, the narrator of the story, belongs to the large family of Pessoptimists. He can feel like a pessimist, or like an optimist, but can never tell the two apart. Saeed is an Arab. When Israel conquered part of Palestine, he did not flee but stayed behind to become an Israeli citizen. That did not help him much - Arab remains Arab.
The book is a humorous allegory, wrapped around everyday Arab life, with a bitter nucleus of Israeli oppression. Like Voltaire?s Candide, Saeed believes that this is the best of all worlds. To him it seems quite natural that the occupying forces arrest people in the middle of the night for no reason, that they deport them, that they blow up houses, and that they devastate whole villages. After all, they won the war, and everything - and everybody - now belongs to them. There are those Arabs who want to retaliate immediately. But they are told that the tree is not loved for its flowers, but for its fruit. After all, it took them close to two hundred years to throw out the crusaders. Saeed is the simple soul who sees what goes on around him, but cannot understand why it is so. The bitterness comes with the explanation.
Mr. Habiby wrote a devastating satire. His own life paralleled that of Saeed: he was an Arab in Israel, even a member of the Israeli parliament. He wrote this book almost 30 years ago. It is still valid.
Long live the Pessoptimist.......2001-12-10
Saeed the Pessoptimist now ranks in my pantheon of comic heroes up there with Swejk, Yossarian, Candide, Don Quixote and Joe from "Milagro Beanfield War."
This is a book to be read over and over again.
For Americans like me persuaded to believe Israelis occupied an empty land (Palestine) after the horrors of WWII, Edward Said's works are helpful. For the feeling and experience of a Palestinian in Israel, however, Habibi gave us a distilled, comic masterpiece. "The Pessoptimist" is not just one more protest novel. Habibi ranks in the history of the comic novel for his amazing treatment of Time. Time itself -- history -- become original comic characters in this novel, their companions being Saeed's "friends from outer space." The author said Swejk and Candide inspired him. "Pessoptimist" is picaresque but the chapters (events, whatever) are written in a style of wonderful, unique, surreal journalism that span many years rather than occurring within the context of a single journey. So, quite aside from Habibi's achievement in making Palestinians real (a neat trick at present and one that won't make your life any easier when you watch the news) I think his style adds something to the development of the comic novel. It opens new possibilities for treating time and history. So it is a real contribution to the understanding we gain from literature.
Customer Reviews:
More than a Classic.......2002-01-22
Habiby was one of the "Palestinians of the Interior". He managed to stay after 1948 when more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled out of fear of possible massacres in the wake of Deir Yassin. Habiby remained and became an Israeli citizen.
Thus, this book contains some autobiographical elements, mostly around the dilemma of the Palestinians who became citizens of Israel only to find themselves second-class citizens. In the particular case of Said, the character reacts with an ever-increasing zeal, trying to serve the Israeli state as much as possible.
The Palestinian tragedy is told here with an explosive sense of humour, an ever-present wit and through stories and anecdotes which, although revealing many of the deep contradictions inherent to occupation, never compromise on literary and narrative standards. The language in the Arabic version is beautiful and concise. The English and French translations maintained this spirit very well and are, in my opinion, excellent. Habiby's deep knowledge of history and his erudition in literature are impressive.
This book became a classic of Arabic fiction. No wonder. It is both entertaining and very touching.
sadly humorous tale.......2001-07-18
"The Secret Life of Saeed" relates the experiences of a not-so-bright Palestinian informer. Saeed leads a tragic life, and thinks his only chance in improvement is by working with the Israelis to discredit and destroy Palestinian political workers' groups. Through symbols and metaphors, the author illustrates the absurdly difficult life that working class Palestinians are forced to lead because of Israeli occupation.
Average customer rating:
- Why dont people like this third book of the trilogy?
- Yuck - Worst of the Trilogy!
- Loved it
- Stilted and boring dialogue
- i like it don't know why others don't
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Lord of Falcon Ridge
Catherine Coulter
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Lord of Raven's Peak
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Lord of Hawkfell Island
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Season of the Sun
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Fire Song
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Earth Song
ASIN: 0515115843
Release Date: 2003-11-25 |
Book Description
When a king's daughter is kidnapped, a former slave sets out to rescue her-and finds true love.
