Book Description
Prairie Nocturne is the epic saga of two former lovers sired in the pages of Ivan Doig's acclaimed Montana Trilogy. Susan Duff -- the bossy, indomitable schoolgirl with a silver voice from Dancing at the Rascal Fair-- has reached middle age alone, teaching voice lessons to the progeny of Helena's high society. Wesley Williamson, young married heir to the Double W cattle empire, has been forced out of a political career as a result of his affair with Susan having become known. Years later, Wes and Susan have reunited to share in an extraordinary goal: launching the singing career of Monty Rathbun--a man on the wrong side of the racial divide. In this triumph of sure-footed storytelling, motives and fates dangerously entangle.
Set in Montana, France, Scotland, and New York during the Harlem Renaissance, Prairie Nocturne is a deeply longitudinal novel that raises everlasting questions of allegiance, the grip of the past, and the cost of passion.
Customer Reviews:
Richly textured, multi-layered. . ........2004-06-23
The full significance of this novel's evocative title does not become clear until the very closing pages, and that's fitting for a melodrama-historical-romance that holds its cards very close to the chest right up to each turn of the plot. There are in fact several narratives and themes that weave in and around each other, and Doig is careful to balance them artfully so that each new development has an element of the unexpected for the reader.
The texture of Doig's narrative style is richly detailed, like tapestry. His characters and the exchanges between them spring strongly to life. You do not speed read for the plot but linger over the nuances of behavior, gesture, verbal inflection, thought, and feeling. Meanwhile, a compelling story is told of a black ranch hand and rodeo clown who is transformed under the guiding hand of a white voice teacher to become a rising star in the music world.
Set in the 1920s, the story also portrays the social forces and prejudices that intrude on their growing relationship. And the reader learns how the KKK reached as far west as Montana with its use of secrecy and intimidation to enforce a code of racial and ethnic discrimination. Just as ugly, though not resorting to hoods and sheets, are those at the very highest social rungs who have their part to play in enforcing racial divisions.
Set primarily in Montana, the book needs to look back only a generation to the immigrant homesteaders of the 1880s, the cavalry posts on the plains, the rise of the cattle barons, and the subduing of the Native Americans. Meanwhile, the trenches of WWI inhabit recent memory. The book captures the breadth of American life from the closing frontier on the one hand to jazz-age New York and the Harlem Renaissance on the other.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the historical West, relationships between strongly independent characters, the African-American experience, singing and voice training, and a richly textured, multi-layered style of storytelling. Doig is a master.
Montana woman teaches rodeo clown to sing the blues........2003-12-31
Alone, independent, and now in her forties, DANCING AT THE RASCAL FAIR's Susan Duff returns as one of three principal characters in Ivan Doig's seventh novel, PRAIRIE NOCTURNE. Set in 1924 Helena and in Montana's Two Medicine country wilderness, World War I hero and failed gubernatorial candidate, Wes Williamson, surprises his former paramour, Susan, with a request that she teach Monty Rathbun how to sing. The son of a buffalo soldier, Monty is a chauffer and former rodeo clown. Because he is black, Monty's rise to celebrity eventually stirs up racial prejudice in a subplot involving the local Ku Klux Klan. Though well written, blending a lovely story with plenty of Western history, landscape and lore, Doig's novel, much like a prairie, rambles on endlessly at times; Doig's PRAIRIE also tends to be dogged with digressions. But this is my only criticism of an otherwise satisfying historical novel, written by one of the finest Western writers spinning yarns today.
G. Merritt
Return to Two Medicine Country.......2003-10-19
It should come as no surprise to any fan of western literature that Ivan Doig has returned to the necessary soil of Montana to tell his latest story. But that he has combined his familiar landscape and characters with a new twist might cause a pleasant wonder.
In "Prairie Nocturne," the West?s pre-eminent literary novelist rides the wide-open range between Montana and New York City during the Harlem Renaissance, gathering a cast of players for one last inspired grasp at love and celebrity.
In a Faulknerian flourish that has threaded through five of his six previous novels, Doig again populates his seventh with some familiar faces in old settings. What Doig fan would be astonished to find the indomitable Angus McCaskill making more than a cameo appearance in Doig?s newest novel?
