Bitter Gourd & Other Stories

Book Description

Talat Abbasi is one of the best-known fiction writers in English writing about the Pakistani experience. This is a collection of seventeen short stories that explore the worlds of Pakistanis in Karachi and its environs, and of Pakistanis in New York. Collectively the stories portray each
strata of contemporary Pakistani society, from the privileged upper classes to servants.

Customer Reviews:

Review of "Bitter Gourd and Other Stories" by Talat Abbasi.......2002-03-21

This collection of short stories by Talat Abbasi is a contemporary classic. Set in Pakistan and New York, the stories deal with the lives of ordinary people - rich and poor, master and servant, husband and wife, parents and children. But there is nothing mundane about these stories. In the hands of a master story teller, the ordinary turns into the extraordinary to surprise the reader at every step and reveal the psychological and sociological complexities of people's lives. This collection is a first rate addition to the worldclass literature emanating from South Asian writers.
Rating: 5 stars.

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Bitter Gourd & Other Stories
Talat Abbasi
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKU3FI

Amazon.com

Preparations for the feast for the Summer of the Golden Rain are underway at Redwall Abbey, and young Mattimeo's mother sets him to work with the other inhabitants. His father, Matthius, is the guardian of Redwall Abbey and it is this fact that puts the young Mattimeo in danger, as the evil Slagar the Fox plots to kidnap him in a bid to shake the very foundations of the Abbey and its inhabitants.

Rip-roaring adventure at its very best, Mattimeo is one of the exquisitely executed and totally bewitching tales in the best-selling Redwall series. Brian Jacques, with his masterly use of language and enviable talent for descriptive prose that transports the reader to the very heart of Redwall, magically weaves an epic tale breathtaking in proportion and design. Utterly addictive, Mattimeo is packed with so much color, passion, fury, and love that it will leave readers desperate for more. --Susan Harrison

Book Description

In the magnificent tradition of Waershop Down, an extraordinary tale of corageous adventure -- from the author of Redwall and Mossflower.

In the summer of the Golden Plain, the cunning fox, Slagar the cruel, and his evil henchmen sneak into Redwall Abbey to kidnap the woodland children -- including Mattimeo, son of the great warrior mouse Matthias. Now Matthias and a handful of brave followers must abandon their home to the mercy of General Ironbeak's invading ravens in order to rescue their stolen little ones. But on the road to a dread kingdom and certain slavery, an unexpected hero will be born -- and the captive mouse-child Mattimeo will prove himself worthy at last to wield the sword of his illustrious father.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT! 10/10!.......2007-09-29

This is either the best or the second best Redwall book. It's the direct sequel to the Original Redwall, so there will be a lot of familier characters. Complete with 3 huge battles, a cruel monster that lurks in the dark, and an evil slaver named Slager, this book is ultimate, and I highly reccomend it!

I love this book!.......2007-08-22

Why are the most known and far better books of the Redwall universe the first ones done? Well, they're the first ones done, and they were actually pretty good. 'Mattimeo', along with 'Mossflower', and possibly maybe even 'Salamandastron', were one of the best Redwall books. To me. I don't know if it applies to the rest of you readers, but I stick by my comment. 'Mattimeo' was a well done book. It was also one of the biggest, probably the biggest Redwall book. It's actually a quest I'd actually look forward to reading, and for once, the Redwall creatures are showing emotion that is actually true rather than just coming out strained and downright terrible like in Jacques' recent works.

'Mattimeo' takes place seasons and seasons after the 'Redwall' book, the true sequel, and it focuses on Sela's supposedly dead son, Chickenhound. He is now called Slagar the Cruel, has his band of wicked beasts that we know will probably be weasels, ferrets, rats, stoats...those guys. Slagar is noticed as one of the most intelligent, wicked, and more insane of any warlord that came before or after him. His face is horribly disfigured, cause of a snake's bite and painful venom, and he hides his deformity using a skull mask. Believing his own lies of how the Redwall creatures had betrayed him, he plans to seek revenge by stealing the children of Redwall under the Redwaller's noses and selling them to Malkariss, a warlord who dwells in the underground, building an empire, made from the paws of many slave children.

