Roxanna Slade: A Novel

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Really enjoyed

A velvet sledge hammer of a book

So this is life

My favorite book from Reynolds Price

My Book Group Recently Read This

Roxanna Slade: A Novel
Reynolds Price
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Price, Reynolds | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0684853736

Amazon.com

It is this book's particular genius to compress our century and all of its extraordinary upheavals into the life of one decidedly ordinary Southern woman born in 1900. Told in Roxanna Slade's own inimitable voice, she begins her story abruptly at the age of 20, with an episode that's both an aberration from the life that follows and her life's single most significant event. In the course of a single afternoon, Roxanna meets a shockingly handsome young man and falls in love, only to have him drown in front of her very eyes. She goes on to marry his older brother, bear several children, discover her husband's long-term affair, fall into a deep depression, watch her parents succumb to old age and stroke--in short, to live a long, full life of the sort she sees as belonging to "normal white people." It's fashionable these days for novels to put their heroines through the dysfunction wringer--bulimia! cancer! incestuous rape!--in the hopes that their lives will somehow illuminate universal truths. The achievement of Roxanna Slade is that it both aspires to less and achieves more. Roxanna is no saint, she insists in the novel's opening pages. She faces her own minor-key crises with quiet aplomb, bolstered by her plainspoken and unsentimental view of the world. "Life, in the world I occupy, is an adequate blessing," she says, and the reader will surely agree.

Book Description

Not since Reynolds Price's award-winning, bestselling novel Kate Vaiden has he told a woman's story in her own voice. Roxanna Slade is this woman.

Roxanna begins her story on her twentieth birthday -- a day that introduces her to the harsh realities of adulthood and changes the course of her life forever. From this day on, Roxanna is quick to share with the reader the intimate details of ninety years of life in North Carolina. Her beguiling tale is one that boldly reflects the high and low moments in the development of the modern South and the nation as well as the inner strength of a woman possessed of a piercingly clear vision, forthright hungers and immense vitality.

Customer Reviews:

Really enjoyed.......2007-01-06

I've read this book twice now. I underlined many of Roxanna's truisms. It is the story of Roxanna's uneventful life told by her at age 94. Even an uneventful life really is eventful and endlessly interesting. I loved her voice and the sort of oral history of the 20th century.

A velvet sledge hammer of a book.......2006-07-24

It's interesting to read the reviews of those who felt that the book's slow pace, unconvincing female voice, and not growing up in the south were deterrants to enjoying this book. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of women's plight during the 40's and 50's, an era when women (my mother) had no voice: this meant disappointments and frustrations were not to be aired,let alone discussed; where encouragement to achieve was non-existent; where 'you made your bed, now give thanks your husband doesn't beat you' was a universal mantric solution to any dissatisfaction. Reading Roxanna Slade from an enlightened perspective, I found it a gut-wrenching portrayal of women in silent trapped lives, with every page reading like a velvet sledge hammer of suppression. Perhaps the slow, plodding pace of this book aptly conveys the hopelessness, the ennui, the suppressed desperation of these women's lives. That was their life, day after day after day, and Mr. Price made us feel that.

So this is life.......2005-04-26

In the book "Roxanna Slade", Reynolds Price tells the story of an unremarkable woman's life in such a way that you can help but want to read about it. This is just a story about being a woman in the first half of the twentieth century. There is an uncommonly high amount of tragedy, but it's countered by an equal dose of blessings, such are life.

The story begins with a young love that is cut much to short. Roxanna meets Larkin Slade on her twentieth birthday, falls in love with him, and watches him drowned all on the same day. You would truly think that this encounter would set the story line, and Lark's death would forever impact Roxanna's life, but in truth the death has very little effect. This is same thing that can be said about most of the characters which pass in and out of Roxanna's life. There are many strong characters in this book, but none of them seem to really move the story line, and in some cases I left with the feeling that the author didn't know what to do with many of them. I most cases Mr. Price just let them disappear with out further explanation.

