Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book One)

Average customer rating:
Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book One)

Manufacturer: RB Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Literature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori, Book 3)

ASIN: 1402576420

Average customer rating:
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One
Lian Hearn
Manufacturer: Riverhead
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H56O9Y

Average customer rating:
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori, Book One
Lian Hearn
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori (Tales of the Otori, Book 4)

ASIN: B000R0VPBQ

Average customer rating:

Very enjoyable

Gives ancient Japan a bad Rep...

intriguing start to the trilogy

"You Don't Know Who May be Watching You..."

Pretty much an awesome book of fighting, romance, betrayal, and all those things in the japanese era

Across the Nightingale Floor:Tales of the Otori, Book One (Unabridged)
Lian Hearn
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori, Book 2)

Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori, Book 3)

The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori (Tales of the Otori, Book 4)

Heaven's Net Is Wide (The Tales of the Otori Series)

Cloud of Sparrows

ASIN: B0000DE6TU

Amazon.com

The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination. The tale begins with young Takeo, a member of a subversive and persecuted religious group, who returns home to find his village in flames. He is saved, not by coincidence, by the swords of Lord Otori Shigeru and thrust into a world of warlords, feuding clans, and political scheming. As Lord Otori's ward, he discovers he is a member by birth of the shadowy "Tribe," a mysterious group of assassins with supernatural abilities.

Hearn sets his tale in an imaginary realm that is and isn't feudal Japan. This device serves the author well as he is able to play with familiar archetypes--samurai, Shogun, and ninja--without falling prey to the pitfalls of history. The novel fills a unique niche that is at once period piece and fantasy novel. Hearn unfolds the tale of Takeo and the conflicting forces around him in a deliberate manner that leads to a satisfying conclusion and sets the stage for the rest of the series. --Jeremy Pugh

Book Description

Every now and then a novel appears, completely unlike anything that has appeared before. Across the Nightingale Floor is such a work-a magical creation of a world beyond time.

Set in an imaginary, ancient Japanese society dominated by warring clans, Across the Nightingale Floor is a story of a boy who is suddenly plucked from his life in a remote and peaceful village to find himself a pawn in a political scheme, filled with treacherous warlords, rivalry-and the intensity of first love. In a culture ruled by codes of honor and formal rituals, Takeo must look inside himself to discover the powers that will enable him to fulfill his destiny.

A work of transcendent storytelling with an appeal that crosses genres, genders, and generations, Across the Nightingale Floor is a rich and brilliantly constructed tale, mythic in its themes and epic in its vision. It is poised to become the most captivating novel of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Very enjoyable.......2007-10-06

The audio book of this is exceptional in my opinion. It was so well read, the story came to life and took root in my mind easily. It is a story of honor, love, betrayal and deceit bound together in adventure.

The characters are captivating - each expressive and unique in their roles. And the conflicts are realistic, nothing seems too far fetched.

It's a great story if your into ancient times and old traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Hearn has done a wonderful job.

Gives ancient Japan a bad Rep..........2007-09-19

Having an interest in anime/manga prompted me to get this book. It doesn't do the japanese justice however. Dont get me wrong, the story is interesting enough but I'm afraid the main chara ruins it.
I read this long ago but I still recall coming to the conclusion that I wasted my time reading about someone whom I couldn't come to even remotely like.
The end makes it clear that the common theme of good vs bad in most stories is butchered...seeing how our main chara is sexually perverted. The author tries to explain he simply has manly desires. Right. In the end, he finally gets to meet the girl he desires. Then he has sex with her. Hurray, I read the whole book so I could get to this. PLEASE, dont read this. I just wish this would have been exposed earlier on, so I didn't gag when I got near the end. -_-; We need a warning label on this...

