Mrs. Ted Bliss (American Literature (Dalkey Archive))

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Mrs. Ted Bliss has lived on her own in a Miami condominium complex since the death of her husband, a Chicago butcher, and in learning to live in the modern world, she's made some interesting friends. Mrs. Ted is stepping out with more than one shady gentleman who is overly interested in the late Mr. Ted's Buick LeSabre. Hilarious, touching, and complex, this novel -- Elkin's last before his death in 1995 -- is the winner of the 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Book Description

In language that is "rich, musical and playful, like that of a Joyce who grew up on Yiddish" (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times), Stanley Elkin offers us the extraordinary Dorothy Bliss, an eighty-two-year-old widow caught in a tragicomic world, forced to find purpose in endless card games and "Good Neighbor Policy Night" at a Florida retirement community.

Customer Reviews:

I feel like I missed something.......2001-11-05

This book won the "Pulitizer Prize" of literature and its initial pages are full of rave reviews by prestigious literary figures and publications. I wondered why I wasn't wild about this book the way so many readers are. I found it to be slow going. It's said to be hilarious. I guess I have a different sense of humor because it didn't strike me as even mildly funny. The situations were goofy amd clever, but Mr. Elkin dissected them so completely with his verbal virtuousity that he buried the humor.

In general, that's the problem I had with the book. There's no doubt the author has a fantastic gift for the English language, and bringing it to bear on an ordinary elderly Jewish widow is a great concept. However, I felt his elaborate descriptions of Mrs. Bliss's thoughts, feelings and character got in the way of getting to know her. When the sentences are so long and full of parentheses that I have to go back to the beginning to remind myself what the original point was, it breaks my focus and distances me.

Mrs. Bliss was shaken out of her narrow rigid routine and began to see and understand more about life and about herself. However, I don't feel I took the trip with her. Because she often doesn't understand why she does things, I was clueless about how or why she was going to react from one minute to the next. That's the fun of this book for readers who can just sit back, listen and enjoy. They're the ones who'll find it hilarious. For us more compulsive folks, it's boring and frustrating. I didn't form any kind of relationship with Mrs. Bliss, didn't particularliy like any of the characters and didn't care what happened to them. I think if I was Jewish and/or closer to retirement age I would have picked up on more of the book's subtleties. This is a book each reader needs to sample for themselves. However, even though it got in the way for me at times, the beautifully crafted language is a treat for anyone who loves words.

The Life of Mrs. Ted Bliss.......2000-04-15

Well at first I did catch on about the book when I first started reading it. The more I read the book the better if got to my understanding. It is a very good book. I could relate to some of the things that she was talking about. Mrs. Ted Bliss is a smart woman but does not quite realize that she is. It is just a great book.

Thank you Stanley Elkin

Elkin's writing is gorgeous and his mind so imaginative!.......1999-11-07

I was saddended to learn that Stanley Elkin had passed on because his writing in Mrs. Ted Bliss so inspired me to write with more brio, more of a kind of "high" tone of humor, wit, compassion. I adored Mrs. Ted Bliss. It was such a funny idea, the elderly retiree hob-nobbing with drug lords; the feisty little old lady fighting stereotypical tendencies in herself. And, bottom line, the book is hilarious. I cannot recommend it more highly to one and all for a whole bundle of laughs. Mr. Elkin created a masterpiece, one I like to give to friends as a special gift.

Once Again, a Masterpiece by Elkin.......1998-10-29

One of the most distinct voices in (Jewish) American literature, Stanley Elkin, has done it again with Mrs. Ted Bliss. From the title to the final chapter, the reader is forced to examine his/her preceonceptions about age, retirement, sex and social roles, and other stereotypes. Mrs. Ted Bliss, a retired widow with no skills, gets caught in a web of intrigue that leads to the downfall of a drug lord when she sells her car. Mrs. Ted Bliss, however, is no Mrs. Pollifax, ready to karate-chop her way out of danger. Give it a read if you want to laugh out loud.

