Book Description
With "The Prague Orgy," a new novella-length epilogue which takes the novelist Nathan Zuckerman on a quixotic journey to Prague to rescue from oblivion the stories of an unknown Jewish writer, Philip Roth concludes one of his major works of literature.
Customer Reviews:
Not quite three stars ( from a MAJOR Philip Roth fan).......2004-10-20
I have read eight other books by Roth, and would give them all four or five stars each. I kept each one, because I always keep books I loved.
"ZB" is the only Roth book I gave away after finishing. I just did not care for this trilogy and epilogue. If you have never read anything by Roth, do not start here -- you will get the wrong impression of this author. Read "Portnoy's Complaint," and "Goodbye Columbus" if you've never read anything by Roth. If you've already read "PC" and "GC," then I can also wholeheartedly recommend "The Professor of Desire," "Operation Shylock," "The Facts" (non-fiction), "When She Was Good," "The Counterlife," and "Deception."
Terrific.......2000-07-12
When I was a teenager (around 1970 or so), I read a couple of P Roth novels (Portnoy's Complaint and Goodbye Columbus, I think). They didn't make a huge impression (unlike, e.g., Tolkein's Lord of the Rings), except that I remember them as enjoyable. Roth was then off my radar for almost 30 years.
At some point, I bought his "trilogy & epilogue" from a remainder table ($2.98, according to the sticker still affixed), and eventually got to it. Here's all you need to kmow about my recommendation: halfway through this book, I was trolling through Amazon, trying to decide which Roth book to pick up next. Why I dropped him in 1970, I don't know -- it must have been the ... oh, never mind.
I found "Zuckerman Unbound" and "The Anatomy Lesson" to be the strongest of the 4 components (any can be read alone, but they're best read in sequence). I found "Prague Orgy" to be a little bizarre, and never saw how it fit in. I guess that's the only reason for the 4 rather than 5 stars.
Book Description
For the last half century, the novels of Philip Roth have re-energized American fiction and redefined its possibilities, leading the critic Harold Bloom to proclaim Roth "our foremost novelist since Faulkner." Roth's comic genius, his imaginative daring, his courage in exploring uncomfortable truths, and his assault on political, cultural, and sexual orthodoxies have made him one of the essential writers of our time. By special arrangement with the author, The Library of America continues the definitive edition of Roth's collected works.
This fourth volume presents the trilogy and epilogue that constitute Zuckerman Bound (1985), Roth's wholly original investigation into the unforeseen consequences of art-mainly in libertarian America and then, by contrast, in Soviet-suppressed Eastern Europe-during the latter half of the twentieth century. The Ghost Writer (1979) introduces Nathan Zuckerman in the 1950s, a budding writer infatuated with the Great Books, discovering the contradictory claims of literature and experience while an overnight guest in the secluded New England farmhouse of his literary idol, E. I. Lonoff. Zuckerman Unbound (1981) finds him far from Lonoff's domain-the scene is Manhattan as the sensationalizing 1960s are coming to an end. Zuckerman, in his mid-thirties, is suffering the immediate aftershock of literary celebrity. The high-minded protŽgŽ of E. I. Lonoff has become a notorious superstar. The Anatomy Lesson (1984) takes place largely in the hospital isolation ward that Zuckerman has made of his Upper East Side apartment. It is Watergate time, 1973, and to Zuckerman the only other American who seems to be in as much trouble as himself is Richard Nixon. Zuckerman, at forty, is beset with crippling and unexplained physical pain; he wonders if the cause might not be his own inflammatory work. In The Prague Orgy (1985), entries from Zuckerman's notebooks describing his 1976 sojourn among the outcast artists of Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia reveal the major theme of Zuckerman Bound from a new perspective that provides the stinging conclusion to this richly ironic and intricately designed magnum opus. As an added feature, this volume publishes for the first time Roth's unproduced television screenplay for The Prague Orgy, featuring new characters and scenes that do not appear in the novella.
Book Description
Couples everywhere look for inspiration to keep their sex lives hot. The sales of books about sexual fantasy aimed at heterosexual couples prove how determined readers are to ignite that erotic spark. But most of those books are boringly tame, selling short the sexual refinement of their readers. Good Vibrations sex educator Violet Blue improves on this trend, showcasing imaginative, sophisticated stories to arouse newlyweds and long-term partners alike with steamy, sexually explicit fantasies. From the publisher of Best Women’s Erotica, these stories put the sizzle back into the marriage bed.