So anyhow, Roxanna grew up in the south. She tries not to be prejudice of blacks [and from what I can see the author is a little over sensitive for the time he is trying to convey]. She gets married, she has children, goes through a long bought of depression, become a widow and a Grandmother. It was a good book to read, but not exceptional. This isn't the sort of book that will leave you after wards feeling an emotional connection.

My favorite book from Reynolds Price.......2001-04-14

Although so many of his books are wonderful, this one of Price's spoke most clearly to my heart and soul.I felt that I was being given the privelige of sharing the life of a remarkable woman, although her life would seem ordinary to most - the life of one "average" woman living in the South, a woman often struggling with great hardship, trials and challenges. I've rarely read a novel which looks so honestly at the realities of the racial views of those times, the ways blacks and whites were so separate and why. The often constrained life of women is also portrayed, the endless days with long stretches of time between chores and mealtime and nothing else to do. What is so amazing is how Reynolds Price can make a riveting tale out of such seemingly trivial material - and make the lives of these people reveal a view of the world that is both spiritual and real and absolutely believeable. While the book is far from overwhelmingly gloomy, Price's description of the four year depression which Roxanna suffers at one point in the book is the most honest, unsentimental and yet vivid portrayal of depression I've encountered in a novel, one that those in the mental health professions would do well to read. The real heart of this book lies in Roxanna, of course, and she is a woman both flawed and saintly. An unforgettable character, the kind that will be walking beside me in my thoughts for awhile.

My Book Group Recently Read This.......2000-04-26

I'm fascinated reading the other reviews printed here, for people seem to either really enjoy or really dislike this book. My Book Group of 7 women did not care for this book - the general consensus being, among other things, the lack of character development among key, critical characters, the heavy-handed foreshadowing, the excruciatingly slow pace, and the unconvincing female voice delivered through Roxanna's character. We did wonder if the group did not appreciate the story because none of us were raised in the South... I've noticed that many of the favourable reviews are from people who can recall their own experiences in a Southern town. Nonetheless, we felt the book was flawed in numerous ways and would have had difficulty finishing it had we not felt compelled to for book discussion purposes.

Book Description

Spanish Edition: Narnia… where the animals talk… where the trees walk. Where a battle is about to begin. Denied the right to his throne, a prince preapres an army in a desperate attempt to free his land from a false king.

Customer Reviews:

a great translation.......2006-01-26

I was particularly pleased with this book, because it is a great translation, and the cover is the same as the one shown above. The first book I ordered was not, so I ordered this one from amazon marketplace. I just really love the cover art on these, it's much better than the english version I have.

Cronicas de Narnia IV - El Principe Caspian

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Cronicas de Narnia IV - El Principe Caspian
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Destino Ediciones
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

El Principe Caspian (Cronicas de Narnia)

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El Principe Caspian (Cronicas de Narnia)
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Destino Ediciones
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

ASIN: 8408059289

El Principe Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia)

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El Principe Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia)
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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As Crónicas de Nárnia (O PRÍNCIPE CASPIAN, 4)

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As Crónicas de Nárnia (O PRÍNCIPE CASPIAN, 4)

Manufacturer: Editorial Presenca
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Portuguese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 9722330977

Product Description

O Príncipe Caspian é o quarto de sete volumes que compõem a série «As Crónicas de Nárnia», um dos grandes clássicos da literatura infanto-juvenil. Peter, Susan, Edmund e Lucy, os heróis e heroínas do segundo volume estão de volta para nos contar mais uma fantástica aventura. A história começa quando estas quatro crianças são inesperadamente impelidas, por artes mágicas, de uma estação de caminhos-de-ferro em Londres para o maravilhoso mundo de Nárnia, onde o príncipe Caspian se encontra em apuros. O feliz reino de Nárnia, terra onde os animais falavam e havia pessoas simpáticas que viviam nos rios e nas árvores, chamadas Naíades e Dríades, e onde ressoavam os martelos dos Anões, estava agora ameaçada pelo controlo do perigoso e perverso rei Miraz. Estes quatro jovens, conduzidos pelo magnífico leão Aslan, têm agora a importante missão de ajudar o príncipe Caspian a recuperar o glorioso passado de Nárnia. Será que vão conseguir?Nº de Páginas: 159

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Cronicas De Narnia: El Principe Caspian

Manufacturer: Planeta Pub Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

El Principe Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia (HarperCollins Spanish))

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El Principe Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia (HarperCollins Spanish))
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

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SPA-PRINCIPE CASPIAN
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEPHDM

Book Description

Back by popular demand -- again! Our third anthology featuring original Star Trek®, Star Trek: The Next Generation®, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, and Star Trek: Voyager® stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!

