Book Description
A posthumous novel by a writer who has been compared to Gabriel Garcia Márquez and Kurt Vonnegut, IRA FOXGLOVE is a tale of the heart - both real and imagined - that revolves around a talented scientist whose own heart has been broken physically and spiritually. In an odyssey to repair both Ira ventures on a fantastical journey by blimp to try and recover his fractured family.
Along the way we are introduced to a world of unique characters: Ira, who is refining his latest invention, a prosthetic heart; his friend Neptune, a blimp pilot who likes to use his airship for Icelandic fishing trips; Portia, his aquatically-obsessed estranged wife; and Peaches, the hot tomato who helps Ira realize what he really wants and how to get it.
In his unique combination of science, fantasy, humor, and a deep understanding of our constant search for love, McMahon weaves a story that deepens with each reading.
Customer Reviews:
Some Things Are Best Left Behind...This Is One.......2005-06-19
The bizarre adventures of a cardiac victim are fashioned from his seemingly endless ability to fix everything except his own relationships. None of this, including the dime-novel sex, works. Ira Foxglove will waste your time as much as he did mine. Imagine floating across the Atlantic Ocean in an airship after disentangling your runaway wife from her lover by threatening to run him down with a motor scoter you fixed. Of course, you only would do this after a hearty round of sex with your daughter's dancing partner. Ira hopes to leverage that with a tomato sex-toy whose properties seemingly could produce an external heart machine. Dream on; tune out.
A blast from the past.......2005-01-10
Thomas McMahon's novel comes to us after the author's death courtesy of the admirably intrepid Brook Street Press. It's a fun romp which mixes elements of McMahon's other widely acclaimed novels with the sexual daring and wit of someone like Vladimir Nabokov. The hero is Ira Foxglove, a memorable name which signals the author's intention to write a not=quite=realistic book. His wife has left him, and he's trying to re-establish a connection with his lovely young daughter.
He's not much of a stylist, and some of the racier elements of the 70s seemed to have bored a hole in McMahon's libido. As Foxglove watches a play rehearsal, he notices that: "All three were in faded blue jeans like Henley's, but through a split in one of the men's pants it was possible to verify that he wore no undershorts." And a few pages later, " Her arms were thin and languid in the long sleeves. Certain kinetic effects verified that she wore no bra."
His ingenue snaps, "You big mother-grabbing bully."
"You said it," Wolf came back. "Grabbing you is like grabbing somebody's mother."
I don't remember "mother-grabbing" as a word with any currency, but maybe in the scientific community it had a sort of lingua franca that escaped laymen. "Peaches lay still and breathed deeply. She held the wrist of my anal hand in a tight grip." It's almost as though it was a translation from some other language--"my anal hand"--excuse me?
That said, IRA FOXGLOVE is a romp through autumnal ardor by a respected author, and will please many.
The Gift of Wit, Whimsy, and Wonder.......2004-03-04
Thomas McMahon is much missed. Not only was his demise untimely in 1999, but he left a legacy of the marriage of science and art that promised much more for the future and we are the lesser for his absence. McMahon trained at Cornell, MIT, and Harvard where he was a professor of biology and is created with founding the field of biomechanics. A brilliant and creative scientific thinker, he penned books on science (On Size and Life 1983 and Muscles, Reflexes and Locomotion 1984) as well as his novels of great distinction - Principles of American Nuclear Chemistry: A Novel (1970), McKay's Bees (1979), and Loving Little Egypt (1987). Brook Street Press now publishes this novel, Ira Foxglove, posthumously and while it is the first of his novels for this reviewer, I find it hard to imagine that it is not one of his best.
McMahon's joint thinking lines of scientist and artist are not unique: Michelangelo was both architect and writer (among other gifts) and William Carlos Williams joined a medical career with writing poetry. But unlike most minds whose focus is on both the analytic and the sensual - the Apollonian and the Dionysian - Mc Mahon delves into the surreal, plays with dreams and other imaginings, and creates stories that embrace humor, fantasy, whimsy, satire cum wit, and a very human pathos. The term `magical realism' has been attached to his work and while there are similarities with the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Kurt Vonnegut, such a `classification' seems confining to his style.