Customer Reviews:
Plusses and minuses.......2006-02-18
There's a lot to like in these stories. They offer plenty of variety in the fantasies played out, and in choice of his or her point of view. They're explicit, exciting, and literate - these stories don't drift off into impenetrable euphemism or anatomical absurdity. And, in the end, almost every story portrays consensual play.
The negatives in this collection are only in matters of personal preference. I'm not a fan of the more aggressive kinds of play, even if it's just play. "Sweet Life 1" had many fewer themes of coercion or dom/sub, and I liked it better for that reason. If you and yours like the sharper edge to your erotic games, you'll enjoy this collection more than I do.
//wiredweird
We are open minded, BUT............2005-06-06
This book just did not do it for us. We purchased this book (and Sweet Life: Erotic Fantasies for Couples) based on the reviews from other couples and women. We were sorely disappointed. But maybe our type of fantasies are different from others. Male-Male Bisexuality and enemas do not fit our view point of erotic fantasies.
However, based on the writing style, the stories are well written. We gave this 3 stars because the fantasies are just not our type, but the writing style is VERY well done.
Just not for us.
Good Book - Not for Beginners.......2005-03-30
The stories in this book are very well written and the editing was very good. I had recently purchased another book and thought that it was very poorly written (see my other reviews), which is a pet peeve of mine. A lot of writers of erotic fiction seem to think that as long as they write about sex, the quality of the writing does not matter. There also appears to be a general tendancy for erotic writers to "force" their stories upon you, rather than present them in a way that lets them unfold before you. In this case, however, the editor seems to have chosen stories written by authors with a higher quality of writing style, and that made these stories very pleasurable to read.
That being said, I do have to warn that the stories in this book are not for the faint of heart, so if either you or your lover is uncomfortable with unconventional sexual practices, this may not be the book for you. Although the language and descriptions found in these stories are explicit and hot, the stories are primarily exciting because they are about unconventional sex. This book is designed for people who get excited about sex-games on the edge. In it you will find stories about threesomes, urination-play, strap-on play, and other such activities. You will not find stories about making love in a meadow of wild flowers! So if you plan to read this book in bed with your lover and she (or he) is squeemish about that type of thing, you should be forewarned that the acts described in this book might make her (or him) a little uncomfortable.
On the other side of the coin, I do have to say that within the subjects covered, the stories are generally about couples who love and care for each other, which makes this a very good book to share with your lover, assuming that you are both open minded and not offended or scared off by very kinky sex. One thing that I really liked about the stories in this book was that the authors wrote about unconventional sex that was taking place in a context of a caring relationship. Although the subject matter requires an open mind, the writers and editor did a great job of making them couple-friendly.
If you are a couple looking for your first book of erotica, this book could be a little bit over the top and you may want to look for another book and "work your way up" to this one. But if you and your lover are used to reading erotica together, or if you are both open minded people and stories about non-traditional sex excites you, then this book may be for you and it is well suited for lovers to share together. The stories are very hot and they are very well written which makes this a very enjoyable book.
tense and exciting.......2004-06-08
I loved Sweet Life 1 and was pleasantly surprised that the sequel was not a carbon copy of the first but instead develops the dominant and submissive themes that were only touched on in the first. Women who take charge, men who take charge and threesomes abound. There's plenty of sweet stories, too and a delicious helping of fantasies that play with the danger of discovery. I enjoyed Mile High, now so much because airline sex is impossible, and Special Occasion, where a woman initiates sex with a stranger while someone watches from the closet...
Humiliation is not so sweet........2004-02-26
I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Life (1). This second complilation is far from erotic for me. The stories are redundant in their theme of humiliation. If this turns you on, this book is for you. The first compilation had a little of everything, this one does not. Two stories were good, the rest were the same situation dressed up differently. It actually becomes quite boring, by the second paragraph you already know what will happen. Excuse my yawn while I look for something better to read.
Book Description
To Sister Beatrice, a priestess of the global Order of St. Michael, the cloud of tiny white particles is a message from God. To Johann Eberhardt, a German systems engineer, it is an anomaly of physics. But to the Rama society, it may; be the long-awaited proof of nonhuman intelligence. On Mars, Johann and Beatrice will meet, drawn together by a fabulous account of a vast city lost beneath the red planet's harsh landscape. Joined by none Martian colonists, the mystic and the skeptic will board a strange craft that will hurtle them toward the truth behind the mysterious bright messergers and a startling journey into the heart of the unknown.