This story works well, extremely well, as Mattimeo, Matthias' son, slowly becomes a hardened warrior during the time of his capture and how he is forced to endure harsh beatings, cruel words, and many deaths as he is led to Malkariss' kingdom. And while the warriors of Redwall chase after Slagar, the Redwallers are having troubles of their own back at the abbey. General Ironbeak and his birds are set on seizing it. The techniques that Slagar uses to outsmart his pursuers are classic and clever, but for some reason I do not like Ironbeak's part in how he tries to conquer the abbey. Either he's really dumb or the Redwallers for some reason are extremely well trained to handle an aerial attack--either one or both, I just don't like how he tries to conquer it when there were dozens of simple solutions, like a total ambush. Grabbing them and flinging them from a range of thirty feet would have done it, but I'm not the writer. When there's a more awesome story going on, I don't care about the weak side story. I just love Slagar and his twisted schemes. This is truly one of my favorite Redwall books of all time.

The Quest for Mattimeo.......2007-05-20

I would recommend this book because it is full of action and intensity. When I started reading this book, I never wanted to put it down. After every page, it just got better and better. There were many surprises in this book, like if there is a battle or new enemy; it was just full of surprises. I would and have read a book by Brian Jacques, which was Redwall, the first book in the series. Now I am reading the prequel to Redwall, Mossflower. Overall, Mattimeo was a terrific book.

Excellent Book for everyone young and old.......2007-04-16

Tis book tells the story of Mattiemo, a young mouse who is captured by Slagar the fox in a break in at Redwall. He and all of his friends are taken to an evil land but Mattiemo's father Matthias is hot on this trail!!!!!

This is a good book for those that have read the series before (Expecially Redwall). It brings back our favorite characters, including Basil Stag Hare, Jess Squirrel, Matthias, Cornflower, Tim and Tess, plus many more.
It has a good plot, plus many emotions including sadness, romance, courage and a huge fighting spirit.

Great novel.......2006-11-21

"Mattimeo" tells the story of the son of Matthias the Warrior, who happens to be named Mattimeo. The plot is compelling and whimsical, great especially for younger readers, and I enjoyed it even more than "Redwall". There were only a couple of minor things that kept me from giving it the full five stars.

First of all, there are the numerous (that may well be an understatement) descriptions of Slagar's mask. Believe me, if you don't know what material that mask is made of by the end of the book then you have some serious attention problems. Quotes such as "Slagar grinned from behind the silken mask" and "The silk mask sucked into a hideous grin" are okay when used in moderation, but when we are bombarded endlessly with these nearly identical descriptions, it detracts from rather than adds to the story. I'm sorry, *what* was the mask made from again?

The other thing that bothered me was the apparent lack of attention to proportion. For example, at one point, Slagar gets angry at an impudent Mattimeo and starts beating the young mouse with a cane. And yet, according to Brian Jacques, Mattimeo does not feel the blows at all. Am I the only one who thinks this is simply absurd? A fox beating a mouse with a cane would be like King Kong beating a human with an uprooted tree - that's how big foxes are compared to mice. Forget feeling the blows, Mattimeo should be crushed by them!

But despite these things, I really enjoyed the story of Mattimeo, and I would recommend it to anyone who has read other books in the series or who just loves animal fantasy. I also recommend the fantastic "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky and the "Warriors" books by Erin Hunter.

5 Titles By Brian Jacques Redwall Series : Redwall Mossflower Mattimeo Salamandastron Lord Brocktree

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5 Titles By Brian Jacques Redwall Series : Redwall Mossflower Mattimeo Salamandastron Lord Brocktree
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: ACE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Product Description

Five mmpb books. 5 Titles By Brian Jacques Redwall Series : Redwall Mossflower Mattimeo Salamandastron Lord Brocktree.

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Mattimeo
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPJ25Q

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Mattimeo
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JJKS2W

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Mattimeo
Brian Jacques
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Product Description

The young mouse Mattimeo must take up the great sword once wielded by the legendary Martin to defend Redwall Abbey's peaceful way of life, and he learns there is far more to becoming a true warrior than simply brandishing a sword.

