Hermsprong: or, Man as he is Not (Broadview Literary Texts)

Book Description

Robert Bage's Hermsprong satirizes English society of the 1790s targeting, in particular, corrupt clergymen, grasping lawyers and wicked aristocrats. The protagonist, a European raised among Native Americans, visits Europe and is dismayed by what he encounters. While such satire might seem conventional enough, Hermsprong is distinguished from other political novels of the period by its comedy, and it is a measure of Bage's success that he won the admiration of writers as different in political outlook as Mary Wollstonecraft and Sir Walter Scott. Indeed, Hermsprong is built around debate, and celebrates the pleasures of the lively exchange of ideas.

This Broadview Literary Texts edition contains extensive primary source appendices including material by William Godwin, Benjamin Franklin, Pierre de Charlevoix, and Voltaire.

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The latter are, indeed, rather open and engaging, than graceful. There is an ease about him, but it is an unstudied, unimitated ease. It seems his own; and becomes him so well, that he acquiries our good will, almost before he has spoke. That his conversation will support his credit with ladies in general, is more than I dare affirm. I will give you a small specimen, that you may judge for yourself. By the bye, he has a very ugly name; Hermsprong; it sounds monstrous Germanish.

Customer Reviews:

The original Pride and Prejudice.......2004-02-03

Writing about a generation before Jane Austen, Blage, now known primarily for nothing at all, was an extremely popular and well-thought-of 18th-century writer (he was admiringly written about by Sir Walter Scott--damning praise there, nowadays, but grow up).

This is Blage's masterpiece: his last, great, satirical work skewering the mores of British snobbishness (in the person of Lord Grondale)through the caricature of an American "barbarian." The phrase "pride and prejudice" is used throughout in the manner applied by Austen (yes, this is a bucolic, country novel of manners--focusing more on character than plot; oh, with everyone married happily ever after by the end). A treat.

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Hermsprong Man As He Is Not (Large Print)
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books
Font Size 16 Bold | Alternative Formats | Formats | Books
ASIN: 1425042686
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Book Description

Bage’s magnum opus and his most memorable work, it exposes and satirizes English snobbishness and hypocrisy.

Hermsprong Man As He Is Not [EasyRead Comfort Edition]

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Hermsprong Man As He Is Not [EasyRead Comfort Edition]
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Font Size 13 | Alternative Formats | Formats | Books
ASIN: 1425030807
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Book Description

Bage’s magnum opus and his most memorable work, it exposes and satirizes English snobbishness and hypocrisy.

Hermsprong Man As He Is Not [EasyRead Edition]

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Hermsprong Man As He Is Not [EasyRead Edition]
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Font Size 11 | Alternative Formats | Formats | Books
ASIN: 142502873X
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Book Description

Bage’s magnum opus and his most memorable work, it exposes and satirizes English snobbishness and hypocrisy.

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Hermsprong or Man As He is Not
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: Library Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CI1GV

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Hermsprong or Man as He is Not
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: The Folio Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CKO10

Hermsprong, or Man As He Is Not, a Novel

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Hermsprong, or Man As He Is Not, a Novel
ROBERT BAGE
Manufacturer: LIBRARY PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LK1WCY

Robert Bage's Hermsprong ; Or, Man As He Is Not

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Robert Bage's Hermsprong ; Or, Man As He Is Not
Stuart Tave
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0271002980

Hermsprong, or Man As He Is Not: Or, Man As He Is Not

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Hermsprong, or Man As He Is Not: Or, Man As He Is Not

Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRX72K

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Hermsprong; or, Man As He Is Not.
Robert Bage
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4T0FK

Amazon.com

Anyone who's read Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong knows about the devastating consequences that Columbus's voyage and ensuing colonization had on the native people of the Americas and Africa. In a thought-provoking work that is part science fiction, part historical drama, Orson Scott Card writes about scientists in a fearful future who study that tragic past, then attempt to actually intervene and change it into something better.

Tagiri and Hassan are members of Pastwatch, an academic organization that uses machines to see into the past and record it. Their project focuses on slavery and its dreadful effects, and gradually evolves into a study of Christopher Columbus. They eventually marry and their daughter Diko joins them in their quest to discover what drove Columbus west.