Customer Reviews:
Great stroy. Tie up the ends a little tighter........2007-05-07
This book and it's sequel are excellent stories. I gave 4 stars beacause I wish the author had tied up the loose ends a little better. I like all mystery to be resolved in the end of a story. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book.
All wound up and no where to go..........2006-07-13
It kept me reading, just barely. I found myself frustrated throughout the book. It was *almost* a very good book, but some things kept insinuating themselves between me and the enjoyment of the book.
Gentry Lee, while he did make characters that I found, at first, to be very interesting, and while he did come up with a rather interesting plot, failed to give the characters, story, or setting enough believability, so that in the end I was left feeling frustrated.
The characters start out well enough, but then never really grow or show more of themselves. Characters go on and on in sections of dialogue that sounds far too pompous to be believed. Zero-gravity or tenth-gravity environments contain such impossibilities as rivers and waterfalls and boats, and the people seem completely unaffected by no gravity.
Characters make decisions that seem to have no logic behind them and in the end, I was just left wondering why on earth anyone would write this much material into a book to leave it with no real ending that made any sense to anyone. It was a very obvious: "And to find out what happens next, you'll have to buy the next instalment!"
I'm not sure I want to bother, especially as the three characters I'd hoped to see working together through the book are separated permanently.
Looks like Sci-Fi is too much for Lee Alone.......2004-10-06
Up until page 212, this seems like an acceptable science fiction story. Tantalizing hints, solid science, and interesting characters. I admit, some of them are two dimensional, but at least they are interesting, and their firm viewpoint is well portrayed.
After that we have inexplicable aliens giving our main characters increasingly pointless tours, while removing carefully all the other characters from the situation, for no explicable reason. We have situations described as 'zero gravity' with: Walking, shuffling, floors, cielings, climbing (Even tiredness while climbing), a RIVER, a BOAT in the river, SEATS in the boat, Earthlike scenes with trees, and squirels, while our carefuly segregated main characters sitting and eating a picnic . . .. All still in a zero G setting, with no explanations, adaptation, nothing.
From the before mentioned page 212 on, this book continues downhill, into a train wreck. If you are serious about your Sci-fi, and care about motivations, I would reccomend skipping this one, and looking to Niven, or Clarke, or Heinlein, or, above all, Spider Robinson.
Loved it.......2004-01-01
It took a while but when I finally got into the book, it was truly captivating. Unlike others, I was not annoyed with Sister Bea. The story of her and Johann was a good one, tedious at parts. Does anyone else ever notice that religious folks of the future, particularly Catholics, seem to hearken back to the Middle Ages in dress, custom and manner.
Toward the middle of the book they are taken in an alien craft and whisked to the stars. The action was riveting and not at all derivative of Rama. Too bad that the sequeal was the pits.
review.......2000-10-30
fantastic book up to the very end. drops off at the end.
Average customer rating:
|
The Mozart Starter: Exploring the Universe of Mozart's Music
Bruce Cooper Clarke
Manufacturer: Medi-Ed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
| Composers
| Classical
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
| ( M )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0936741066 |
Book Description
In A Fall of Moondust, time is running out for the passengers and crew of the tourist-cruiser Selene, incarcerated in a sea of choking lunar dust. On the surface, her rescuers find their resources stretched to the limit by the pitiless and unpredictable conditions of a totally alien environment. The Lion of Comarre presents the far-flung future where one city of extraordinary means was built on Earth--Comarre--and it is rumored to still exist. None but a few know of its location. A young man with great prospects and no worries goes on a hunt for the fabled city, and what he finds is something mankind has only dreamed of.
Customer Reviews:
ibooks needs to learn to EDIT!.......2006-07-20
Ok- I've always been a fan of Clarke's work, so when I found this collection I grabbed it-and was confronted by an average of 5-10 typing errors on every page. It's obvious that ibooks simply scanned the books from originals, ran them through a reader, used an automated spell checker, but made no effort to edit or even proofread the resulting text. As a result, the story has been rendered unreadable, and ibooks has lost a future customer.
Good Stories, Typos.......2006-07-04
I enjoyed the three short stories that made up this book. Nothing especially stellar or ground breaking but interesting little reads.
My only complaint and warning, the first story is replete with typos. It seems like the story was scanned from a source like a magazine, converted to text by a computer, and then never proof read. I found the typos so common and disruptive that I almost had to stop reading the story. If you're likely to be bothered by this, then definitely don't shell out the money for this collection.