intriguing start to the trilogy.......2007-09-10

Lian Hearn's "Across the Nightingale Floor" is a good start to Hearn's Tales of the Otori saga. The world that Hearn creates which resembles Fuedal Japan is well drawn and believable, even when Hearn delves into Takeo and the Tribes superhuman powers. The book's double narrative is split between Takeo, a young man who is saved by the kind and noble lord Shigeru after his entire village is massacared; and the Lady Kaede who has been held as a hostage in an enemy court for most of her life.
I particularly like Hearn's decision to tell Takeo's story in first person which allows the reader to really get to know him and see the change that he goes through from the meek and mild young boy with gifts he doesnt quite understand, to the young man who accepts his role as an assassin in training by the end of the novel. While Takeo's story is told from his perspective, Hearn's decision to tell Lady Kaede's in the third person allows for the reader to gather a greater perspective of her protagonist Takeo, while at the same time allowing her to paint a fascinating portrait of a young woman held hostage by an enemy court.
where the novel falters somewhat is the intitial set-up of the romance between Takeo and Kaede, but Hearn quickly recovers and the ending of the novel and what it means for the two lovers reaches a rather unexpectedly poignant and affecting conclusion.

"You Don't Know Who May be Watching You...".......2007-07-20

Tomasu is a young man of the Hidden People, who loves nothing more than to take solitary walks in the mountains. This is until the day he returns to the village and discovers the body of his murdered stepfather and other community members. They are victims of a merciless massacre by the Tohan Clan and their warlord Iida Sadamu, and when Tomasu flees into the forests he is rescued from pursuers by Otori Shigeru, a lord of the Otori Clan that opposes the rule of the Tohan. Taking him under his wing, Shigeru renames the young man "Takeo", and together the two return to his home in the city of Hagi. But what does Shigeru really want from Takeo? Was their meeting and Takeo's rescue an accident? As previously dormant abilities in Takeo gradually emerge (such as keen hearing, invisibility and supernatural agility), he begins to suspect that Shigeru is grooming him for a secret mission. When he hears about Iida's "nightingale floor" - a floor specially rigged to make noise when trod upon, he begins to realize where his training is leading him...

Takeo's chapters are told in first-person narrative, but they are alternated with third-person narration that recounts the activities of Shirakawa Kaede, a young woman who has lived most of her life as a hostage in a hostile fief. After she attacks a soldier who attempts to molest her, the family suddenly takes notice of her beauty and organize an arranged marriage for her. Naturally, these two lives are soon to be intertwined - and from there flows a story of intrigue, betrayals, alliances, assassinations, treachery and revenge - well paced and packed full of good ideas and vivid descriptions. Particularly interesting is the way Takeo is torn between opposing clans and tribes: the Hidden (his mother's people who raised him) who were pacifists, the Tribe (his father's people) who are hired assassins from who he inherits his particular talents, and the Otori Clan into which he's adopted by Shigeru. Trying to figure out exactly where he belongs is the main crux of Takeo's character, and his divided loyalties are played out reasonably well throughout the text.

However, on the whole "Across the Nightingale Floor" is a good example of how a very good story is told in the wrong way. Often Hearn has characters with secret identities and hidden motives, but he (she?) gives them away too soon and without any sense of suspense or revelation (for an early example, there is the character of Shizuka: she's introduced as a flirty, flighty servant girl, though we are quickly told that she's a highly skilled agent for the Tribe. Instead of building our suspicions with clues and foreshadowing, Hearn gives the game away too quickly, not giving us the opportunity of being impressed with an established and carefully constructed plot-twist). There are many other situations when I was frustrated with Hearn's handling of his own story: he has good material here, but constantly fails to present it in a compelling way.

As well as this, I felt that the "love story" between Takeo and Kaede is mishandled. Here's a passage from the chapter in which Kaede first becomes aware of Takeo (and keep in mind that she hates and fears all males): "She had been dreaming vividly, but the moment she opened her eyes the dream vanished, leaving her only with the lucid knowledge that what she felt was love. She was astonished, then elated, then dismayed. At first she thought she would die if she saw him, then that she would die if she didn't." At this stage, Kaede hasn't even spoken to Takeo - simply seen him through a window. A love affair based on "love at first sight" (or alternatively, lust) in which there is very little interaction or conversation between the couple cannot help but be void of all emotion or resonance.

