Amazon.com
In Frederick Reiken's first novel, The Odd Sea, a family grappled with an almost unreal dilemma: the unsolved disappearance of a son. His second effort, The Lost Legends of New Jersey, is also a family saga. But this time the focus--the suburban dissolution of the Rubin clan--is more mundane, and the novel's casual eye toward chronology keeps the plot from accumulating much in the way of momentum. Indeed, the only way young Anthony Rubin can make sense of his experience is to give it a legendary spin:
He was always doing that, making things up, trying to see how it all might fit into a legend. He didn't understand why he did this, because New Jersey was not a legend. It was the armpit of America, according to most people. Still he saw everything around him as a legend.
Anthony, of course, has plenty to contend with. His father, Michael, is a none-too-subtle (if goodhearted) adulterer. His mother, Jess, is prone to breakdowns and would rather be underwater at any given moment than with her children. His best friend, Jay, drifts away when Michael's smoldering affair with Jay's mother begins to disrupt the Rubin marriage. And the alluring girl next door, the brash daughter of a high-stakes gambler, seems always just out of reach. Reiken's style remains unblinking and direct throughout, suggesting that there are no good guys or bad guys in Livingston, New Jersey--just complex, tangible people who remind us what it is to be human. And while Anthony's losses may feel devastating, or even legendary, he knows that they are ultimately survivable. "It's always strange to me that all this is so comforting," he says. "And yet it is." --Brangien Davis
Book Description
From the critically acclaimed author of The Odd Sea, a poignant and magical coming-of-age story that "deftly explores the mysteries of love and loss" (Time)
It's the early 1980s and the suburban streets of New Jersey are filled with Bruce Springsteen-era teenagers searching for answers. Anthony Rubin is a rising high school hockey star faced with a family that is falling apart. His father has had an affair with Anthony's best friend's mother and his own mother has abandoned the family for Florida. Confronted with an overwhelming sense of loss, Anthony focuses on the one thing he feels he can save-the tough-talking daughter of a reputed Mafioso, a Juliet to his Romeo. Merging the commonplace and the mythological, Frederick Reiken's richly layered second novel presents unforgettable characters whose lives seem at once familiar and archetypal. Filled with joy as well as heartbreak, The Lost Legends of New Jersey is a rich, resonant tale of the extraordinary magic that can arise within ordinary lives.
Customer Reviews:
great novel.......2007-06-07
This is one of my favorite novels. I went to school in New Jersey and Reiken does an excellent job of capturing the local flavor while telling layers of coming-of-age stories. A real treat!
Lost Legends of New Jersey.......2003-01-28
Wonderful! Wonderful!! Wonderful!! I grew up in New Jersey and to see towns, places, streets and other things mentioned within the story brought the whole book and story alive!!! A great book and a wonderful story, Three days and I was done ready it! That says alot for me!! Hope to see many more works from this young man. There is so much to write about the people of this wonderful state. The family life is boundless. Each generation and each family has a story!!!
Teenage Wasteland Rings True.......2002-12-30
I grew up in New Jersey just a couple of years behind Reiken's character, who is the same age as my brother, and the detail that's gracefully snuck in between dialogue is dead-on. I read this book when visiting family in NJ. Every now and then I'd ask, Mom, is there a Conservative synagogue on Northlight? the answer would always be yes. Reiken really knows his territory well, and captures the packed-in, yet desolate, feeling the New Jersey suburbs can hold for teenagers. He even understands the appeal Springsteen's working-class lyrics held for middle-class Jewsih suburbanites. I also love the matter-of-fact way ethnicity is treated, which also rings very true to my experience.
This book flies by almost too fast to catch all the confusion, pain and hope in the life of the main character, whose parents' marriage has ended bitterly, and who has a tenuous relationship with the fast yet sensitive girl next door.
It's to Reiken's credit that the characters all maintain some of the mystery of real people-- his mother, for example, has always been mentally unstable-- without resorting to authorial tricks. Reiken follows the dictum "show, don't tell"-- so although the narrator is unusually perceptive, we don't have to read long passages of explanation. Instead, a detailed description of seeing his father with his best friend's mother, at a Bar Mitzvah party, sears itself into the brain as it does the main character's. Reiken doesn't take sides-- everyone in the book has dignity and interest. A stand-out episode was when the boy and friends get lost trying to get home from the Meadowlands. Somehow this episode, which combined bravado, innocence, vulnerability and gratitude, sums up the experience of being a teenager-- going through transitions-- in a transitional time.
