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- Beautiful work of fiction
- Worth 5 stars
- I could't put it down
- Thoughts on Beth Goldner's Novel
- Very Boring, Difficult to Read
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The Number We End Up With: A Novel
Beth Goldner
Manufacturer: Counterpoint
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Wake
ASIN: 1582432708
Release Date: 2005-07-05 |
Book Description
A tragicomic novel about fading love and sudden death, falling for the wrong guy and forgiving your father-all over the course of one fateful spring.
"When the man you love leaves you, a portion of your soul may wander into the bastions of hell, sift through the flames, run amok with the devil, and pray he dies. I know mine did." Anjou Lovett was conceived under a pear tree one half-moon night in August 1965. Not much in her life has been quite as poetic since. Her father left five weeks before sister Stella was born and returns only to set in motion a pattern of coming and going that would define their family. With this sad, sordid history behind her, the thirty-two-year-old Anjou is unprepared for the entrance of handsome, successful Quinn into her life. But after two near-idyllic years together, he too comes home one day and says, "We need to talk about us." What follows is this emotionally honest, imaginative story of a woman confronting the demons of her past and the absurdities of her present. With Goldner's light and "uncommonly perceptive"(New York Times Book Review) touch, The Number We End Up With is both a page-turner and literary exploration of the power of forgiveness.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful work of fiction.......2006-07-28
I am tired of "chick lit." I enjoy it, don't get me wrong, and I've read lots of the well-reviewed "chick lit" books and thoroughly enjoyed them, then promptly forgot about them in that the characters did not live on in my memory, nor did their tidy happy endings.
I saw this book at my local bookstore because it said it was written by a local author, and I'm a big fan of supporting Philly authors (everyone should go read Green Grass Grace by Shawn McBride) and picked it up. Wow. It is just one of those beautifully written, sometimes solemn, sometimes funny, sometimes painful books that I am proud to lend to my sisters and brothers and friends. It's not just for chicks, that's for sure. It's a beautiful character study, a family drama without unnecessary "soap opera" drama.
I highly recommend it.
Worth 5 stars.......2005-11-30
This novel is not only a compelling read but a pleasant surprise. I had expected it to be, as a previous reviewer stated, chick lit. It has the usual ingredients for a hackneyed romance; a woman in love with a married man who (gee, what a shock) eventually cheats on her too. Ms Goldner has taken this worn out theme and turned it into an unexpectedly fresh and highly enjoyable story. Her writing style is not spare or minimalist. She strings words together like poetry in long, gratifying sentences, eloquent in their construction.
If one prefers the two dimensional characters of most fiction they will not like the well defined, memorable and fully fleshed out people in this book. The author knows them all intimately and, better yet, can induce the reader to know them as well. Rarely have I read a novel with this depth of characters and knowledge of time and place. Her mythical town of Glyn Neath is as real as Sinclair Lewis's Zenith or John O'Hara's Gibbsville. She knows where all of her characters live and the color of paint in the living room as well as the names of streets and where they intersect. Her sense of detail in describing architecture, the color and movement of the sea or the smell of flowers on her lover's neck is unerring.
Ms Goldner has, through her protagonist, Anjou Lovett, described better than most the agony of being abruptly dumped by the love of her life. The sense of loss and betrayal are rendered in tragicomic fashion as Anjou struggles with the situation and the emotions they stimulate. Anjou's coping mechanism is through asking questions from friends, relatives and complete strangers about her departed lover as well as more generic questions about life and love. I thought this aspect of the novel to be unique and fascinating. Whenever my relationships have broken up I may have had a lot of questions but I never wanted to know the answers. Anjou did and therein lies the making of a brilliant and moving novel.
