Book Description
Wehrmacht officer Karl Bazinger is living the high life in Occupied Paris. But with his glamorous dinner companions and his open disdain for the Nazis, he begins to attract the attention of the SS. He is drawn into further trouble when he receives a suspicious visit from a friend who may be involved in resistance activities. To lower his profile, Karl requests a transfer to Kiev, where he discovers the extent of the Nazi atrocities. He then begins to suffer from a mysterious ailment, and through the ministrations of a beautiful Russian doctor, he finds his vital reconnection to hope. Urbane, subtle, and elegiac, The Year is ’42 is a moving portrait of ordinary lives lived under the extraordinary circumstances of war.
Customer Reviews:
a stunning tale .......2006-04-21
As if written by a beautiful butterfly enticing the reader by sensing the tale through a veil of history, humanity and inference. Three lives until the end when the force of generations becomes clear and affecting.
Another Sector Heard From.......2005-11-14
This novel is beautifully done. I immediately read it twice through. It's short and slightly elliptical. The first main character is a loyal German Army officer who fought in WW I and comes to hate and fear the Nazis. The second main character is a Ukranian pediatrician who was born in the old regime and lives through the 1917 revolution, its forward looking first fifteen years and then the repressions and horrors of the Stalin years. None of the above, however, really tells you what the novel is about because it's about the interior as well as the exterior life of the main characters.
An interesting novel, falls short.......2005-02-18
I had high expectations for this novel. In a way, this novel works from an implied starting point, where two protagonists intersect. The body of events are a long string of occurences, set in 3 sections, which trace the intricate multiplicities that inform the place and time for events. The event itself, 2 characters meeting, is uneventful and not significant. Could it be just another event setting the table for the future? The effect is to foreground the lineage that informs each moment in our lives. The flurry of events are barely noticable to the characters, as they are to our lives. I give it 3 stars as the author fails to offer any interpretation regarding the significance of the events.
False advertising.......2005-01-18
I try to read every WW2 era novel I can get my hands on, particulartly those from non-american viewpoints. This means I read action-thriller, non-fiction, plain fiction, etc. I am very pleased when a book includes much more than just battle scences and international intrigue. This novel however did not seem to be what it claimed in the dust jacket.
Bielski's writing style is a bit different than some may be used to, but that did not necessarily take away from a wonderful and exciting storyline -- for the first half of the book. After that, it seems like she forgets why she was originally writing the story and goes off talking about something completely unrelated. This would have made sense if the storylines had been brought together at some point, but they were not.
No mention of the characters or events from the first half of the book until the final 3 or 4 pages; and then it seems almost as an afterthought, as if trying to tie up loose ends. The end result left me with too many unanswered questions, and really no desire to see them answered by this writer.
If you like artsy books that lead to nowhere, then this is for you. This story could have easily been done in any other year other than the year '42, and the reader would walk away feeling the same exact way.
Captivating.......2004-12-23
Nella Bielski's new novel will be noted for its ingenious plotting, concision of style, and use of historical scenes. But just as a life isn't a only series of discrete events but also a not completely comprehended network of perceptions, notions and emotions, this novel adds up to much more than its wonderfully handled novelistic elements. In this story, the historical and political forces of Europe, mainly during World War II, play upon the characters, moving them about; the characters push back with what is in their nature. It is their natures that are inevitable, not their fates. The same holds true for the voice telling this story. It withholds from us the too easy gratifications of character analysis and categorization; it offers the more rich pleasures of the feeling of experience, with its limitations and exertions. I approached this novel mainly because John Berger co-translated it -- and if you're familiar with his remarkable essays and novels, you'll also enjoy sensing his hand at work here.
Book Description
This daring, star-packed collection is the fantasy publishing event of the year. Challenging the boundaries of modern fantasy, this all-original anthology features stories from Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card, Harry Turtledove, Larry Niven, Dennis L. McKiernan, Joe R. Lansdale, George R. R. Martin, Barbara Hambly, Charles de Lint, Terry Bisson, Patricia A. McKillip, Tim Powers, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Flights soars on the wings of fantasy's finest.......2006-03-20
I initially bought this book out of my love for Neil Gaiman and his fiction. I wanted to read a rather elusive short story of his, which I wasn't disappointed by. To further add to my pleasure was how engaging the other tales were. All were imaginative, unique, and - at times - impossible to put down.
The only reason I didn't give this a perfect 5 out of 5 was because, as with any anthology, the stories can be hit or miss. While most of the authors and their respective styles compliment the collection, there are a few that just didn't grip me like the others. Keep in mind, this is more of a personal tastes issue than a comment against the authors, so I won't name names. I'll just finish by saying if you like fantasy anthologies, this is a wonderful addition.
original and refreshing.......2006-02-28
I didn't quite know what to expect from such a tile, what they meant by extreme. It's mostly unusual ways to approach fantasy, intended for an audience that matured from dragons and elves and expects a little bit more. I found many of the stories refreshingly original, twisted, and mind-bending. Among my favorites was a new take on Rapunzel told by an unlikely character, a sweet and sad story of a fallen angel, an interesting visit to Hell, and last but not least, a lion a bit too friendly to a certain witch. I also found some useful information, like how to tell when there's a demon around, by an unusual separation of cold and hot air. Good to know. An entertaining collection on the whole and that will most likely make me search for more books from some of the authors.