Modern Day Classic.......2002-04-09
While this book maps out the geography and demographics of northern New Jersey in the 1980s, it is anything but regional fiction. The author's style, and the depth and range of his characters is virtuosic; moreover, this book has such momentum and such compelling characters that it's hard to put down. For a week I kept looking forward to getting back to these characters and their stories. The layers upon layers in this book and the philosophical questions that come up make it the kind of book I can imagine being read in college courses on contemporary literature. It's right there with Roth, Cheever, and Updike , as far as I'm concerned. I can't wait to read The Odd Sea.
Jersey Girl Loves Lost Legends..........2002-04-01
I have always been proud of my Jersey routes, even though people make fun of the way I say coffee (its CAW-FEE for all you non-Jerseyians). In this novel, Reiken manages to capture all the details of Northern New Jersey, and all the magic that can surround even the most ordinary places. This is a beautiful, sad story but it leaves the reader with a sense of hope. I would recommend this to anyone, especially New Jersey residents who know that you just can't find a real diner anywhere but Jersey.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating setting, and the story's pretty good, too!.......2006-09-19
I would have bought Blood Moon Over Bengal just because of its setting. I mean, how often do you get a romance novel set in 1930s India? But the storyline sounded interesting, too, kind of like one of those old MM Kaye Death In books.
I'm giving this one a very, very qualified recommendation. I had many issues, especially with the characterization and the writing, but the vivid setting and a romance and suspense subplot that became ok in the second half of the book, made up for it for me.
It's 1932 and heiress Elizabeth Mainwarring decides to have a go at reconciling with her estranged father before continuing on her way to her newly-inherited oil-rich sheep station in New Zealand. So off Elizabeth goes in her airplane to Calcutta, where her father holds an important military post.
The first person she meets when she crash-lands in the middle of a parade ground is officer Nigel Covington-Singh, son of an Indian maharaja and the English daughter of a duke. Elizabeth and Nigel are immediately very attracted to each other, but even with Nigel's very high birth, interracial relationships are still a no-no in British India.
Adding to the tension is the fact that Calcutta is being terrorized by a serial killer, who, after some murders among the Indian population (which no one paid much attention to), has started targeting British women, especially those who dare have contact with men of a different race. The investigation into the killings falls to Nigel, who needs to find the truth between huge pressures to find an (Indian) culprit and fast, and the need to protect Elizabeth as their relationship develops, because this makes her a prime target for the killer.
Pippin is a new author and I think that even if I hadn't known that as I started the book, I would have figured it out. There's just a certain awkwardness there, especially in the initial sections of the book. I think my main problem was with the characterization, with how most characters felt like caricatures, rather than like real people. Their reactions were way over-the-top, and the dialogue felt stiff.
Also, for all that I found Pippin's portrayal of her setting and her exploration of the main issues of the time fascinating (and, in fact, I thought this was the very best thing about the book), I can't deny that at times, this just wasn't naturally integrated into the story. Sometimes (and especially at the beginning of the book) you could see the author's hand very clearly, as she introduced characters solely for the purpose of expounding at length about this or that, whether it was believable or not that they would do so, usually using slang that felt self-conscious to me.
The romance didn't start out well, either. I very much liked Elizabeth, but at first, I just couldn't "get" Nigel. My first impression of him was that he was a seriously angry man, and it got tiresome after a while, even if I do wholeheartedly agree that he had reason to be angry. Just not at Elizabeth! I also got tired of the constant miscommunication between them, with each time and again assuming the worst possible interpretation of the other's behaviour. Did Elizabeth not throw herself at Nigel the minute he made an advance at her? Why, she's obviously disgusted because he's Anglo-Indian!
Plus, there's a whole lot of telling and not showing in the romance. We're told about how Nigel is sooooo lusting after Elizabeth, but it's just that: told. I didn't feel it, didn't feel I was being shown that.
This improved as the story advanced, though, and by the end of the book, both the suspense and the romance had acquired momentum and were proceeding very naturally and enjoyably. Nigel mellowed quite a bit, and I was finally able to understand him more, and I liked his pursuit of Elizabeth. As for Elizabeth, I especially appreciated how she was very much a creature of her time... a woman with certain aspects I recognized as modern, but with certain attitudes which would seem old-fashioned now.