And lest any reader think Doig?s beloved landscape has been relegated to a cameo appearance shorter than any McCaskill?s, fear not. No western writer ? and Doig is the prime living model for that species ? can escape the ageless countryside?s effect on either character or author.
Doig?s poetic prose is growing richer and more subtle with each book, like a stone in a river. In "Prairie Nocturne," as the narrative entwines the pasts and presents of its three principal characters, his essential themes re-emerge: family, landscape, childhood memory, loyalty, and the inescapability of our past.
Doig?s characters, new and old, are unforgettable, and not just because he keeps bringing them back to life in subsequent books. He embroiders them with history, myth and sensuality. Combined with the timeless beauty of his own ancestral ground, they are fast becoming as much a part of the American mind-scape as the Snopes family of Yoknapatawpha.
Average customer rating:
- I liked this one a great deal until
- Not as good as others by Sara Bennett :-(
- Crisp writing, passionate and visual
- Sparks Fly!
- Good leads and story, but too slow to start, too abrupt end
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The Rose and the Shield
Sara Bennett
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0060002700 |
Book Description
Beautiful Lady Rose, the fiercely independent mistress of Somerford, reluctantly agrees to hire a bold Viking warrior, Gunnar Olafson, and his mercenaries to protect her undefended lands. But although Gunnar takes her breath away with his steel–hard muscles and eyes afire with undisguised yearning she dares not trust him. But Gunnar is not what he seems. Posing as a hired soldier, he is duty–bound to expose Rose, whom his liege lord believes is plotting against him. Somerford is to be loyal Gunnar's reward, but he quickly realizes Rose is the true prize. He never expected to be bewitched by the exquisite beauty he is sworn to betray, and now he is discovering that her love is what he truly desires a need he must satisfy, even if dishonor is its price ...
Customer Reviews:
I liked this one a great deal until.......2004-08-04
the end. It was far too abrupt and made their love, especially Rose's love for Gunnar, not ring true.
The issues between Gunnar and Rose are trust and, for her, love. She is used to the men in her using her as a pawn and being completely untrustworthy. Plus, she learned to reject love from a co-dependent mother. Gunnar is tired of his mercenary life and looks forward to a home of his own; unfortunately for him, Rose isn't the triator he thinks she is, so he's not comfortable taking her home as his reward for foiling the plot against his lord, Radulf (The Lily & the Sword). Since he's playing a role and therefore lying to Rose about who he is and his purposes there, trust again is a big issue.
DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. I have no problems with Gunnar or his interactions with Rose. The problem with the book is that Rose doesn't even admit to herself that she loves Gunnar until the next to the last page. And while she accepts that she should have been more trusting, she doesn't tell him until the last page. A couple of "I love you's" and the book is over. There's not enough there to make the reader feel the truth of Rose's change of heart.
Other than the abrupt, unsatisfying ending, the book held my attention well. Although I wasn't crazy about the dream device, everything else meshed together smoothly. The secondary romance for Gunnar's man Alfred was nice, and it was great to read more about characters from the first book and those featured in the third. Realistic details about distrust among the various peoples, too.
Not as good as others by Sara Bennett :-(.......2004-07-24
I really enjoyed Bennett's Lily and the Sword, so I anxiously awaited this book in the mail. However, I had a hard time finding any romance/spark that signified a love developing. Yes, they lusted after each other, but I didn't see any interaction between the heroine and hero that led me to believe they were soul mates. Oh well, I still enjoy Ms. Bennett's writing and will give her work another try.
Crisp writing, passionate and visual.......2003-10-24
Setting England - 1072 ----- In this sequel to THE LILY AND THE SWORD, Lord Radulf has intercepted a missive from one of his vassals asking for assistance from one of his enemies. In order to determine if the widow Lady Rose of Somerford has turned traitor to him, he sends one of his mercenaries, Gunnar Olafson and his men to see if what he fears is true. If Gunnar can prove that Radulf's beloved wife Lily's protégé has turned against him, then Somerford manor would be given to him once he regains control.