Anjou's trek through her town coincides with the introspective journey she makes through her memories as she tries to come to grip with her family and her departed boyfriend. While there is no major epiphany, nothing life changing or life affirming, the commentary on her life and loves in all its manifestations is revealing and perceptive. Anjou grapples with her grief and her family in alternately poignant and humorous vignettes that will stay with the reader for a long time. Being rejected by the love of one's life could turn a person bitter and hate filled. But one can also let their love transcend the pain and allow their love to live on after the object of their affection has gone as Anjou does. Which makes me think that the reviewer from Philadelphia either read a different book than I did or has some major issues to deal with personally. I would highly recommend Beth Goldner's debut novel. She is a refreshing new author who writes in a singular style that is both compelling and thought provoking. I can only hope that she has another book in the making.
I could't put it down.......2005-10-29
I work in a bookstore, and picked this book up one day when I was burdened with nothing to do. It was appealing because the picture on the cover looked so hopeful, gleeful, victorious, and utterly feminine, yet the book was not (thank f-ing god) chic lit. I have not read Wake (but need to get my hands on a copy soon!). There was no way to pry this book from my hands for the next day or so; I simply fell in love with the characters. This is a highly unusual and surprising book. Anjou is grieving and coming to terms with the death of her lover in the only way that she can. This is not a carefree novel, it is not light reading, and don't pick it up if you mind aching a bit. However, this books is hilarious and leaves you feeling refreshed and joyous. Thank you, Beth Goldner, for creating so many necessary things. I highly recommend this book.
Thoughts on Beth Goldner's Novel.......2005-09-11
Perhaps it's my own experience with the sudden death of someone I love, but the novel pulled at me in the same way my refusal to fully accept the death of my own loved one dogs me. What resonates for me as a reader and writer of fiction is the complex chronolgy of the novel and how beautifully it worked as a map of Anjou Lovett's troubled emotional life. Not for a moment was I lost or uncertain and I felt safe within its structure, reading hungrily even when I cried hard, hoping my children riding in the back seat and my husband (driving) wouldn't see either.
The writer's language is torturously poetic in some places and brutally blunt and candid in others, urging me to consider things I hadn't before simply by placing myself in the position of those from whom Anjou gathered census material before she fired her personal questions at them.
But the personal impact the story had on me is somewhat beside the point. Reading it, I was aware of how the writer's sense of place was dead-on, the paradox of an idyllic suburban town that seems lost and found in its reliable ways; how her intimate knowledge of her characters and their relationship to Anjou, their effect on her and hers on them, made for one of the most compelling books I've read in years. The personification of Anjou's unusual dog, Lurch, was a refreshing change from the kind of Disney-esque rendering of dogs in stories.
Ms. Goldner has my admiration and respect for her lyricism and storyteling and her ability to provoke more than just thought.
Very Boring, Difficult to Read.......2005-09-02
When I initially found out that Beth Goldner was writing a novel, I was elated. A friend recommended Wake to me last year and I loved it. The characters were interesting, loveable, real and I could not wait to see what kind of personalities Goldner could create for a novel. However, I was extremely disappointed with this book. Anjou seemed childish, insecure and needy and instead of finding her loveable, I found myself feeling sorry for Stella and happy that Quinn was intelligent enough to leave her. Had I not been a fan of Wake, I would have put this book down after the first 50 pages. I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did.
Book Description
“FOR HEADLONG, NONSTOP ADVENTURE AND FOR VIVID, EVEN FLORID, SCENERY, NO ONE EVEN COMES CLOSE TO HOWARD.”
–Harry Turtledove
In a meteoric career that covered only a dozen years, Robert E. Howard defined the sword-and-sorcery genre. In doing so, he brought to life the archetypal adventurer known to millions around the world as Conan the barbarian.
Witness, then, Howard at his finest, and Conan at his most savage, in the latest volume featuring the collected works of Robert E. Howard, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Greg Manchess. Prepared directly from the earliest known versions–often Howard’s own manuscripts–are such sword-and-sorcery classics as “The Servants of Bit-Yakin” (formerly published as “Jewels of Gwahlur”), “Beyond the Black River,” “The Black Stranger,” “Man-Eaters of Zamboula” (formerly published as “Shadows in Zamboula”), and, perhaps his most famous adventure of all, “Red Nails.”