Columbus, with whom readers become acquainted through both images in the Pastwatch machines and personal narrative, is portrayed as a religious man with both strengths and weaknesses, a charismatic leader who sometimes rose above but often fell beneath the mores of his times. As usual, Orson Scott Card uses his formidable writing skills to create likable, complex characters who face gripping problems; he also provides an entertaining and thoughtful history lesson in Pastwatch. --Bonnie Bouman

Book Description

In one of the most powerful and thought-provoking novels of his remarkable career, Orson Scott Card interweaves a compelling portrait of Christopher Columbus with the story of a future scientist who believes she can alter human history from a tragedy of bloodshed and brutality to a world filled with hope and healing.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant!!.......2007-10-08

I have yet to find a Card novel that hasn't thoroughly impressed me (except possibly Xenocide), but this one is even better than usual. Extremely thought-provoking, this book will capture your imagination from the first page and keep you thinking about the complicated issues it raises for a long time after you close the cover. While not as fast or fun as ENDER'S GAME, this science fiction/historical fiction novel deserves every bit as much acclaim because of its sweeping scope and mind-blowing nature.

As humanity looks to its past for the causes of the problems of the present, the person of Christopher Columbus stands out as being a fulcrum of history. The discovery of the Americas and the subsequent ravishing of the New World by European disease and greed was determined to be the worst calamity in modern history. The plot of PASTWATCH revolves around the possibilities and ramifications of altering the past to create a better future. This book also presents a very realistic look at 14th at 15th century European politics and culture, as well as the person of Columbus. The fictional characters presented here by Card are intriguing and believable, as we've come to expect from Card.

Orson Scott Card is nothing less than genius, and the way he works through the bizarre and insanely complicated issues presented in this book is simply amazing. The amount of research required to put together such a novel must have been outlandish, and for that Card deserves even more respect. This is much more than a science fiction novel. Very highly recommended.

Funny coincidence that I'm publishing this review on Columbus Day...

Vintage Card.......2007-07-17

In the future, remnants of the human race, denizens of a ravaged Earth, seem to live in idyllic peace. Determined not to repeat the mistakes of prior generations, they share resources and work for the common good. Scientific advances result in the creation of the "Tempoview" machine, which enables researchers to study the past firsthand via an unobtrusive video device. Of course, the ability to view the past raises questions of whether the past can be changed, and inevitably, whether it should be.

The members of Pastwatch, while debating this notion, discover that their history (which appears to be ours) has already been tampered with, and that the focal point is the charismatic Christopher Columbus. This discovery, coupled with the dawning realization of their imminent demise, leads them to conclude that they too must intercede and change history. Knowing that they will surely wipe out their own existence, they send three team members back in history to influence events surrounding Columbus' exploration of the New World.

Once again, Card explores the fertile ground of a "first contact" story, but this time it's not humans meeting aliens, it's humans meeting humans. To Columbus, the natives he encounters might as well be animals--it's up to the time travelers to make him see them as human beings, and hopefully avert the wholesale genocide (another prevalent theme in Card's works) that Columbus' journey triggers. Card tells the story with a strong sense of moral certitude, and, as usual, presents us with a cast of thoughtful, appealing heroes.

If you haven't read Card, Pastwatch may be a good place to start. It presents many of his favorite themes and is self-contained (one of Card's faults is that he is overly fond of the multi-book saga). Those familiar with his work can rest assured that this is vintage Card.

Never-failing plot.......2007-02-11

I found this book engrossing from the very first page. I enjoyed the Seventh Son books of Orson Scott Card and decided to give Pastwatch a try. I couldn't put it down. The concepts behind it are original and thought-provoking. I wasn't sure how it was going to end--and I won't ruin it for you. But I have recommended it to several friends, and they have enjoyed it too.

Extremely good alternative history!.......2006-10-26

If you love alternative history and like sci-fi, I highly recommend this book. If you (like me) love sci-fi and like alt. history, I still recommend this book. If you only like sci-fi, this book may not be for you. I found myself totally immersed in this story, as it completely changed my view of plausibility the further I went. At first I couldn't come up with a reason for anyone to want to destroy themselves and their history, and hoped they'd have better sense. As the story went on, I was cheering them on! The depth of character was very good. The sci-fi was simplistic and nothing new. But, the story was so well done and so entertaining, I still have to give this book 4 of 5 stars. Most importantly, unlike some other alt. history writers, this story is exactly the right length: It's ONE book; Card didn't give in to the publishing $$ and drag this out to boredom, and for that, I sincerely thank him. Very very good weekend read, that may have you thinking about it the rest of the week!