Rose, a product of her time, knows she has been a bargaining chip and although she was shown kindness from her elderly and now deceased husband, she did not trust her heart to any of the male species. She would do whatever was necessary to keep control of and the care of her people. Sir Arno, her knight whom she thought loyal, convinced her, that if she asked Radulf for help he would think her incompetent and take the control of Somerford out of her hands. Gunnar, riding up and seeing a great looking harvest in the fields was thinking only that once the traitor, Lady Rose was ousted, this fertile demense would be his. However, when Rose and Gunnar meet their attraction to one another is mutually fierce and disturbing. He to think he was attracted to a traitor, and she to a mercenary; though both attribute it to lust neither wanted to trust their feelings or each other.
THE ROSE AND THE SHIELD is an exciting historical romance sequel set during the reign of William the Conqueror after the Norman's landed. Being a female in those tumultuous times, the thought of a loving and caring relationship would be but a dream, with your value being determined solely upon political alliances. Knowing that a mercenary warred for coin, Rose fought her attraction as much as she could. Gunnar, raised in a home of love and devotion and once he realized Rose was innocent of treachery, prayed that she would learn to trust both him and her feelings. Unfortunately, her independence was for me, just a little too rigid when she should have been able to see past his profession especially after such a sensual and thoroughly satisfying tryst; to still doubt him, was a little hard to swallow. This was still a good and satisfying read for lovers of this historical period and well worth your time. The writing is crisp, passionate, and quite visual so I am looking forward to the next sequel.
Sparks Fly!.......2003-05-17
...high praise to THE ROSE AND THE SHIELD!
Lady Rose is a fiercely independent woman who has striven to retain control of her lands in a male-dominated arena. Reluctant to approach her liege lord, Lord Radulf (from THE LILY AND THE SWORD) for help she instead hires Gunnar Olafson (son of Olaf and Gundren from THE LILY AND THE SWORD) and his band of mercenaries to protect Somerford Manor against raiders believe to be merefolk by her peopel. Unbeknownst to her, he is hired to spy on Lady Rose and expose her for treason. His reward will be Somerford Manor for himself.
Upon first meeting Gunnar and Rose are attracted to each other. Gunnar is a hero to swoon over. Large in size and handsome in face he is frequently surrounded by ogling women. Described most vividly by Ms. Bennett, he is a Viking with blue eyes like the ocean, and long reddish hair. Rose finds herself under his sensual spell. He is not immune to her charms either. Gunnar initially doubts Roseýs innocence, and sees her as a conniving woman in cahoots with her knight. He soon realizes this is not the case, and Rose has ably handled the administration of her lands and people.
The physical chemistry between these two characters sparks from the beginning. As the story progresses the love for each other matches their passion.
Ms. Bennett does a wonderful job providing a passionate romance in 1072 England and stays consistent in this second book and follow up of THE LILY AND THE SWORD.
Watch for more wonderful stories from Ms. Bennett in 2003. Ivo de Vesseyýs story will be called ONCE HE LOVES and released in April ý03.
Good leads and story, but too slow to start, too abrupt end.......2003-02-15
3 1/2 stars. I have to disgree with other reviews in that I did not find this a fast paced read. I found the beginning quite slow and was tempted to skip ahead - something I rarely do.
While Gunnar (oooh, yum!) and Rose are both engaging and likable characters, I was frustrated by how long it took for them to even have a one-on-one private conversation, let alone anything more romantic! Once they do get together passion swirls and the pace picks up, but then the end seems too quick and abrupt for my taste. It seemed like we went from distrust to love in, like two pages!
The story itself is good, if familiar (see Lady of Valor by Tina St John). Widow and Lady of the Manor trying to keep what's hers hires mercenaries not realizing that they come from her overlord, Radulf, who suspects her of treason. Rose does not go to her overlord for help because she is afraid of appearing weak. Responsibility and duty weight heavily on Rose and in those solitary moments at her solar window, she longs for someone to share her burdens.
Gunnar Olafson is the son of Radulf's armourer and is tired of the mercenary life. He wants land and a home he can call his own, and if Rose is found to be a traitor, Radulf will reward him with Somerford Manor. And so, these two have to decide whether they can trust one another, all the while they are attracted to each other. While sharing a bed, they refuse to share their innermost thoughts and certainly not their hearts. But when the true threat to Somerford is revealed, they have no choice but to trust one another to survive.