Beautiful language, ugly plot.......1998-06-27

Mr. Elkin has a wonderful style, with phrases that you reread and say out loud to yourself, that you remember when you put the book down. But that's about all you remember, because the plot and the characters leave much to be desired. I think Elkin put a little too much into forming the most perfect, most beautiful sentences, and not enough into the actual story. I never cared about what happened to Dorothy, or anyone else in her mundane existance. Literature is not literature if it doesn't move you, and Mrs. Ted Bliss most definetly failed in that regard.

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Mrs. Ted Bliss

Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788710737

Product Description

Nine Casettes - Miami Beach is the haven of a quirky cast of characters in Stanley Elkins wry vision of contemporary culture that won the National Book Award. In this Florida, the bright sunlight is shared by drug lords, health food fanatics, wealthy socialites, and refugees from the Midwest. Why are so many men interested in Mrs. Ted Bliss, newly widowed from a Chicago butcher? Is it her smile, her flawless Buick Le Sabre, or her late husbands business connections? She is about to find out, as she embarks on an unconventional new life that lures her from the familiar world of her Jewish family. Stanley Elkins darkly humorous, sharply perceptive novels have earned him the praise of authors like Saul Bellow and Kurt Vonnegut. Youll love this sprightly story of love and money, deftly narrated by the incomparable George Guidall.

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Mrs. Ted Bliss
Stanley Elkin
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MVP930

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Mrs. Ted Bliss
Stanley Elkin
Manufacturer: HYPERION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKAWYK

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Mrs. Ted Bliss
Stanley Elkin
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHGDVE

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Mrs. Ted Bliss: a História de uma Vida

Manufacturer: Mandarim
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Portuguese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 8535400966

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MRS.TED BLISS

Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H68PE0

Customer Reviews:

A must for Batman and/or Alex Ross fans, but not your typical comic book.......2006-04-18

Warning: there are no arch-villains or spectacular fights in this book; there is not much of a plot either.
But if you belong to one of these types of people, this book MUST reside in your library:
* Batman followers
* Classic Graphic Novel enthusiasts
* Alex Ross' art collectors

The story line is simple - Batman sees a reflection of himself in a young boy whose parents are killed by an act of futile violence, which Batman was too late to prevent. Unlike young Bruce Wayne who had the family wealth and a loyal butler to fall back on, the boy has nobody to look out for him, and he is just on the brink of submitting himself to a life of violence. Batman reaches out through both his identities to make better of the boys life as well as the part of town he lives in.

But don't buy this book for the story.
Batman has never been more human then in this book. Both in text (which, thank God, is elegantly placed amongst the pictures, without the typical "balloons") and in the artwork.

What can I write about the artwork that has not been already written?
If you are not familiar with the work of Alex Ross, this is a very good starting point. If you are, you may appreciate it even more.
I find his work in this book downright touching. Unlike works like "Kingdom come" where the fine lines of the muscular superhero forms and the details of their costumes and weapon sometimes compete with the amazing depiction of human faces and bodies, in "War on Crime" there is more then enough canvas space to let a true master show off his skill. Here Alex Ross shows you Batman for what he is, a man in and out of a costume, his face showing a spectrum of human expressions, and his body showing the scars of many years of harsh crime fighting. The sheer power and strength embodied in this human form are ever so evident, without the anatomically-exaggerated, pumped-up, vein-throbbing muscles so frequently found in other comic artists works.
In addition, some of the full-pane pictures are utterly breathtaking, like the classical two-page view of Batman looking down on Gotham, understanding that he may never have a complete victory over crime.

Well, this is one of the cornerstones of *my* graphic novel library, anyway...

Wow..........2005-09-03

"War on Crime" is less of a comic and more of an art collection. Each page exudes such intriguing detail and captivating motion that your eyes are drawn to each page. The characters come to life; it is as though you can see the grief that contorts Batman's face as he battles the evils that killed his parents.

Paul Dini is the primary figure behind "Batman: The Animated Series." To me, that legacy of excellence has successfully been carried over to "Batman: War on Crime." The book is not as long as a graphic novel, and twice as large. The artwork, done by Alex Ross, is the show-stealing feature of this work, however.