Product Description
First printing mass market paperback by Paperback Library, 1968. 19 stories of extraterrestrial adventure by Asimov, Clarke, Davidson, Ellison, Silverberg, Merril, Bloch, de Camp, Tenn, Davis, Chandler, Benedict, Slesar, Moscowitz, Harrison, others.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Material, But...
- Clarke's classic collections collected
|
More Than One Universe
Arthur C. Clarke
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Clarke, Arthur C.
| ( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0553291890
Release Date: 1991-08-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Material, But..........2001-05-27
This is a copendium of some fifty-odd short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke gathered together from such previous short story collections as Expedition To Earth, Reach For Tomorrow, and Tales of Ten Worlds. Included, of course, are all of his most famous shorts... The Sentinel, The Nine Billion Names of God, The Star... etc., etc. This is a goldmine of science fiction, and anyone who calls themselves an Arthur C. Clarke, or even a science fiction fan, should have in their collection in one form or another. However, the thing is, this book is now out of print and has been replaced by the more comprehensive Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. Thus, since the stories in this collection are of high quality, and many essential, ground-breaking classics, I suggest you pick the book up if you can find it, and you don't already have them. However, since this book is rare and better collections are now out, the chances of this happening are pretty slim.
Clarke's classic collections collected.......2000-09-30
More Than One Universe is a compendium of several of Clarke's collections of short stories gathered together in one volume. As such, devotees of Clarke's work will find nothing new here, but for the uninitiated, this book is a remarkable exposition of the work of one of science fiction's bona fide masters. Although universally acclaimed for his novels (2001: A Space Odyssey, and Childhood's End among others), Clarke's short stories are also widely regarded as classics in the field, and this volume shows why. One of the mainstays of the genre is what may be called the "reading problem" story, wherein the hero is put into a desperate situation from which he (and the reader) are challenged to find a way out. Such stories have been popular since the inception of the form, largely because science fiction opens up so many new venues for the traditional Man Against Nature conflict. Clarke shows his skill at presenting these puzzles, as evidenced by "Summertime on Icarus" (where the hero is in danger of being grilled alive by the heat of the sun), "Into the Comet" (wherein a space vessel loses all visibility and instrumentation) and "Maelstrom II"(orbiting the moon without rocket power), just to pick a few examples. Of course, the real test of a science fiction writer is in how well he works outside the standard formulae, and many of these pieces were ground-breaking indeed when they were first published. Clarke predicts the collapse of Western civilization into decadence in "Patent Pending" and "I Remember Babylon", and more seriously, questions divine will in "The Nine Billion Names of God" and "The Star". "Before Eden" warns how easily space exploration can become a destructive, even genocidal act, while in "Superiority" he describes how a warring nation defeats itself with technological advances. Lastly, "The Sentinel" leaves one of the most memorable (and convincing) depictions of how men might learn of other intelligences in the universe. Not every one of these fifty-odd stories is a masterpiece, of course, and as with most classic s-f, there's very little room for romance -- women are a decided minority in these tales -- so readers of the female persuasion may not be too enthused. On the other hand, this very lack of sexual context makes the book entirely appropriate for even the youngest teens. This is an excellent book for a young reader just discovering science fiction, but be aware that many longtime readers will already own a lot of these stories in other collections.
Book Description
This parent-friendly, Bible-centered family time resource seamlessy weaves together devotional interaction with discipleship instruction for the whole family.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful for Family Devotions.......2007-09-23
We have really enjoyed Our 24 Family Ways for our nightly devotion. It helps us to use God's word as the guide for how we treat one another. We are seeing a difference in our children's hearts as we continue sowing the word and learning the principles. Our children are 6 and 8 and this is a very good book for those ages, and even older children.
Maridel
Enjoy a Home Centered Life! Articles on home organization, time management, family relationships and homeschooling at [...]
Family Focus.......2007-02-19
I homeschool our 8 children. We start our days in group devotions lead by me and I am always looking for good material to jump start us into the Bible. Also, I need something that is good for a variety of ages. We are enjoying this book very much. I also bought the coloring books to go with it for my ytounger children and that have memory verse cards you can print off of their web site. Great family product.
Books:
- 2 Wheels 2 Years & 3 Continents: A Bicyclist's Dream Fulfilled
- A Posturing Of Fools
- A Tryst in Time (Timeswept)
- Adventures of Huck Finn
- An Altered Light
- Ballet (Ultimate Sticker Books)
- Between, Georgia
- Between Two Rivers: A Novel
- Blackberry Wine: A Novel
- Bootmaker to the Nation: The Story of the American Revolution
Books Index
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The Counterlife
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The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography
