The Bushwacked Piano

Book Description

A heroic young man is in pursuit of a spoiled rich girl, a career, and a manageable portion of the American Dream.

Customer Reviews:

I guess you had to be there.......2001-11-28

Nicholas Payne is one of those quirky, independent characters that I normally love, but Payne crosses over from eccentric to obnoxious. This book was published in the early 70s when rebellious youth triumphing over pompous members of the "establishment" (to borrow from the contemporary vernacular) was a popular theme, but looking back from the 21st century, Payne seems more of a spoiled brat than an iconoclastic rebel. McGuane is a good writer with an impressive command of the language, but at times, the obscurity of his words leaves one with the impression that he writes with an open thesaurus. Still, an interesting read with some funny moments.

My favorite book.......2001-09-26

Nicholas Payne is one of the most memorable characters that's ever existed in American literature, and that goes for Huck Finn and Sal Paradise. A hilarious ride from start to finish, The Bushwhacked Piano combines side splitting humor with irony, satire, and reflection. The Bushwhacked Piano is funny, sad, and everything in between. But, most importantly, it's funny. Not many genius writers/masters of language have McGuane's keen sense of humor, which is what makes the book tick. Here's my formula for a good time:

1). Read The Bushwhacked Piano
2). Drink malt liquor
3). Talk to a pretty girl
4). Get smacked in the face, or, if you're lucky, get lucky!

Nick Payne straddles the line between jackass and heroic visionary...if we could all only be so lucky. McGuane is the best living writer in America today. Non Serviam. Read this book to increase your vocabulary and mental health.

Terrific, offbeat,and interesting.......2000-10-05

Complicated, challenging, endlessly entertaining and very amusing. Nick Payne is unpredictable and wild and hapless and completely his own person. The book is cinematic in a way a movie could never be, and McGuane's humor switches effortlessly between the dryest irony to outright slapstick. This is a good book by an inventive author with an impressive command of the language.

Schizophrenic Hero.......2000-05-11

Nick Payne, McGuane's probably schizophrenic hero, is what we all (well, men at least) would like to be - someone driven by purity of impulse, who sees consequences as unimportant obstacles between his goals and his deeds. Payne's humanity is almost painful in its vulnerability, and yet Payne exhibits more courage and integrity than the ostensibly sane characters populating McGuane's work. The writing is original and unconventional, but for those of us who like to be challenged, entirely satisfying. This is the book that turned me on to McGuane's great talent (later confirmed when I read Ninety Two in the Shade). One of my favorite books.

Bushwhack attack.......2000-04-21

Terrifically literate, and wildly funny. I'm from the Keys, and I have to tell you, there are many kernels of truth here. Everyone should read this book, if only to flex and tone their literary muscles.

Average customer rating:

THE BUSHWACKED PIANO
Thomas Mcguire
Manufacturer: Warner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MWFL1E

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The Bushwacked Piano

Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GP2TY4

Book Description

She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

Customer Reviews:

almost-end of first trilogy aside from the obvious sequel set-up for The Silver Spike.......2007-01-12

this review contains spoilers for this novel, the silver spike, and shadow games.

This is the third Black Company novel, and resolves most of the major conflicts set up in the first and (especially) second novels. The story starts out in three narrative lines, one being the Croaker narrative as the company has fled to the Plain of Fear with Darling, another being the story of the sorceror Bomanz right before he inadvertently freed the Lady and the Taken, and the third being a character we obviously suspect to be Raven in Barrowlands in present-time. The second and third narratives end about halfway through the book and Croaker is the perspective for the rest of the story.

The plains of fear seemed very well done (they were just a footnote in the previous appearance if I recall correctly), with odd creatures and flora described in sufficient detail to make them seen quite alien.

The Bomanz and Raven narratives were supplemental but informative.

The final battle with the dominator had enough surprises to be entertaining, though the obvious setup of leaving Toadkiller Dog free and the Limper's head unfound was clearly with a sequel (the silver spike) in mind.

On page 72 Cook seems to offer the idea that the various taken from the original novel might still be around. This is expounded on later when Darling mentioned that burning the Limper might have worked at the end of Shadows Linger. I think from this time Cook was actively playing with the idea inside the story of un-killing some Taken.

Grave Doings.......2006-06-03

This is the third volume of the first of four segments of the 10 volume story of the Black Company (whew!) Unlike many long series, Glen Cook has the knack of always being just inventive enough to maintain a high level of interest without over-amping on any one volume and then running out of plot at a critical moment. The story opens on the final series of conflicts with The Empire, with The Black Company on the side of the good guys for a chance. Hidden away on The Plain of Fear, the last of The Black Company, and other supporters of Darling, The White Rose, carry out what remains of the rebellion. Life is harsh as harsh can be, and they all know that The Lady and her Taken will soon appear and try to squash them like bugs.