IRA FOXGLOVE is the narrator of this novel - a man who has rather suddenly come to face his mortality when his heart weakens and alters his entire life. An example of Mc Mahon's wit: Foxglove is the common name for the primary heart medicine - the digitalis plant. Ira is an inventor and has had several good ideas that he allows to escape to other's hands, one of these being inflatable fabrics that never get dirty. Ira's wife Portia, who measures her life by her swimming sessions, leaves Ira and flies to Europe for adventurous escape, landing eventually in London with Dawlish Warren, a strange lover of sorts. Ira's daughter is studying in Paris with an artsy group of bohemians. Finding himself without much future Ira decides to fly to Europe in an attempt to reconcile his diasporic family. His mode of transportation: a blimp piloted by his friend Neptune who has a penchant for fishing in odd locations en route. Once in London Ira observes Portia's life, decides to visit his daughter Henley in Paris where he is oddly at one with her bohemian housemates. He surrenders to Henley's bizarre lifestyle, even participating momentarily in one of her plays. He feels an awakened passion for one of Henley's friends, Peaches, and in his becoming reacquainted with lust he "invents" an artificial heart that would not require implanting inside the body (oddly based on a tomato skin!) which promises to provide him with a solution to his own weakened heart. The pace of events speeds along disastrously resulting in his becoming truly aware of his daughter's love and wins back Portia's interest and passion and departs his European journey a resurrected man. The precise way in which the ending is brought about is left for the discovery of the reader; giving it away would lessen the joy of reading.
This tale may seem slight but it is in the telling that the magic abounds. Mc Mahon writes with a singing poetic voice ("We talked her whole childhood away.") that hints of his informed scientific mind yet soars beyond, as though knowing how things `work' allows him the luxury of disregarding facts in favor of fantasy.
This novel secures Mc Mahon's permanent place in the realm of great American writers. Would that there were more!
The Inventions of the Heart.......2004-03-02
This slender book, published posthumously after the author's death in 1999, is an excellent example of a small press taking on a worthy publishing venture despite the financial risks. IRA FOXGLOVE is a unpretentious and emotional story about a man who appears to have lost it all: his wife, his daughter, his work, and his health. A heart attack survivor, Ira lies around much of the day in his Massachusetts home worrying about the pain in his chest and the reasons his wife Portia abandoned him for London. Their daughter Henley, who studies mime in Paris, seems just as distant. But Ira is also an inventor, a man of ideas whose demos always seem to fall short of his hopes, and so he embarks for Europe on borrowed money and transportation with no expectations. What he discovers there is nothing short of life.
The publisher notes that this book was written thirty years before its publication; however, although there are certain things such as fashion and monetary values which are firmly rooted in the 1970's, this novel reads as a timeless story about love and its bewildering turns. At times humorous and others, heartbreaking, McMahon has fashioned a story that should appeal to a wide range of readers. His language and turns of plot are unassuming and honest. His characters are just quirky enough to be lovable. The plot is straightforward, and the imagery, while sometimes verging on the heavy-handed, manages to steer clear of the maudlin. Readers will find themselves rooting for Ira as he makes his circuitous way from the darkness of his depression into the brightness of the real world.
Maybe because I read this novel with no expectations myself, I found it a pleasant discovery. Some readers might find the lack of complexity disappointing, but this novel does not pretend to be more important than it is. Although I found the final scene a little forced, I can forgive the author this one failing in an otherwise delightful book.