The Conquering Sword of Conan includes never-before-published outlines, notes, and story drafts, plus a new introduction, personal correspondence, and the revealing essay “Hyborian Genesis”–which chronicles the history of the creation of the Conan series. Truly, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.
Download Description
“FOR HEADLONG, NONSTOP ADVENTURE AND FOR VIVID, EVEN FLORID, SCENERY, NO ONE EVEN COMES CLOSE TO HOWARD.”
–Harry Turtledove
In a meteoric career that covered only a dozen years, Robert E. Howard defined the sword-and-sorcery genre. In doing so, he brought to life the archetypal adventurer known to millions around the world as Conan the barbarian.
Witness, then, Howard at his finest, and Conan at his most savage, in the latest volume featuring the collected works of Robert E. Howard, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Greg Manchess. Prepared directly from the earliest known versions–often Howard’s own manuscripts–are such sword-and-sorcery classics as “The Servants of Bit-Yakin” (formerly published as “Jewels of Gwahlur”), “Beyond the Black River,” “The Black Stranger,” “Man-Eaters of Zamboula” (formerly published as “Shadows in Zamboula”), and, perhaps his most famous adventure of all, “Red Nails.”
The Conquering Sword of Conan includes never-before-published outlines, notes, and story drafts, plus a new introduction, personal correspondence, and the revealing essay “Hyborian Genesis”–which chronicles the history of the creation of the Conan series. Truly, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-02
Conquering Sword of Conan : Red Nails - Robert E. Howard
Conquering Sword of Conan : The Black Stranger - Robert E. Howard
Conquering Sword of Conan : Beyond the Black River - Robert E. Howard
Conquering Sword of Conan : Queen of the Black Coast - Robert E. Howard
Conquering Sword of Conan : Jewels of Gwahlur - Robert E. Howard
Download Conan - Red Nails
Conan is travelling, finds a dead woman, and then encounters Valeria of the Red Brotherhood. After trading some insults, they have the misfortune to stumble across a dragon.
Then they have fun in an abandoned city full of crazed warriors, two evil leering royals, and a third undeed type one. Capture, slayage, all the great stuff in this tale of a fantastic partnership.
5 out of 5
A tale of three brigands, that starts slow, and then rip-roars along. With multiple pirates, you know there has to be a treasure map. This time, to the Treasure of Tranicos.
Add in a mystical demon warrior, a bunch of raiding Picts, a couple of sieges, three pirates that can't trust each other, a beautiful woman, and Conan, and all hell will break loose.
4 out of 5
Conan is working around a fort on the border of Aquilonia, when many tribes of Picts, united by the wizard Zogar Sag, combine to attack.
Conan takes out a scouting party to see what goes on, but they are ambushed, and most captured and killed, except one man, that he rescues. The wizard summons beasts by virtue of the powers of an old god, whom Conan is familiar with. With the help of an old dog, Slasher, Conan and his companion try and get the settlers to safety, while the fort is overrun.
Zogar Sag makes a mistake when he sends a fleshly avatar to try and destroy Conan. The barbarian kills the avatar, which destroys the wizard, and the Pictish invasion is over.
4.5 out of 5
One of the classic Conan stories. The barbarian goes a-reavin', and finds another of the rare women that can match him. Belit has fire, and presence, and command, but again, it does not end well. Highly recommended.
4.5 out of 5
To quote Mr. Howard - "Conan was basically a direct-actionist. Such subtlety as he possessed had been acquired through contact with the more devious races."
For military reasons, Conan has to get the Teeth of Gwahlur from their hiding place in a mystic castle before his political and military opposition.
He decides he can get the girl Muriela to run the same scam she tried on him, on some others. The only problem is that the real goddess Yelaya shows up! Then it is time to scarper, sharpish.
4.5 out of 5
In other words, a top notch selection of Conan adventuring.
Robert's Final Realization of Conan!.......2007-05-11
The Servants of Bit-Yakin- In exemplary Wierd Tales Robert E. style, this one starts with Conan almost inexplicably scaling the side wall of an ancient city in a place we've never heard of. The barbarian has come to this place through information gleaned on adventures that Robert never told us about, as though the author had some Hyborean Silmarillion stashed somewhere that the recyclers have never found.