Customer Reviews:
Why dont people like this third book of the trilogy?.......2006-02-13
If you're reading romance novels, one has to adknowledge you're not reading epic literature.
I loved the whole Viking trilogy.
Catherine Coulter writes engaging characters with fleshed out supporting cast, and I always feel like they're a step above the rest.
The romance between Cleve and Chessa is sweet, and it feels like it develops genuinely. It's not the throwing chairs at each other they cant stand each other, and somehow they end up in bed together and married sort of romance. Cleve struggles with his betrayal by Sarla and with his duty of transporting Chessa to her betrothed. His inner struggle feels genuine, because it's not overdone. He doesnt accuse Chessa of being a liar because she is a woman, he just holds himself adistance, struggling to seperate what he sees from what he wants to turn it into. Chessa only sees him as the honest, upright sort, and most importantly, beautiful. She's intelligent and the most important part of understanding Cleve and Chessa's romance is delving into everything that isnt said. The characters from the previous two viking novels are still fleshed out and Laren still tells her stories.
This is my favorite of the Viking trilogy. Catherine Coulter shouldnt be the first author that you turn to if you're just looking for bawdry sex scenes or romance that borders on escapism. Her characters have depth and substance, and there's always a bit of a mystery to keep you guessing.
Next to The Nightingale Legacy, this is up there on my list of favorites.
Yuck - Worst of the Trilogy!.......2002-07-11
This is definitely the worst of the Viking Trilogy! Coulter is one of the more prolific writers and also one of the most inconsistent. The best of the series was the first (Hawkfell), followed by the second (Raven's Peak). Ms Coulter should have stopped there.
While Chessa was a spunky, likeable heroine, I have no clue what made her so mad so quickly about Cleve. I found him dull, dull, dull! His daughter was quite cute, but for the life of me, I couldn't see what Chessa saw in him.
And the whole Loch Ness monster thing and the magic stick Cleve's father had - well it was just plain silly.
I'm the sort who will read and re-read over and over books that I like. This will not be one of them.
Loved it.......2001-10-25
Bravo Ms.Coulter. I must admit that at first I didn't want to read this book because of low ratings other readers had given and besides low ratings-----I didn't seem to accept a scarred hero) I gave it a try though and I found that I was a fool to dislike disfigured heros) This book is much better than I thought. The hero is Cleve of Malverne from 'Lord of Raven Peak' (2nd book in trilogy) he is now friend of Lord Merrik and a Viking warrior. The heroine is Princess Chessa (she is Eze, daughter of the wizard Hormuze from 'Lord of Hawkfell Island') Cleve has a scar on a side of his face but it does not reduce the beauty of his face in Chessa's eyes. Their adventure is exciting. The secondary characters do their job well. I highly recommend all the books in Viking Trilogy. They are all entertaining read.
Stilted and boring dialogue.......2001-09-05
Yuck - this is the very last book of Catherine Coulter's I will ever read. This Viking triology was awful. I can't believe I actually read through them all. There was no creative and entertaining dialogue. The dialogue between the characters was stilted and boring. I can't begin to describe it. I have to agree with all the other reviewers who gave these books poor reviews.
If you want to read an author who can actually drag in to the story, try Judith McNaught or Kathleen Woodiwiss. With these authors, you get an in-depth story about the characters, their lives, their feelings & emotions, their growth, their surroundings, etc.
Catherine Coulter does not describe her characters' actions as they're speaking. One does not know if the character speaking is speaking in jest, anger, softly, harshly or whatever. What do the characters' faces reveal when they're speaking? Are they gesticulating? What is their tone? What do their eyes reveal? You get NONE of this from Catherine Coulter. Be honest, when you're speaking with someone, all these things matter in how you yourself will interpret the words being spoken to you.
Her characters' conversations are hard to follow. You get long long paragraphs of one person speaking. For instance, in each of these three Viking triologies, several instances occur where one person is telling off another. Come on, NO ONE interuppted? This person was just able to ramble on and on and on without ONE SINGLE PERSON interuppting??? Yeah, right, these Vikings, rough and ready to fight as Coulter TRIES to describe them, would willingly let a person continuing mouthing off without stopping?? Get a little creative, Coulter!!
On the romance part, it was hard for me to believe in any of this Viking triolgy that romance would spring up between woman-abusers, no sharing, violence. This wasn't romance, as one other reviewer, it was about hate and violence.