Due to these twin problems (the mishandling of the plot and the lack of emotional resonance in the characters) make this a novel full of potential, but frustratingly lacking in form. Drawing inspiration from Japanese culture, Hearn creates a world that is refreshingly different from the typical medieval-fantasy world, though in saying that, there is surprisingly little in the way of fantasy elements throughout the course of the story, with the minor exception of the paranormal gifts of the Tribe. How accurate it all is, I'll leave to someone more knowledgeable on the subject to comment on, but there is plenty of fascinating world-building at work throughout the story (okay, I'll admit I've been watching a lot of Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 1 Collection lately, and it reminded me of that!) Although there are some serious discrepancies in the writing, I've invested myself in these characters and their situation, so I'll be continuing the journey in Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori, Book 2), the next installment.

Pretty much an awesome book of fighting, romance, betrayal, and all those things in the japanese era.......2007-05-01

most likely the best book in the series due to Lian Hearn's style of writing... an incredible amount of action occurs yet a 'completitive stillness' is achieved by the end. a good transformation in the character of Takeo from a country boy named Tomasu to a boy beckoned quickly to manhood by circumstances. well developed characters...Kaede, Takeo's lover, adds to the urgency of the story and isn't just a romantic article but a key component to the plot. interesting plot filled with action...sure to be devoured by fantasy lovers. leaves off for a sequel perfectly by keeping pace throughout and hinting at things to come. all in all, a definite read for those interested in a new type of fantasy.

Across the Nightingale Floor - Book One 1 Grass for His Pillow Book Two 2 Brilliance of the Moon Book Three 3 (Tales of the Otori)

Average customer rating:

Across the Nightingale Floor - Book One 1 Grass for His Pillow Book Two 2 Brilliance of the Moon Book Three 3 (Tales of the Otori)

Manufacturer: penguin putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EYLL82

Product Description

First three books in the series Tales of the Otori.

Tales of the Otori Books One and Two: Across the Nightingale Floor and Grass for His Pillow

Average customer rating:

Tales of the Otori Books One and Two: Across the Nightingale Floor and Grass for His Pillow

Manufacturer: Riverhead Books, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E21A3U

Product Description

Book One: Across the Nightingale Floor and Book Two: Grass for His Pillow

Amazon.com

About the Author
Robert Jordan lives in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a graduate of the Citadel.

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Robert Jordan kindly agreed to take the life quiz we like to give to all our authors: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: The King James version of the Bible. That seems a cliche, but I can't think of any other book that has had as large an impact in shaping who I am.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The one book would be whatever book I was currently writing. I mean, I hate falling behind in the work. The one CD would contain the best encyclopedia I could find on desert island survival. The DVD would contain as much of Beethoven, Mozart, and Duke Ellington as I could cram onto it.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: It's hard to think of one since I am genetically incapable of lying to women and that takes out 52% of the population right there.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: Any place that has my computer, a CD player for music, a comfortable chair that won't leave me with a backache at the end of a long day, and very little interruption.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: He kept trying to get better at it.

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: My wife before anybody else on earth living or dead. That's a no-brainer.

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?
A: That depends. If I'm feeling altruistic, it would be the ability to heal anything with a touch, if that can be called a superpower. If I'm not feeling very altruistic, it would be the ability to read other people's minds, to finally be able to get to the bottom of what they really mean and what their motivations are.

See all books in the Wheel of Time series.