It's an excellent story that may have equal claim to several genres; horror, fantasy, sword and sorcery, and maybe even prehistoric fiction. Howard had an uncanny knowledge of those days when ice age species still survived in remote places, and had incredible insight into theorizing what it must have been like in the days when civilization vied with barbarism. What's interesting to me is that we're finding out these days that civilization is alot older than we think, but in Howard's day anything older than 3000 BC was considered prehistoric. Conan's era was around 9000 BC, with embellishments from many other eras in different places where civilization was replacing barbarism. Certainly, we now know, there would have been ancient deserted structures at this time, maybe even with remnants of antedeluvian archaic homo sapien living therein. Certainly Jericho had walls before Conan's time, and both cro-magnon and the southeast asian hominid dubbed "the hobbit" lived at least up until 10,000 BC. But how did Howard know it? How did his imagination describe so vividly and personally how life must have been in those brutal and barbaric times?
Beyond The Black River- WOW! This is probably Howard's most memorable Conan tale, told from the perspective of a hardy and valiant but lesser man who's lot in life is to travel and fight with Conan for a spell. Through this frontiersman's eyes, we understand Conan as a character perhaps better than we ever have before. The illustration of the Balthas's last charge, dog at side, flashes in my mind when I think of this tale.
"He was a man," said Conan "I drink to his shade, and to the shade of the dog, who knew no fear."
The Black Stranger is a pirate tale and frontier yarn that is among Howard's most developed plot structures, characterization, and writing skill.
The Man-Eaters of Zamboula melds fantasy and horror like only Robert E. can, a wicked tale of treachery and ancient necromancy.
Red Nails is definitely one of the greatest of the Conan stories. Again Howard shows uncanny preternatural knowledge, with an ancient city very much like some of the stranger ones excavated in the middle east, and a realistic dragon more like Megalania Prisca than Saphira and her influences.
In the appendix, Wolves Beyond the Border is a special rare treat.
Enjoy and enjoy again the genious of Robert E!
J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore
Greatness doesn't fade with time.......2007-05-07
I have been reading the works of Robert E. Howard for half a century and in all that time never has his prose failed to amaze me in it's richness, its intensity, and it's unfailing ability to take me from the world around me to the worlds that Howard created with such unfailing verve and passion.
In this series of books we at last can read Howard unpolluted by the editorial persversion of those who wished to make a better time frame for the stories, or who thought the readers of heroic fantasy were not capable of ignoring such inanities as a misspelled word, or a small glitch in the temporal continuity of a characters life, or a kingdoms identity.
I won't bore the reader here with a rehashing of Howard's brief but prodigiously creative life. Nor will I rave about the fact the he single handedly created a whole genre. I will simply say, as an author, as an artist, as an image maker, I have yet in my now long life and as an officianado of the so called sword and sorcery genre, ever seen his equal. Not Burroughs, nor Kline nor Leiber, not Bradbury, nor any other author that I have discovered in my unending search for great fantasy reading materials has ever created prose that with such pure and unimpeded energy throws the reader into a fictional environ so alive with the sights, sounds, smells and the beingness of worlds that existed in one mind. Howard's unique ability to put you into his worlds always raises the unanswerable question; if he had lived to a more mature age, would he have grown and expanded his incredible gift to write works of greater depth and meaning? Well, that question will only be answered when all of us who live on this plane, and those worthy of it, meet Howard on the Eylisian fields, amongst the other mighty warriors who did walk this world. I have no doubt that if the gods are just, that somewhere in that realm across the river styx there lives a warrior who once wote those tales, and who now, with all those other warriors who conquered and created empires, fights battles each day, and with the coming dawn, all those who were slain on that field the day before awake to grog and a linsome lass to prepare them to fight that glorious and unending contest once again. There I think you will find him, forever what he was, a warrior, filled with a lust for life and adventure. Look to the front of the lines and there you will find him with sword and buckler hewing and roaring his joy of life.