Each Strange New Worlds competition draws a greater response than the last. The final selections gathered here were chosen from an overwhelming number of entries by virtue of their originality and style. With wit, compassion, and an affection for all things Star Trek, these brand-new authors take us where Star Trek has never gone before.

Their tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise™, through Captain Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise™ 1701-D and Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine™, to Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager™, with many more fascinating stops along the way.

Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans -- like you -- take the helm!

Download Description

Back by popular demand -- again! Our third anthology featuring originalStar Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep SpaceNine, and Star Trek: Voyager stories written by StarTrek fans, for Star Trek fans!

Each Strange New Worlds competition draws a greater response thanthe last. The final selections gathered here were chosen from anoverwhelming number of entries by virtue of their originality and style.With wit, compassion, and an affection for all things Star Trek,these brand-new authors take us where Star Trek has never gonebefore.

Their tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time andspace, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the firstStarship Enterprise, through Captain Picard's U.S.S.Enterprise 1701-D and Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine, toCaptain Janeway's Starship Voyager, with many more fascinatingstops along the way.

Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans -- likeyou -- take the helm!

Customer Reviews:

Strange New Worlds III - Very intriguing tales!.......2003-07-11

I have to admit that prior to reading the first Strange New Worlds novel I was a little reticent about fan fiction. That being said, the Strange New Worlds I & II novels more than removed that reticence, they turned me into a huge fan of these fan fiction novels, leaving me very much looking forward to the third one. Strange New Worlds III is an even more impressive collection than its predecessors. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek, for in each and every story lays the principles, ethics and overall atmosphere that Star Trek fans have come to love about Gene Roddenberry's universe.

Star Trek

If I Lose Thee (First Prize) by Sarah A. Hoyt & Rebecca Lickiss - It is extremely easy to see why this particularly great story involving Uhura and the Guardian of Forever won first prize and these two fine authors are now professional writers!

The Aliens Are Coming! By Dayton Ward - As with the two authors above, it is quite easy to see why Dayton Ward is now a professional author as well considering his fluid writing style and his talent for plot development. This particular story draws from the events in DS9's "Little Green Men" and TOS's "Tomorrow is Yesterday," weaving a wonderful tale as to what happened to Captain Christopher after the Enterprise left.

Family Matters by Susan Ross Moore - Another well written and thoughtful story! This extraordinarily interesting tale is about a younger Spock meeting his Aunt on Earth and helping with his cousin.

Star Trek The Next Generation

Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story (Third Prize) by Robert T. Jeschonek - I must admit that at first, I was wondering why this story made third prize, needless to say though, the story plays out extraordinarily well and this author deserves high praise for such an inventive and original story.

A Private Victory by Tonya D. Price - This is a very well done story about Lieutenant Hawk during the events depicted in Star Trek First Contact. I look forward to this author's future endeavors.

The Fourth Toast by Kelly Cairo - Nods to this author for bringing this exceptional story to print that is one of those follow up stories that "needed" to be told. Following the events of STNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise," we're taken into Richard Castillo's world after the loss of the Enterprise NCC-1701-C. Great story!

One of Forty-seven by E. Catherine Tobler - This story is an exceptionally well done and quite poignant short story!

A Q to Swear By by Shane Zeranski - I look very much forward to any future stories written by this author as he has with this story written some exceptional Star Trek, tying in events from TNG and a certain, troubled character we saw in Star Trek Voyager.