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns, and Robert Jordan gives us the eleventh volume of his extraordinary masterwork of fantasy.The dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, when Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity's only hope. But Rand dares not fight until he possesses all the surviving seals on the Dark One's prison and has dealt with the Seanchan, who threaten to overrun all nations this side of the Aryth Ocean and increasingly seem too entrenched to be fought off. But his attempt to make a truce with the Seanchan is shadowed by treachery that may cost him everything. Whatever the price, though, he must have that truce. And he faces other dangers. There are those among the Forsaken who will go to any length to see him dead--and the Black Ajah is at his side.... Unbeknownst to Rand, Perrin has made his own truce with the Seanchan. It is a deal made with the Dark One, in his eyes, but he will do whatever is needed to rescue his wife, Faile, and destroy the Shaido who captured her. Among the Shaido, Faile works to free herself while hiding a secret that might give her her freedom or cause her destruction. And at a town called Malden, the Two Rivers longbow will be matched against Shaido spears. Fleeing Ebou Dar through Seanchan-controlled Altara with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, Mat attempts to court the woman to whom he is half-married, knowing that she will complete that ceremony eventually. But Tuon coolly leads him on a merry chase as he learns that even a gift can have deep significance among the Seanchan Blood and what he thinks he knows of women is not enough to save him. For reasons of her own, which she will not reveal until a time of her choosing, she has pledged not to escape, but Mat still sweats whenever there are Seanchan soldiers near. Then he learns that Tuon herself is in deadly danger from those very soldiers. To get her to safety, he must do what he hates worse than work.... In Caemlyn, Elayne fights to gain the Lion Throne while trying to avert what seems a certain civil war should she win the crown.... In the White Tower, Egwene struggles to undermine the sisters loyal to Elaida from within.... The winds of time have become a storm, and things that everyone believes are fixed in place forever are changing before their eyes. Even the White Tower itself is no longer a place of safety. Now Rand, Perrin and Mat, Egwene and Elayne, Nynaeve and Lan, and even Loial, must ride those storm winds, or the Dark One will triumph.

Customer Reviews:

What happens now?.......2007-10-06

Spent the summer deeply immersed in this series. Ran out to buy the next before I finished the last. Really hooked. Now what happens? No more Robert Jordan. This last one may not have been the best, but I'm really disappointed that we may never find out what happens to all those really great characters.....

Captivating!.......2007-10-03

This book as well as all the others in this series are captivating and great beyond an explanation.

More enjoyable that past few.......2007-10-01

It was great to read this book and realize that there is still a lot of life in Robert Jordan's writing. This book reignited the passion with this series that was kind of lost in the last two or three volumes. Clearly, there is a direction in which all the various plot lines are going and you can start seeing the convergence occuring as the world is preparing for "the last battle".

The world of The Wheel of Time was large and complex from the beginning. In this volume there are still many, many events that are going on and many of the various players are present and active. Several sub stories are reaching their climaxes or resolutions. For instance, Perrin succeeds in his attempt to rescue Faile and incidently we learn of the fall of the Shaido and at least one of the Black Ajah. This is accomplished with the help of the Seanchan who are turning in front of our eyes from this nameless, faceless, militaristic society into another group of people and fighters who will ultimately join Rand.

Mat and Tuon continue their bickering engagement and this lines comes to a close with the escape of the party from Seanchan lands and the revelation of Mat's skills as a general. Tuon learns to appreciate more of his qualities while resolving her own position and taking control of her part of the world - in WOT terms, taking off her veil.

Elaine's story is also resolved. She has her own set of complications to deal with and there is a fair amount of humor in how her pregnancy is being depicted. Egwene is given a brief stint in the book and her story continues to evolve, but at least this time she finds outwho her betrayer was and is making solid progress inside the White Tower. And so it goes.

It is clear that threads of the story are being wrapped up. It is also becoming clear how some of the storyline will evolve towards the end and several of the prophecies that get repeated on occasion as they are spoken in a riddle will get resolved.

Even though this is a large book of over 850 pages, there is not enough room for everyone so we see very little of Aviendha, Min, and several others. Hopefully, the twelfth volume will do more of the same and resolve more of the plots.

There were several area that are poorly done, in my opinion. We know that the Last Battle is coming and omens are appearing, but does it really need to be something as hackneyed as someone coughing up beetles as his insides are devoured? Much more original was the scene of the village of dead people, or the changes in the castles... Another poor choice was Rand's lose of his hand. Maybe because Robert Jordan saw Return of the Empire again?