I believe it was Alex Ross who wrote some of the Marvel comics titled "Marvels." The art in these books was so gripping that I have often just gone through the book again to look at the pictures.

Like any great literary work, Ross and Dini personify the elements of humanity that the Batman embodies: fear, guilt, loneliness, and grief. "Batman: War on Crime" is a wise investment for any fan of Batman.

Visually stunning...........2005-03-13

This is one of the four large formatted books written by Paul Dini (Batman The Animated Series, Mad Love) and illustrated by Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Marvels, Uncle Sam). The premise of the story is simple...it is basically a day/night in the life of Bruce Wayne/Batman. However, just because it is a simple premise does not mean that it is not enjoyable. The story basically revolves around a boy whose parents are killed in a robbery. This case interests the Dark Knight because it has intimate parallels with his life. But the similarities end there because unlike Bruce Wayne, the boy has no financial endowment left by his parents and soon turn to crime. This leads the Batman to question his own life and motivation as to whether he would not do the same thing if he had the financial backings stripped away as well. A pretty standard premise but with Paul Dini's writing style, it is quite enjoyable.

Now for the art....stunning. There is no other way to describe it. This is how Batman would look in real life. The costume stays true to the comics and is a far departure from the rubber and leather outfits shown in the movies. Also, forget the overly muscled, vein popping, juiced up characters usually portrayed in comics. This is how Batman should and would look. Alex Ross is truly a master of his craft and this book is mainly a showcase for his talent.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. It is recommended for adults and children (there are no graphic violence as prevalent in some comics). You do not have to be familiar with any of Batman's history or complicated continuity in order to enjoy this book. Highly recommended.

By a team who knows Batman like no other.......2004-04-01

Continuing the collaboration started with Superman: Peace on Earth, Dini/Ross continue their look at DC's Big Three (+ Captain Marvel) :-) with Batman: War on Crime.

No one--and I mean *no one* (I'm looking at you, Frank Miller!)--knows Batman better than Dini. How he continues to have fresh ideas after writing x number of Batman: The Animated Series episodes I'll never know, but god bless him for it.

His Batman is an amalgamation of the Batman shown to us by all the major creators who have come before: at once campy, grim, obsessive, frightening, determined, even possibly crazy.

And yet Dini puts his own mark on the Dark Knight Detective.

Ross's artwork, of course, is unspeakably gorgeous.

Highest possible recommendation.

Moving and powerful and laden with messages........2003-07-08

It's always nice to see the comics industry providing books which vary from the usual formula: quipping spandex-clad hero pummeling outrageously garbed and gimmicky villains into submission. The story and art are both a cut above the norm, and I hope Dini and Ross continue this series of collaborations for a good, long time.

Average customer rating:

Good follow up to war Games
Not a bad book, despite the art
Bats Aplenty
Totally Out Of Character Storyline
Batman, as dark as it comes

Batman: War Games, Act Three - Endgame
Ed Brubaker , Andersen Gabrych , Devin Grayson , Dylan Horrocks , and A.J. Leiberman
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Good follow up to war Games.......2007-09-27

I was out of comics for a while, and picked this Graphic Novel, great way to catch up! Batman finally gets some answers following the WAR GAMES saga

Not a bad book, despite the art.......2007-02-13

This tale of the aftermath of Rha's al Ghul's death is great for fans of the character. It provides some excellent insights into his motivations and origins. I don't think it will be spoiling things to tell you he was always nuts! The tale is told between flashbacks to the past and scenes in modern Gotham, where people have become mysteriously unable to die. Besides an overly brisk pace, my problem with this book is the art. The artist does not have a good understanding of the human body, resulting in many panels where people have oversized heads. Look for it and you'll see it. Also, despite the "Year One" in the title, there was no direct connection with Batman Year One, a disappointment. Anyway, still a good read if those quibbles don't bother you.