Quality Reading, Wonderful Book full of surprises...........2005-01-01
Just received this this week,(good way to start the new year) and I'm impressed with this book but I'm not surprised with
anything that Al Sarrantonio put his hands to. What a cast of
characters that deliver these stories. I'm just finishing up
the great American East Texas storyteller Joe R. Lansdale and
his new story, "Bill, the little steam shovel" and its nothing
like I've read by Joe before but its so good, so like Joe Lansdale in its detail, humor and vision. This anthology has
so many great stories and what a list of who's who... Orson Scott Card, Joyce
Carol Oats, Neal Barrett jr., Charles De Lint, P.D. Cacek,
Robert Silverberg, Nina Hoffman, Neil Gaiman, David Morrell,
Ray Feist as well as the above master story teller Joe Lansdale
this is a great way to spend extra time around the holidays!
Pick your favorites!
Powerhouse Anthology.......2004-11-28
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Robert Silverberg - The twist is that the sorcerer is actually a woman, and the apprentice is a young man who is instantly smitten by her. However, she treats him coldly...most of the time.
"Perpetua" by Kit Reed - Strange story in which a father's love is carried too far.
"The Edges of Never-Haven" by Catherine Asaro - In the town of Never-Haven, people live in curved houses and cannot create any straight line, not even a line in the dirt, without summoning demons.
"Pat Moore" by Tim Powers - Brilliant, suspenseful ghost story.
"Six Hypotheses" by Joyce Carol Oates - Strange story showing six hypotheses for the basis of a violent incident in a seemingly normal family.
"The Silver Dragon" by Elizabeth A. Lynn - In this land the King can shapechange into a dragon.
"Fallen Angel" by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Devout religious people may not care for this story much.
"The Following" by P.D. Cacek - Chilling ghost story with a twist.
"A Tower With No Doors" by Dennis L. McKiernan - Nice take on Rapunzel
"Boomerang" by Larry Niven - Too short to describe
"Wonderwall" by Elizabeth Hand - Sorry, don't remember much about this one (I don't have the book anymore)
"Blood, Oak, Iron" by Janny Wurts - Every time a King dies, the successor is possessed by an evil spirit. Can the cycle ever be broken?
"Riding Shotgun" by Charles de Lint - A man clearing out his deceased father's estate stumbles upon an old car and is transported back in time to a critical event in his past.
"Demons Hide Their Faces" by A.A. Attasnasio - A skeptical young man discovers the truth about missing books.
"Relations" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Can't remember
"Tourists" by Neal Barrett, Jr. - Can't remember
"The White Man" by Thomas M. Disch - A chilling tale of race relations and vampires.
"Out of the Woods" by Patricia A. McKillip - can't remember
"Perchance to Dream" by David Morrell - A doctor tries to treat a patient for sleep disorder.
"Coming Across" by Harry Turtledove - Elves who can live forever (if they don't die of boredom-literally) created a gate to visit another world (ours) in search of interesting experiences. Little do they know what they will find and accidentally bring back with them.
"The Problem of Susan" by Neil Gaiman - Related to C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle
"Keeper of Lost Dreams" by Orson Scott Card - A young person discovers he is the keeper of the title
"Watchfire" by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts - can't remember
"Tots" by Peter Schneider - Four-year old children who fight each other to death for the amusement of adults
"Jupiter's Skull" by Jeffrey Ford - A strange psychic woman leaves a legacy in tea leaves for a man and woman who had visited her often when she was alive.
"Death's Door" by Terry Bisson - What happens when the dying can't die?
"Bill, the Little Steam Shovel" by Joe R. Lansdale - A totally irreverent, hilarious tale of a steam shovel who dreams of being more than he is.
"Sleepover" by Al Sarrantonio - Two children wake up on a flat, deserted, alien plain.
"Golden City Far" by Gene Wolfe - A young man's dreams invade his waking life.
A wonderful mix of classic and modern fantasy, as well as stories that defy categorizing. Despite the title, the stories are not about flights or flying. Not all of the stories are winners, but there is enough good stuff here to warrant a 5 star recommendation.
