Book Description
Russia, 1910. Leo Tolstoy lies dying in Astapovo, a remote railway station. Members of the press from around the world have descended upon this sleepy hamlet to record his passing for a public suddenly ravenous for celebrity news. They have been joined by a film company whose cinematographer, Nikolai Gribshin, is capturing the extraordinary scene and learning how to wield his camera as a political tool. At this historic moment he comes across two men -- the scientist, Professor Vorobev, and the revolutionist, Joseph Stalin -- who have radical, mysterious plans for the future. Soon they will accompany him on a long, cold march through an era of brutality and absurdity. The Commissariat of Enlightenment is a mesmerizing novel of ideas that brilliantly links the tragedy and comedy of the Russian Revolution with the global empire of images that occupies our imaginations today.
Customer Reviews:
Richly imagined.......2004-12-13
The falsification of reality through the use of motion pictures is a fascinating subject, and the scenes in COMMISSARIAT OF ENLIGHTENMENT with the dying Tolstoy and a Pathe film crew are sufficient on their own to earn this novel high praise. The artist, the propagandist, grappling with a new medium can be a rich vein to explore in the right hands, as here. When you add an embalming angle, revolutionary intrigue, surprises, striking characterizations, and a clean prose style, you get a fine, memorable novel. I also have to say that Ken Kalfus earns credit by putting his e-mail address in the back of the book.
Seriously entertaining: the birth of (the Soviet) nation.......2003-06-17
(4 1/2 stars). Four set pieces alone would justify reading of this novel: the making of Tolstoy's death mask (the narrator describes that the cement left one of the Count's recently closed eyes with a little popping sound); a true revolt of the proles unfolds just as the camera man hopes for footage of the same to stand in for the Kremlin where Stalin "might" have been as an extra if he had not really not been there for the October (read: November) revolution; the embalming of Lenin as he/before he dies; and the final chapter's stream-of-consciousness relation of the rise and fall of the USSR from Lenin's own supine p-o-v.
I came to this novel curious about how ideas are sold to people, and the novelistic control of this theme more than rewards the careful reader. Not a long book, this is both its strength and its slight shortcoming. I imagine Kalfus had pared down a longer draft, as there is no unessential material here at all. A lesser novelist would have wandered into fleshing out more characters, following up the fates of Volodov and Astapov with subplots stretching into the future, and would have showed off more of his (or her) knowledge about the time. I'll certainly search out his two earlier volumes of short stories now. As the bibliographical note after the novel indicates, his research matches his fictional talents. He even acknowledges Sheila Fitzpatrick's "unimaginatively titled" Commissariat of Enlightenment--for such an organization did exist, as Fitzpatrick studies. What a title: a group to enforce and rule over indoctrination into "scientific" study of history, laden with documents written by intellectuals for workers to educate the latter about why they were so idolized by the former.
With a keen understanding of the, well, dialectics involved in such a Soviet mission, Kalfus deletes, drains, and cuts, like the film editing, the embalming, and the dictate by terror that he intertwines into the three themes of his story. It makes for gripping if not casual reading. I only wish he had allowed more room for following through Astapov's fate after the establishment of Stalin's power. Yes, a whole other novel is buried in a few asides of this one. I wish there was a sequel--Kalfus makes you care about all three of his protagonists, no mean feat when they all turn out to be so terrifying in their respective devotions to their propagandistic crafts.
Visual images as they record, influence, and remake history........2003-03-01
Kolya Gribshin, a young cameraman working for the Pathe Freres Cinematography Company, arrives at the railway station in Astapovo in 1910 to cover the last days of Count Leo Tolstoy, who is dying in the stationmaster's house. Reporters from all over the world have gathered to record his final moments, but only Gribshin is recording the events on film, a new medium. Gribshin knows that printed word is inaccessible to the illiterate masses, but that film can provide immediate "truth" by "ripping away the veil of lies thrown up by language." As we see Gribshin travel between the darkness of the unlit countryside, where he is staying with an illiterate peasant family, and the artificial, arc-lit brightness of the media-mad town, the author uses vivid imagery from black and white photography to show the contrasts between the lives of illiterate peasants living in darkness and concentrating on their next meal, and the lives of an "enlightened" media conveying news to the outside world.