Average customer rating:
- Medieval muddle
- Didn't work
- engaging time travel romance
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Lady Robyn (War of the Roses)
R. Garcia y Robertson
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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A Blast to the Past
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The Moon Maid and Other Fantastic Adventures
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Firebird
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American Woman
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The Spiral Dance
ASIN: 0765345730
Release Date: 2004-06-29 |
Book Description
The author of two highly praised novels, The Spiral Dance and American Woman, R... Garcia y Robertson returns with a charming time-travel romance sequence. In Knight Errant, Robyn Stafford, a young American woman hiking in England near the Welsh border, was swept back in time to the 1460s, the age of the War of the Roses. There she fell in love with a young knight, Edward, son of the Duke of York. Cast back in time by witchcraft, Robyn, a young executive from Hollywood, raised in Montana, has chosen to stay there out of love for Edward, who has promised to marry her.Now in Lady Robyn, Robyn's fantasy of courtly romance comes up against the brute reality of medieval politics: the politics of murder, warfare, and betrayal. The War of the Roses is no longer a textbook subject, it's messing up her life, and so is the noble witch who, though he doesn't know it, is Edward's enemy. Edward's father Richard is making a bid for the throne, and if he wins it, Edward will be heir apparent. And if Robyn marries him, she will someday be queen and her children heirs to the throne as well. In the 1460s, that means living with the constant threat of death. The survival rate for heirs is not high. Will Robyn reject her love or risk the lives of her children to be?This is an engrossing time-travel romance in the mold of Diana Gabaldon's bestselling timeslip tales.
Customer Reviews:
Medieval muddle.......2007-03-09
As a time-travel romance, this is great fun. Historically, it's pretty good. But if I was in Robyn's situation, I'm not at all sure I could be strong enough NOT to check on my medieval boyfriend's future...
Didn't work.......2005-01-16
I won't go into the plot or story line! I picked this up at the library and was dismayed to see that it was part 2 of a trilogy. I don't usually like to start in the middle but figured what the heck.
I won't bother reading the rest of them.
His use of witchcraft as a device for the unity of women was interesting if not ignorant of knowledge of the time, and or course of witchcraft itself. The book is poorly researched in this area and it shows.
Had Robyn truly been transported into the middle ages she would never have evaded execution. Her open use of 20th century technology would have seen her burnt at the stake at first opportunity. People dealt with the unknown by through superstition. Her wristwatch, and even her coffee were enough to send her to her death, and unlike the book she would have found most people recoiling in fear from her.
This book didn't work for me. High humor, maybe, but when I read I like to be carried away by plausibility...to imagine that it just MIGHT could happen. All I found here were instance after instance to execute Robyn.
If you're interested in a plausible time travel book read the series by DIANA GABALDON, not only plausible but outstanding. In this genre she's the hands down champ.
engaging time travel romance.......2003-03-02
For someone born in mellow California in the twentieth century, Lady Robyn of Pontefract has reasonably adapted to living in the fifteenth century. She blames no one but herself for her present displacement as her white witch dabbling transported her to 1461 and the War of the Roses. To avoid blunders, she uses her palm pilot to help her keep score between the Lancasters and the Yorks though often she errs on whose side someone belongs.
Robyn has become engaged to Prince Edward, but problems exist for the duo. His family believes she is beneath him and wants their relationship to end. Meanwhile, aristocratic men want her killed as a witch, jailed for betting on the wrong side, or seek sex with her. Though a kind nurturing soul to all she meets, the noble female spouses want her dead. With reality intruding on history classes and romantic images, Robyn feels happy about her life, but would not mind returning to fast food California.
This is an engaging time travel romance that is clearly for fans of the series. New readers will feel more displaced than Robyn did when she first appeared in 1461. Robyn is a pragmatic and delightful lead protagonist and the rest of the ensemble either provides insight into her or the chaotic era. Fans of R. Garcia Y Robertson will enjoy the latest entry, as it is a fun tale.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
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The royal ladies
Gwen Robyns
Manufacturer: Leslie Frewin Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0090984900 |
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Vrouwe Robyn (De Rozenoorlog 2) (Lady Robin in Dutch)
R. Garcia y Roberston
Manufacturer: UItgeverij M
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 9022544168 |
Product Description
Text in Dutch.
