The Mammoth Cheese: A Novel

Amazon.com

Sheri Holman's The Mammoth Cheese is the Mississippi River of novels. It winds along through most of the great themes of American fiction (tradition vs. innovation, the weight of the past, the dehumanizing effects of industrialization, the rifts between parents and children, men and women), picking up bits of history along the way, and carrying you wherever Holman wishes. The opening pages introduce at least 15 characters (not including the 11 premature babies born to dog trainer Manda Frank), a rough outline of the history of Three Chimneys, Virginia, and more information on small-farm cheesemaking than you might ever have thought you'd would want to learn, let alone absorb with fascination. Along with its moving themes, the pleasures of this novel are in Holman's grasp of human (and not only human) nature, and her gift for expressing this through unexpected details of daily life--that the cows in the local dairy give more milk when Sinatra's playing; that the dirty secret under an eighth-grade girl's mattress is Bride Magazine. Her inconspicuous flashes of verbal brilliance may go unnoticed by all but the most observant readers, but they lend sparkle to a complex and ambitious novel. --Regina Marler

Book Description

With The Mammoth Cheese, Holman delivers a sharp, contemporary story steeped in history that will captivate a new audience while gratifying readers of her acclaimed earlier work, The Dress Lodger. Beautifully crafted and driven by warm, vibrant characters, The Mammoth Cheese follows the residents of rural Three Chimneys, Virginia, on their historic journey to re-create the making of the original Thomas Jefferson-era, 1,235-pound "Mammoth Cheese." As the book opens, the town is joyously celebrating the birth of the Frank Eleven (eleven babies simultaneously born to Manda and James Frank after fertility treatments) and enjoying the thrill of notoriety as reform-minded presidential hopeful Adams Brooke visits the newborns. But as autumn progresses and the babies start to die, the community seeks to redeem itself through the making and transporting of a symbolic Mammoth Cheese to Washington, as a gift for the newly elected President Brooke. Sheri Holman seamlessly weaves together the lives of Three Chimneys, delving into her characters' inescapable family histories as they grapple with religion, divorce, politics, and unrequited love. The Mammoth Cheese is a triumphant exploration of the burdens and joys of rural America and the debts we owe to history, our parents, and ourselves.

Customer Reviews:

Life and Politics.......2007-03-17

A girl learns about life and left-leaning politics while her mother struggles to keep the dairy going, eventually deciding to take issues to the president.

The title is taken from a bit of history of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson history and some philosophy are sprinkled throughout with little of the traditional liberty emphasis, but rather with a mix of opinion.

I found the descriptions of the process of making cheese interesting; they were a reprieve from the dreary days and dreadful decisions in the novel.

This seems to be a bit of learned wisdom for liberals, a confession or suggestion of varied and pervasive self-centered natures, a revelation almost intramural and private, certainly humble.

Nice try, but no.......2006-09-02

Miss Holman seems to have some good researchers working for her. And she can put together a nice sentence.

The book turns out not to be funny or interesting though. Boring, boring, boring with characters that I couldn't find any concern for.

I can't imagine why this book ended up with four stars????????????

Poignant, funny poke at American history and small-town life.......2006-04-13

I like the ridiculously quirky humour of the characters and personalities of this small town; the meteoric rise to fame of an otherwise unremarkable couple who become parents to 11 children; the cashing-in on said fame by the local politician running for re-election; and the ordinary dairy-farmer's assistant by day, Thomas Jefferson-impersonator by night, to name a few. Yet, there are those poignantly serious parts to the storyline - the breakdown in communication between mother and teen-aged daughter, the dark thoughts that accompany post-natal depression in a young mother, and the sardonic teacher who captures a school girl's fancy. Filled me with nostalgia for my home country.

Holman is truly skilled.......2006-01-02

I've read this and The Dress Lodger. Consider this a comment on them both.