This is the second book from this author and while I enjoyed both, I prefer "Lily and the Sword" to this one. Looks like Ms Bennett has another book due out soon (she certainly cranks them out quick) and I will likely also check that one (Once He Loves) out as well.
Book Description
Sequestered within the heart of a cosmopolitan city is an exotic world—a place where diamonds, astronomically priced, are bought and sold on the strength of a handshake, and business disputes are resolved according to ancient Jewish principles of arbitration. Yet it is also a modern industry facing the same fundamental global changes affecting all businesses today.
In Diamond Stories, Renée Rose Shield leads us into the unexamined realm of wholesale diamond traders in New York. Related to several well-respected traders, she had unprecedented access to a society normally closed to outside inquiry. Here she deftly blends her personal relationship and her anthropological training to provide an insightful exploration of this tradition-bound industry, the new challenges it faces, and the ways both industry and individuals adapt to and endure change.
Shield begins with a fascinating history of diamond mining, combining the story of the De Beers cartel, the role of Jews in the trade, and the part diamonds have played both in war and liberation. Throughout, she incorporates commentary by current diamond traders. Succeeding chapters explore the evolving nature of both the global trade and the New York diamond district. Shield takes a close look at the increasingly complex ethnic makeup of the district, illuminates the rarely documented work done by women, chronicles the resilient system of arbitration, and reveals the ways in which many traders work well into their eighties and nineties. Their long lives of work, cushioned by the trade's social environment, offer hints for successful aging in general.
Customer Reviews:
An avid reader.......2007-04-02
This is the first book I have read by Mary Pershall. It is also one of my first historical romance reads, and it is my most favorite book of all time. It is based on true people, as most of the characters are. It is based in the year 1154 at a time when Ireland and England were at war with one another. I fell in love with the character, Sir Richard FitzGilbert deClare, the English knight. Mary writes in her book that Richard and Eve (or Eva) did marry in real life. Richard, who like his father before him was known as Strongbow, and he did indeed invade Ireland. Eve brought a broad fifth of Ireland to her marriage bed and she helped to effect, for better or worse, a change in Irish history- as did her father, Dermot. Richard's romance with Lady Eve Mac Murrough was so utterly passionate, his love for her makes you dream of him, as do many of the lady characters in this book. Eve is a stubborn, Irish-borne woman who finds herself head over heels with him, much to her disdain. Her father sends her off to England against her will and she meets Richard in the worst of ways, on his turf, protecting her from a group of heathens that upsets her voyage through England. He saves her from certain death from these villians and helps her to her destination. He is instantly enraptured by her beauty. I love the way Mary Pershall writes, her discriptive words are deliciously interesting and engrossing. Her knowledge of these times and the way these peoples lived, along with her flare with the written word carries the reader to worlds they have never known and are curious about.
I bought this book at a yard sale years ago, the book now very yellow with age, the cover missing, the book came apart and is now in half, but I still read it again, despite the appearance. I am buying another one to replace it because it pains me to not have the cover to it, and the cover was the main reason I bought it!! This romance story was immensely enjoyable, and very memorable- highly recommended! I was so sad to see it end again, wondering if there might be a second book about the story. I didn't think I would have any luck finding it since it was published in 1984, so I was very suprised, and very suprised to see more romance stories by Mary Pershall! And when I went to Amazon to look up this book, and saw the cover of it, it brought a big smile to my face. There in front of me was the picture of that dreamy English knight, Sir Richard FitzGilbert deClare..... SOLD! This book is a keeper, one you will want to read over and over again! There are quite a few of them out there on Amazon, so grab a copy!
Wonderful Historical Romance.......2001-07-30
Lady Eve MacMurrough, fairest of Erin's fair flowers, her flashing emerald eyes held secrets no man could resist. Defiant daughter of one king and willful ward of another, she would bring the purity of true love to her marriage bed.
Sir Richard FiztGilbert deClare, sitting astride his great black war horse Taran, no English knight was bolder. To the tempestous Lady Eve he had pledged his troth, but he longed to posses in timeless ecstasy her wild, resisting heart.
Born in a fierce, feudal world as cruel as it was courtly, theirs was the rapturous love destined to change the face of the Irish nation forever.