Like Gribshin, revolutionaries such as Josef Stalin also recognize the power of the visual image to "educate" illiterate people and shape and control public opinion. Part II takes place nine, war-filled years later, after Russia has faced the horrors of The Great War, the Bolshevik revolution, and the civil war, and Stalin is putting some of these principles into effect through the Commissariat of Enlightenment. Gribshin, now known as Comrade Astapov, is working with him as they attempt to control the masses by controlling visual images--governing theater productions, film projects, and even city planning. Here the imagery of darkness and light, introduced in Part I, becomes a constant motif, as the Commissariat plans to "extend the enlightenment to every remote..village in the tundra," destroying churches and the images (icons) within, if necessary. In 1924, the Commissariat's ultimate image-control occurs when the body of Lenin is preserved "uncorrupted," allowing the state to display publicly a man who never "dies."
Kalfus has dared to think big in his debut novel, and his talents are legion. His parallels between black and white photography and his symbols of darkness and light keep the reader constantly aware of the darkness of illiteracy and the light of truth which film can provide. But this is also a cautionary tale about the ability of images to be manipulated and controlled, and all Kalfus's plot elements are subordinated to this single, overwhelming theme. Gribshin, the "lens" through which the reader views events, never really comes alive, and we do not know his motivations or see him wrestling with inner conflicts. He is, ultimately, a cog in the apparatus of the Commissariat of Enlightenment, a vehicle through whom the author advances his theme, not a thinking human. The novel is very tight, however, with no loose ends, and when Kalfus observes that the West, too, is creating an image-ruled empire by presenting so much imagery and meaning that "the sum [becomes] unintelligible," the reader will pause and ponder. Mary Whipple
An enjoyable novel of ideas........2003-02-27
Kalfus knows his material on Russia, where this story is set. This is part historical fiction--one that takes acknowledged liberties, even distortions--and part novel of ideas. The novel is written in two parts, the first of which deals with Tolstoy's dying days and the media circus and inner-circle infighting that attends this debacle. The second half of the novel takes place in post-revolutionary days and incorporates characters and themes from the first half in a manner that is resonant, even predictable, but not pat. Major themes include: visual culture trumping the written word; the manufacture of "history" through media, including propaganda (the then new medium of film is central); the limitations of science, especially when confronted with the religious impulses/needs actually felt by people. As is often the case with novels of ideas, the characters are rather thin and without much inner life. Action is privileged over motivations. But if you like the ideas, you'll like the novel.
Lies More True Than Truth.......2003-02-24
In the West, the Enlightenment replaced supernatural religious explanations of the world with faith in human reason and science. In the Soviet Union, the Commissariat of Enlightenment replaced Orthodox religion and its icons with faith in the objective historical necessity of socialism and the new icon of Lenin. In the West, our science has ultimately taught us that to measure a thing is to change it; in Soviet propaganda, the film camera's lights were used to distort reality, giving the appearance of truth to lies created in the name of an allegedly greater truth. As Ken Kalfus' protagonist observes, the belief in invariant facts is itself a kind of superstition, giving insufficient credit to man's ability to remake both the past and the present.
In the guise of a novel set in the waning days of the Russian Empire and the early days of the Soviet Union, Ken Kalfus has given us a brilliant meditation on the power of images and words, the nature of truth, and the human need for myth and immortality. The book itself illustrates some of his themes -- the characters and scenes are drawn so vividly and persuasively that if you were to ask me a year from now how Lenin died or how he came to be embalmed, I would probably tell you the (inaccurate -- or is it?) story that Kalfus tells. The development of Gribshin/Astapov from a naive and emotionally vulnerable young man into a propagandist so entranced by images that he has lost almost all ability for direct human connection is subtle and seen from the outside, as though observed by (what else?) a camera. This is superb fiction, thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- Great Introduction to Batman!
- batman in the forties
- THE NOSTALGIC 40'S OF BATMAN
- Very Entertaining
- BAT-TASTIC!
