Average customer rating:
- A Story to stumble across!!!
- a moving story with a good balance of hard reality and magic
- Strange Novel
- Original characters
- Waste of Time
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April Witch: A Novel
Majgull Axelsson
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0812966880
Release Date: 2003-03-11 |
Amazon.com
A smash hit in its native Sweden, Majgull Axelsson's second novel, April Witch, is both a fantastic and earthbound story of memory and regret. Desiree Johansson is born with a variety of birth defects into Sweden's welfare state of the 1950s. Abandoned by her mother, Ella, to a life of institutions, Desiree ends up at age 50 wracked with pain and seizures, unable to walk or speak, and grieving over the imminent death of a doctor she loves. But Desiree is also an April witch, strong-willed within her bodily prison, and able to track, psychically, the movements of three women who were raised by Ella as foster children. Full of envy and contempt, Desiree comes to see the world through the eyes of her stepsisters, each of whom has endured fortune's extremes. This far-fetched tale is nicely balanced by veteran journalist Axelsson's talent for suspense, grit, and criticism of mid-20th century conformity. Axelsson's prose is crisp and penetrating, a perfect voice for a novel whose characters' inner lives are monitored, revealed vicariously. --Tom Keogh
Book Description
Desirée lies in a hospital bed thinking, dreaming. Born severely disabled, she cannot walk or talk, but she has other capabilities. Desirée is an April witch, clairvoyant and omniscient, traveling through time and space into the world denied her.
The woman who gave Desirée up at birth subsequently took in three foster daughters, who know nothing of the existence of their fourth “sister.” Sensing that her own time is short, Desirée has decided that one of the others has lived the life she herself deserved. One day, each of the three women receives a mysterious letter that forces her to examine her past and her present—setting in motion a complex fugue of memory, regret, and confrontation that builds to a shattering climax.
April Witch created a furor upon its original publication in Sweden. Addressing themes of mother-daughter relationships, competition between women, and the failures of Sweden’s postwar welfare state, it is foremost a thrillingly written and fascinating story.
Customer Reviews:
A Story to stumble across!!! .......2006-12-27
Read in the summer of 2003. I remember because I sat on my porch, drinking coffee and reading... until the porch light had to come on and then I switched to wine. I almost finished this in a weekend!
Desiree was abandoned at birth, a hideous child of disfigurement and riddled with birth defects (Cerebral Palsy). As she grows, Desiree becomes bitter to her 'three sisters' who she feels stole her life, as she was supposed to live it. The story is about Desiree and how even though she may not move, she may not speak...she follows the sisters everywhere, because she is an "April Witch", one of weak body but a mind so strong...
To make amends for her life, Desiree plots the 3 sisters to interact despite their sheer hate of each other... and she includes her physician in the twist, Dr. Huberson.
*this book was written in Sweden, and translated. -Wonderful translation This has easily become one of my favorite reads, so even though I read it 3 years ago, I had to post about it, as I have picked it up to read again!
a moving story with a good balance of hard reality and magic.......2006-12-23
Majgull Axellson is a writer who deserves a lot more attention than she gets here. As far as I know, only two of her books ("April Witch" and an early documentary, "Rosario is dead") have been translated into English. She deals masterfully with social problems in the Swedish post-war welfare state, in all her books women are in the center and their characters are beautifully developed, individual and colorful (in this respect Axelsson's works remind me of Almodovar's "Volver" which I have seen recently - with women depicted as real creators of the world, and men as troublemakers and idlers - with only a few notable exceptions to this rule). In her world, painful reality mingles with poetic magic, traditions and myths, each story is original despite touching, in fact, the same deep, old issues. The language is rich, evoking powerful imagery, and giving more depth to the described events.
"April Witch" tells a story of Ellen Johansson (I have no idea why "Ellen" was changed to "Ella" in translation. Did "Ella" sound more Swedish to the translator?) who works as a foster mother. Three girls, Christina, Birgitta and Margareta, are adopted by her and their lives, albeit they turn out very different, are very much influenced by her personality. Ellen has a secret though - her real daughter, Desiree, has been taken from her right after birth and put into professional care. Desiree has cerebral palsy with epileptic attacks, and her condition worsens with time. She has an unusual ability - as an "April witch" she can possess the body of any other living creature, although she pays for each such trip a price of her own health. Desiree uses her abilities to track the lives of her adopted sisters, trying to figure out, which one has "stolen" her life. The reader goes through the past of all five women, with frequent retrospectives and narration changes. The characters are beautiful, complicated and contrasting. I liked the idea for the novel very much, although I felt that the plot got weaker towards the end and the ending was not completely satisfactory, as if the author had run our of steam.