a brilliant finale for Howard's greatest character.......2007-04-22
After years of execrable garbage foisted on us by L Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, and others (though some of the pastiches by other authors than these are decent), we finally get Conan as R. E. Howard envisioned him. Lacking the softer, milder imitation work of the aforementioned writers, this final volume in Wandering Star/Del Rey's reverent reissue of Howard's original work is a brilliant tour de force. All of the stories here range from passable (Servants of Bit-Yakin, Man-eaters of Zamboula) to great (Beyond the Black River, The Black Stranger) to outstanding (Red Nails, of course). Red Nails--the last story Howard wrote about Conan--is my favorite of them all. In the story, Conan is lustful of the voluptuous Valeria but adherent enough to a code of honor not to force himself on her. (Yes, she does finally give in to his advances.) More than the brilliant interpersonal relationship between the two leads though is the theme of death and decay surrounding the city of Xuchotl (an obvious stand-in for Howard's own home in the year before his untimely death). Both Conan and Valeria come to vivid life on page and drag the reader into Howard's fictional universe by sheer force of will. Howard's writing is full-throttle all the way to the bloody (and surprising) climax. What a way for the Dark Barbarian to exit the stage! As for the other stories, they all have their merits as much as Red Nails, some more so than others. What shines through each though is Howard's clear writing and dark, visceral vision of his savage world. Coupled with all this are drafts of some of the stories, an outline of the history of the writing of the Hyborian Age tales, and the letter Howard wrote to fans Miller and Clark detailing some previously unknown things about Conan. While Howard probably would never have written about Conan again even had he lived, what we have from him is brilliant and worth reading over and over. Thanks to Howard and his publishers for bringing the iconic Barbarian to life for us.
Powerful.......2006-12-25
I always loved the arnold movie and though it was great. But, the Books put the movie to shame. Arnold and the movie producers should be ashamed of the travesty that they created and the treatment of howards work.
Howard was AMAZING! he brings worlds to life, You are right there with Conan, you want to put a sword in your hand and go pillaging
Product Description
This Book Club is the first hardcover edition of these collections of stories. Completes the hit trilogy of original tales and miscellanea about Howard's legendary warrior. Free of revision and interpolations by others, and organized by date of publication, not by Conan's personal timeline. The stories herein are the last Conan adventures Howard ever wrote, but they are among his best.
Book Description
Varicose veins are an extremely common condition that affects over 50 to 60 million people in United States alone. Aside from the cosmetic concern, it has the potential to cause serious complications, costing healthcare billions of dollars annually.
My intention was to write a book about varicose veins, easily understood by people not in the medical field and also explain all the treatment options available today.
Unfortunately large numbers of unnecessary procedures are done to treat varicose veins every day, which may not be effective or medically indicated with unacceptable cosmetic results. I have treated many unhappy patients who have had their veins surgically stripped by long, unsightly scars only to have more varicose veins shortly afterwards. Seeing over a thousand patients with varicose veins every year, it is clear to me that great majority of those with varicosities are not fully informed about all treatment options and also the long-term drawbacks of present operations.
Questions raised in this book are the most frequently asked questions I encounter in my practice. The answers have been kept intentionally simple yet scientific to avoid any lengthy and complex discussion.
This book is NOT intended to teach the entire spectrum of varicose veins to public, rather it is intended to give basic yet useful and simple answers to questions you all may have and also guide you to choose the best course to treat your varicose veins. Whether it is admitted or not, the cosmetic aspect of varicose veins and spiders plays a very significant role in choosing the type of treatment one might select.
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Eight Legs Up (Miss Spider)
David Kirk
Manufacturer: Callaway
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Binding: Hardcover
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Bedtime Story (Miss Spider)
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Giddy Up Bugs! (Miss Spider)
ASIN: 0448444267
Release Date: 2006-10-05 |
Book Description
Miss Spider teaches Snowdrop that bugs come in all different shapes and sizes in this heartwarming story about self-acceptance.