Even with those problems I had with it, I found BMOB very promising. Pippin's new book, Blood Moon Over Britain, is out already, and though it's not related to this one at all, in spite of the title, it's got a setting that's just as unique: WWII Britain. I'm so getting it!
Wonderfully Vibrant Colonial Tale.......2005-06-07
I loved this book! I was enrapt with the unusual setting--it really made me hungry for Indian food! The hero is just dishy and dashing, and the suspense moved the story right along. I really rooted for a happy ending for those two.
Now I'm hungry again! Very recommended read.
Wonderful! I want more........2005-05-05
The action takes place in India in 1932. "Ultra-modern" Elizabeth Mainwarring has inherited a fortune and a sheep farm in New Zealand. After her mother abandoned her father when she was a child, she grew up in England and decides to visit her father to try to get closer to him. She arrives with her best friend and companion Fiona in an unforgettable way. They arrived in an old flyer, Elizabeth being the pilot and doing an emergency landing on a parade ground.
Major Nigel Covington-Singh is the son of an Indian maharaja and the grandson of an British duke. He has been educated in England, and is trying to make a career for himself, without the help or influence of his father. He has to face a lot of prejudices and as soon as he sees Elizabeth feels a powerful attraction to her, but he knows that no British father wants a blacky-white near his daughter.
Lately, people are worried because of the violent murders of women. Nigel is in charge of the investigation and he suspects than the killer is British and that this is not the first time or place he has acted. Soon he fears that Elizabeth could be the next victim, since it seems the killer is attacking women who are involved with men of other races.
I don't have words to describe this book. The author makes a great work placing us in the middle of the British Colonial India. I could imagine everything perfectly as if I was watching a movie, since she covers all: the clothes, the weather, the gossip and intrigues, the prejudices, the political turmoil, etc. And the suspense is great too. Who is this killer and who will be the next victim? And for the romance, I really like Nigel and Elizabeth. Their characterization is great, and they are very interesting with virtues and flaws. And they are so perfect to each other, in spite of all their differences. They so deserve a happy ending. There is also a whole cast of secondary characters very well developed.
I love the book, and it is amazing that this is the first book the author has published. I hope she will write more stories in this particular period as well as in others that are not so frequent. I can't hardly wait for her next novel.
Blood Moon Over Bengal - A must read for all readers.......2005-01-19
In an exotic locale, prejudice digs deep in its sack of tricks to doom an attraction between Elizabeth and Nigel.
State of Bengal, 1932.
Elizabeth Mainwarring, heiress to a cheep station in New Zealand, lands her plane in Calcutta, on a military runway, for a last go at mending relations with her estranged father, Colonel Andrew Mainwarring, (C.O.) commanding officer of the post.
No sooner has she vacated her plane that a crossed security officer, Major Nigel Covington-Singh intercepts her. This Major breathes military protocol. They clash over breached security measures. Meanwhile the confrontation insidiously promises a future relationship.
Separately, both are strongly discouraged in pursuing a relationship as the British officers and wives on the post consider the Major, of mixed race, beneath their station. Despite this fact, it is well known that handsome Nigel would be a catch to a couple of uppity wives.
Half English and half Indian, Nigel feels that Elizabeth is his superior as per the local prejudice, and primarily out of reach -- her being the daughter of his commanding officer.
Having spent her teens and adult life in Britain, Elizabeth is too modern to let prejudice govern her relations. But unbeknownst to her, the dashing officer is an Indian prince! When she does find out ... Elizabeth feels unworthy of such a relationship. Nigel would never contemplate a future with her, on a sheep farm of all places! Thus updated on the politics and his family status, her relationship with Nigel becomes strained.
Meanwhile Nigel seeks a promotion and to be considered for one he must resolve a slew of murders, which has put the post in total panic with the ladies. The killer has killed Indian women but recently has targeted British women, who venture outside their own race. Nigel knows that the "Bengal Killer" has now targeted Elizabeth despite their rare appearances together.
The dangerous flavor of India's jungles mixed with the political climate will provide readers a read they soon won't forget.
The author's cast of characters is superbly done. I found myself caring in 'one way or another' for all of them.
And, having served in the military myself, I must say that the author is bang on with the dependant's way of life - rumor mill and all. Kudos to the author.
The mystery never stops. The ongoing relationships within the cast of characters will thrill you, literally. The prejudice is well presented. The forbidden love enthralling.
Kudos to the author. Looking for more...Miss McKendrick Pippin.
A must read for all Romantic Suspense readers!.......2005-01-19
Blood Moon Over Bengal
Prejudice digs deep in its sack of tricks to doom the relationship of Elizabeth and Nigel.
State of Bengal, 1932.
Elizabeth Mainwarring, heiress to a cheep station in New Zealand, lands her plane in Calcutta, on a military runway, for a last go at mending relations with her estranged father, Colonel Andrew Mainwarring, (C.O.) commanding officer of the post.
No sooner has she vacated her plane that a crossed security officer, Major Nigel Covington-Singh intercepts her. This Major breathes military protocol, and they quickly clash over breached security measures. Meanwhile the confrontation insidiously promises a future relationship.
Separately, both are strongly discouraged in pursuing a relationship as the British officers and wives on the post consider the Major, of mixed race, beneath their station. Despite this fact, it is well known that handsome Nigel would be a catch to a couple of uppity wives.
Half English and half Indian, Nigel feels that Elizabeth is his superior as per the local prejudice, and primarily out of reach -- her being the daughter of his commanding officer.
Having spent her teens and adult life in Britain, Elizabeth is too modern to let prejudice govern her relations. But unbeknownst to her, the dashing officer is an Indian prince! When she does find out ... Elizabeth feels unworthy of such a relationship. Nigel would never contemplate a future with her, on a sheep farm of all places! Thus updated on the politics and his family status, her relationship with Nigel becomes strained.
Meanwhile Nigel seeks a promotion and to be considered for one he must resolve a slew of murders, which has put the post in total panic with the ladies. The killer has killed Indian women but recently has targeted British women, who venture outside their own race. Nigel knows that the "Bengal Killer" has now targeted Elizabeth despite their rare appearances together.
The dangerous flavor of India's jungles mixed with the political climate will provide readers a read they soon won't forget.
The author's cast of characters is superbly done. I found myself caring in `one way or another' for all of them.
And, having served in the military myself, I must say that the author is bang on with the dependant's way of life - rumor mill and all. Kudos to the author.
The mystery never stops. The ongoing relationships within the cast of characters will thrill you, literally. The prejudice is well presented. The forbidden love enthralling.
Kudos to the author. Looking for more...Miss McKendrick Pippin.
Book Description
Our seventh anthology features original Star Trek®, Star Trek: The Next Generation®, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, Star Trek: Voyager®, and Star Trek: Enterprise™ stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!
Featuring new stories by new writers and a few contest veterans, Strange New Worlds VII spans the entire Star Trek universe from the original days of Captain Kirk and throughout the tenures of Captains Picard, Sisko, and Janeway and back in time again to Archer. Each of these unforgettable stories explores the past and future of Star Trek from many different perspectives.
This year's contributors include Kevin Lauderdale, Kevin Killiany, Christian Grainger, Paul J. Kaplan, Muri McCage, Pat Detmer, Gerri Leen, Julie Hyzy, Kelly Cairo, John Coffren, Scott Pearson, Jeff D. Jacques, Jim Johnson, Anne E. Clements, Russ Crossley, Susan S. McCrackin, Catherine E. Pike, G. Wood, Annie Reed, Louisa M. Swann, Brett Hudgins, Amy Sisson, and Frederick Kim.
Download Description
"Our seventh anthology features original Star Trek (R), Star Trek: The Next Generation (R), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (R), Star Trek: Voyager (R), and Star Trek: Enterprise (TM) stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans! Featuring new stories by new writers and a few contest veterans, Strange New Worlds VII spans the entire Star Trek universe from the original days of Captain Kirk and throughout the tenures of Captains Picard, Sisko, and Janeway and back in time again to Archer. Each of these unforgettable stories explores the past and future of Star Trek from many different perspectives. This year's contributors include Kevin Lauderdale, Kevin Killiany, Christian Grainger, Paul J. Kaplan, Muri McCage, Pat Detmer, Gerri Leen, Julie Hyzy, Kelly Cairo, John Coffren, Scott Pearson, Jeff D. Jacques, Jim Johnson, Anne E. Clements, Russ Crossley, Susan S. McCrackin, Catherine E. Pike, G. Wood, Annie Reed, Louisa M. Swann, Brett Hudgins, Amy Sisson, and Frederick Kim. "
Customer Reviews:
A Feast Of Star Trek Fandom.......2007-06-01
May I open myself to you (cue Hubble Telescope joke...)? I'm readying myself for the Strange New Worlds 11 call for contributors by reading the previous anthologies in reverse order. My writing already suffers from enough handicaps without the embarrassment of duplicating a previously-published story. And again, I find myself pleased with the quality of storytelling and a bit depressed with finding some stories I wish I'd written.