The Change of Seasons by Logan Page - This is another fine short story that quite poignantly tells one of the small, between the scenes, tales within the frame of Star Trek Generations. Quite touching!

Out of the Box, Thinking by Jerry M. Wolfe - Nods to this author as well as he has written an intriguing and quite humorous story bringing back one of STNG's most interesting and endearing characters, Professor Moriarty.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Ninety-three Hours (Second Prize) by Kim Sheard - I'm not sure I can properly express how truly well written this story is and how much praise the author deserves for having written it. Had this author been published previously, this superb story about Ezri Tigan (Dax) would've surely made it between the covers of "The Lives of Dax" anthology!

Dorian's Diary by G. Wood - This is another well written DS9 tale detailing what Ensign Dorian Collins went through after the DS9 episode centered around the USS Valiant and the cadets who were forced to captain her. The author deftly weaves into the tale a couple of the better guest characters from TOS and TNG.

The Bottom Line by Andrew (Drew) Morby - This is another strong DS9 tale that is both highly entertaining and enlightening especially for those who might've been wondering how Cadet Nog was getting along at Starfleet Academy!

The Best Defense... by John Takis - This exceptional tale brings into light what Bashir and O'Brien were doing in the holodeck that the series didn't often have time to elaborate upon. This story was a true joy to read.

An Errant Breeze by Gordon Gross - This is an amazingly well told "short" story that quite poignantly tells the tale of Damar's family near the end of the war.

Star Trek Voyager

The Ones Left Behind by Mary Wiecek - This beautifully well written and quite poignant story told from the perspective of Lieutenant Joe Carey's wife, Anne is made even more poignant by the death of the character late in the seventh season, not long before they made it home.

The Second Star by Diana Kornfeld - This intriguing and well written story plays out quite well, telling the story of a young girl living in a pre-warp society who meets a star man named Chakotay.

The Monster Hunter by Ann Nagy - This story is quite an interesting and well told story involving Paris, Kim and little Naomi Wildman's "monster."

Gift of the Mourners by Jackie Crowell - This is a well told story bringing to light one of the more interesting aspects of Voyager's trip home through the delta quadrant and the myriad of species that they could've encountered.

If Klingons Wrote Star Trek - jubHa' by Dr. Lawrence Schoen - While not being a SNW submission, it was quite interesting to see an entire short story written in Klingon. Many thanks to Chapulina R, a fellow reviewer and highly knowledgeable klinfan, for the translation. {ssintrepid}

ST: Strange New Worlds III.......2002-04-17

This is the third installment of the on going series that the fans of TREK submit stories for publication. Strange New Worlds III is a good look into the talent of some of the fans and what their preception of the STAR TREK universe to be.

This volume contains 20 short stories and one is written in Klingon. The stories vary as to genre and are well written. As with other short stories, these help fill in some of the gaps to the story lines in films and televison series. And I must say that some are very inventive to say the least.

All in all, this collection of short stories is well worth your time in reading, as they are engaging, entertaining, and insightful. The fans know what they like to read and some talented fans know what to write. It is heart-warming to see new talent continue the dream of Gene Roddenberry. As long as there is fan involvement the dream will continue to grow and flurish.

Read this anthology and see the future writers of TREK evolve as they direct the course of TREK to new paths and fill in the gaps along the way. What an interesting future evolving on these pages, not only the storylines, but the grow to the authors themselves.

Fans Know What Fans Like........2001-03-05

They say you should never judge a book by its cover and, boy is that the truth with this book. I had bought this book so I could learn the rules of the writing contest but for six months I never bothered to read it. It looked, on the outside, very campy and silly. I didn't want to admit to anyone that I would read such a book. Recently, however, I was home alone and bored. I had nothing new to read, so I took a look.

This book was great! A lot of credit must be given the editors who went through, they say, 10,000 submissions to come up with this book, the best of the lot. Star Trek III, Strange New Worlds, is broken into four parts to reflect the four different shows. From Star Trek to Voyager, we are treated to stories featuring all of our favorite characters.