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Buccaneer's Lady
Robyn Stuart
Manufacturer: Mills & Boon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KSO4V8 |
Average customer rating:
- wow...completely fantastic from beginning to end
- Good basic story, but meanders
- Great story, with a hidden (and maybe unintentional) message
- BEST STAR TREK NOVEL EVER!!!!
- Very Good Book
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My Enemy, My Ally (Star Trek, No 18/Rihannsu Book 1)
Diane Duane
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Duane, Diane
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The Romulan Way (Star Trek, No 35/Rihannsu Book 2)
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The Wounded Sky (Star Trek)
ASIN: 074340369X |
Book Description
Ael t'Rllaillieu is a noble -- and dangerous -- Romulan commander. But when the Romulans kidnap Vulcans, intending to harness their mind power through genetic experimentation, Ael decides on treason. Captain Kirk, her old enemy, joins her in a secret pact to destroy the research labaratory and free the captive Vulcans. When the Romulans discover their plan, the Neutral Zone seethes with schemes and counter-schemes, sabotage, and war!
Download Description
This sequel to "My Enemy, My Ally" reveals the truth about the race of warriors known as the Romulans, cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and the Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary. When a federal agent is caught hiding among the Romulans, she must decide whether to maintain her cover or save the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy.
Customer Reviews:
wow...completely fantastic from beginning to end.......2006-12-08
this is right up there with blackfire, covenant of the crown, and yesterday's son as my favorite trek books..I wasn't too fond of The Wounded Sky so I was skeptical comming into this one, but I'm glad I didn't judge it on my dislike of Diane Duane's previous work. If I had I would have missed a totally great read.
This is classic Trek in all its glory. High stakes, a classic enemy in the Romulans (alot of great peeks into why they are they way they are by the way), great character moments. Every element that makes trek great is in this book.
Not to be missed.
Good basic story, but meanders.......2003-05-30
Diane Duane has crafted a good basic story about a Romulan commander joining forces with the Enterprise crew to foil a despicable new weapon that she feels will be a permanent blight on the honor of the Romulan people. It has some nice suspenseful moments and builds to a satisfying climax.
However, it is also terribly padded. There are pages and pages of exposition that do little to advance the story and belabor the character points that are being made. Characters converse for pages about matters that turn out to have little to do with later events. Worst of all, Duane goes to great lengths to show us how the Enterprise crew is one big happy family. They are always giving each other amused looks, gazing at each other with appreciation, and trading gentle, affectionate comments about each other. Such a constant barrage of warm fuzzies grows tiresome rather quickly. Fortunately, this aspect of the book grew less egregious toward the end of the novel.
Great story, with a hidden (and maybe unintentional) message.......2003-01-18
I know that some of you Star Trek buffs ('Trekkies' as we are (affectionately?) referred to by American culture at large) will be surprised to find me reviewing this book so highly, because Ms. Duane has seldom, in her work, ever agreed with my phillosophical views. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by an element within My Enemy, My Ally which I will explain in a moment.
The story is unique in that it centers around, not the Enterprise crew itself (Kirk, Spock, and co.) but around one Ael T'rellelieu -- a Romulan war hero who, disgusted and heartbroken by the supplantation of her culture by some young, politically motivated hotheads in the Senate, and horrified at a dehumanizing weapon of mass-destruction they have invented, turns to her despised enemies -- the Enterprise crew -- for assistance in its destruction, thus making herself and her family, in the eyes of her own culture, nonpersons and traitors, worthy of exile and vilest death.
The surprising moment, for me, was the answer Ael gives when the Enterprise crew questions her as to why she a Romulan -- a race which prizes family loyalty above life itself -- would do what she has done in coming to them: "It is a matter of m'nhe'sahe." "M'nhe'sahe" -- an untranslatable Romulan word which the resident linguist among the Enterprise crew renders as, "The kind of love that requires you to give your last breath for the sake of an enemy, or kill a friend."
Observant people familiar with Christianity will see what I'm getting at here. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Sound familiar? Ms. Duane, in the concept of "mn'he'sahe" has given us, whether intentionally or not, a surpassing picture of the love of God. Congratulations, Ms. Duane, you've not only given us a superb work of literature, you've also written on of the best parables I've seen in years. Keep it up!