Coulter should read some authors who have more depth, to see what writing is really supposed to be.
i like it don't know why others don't.......2001-04-23
I like it. (Actually I like almost all of Ms.Coulter's historical romances). I don't know why others don't. It's a good viking romance though not Ms.Coulter's best. This book is not as bad as others may think.
Product Description
4 massmarket paperbacks
Average customer rating:
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Lord of Falcon Ridge (Bookclub Ed)
Manufacturer: Jove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Coulter, Catherine R. | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Coulter, Catherine R. | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000FVWJT4 |
Product Description
Bookclub ed hardback.
Book Description
fter the Cylon war, the Cylons retreated to parts unknown in deep space, and the twelve human colonies rebuilt that which was destroyed in the devastating war. The two sides honor their armistice agreement, and for twenty years nothing is heard from the Cylons. But sometimes no news is bad news. For the humans, the aftermath of the war has created a new, albeit illegal profession: scavenger. Tom Zarek is one of these scavengers, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts, usually returning empty handed. But now, he and the crew of the cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific facility shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big score, except something is wrong The base is still occupied, not by humans, but by Cylons! The Battlestar Galactica receives the Lightnings distress call, getting the coordinates and a cryptic one-word message: Cylons. A younger William Adama, just promoted to second in command, is worried. His crew is not prepared for dealing with more than the most routine of missions. And this mission is anything but routine, as they discover the base is full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing....and deadly.
Customer Reviews:
BSG fans UNITE...to ignore this book........2007-04-10
This author obviously didn't know a darn thing about the source material. He explains in the story that Zarek was brought up on Caprica by well-to-do parents. WHAT?!? Anyone who has watched the show knows full well that Zarek was the son of a dirt poor couple who were basically slaves....ON SAGITARON! That's why he was in prison. He was a freedom fighter/terrorist, fighting for the equal treatment of his people. His story is even fleshed out in the 4 part comic series, BSG: Zarek. His parents were killed when he was young. Killed by the authorities. That's why he fights so hard against the established government. I would say that if you can get over the glaringly dreadful screwup, that it would be an adequate novel, but I just can't excuse this kind of major storyline foulup. Wish I could give it 0 stars, but 1 is the lowest. BSG fans, stay away from this book like it's contaminated. All other people, if you want to get into BSG, read the other books and forget this one exists.
After the First War.......2007-03-30
This is an interesting story, but it in no way fits with the show's premises. Twenty years after the first Human-Cylon War, Adama is on the Battlestar Galactica and looking for outposts who lost contact during the war. The find a small outpost and some salvage operators. The salvage operators find the outpost first but meet disastrous results when making contact. The outpost is a scientific research facility meant to examine the relationship between Human and Cylon. That means that there are Cylon's present. But these Cylon's seem to be living in harmony with the few remaining humans but with the arrival of outsiders it would appear they are not as harmless as thought.
The Galactica crew manages to safely land and make contact with the outpost. Slowly they learn something about what has been going on but it is a surviving salvage crew member that discovers some of the hidden secrets on the planet. When more Cylon's show up, the Galactica crew has to remember that there is an armistice and the Cylons are not currently a foe although prejudice runs deep. Things escalate of course and soon the skies are full of Battlestars and raiders looking to stave off or end a possible Cylon threat.
Knowing that the Cylons have been active in Human space and that they have very powerful ships does not seem like something the Fleet would have completely forgotten about by the time of the show's beginning. Having main characters from the show and multiple Battlestars involved just succeed in making sure this story will not fit with the television show. The book also suffers heavily from the Christmas Curse where books put out too close to the holidays do so without benefit of proof reading. I have enjoyed many books by the author and would like to think that he would have had a better polished product. Could it be this was another instance of a draft getting released as a final copy (i.e. NERILKA'S STORY by McCaffrey)? The draft-like nature and the way it fails to fit the show will have disastrous effects on this book's popularity. But despite the two major flaws I did find the story fun to read but most readers familiar with the show will not be able to overcome the discrepancies.
Fun and Fast-Paced.......2007-01-02
Battlestar Galactica: The Cylons' Secret, by Craig Shaw Gardner was a surprisingly fun book. I had reservations, as it's been a while since I've watched the new show. But with the first chapter I was hooked.