Pastwatch-The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.......2006-09-20

This scifi book by Orson Scott Card is a book that's hard to put down, being rich in history and making you wonder:what if...?
The story is about the work of Tagiri, an African woman intent on researching her roots through the Pastwatch program. Using the Pastwatch technology, those chosen for the elite program are allowed to view the past to research what they choose or join a project and try to figure out why certain events occured.After seeing one of her ancestors being captured and forced into a life of slavery, Tagiri tries to determine why and where slavery originated, and where it could have been prevented. That is where she gets caught up in Christopher Colombus and his famous expedition.After years of research, Diko (Tagiri's daughter), Hunahpu, and Kemal are all prepared to be sent back in time. The mathematicians were not surprised when the Pastwatch members asked for help; they had been expecting such a situation for years, and already had a time machine built. Now that the 3 travelers are ready, they are sent back to three different times and three different places...but sending them back will have dire consequences for the people living in the future-they will cease to exist in order to create a better one.
This book is the story of each of those Pastwatch members as they journey back in time to create a better future...or die trying.
I loved the storyline of this book,and how everything flowed. There was never a dull moment- this is the kind of book you just can't bear to put down. I would recommend it to anyone who loves science fiction, history, suspense and action. Every word on the page makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. Not only does the book tell of the time traveler's journies, but of Christopher Colombus and his mysterious motives for sailing west. Full of interesting anddefined characters and a great plot, this book is a must-read.

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Pastwatch : The Redemption of Christopher Columbus
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTHGHC

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Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9RJQG

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Actually, it does exist, sort of.
This book does not exist

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus
Orson S. Card
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0312858450

Customer Reviews:

Actually, it does exist, sort of........2006-01-14

It's a short story, and you can read it for free on Orson Scott Card's website at http://hatrack.com.

Basically, it's an earlier version of the story of Kemal and his discovery of the original inspirations of both Atlantis and Noah (and Utnapishtim from the Gilgamesh legend, etc. - amazingly, Card gives all of these disparate legends a common, and actually plausible, origin) as told in Chapter 3 (if I remember right) of Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus. The youth and adult names of the Noah character are drastically and slightly different, respectively, from the condensed version told only in summary form in the novel. The relationship is similar to that of the short stories in the back of The Worthing Saga and the main story in that compilation, which was formerly published separately as the novel The Worthing Chronicle. Those stories in the back appear in the novel in condensed and refined form. So it is with Pastwatch: The Flood and Chapter 3 of Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.

I recommend reading the short story only if you've read and enjoyed the novel. The novel is one of Card's most profound works, though flawed by some minor plot contradictions.

This book does not exist.......2005-05-23

This is a book that Orson Scott Card planned but never got around to writing. It was originally planned for publication in 1996, and a paperback version is supposed to come out May 30, 2005. If you order this item you will probably never get your book, or will instead receive a copy of "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus", which BTW I thoroughly enjoyed.

See Orson Scott Card's bibiliography:
http://www.hatrack.com/osc/bibliography/index.shtml
and the on-line discussion at:
http://www.hatrack.com/cgi-bin/ubbmain/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002253

Book Description

The Hive: a subterranean genetic research facility owned and operated by Umbrella, an immensely powerful corporation with interests in everything from human longevity to biowarfare. With computerized defenses and heavily armed human backup, the Hive is impregnable and invulnerable. Or so Umbrella believes.

But something has gone fatally wrong. The Hive has lost containment of its most lethal and horrific creation: a virus that kills and reanimates human life, reducing the entire facility staff of five hundred men and women to mindless creatures with a single driving force -- hunger. And the key to stopping them rests with one young woman who cannot even remember who she is.

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"The Hive: a subterranean genetic research facility owned and operated by Umbrella, an immensely powerful corporation with interests in everything from human longevity to biowarfare. With computerized defenses and heavily armed human backup, the Hive is impregnable and invulnerable. Or so Umbrella believes. But something has gone fatally wrong. The Hive has lost containment of its most lethal and horrific creation: a virus that kills and reanimates human life, reducing the entire facility staff of five hundred men and women to mindless creatures with a single driving force -- hunger. And the key to stopping them rests with one young woman who cannot even remember who she is. "

Customer Reviews:

It was a good book!!.......2006-05-13

I gave this book four stars because even though the story itself was good there were some problems with it. Mainly some parts were repeated and there were some parts that were downright boring to me. I skipped these parts. Reading this book did give me more details than the movie it is based on did. All in all it was still a good read. I would suggest reading S.D. Perry's RE books first because they are really much better. If you have finished them like I have and want more then sure go ahead and read DeCandido's books. Try to get them at the library or go ahead and buy them they are still worth the money.