Customer Reviews:
Eight Legs Up - Way Up!.......2006-12-21
In this "Miss Spider" storybook adaptation, Snowdrop worries that her eight legs are causing her to be clumsy. In fact, she begins to worry that she's just not graceful at all.
It all starts when Snowdrop isn't accepted for the track team. When a little beetle notes innocently that she has eight legs, she begins to think that maybe it would be better to have less. She ties some behind her back, but it doesn't help her. She even tries to fly, but goes nowhere. Miss Spider helps her to see that she's graceful after all.
This is book #8 in the Miss Spider series of easy-reader books based on the television series.
Average customer rating:
- I know Kirk Reeve
- I thought that this book was pretty good.
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Lolo & Red-Legs
Kirk Reeve
Manufacturer: Rising Moon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0873586840 |
Customer Reviews:
I know Kirk Reeve.......2002-11-22
Mr.Kirk Reeve is my math teacher. He is a really brilliant teacher and person. I know that this book must be good if it is written by Mr.Kirk Reeve. I liked this book really much. I am Eric Chang and this is my review.
I thought that this book was pretty good........1999-10-26
LoLo and Red Legs is written by Kirk Reeves. This book takes place in Los Lomitas which is a town situated near Los Angeles, California. There are four main characters in this book. LoLo is the most important character. He is a Hispanic teenager who lives in Los Lomitas. Red Legs is the tarantula that LoLo catches from a hole near the fort that he and his friends built together over summer vacation. Frankie and Mario are LoLo's best friends who frequently get into mischief. The story is about a boy named LoLo who decides to catch a Tarantula and Keep it as a pet. When he asks his abuelo or grandfather how he can catch the tarantula, his grandfather tells him to take some meat, a jar, and a piece of string. After listening to his grandfathers instructions, they go together to catch the tarantula. When LoLo catches the tarantula he decides to name it Red Legs. Later in the story LoLo goes to a pet store called Animales Domesticales where he meets the owner named Mr. Verdugo who becomes friends with LoLo while teaching LoLo about Red Legs. Mr. Verdugo invites LoLo to show Red Legs at the county fair. A couple of weeks later LoLo realizes that he has lost Red Legs when he finds that the fort where he kept red Legs is destroyed. With Red Legs missing he begins to feel down. For a while in the story LoLo suspects a person named Joker and his brother Danny of taking his spider. But later LoLo finds out that Joker isn't the thief. He begins to wonder what really happened to Red Legs. Is he dead stolen or just missing? if you want to find out for yourself go to your nearest book seller and buy it.
Average customer rating:
- Second worst book I have ever read
- An utter letdown
- Worst.novel.ever
- Funny, scary, and absurd
- Weak plot; horrible, horrible writing...
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Spider Legs (Tor Fantasy)
Piers Anthony , and
Clifford A. Pickover
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0812564898 |
Book Description
A disturbing tale of our own world, and the strange creatures with whom we share it.
It is well and truly said that there are more things under heaven and earth that there are almost anywhere else; true also that many of them lurk, unsuspected, far below the surface of the ocean.
For thousands of years, mankind has trusted in the sea's generosity while using it as a dumping ground, believing that in its vastness his garbage will be swallowed up and forgotten.
But that was never really true. And now, when the earth's hungry inhabitants demand more than even the ocean's endless bounty can provide, strange things are being born in the oceanic depths--strange things that the sea throws back upon the land.
Customer Reviews:
Second worst book I have ever read.......2007-10-11
I don't usually write reviews, but this book is so appallingly bad that I wanted to spare anyone else the misfortune of picking this thing up. I have only read one other book that was worse, and it was a vanity published book that sold a few dozen copies at best. I personally do not believe that Piers Anthony had anything to do with this book besides letting his name be used. Good luck!
An utter letdown.......2007-03-03
Have you ever watched one of those made-for-the-Sci-Fi-Channel movies about giant bugs? You always WANT to watch them ,because they sound fun, but every time you do, you realize twenty minutes in just how God awful it is and end up switching to something else. That's exactly how this book works. Interesting idea, pathetic execution.