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Batman in the Forties
Various
Manufacturer: DC Comics
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Binding: Paperback
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Superman in the Fifties
ASIN: 1401202063 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Introduction to Batman!.......2007-01-08
This was the first comic book I ever bought and I must say it's very good. The stories are colored, and the volume features a very good introduction that takes you through the book story by story and makes you want to read it that much more. I was enthralled when I realized that this book had the story "Robin the Boy Wonder" which explains (in breif, comic-book way) how Batman's awesome sidekick came to be. Another story which I think is very good that is in this collection is "Bruce Wayne Looses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson". It shows perfectly just how close the work of Batman and Robin has brought them together.
This book is a must for the bookshelf in your Batcave!
batman in the forties.......2005-01-18
the book was good and fun to read.
it was great reading the old stuff again
but the reason i gave it 4 stars was
1. i was hoping to read more dark stories of
batman when he first started before robin.
2. i dont think the stories were in the right order,
one story alfred was skinny then the next alfred was heavy.
3. villians was not as evil(only clayface).
other than that for the price it was a fun book.
THE NOSTALGIC 40'S OF BATMAN.......2005-01-14
This 192 page trade paperback collects several Batman's stories from the true golden age of the 1940's. Written mainly by Bill Finger who NEVER got the credit he deserved and died poor and art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, George Roussos, Jack Burnley and others. It includes stories from Batman issues: #7, 15, 20, 31, 37, 47, 48, 49, Detective Comics #27, 33, 38, 49, 80, Real FAct Comics #5, Star Spangled Comics #70, and World's Finest Comics #30. 17 stories in all.
You'll see the first appearance of Batman, Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, and other notables. One notable exclusion is the first appearance of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's longt-ime butler.
Those unfamiliar with comics in the 1940's may be somewhat put off by the more simplistic art of the era, but this is really the essence of Batman, a very dark character who actually once used handguns among his various weapons. But the fact is that unless you are quite wealthy the only way you'll ever see these great old stories are in collected volumes like this and I think DC deserves a lot of credit for not letting the golden age fade away.
Very Entertaining.......2005-01-07
This book contains 17 stories. I found it fun to read, and gave a lot of insight on Batman and Robin were created, and includes the first appearance of Batman. My favorite thing about Batman is the super villians, so here are the stories and which notable super villians are in them. (Penguin seems to be the only big one not in this book):
"Case of the Chemical Syndicate:
"Origin"
"Robin the Boy Wonder"
"The People vs. Batman"
"The Origin of Batman"
"The Joker Follows Suit" (Joker)
"Penny Plunders"
"1000 Secrets of the Batcave"
"Alfred Armchair Detective"
"Bruce Wayne Loses Guardienship of Dick Grayson"
"Clocks of Doom" (Clock King)
"Your Face is Your Fortune" (Catwoman)
"The Scoop of the Century" (Mad Hatter)
"Clayface Walks Again"(Clayface)
The End of Two-Face" (Two-Face)
"Half-Man Half-Monster" (Two-Face)
BAT-TASTIC!.......2004-06-02
THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT STORIES HERE. THE ONLY REASON I GAVE IT FOUR STARS INSTEAD OF FIVE BECAUSE THE STORY "HERE COMES ALFRED" FROM BATMAN 16 WAS NOT INCLUDED. BUT STILL, A GREAT PIECE OF BAT HISTORY!
Book Description
Your Passport to the Universe
The night sky is alive with many wonders--distant planets, vast star clusters, glowing nebulae, and expansive galaxies, all waiting to be explored. Let respected astronomy writer Philip Harrington introduce you to the universe in Star Watch, a complete beginner's guide to locating, observing, and understanding these celestial objects. You'll start by identifying the surface features of the Moon, the banded cloud tops of Jupiter, the stunning rings of Saturn, and other members of our solar system. Then you'll venture out beyond our solar system, where you'll learn tips and tricks for finding outstanding deep-sky objects from stars to galaxies, including the entire Messier catalog--a primary goal of every serious beginner.
Star Watch features a detailed physical description of each target, including size, distance, and structure, as well as concise directions for locating the objects, handy finder charts, hints on the best times to view each object, and descriptions of what you'll really see through a small telescope or binoculars and with the naked eye.
Star Watch will transport you to the farthest depths of space--and return you as a well-traveled, experienced stargazer.
Customer Reviews:
Essential tool.......2007-09-23
As others have said, this is not a glossy, colorful coffee-table book. In fact, you won't find any color pictures in this book at all. Just lots of black and white text and drawings. And yet, I have found this book to be one of the most useful astronomy guides. Why? Two main reasons.
First of all, the star charts. The author shows you how to "star-hop" from a bright star to an obscure deep sky object, which makes finding it so much easier. He also includes textual directions on how to find the object, step by step, star by star.
Second reason is expectations. As the owner of a 6" telescope, I used to be disappointed when I first started this hobby that the views of deep sky objects weren't as fabulous as I had expected from seeing colorful pictures of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. Frequently these items seemed like just fuzzy, ghostly grayish images to me. Well, as this book explains, that's how they look to most of us with medium (6" to 8" telescopes). And to the naked eye they will never look as colorful as they do in photographs. This book rates objects by how they would look in binoculars, small telescopes of 3" to 5", and medium telescopes of 6" to 8". He'll also tell you how easy or hard it is to find every object, and what you can expect to see in each type of instrument. He also includes his own sketches of how some of these objects look through his 8" reflector. Often they look not much better than how I see them in my 6" reflector, which is a great comfort.
Excellent book for amateur astronomers - it will tell you exactly how to find the most interesting objects and what to expect to see once you do find them, depending on what instrument you're using.
It Goes With a Telescope or Binoculars........2007-02-12
The book has a big list of things you can see with only a pair of binoculars. So I gave the nerds both binoculars and a telescope.
Very good book.
excuse me, a beginner's book?.......2006-01-23
Maybe I am even less talented than I thought, maybe I am just downright stupid, maybe problem is in my expectations, as I expected something more visual and less technical.. but this book is not a beginner's book. I bought a telescope for my son this xmas, and I wanted to know what the heck we are looking at once skies clear over Croatia. This book will not serve that purpose. IF I WERE an astronomy / physics anthusiast (NEVER!), THEN this book would have been a beginner's book.
Starwatch.......2006-01-15
I used this book for my beginning astronomy class I took online and it was very user friendly and the information is quite understandable. I really liked this book and the information it entails. Enjoy this book
Harrington's Star Watch Shines.......2005-08-20
An excellent beginner's book or a back-to-basics guide for expeienced observers, Harrington meticulously lays-out the celestial sphere and ways to find and enjoy it's wonders.
This patient step by step approach not only teaches the fundamentals and skills of stargazing, but calibrates our expectation realistically regrarding what we can expect to see depending on the instrument we use and the local conditions.
Harrington selects for us 125 fascinating objects to observe
using them to develop techniques for finding and viewing.
I would recommend this work as a great primer for neophyte amateur astronomers.
Amazon.com
Celestial Matters is a startling novel of hard SF in which the scientific beliefs of the ancient Greeks are literal fact. The empire of Alexander the Great has lasted a thousand years, and for a thousand years it has been at war with the empire of the Orient. Now a spaceship is traveling through the heavenly crystalline spheres to the sun to return with the ultimate weapon: a fiery piece of the sun itself.
Book Description
A thousand years after Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire has expanded over the world with the help of advanced technology. Its plans for Total Domination of the entire planet will be complete once the war with the empire of the middle kingdom has been won.The scientist Aias, commander of the celestial ship Chandra's Tear, prepares to embark on a secret mission to the sun, to steal a piece of the purest elemental fire. This ultimate piece of celestial matter will form the basis for a weapon capable of decisively ending the war with the Taoists of the Far East.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting idea, but poor execution.......2006-11-07
I just could not get involved in this novel; I never quit books but this one I gave up on. The characters were flat and lifeless; I wanted to like this book after all of the rave reviews I read.