Axelsson novels, and "April Witch" is no exceptions, are very feministic, but on the pole, which I especially like; her characters are strong women, who know themselves, but the writer is also not afraid to explore their weaknesses and stupidity, the long and painful process of maturation and self-analysis, their addictions and illnesses. This is the writing completely different from what I call "a feminist propaganda (which can also be very good - Erica Jong comes to my mind instantly, but I prefer Axelsson's style).
I recommend "April Witch" to anyone interested in real, well developed characters with complicated lives. I would like to recommend also other books of Axelsson's, especially chronologically later "Augusta's House" (very mature with a well-balanced story - Axelsson really develops as a writer) and earlier "Far from Niflheim" (with dramatic volcano eruption in the Philippines in the center of the plot) but it seems that first I have to wish for them to be translated...
Strange Novel.......2006-01-29
The book is long and difficult to get through. The plot is strange and twisting, though the characters are interesting and complex. The book wanders in and out of storylines, making the plot difficult to follow. The story is full of sadness and sorrow.
Original characters.......2003-10-04
I was browsing through a book store at lunch and this one just happened to be on the shelf with the cover facing forward. I read the cover and maybe the first four pages and then moved on. I couldn't get those four pages out of my mind, so I went back for the book. I was not disappointed. I recommend this book to friends - but not all of them. I can see how it may not be for everyone; but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wouldn't be a book I would recommend to someone who would be easily offended as there are bit parts of explicit sexuality and some taboo subjects touched upon. I think the social commentary and off-beat characters may be a turn-off for some, but I find those topics and story lines compelling. The social commentary aspect could have easily been heavy-handed, but Axelsson keeps the story true to her characters and doesn't make her critique preachy.
The character development in this book was wonderful. The four sisters were complete and interesting and not like other people I know or characters I've run across. That may be because I am American and they are Swedish, but none the less, I found them convincing. That's not to say I would choose them as friends, but I don't require that to enjoy the book. I also liked getting to know a little more about Sweden than where it is on the map. The actual "april witch" aspect was an interesting way to tell all four stories. Christina was my favorite of the sisters, and the part about her x-rays during her time at medical school was a heartbreaker. Actually there were many poignant recollections of the girls growing up (pre and post Ella). I did find it hard to fathom why there wasn't more structure and honesty between the characters, but I think that was probably part of the mess they were in, so to speak. I would have liked to know even more about the characters and their flawed lives. I thought there were parts of the book that were unresolved; parts that weren't fully explained or situations that were somewhat messy - but I think that gave the book a measure of realism - real life isn't scripted and sometimes a happy ending just isn't in the cards. There were also little character traits and interesting situations for the characters that made up for where the book may have fallen shy of the mark. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Axelsson book...
Waste of Time.......2003-07-29
I did not like this book at all. My curiousity, largely generated from the 4 star reviews, kept me reading. This was a very disappointing read.
Product Description
"Blood Hunt"
Average customer rating:
- Good enough
- Not quite a satire but close
- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
- An honest, old-fashioned adventure with a metafictional twist
- It was a jolly good read.
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The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
William Goldman
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0345348036
Release Date: 1987-09-12 |
Amazon.com
The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."
Goldman frames the fairy tale with an "autobiographical" story: his father, who came from Florin, abridged the book as he read it to his son. Now, Goldman is publishing an abridged version, interspersed with comments on the parts he cut out.
Is The Princess Bride a critique of classics like Ivanhoe and The Three Musketeers, that smother a ripping yarn under elaborate prose? A wry look at the differences between fairy tales and real life? Simply a funny, frenetic adventure? No matter how you read it, you'll put it on your "keeper" shelf. --Nona Vero
Book Description
What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the "S. Morgenstern classic,
The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.
Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.
What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.
In short, it's about everything.
Eventually to be adapted for the silver screen, THE PRINCESS BRIDE was originally a beautifully simple, insightfully comic story of what happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince in the world--and he turnsout to be a son of a bitch. Guaranteed to entertain both young and old alike by combining scenes of rowsing fantasy with hilarious reality, THE PRINCESS BRIDE secures Goldman's place as a master storyteller.
Customer Reviews:
Good enough.......2007-10-08
I was pleased with the quality of the binding. The map of Florin lines the inside of both the front and back covers. One thing which disappointed me was that the cool gold 'embossed' cover you see in the picture online is only printed on the dust jacket. The cover to the actual book does not look 'old-timey,' and in fact is rather plain.
If you're searching for a review of the actual content of the book, see previous reviews.
Not quite a satire but close.......2007-09-30
William Goldman's 'The Princess Bride' tells the story of the true love between buttercup and Westley- and all the obstacles they have to overcome: An evil prince, a giant, a master swordsman, giant rodents and even death itself.