I was most surprised by how consistently good the stories were. While there were one or two flops, most of the tales here are very interesting. About half of them were insights into stories we have already seen. So, for example, in the movie "First Contact" Lt. Hawk died after becoming a Borg. What really happened to him? Now we know. The other stories were totally originally.

My favorite stories were found in the Generations and Deep Space Nine Section. I especially liked the return of Mr. Barclay and Mr. Moriarty. My only real complaint, a small one, was my strong disagreement with the stories awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. The second place winner was great. The other two were not as good or original as many of the great finds in this book. Still, since most of the stories were so good, I can see how the editors could have made this mistake. "Strange New Worlds," misnamed since it is really about returning old familiar ones, is a fun read.

Surprisingly drab.......2000-12-11

There is one genuinely exciting story in this book: the third prize winner, "Whatever You Do, Don't Read This story". Most of the other stories were either dull re-hashes of episodes (or briefly mentioned but unscreened incidents) from alternative view-points, or short and embarrassingly melodramatic vignettes. There were occasional points of interest: "Gift of the Mourners" contained an alien culture that was left without being rescued and enlightened by the Universal All American values of the USS Voyager. "Out of the Box, Thinking" was a plot-based story, which, after the gluey sentiment of several preceding stories, had a welcome vigour. "One of Forty-Seven" was an exciting display of imagery, but, as with many of the stories, petered out. Of course, this may be a flaw inherent to the rules of the competition, in which no major changes may be made to the Star Trek status quo. I know the talent is out there. I read fan fic. So why is this collection so unimpressive? Then again, the choice of the asinine "If I Lose Thee..." as the first prize winner makes me less than trusting of the editors' judgement. Of the two stars, one is for "Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story".

A Better Effort.......2000-07-31

I was a bit disappointed with volume II in this series of fan written works, so it was with some trepidation that I bought volume III but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Although there still seems to be slightly too much emphasis on redundant soap opera material, there is also a wealth of truely interesting ideas in this collection as well. I still think that the first volume in this series was the best but this third outing is definitely a step up from volume II, and I was impressed enough by the quality of writing this time round that I will certainly keep an eye out for volume IV when it is published. This is deserving of a hearty "Well Done" to most of the contributors.

The Animal Kingdom. The Strange And Wonderful Ways Of Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Fish And Insects. a New And Authentic Natural History of the Wildlife of the World, Volume III - Fishes, Invertebrates, Insects, Index

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The Animal Kingdom. The Strange And Wonderful Ways Of Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Fish And Insects. a New And Authentic Natural History of the Wildlife of the World, Volume III - Fishes, Invertebrates, Insects, Index
Frederick, M. A. (Editor) Drimmer
Manufacturer: Greystone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IZAS72

Average customer rating:

Excellent!

Dakini Teachings
Padmasambhava , Nyang-ral Nyima Ozer , Padmasambhava , Yeshe Tsogyal , Marcia Binder Schmidt , and Erik Pema Kunsang
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Advice from the Lotus-Born: A Collection of Padmasambhava¿s Advice to the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal and Other Close Disciples

The Lotus-Born: The Life Story of Padmasambhava

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Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava's Teachings on the Six Bardos

Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism

ASIN: 9627341363
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

Padmasambhava, the Indian mystic and tantric Buddhist master, is second only to Buddha Shakyamuni as the most famous personage in the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. In the ninth century, he made the journey across the Himalayan Mountains to establish Buddhism for the people in that country. Now, more than 1,000 years later, we are able to hear and be touched by his voice as contained within this collection of oral advice. The selections in Dakini Teachings are timely advice - short, direct instructions relating to the three levels of Buddhist practice: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The main emphasis of Padmasambhava's teaching is that spiritual knowledge must be personalized and not remain as mere theory. The book includes an introductory discourse by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and a short biography of Padmasambhava by Jamgon Kongtrul the First.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-09-16

The book came quickly and is in excellent condition as promised. Thank you again!

Average customer rating:

Dakini Teachings

Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSG6TU

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Dakini Teachings
Yeshe Tsogyal
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NUY02Q

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