My two faves -
"Barclay Program Nine" - a reminder of probably the funniest Star Trek episode ("Hollow Pursuits") of all time. ("The Trouble With Tribbles" doesn't count...)
"Forgotten Light" - one wonders how the Borg have managed to escape assimilation by the novel publishing collective for so long. Tales of the precursor race might make a viable product. But one can imagine the obstacles inherent in such an adventure - opinions on the Borg are as common as red diode lasers at a sci-fi convention, yet fan rejection would probably not pose the greatest problem. The big question remains -- Who would (or more importantly could) write a Borg-centric series?
I remember reading C.S. Lewis describe his agony while writing through his famous Screwtape persona - and Screwtape at least kept his sense of humor. To become humorless, relentless, and mechanical in thought and deed would probably kill the story, if not the author.
But greater "heresies" have been perpetrated. Witness the Second Foundation trilogy published a few years back.
Fan fiction is coming up in the world..........2005-01-07
In this seventh edition of the Strange New Worlds anthology series, we once again have the winners of the writing contest Pocket Books does every year for Star Trek stories. Will some of these writers go on to become part of the stable of Trek writers for the ongoing series? Perhaps, though I don't know if any of the stories in here justify that completely. Still, there are definitely some good stories in here, well worth checking out.
The stories are divided by the television series they are attached to, with another section called "Speculations." These are stories that are too broad to be tied to just one of the series. Perhaps it's something that spans almost all the shows. Or maybe they bring together elements from more than one series. The other two stories in this section of Strange New Worlds VII don't really fit this concept, however, as one deals with a Dax, from Deep Space Nine (though it is a future Dax) and one deals with Picard and the history of the Borg. Still, the stories are a bit broader than just "another adventure with the crew of the Enterprise," so maybe that's why.
The grand prize winner was the Next Generation story, "Life's Work," by Julie A. Hyzy. This is the story of Data's creator, Noonian Soong, and the time when his wife finally left him because he was too wrapped up in his work. He was working on a final emotion chip that he would be able to put in Data when a crisis in his marriage happens. His wife, Juliana, has determined to leave him because he's more married to her work rather than to her. The weird thing is (as established in one of the Next Generation episodes), Julianna is actually an android that Noonian fashioned after his real wife died, because he couldn't bear to be without her. He made her a perfect copy of his wife, so much so that she doesn't even realize she's an android. He's understandably shocked when she tells him she's leaving, and it's a testament to his craftsmanship that he created her so perfectly that she has enough emotions to actually leave him. Hyzy captures the characters perfectly, especially during a poignant scene where Noonian has deactivated her to examine what's happening, and carries on the conversation with her that he knows he would have if she were currently activated. It's a touching story, compelling despite the fact that it doesn't have any of the regular Trek characters in it. Definitely worthy of the grand prize.
The second prize entry is "Guardians," by Brett Hudgins, one of the "Speculations" stories. This story travels a *long* way into the future. It's about the Horta and how they've interacted with the Federation throughout the 50,000 year lifetime of the mother Horta. Eventually, humans leave the Horta home planet of Janus VI, and leave them alone (though the former head of the mining colony there does make regular visits to his new Horta friends). However, when a scientific station on the planet containing the Guardian of Forever (an ancient time portal discovered by Kirk & the Enterprise) is wiped out, an ancestor of the original mining colony head remembers the Horta and thinks that they would make great protectors of the guardian. The rest of the story is various vignettes through almost 50,000 years, as various races come to the Guardian planet. Some to try and conquer it (like the Borg) and some to just look at the past (like a certain founder who is remembering his past Bajoran lover many, many years in the future). At times, this story seems to gloss over events a little too quickly, but all of the vignettes are good in their own way. Some are just little snippets (such as a couple of visits by Q, complaining about how humanity is suddenly becoming equal to the Q as they move on to the next level) and others are a bit more detailed. I did have a little trouble with some of the future history (the Federation is still around, virtually unchanged politically and socially, thousands of years in the future, though they have obviously improved technologically), but overall, the story was quite good.
Finally, the third prize winner is "Adventures in Jazz & Time," by Kelly Cairo. This is the story of a gift that Wesley (still a futuristic Traveller, and disguised as a Federation professor) decides that he wants to give something back to one of his role models, Commander Riker. He gives him a truly interactive jazz holoprogram containing the jazz great Stan Kenton. Even better for Riker, Kenton asks him to sit in with him and is willing to give him some lessons. This is a dream come true for Riker, who has idolized Kenton for a long time. Cairo captures Riker's love of jazz wonderfully, and the story, while pretty short, covers all the bases. Wesley leads Riker to the program and then dutifully bows out of the picture. While I don't know anything about Kenton, she manages to capture the feel of a jazz great as well. There's no conflict in this story. Just a young man wanting to do something nice for one of his mentors, and the love of jazz. Just poetic.
The rest of the stories in the volume are hit or miss. Some have some glaring errors (one has Seven of Nine, from Voyager, speaking with a lot of exclamation points, something the rather monotone Borg woman wouldn't do). Others are decent but don't carry that spark that carries them over the top. Still, it's an interesting read, and a number of the current Trek authors got their starts in Strange New Worlds collections, so it may be something to pay attention to if only for that. It's worth a looksee.
David Roy
Here are a couple of comments/suggestions...........2005-01-04
Number 01: "Guardians" should have won the grand prize - NOT "Life's Work". Number 02: let's have more DS9 and Enterprise stories, O.K.? Number 03: let's have a couple of TNG stories that feature Tasha Yar and a couple of VGR stories that are pre-7 of 9. I think that the editors receive enough stories to meet this request. Number 04: ENOUGH stories dealing with the aftermath of Star Trek: Generations and enough stories dealing with the theoretical origins of the Borg. Number 05: stop writing stories that have already been written - the meeting of Miles and Keiko O'Brien has already been written in the TNG novel "All Good Things...." Number 06: let's have stories that feel like they have ended. A lot of the stories in this volume feel as though they are incomplete at the end.
All the stories are good, most great........2004-08-19
It has finally happened: all the stories are good. In fact, the majority of the stories are great. The Original Series stories are really entertaining. "A Test of Character" and "All Fall Down" capture Kirk, Spock and McCoy perfectly. "The Trouble with Tribals" is a wonderful alternate viewpoint story. The Next Generation stories are just as good, but generally also quite sad, which I never find as appealing. The Deep Space Nine stories return to humour. The first story there is also about the weirdest presentation style since the "sentient story" earlier in this series. It works surprisingly well. The Voyager stories are good, but apart from "Redux" are below the high standard of the rest of the collection. Finally, the Speculations section has returned. The second story was good but not great. In the first story, "Guardians", the author absolutely went nuts depicting the future of the Federation, in sections rather than one go as in Volume 6. It was definitely one of the best. The third and last story, "Forgotten Light", was also about the origins of the Borg. It was quite thought-provoking.
So, all in all - I really enjoyed this.
Seven is a 10.......2004-08-13
Every year I count the days to the release of Strange New World. Each year I delve into the collection hoping to be capture by the amateur tails woven together by the wonderful editor Dean Wesley Smith. Each year I miss a night of sleep as I struggle to put it down. This year was no different.
The grand prize winner this year was `Life's Work' is a wonderful tail of the final android that we know Dr. Soong created. Last year I questioned the grand prize winner but this year I am in full agreement. This creation was not the most original but was the best written summation this year.
One story I personally enjoyed was `Full Circle.' It was a great return to the Captain of the Enterprise-B during the mission the Federation lost Kirk. Now he is involved in the mission that returned Kirk to save the Veridian people.
This collection is one of the best in the last few years. My personal enjoyment in the group of stories is the ability for these fans to be great story tellers and select the smallest hook from the episodes to stretch out of.
Pick up this collection and loose some sleep.
Book Description
C.K. Barret's classic work presents 280 ancient writings that bring the spiritual world of first century vividly to life.
Customer Reviews:
Very Well Selected Documents on the background of the NT.......2004-08-18
A resource this expansive can only be successfully created by a scholar of the first rank. Fortunately, C.K. Barrett is such a scholar. He has written top commentaries on many of Paul's letters, as well as the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John.