Sheri Holman's characters are, each and every one of them, beautifully flawed. They are drawn out to the very detail, and she never ever takes the easy way out and makes them just good or bad. The plots she comes up with are far-fetched and bizarre, but she does this with incredibly real characters, which, if you ask me, makes for incredibly well-written novels.

All the wit and vivaciousness of a huge cheese.......2005-03-21

If you took out all the boring, tedious repetitions this would be a small book. After hearing each character's flaws, preferences, and ideas for the hundredth time, I began to be a little insulted. Yes, I can remember for all of three pages that August admires Jefferson. No need to tell me yet again. There were no surprises, no revelations, no analysis, and I really didn't care what happened to the characters.

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The Mammoth Cheese
Sheri Holman
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N67QJE

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Mammoth Cheese
Sheri Holman
Manufacturer: ATLANTIC MONTHLY @ PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TXLCLY

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The Mammoth Cheese

Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Elder John Leland and the mammoth Cheshire cheese

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Elder John Leland and the mammoth Cheshire cheese
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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Ode to the mammoth cheese,: Presented to Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States, by the inhabitants of Cheshire, Massachusetts, January 1, 1802

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Ode to the mammoth cheese,: Presented to Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States, by the inhabitants of Cheshire, Massachusetts, January 1, 1802
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President Jefferson's mammoth cheese
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Manufacturer: American Tradition Corp.]
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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Book Description

A battle is brewing in the underworld, and at the center of it all is Damali Richards, spoken word artist and vampire huntress. But she is not just any huntress; she is the millennium Neteru, a woman so powerful that the vampire world is about to start a war-one that threatens to spread onto her streets-in order to possess her....Fallon Nuit, a rogue vampire who is one of the most powerful Damali has ever encountered, has allied himself with the deadly Amanthra demons in order to claim her. But the Vampire Council has plans for her as well. And now an unlikely variable has entered the equation: an ex-lover turned master vampire with an agenda of his own. Damali must risk trusting him once more if they are to survive.

Customer Reviews:

Better than the first.......2007-05-31

After reading Minion I wanted to read the next instalment however I never thought The Awakening was going to be this good. I have just ordered the next book and can't wait. Damali is getting stronger and i love that we get to see her develop into a strong independant woman from the start. I also love how the Carlos factor is panning out - can't wait to see how it all unfolds. Fantastic read. Leaves you dying for more.

The awakening is on fire.......2007-03-11

Wow! Not only does this story have great vampire fight scenes, but the characters' interaction and conflicts are intriguing. "The Awakening" is the second installment of the Vampire Huntress saga and I'm just getting started. I enjoyed "Minion," but I LOVED "The Awakening." The battle between good & evil, laced with the deadly romantic attraction between Neteru and Master Vampire was intoxicating.

We have Damali, Neteru, who is coming onto her own. Her birthday is nearing and so is her vulnerability to the master vampires stalking the Earth. Every demonic creature imaginable is aware of this historical event, but only the vampires have the ability to use it to their evil advantage. Carlos and Damali have always shared a bond, an attraction. Carlos always felt the need to protect Damali...kind of like her guardians. But when opportunity presents itself, can the softhearted drug lord resist. Carlos gets caught up in something that even his arrogant street-wise character can't reverse. The Vampires approach Carlos with a lucrative offer. His decision and actions thereafter can shift the balance between good and evil.

I sat in awe reading this book. I'm a big vampire fan, and the urban spin that Banks weaves into this series mesmerizes me. . I love Carlos. In my opinion, he is the most interesting character. Within him is the ultimate struggle between good and evil. The relationship between Damali and him is so moving.

Banks knows her occult lore and designs some of her own theories to explain the unexplainable. I love her descriptions of the layers of Hell, and the central idea that what you send out is returned to you. Unlike Anita Blake, who says she is a Christian, but we never see her beliefs as a part of her. Damali's deeply rooted beliefs are what make her an ideal vampire huntress. She understands evil, because she truly believes in the ultimate good. Banks delivered constant action, mental stimulation, and tweaked every human sense available. When you pick "The Awakening" up to read, tap off enough time to complete it because once you pick it up, you won't put it back down.