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Mattimeo
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: RED FOX BOOKS (RAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G8I95E

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Mattimeo
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXSG0A

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Mattimeo / Pokhod Matiasa
Brajan Dzhejks
Manufacturer: Azbuka
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 5352003000

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Mattimeo. Die Rache des Fuchses.
Brian Jacques , and Michaela Helms
Manufacturer: Thienemann Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 352217142X

Mattimeo. General Eisenschnabell. Die Redwall- Saga. ( Ab 10 J.).

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Mattimeo. General Eisenschnabell. Die Redwall- Saga. ( Ab 10 J.).
Brian Jacques
Manufacturer: Bertelsmann, München
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Children's Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 3570261018

Customer Reviews:

The new Ray Bradbury........2006-04-05

Reviewers have often called Caitlin R. Kiernan "the new Lovecraft." No disrespect to the old gent from Providence, but I think it would be closer to the truth to call her the new Ray Bradbury, and the range and breadth of fiction collected in To Charles Fort, With Love is all the evidence of this that I need. Like Bradbury, Kiernan works words like a carnival barker or a medieval alchemist, shaping them into things we have never imagined they could be and drawing from them sheer glorious wonder.

The best of the best!.......2006-04-04

I've been a reader and fan of Caitlin Kiernan's work since her days writing The Dreaming for DC Comics. She's come a long way. The stories in To Charles Fort, With Love are the work of an author whose voice continues to mature. I was especially taken with "The Dead and the Moonstruck" and "Andromeda Among the Stones." At this point, I'd rate Kiernan as one of the foremost short-fiction authors writing fantasy today, alongside writers like Thomas Ligotti, Kelly Link, and Neil Gaiman. This collection is simply brilliant. A must for lovers of all things fantastic!

Nay.......2006-03-28

Caitlin Kiernan's writing shows no growth whatsoever. For all intents and purposes these stories are the same ones as in Tales of Pain Of Wonder with different titles and names. It's tiresome. It seems like the author cannot come to the grips with the fact that the 1990s are long over.

Avoid.

A Great Collection.......2006-03-04

Charles Fort, an American literary eccentric ignored by the literary main stream, remains a cult icon in some fantasy and gothic literary circles where he is admired for his assault on codified, "rationale," reality, his affirmation of the radically uncanny--the material organized science damns and excludes. The opening pages of his Book of the Damned set forth a breathtaking philosophical treatise, a dazzling monist argument in this vain: "Every man who works for stability under its various names of "permanency," "survival," "duration," is striving to localize in something the state that is realizable only in the universal." He can be at one moment an Emerson, articulating brilliant insights in strikingly accurate prose, and the next minute a pitchman for his circus of the mind spun from his private library of what Caitlin Kiernan accurately describes as "inflammatory and absurdist theses."
Though he is not mentioned there, his signature is recognizable in, for example, Stephan King's Carrie and in Jack Finney's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. King's novel begins with an item in a Westover, Maine, newspaper reporting a rain of stones having fallen in the town from a blue sky on a clear afternoon. The item is "fortrean"--the kind of unaccountable event Fort would find reported in old newspapers and would clip and catalog. In Finney's Invasion
the writer Jack Belicec is drawn with Fort in mind. He too saves newspaper items that report queer occurrences--Man Burned to Death; Clothes Unharmed, or Frogs Fell on Alabama, and so forth. Belicec notes that thousands of such items could be assembled. "Should they always be explained away? Or laughed away? Science, he argues, dismisses these reports that don't fit "with automatic habitual contempt. From which the rest of us take our cue."
Belicec's apologia for this body of bizarre material--the scorned content Fort calls "the damned," occupies over three full pages of Invasion, but Fort is not mentioned, as he is not in Carrie. Kiernan's homage, on the other hand, like her frequent tributes to H.P. Lovecraft, is overt and unapologetic: To Charles Forte with Love. A worthy tribute, the book presents a collection of some of Kiernan's best short story work thus far--pieces such as "Onion," previously hard to find, and the disturbing tour de force "Le Peau Vert" which could well become a classic in the short horror genre. The subtle, inescapable slipping away of identity by way of mirror, extreme makeup, and absinthe, is written so convincingly that few dread-based tales in the language could be put forth as its equals. It will a reader hours to emerge from this tale's grim greenness, it's terrible, ritual inevitability.