Bats Aplenty.......2006-03-28

WAR GAMES -- a year-plus serialized event in the history of Batman -- was a terrifically compelling yarn. Everything that could've gone wrong WENT wrong: alliances were forged and fell apart, enemies were made that shouldn't have been made, and people died. That's rare in the comic book universe, but it's one of the traits that strongly separates the Batman and his stories from most other DC "superhero" tales ... Batman is human, and, as a result, he's bound to make mistakes, just like any other character within the Bat-universe.

WAR CRIMES -- at the most basic level -- is about just that: mistakes. Gotham City is well on the road to recover now that the games have ended, and yet the Batman finds himself looking back in order to try to continue piecing together much of what still doesn't quite add up. In doing so, he uncovers a startling secret that sheds light on the disappearance of one of his oldest confidantes, and this discovery shakes him to his foundation.

Compared against the entirety of the WAR arcs, CRIMES fits nicely but perhaps the shock that such discovery should've sent through the Batman wasn't significant enough for my tastes. While I've always appreciated any tale of the Bats largely because of the human factor, there's still a larger-than-life presence to some of his villains (such as the Black Mask) that borders on immortality. CRIMES has a terrific, almost cinematic feel to most of it, and some of that payoff is sacrificed in the conclusion involving the Joker and the Black Mask taking on one another and then involving Batman because the Black Mask has been impersonating the Dark Knight. In cases such as this, I'd rather Batman pull up his sleeves a bit more and rough'n'tumble these two blokes instead of arbitrarily turning them over to the police: sometimes, that solution just grows a bit too safe for my tastes, and it feels out of touch here especially given all that's happened in the past year with these two villains.

Still, it's a solid reliable effort all around.

Totally Out Of Character Storyline.......2006-03-19

I'm not sure why the two previous reviewers thought they were reviewing War Games. This book actually collects the War Crimes arc from the regular Batman and Detective comics series. It's like an aftermath to War Games, but it doesn't measure up to the books that precede it.

In this book, we learn that one of Batman's most devoted allies...someone who had been elevated in recent years to be at the same level as Alfred in terms of mentoring Batman/Bruce Wayne...allowed a key character from the War Games books to die. (This is lifted from Batman#644 in the regular comics.)

It was, without a doubt, one of of the stupidest comic book endings I've read in a long time. I'm all for surprise endings, but not at the expense of a character we know would never do a thing like this based on years and years of back story. In the end, the character is exiled to Africa or somewhere and warned by Batman never to return.

Is DC really this hard up for creativity? No, they aren't, because many of their other products are very satisfying in terms of plotting and characters. They just dropped the ball on this one.

Batman, as dark as it comes.......2006-03-01

Yes, the Bat is struggling to stop the damage that happened in the beginning of the story line, Hush came and go just to remind us about him, so that an introduction for Hush returns takes place.
I was very sad when a certain member of the bat family was killed, but it was logical to happen since that member has done his role, and has no other thing to add.
DC insists that people used to treat him as an urban legend, as if no one knows about JLA or about what he has done in his previous storylines, but any how that is not a big issue, and is not related to this volume.

CSI - Crime Scene Investigation #2 : Serial Part II (IDW Comics)

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CSI - Crime Scene Investigation #2 : Serial Part II (IDW Comics)
Max Allan Collins
Manufacturer: IDW Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Detective Comics, #809 (Comic Book): Batman, War Crimes Part 1

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Detective Comics, #809 (Comic Book): Batman, War Crimes Part 1
GABRYCH
Manufacturer: DC COMICS
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ASIN: B000RET4S8

Detective Comics, #810 (Comic Book) Batman, WAR Crimes Part 3

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Detective Comics, #810 (Comic Book) Batman, WAR Crimes Part 3
GABRYCH
Manufacturer: DC COMICS
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Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000NWYLNM

Marvel Tales #164 : Starring Spider-Man in "The Mystery of the Man in the Crime-Master's Mask" (Marvel Comics)

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Marvel Tales #164 : Starring Spider-Man in "The Mystery of the Man in the Crime-Master's Mask" (Marvel Comics)
Stan Lee
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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Binding: Paperback

