Book Description
This classic Swedish novel envisioned a future of drab terror. Seen through the eyes of idealistic scientist Leo Kall, Kallocain's depiction of a totalitarian world state is a montage of what novelist Karin Boye had seen or sensed in 1930s Russia and Germany. Its central idea grew from the rumors of truth drugs that ensured the subservience of every citizen to the state.
Customer Reviews:
Before 1984.......2006-04-21
The Worldstate of Kallocain appeared in print eight years before Orwell's famous story of totalitarian hell. Although weaker in some ways, it has more emotional impact in many others. It's about Kall, a chemist and loyal Fellow-Soldier of The State. His work re-opens earlier, failed studies on "truth serum" drugs. His new compounds eliminate the earlier drugs' toxic effects, the effect that destroyed the minds of so many human guinea pigs from the Voluntary Sacrificial Service. This time, the more merciful drug simply leaves its victims as passive, even cooperative partners in their own violation - the perverted wish of physical and mental rapists everywhere.
Idealist Kall sees only its potential to help the life-giving state against its enemies, at first. Of course, he sees his invention turned to the self-serving power struggles of the party oligarchs. He sees how having that drug's power corrupts its possessor, even seeing that corruption arise in himself. By then, the evil genie is out of the bottle and granting the wishes of the oppressive State.
The end of the book seems to wander. Kall sees the full force of The State's anti-terrorist army directed against a nameless little band of dreamers. He takes part in vaguely horrific trials for capital crimes against The State, with executions handed down apparently on whims and personal grudges. He ends his story with ambiguous dreams, still hoping that his pharmacological creation can live on, and still hoping (against evidence) that it can be used for genuine good.
It's worth reading, though. It captures the fears of its early Soviet and pre-Nazi era, and captures the time's faith (and fear) in the power of science. And it reminds technologists that, although scientific results have no inherent morality, the people who create and use those results do - or should.
--wiredweird
Kallocain.......2004-01-11
Boye actually wrote this book before both "1984" and "Brave New World".
More people should know about this book!.......2003-05-21
There are a few books that I wish everyone would read; this is one of them. A far far more compelling book than 1984, Kallocain probes what it means to be a good citizen. That this book is not more widely know is unfortunately due most likely to the fact that it is Swedish and that it has been issued by a university press. But this is a rip snorting good tale that will keep you riveted and make you think. And there is lots to ponder: surveillence issues, the idea of good citizenship; the question of who or what is "the enemy"; what war is about; the use of mind altering drugs in the management of society; and so on. Read it and pass on word of it to others! It deserves attention!
The Inevitable force of life expressed in Boye's Kallocain.......2002-03-31
This is probably the best swedish novel ever. It is written in the same style as Orwell's 1984 but where Orwell is purely political, Boye is much more existential. Kallocain is not only a critical reflexion on the totalitarian state but rather an experiment searching to find out if the force of life existing in every man and woman really can be destroyed (which in many ways is the purpose of the state in Kallocain). Perhaps one can only be controlled to a degree. If you squeeze an egg too hard it will burst, and then there is no way you can stop the content from letting go of your hands. It is hardly no coincident that the substans that has given the novel its name is green; the color of life.
I stongly recomend everyone to buy it and read it (over and over again if posible).
dystopia.......1999-08-21
i wouldn't call it "hilarious", for sure, but i definitely agree that Karin Boye has done us a great service in writing this book. Reminiscent of 1984 and also of Yvgeny Zamyatin's WE, KALLOCAIN is actually more frightening than either of those. The mind of the "collaborator," the willing citizen of a totalitarian state, is laid bare; his rationales and fears are thus universalized, and one sees the tyrant in all of us ...
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Kallocain
Karin Boye
Manufacturer: Delfin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: B000JCJ49M |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Review of Contemporary Fiction, published by Review of Contemporary Fiction on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 2557 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Karin Boye. Kallocain.(Book Review) (book review)
Author: Robert Buckeye
Publication:
The Review of Contemporary Fiction (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: Review of Contemporary Fiction
Volume: 23
Issue: 1
Page: 141(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
The realm's most feared swordsman, Sir Wolf has earned his name, the "King's Killer," well. Unlike many of his brother Blades, however, Wolf detests his sworn duty to do the bloody bidding of a liege he can never respect. But when an impregnable fortress is breached and a former royal mistress is abducted by brazen assailants, Wolf must leap into the fray.
Burdened with the company of his disgraced brother, Sir Lynx—the only Blade ever to lose his ward and live—and shadowed by a mysterious Inquisitor with a secret agenda, Wolf must make his way across a landscape of nightmares vivid and terrible enough to chill any fearless heart. For somewhere in this dark, unfamiliar world, the fate of all Chivial hangs in the balance—and it is the destiny of one reluctant Blade to tip the scales to salvation . . . or doom.
Download Description
"
Acclaimed fantasy author Dave Duncan returns to Chivial and the dashing King's Blades -- the greatest swordsmen in the world -- with a new epic adventure of sword fights, magic, romance, and a Blade unlike any other.
Sir Wolf is not your typical King's Blade. Sure, he's smart, athletic, a good dresser, and a phenomenal swordsman. But he hasn't been named the King's Killer for nothing, and after years of dark secrets and painful loyalties to a king he cannot respect, all he wants is to be left alone.
But when unknown assailants storm a royal fortress and carry off a former royal mistress, Wolf is dispatched posthaste to investigate. Who were these strangers, what were their motives, and who -- or what -- was their sinister cat-faced leader? Burdened by the need to comfort his impetuous younger brother, Sir Lynx -- the only Blade ever to lose his ward and live -- and shadowed by a secretive Inquisitor with her own agenda, Wolf struggles to solve a mystery that threatens the kingdom of Chivial itself. His quest will lead him into lands of danger and discovery unlike any the Blades have ever seen, and to an answer beyond his wildest nightmares.
"
Customer Reviews:
While not Duncan't best, it hit me the hardest........2007-03-27
While I have to concur with the other reviewers in their criticisms of aspects of The Jaguar Knights, it nevertheless had more of an emotional impact on me than any of the rest of the series. Perhaps that's due in part to the markedly darker tone, but I think the impact derived mainly from a strong identification with one of the characters (Dolores). She was, for me, the most three-dimensionally crafted, with her mercurial personality shifts not seeming like inconsistancy, but as genuine complexity.
The conclusion of the book, somewhat unexpected, was where the real impact lay. Ripped my guts out...
Not at all like the other King's Blades' books.......2006-11-22
I was a very big fan of all of the other King's Blades books. I started with Paragon Lost, but then went back and read all of the others. I would highly recommend any of the other books. I eagerly awaited the release of Jaguar Knights . . . and was sadly disappointed. It is so much worse than the others, it was almost as if Dave Duncan didn't write this one. I bought Jaguar Knights in hardcover, but if he writes another installment in the series, I will definitely not bother with the hardcover. However, I will still give his next installment another shot due to the strength of the prior books.
Not nearly as good as the other 'Blade' books.......2006-04-30
The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan is the latest edition in the King's Blade saga. By all accounts this will be the last King's Blade book as well. I believe I read somewhere that Duncan said their tale had been told and he doesn't envision going back there. That's a shame as the King's Blade books are some of the more refreshing fantasy books I have read lately.
This story is a tale of one Blade Sir Wolf going on a mission that accomplishes two things. One he helps the Inquisitors, but more importantly he tries to help his disgraced brother, another Blade, Sir Lynx. The majority of this story takes place away from Chivial and adds an assortment of new characters and ideas. Duncan does a good job at introducing just enough information as to keep some things fresh and exciting while at the same time explaining enough so the reader is not lost and confused.
The plot in this book is interesting and well scripted; however, at times it feels that the writing does not bring the richness out of it that I think could have been done. There are moments where the reader must think to themselves, that was too easy, or something didn't make any sense of why it happened like it did. This is the sixth book I have read from Duncan, all being in the King's Blades saga and this one just doesn't measure up to the others. It `feels' almost as though Duncan rushed to write this and get it on the shelves. Don't take me wrong though, this is better than some fantasy out there today, but this just doesn't measure up to what I was expecting from Duncan.
The characters in this book also don't measure up to what I would expect from a Duncan book. Simply said, I didn't care about the vast majority of characters in this book as I have with the other Duncan books. I really can't explain why, but the characters seemed disjointed at times. About the only character I cared about was Flicker, but even then he did things that made little to no sense for an Inquisitor to do. Wolf and Lynx could have been countless other characters from prior fantasy books. I didn't really feel like I was reading anything new with them as characters.
Overall, this book is average at best in terms of modern fantasy books and sub=par in terms of Duncan's writing. Yet, in the same breath, I would recommend it to anyone who has read the previous five King's Blades books, simply to continue the tale. If this is truly the last King's Blade book it a shame it ended on what I would consider a low note.
Wolf and Hogwood sitting in a tree, k i s s i n g.......2006-04-27
This was my first (and last) Kings Blade book. Duncan's writing style pulled me in, but the story mutates. The narrator's tone, a bit sarcastic, nonplussed and world-weary tough, fits the main protagonist and is fun to read. Very vicarious. But I kept waiting for the story to pick up and build on the initial premise of how a small force invaded a fortress and why they kidnapped the commander's main squeeze. It never does, and the answers, in my opinion, were weak and unfullfilling. Two-thirds into it I just didn't care anymore. When the author leads a reader to believe the story is about X, and then makes it about Y, the game is up. I can't describe exactly how this happens without giving away too many details, in case you decide to read it. I'd look elsewhere, though.
The Jaguar Knights....aaaahh...Ok........2005-08-06
The book was fine. Nothing special and not as good as previous titles.
Average customer rating:
- errrr, i am speechless.
- OK Godzilla book
- A VERY GOOD STORY!
- This book was Great!
- OK book.
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Godzilla Vs. the Space Monster (Classic Godzilla , No 3)
Scott Ciencin
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Godzilla Invades America (Godzilla Digest Novels , No 2)
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Godzilla: Past, Present, Future
ASIN: 0679889027
Release Date: 1998-03-31 |
Book Description
On the outskirts of Fort Wayne, Indiana, twelve-year-old Troy Richmond wishes on a star for more excitement in his life. Be careful what you wish for, Troy! When a meteorite lands in his backyard, it infects Troy with information about King Ghidorah, the terrible three-headed space monster who is heading straight for Earth. Troy finds himself at the center of a worldwide monster battle when King Ghidorah attacks Monster Island and hurts Godzilla's monster friends Rodan, Mothra, Battra, and Anguirus. Now it's personal, and it's up to Godzilla and a kid from Indiana to join forces and save the world!
Customer Reviews:
errrr, i am speechless........2005-05-30
A GREAT BOOK! when i first saw the godzilla power hour cartoon series, i loved it! so, when i bought this book, it was just as good, and now i own godzilla movies, books, and more. and, with some help from my imagination, i befrended godzilla!
OK Godzilla book.......2000-04-17
I am 7 years old. The Godzilla book is a good book, but I wish that it was just the same as the movie "Godzilla vs King Ghidorah". What I liked was that it had Battra in it, and lots of other monsters in it. Any kid who likes Godzilla should read this book.
A VERY GOOD STORY!.......2000-03-28
This is Mr. Ciencin's third Godzilla novel and I would have to say it's his best.The plot is about a space rock that crashes near a kid named Troy's house and tells him that Ghidorah is coming to earth. And the rock tels Troy how to defeat it. Meanwhile, Godzilla has his hands full keeping the peace on Monster Island with help from his friend Anguirus. When Ghidorah comes and threatens the peace Godzilla and his monster friends defend their home from the space dragon in a well written battle. This book has a clever and unique ending too. I like how Mr. Ciencin takes the time to describe Godzilla's personality and feelings, which makes the character more fun to read about. That is one of the most unique part about his novels - he describes the monsters as almost people with feelings and personalities. A nicely done Godzilla book that is entertaining for all G-Fans!
This book was Great!.......1998-10-28
My favorite part of the book was when all the monsters were fighting King Ghadora. I am glad they won. I liked this book because I like when Godzilla wins the fight. I read it over and over again.
OK book........1998-08-24
Scott Ciencin don`t know much about Godzilla. G`s atomic breath almost kills Ghidorah in the movie G. vs. King Ghidorah not warm him up. Godzilla can fight Ghidorah by him self.He used many old Toho monsters and made up new ones. All in all I give it 3 stars.
Customer Reviews:
consensus point.......2003-05-13
Sacvan Bercovitch has written a thrilling book not only about early American history (e. g., the Puritain errand in the wilderness) but also about tendencies of American civil discourse. The analysis of history is rhetorical and there is little beyond the dating of the documents that suggests there is more to the writing of history than textual analysis. For some this emphasis will be a strength, for others a profound weakness of the work.
Whatever one's opinion of the approach, the outcome is spectacularly suggestive. The work provides something like a study of the form that the expression of the American dream has taken since the beginning. Most of the discussion concerns the iron exhorations of early American religious leaders. The jeremiad exists in America and seems inseparable from communication of the American people's greatest desire. The jeremiad, since it is a form or perhaps even a genre is not only durable but mutable, applicable to seemingly all realms of American discourse.
I heartily recommend this perceptive little book to those curious about American discourse and the shared form that religious, political and cultural concerns take.
Average customer rating:
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African American Jeremiad Rev: Appeals For Justice In America
David Howard-Pitney
Manufacturer: Temple University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1592134157 |
Book Description
Begun by Puritans, the American jeremiad, a rhetoric that expresses indignation and urges social change, has produced passionate and persuasive essays and speeches throughout the nation's history. Showing that black leaders have employed this verbal tradition of protest and social prophecy in a way that is specifically African American, David Howard-Pitney examines the jeremiads of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, as well as more contemporary figures such as Jesse Jackson and Alan Keyes. This revised and expanded edition demonstrates that the African American jeremiad is still vibrant, serving as a barometer of faith in America's perfectibility and hope for social justice. This new edition features:
* A new chapter on Malcolm X
* An updated discussion of Jesse Jackson
* A new discussion of Alan Keyes
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The Afro American Jeremiad: Appeals for Justice in America
David Howard-Pitney
Manufacturer: Temple Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The American Jeremiad
ASIN: 0877226733 |
Book Description
The American jeremiad is a rhetoric of indignation, expressing deep dissatisfaction and challenging the nation to reform. David Howard-Pitney examines the speeches and writings of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesse Jackson to show how black leaders have employed this rhetoric of social prophecy and criticism to create a variant that is specifically Afro-American.
The Afro-American jeremiad has been a leading feature of black protest rhetoric from the antebellum through the modern civil rights era. While Douglass, Du Bois, and King consistently used the pure form, other black leaders have employed elements of the jeremiad to advance distinct social interests and political agendas. After demonstrating how Douglass used this tradition before, during, and after the Civil War, Howard-Pitney contrasts Washington's emphasis on black self-help with Ida B. Wells's insistence upon white reform. He discusses Du Bois's national reform efforts, the language of black New Dealer Mary McLeod Bethune, and King's civil religious rhetoric. Throughout his analysis the author addresses the ebb and flow of optimism about American promise and progress.
Concluding with a discussion of the continued presence of black jeremiahs such as Jesse Jackson, Howard-Pitney describes how this rhetoric has been most successful in fomenting social-political reform with regard to civil rights and least successful when advocating basic economic change.
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Death by consulting: Joe Klein's jeremiad against the hired hands of American politics.(Politics Lost)(Book review) : An article from: Washington Monthly
Chuck Todd
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
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Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000FNVZQK
Release Date: 2006-05-10 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Washington Monthly, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1457 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Death by consulting: Joe Klein's jeremiad against the hired hands of American politics.(Politics Lost)(Book review)
Author: Chuck Todd
Publication:
Washington Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38
Issue: 5
Page: 33(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Jimmy's Jeremiad.(Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis)(Book Review): An article from: The American Enterprise
Dave Shiflett
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
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ASIN: B000I2K02I
Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The American Enterprise, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1075 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Jimmy's Jeremiad.(Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis)(Book Review)
Author: Dave Shiflett
Publication:
The American Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Page: 50(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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