Read the other reviews for the plot. All I'm going to say is this is an exercise in how NOT to write a horror novel. Terrible dialogue to start. The plot holes are ridiculous--Why do the cops say they're going monster hunting and then NOT bring any guns? Why do they go "monster hunting" on a ferry that has passengers on it!?
A large portion of the book is dedicated to a love story that is about as interesting as watching paint dry. The characters are annoying. And they ALL LOVE FISH! Okay, we get it already, they like fish. But who likes fish enough to blurt out their genus and phylum during every conversation. I haver never once in my life mentioned I like sea bass and had some girl go, "Oh, seabassius latinamus!"
The big problem, obviously, is that Anthony was convinced by Pickover that educating people about pycnogonids would be exciting. I hope he learned his lesson. Anthony is not a bad writer. Not at all. You can tell where his parts in the book are. They flow pretty well. Pickover clearly knows his facts about fish. But the two types of writing simply do not mix. The result is something akin to a goldfish floating upside down that needs to be flushed down the toilet.
Worst.novel.ever.......2007-02-22
I saw Spider Legs at a surplus department store. 4 bucks for a Piers Anthony? Yes!
...I want my four dollars back. Weak plot...check that, STUPID PLOT. A mad scientist with big teeth creates an aquatic killer the size of an elephant and no one has even a hunch? No prototypes? No middle-sized killers. Nope. We go straight from the drawing board to a horrible monster of the deep that even has a captain's cabin on board so our mad scientist can go a-riding in her creation. I wonder what she used for the stereo onboard. I'm not sure XM radio would work.
And worse than the plot are the insipid characters. Too much time spent on the convenient love connection. And c'mon...two experienced cops board a ship with the express intention to find a elephant sized killer...and they only bring pistols???
Horrible horrible horrible.
Funny, scary, and absurd.......2002-09-21
Funny, scary, and absurd -- all at the same time. The authors intend for the book to be jarring and strange, even nuts at times. The characters say odd things in odd ways. Weird events occur. The environment is evanescent, on the threshold of dream. Parts of it are serious, parts parody -- parts defying logic. And this is all good! It makes the book unique in a way that borders on Pynchon and Vonnegut. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
Weak plot; horrible, horrible writing..........2002-08-31
As reported elsewhere, Martha the Misanthrope, who has a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics but has dropped out to run a fish store, bioengineers a giant sea spider to reduce the human population of the earth. As the spider begins to devastate Newfoundland, there just happens to be a Harvard specialist in arthropods visiting. He falls in love with the local policewoman, but is so shy that she has to do the seducing. Martha's brother, the fisheries officer, falls in love with Martha's clerk, Lisa, but is so shy that she has to do the seducing. After several gruesome deaths, everybody except Martha goes out on a ferry boat to search for the monster. It attacks, in scenes that are too drawn out for their own good, and the Harvard man kills it. Instead of skewering Martha, the group settles on a plan which is almost as immoral as her original idea.
The worst part of the book is the dialog. Lisa is attacked by the monster and plucked from the ocean by the plucky fisheries officer. As she revives she says "When I was drowning I had a vision. I saw myself, six years of age, at play in the pine forest by my white and brick colonial house. The pine needles on the forest floor rustled as I walked through them with my sneakers. My parents held my hands. [while she was at play?] My frisky German shepherd dog, Princess, wagged her tail and followed us. It was sort of nice. Then I woke on the boat, feeling awful, and I knew that you had saved me."
The narration is no better: "Nathan could see the big black eyes of the spider as they rolled in their sockets and fixed their attention on Brenda [a passenger on the ferry]. A piece of goo flew at her from the creature's drooling mouth and hit her on the arm. It reminded Nathan of warm petroleum jelly, although it had the exact color of lime gelatin. Brenda quickly wiped her arm briskly on the leg of her jeans, trying to dislodge the gruesome material, which stuck to her arm like flypaper."
This is not necessarily the worst of the writing. You can open the book almost anywhere and find its equal. It is on the whole, god-awful. Several times I laughed out loud, which sort of diluted whatever suspense the author had managed to create.