The book's premise is very creative in which ancient Greek worldviews are accurate; the author takes us to the future with glowing moon rocks, spaceships powered by liquid fire and gold, the celestial bodies rotate around earth, etc. Very ambitious science fiction novel, but unfortunately it was boring and I could not get interested in the narrative. Interesting idea, but poor execution by the author.
Great Alternative Science Fantasy.......2006-01-31
I'm writing to echo most of the other reviews of this matchless novel. The other reviews describe the basic story and "high concept" alternative science/history background.
I say "matchless" because I've never read anything quite like it!
This novel reflects the author's deep study of the world of ancient Greece, as well as other cultures, religions, and history ca. 400 BCE (e.g. China, India, Persia).
I'm also compelled to give balance to my previous negative review of Garfinkle's other novel ("All of An Instant") which I unfortunately read first. I found it tedious and confusing, but "Celestial Matters" has completely changed my opinion of Garfinkle's writing.
I look forward to his next novel -- a sequel, perhaps?
So many possibilities come to mind -- such as working out more details of the nexus between Greek and Taoist technology and medicine, and examining the other religions and cultures of 400 B.C. + 900 years. After all, the 'Ebreu people in Iudea exist in that world, worshipping their inscrutable God; and the Olmeks of Atlantea and Norsemen of Skandia must have had their own divergent worldviews.
Also, I'd like to learn more about the relationship between Aias and Yellow Hare (and their children?); whether Aias becomes an Archon of the Delian League; whether the persecution of the Xan Buddhists is ended; and whether there are other elements or life-forms on 'Elios or the planets (beyond their basic celestial matter).
And of course, I'd love to read the saga of the ultimate voyage to the Outermost Crystal Sphere of Fixed Stars, as hinted in one of Aias' theophanies.
The first-person narrative style of the story is extremely well done, and helps the reader gradually absorb a fantastic yet strangely (historically) familiar world. The main characters are well-developed. Although their actions may seem unrealistic at times, they are consistent with the heroic viewpoint of Aias, the protagonist who is touched by the Gods.
Give us more of this, Mr. Garfinkle!!
Strange but good.......2005-09-02
Every so often you come across an Alternate History book that kinda stretches the boundaries of what you consider A.H. One such is Celestial Matters, by Richard Garfinkle. The basic split point here is that Alexander went to study in Sparta, then formed an "alliance" as such with Aristotle, to create the weapons with which to run his campaigns.
The "Delian League" has lasted for a thousand years.
But while this is the historical split, there's a much greater physical one. For on this Earth, Aristotelian science really is true. Planets really do move in crystal spheres about an unmoving Earth beneath a vast shell of fixed stars, and they really are made out of different stuff from mere "Earthly" matter. Projectiles actually do travel in straight lines until they stop, and you really can cure someone by balancing his humors.
It's a very strange world. Interesting, but strange. Every so often the characters say/do something that is completely, utterly, weird - yet makes sense within the world of Aristotelian physics.
The basic story is interesting too. It's a good read, I reccommend it.
One Of The Best Alternative History Novels, Period.......2003-11-26
Richard Garfinkle's "Celestial Matters" is a captivating, engrossing novel that is not only a spellbinding page-turner, but a thoughtful, often lyrical, look at two competing world views as expressed in Ptolomaic astronomy and Aristotelian physics and biology and Taoist science and medicine. Here he does the impossible by accepting both radically divergent views of the universe as correct; each the preferred means of knowledge acquistion by a latter day Greek empire that has conquered half of the globe and its arch enemy, the Middle Kingdom (Chinese Empire). These divergent views are the source of much of the fascinating philosophical speculation by several of the protagonists. Last, but not least, Garfinkle offers an impressive tale about a captain who must decide whether to obey his orders or follow his conscience. This is one lesser known splendid example of alternative history which deserves a broad readership.
So good it hurts........2003-03-01
Brilliant, innovative. It's hard to find true originality in sci-fi or fantasy, yet here it is. Like "alternate history" stories but taken to a completly unprecedented level. It manages to be very alien yet very relevent at the same time. What else can I say, I don't know how you could not like this book.