Their only secret advantages are Darling herself, who is a Null - magic doesn't work around her - and the Plain itself a vast desert populated with a host of strange and intelligent life forms. Giant whale like creatures sail the skies, giant talking menhirs wander the dunes, stopping only to mutter "There are strangers on the Plain," and an ancient tree guards an even more ancient evil. Life is not good in the tunnels beneath the sand. And someone, somewhere, keeps sending Croaker pages from Bomanz's Diary - the self same wizard who worked the release of The Lady and The Taken, and who no lies trapped in the Barrow Lands in the tangled net that still guards the Dominator and some of his darker friends.

The story continues to alternate between past and present (a favorite Glen Cook device). Gradually we realize that The Dominator is still working on escape and that something evil has worked its way free as the result of Raven's interference in the guardian spells. This time the risk is even worse than that in Shadows Linger. So dire, in fact that The Lady convinces Croaker to get her acess to The White Rose in order to work out a tactical treaty until the big threat is past. This is a Black Company novel, so if you are intuiting a serious blowout, you're right. Everyone gets into the act - rocks, whales, monsters, you name it.

This is a transition volume, bringing most of the loose ends together as preparation for moving into the next phase of the story - the Black Company's ride back into its own history. Much will change, but it is one of Cook's strengths that he can work changes without breaking the reader's concentration. This is one of the few series where neither the writer nor the reader seem to get overtired.

Glen Cook at his best.......2006-01-14

This is without a doubt Glen Cook at the top of his form. The book is original, unusual, fast-paced, and very enjoyable. The original Black Company trilogy are the best of the nine Black Company novels, and this third book is the best of the trilogy. Read the previous two books first, but definitely get this one too. You might be up all night. The tight prose on display here is easy to follow while still interesting and exciting. It makes for wonderful light reading.

The pinnacle of a masterpiece trilogy..........2003-10-04

I just don't find many books that purely entertain me like this very often. Here again, Cook mixes in several plotlines separated in time all culminating in one of the best "show-downs" I've ever read. I just can't say enough good things about this book. The ending was totally unexpected and Cook drove me insane with curiosity about: the Lady's real name, what Bomans was looking for and what happened, who Corbie was, which Taken were loyal to the Lady, who would ultimately win in the end. One is never quite sure who's playing who until the very end. This is the capstone to one of the best trilogies in any genre.

Final battle in the north.......2003-09-12

The White Rose, the third in Glen Cook's Black Company series, completes this mercenary army's adventures in the north country. It is as different from the first two as they are different from each other. The men grow older, their numbers, dwindle, yet they are feared by their enemies.

All of the threads come together, but not altogether cleanly. The differences between good and evil are not always clear. The beginning of the story is disjointed and not nearly as action-oriented as the first two. No one is what he -- or she -- seems to be. Yet at the end, the story is satisfying enough.

Cook's gritty prose style changes slightly from one book to the next. Characterization is not as strong as in the previous books. Yet there is enough continuity to keep one reading. And he always has a few surprises. This is a good, fast read. Be sure to read the books 1 and 2 first.

Customer Reviews:

Another Fantastic Brainship Novel.......2007-02-21

While most Anne McCaffrey fans seem to gravitate towards her Dragons books, I love her brainship books.

If you aren't familiar with the series, start with "The Ship Who Sang" and enjoy the ride! The premise of the series is that infants who have too many physical birth defects to survive, but have intelligence unaffected by their unfortunate births are cherished and grow as "shell persons" they live encapsulated in life support which also connects their brains to a web of databanks, computers, and to spaceships or cities. This makes them superhuman, but still very human.

In this book Simeon, a city-bound shell person, is attacked by hostiles while also breaking his a new partner ("Brawn").

The story is rich in it's supporting characters, villians, children, victims, and heroes! If you've read any of the brainship books, you need to read this one, it is one of the very best.

My favourite B&B book.......2000-01-09

City Who Fought is an amazing book which I really love. The characters are all very real and three-demensional. I found myself so drawn into the story that I forgot about many other things, including my favourite tv show. I stayed up til...bout 2:30 AM reading this book, so that I could find out what happened to Simeon, Joat, Channa, and the rest of them. My favourite character was Simeon, of course, but Joat, Channa, Joseph, Seld, Patsy, Chaundra -- okay, all of them, just about -- are also wonderfully three-demensional. Simeon is my favourite brain -- favourite character -- from any of Anne McCafferey's B&B books. The only problems I found with this book were a) that it was much more militaristic than I like, but I knew that when I began reading it, so I can only blame myself, and b) the Kolnari were a bit..flat, and 2-demensional, not something I personally like in a book, especially for the villians. One thing that I read in another review of this book was that it was not a good book for children, having a lot of sex and violence in it. My opinion on this is: It's not MEANT for children! It's an adults book, and the person who wrote that review should have realized that.