It is a clever take on fairy tale stories. But although it is funny and plays with he conventions of folk tales in a knowing kind of way, it never descends into cynicysm and therefore remains very enjoyable.
I had seen the movie first and was surprised how closely the movie followed the book.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman.......2007-09-26
I was very disappointed in this book. William Goldman totally ruined it for me. He opens with 31 pages of a long, boring, rambling, collection of his comments about the Princess Bride story. Additionally he gives a page of his ridiculous comments at the beginning of each chapter. He really ruined the story of the Princess Bride for me. I would never have bought this book if I had known this edition was about William Goldman and The Princess Bride is treated as a side story.
An honest, old-fashioned adventure with a metafictional twist.......2007-09-24
The Princess Bride is an honest and old-fashioned adventure. The bride of the title is Buttercup, the most beautiful girl in the world, soon to be married to Prince Humperdinck - too bad she's in love with Westley, the farm boy. Before you reach the end, you've come to know an evil Sicilian criminal mastermind, a Spanish fencing wizard, a gentle Turkish giant and many other memorable characters.
It's not just a funny adventure, there's an additional metafictional level. As the story goes, William Goldman didn't write the book: it's an abridgement of a book written by S. Morgenstern. Every now and then Goldman pops in the story, interrupts and discusses some details of Morgenstern's work he disagrees with and has cut off. I'm fairly sure some people will dislike that, but to me, it was the thing that made Princess Bride shine.
It was good, but not spectacular - I don't quite get the amazingly good reviews at Amazon, for example. It was funny, definitely, but not hilarious. The book is oozing good one-liners, that I admit. So, if you're looking for adventure, romance and excitement, The Princess Bride is certainly a good choice.
It was a jolly good read........2007-09-13
My first experience to the story of the Princess Bride was through the indulgence of the movie. I first saw it as a child, and I was like... this is a great movie. I still watch it today, because now I understand some things I didn't before, the more subtle humor that is carefully placed for adult ears only...
But enough of the movie. This is a book review! I decided to pick up the novel after I finally found out it was a novel. And yes, at first, I too fell to the prank of the S. Morgenstein joke. I'm so naive sometimes.
As I began reading, I couldn't help but appreciate the sarcastic and light tone of the author. The wording is humorous and free, and while it is not exactly of literary greatness, it is fun to read. I think that is the point that Goldman is trying to get across - humor. This book is simply meant to entertain, and that it does.
True, true, I am sympathetic to the fact that Buttercup is a true weakling who must be protected by her one and only Westley. I'm not exactly a feminist... but I don't exactly appreciate things like that. However, I can see the angle the author is coming from. He's writing a fantasy, a fairy tale. And let's face it, back in that age, women were not exactly treated like they are today. It all fits into context, so I am not completely angry at that fact.
I think the reason this book is so successful is because Goldman takes the cliche of the ordinary fairy tale and basically ridicules it in a way the reader can appreciate. I guess one could call this book a pun on fantasy. In doing this, Goldman has created a world in which not only those fans of humor will appreciate, but also those who are fans of the traditional fairy tale. People of all ages can appreciate the light wit that is contracted into every page of this novel, and the discrepencies from the ordinary. But people can also cherish it for the classic storyline it follows. This is truly a book for all people of every age of every time.
Book Description
The long awaited guide to Season 5 of the Babylon 5 phenomenon has everything gamers need to play in the last era of the television series. This indispensable handbook chronicles all the events of 2262, including updates of the major personalities of the galaxy and a detailed historical look at the year. Contained within this lavish full-color 128-page book are new rules and advice on a huge range of contemporary topics, from the tragedy of the Telepath War, to the nascent years of the Interstellar Alliance, to the precursors of the terrible Drakh War. Wheel of Fire is the apex of Babylon 5 and the culmination of a plotline that has enthralled audiences for years.
Book Description
On the heels of the fifth and final season of Babylon 5--TV's hottest interstellar science fiction phenomenon--here is the newest volume in the definitive series of episode guides! Catch up on all the action, show by show, from the very beginning with the Babylon 5: Season by Season guidebooks.
As the action surrounding Babylon 5 reaches the boiling point, Babylon 5: The Wheel of Fire sums up the last stunning season of the history-making series that started it all, thus setting the stage for the exciting B5 offshoot, Crusade. Episode by episode, Jane Killick offers a breathtaking look back at all the action, plot twists, and life-altering events that set the stage for the future of the Babylon 5 universe: Byron and his rogue telepaths' demand for a homeworld; Elizabeth Lochley's assignment as captain of Babylon 5; Sheridan's inauguration as president of the uneasy Interstellar Alliance; G'Kar's unwilling ascension to the role of messiah; and clandestine political intrigue on Centauri Prime.