Average customer rating:
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Stellar Alchemy: The Celestial Origin of Atoms
Michel Cassé
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521821827 |
Book Description
Why do the stars shine? What messages can we read in the light they send to us from the depths of the night? Nuclear astrophysics is a fascinating discipline, and enables connections to be made between atoms, stars, and human beings. Through modern astronomy, scientists have managed to unravel the full history of the chemical elements, and understand how they originated and evolved into all the elements that compose our surroundings today. The transformation of metals into gold, something once dreamed of by alchemists, is a process commonly occurring in the cores of massive stars. But the most exciting revelation is the intimate connection that humanity has with the debris of exploded stars. Stellar Alchemy is an engaging account of nucleosynthesis in stars, and the associated chemical evolution of the Universe, that is suitable for the general reader. Michel Cassé is an astrophysicist and the author of several books (in French) of astronomy for the general public.
Average customer rating:
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Dynamics of Star Clusters (International Astronomical Union Symposia)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9027719632 |
Book Description
Timely in today's world where priests are desperately in need of a positive perspective on their way of life. Together on the Road offers a perspective of hope and strength in friendship, giving priests encouragement to connect with each other and find support for their vocation.
Customer Reviews:
Far apart in order to be near.......2006-01-31
This is a very small book full of wisdom. Fr. Camisasca is able to use few words to express ideas that I have always found difficult to grasp. The notion of mission not as something that I do (a plan over the life of another that I carry out) but as "the echo of a gift received," reminded me of Joseph Ratzinger's thoughts in his book _Introduction to Christianity._ In that book, Benedict XVI speaks of being able to do nothing unless we first receive what has been given to us. Fr. Camisasca helped me to understand that following Christ means remembering the beginning every day: the moment and the concrete face that said "follow me" while understanding that most of the time that requires being far apart from the person(s) through whom we first encountered Christ. It is only when this instant is lived in communion with others that I can go out into the world and share with everyone "the truest thing that has ever happened" to me--encountering Christ in the Church. I hope to see more of this author's works translated into the English language. I highly recommend this book and, if you read Italian, all of his other books as well. A complete list of Fr. Camisasca's books (in Italian) can be viewed at http://www.fscb.org.
good stuff.......2006-01-22
This book is full of surprising insights, which are all the more surprising because they seem so normal at first glance. For example, Camisasca writes "without a permanent sense of wonder, there cannot be mission." I have been a missionary for some time, but never have I heard this expressed so clearly and simply. After the initial enthusiasm wears off, what remains to sustain my mission? This insistence on wonder was crucial for rediscovering the source of energy for my mission. Thanks Fr. Camisasca!
Mission is the expansion of communion.......2006-01-22
A friend of mine recommended that I read this book after I told him about my disappointment in a mission trip my parish organized. He quoted this line: "Community is not a group of persons who get together in order to accomplish something; communion is an essential dimension of the `I'. Hence, there is a fundamental priority of staying over leaving, an awareness that mission is not and cannot be the solitary and solipsistic song of a generous heart. Mission is the expansion of the communion that we live together." When I read that, I finally understood what was missing in our missionary project and why it left me feeling alone and powerless in front of the suffering of other people. Fr. Camisasca, proposes that mission must be the expression of community. I wish he had been leading our mission!
Love and difficulty.......2006-01-22
"I would go so far as to say that, if we do not see our brother as an obstacle, we cannot love him." With this phrase, Fr. Camisasca expresses one of his most remarkable ideas. Seen with the eyes of faith, human difficulties are not obstacles to be overcome but rather the very means of arriving at true love. Fr. Camisasca has structured his vibrant missionary community around this idea, insisting that his priests live together in houses of at least three members. This book details many other aspects of these innovative communities, whose structure is eye-opening and full of useful ideas for priests and families alike. I highly recommend this book.
Books:
- The Dargonesti (Dragonlance Lost Histories, Vol. 3)
- The Face of the Assassin
- The Faithful Narrative of a Pastor's Disappearance: A Novel
- The Family Vault
- The Folded Leaf
- The Frequency of Souls: A Novel
- The Gates of the Alamo
- The History of Gutta-Percha Willie
- The Innocence of the Devil (Literature of the Middle East)
- The Lazarus Rumba: A Novel
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