Almost succeeds at making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.......2005-06-28

Keith R.A. DeCandido makes a game effort at turning Paul W.S. Anderson's shallow script for the first Resident Evil movie (here retitled Resident Evil: Genesis) into an actual story populated with developed characters. He almost succeeds. DeCandido has done an admirable job of fleshing out not only the backstories of Alice, Matthew and Spencer, but those of the supporting characters as well. The backstory stuff does become rather repetitious after awhile, what with all the characters, save one, coming from a military and/or law enforcement background. Matthew Addison is part of a group that seeks to bring the dirty secrets of the corrupt Umbrella Corporation out into the light of day. How this group operates and keeps itself funded is kept every bit as secret as the hows and whys of the Umbrella Corporation. Because of Matthew's history in law enforcement (I guess he is a Rogue-But-Righteous-Cop-Who-Doesn't-Play-By-The-Rules type) he cannot infiltrate Umbrella, but his sister can. Okay, that is contrived - but SOMEBODY had to fill in the plot holes that Anderson's source 'story' was riddled with. Lisa, Matthew's sister, is a brilliant computer wiz who manages to get a job inside Umbrella's semi-secret research and development headquarters located beneath the streets of Raccoon City - The Hive. While Lisa manages to gather some info, she also snags the attention of the center's security chief, Alice Abernathy. Lucky for Lisa, Alice wants to bring down Umbrella as well. The two formulate a plan...and that is when things go nightmarishly wrong. It is also that point where Paul W.S. Anderson's script begins and the novel switches from DeCandido's filling in the blanks to a rather straight forward retelling of the movie in narrative form. Try as he might, DeCandido, after such a nice build up, could not really keep the smoke and mirrors from distracting this reader from the fact that there is precious little story in Anderson's script. The oddest thing about the novelization is that, after filling in countless story gaps, DeCandido leaves one empty. In the film, after dispatching the zombified Lisa, Alice and Matthew share an expository moment. An instant later they are running for their lives from zombies, the movie not bothering to tell us just how this happened. Neither does DeCandido, he covers the sloppy transition with a chapter break. Disappointing oversight. I can only recommend this novelization to die hard Resident Evil fans.

Was Good, But It Wasn't Great.... Needs A Lot Of Work...........2005-04-10

I, myself, have never watched the RE movies because I usually read the books first. I saw this while I was out shopping and decided to purchase it thinking it would be pretty good....

Boy was I wrong.

While this book has pretty good details about describing the Hive and various other things, the characters don't seem to be 'real' in a sense we as the readers can relate to them. It's like their lives are just barely touched upon and we don't know any real background info on them except for Lisa and Alice. A big problem with this is when the characters die, we don't feel for them because they came and went, "poof!" like that....

Another thing was the lack of action description. There was no concrete details in the action, making it choppy and just thrown together. One example is when Alice stabs the Licker's tongue... there's no detail if it screams of bleeds or anything.... Here's the excerpt from the book:

"With the first, she [Alice] slammed it down horizontally onto the end of the monster's tongue, holding it secured to the floor.
With the second, she drove it down vertically like a spear, through both the tongue and the gridwork of the trapdoor, skewering it.
She had, in essence, nailed it to the floor" (Pg. 267).

That was a pretty good description, but it lacks TRUE description. The whole controversy is between SHOW versus TELL. In truth, the author wrote this excerpt, and mostly the whole book, in TELL. A real author can write in both TELL and SHOW. Here's how I would have written the above excerpt:

"Using the first of the two tubes, Alice slammed it down upon the monster's tongue, holding it in place before grabbing the second tube and thrusting it through both the tongue and floor, securing the monster to the gridwork of the trapdoor.
Realizing its constriction, the Licker tried jerking its tongue free but only succeeded in tearing its tongue and bleeding profusely while screaming "Huuuuurrrraaaaa!" in its hoarse, throaty cry."

See? I shortened all of Alice's actions into one paragraph and even added actions for the Licker, making it seem like it was in distress, therefore making it more believable. I even added the scream in "s to make it more alive so the readers can imagine it yelling. In essence, what I wrote was both SHOW and TELL. I told what was happening, and I showed it by adding sound and describing the sound.

Sadly, the whole book is written like the excerpt.... If you really would like to read RE books, I highly suggest you read the books by S.D. Perry as she is much better at capturing the true nature and atmosphere of the RE games. And this book? I think you'd be better off watching the movie instead....

Excellent Book, One of the Best Movie Based Books.......2005-01-27

I found Resident Evil: Genesis to be a very good book. Other than messing up one character's name, I don't see why the person who wrote the first review is complaining about. The book goes into so much detail about what's going on that the book is about half done before you get to where the movie begins. And I found it very interesting in how the author went into so much detail about the back grounds of characters such as Rain. I definitely recommned this book to any fans of the Resident Evil series.

Could Have Been Much Better.......2004-11-16

Being a huge fan of the movies, I was very excited to purchase this book; however, I was sorely disappointed. A lot of the most simplistic of details are wrong (ex."Bart" Kaplan?), leading me to believe that the writer did no more research beyond simply watching the movie a couple of times. The characters are boring and flat, and have been developed no further than those of the movie; the scenes are often too brief and poorly described, and the transitions between are awkward. I had hoped to see more depth than in the movie, which is what one generally expects from a novel; however, I found little to none.
However, the book does deserve two stars simply for the background information given at the beginning of the book. Though poorly described in parts, it's interesting and informative, and gives another side to the movie. It would definately be described as the better half of the book.
Overall, the book is most certainly not worth it's price. If you're an RE fan, I suggest you take it out at a library, or borrow it, or buy it used.

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Resident Evil: Genesis

Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000IC2KFI

Book Description

"These are the times that try men's souls," writes journalist Thomas Paine at the end of 1776, a dark time in America's struggle for freedom. As the dramatic events depicted in volume 2 of the monumental Prelude to Glory series show, the high price of liberty for which the colonists fought would include great sacrifice and endurance--even in the face of apparent defeat.

Focusing primarily on events between June and December 1776, this installment in the series follows Billy Weems (friend of Matthew Dunson from volume 1) to the battlefields in the New York area, where General George Washington commands the Continental army. Early on, Billy meets and befriends Eli Stroud, a white man raised by Iroquois Indians, who lends his unusual talents to the Revolutionary cause. But as events unfold, the Americans' situation looks more and more bleak. A series of engagements with the enemy leaves the colonial soldiers pummeled and staggering, driven to disastrous retreat again and again. By December 1776, the war for independence seems all but lost. Nevertheless, determination and hope remain alive, along with a powerful sense that divine providence is watching over the Americans.

As with the previous volume, author Ron Carter re-creates these historic episodes in such a way as to transport you back in time. Along with fascinating fictional characters, he provides engaging portraits of such luminaries as George Washington, Nathan Hale, and intrepid John Glover. Through this powerful story, you will come to appreciate the fortitude it took for the Patriots to stand firm and resolute during these times that tried men's souls.

Customer Reviews:

Super.......2007-01-12

Everything went very smoothly. I highly recommend this seller. Thanks for making my wildest dreams come true.

A wonderful series for Revolutionary War buffs.......2001-11-06

This is an excellent series for historical fiction lovers. Set in the Revolutionary War, the book follows a fictional family and friends through the war, with incredible detail. The book is full of interesting facts, and at the end of each chapter, the author tells the reader what was fictional and what was factual, and cites the references for further information.

To those who may be religiously sensitive, the book only touches on the religious aspect, and does so in a very nondenominational way. Mainly, the only mention of religion is with the characters in the book wondering if their actions were being guided by God; something many of the participants (especially Washington)truly wondered.

There are currently five books in the series, with more to come.

Excellent-very entertaining.......2000-07-27

These books are so wonderful. I felt as if I were actually there and as if I personally knew the characters. I have learned so much about the Revolutionary War and all the sacrifices and hardships our forefathes endured in order to gie us our liberty. I highly recomend these books to anyone interested in knowing what happened and what life was like back then.

The read that inspires men's souls........2000-04-23

I read this book prior to going on my sixth grade trip to Monticello, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, Virginia. The masterfully written novel opened a window of knowledge for me to enjoy and cherish. I learned more about the Revolutionary War from this book and series than from any other source. It is a great book to share with friends. I highly recommend it.

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