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Marvel Tales #215 : Starring Spider-Man and Nightcrawler in "Let the Punisher Fit the Crime" (Marvel Comics)
Len Wein
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Marvel Tales #221 : Starring Spider-Man and the Punisher in "Crime and Punishment" (Marvel Comics)

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Marvel Tales #221 : Starring Spider-Man and the Punisher in "Crime and Punishment" (Marvel Comics)
Bill Mantlo
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Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #82 : Crime and Punishment (Marvel Comics)

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Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #82 : Crime and Punishment (Marvel Comics)
Bill Mantlo
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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ASIN: B000VNXZSU

The Uncanny X-Men #272 : Captial Crimes (X-Tinction Agenda - Marvel Comics)

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The Uncanny X-Men #272 : Captial Crimes (X-Tinction Agenda - Marvel Comics)
Chris Claremont
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Great Book!

The Starwolves: Dreadnought - Book #4 (Starwolves)
Thorarinn Gunnarsonn
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Starwolves

ASIN: 0446363227

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2000-04-25

I thought this book was as good as the others in the series. I found it very intertwining, and even clever. If you liked the others, you'll love this one too.

Customer Reviews:

Convincing some of the time, other times a bit murky.......2007-01-29

Howard Van Till's poor little "Fourth Day" sat in the darkest corner of my library, but the synopsis intrigued me much, though I wasn't entirely certain I could reasonably trust a book from the 1980s, especially since so much scientific discovery came to pass since then. But Van Till's book is a very valuable resource if one seeks to understand the cosmos, and more importantly, its relationship to the God of the Bible. From that perspective, Van Till performs extremely well. I enjoyed his chapters on stellar evolution and the formation of stars, and rather than a crotchety old professor speaking in 'jargon'-ese, the reader gets respectful layman's definitions with a lot of warmth from the author. There is a lot to understand about the universe, and this is as condensed and as reader-friendly as I could imagine.

Nonetheless, his chapters on the creation/evolution debate were intensely murky to me, and I didn't fully piece together the author's position at all. At one point while reading, I could picture Van Till later in the book expressing his support for a "theistic evolutionist" approach to the entire subject. But before I believed I would stumble upon it, the author states that he doesn't advocate any form of theistic evolution. He sure fooled me; his take is simply not very conclusive and left me with too much ambiguity. If I could describe it, I'd say Van Till is simply reiterating Stephen Jay Gould's NOMA argument, although good luck trying to decipher his stance. Others comment on the debate more thoughtfully than Van Till does here.

I have only yet to dive into the whole young-earth creationist vs. old-earth creationist debate, even though I have enjoyed Hugh Ross in the past. Mr. Van Till is a good Christian, from that I'm sure of. He respects the authority of Scripture, and he's a terrific scientist to boot. In addition, if I were a young-earth creationist, those two guys above would probably be my number one enemies. But "The Fourth Day" was a dissatisfying text despite its quality writing and often times accurate analysis.

the best theology and best science i've read so far.......2003-03-19

Like the German Green's motto " neither Right nor Left but OUT IN FRONT" this book takes on both sides of the CED debate.
and in doing so moves the whole discussion into a new higher level:
---quote---
"It is my contention that neither the scriptural nor the scientific view of the cosmos is complete in itself, despite the fact that each view contributes an essential perspective on the complete reality. Through the spectacles of scriptual exegesis, we Christians see the cosmos as Creation: we see where it stands in relationship to God the Creator,who is its Originator, Preserver, Governor, and Provider. Through the lens of scientific investigation, natural scientists are able to observe the internal affairs of the material world--its coherent properties, its lawful behavior, and its authentic history. Both views are integral parts of what I call the 'creationomic perspective,' the view of the cosmos that is gained when natural science is place in the framework of the biblical doctrine of creation." preface pg ix
---end of quote---

The take home message is simple enough:

God is Creator, Sustainer, Law-Giver, and Provider.