Product Description
Since her husband's death, Lady Rose hs made Somerford prosper. But a recent plague of mysterious attacks on her people could break her tenuous hold on the manor. Fearing her liege lord, Radulf, will think her too weak to rule if she asks for aid, Rose has hired mercenaries for protection, but she dares not trust them. Especially their leader, Gunnar Olafson, whose towering strength and fierce blue eyes set her heart pounding.
Book Description
Never before in human existence have the aged been so numerous — and for the most part — healthy. In this important new book, two professionals, an anthropologist and a physician, wrestle with the complex subject of aging. Is it inevitable? Is it a burden or gift? What is successful aging? Why are some people better at aging than others? Where is aging located? How does it vary among individuals, within and between groups, cultures, societies, and indeed, over the centuries? Reflecting on these and other questions, the authors comment on the impact age has in their lives and work.
Two unique viewpoints are presented. While medicine approaches aging with special attention given to the body, its organs, and its functions over time, anthropology focuses on how the aged live within their cultural settings. As this volume makes clear, the two disciplines have a great deal to teach each other, and in a spirited exchange, the authors show how professional barriers can be surmounted.
In a novel approach, each author explores a different aspect of aging in alternating chapters. These chapters are in turn followed by a commentary by the other. Further, the authors interrupt each other within the chapters—to raise questions, contradict, ask for clarification, and explore related ideas—with these interjections emphasizing the dynamic nature of their ideas about age. Finally, a third "voice"—that of a random old man—periodically inserts itself into the text to remind the authors of their necessarily limited understanding of the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Both common issues and more obscure philosophical dilemmas.......2003-08-10
The collaborative effort of Renee Rose Shield (Clinical Associate Professor of Community Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island) and Stanley M. Aronson (University Professor of Medical Science and Dean of Medicine Emeritus, Brown University), Aging In Today's World: Conversations Between An Anthropologist And A Physician is an informed and informative inquiry the addresses the complex subject of aging, and which confronts some very tough questions from a sociological and a medical standpoint, including "What is successful aging?"; "Is aging a burden or a gift?"; and "Where is aging located?" A college-level study covering both common issues and more obscure philosophical dilemmas, Aging In Today's World is a welcome and very highly recommended contribution to Geriatric Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Average customer rating:
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Making Babies in the '80s: Common Sense for New Parents
Renee Rose Shield
Manufacturer: Kampmann & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0916782417 |
Amazon.com
The two novels contained in the first volume of Titus Crow--"The Burrowers Beneath" and "The Transition of Titus Crow" (originally published in 1974 and 1975)--are a matched set marking the introduction of Brian Lumley's Sherlockian paranormal investigator, Titus Crow, and Crow's Watsonesque partner, Henri-Laurent de Marginy. Both tales are grounded in the Cthulu mythos originated by H.P. Lovecraft, but Lumley offers an effortless introduction to Cthulu for newcomers.
While Lumley is perhaps best known now for Necroscope, the Crow novels (which also include those collected in Titus Crow, Volume Two and Titus Crow, Volume Three) offer an early glimpse at the creative talents of a contemporary horror master. Crow is a fascinating character--an obsessed genius uncovering ancient gods in a late-20th-century world that is blind to its imminent destruction. At the same time, de Marginy, writing through epistles and journals, brings a naive immediacy to the narratives. Lumley's prose has a baroque feel that lends an antique patina to Crow's world (supposedly in the 1960s and '70s), and his blend of horror à la Lovecraft, adventure reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and techno-science fiction with shades of Asimov is always pleasantly surprising. Titus Crow makes for solid and enjoyable reading that deftly crosses genres. It's a pleasure to have these novels in a readily available form again. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
The Titus Crow novels are adventure horror, full of acts of nobility and heroism, featuring travel to exotic locations and alternate planes of existence as Titus Crow and his faithful companion and record-keeper fight the gathering forces of darkness wherever they arise. The menaces are the infamous and deadly Elder Gods of the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Chthulu and his dark minions are bent on ruling the earth--or destroying it. A few puny humans cannot possibly stand against these otherworldly evil gods, yet time after time, Titus Crow defeats the monsters and drives them back into the dark from whence they came. Volume One contains two full novels, The Burrowers Beneath and The Transition of Titus Crow.