This book is highly insulting to women!.......1999-09-28

This book is highly insulting to women! He sexual alludes to situations that either cannot happen according to the storylines or physically happen according to human biology. This did surprised me since I have read many of her works of fiction. I cannot believe that Anne McCaffrey would have anything to do with this novel. It is highly offensive to women and is not worth reading!

Excellent Brain/Brawn tale...........1999-07-18

I've been a McCaffrey fan for over a decade, I've read 98% of her books and the Brain/Brawn books have become my favorites. Joat, Channa and Amos are interesting characters, though I think Simeon steals the show. While there is more violence than most of Ms. McCaffrey's other works, with the exception of the Generation Warriors trilogy, I feel it fits the plot and situation and is not excessive. The comic relief is great and the plot interesting and solid. A must read along with The Ship Who Sang and The Ship Who Searched.

Great B&B book........1999-06-04

Simeon is revealed to the readers in a way that other brains have not been. I liked it.

Partnership/the Ship Who Searched/the City Who Fought

Average customer rating:

This time it is a "brain" named Nancia that needs to find a compatible "brawn"
This is a really great book!!!!
A non-taxing, good, warm fuzzy read.

Partnership/the Ship Who Searched/the City Who Fought
Anne McCaffrey , Margaret Ball , Mercedes Lackey , and S. M. Stirling
Manufacturer: Audio Literature
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 155800923X

Customer Reviews:

This time it is a "brain" named Nancia that needs to find a compatible "brawn".......2006-05-22

"PartnerShip" is the second book in the Brainship Series that was begun by Anne McCaffrey in the short stories that were collected under the title "The Ship That Sang." But this second book is a novel rather than a short story collection, tells the story of a new shellperson, and is co-written by McCaffrey with Margaret Ball (they also collaborated on the Acorna boks). Readers of the first book might be disappointed that this "sequel" is not about Helva, but the idea of brainships lends itself to new characters and if you have read McCaffrey's Pern and/or Talent series then you know she likes to tell new stories about new characters more than she does finding new tales for familiar (and even beloved) ones.

Nancia Perez y des Gras was an aristocrat, a member of one of the High Families, who was born with grave physical disabilities that required her human body to be encased in a massive titanium column that provided a direct link between her mind and the computer of her ship, XN-935. Nancia never would have survived without the complex life-support system the shell provided and which also allowed her to have a career as a new brainship for the Courier Service. Although she has been well trained, Nancia is not ready for dealing with the five "ordinary" human beings who are her passengers on her first voyage.

They are also members of the High Families and what her passengers have in common is that they are the proverbial black sheep of their respective families. That is why they are being sent to the forgotten far side of the galaxy. Usually the "brain" on a Courier Service ships is complemented by a "brawn," a human pilot special trained for such services, but Nancia is traveling without one on her maiden voyage. So Nancia is shocked and appalled by what she hears as her passengers plan to make their illegal fortunes and enjoy their ill-gotten gains. However, these five aristocrats do not know that they are on a brain ship and Nancia never bothers to tell them that she is listening (and recording) all of their plans.

What I like about "PartnerShip" is that Nancia bides her time before bringing the Nyota Five to justice. After all, she is fairly new to the ways of the real world and, as the title indicates, she is not going to be alone with the time comes to put her plan into motion. Consequently, in addition to the anticipation as to how Nancia is going to get these five clowns there is also a question of who is going to be the "brawn" to her "brain"? The former appeals to be a bit more simply because I like it when somebody on the inside has got the goods on the bad guys, but I was satisfied with the specific partnership that McCaffrey and Ball came up with for Nancia. Final Note: the cover art for this 1992 book is by Stephen Hickman.

This is a really great book!!!!.......1998-07-23

McCaffery does it again! I love how she winds intrigue, betrayal, and suspense into one super novel!!!

A non-taxing, good, warm fuzzy read........1997-02-17

The fascinating concept of brainships is wedded with recognition of society's responsibility to maximize the potential of it's members. Nancia's growth from naive newness to flexible adulthood is accompanied by normal emotional trauma. Self awareness, recognition of self worth and valuation of others are wrapped in an entertaining reading experience. Cynical recognition of who you know rather than what you know doesn't detract from the message or the idealistic theme that good works and good will can triumph.