Kiernan surrounds her work with forwards, afterwords, postscripts and the like--metanarratives relating how given works came to be written, how characters and ideas developed. One thinks of the latest film DVDs in connection with which trailer material--"The making of X"--seems to be obligatory. On the whole this tack is interesting, but it can lead to clutter. One would not want to affirm a New Critical esthetic expecting the art piece to be hermetically sealed, but the work must be allowed to have its proper space. When at the end of "The Valencia" Maire has no sooner shot herself than a postscript quotation from Lady Wilde intrudes, one thinks of university film series where the lights are flipped on before the film's last musical note has had a chance to resonate. The waves are crashing on the rocks on a western Irish island when all of a sudden the reader is referred to a literary text, and one that in fact doesn't do all that much. Why not instead fit the text into the story proper somewhere, or place it as an epigraph?

This aside, the collection is compelling, spellbinding, and set forth with the amazing writing brilliance Kiernan is becoming famous for.

It's that good........2005-12-29

Caitlin R. Kiernan, To Charles Fort, with Love (Subterranean Press, 2005)

Once again Subterranean exceeds expectations by having constructed a beautiful book. It's amazing how much difference there can be between a book from a major publisher and one from a small press; pick up just about any title from Subterranean, Ziesing, Prime, etc., and the difference will immediately be obvious. The beauty of the construction alone is enough that any Subterranean Press book I've ever come across starts off in a better place, from the standpoint of reviewing it, than most.

Inside this one, in particular, are the stories of Caitlin R. Kiernan, whose work, in my experience, has never once failed to do justice to the labor-of-love construction one finds at Subterranean. Kiernan's work is never less than excellent. It is sometimes difficult, sometimes confusing (in a good way), always thought-provoking. If you've been a fan for a while, you've probably read one or two of these (most likely "Standing Water" and "Onion," both of which are well worth the re-read), but unless you're a fanatic with far more money than I, there will be a few in here that are likely new to you. I always seem to come back to comparing Kiernan's work to Candles for Elizabeth, and of course that was where my head went immediately upon finishing this collection; many of these stories are just as good as the work in that chapbook, which, from my POV, ranks them among the best of her stuff that I have yet come across.

Wonderful. You want this. **** ½

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A great tribute to the life and ministry of U2

Are you looking for meaningful music?

Move Spirit Move Me, Move Spirit Teach Me...Move with It...

A good starting place

If you want to know about Bono/U2's sprituality, listen to what THEY have to say...

Walk On: The Spiritual Journey Of U2
Steve Stockman
Manufacturer: Relevant Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rock | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Rock | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God

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Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas

Religious Nuts, Political Fanatics: U2 in Theological Perspective

U2: Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every Song

ASIN: 0976035758

Book Description

One of the world's leading voices of faith and social activism also happens to be one of its biggest rock bands. The members drink, smoke and swear—yet a radical biblical agenda and faith fuel their life and work. Welcome to the dichotomy of U2.

This revised version of Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 picks up where the first edition left off—amid the cathartic atmosphere of the post-9/11 Elevation tour that ushered in the aggressive spirituality of 2005's Vertigo tour. It explores the controversy surrounding the deep-rooted religious themes of the band's music and the outspokenness of their lead singer, Bono. Moreover, it is a spiritual companion to their albums, exposing the real meaning behind many of their songs and performances.

From the group's beginnings in Dublin's Shalom Christian Fellowship to their arrival as the world's greatest rock band, Walk On shines a spotlight on the very real struggles and triumphs of the band members' Christian faith. How has Bono transformed from a rock god to a key ambassador on the world stage? Why is the Church that once shunned U2 now claiming them as its own? More than two decades into worldwide success, have the boys from Ireland actually found what they're looking for? Join author Steve Stockman in pouring over more than 20 years of interviews, analysis and insight in an unparalleled quest to answer the burning questions everyone wants to know.