The best way to read the book is to xerox the chart on pg 198 and keep it at your elbow. It summarizes the entire book!!!

To Scripture you address questions of external relationships:
Status Origin Goverance Value Purpose
To Science you address questions of internal affairs:
Properties Behavior History

This in a single table is the argument of the book, but to understand the critical component: the categories of questions you need to hear the example he uses.
Holding up a piece of paper, he asks you to describe it, one voice answers GREEN, another offers SQUARE. pg 204-5 The paper is in fact, both. Is these two pieces of information contradictory, of course not, it is complementary, coming from two different viewpoints. The extend the example in a way that the author does not, to which person do you address the questions concerning shape, to which do you address questions concerning color?

The first part concerns Scripture and how to build a correct hermeneutic to interpret it by. Again he introduces a good illustration, i suspect from his years of teaching this has proven to be a good memory technic and organizing principle: good illustrations. It is the vehicle model of Scripture, pg 14ff, a caravan of vehicles carrying packages with things inside the packages, think a bunch of UPS brown vans. (looks remarkably like the compiler theory train) The vehicle is the cultural historical context as expressed in the literary genre the passage is written in. The packages are the specific story, particular symbolism in a poem, specific cultural patterns. The contents are God's message to His people, in all places, throughout all time. And from pg 83, "In either case, if we attempt to consume both the content and the packaging, we may encounter significant difficulty in chewing, swallowing, and digesting the combination. Those who want to feed on the truths of Scripture must take care to differentiate between food and packaging." The two cases to distinguish are a journalistic account of the actual events of creation(think video tape) from the primeval history account that we have in Genesis.(think metaphorical origins story- mythos)

Scientism and YEC(young earth creationists)- chapter 11, " more heat than light, the creation/evolution debate" and the real battle with unbelieving scientific naturalism as a religious doctrine. Van Till makes it clear throughout the book that the YEC position of apparent age is nothing more than bad science and bad theology, for it denies the coherence of creation. It denies that God created the universe with sufficent thought to have inside it the things it needs to build up the complexity we see around us. By more importantly it denies the value of creation as an arena for the providence of God, to operate through the use of physical means.

I finished the book with a touch of sadness. For the time, energy, and people the false debate of CED is consuming in the Christian community. While good frameworks like Van Till's are neglected for want of people to work on them. If AiG or ICR did not exist, and that energy and talent was used to advance Van Tills type of arguments the Church would be far along the way to competing with the real enemy. Scientism, the world and life view that we are nothing more than sophisticated machines, the result of mindless and random meanderings through the genetic space of living beings. This is a religious, a metaphysical battle, not scientific. For science rightfully limits itself to the things of this creation, the things we see and the forces we can theorize behind them. The YEC have diverted an enormous amount of energy into bad science, trying to fight a battle at the level of facts, denying the clear evidence for an old earth, while misinterpreting the preamble of the Great KIng of Genesis One as a scientific how-to-do book on the manufacture of us. Sadly we are all the weaker knowing that good ideas like this book have been around since 1986 and are yet to be discovered.

I hope you discover this book as a result of my review. It will well worth the time to read, and i didn't even try to tell you the gems in the astronomy section--part 2.

Committed Physicist and Christian.......2001-03-08

In college I took Howard Van Till's course in Advanced Astronomy and observed first-hand some of the research that went into this book. In person, Van Till is one of the most committed physicists and christians that I know. He takes a substantial amount of talent, integrity and faith and spreads the light for all. The Christian world has given him mixed reviews because many of them are strict "six day" creationists, which Van Till is not. You will be hard pressed to question his physics and he shows the flaws in many simple-faith approaches. I have read dozens of books on creation and cosmology -- this is one of the best.

An excellent read.......2000-04-01

It's a shame this book is out of print. The book is divided into three parts: The first describes what the Bible tells us about Creation and the Cosmos. The second details evidences gleaned from the study of the Cosmos, in particular, astronomy. The third section offers a new perspective on the relationship between science and religion, in constrast to a traditional young-earth creationist perspective.

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