AY PAPI!!!.......2007-01-26

I forgot how great this book really was until I just finished re-reading it today (started this morning!) Yeah, Damali is hot and Carlos??? WHEW! That boy!! Excuse me... MAN!!! He's incredible! Banks sure knows how to dream up a man that would make any woman melt!

but seriously tho, its a beautiful story and since I already know the changes Carlos goes through I respect him all the more knowing where he came from. Its a hard hitting story about a man and a woman who come from some of the exact same places and situations that some of us come from! Its easy to relate and fall in love with the characters because their our brothers, our sisters, our mothers and fathers. Not tryin to be corny but they are us! Any and all could relate.

I know some wouldn't agree with me but I think more young people should read this book and the rest in the series to know what love can be and why its SO worth waiting for. "Ask me how I know."

This book lets you know that the series is a winner.......2006-09-05

I was not that thrilled with the first book in this series. " The Minion". I didn't think it got good until about three quarters into the book. The same can not be said for book 2. This book from the beginning held my interest and it ended with me wanting the 3rd book right away. if you like vampire stories with an unsual slant and or if you like books written by and about people of color than this is the series for you. Every body else who wrote a review told you what the story is about, so I won't go there. I will simply say that this book does not dissapoint. I really enjoyed it.

This Thing Called Love.......2006-05-24

LA Banks has returned with the Vampire Huntress Legend with her second book as she proceeds to take us on the adventure of a lifetime as a Neteru finds her way as a vampire huntress and a spoken word artist and Carlos Rivera figures out what he really wants.

Damali love for Carlos never fails but as each of them comes into their own they learn who they really are but would destiny really bring them so close to only let them fail. Three different sides want Damali for she is the key to keep the balance of good and evil. But each one has pulled Carlos Rivera into the mix for they all know that he can get her to do things with him with willingness but will Carlos go as far as to turn her over to them when his love for her is ever so strong.

When Damali finds her self team up with Carlos and the Covenant to take out a master vampire she doesn't know what to expect but she does know that she still love Carlos and that he must not be left behind but with the power of darkness upon him he can do everything but fight with him as he proceeds to try and protect her from his kind and those of darkness but will Damali let him do it without putting up an argument or letting her love for him put her in danger.

Be sure to continue reading LA Banks Vampire Huntress Series as she continues to bring us more on the light and dark fight and the love that stands between Carlos and Damali.

Vampire Huntress Legend Series; Minion, The Awakening, The Hunted, The Bitten, The Forbidden, The Damned, The Forsaken (Set of 7 Paranormal Romance Novels)

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Vampire Huntress Legend Series; Minion, The Awakening, The Hunted, The Bitten, The Forbidden, The Damned, The Forsaken (Set of 7 Paranormal Romance Novels)
Vampire Huntress Legend
Manufacturer: St. Martins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VCL4IY

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Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0345258452

Average customer rating:

Don't believe the hype.

Interesting & Engaging - Great book.

Excellent read, a fine piece of work by one of my favorites

Great because it's different.

This is the worst book in the series and just doesn't fit in

Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Foster, Alan Dean | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Flinx in Flux (Pip and Flinx Novels)

Orphan Star

Mid-Flinx

The Tar-Aiym Krang

For Love of Mother-Not (Adventures of Pip and Flinx)

ASIN: 0345332857
Release Date: 1985-09-12

Book Description

It caused instant addiction, followed by an excruciating slow death, and there was no known antidote.

It was a killer.

Supposedly the drug had been totally eradicated from the humanx galaxy years before. At least that's what everyone thought. But somehow, mysteriously, that dreadful substance was back in circulation on Repler and threatening to wreak havoc throughout the known galaxy.

Someone somewhere was secretly manufacturing Bloodhype, but nobody seemed to know where or who!

Download Description

Revived by a secret manufacturer, a deadly drug called Bloodhype returns to the humanx galaxy.