The Cylons' Secret is a prequel to the new Battlestar Galactica series. It not only gave a little bit of background on a few main characters, but also had an exciting plot.
Set years after the Cylon War, where the Colonial's artificial intelligent machines revolted, a raider ship stumbles upon a long-forgotten station where humans and Cylons seem to co-exist. But all is not as it appears. And when the Battlestar Galactica comes to investigate, a young William Adama must uncover the secrets before it's too late to save them all.
Gardner did a wonderful job of developing an exciting and suspenseful story with diverse and interesting characters. This was a fun and fast-paced read that any fan of science fiction should enjoy.
Okay Book.......2006-12-21
If you are a BSG fan and have a couple of bucks to spend and some time on a rainy day to do some reading then buy this book. It really only gets good at the end. The first part is pretty much boring and really doesn't add anything to this book. If you are expecting some huge space battle between the Galactica and the Cylons then don't waste your money. The Galactica doesn't fire a shot in the whole book. Forget spending a couple of bucks like I stated earlier, just get it from a library.
Blegh!! Written for 12-year olds.......2006-10-30
Utter crap. Reads like the outline to a bad fan-fiction movie, complete with a girl-crush from the plucky young heroine on a young Tom Zarek.
For anyone that seriously enjoys the show, you need to skip this "book" and pretend it doesn't exist. Reading it will be painful and annoying - thankfully it is a very quick read so the torture doesn't drag on too long.
On a more serious note, it is written for preteens with a crude, simplistic plot and nearly non-existent character development. There are gaping plot holes and serious deviations from established canon that are distracting. While it claims to "based upon" the re-imagined series, the word "loosely" should be included in that statement.
Book Description
This book prepares the student for the observance of communion through deep study of Scripture. One will learn communion's origin deepen his relationship with God and be challenged in discipleship.
Customer Reviews:
Come to the Table: Revisioning the Lord's Supper by John Mark Hicks .......2007-07-03
This is a must read for pastors and congregations alike, who have lost the "communion" of the "Lord's Table". Luke says in Acts 2:46 that "they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts...." Does this sound like the silent, solemn, individualistic celebrations we have in our churches today? John Mark Hicks' reflection in his book is found throughout the First and Second Testaments. As Congregations we need to revisit the original meaning "Lord's Supper" according to biblical and theological values as found in "Come to the Table: Revisioning the Lord's Supper" by John Mark Hicks. As a pastor I needed to read the book and so has my congregation.
The Reverend Sigmund Podlozny, Jr., MDiv, Pastor
Faith United Community Church
Dewey, Arizona
For those who wish to grow..........2006-12-06
Come to the Table is an outstanding treatment of what the scope of Scripture reveals concerning the original purposes of the Lord's Supper. The author sets the Communion meal in the context of other sacred meals that God shared with his people in earlier times and that Jesus shared during his ministry. He also examines the relevant texts from the epistles and puts them in their original context so that the reader is able to hear what the apostle was really getting at. The author interacts with both Scripture and current church practice, comparing and contrasting the two. He writes with great respect for both, yet also with the candor to suggest that current practice needs to be reshaped by Scripture. The book is scholarly and full of careful exploration of biblical passages, yet it is also readily accessible to the average person.
For those who realize that, in spite of our good intentions, time and custom often lead us gradually away from the original intent of church practices, Dr. Hicks does the reader a great service in recovering from Scripture the full richness of the Supper as Jesus intended it. That is, Communion was originally a reverent yet celebrative meal in which the participants interacted with each other and shared their joy in Christ's salvation. It was given to the church to deepen our sense of fellowship as we encourage and commune with each other as well as with the Lord who saved us, rather than a time for soberly withdrawing into private meditation. Dr. Hicks also gives a good deal of attention to the fact that the mood of the meal was originally one of expressed joy and deep gratitude in what Jesus accomplished more than a sorrowful and guilt-ridden recounting of the agony that we caused him.
Dr. Hicks concedes that many believers will resist the message of this book because they have grown to deeply value the private, deep introspection that they spend in silence with God during Communion. Having such moments is indeed crucial to spiritual life, and it can be relocated into other contexts. But he argues that Jesus' followers should recognize and desire the blessing that he intended for us to receive, and that the early church did receive, in the rich, Christ-centered conversation and interaction at his Table.