I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down until it was completed. I certainly hope the next and final volume will be just as compelling. Unfortunately, there are rumors that Mr. Jordan has recently died so I am not sure who will finish the story and how long it will take to complete. Nonetheless, I will read it when/if it comes out.

Stop before you Start.......2007-09-26

Robert Jordan has passed away, so those of you who have read the 11 books in the series will never see it completed by Mr. Jordan. He was at work on the 12th and not final book of the series when he died. I guess it is possible that another author might take up the mantle to finish up the series. Mr. Jordan seemed unlikely to ever to do it himself. I did not care for this long rambling series, but I did like Jordan's writing and his imagination. This seems to be a rough patch for fantasy writers the past few years, David Gemmell, Angus Wells and Robert Jordan to name a few well known to have passed on.

Book 11.......2007-09-19

The story is still too slow in developing. Maybe the last book will finally clear up all the unanswered questions.

Average customer rating:

Knife of Dreams
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O7THGC

Knife Of Dreams - Book Eleven Of The Wheel Of Time

Average customer rating:

Knife Of Dreams - Book Eleven Of The Wheel Of Time
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor: Tom Doherty Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Knife of Dreams 1ST Edition :Wheel of Time 11

Average customer rating:

Knife of Dreams 1ST Edition :Wheel of Time 11
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: TOR BOOKS ST MARTINS MASS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Knife of Dreams 26-Cd Audio Set! Robert Jordan

Average customer rating:

Knife of Dreams 26-Cd Audio Set! Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Audio Renaissance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000VMSBSK

Product Description

Knife of Dreams 26-Audio Cd Boxed Set! Robert Jordan. Unabridged. This is the 11th volume of the Wheel of Time.

Knife of Dreams: The Wheel of Time, Book 11 (Unabridged)

Average customer rating:

Knife of Dreams: The Wheel of Time, Book 11 (Unabridged)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

Average customer rating:

Knife Of Dreams
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor: Tom Doherty Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NP54N0

Average customer rating:

Dream world
Mel Gooding
Manufacturer: Knife Edge Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007BNII8

The Eye of the World; The Great Hunt; The Dragon Reborn; The Shadow Rising; The Fires of Heaven; Lord of Chaos; A Crown of Thorns; The Path of Daggers; Winter's Heart; Crossroads of Twilight; Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time)

Average customer rating:

The Eye of the World; The Great Hunt; The Dragon Reborn; The Shadow Rising; The Fires of Heaven; Lord of Chaos; A Crown of Thorns; The Path of Daggers; Winter's Heart; Crossroads of Twilight; Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: TOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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

Product Description

"The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow." Complete 11 Volume Series.

Average customer rating:

Knife Of Dreams
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTQDHG

Book Description

These are the stories that set the tone for Superman comics stories for decades to come! In it, the Man of Tomorrow meets evil scientist Lex Luthor, and faces some of the strangest threats of his early days, including comic strip characters come to life, monsters from other dimensions and the ocean depths, a human bomb, and a Nazi invasion of Metropolis!

Archive Editions:Superman Archives Vol.5

Average customer rating:

Archive Editions:Superman Archives Vol.5
Not Applicable
Manufacturer: DC Comics. Book Condition: Used -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WW8M42

Average customer rating:

A call for a return to a universalist roots

A Grand Synthesis of Philosophical and Religious Ideas

To Re-Enchant the World: A Philosophy of Unitarian Universalism
Richard Grigg
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Unitarian Universalism | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism

Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History

Faith Without Certainty: Liberal Theology In The 21st Century

Finding Your Religion: When the Faith You Grew Up With Has Lost Its Meaning

Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals

ASIN: 1413466915

Book Description

Since the seventeenth century, Western culture has been undergoing what historians and sociologists call secularization, the process via which religious institutions lose more and more of their power in society. Whereas Western society was once held together by the Christian Church, it is now held together by the rational procedures dictated by modern capitalism. But the rules of capitalism, whether ultimately helpful or harmful to our society's development, are not values or spiritual principles. Instead, they are simply technical dicta about the most efficient means to an economic end. One visible aspect of the process of secularization is the weakening, and perhaps eventual withering away, of traditional religious institutions. This process is already fully visible in Western Europe, and is evident, on a more subterranean level, in American society as well. Secularization threatens to "disenchant" the world (Max Weber), to cut us off from the sense of the sacred and of Mystery. But the withering of the old religious institutions does not mean that religion and spirituality themselves will simply disappear. Rather, they can take on new forms, as is evident in the New Age movement in American society. Yet, there is a difficulty with New Age sorts of spiritualities when compared with the old-time religion: these new spiritualities tend to be very individualistic, if not idiosyncratic. Sociologists point out that our spiritual practices will never appear fully real to us unless they have inter-subjective validity, unless they are supported by a social "plausibility structure" (Peter Berger). That is, my view of the world has the aura of reality as long as most of the people around me acknowledge that view and reinforce it. But individualistic New Age pieties seem to have no such social reinforcement underpinning them. Hence the central argument of To Re-Enchant the World: the Unitarian Universalist community accomplishes the unique task of re-enchanting the world by bringing a host of individual spiritualities into a single community where all of them are affirmed and thus granted social plausibility. The U.U. community, then, is a particularly powerful site for the re-enchantment of the world: it puts us back in touch with the sacred and with what the book labels the Mysterious Depth of reality. While Unitarian Universalists can bring many different spiritual ways into the U.U. community, five are analyzed in depth in the book, namely, humanism, a focus on nature, engagement with the arts, commitment to social justice, and devotion to a Source/Creative Abyss of the universe. The book also considers rituals common to the U.U. community and the experience of sacred space, sacred time, and sacred word in that community. Finally, To Re-Enchant the World makes some predictions about the future of Unitarian Universalism and even touches on the delicate issue of U.U. proselytizing. The book as a whole attempts to present a philosophical analysis of Unitarian Universalism that draws upon the most important intellectual currents in contemporary Western culture. The book operates with the conviction that while other American religious denominations can have their "systematic theologies," there is no reason why Unitarian Universalists cannot have philosophies of U.U. pluralism.

Customer Reviews:

A call for a return to a universalist roots.......2007-08-07

Unitarian Universalism is a small but influential religious movement in the United States and Europe. However, Griggs convincingly argues that given the desecularizationof the U.S., Unitarian Universalism - with its emphasis on an individual's right to determine her own religious beliefs and the belief that we can all view the sacred - provides a powerful religious vision for this culture. While not explicitly arguing from a Universalist perspective, I believe Grigg's book is a contemporary call to return to a more Universalist philosophy - that all religious communities can provide insight to the sacred and that we can create sacred spaces in our community for others to share - though the space may be sacred for different reasons. The book is short - too short - because I didn't want to put it down, and then I was done with it. The book energized me and I wanted to continue to explore these ideas. I look forward to more with this author.

A Grand Synthesis of Philosophical and Religious Ideas.......2005-05-13

The central claim of Richard Grigg's "To Re-Enchant the World: A Philosophy of Unitarian Universalism" is to show "...that contemporary Unitarian Universalism, with its unique ability to bring together a plethora of different spiritualities within a single community, is a particularly powerful site for the re-enchantment of the world, for the rebirth of the sacred." (p.13)
In this his book succeeds admirably. Drawing on strains of thought from philosophy, psychology, poetry and a little dose of humor from pop-culture icons in the Simpson's TV series he weaves together a fine vision of what Unitarian Universalism strives for: a grand synthesis of religious ideas from the diversity of human culture. Grigg even includes a chapter for "A Contrarian Interlude" where he critiques his own book and answers possible objections.
In 100 pages, including informative footnotes on sources, Richard Grigg has given us a wonderfully compact, yet substantive book on contemporary UU thought.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books