Flinx and Pip risk their skins to stop the scourge. Can even the remarkable Flinx stop the deadly drug that was sweeping the galaxy?

Customer Reviews:

Don't believe the hype........2001-09-18

As a big fan of Flinx, especially his earnestness, I looked forwarded to following his growth in Foster's second Flinx book. Sadly, Flinx is less than a minor character in this very confused tale. Bloodhype is (oddly enough) actually a story about an alien intelligence so powerful it devours all life on planets it attacks and is a threat to the entire galaxy. Mixed in the story is also some unsavory drug dealers who deal in Bloodhype, a kinda futuristic crack that gets you addicted after one dose and you will die without another. Still, the last 80 pages or so made it actually worth finishing and possibly made the whole book worth reading.

Interesting & Engaging - Great book........2000-02-24

This book is an interesting tie-in book to the Flinx series. It is enjoyable to see Flinx largely from outside his POV for almost the entire time he appears in this novel (the latter half). I found it to be a nice contrast to the 'hardcore Flinx' novels. The main characters are both deadly serious and lightheartedly silly. A strange combo that works well and provides a constant stream of banter between the main characters.

In response to some of the other reviews below...

While Flinx's adventures in this story seem to be forgotten in the next book (the timeline at the end of 'Flinx in Flux' places the Vom/Guardian event _AFTER_ the 'FiF' events), I have hope that there is a reason for this that will be revealed later in the series. I say this because in each novel, Flinx is forced to grow and to develop his mysterious Talent in some way. As this happens more pieces are put into place regarding his destiny and the sheaf of other ongoing plotlines that Foster weaves in.

What both frustrates me (mildly) and yet draws me to the next book, is the fact that each time he aquires some new aspect of his Talent, he seems to forget he can do that particuar thing in subsequent novels. (i.e. the offensive capability he uses at the end of Flinx in Flux is never even mentioned in "Mid-Flinx," even when he is in deadly danger and would most certainly have at least considered using it.) The pattern is set in the (timeline-wise) first novel "For Love of Mother Not" when Flix experiences a haeadache and amnesia after he mysteriously resuces himself from the middle of a firefight... destroying a building in the process.

Either Foster is a schitzo or there is a deliberate pattern to this. I trust it is a pattern.. and that there is a reason for it... one that will be revealed and make sense. If that is so, I feel confident that the Vom, the Guardian, & Flinx's participation in the battle from this novel will fit into that pattern. I point to the final communication between Flinx and the Guardian for an enticing possibility.

I just hope Foster does not string this out too long. Too much frustration and I'll quit being interested in buying. Like I did with X-Files after a few years.

But for now I am content to read and enjoy the unfolding story of Flinx.

Dear Mr. Foster, WE NEED MORE FLINX! NOW! heheh

Excellent read, a fine piece of work by one of my favorites.......1999-07-20

This is a truly well done novel. No, Flinx is not the only character in this book, but he is the main character. In response to a previous review, I think he is totally in character. I read this novel when it was brand new (I think I was twelve at the time) and saw the series evolve. This is truly an entertaining read, I've read it many, many times. I cannot but say that you will not be disappointed with this book, unlees you happen to be that "Reader from California". (See lame review below) :) Enjoy!

Great because it's different........1999-04-28

This book is different from the rest of the Flinx series, but still great. Flinx is not the major character, which is one of the neat things about it. There are other commonwealth books that never mention Flinx yet hint at his fate (e.g. the Howling Stones), and this book is a strange crossover between those other commonwealth books and hardcore Flinx books. The book is an easy and fast read, yet features the Vom, simply one of the neatest entities in the sci fi world.