Customer Reviews:
Lumley Takes Up the Call of Lovecraft.......2004-09-05
Brian Lumely has successfully carried on the tradition of Lovecraft, Derleth, Bloch, Smith, Howard, and the rest of the original Cthulhu mythos writers. Though some may scorn Lumley for straying outside the lines of the Lovecraft Mythos, I praise him for his acheivments. Instead of just building on what Lovecraft started Lumley takes the Mythos and adds to it and takes it in a new direction.
Lumley expounds on his classic hero Titus Crow and molds a somewhat Mythos of his own in these books. Like those before him who took liberties and created dieties in the Mythos (Chaugnar Faugn was created by Frank Belknap Long and Tsathoggua was created by Clark Ashton Smith) Lumley creates Shudde M'ell in THE BURROWERS BENEATH and takes what Lovecraft started to a new level.
With these books Lumley cements his place as one of Lovecraft's hier's and the leader of today's Mythos writers. Anyone who likes Lovecraft will see that these books take the reader into the life of one of literature's greatest occult heroes, Titus Crow.
Starts Strong, Goes Downhill FAST In Act II........2002-06-24
I have always been divided in my love of the great H.P. Lovecraft. Works like At The Mountains of Madness are classics- Well written, imaginative, creepy.....true masterpieces. Others, like Imprisoned With The Pharoes, were clearly paid-by-the-word pulp trash. And I have always hated his Dream-stories, finding them to be nothing but run-on nonsense filled with weird names, and devoid of any kind of coherence. Lumley here delivers one great "Mountains of Madness"-esque story, The Burrowers Beneath, and one Dreams-esque story, The Transition of Titus Crow, that is virtually unreadable.
Burrowers introduces us to Titus Crow and his sidekick, Henri, who tells the story through diary entries and news clippings. The story concerns their fight against the monstrous titular Burrowers, spawn of Lovecraft's horrific Cthulhu and his ilk. Burrowers is nothing short of gripping, a real treat for Lovecraft fans. Had Lumley stopped there, the book would have been a 5-Star affair.....Unfortunately he gives us Transition, which brings us from the creepy horror of Burrowers to flying interstellar clocks, robot planets, the youthening of the elderly Crow (Via a robot body!), and his trip to the home of the Elder Gods, where he meets with lisping, flying Dinosaurs, and falls in love with a green haired girl. This IS all as bad as I'm making it sound.....
Horror fiction walks a tightrope between the believable and the laughable, and with the second part of the book, Lumley leaps right into the laughable, and I'm now sorry I bought the other two books, which I'm really dreading reading, since they seem to be in the same vein as Transition.....I spent most of the second half of this book either saying "Oh, Stop...", or "COME ON, ALREADY!!!". It was a really torturous read. I would advise reading Burrowers, and quitting while you're ahead.
On the plus side, Bob Eggleton's cover is great, and the three hardcovers look great together on the bookshelf, with their unifying "Eyeball" motif.....
Cthulhu Mythos as 1930's Pulp.......2002-05-09
Concerning the Cthulhu Mythos, Brian Lumley is a writer of the August Derleth school. While Lovecraft and others had the total meaninglessness of the universe as their cosmological base, Derleth wrote the Mythos as a battle between good and evil between ultimate forces. Lumley takes this further, stripping the Mythos of its supernatural aspects and putting it solidly into the realm of science fiction. What were supernatural aspects of the mythos stories are now an alien science as the forces of good personified in the Elder Gods struggle with mankind to keep the evil beings of the Cthulhu Mythos trapped within their eternal prisons and foil the attempts of those who would release them.
Lumley's style is also reminiscent of the pulp genre popular in the 1930's with morally black-and-white heroic protagonists aided by beautiful heroines in a story of non-stop, bigger-than-life struggles and battles. So, if your taste goes toward the more amoral, often pornographic splatterpunk tales that pass for Mythos stories today, you're going to be disappointed.
In the first book, The Burrowers Beneath introduces Titus Crow and his sidekick Henri-Laurent dr Marigny as well as the Wilmarth Foundation, an organization of Miskatonic University dedicated to study and destroy the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Told through fragments of diaries and letters, the Burrowers are the spawn of Shudde-M'ell involved in an intricate plot to take over earth and release Cthulhu from his prison in sunken R'lyeh. Lumley's craft at writing shines through in many places, but special interest should be paid to Chapter 9, The Night Sea-Maid Went Down, a short story embedded within the novella that would have even satisfied the Old Gentleman of Providence himself.