Customer Reviews:

A great tribute to the life and ministry of U2.......2007-01-10

I have enjoyed this book immensely. Stockman does a great job of walking you through the development of Bono and the band and really giving the spiritual backdrop and development that the band went through via the different phases of their musical progression. He also offers thought provoking insight throughout about the tension between U2 and the established church and how each of them really lines up with the call of Christ. This book will stretch you in your own evaluation of where you are in your faith journey.

Are you looking for meaningful music?.......2006-03-22

I knew before I read the book that U2's music finds inspiration from the spiritual. I didn't realize how much they borrow from Biblical scripture and many other facets of the Christian walk. 'Walk on' and many other songs that you have heard will have new meaning once you read this book about U2.

Move Spirit Move Me, Move Spirit Teach Me...Move with It..........2006-02-25

This is one of the best books I have ever read about U2's lyrics and the theological perspectives there in. Steve Stockman leads the reader into a deeper awareness of U2's lyrics, and gives you the biblical verses that help to translate these U2 lyrics.

This book is a moving experience-- and makes one appreciate the deep, spiritual side of U2's music. Like the song Mysterious Ways-- I say this: "Move Spirit Move Me..."

I highly recommend this book to any U2 fan or anyone who enjoys spiritual enlightenment.

Love and Peace or Else,
The BoNo FReaK (-;
St. Charles, MO

A good starting place.......2006-02-13

I am not one to read books about rock bands, even ones as influential as U2. But after seeing them in concert, and reading some things about them on the Christianity Today website, I was intrigued.

This book really gave me some good insights into the band, their beliefs, and the real meaning of their music. I have a new appreciation for songs I've always liked. I want to go and read more and learn more about the band, and I want to go back and listen to CDs I've long since forgotten about, all as a resulf of this book. Really, that is the ultimate compliment I can give the writer.

So why only 3 stars? Well, a few things... first, the book seemed a bit shallow. Why not show me actual lyrics in detail? Why not go further into scripture and analysis of that scripture? There just wasn't quite enough insight there to make me think enough that I have to read the book again to pick up something I may have missed. It bothered me that it seemed so obvious that the author has never sat down and talked to Bono or the other band members, yet he tried to manufacture a personal familiarity that he obviously doesn't have. I'm referring to things like referring to the band as 'the guys,' like they meet at the pub for a pint once a month. I know that may seem picky, but it really pulled me out of the book at times.

Generally, the book was good... I learned a few things, and I'm inspired to research the subject more and read other, more detailed books about U2. So this is a good place to start for anyone who is interested in U2, Christianity, or both topics.

If you want to know about Bono/U2's sprituality, listen to what THEY have to say..........2005-12-09

It's evident from this book that Stockman has never spoken one-on-one with Bono (and if I'm wrong, that makes the book even worse in my opinion). If you're going to write a commentary on someone else's sprituality, please at least get to KNOW the person! Besides some loose descriptions of things U2 has done that have any relation to Christianity or spirituality, the book is nothing but a) assertions about the religious themes in Bono's lyrics that are too obvious to even be worth commenting on and b) inferences based on his own opinion of Bono and not any primary knowledge of what Bono's lyrics truly mean.

The sources Stockman's pulling from are things most big U2 fans are already familiar with (and we're also familiar with their level of credibility). In fact, I think most big U2 fans could come up with more accurate inferences of Bono's lyrics.

If you are truly interested in U2/Bono's sprituality, as a Christian and huge U2 fan, I highly recommend the following:

Bono In Conversation (w/ Michka Assayas)
U2: At the End of the World (Bill Flannagan)
Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview (w/ Jann S. Wenner, RS986, Nov 3, 2005)

Bono has plenty to say on his own spirituality!

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Walk On: The spiritual journey of U2
Zondervan
Manufacturer: Vida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Spanish Edition: On of the leading voices in the world of faith also happens to be one of the biggest rock groups. This book tells the story of the group’s beginning and its journey to becoming one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

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