A timely plea for restored intent.......2004-09-03
Contrary to the views espoused by the previous reviewer, Come to the Table is a felicitous call to imbue our time of communing around the "Lord's Table" with all that it was intended.
Whilst I take issue with much of gallantknights review, in my assessment he correctly notes several things:
* It is indeed a scholarly presentation, but it is far from unreadable and quite engaging at times
* Much of Dr Hicks' points are indeed based on Old Testament precedent, and rightly so. Hicks' ably brings to bear the covenental symbolism Jesus purposefully gives the Lord's Supper. From its relationship to the passover in particular, to the relationship between altar sacrifice and the ensuing table fellowship this book offers much insight into the desire of God for communion with and among His people.
* Hicks' historical survey of meals in both the Old and the New Testaments is a highlight of the book and provides the structure for most of it. His exegesis of pertinent passages is accurate, as noted, but the discerning reader will struggle to find examples of ignoring context, inspite of gallantknight's warnings. I find it strange that he would list Hicks' treatment of Acts 2:46 as an example of denying context, when the author's exposition of this verse was based solely on the immediate context. Those who would deny a reference to the Lord's Supper in that particular verse must wrest it from the text to disallow the clear flow of thought and terminology found in verse 42.
In this book Hicks' unapologetically presents an image of the Lord's supper that stands in stark dissonance to the practice of most contemporary traditions. This in several ways is a brave move for someone with a heritage in the Restoration Movement, as it invites(?!) criticism like that from gallantknights. Motives impugned and monikers like "change-agent" cast... (What on earth is "change-agent language"???? It must have been too subtle for me to pick up!)
The strength of this book lies not so much in uniqueness, (more and more scholars acknowledge the early practice of a fellowship-meal Lord's Supper) but in its call for a thorough rethink of firstly the theological foundation of the LS, it's purpose, and how that is reflected in our modern practice, if it is at all.
Come to the Table is not without its weaknesses. Dr Hicks, I think, was quite aware of most of them when he penned the preface and detailed its purpose. Some more groundwork for the practice of the early church could have been detailed, but where that was light Hick's leaves a healthy bibliography for further study!
"Revision" is Right, but it's not the Right Thing.......2004-07-11
Dr. Hicks makes a very scholary presentation of his views on the Lord's Supper in the church of Christ. However, many of his points are based on Old Testament prescedent and scriptures taken out of context. His use of the word "revision" couldn't be more apt, as he is advocating a revision not only of tradition, but also a revision of the historical interpretation of the of Biblical example of the Lord's Supper and the meaning behind it.
His overall survey of information has many factual statements, making it more difficult to discern the "change agent" language and suggestions scattered throughout. Hicks makes very liberal use of the words "experience" and "community", leading one to wonder just how much he is advocating a change in the church that would lead to resembling the more charismatic evangelical denominations, which would go against what Christ taught in the New Testament.
Hicks draws people in with a historical survey of the meals of the Jews in Old Testament times, which is impressively researched and presented fairly accurately. His interpretation of many of the scriptures is just as accurate. However, he uses certain scriptures out of context (like Acts 2:46) to support a flawed premise about the meaning of the Supper itself.
Those who read this need to do so with Bibles open, and should be ready to test everything he says against the Truth of scripture.
Books:
- The Shadow of Doctor Syn
- The Shark Mutiny
- The Steel Breakfast Era: The Decadent Return of the Hi-Fi Queen and Her Embryonic Reptile Infection (Eraserhead Double #3)
- The Story of Colors/La Historia de Los Colores: A Bilingual Folktale from the Jungles of Chiapas
- The Sweetheart Season: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- The Task of This Translator
- The Tidewater Tales (Maryland Paperback Bookshelf)
- The Turquoise Ring
- The Ya-Ya Boxed Set
- Therese Desqueyroux (Sheed & Ward Book)
Books Index
Books Home
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- Movies And Mental Illness: Using Films To Understand Psychotherapy
- Quantum Field Theory: From Operators to Path Integrals
- Rain Forests
- No Elbow Room
- Full Employment and Price Stability in a Global Economy
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Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories
Wild Thorns (Interlink World Fiction)
The Lover
I Saw Ramallah
Palestine's Children: Returning to Haifa & Other Stories