This is the worst book in the series and just doesn't fit in.......1998-12-06

I really liked the Flinx of the Commonwealth series but this book really disapointed me. This book is poorly written and doesn't seem to fit into the rest of the series. Flinx isn't even the main character and barely exists. When Flinx does appear in the story he doesn't act very much like Flinx anyway. This book however does include one of the main recurring themes of the Filnx of the Commonwealth series: long lost alien races leaving significant legacys. This book starts out with these two Church agents trying to find a killer narcotic called bloodhype. By the end of the story a big, mean, lifeform called the Vom escapes from this planet and Flinx and this revived Tar'Aiym wage a psionic battle with it. If it were completely about the Tar'Aiym Flinx and the Vom this book would be pretty cool. Unfortuneately most of the books actually about trying to hunt down the bloodhype. THe bloodhype only effects the psionic war in about one paragraph. The Only thing made me keep reading is the fact that it was part of the Flinx of the Commonwealth series. Spare yourself the time and don't read this book unless you REALLY want to read the entire series. Read the rest of the series it's really good. Besides nothing in this book is so much as mentioned in the following books.

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Adventure on a backwater planet

Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0345310217
Release Date: 1983-02-12

Customer Reviews:

Adventure on a backwater planet.......2004-12-04

This was your normal science fiction adventure: hero, female helper(almost hero), helper, odd characters and futuristic technology. I enjoyed reading this story, like the other stories by Mr. Foster's I have read. His writing style is very good and he puts enough humor in to help you enjoy reading it.

It has a blurp on the cover of it being, "The continuing adventure of Flinx and his mighty minidrag Pip...", but I never read anything about them. They might have been in there incognito, but the hero was someone else anyway, and those two are just background characters. Odd to advertise this story like that. It is good enough to be read for the rest of the characters.

I gave this a 4 star rating because the ending becomes obvious to experienced readers from the middle of the story and you just bide your time until it happens.

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Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HOOKS2

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BLOODHYPE

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
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Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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ASIN: B000OW0G7G

3 PBs by Alan Dean Foster, Flinx & Pip: For Love of Mother-Not, Bloodhype, Flinx in Flux (Pip and Flinx Adventure)

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3 PBs by Alan Dean Foster, Flinx & Pip: For Love of Mother-Not, Bloodhype, Flinx in Flux (Pip and Flinx Adventure)
Alan Dean Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RMKGN2

Product Description

Paperbacks

3 Titles By Alan Dean Foster Pip and Flinx Series (1-3) : 1. The Tar-Aiym Krang 2. Bloodhype 3. The End of the Matter

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3 Titles By Alan Dean Foster Pip and Flinx Series (1-3) : 1. The Tar-Aiym Krang 2. Bloodhype 3. The End of the Matter
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000WCFKTW

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

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Bloodhype
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JDUZ6W

Book Description

This substantially expanded edition of Belden C. Lane's Landscapes of the Sacred includes a new introductory chapter that offers three new interpretive models for understanding American sacred space. Lane maintains his approach of interspersing shorter and more personal pieces among full-length essays that explore how Native American, early French and Spanish, Puritan New England, and Catholic Worker traditions has each expressed the connection between spirituality and place.A new section at the end of the book includes three chapters that address methodological issues in the study of spirituality, the symbol-making process of religious experience, and the tension between place and placelessness in Christian spirituality.

Customer Reviews:

Frascinating and moving.......2006-09-22

This is one of those books that i treat myself to read, that is, I read just a few sections of each chapter to make it last longer. It is not only a book that captures one's attention, but moves one's spirit to greater depths. I am also intrigued by the scholarship and research that have gone into making this book a reality. I am looking forward to reading other works by Belden Lane.

A Must-Read follow up to "Solace of Fierce Lanscapes".......2003-01-03

If you've read Lane's "Solace of Fierce Landscapes" you'll want to read "Landscapes of the Sacred". "Landscapes" was actually written before "Solace," but has been recenly reprinted by John Hopkins Press with an expanded introduction. There's lots here for anyone interested in the cultural, religious, spiritual, and philosophical aspects of how we human beings experience place, especially those places that have sacred significance. The historical background on Puritans and Native AMerican spirituality are especially welcome.

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