This book is exactly what it purports to be. It provides a wealth of primary source evidence relevant to the culture and history in which New Testament arose. All of it nonChristian.
Barrett organizes the material by topic and then provides the primary evidence relevant to each. For example, for the Roman Empire he includes topics such as Augustus, Claudius, and Nero. Under the topics, Barrett provides selections from the primary evidence relevant to each, such as Suetonius, Tacitus, and Dio Cassius. He also leads off with an informative introduction to the topic.
The topics are:
The Roman Empire
Papyri
Inscriptions
Mystery Religion
The Philosopher and Poets
Jewish History
Rabbinic Literature and Rabbinic Judaism
Qumran
Philo
Josephus
Septuagint
Apocalyptic
Mysticism
Probably my favorite topic was the Mystery Religions. Given some of the wilder claims being made about comparisons between the Mystery Religions and Christianity, it is helpful to see what we really know about the former. Too often, references to what the Mystery Religions supposedly believed are to outdated secondary sources or from much later periods (which raises the more likely possibility that it was Christianity doing the influence). Barrett brings a healthy dose of reality to the situation and enables us to read what the ancient sources themselves had to say about Mystery Religions.
However, all of the sections are very helpful and valuable resources for studying the New Testament and early Christianity. Which makes this book a valuable addition your library. I highly recommend it.
good background for early NT environment.......2003-02-24
The book is basically a collection of quotes from contemporary authors -Jewish, Christian or pagan - living in the decades during and after the rise of early Christianity. A novice would not understand the usefulness of this book, but for someone like me who has a deep interest in the early beginnings of the Semitic faiths, this book is very useful indeed, as it contains certain quotes often used in Christian texts but obscure to track down its source (such as quotes from Epicurus or Josephus, for example). I would certainly recommend this book for those who know well enough the historical context of Christianity and wishes to use this book in order to track down (and gain) such references.
A necessary text for finding the New Testament Background.......2001-01-04
Many have the idea in their minds that Christianity simply appeared in a vacuum, or that Christianity began when one's church was built. However, Jesus was born into a much different world than ours today. We must also remember that the New Testament writers and Church fathers were writing under different conditions as well, and these influences are seen in their writings.
Barrett's book should give the reader a fine background into the period of the New Testament. I personally think every New Testament class should require this text, if anything as a side textbook to be consulted when necessary. Barrett saves us the work of finding the appropriate background writings on our own. He has collected them and given us pertinent excerpts.
He gives writings from the:
Roman Empire- Here he has writings from Roman Statesmen and Emperors, showing policies towards the Jews, etc.
Papyri- He translates various everyday letters, wills, and deeds in Koine Greek, perhaps showing us what the average Christian or Jew may have experienced in everyday life.
Inscriptions- here he translates inscriptions on synagogues, tombs, and other buildings.
Philosophers and Poets- Excerpts from Plato, Epicurus, the Stoics, and many others show us the prevailing pagan philosophies of the day.
Gnosticism and Gnosis- this section has writings discovered at Nag-Hammadi and from other Gnostic groups lacking Christian influence. He has divided Gnosticism (the full blown heresy of the 2nd century) and Gnosis (the developing religion perhaps addressed in Colossians) into 2 groups for clarity.
He also has sections on the Mystery Religions, Jewish History (including readings from the apocrypha), Rabbinic Literature, Qumran Texts, Philo, Josephus, the Septuagint, the Targums, and finally from Jewish apocalyptic literature.
As can be seen, Barrett gives a fine survey of the time period using the writings of important Jews and Gentiles. Chronologically, the writings are all from the New Testament and the Ante-Nicene time periods in the Church. Overall, this is an essential text, which should introduce the student to the influences upon Christian Thought and writings, as well as to the world Jesus was born into and in which generations of Christians lived.
Books:
- The Man Who Planted Trees, 20th Anniversary
- The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
- The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque: A Novel
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Girls of Slender Means, The Driver's Seat, The Only Problem (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics)
- The Purse-driven Life: It Really Is All About Me
- The Song at the Scaffold: A Novel of Horror and Holiness in the Reign of Terror
- The Third Life of Grange Copeland
- The Unknown Errors of Our Lives: Stories
- The Villagers: A Novel of Greenwich Village
- The Vintner's Luck: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
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Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
The Odd Sea
Practical Magic
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Absurdistan: A Novel
The Emperor's Children (Vintage)