The authors' notes imply that this was Pickover's first attemnpt at fiction. He seduced Anthony by sending him his non-fiction, then afterword the novel. I can't figure out why Anthony liked it...
Book Description
The oldest at a dreary home for foundlings, Judy Abbott finds her life completely changed when, with the help of a mysterious benefactor, she is granted her wish to be able to go to college. A meeting with the rich, handsome uncle of her snobbish roommate sets Judy on the road to discovering her secret friend.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books for girls.......2007-06-01
Daddy long legs is one of the best books for girls. Jerusha Abbott writes letters to a anonymous benefactor who has paid for her to go to college. Written beautifully the story will make you curious and anxious as the story unfolds. It has an unexpected twist at the end that will intrigue you.
Daddy- Lond- legs.......2007-05-19
I read Daddy Long Legs ages ago as a young teenager in a wonderful translation into my mother tongue, Greek. When I asked the daughter of a friend of mine - a gifted young girl who reads avidly and attends the American College in Athens if she had read it I was surprised to hear that she did not even know about it.
I have ordered it and read it again in English before giving it to her and have again enjoyed it enormously.
Of course it is very romantic and unrealistic and describes the American 'elite'- in terms of finances and intellect, very favourably but it has enormous freshness, is full of joy for life and is written with such humour that makes one forget everything else. It also manages in a very gentle way to speak about certain ideals difficult to find in the 21st century....
As it was meant to be a gift I chose the more expensive hard back and was very disappointed to see that the drawings that accompanied the text in the version I had read in the past and which were adding so much to the overall enjoyment and fun were missing. Why?
I shall try to search amongst the various editions if there is one that has them alongside the text.
There is just one thing that I'd like to point out..........2007-01-08
Personally, I love this book. I am not really here to tell you about it, but to point out that although it was said near the top of this page that this book is for people grades 9 and up, I first read it in fifth grade and enjoyed it very much even then. This was probably due to the fact that I had an abnormally high reading level (in at least the tenth or eleventh grade range at that point), but I felt that I should put my two cents in and there you have them.
I'm sure that you'll enjoy this book very much.
I loved this book.......2006-06-13
I read this book when I was about 15 years old. I loved the humor and the coming of age of Judy Abbott. The mystery of "Daddy Long Legs" kept one guessing until the end.
A cute, quick, breezy read.......2005-07-29
I believe this book falls under "young adult lit" but it is enjoyable for adults as well. This book is sweet, funny and quite a little page turner as well. I can't imagine not falling in love with Jerusha Abbot and her letters!
Average customer rating:
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Dark Legs and Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners
Angela Jackson
Manufacturer: Triquarterly
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0810150018 |
Average customer rating:
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Eight Legs (Creatures All Around Us)
D. M. Souza
Manufacturer: Carolrhoda Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0876144415 |
Book Description
One of the first book-length studies in decades solely devoted to religion and African-American political activism, Something Within explores how Afro-Christianity encourages political activism among African-Americans. Combining ethnography, history, contextual analysis, and survey research, this book illustrates the participatory effects of Afro-Christianity by examining its institutional, psychological, and cultural influences. Moving beyond the current debates on the subject, Fredrick C. Harris advances a new theory of religion as a political resource for a "civic culture in opposition."
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Church History, published by American Society of Church History on June 1, 2003. The length of the article is 994 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Something Within: Religion in African-American Political Activism.(Book Review)
Author: Mark G. Toulouse
Publication:
Church History (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2003
Publisher: American Society of Church History
Volume: 72
Issue: 2
Page: 431(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Something Within: Religion in African-American Political Activism.(Review)(Brief Article): An article from: Journal of Church and State
Eddie Stepp
Manufacturer: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0008GZEBG
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Church and State, published by J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State on January 1, 2000. The length of the article is 467 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Something Within: Religion in African-American Political Activism.(Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Eddie Stepp
Publication:
Journal of Church and State (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2000
Publisher: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
Volume: 42
Issue: 1
Page: 189
Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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