In its delivery, The Transition of Titus Crow is sheer pulp taken from the 1930's in style and plot with Crow as the protagonist as he wanders the universe seeking Elysia, the heavenly home of the Elder Gods and then seeking a way to return back to Earth. Though not as good as The Burrowers Beneath, the reader is introduced to some familiar members of the Cthulhu Mythos such as Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Cthulhu's daughter, and we're given a logical, scientific interpretation of Yog Sothoth's other name, the Lurker at the Threshold that is quite creative.
Taking the good with the (very) bad.......2002-03-26
Collecting the first two Titus Crow, this volume finds the reader confronted with a good idea in the first novel (Good Lovecraft pastiche), and a bad idea in the second one (bad H.G.Wells). The Burrowers Beneath introduces us to Titus Crow and his Watson de Marigny as they combat underground creatures from Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos. This is a taut thriller that gives the reader a much more active hero than any of Lovecraft's hapless victims. Lumley greatly improves upon Lovecraft, a man of great imagination with almost unreadable prose. Lumley does a fine job keeping the reader guessing to the bitter end how it would turn out for his protagonists.
Book 2: The Transition of Titus Crow is a drastic drop in quality. Crow travels in time, is transformed by a rather hackneyed old school science fiction method, and ends up in a place akin to paradise. It is all told in one long journey that has very little dramatic purpose and disappoints as horror, suspense, or science fiction. By making the journey too fantastic, Lumley loses sight of the very human characters so well used in the first book. For me, the collection was worth the purchase to discover this interesting character,
but I can't wholeheartedly recommend this collection to anyone who doesn't already have an interest in Lovecraft's work.
Burrowers plus boredom.......2002-02-26
As I read The Burrowers Beneath, I found myself actually drawn to the main character, Titus Crow, and his companion, Henri-Laurent de Marginy. In fact, the Lovecraftian texture of this story, complete with Shub-Niggurath and a drove of accounts about his followers, carried me through this tale with ease. Twined within the story are cryptic tales of mishap brought on by these busy little bees (if you can call slug-like vampiric beings with no head bees), plus an exploit involving the "big guy" himself. Here, you also find yourself introduced to a new breed of rebellion brought on by those prior, and most of the time tragic, Cthuluian playthings, led by our main man, one Mr. Peaslee. Delving inside this group who have worked through translations of long discarded tombs, you find new and unique way to fight back against those deadly star-fiends, even going so far as to confront a few "men to beast." If the book would have ended here, I would have given it five stars!
That said, the book had The Transition of Titus Crow placed inside as well, which turned out to be a page turner only after sleep visited me and gravity played its dirty tricks. Here, we follow the exploits of Titus as he rides the waves of time and space on his wonderful time-travelling clock, a tale just as loathsome and boring as it sounds. Still, Burrowers Beneath is a good read and, if you set the book down directly afterward, you'll find your purchase a fine one..
Book Description
Religion, Art, and Visual Culture gathers together the most current scholarship on art, religion, visual culture, and cultural studies. The book approaches the study of world religions through the human, meaning-making activity of seeing. The essays move between specific visual subjects (painting, landscape gardens, calligraphy, architecture, mass media) and the broader theoretical discourses relevant to religion and the wider humanities today. Topics covered include art and perception; the iconicity of Jesus Christ; the relation of word and image in Islam and divine images in India.
Customer Reviews:
A reader in Ohio.......2002-04-13
This is an amazing book. It opens up all kinds of interesting questions about the importance of seeing and vision in a range of different religious contexts. In each major section, Plate invites us to approach a religious tradition not through its main scriptures but through a visual medium. Islam, for example, is approached via calligraphy as a way of thinking about the written word as image. Buddhism is approached through zen gardens as a way of thinking about the concept of shinjin (mind-body). I used this book as the primary textbook for a college course called "Religion and Visual Culture." It was a huge success. It is filled with interesting ideas and fresh approaches, and it is great reading. I highly recommend it.
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