BEST STAR TREK NOVEL EVER!!!!.......2002-11-18
I think this has to rate as one of the best Star Trek stories ever! I was so excited when it was released again! A must read for every Star Trek fan!!!
Very Good Book.......2002-07-17
This book is so much better than My Enemy, My Ally. The Romulan Way shows us the rich history of the Romulan people. The story is so poignant. My only complaint is that the 23rd Century portion of the novel seems to drag on too long. If you liked Spock's World or enjoy the Romulans then I highly recommend this book.
Product Description
5 massmarket paperback Star Trek Titles - The Trellisane Confrontation - Corona - Final Reflection - My Enemy, My Ally - Shadow Lord
Product Description
"Inside this book you will find new ships, bases, D-Sats and fighters for both the Earth Alliance and Minbari Federation. In addition, colorful maps of both their territories, information on their fleet composition and
additional rules expand the Fleet Action rules system.
My Enemy, My Ally Features:
Tactical Intelligence - 3 levels to suit your game play style.
A basic campaign framework to fight short campaigns.
Expanded missile rules and types.
Field massive starbases or dozens of orbital satellites in defense of a star system.
More information about the Earth Alliance and Minbari Federation."
Average customer rating:
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My Enemy, My Ally
Manufacturer: Pocket Books, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HMRT6Y |
Average customer rating:
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My Enemy, My Ally #18 (Star Trek (Numbered Paperback))
Diane Duane
Manufacturer: Rebound by Sagebrush
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Duane, Diane
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General
| Science Fiction
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General
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ASIN: 0785747559 |
Average customer rating:
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MY ENEMY, MY ALLY - A Star Trek Novel
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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ASIN: B000GDNY18 |
Customer Reviews:
The Best Romulan Book There Is.......2007-06-09
Enter the dangerous world of Romulan Politics fought across the naked stars. Where Honor is everything, or nothing, and a fantastic story awaits.
The author has a gift for writing the canon characters of Kirk, Spock and the rest as well as numerous new ones seamlessly integrated whom we get to know. The action is brisk and logical. The finale rivetting. There are touches of humor and nods to sci fi fans of all kinds and the story keeps moving along so we never get bored waiting for something to happen.
Read this with The Romulan Way.
Average customer rating:
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Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #19 : "My Enemy, My Ally" guest starring Venom (Marvel Comics)
Gregory Wright
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: B000RJ4QL8 |
Average customer rating:
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MY ENEMY, MY ALLY (STAR TREK, NO 18)
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Star Trek
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| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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| Books
ASIN: B000EZUYGG |
Product Description
A Star Trek Novel
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book for a Beginner .......2007-01-10
If you are new to this type of sewing, this IS the book for you. It is easy to understand and helps to explain how to do the different types of hems, and so much more.
This is THE book for church linens.......2004-06-30
This is the only book I have found on the proper methods and reasons for those methods of making ecclesiastical linens. I bought the book as part of a workshop on altar linens for the Washington National Cathedral. Mrs. Morgan is a wonderful and very patient teacher. After getting home and sitting to read this book I realized that the book is as good as having Mrs. Morgan right there with you to answer questions and help!
This book is complete and explains in detail the materials, techniques and any equipment that is needed to make simple yet lovely altar linens. The care and laundering of linens is also covered.
And believe it or not, the techniques that Mrs. Morgan teaches help in everyday life from hemming clothing to craft projects!
This is a great book for the beginner or for the experienced sewer who wants to get into something new and special.
I highly recommend this book.
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- Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: Short Stories, Prose, and Diary Excerpts
- La guerra del fin del mundo
- LA Plaza Del Diamante/the Diamond Plaza
- Le Mariage
- Macho Camacho's Beat
- Mocha Love: A Novel of Passion, Honesty, Deceit and Power
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- Mouchette (New York Review Books Classics)
Books Index
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Loving Little Egypt: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)
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McKay's Bees: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)