Veteran viewers or first-time fans, relive the adventure--or find out what you've been missing--with the complete companions to Babylon 5!
Customer Reviews:
Item is not as described.......2006-05-26
The item I received from Amazon is not what is described here. Despite the banner on the front of this book and in the image stating "8 pages of color photographs", the photos were very poor quality black and white photocopies. This was true for all 3 of the Babylon 5 season books that had photos. I am not even convinced that the text in any of the 5 books is not just photocopy as well. I paid full cover price and purchased directly from Amazon. After sending a complaint and asking how to get the correct item, Amazon immediately sent another set. These too were defective black and white photocopies. Although the book itself appears to be interesting, I would buy it from a book store and not purchase it unseen through Amazon.
A Great Guide to a Great Series.......2004-04-14
Babylon 5 was unique in television. The main plot for the entire series was mapped out before the show even started. As a result, it developed a loyal fan base that still loves it.
This book is the fifth in a series of five episode guides to the series. Covering the fifth season, it has a separate chapter for each of the twenty-two episodes. Each starts with a plot summary, but then goes into behind the scenes stories and commentaries. Through interviews with cast, crew, and creator J. Michael Straczynski, author Jane Killick is able to give a full picture of what went into each episode. Some of my favorite parts are the stories of bloopers or jokes the cast played on each other. I also find the summaries useful if I'm looking for a particular episode to rewatch. Since the fourth season finale was actually the first episode of the fifth season production schedule, it's actually the first episode discussed here, creating a bonus, twenty-third chapter.
Starting out the book are two essays. The first is a summary of just what the show accomplished over its five year run. While fans and those reading these books will find little new, it's nice to have it all summarized in one place. I especially like the page of quotes from cast members about what the show meant to them. The second in an introduction to the fifth season, painting broad strokes of the story arcs introduced and developed over the course of the season.
Any fan will love to have this well researched book for a behind the scenes look at a wonderful piece of science fiction television history.
Essential Reading for the B5 Viewer.......2002-11-07
The Babylon 5: Season by Season guidebooks are an essential read for fans of the TV series. Containing photos, interviews, essays, and in-depth rundowns of each episode, each book is indispensable for B5 vets and newbies alike. Strongly recommended.
A great book series, but if you are new to the show..........2001-10-24
This is a really good book series for B5 fans. It makes a great companion & fun reading after you have watched each show. But I would recommend it mainly for those that have seen the series & are watching it again. The reason I say that is because it is laced with spoilers all throughout the commentaries. That's fine if you've seen the whole thing already, but it stinks if you are watching it for the first time. If you don't mind that sort of thing...go for it, but this is the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. For a good "non-spoiler" companion guide, I highly recommend The Babylon File: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to J. Michael Straczynski's TV Series Babylon 5 by Andy Lane (Versions 1 & 2). He shows no mercy sometimes. If he does or doesn't like the show, he let's you know. But it's a blast to read.
JMS' didn't like it..........1999-05-14
The writer/producer/creator of Babylon 5 did not like this book. He said that the author's commentary about season 5 (mostly negative) was mainly opinion based on dubious facts. One example of a dubious fact used by the author was the reduced shooting time from 7 to 6 days. The author claimed this contributed to season 5's less-than-stellar plot. According to JMS, it was not a factor, because previous seasons *already* were shooting 6 day schedules with the 7th day used in only rare circumstances. This is just one example of many inaccurate "facts" that J. Michael Straczynski disputes.
Customer Reviews:
A well-written and simple book on Buddha's life.......1998-01-03
This book deserves an award for its clarity and scholarly presentation of the life-history of the Buddha, while being readable even by the lay-person. The author is a well-known researcher of Eastern philosophical traditions.
Book Description
This second volume in a two volume set traces the Buddha's final journey from Rajagaha toward his birthplace of Kapilavatthu, detailing the many events of the Buddha's death and discussing the beginnings of his deification.
Customer Reviews:
Most reliable biography on the Buddha.......2007-09-05
This is the second part of the Biography on Gotama Buddha by the Japanese scholar Hajime Nakamura. It starts with the last journey of the Tathagata and proceeds up to his death in Kusinagar. There is a final and very interesting chapter on the beginnings of deification of the Buddha. If I want to read the major texts of Buddhism, I need Pali, Sanskrit, Cinghalese, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese at least. Obviously I can't master all these languages, fortunately, Dr Nakamura is a very knowledgeable scholar who based his book on the most reliable texts and on his own experiences and anecdotes about his visits to the important sites in the life of Siddharta.
P.S. The translation in English is wonderful, so congratulations to Gaynor Sekimori too!
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