Average customer rating:

The City Who Fought
Anne and S. M. Stirling McCaffrey
Manufacturer: New York Baen 1993.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P0FKP0

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The City Who Fought
Anne and S. M. Stirling McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NRE8M6

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The City Who Fought

Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HMPYQG

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The City Who Fought (Brainship, Book 4)
Anne; Stirling, S. M. McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1882690141

Squabble City: The story of the Court House War and the people who fought it

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Squabble City: The story of the Court House War and the people who fought it
Russell B Franzen
Manufacturer: R.B. Franzen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B0006P6MAG

3 Book Set; PartnerShip. The Ship Who Searched. The City Who Fought. (Audio Cassette Book) (Science Fiction & Fantasy)

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3 Book Set; PartnerShip. The Ship Who Searched. The City Who Fought. (Audio Cassette Book) (Science Fiction & Fantasy)
Anne McCaffrey , Margaret Ball , Mercedes Lackey , and S. M. Stirling
Manufacturer: Audio Adventures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000QCKV4M

Product Description

Clamshell Case with 6 audio cassettes/ 3 novels/ 2 cassettes per novel

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The City Who Fought
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MB0IFE

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The City Who Fought
Anne & Stirling, S. M. McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KBLUQW

Customer Reviews:

THE SWEET FEEL, TOUCH, AND SMELL OF LOVE CONQUERS ALL!.......1999-05-25

AS I WAS IN SEARCH OF AN EXCITING BOOK TO READ, I FOUND 'MY ROSE'. BELL COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN A MORE BREATH TAKING NOVEL THAT DEALT WITH THE FEEL, TOUCH, AND SMELL OF LOVE. THIS LOVE INVOLVES ALL: GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, A MOTHER'S LOVE FOR HER SON, A SON'S LOVE, A FAMILIES LOVE AND FRIENDS' LOVE. I CRIED AND I REJOICED AS I READ A FAMILIY'S PERSONAL STRUGGLE WITH AIDS AND ITS STIGMAS. EVERYONE SHOULD READ ' MY ROSE': IT WILL FILL YOUR HEART WITH THE SMELL OF LOVE.

One of the more emotional books I have read in years........1997-08-01

While reading this book, it brought emotions from me that I thought I had long forgot about. This is a story for anyone who has losted a love one due to a long suffering illness, yet it is a story of love and devotion that goes back as far as time and forward as time goes on. It is a story that explains a mother's love, challenges and fears that we all have experienced, especially mothers. The lessons and questions at the end of each chapter can be used for many purposes. One they are a wonderful guide/outline for teachers of social workers or anyone who deals with individuals and families emotional needs. It is also a wonderful tool for those who lead discussion and support groups. It is my opinion that anyone experienced in the healing process for those who have lost love ones will view this book as a vehicle to assist grieving families. It is also a wonderful way for parents to think through the issues of having a homosexual children. In today's society acknowledging that one's child(ren) sexual orientation is different form ours is difficult and we do not often have friends or family to share our concerns. This book provides that place in time for parents to think about their individual situation and to know that they are not alone. I recommend this book for people of all ages and status. It brings the issues of love, family, illness and dying to a common level

It was hard to relive, the worst time in my life........1997-07-31

When my grand-mother gave me my copy of My Rose, it took me four weeks just read it. It was'nt that I wasn't interested. Its just that its hard to remember something that hurt you inside so deep. But when I did finaly get up enough courage to read it, It revealed to me how strong she was and still is! This book reveals how good God is when you think he's ignoring you prayers. It also explains how HIV/AIDS effects the black family, church, and just the world as a community. What I mean by that is, how some people can be compassionate while then others are ignorant of the disease, so they get scared and either run or fight. More people should be educated about the disease. Then less people would be scared and more people would be aware of the disease

Thought Provoking and Humbling........1997-07-11

Reading the book "My Rose" was extremely stimulating and informative as I reflected on my own convictions and faith as it related to compassion,unconditional love and being there for those in need. I have a greater understanding of my relationship to my spiritual brothers, sisters and God for whom all my blesssings flow. Geneva Bell was very candid and soulful in sharing all her emotional peaks and valleys to help you feel as though you were there at every spiritual awakening (letting go and letting GOD)

I really enjoyed this novel........1997-07-11

The book, My Rose was a really well written book. It took me places that I never imagined. I would like to congratulate the Author Mrs Geneva Bell on the writing of a very serious, heartbreaking story.

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