My personal favorites: "Pat Moore" by Tim Powers, "The Silver Dragon" by Elizabeth A. Lynn, "Riding Shotgun" by Charles de Lint, "Coming Across" by Harry Turtledove, and "Bill, the Little Steam Shovel" by Joe R. Lansdale.
powerful fantasy collection.......2004-06-02
Taking the who's who of modern day fantasy, twenty-nine worthy contributors provide powerful tales that run the genre's gamut and beyond. Each tale is well written with some so good they may prove to be the opening act of a new series. Fans of anthologies will have a feast for these are the grandmasters in one collection and all provide a fine contribution that makes the realm and cast seem real, not an easy venture for a novel let alone a short. Editor Al Sarrantonio needs investigating for blackmail because he must have something on notable authors like Turtledove, Feist, De Lint, Wolfe, Silverberg, Niven, Oates, Asaro, etc to get all of them to contribute to this quality offering.
Harriet Klausner
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Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy, Volume I (Flights)
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Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy
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Customer Reviews:
Caution on THIS edition!.......2007-06-29
G.K. Chesterton's classic Epic Poem is a masterpiece and gets a 5 Star Rating by every English professor on earth. But this particular edition, the paperback printed by Quiet Vision Publishing, is worthless! As soon as you turn the page, each and every one, it comes out of the binding and falls on the floor! Somebody needs to report that company to the BBB.
Call of the hero.......2006-11-02
Chesterton expressed his passion for history and sacrificial heroism in this ballad. If you enjoy the imagery and values of Arthur, CS Lewis and the Iliad, you will enjoy this short book. "Heart of the heroes, ride!"
A great rollicking poem.......2006-08-11
Thank God there is an free-standing edition of this poem in print. I was afraid it would only be available in a large collection. It would be better still if it was pocket sized, paper-back, and had a figure of a white horse on the front!
Epic Poetry-A Must Read.......2005-11-04
G.K. Chesterton's masterpiece, and the work he himself considered his best, is a must read for everyone interested in history, literature and great poetry. King Alfred of England is almost forgotten as the hero of the times--the 800's, when Viking raiders continuously challenged the people living on the island that was to become England. If not for King Alfred, England would now be Norway or Daneland.
The whistling rock, the white horse on the hill, romance and chivarly live on in this masterfully woven tale of history.
Book Description
The fires of the Great Army That was made of iron men, Whose lights of sacrilege and scorn Ran around England red as morn, Fires over Glastonbury Thorn-- Fires out on Ely Fen.
Download Description
The fires of the Great Army That was made of iron men, Whose lights of sacrilege and scorn Ran around England red as morn, Fires over Glastonbury Thorn-- Fires out on Ely Fen.
Customer Reviews:
One of the greatest books I have ever read.......2007-08-22
Out of the thousand or so books I have read in my life, if I were to put the Bible aside (since the Bible speaks with a special authority to believers and cannot really be compared to other books), I have read no more than five or six books that I would call truly great. That means there are only five or six books I would rate at five stars. This is one. Yes, it is that good.
I have never read any author who could make the English language sing the way Chesterton does in this poem -- for over a hundred pages. In contrast to contemporary "poets" whose "poems" consist of a bunch of strange words scattered apparently at random on a page, whose meaning, if there is one, is far beyond obscurity, Chesterton had apparently unlimited ability to create rhyme and alliteration, and then he bound it all tightly in the sing-song ballad style that carries it all swiftly along. The words of this poem are glorious to hear, and really, this book should be read aloud, so that one might hear the music of the words.
And few have ever been able to match the way Chesterton paints pictures with words. I will quote one passage, and hope it is not to long, to illustrate this. The scene here is Alfred's army making one final charge against the Danish camp:
Then bursting all and blasting
Came Christendom like death,
Kicked of such catapults of will,
The staves shiver, the barrels spill,
The waggons waver and crash and kill
The waggoners beneath.
Barriers go backward, banners rend,
Great shields groan like a gong,
Horses like horns of nightmare
Neigh horribly and long.
Horses ramp and rock and boil
And break their golden reins,
And slide on carnage clamorously,
Down where the bitter blood doth lie,
Where Ogier went on foot to die
In the old way of the Danes.
It would be hard to imagine anyone anyone describing such a violent scene in so few words any better than Chesterton does in that passage. And this passage is but one of dozens of glorious word-pictures that Chesterton's poetry paints in this book.
Beyond its magnificent use of the English language, this book also contains much philosophical insight -- insight that, although first published in 1911, is directly and clearly applicable today. Chesterton expresses very clearly the way that Christianity has formed the heart of Western culture over the ages, and the way that Christian faith -- which seems all about self-denial and thus sadness -- leads to unconquerable joy.
The book, of course, is not perfect; no work of literature can be. There are places where it gets a bit too preachy for my taste. But the book's flaws are few and minor, while its good points are many and glorious.
How good is this book? I have read it at least 50 times in my life, and I still enjoy reading it. In my opinion it is one of the truly greatest works written in the English language. It is one of the few books I have read that truly deserves five stars.
Popular Fiction Writer Anne Perry recommends this ballad........2007-04-22
Anne Perry, the enormously popular writer of historical fiction, just recommended this ballad by G. K. Chesterton as one of five must read tales of historical fiction. (See the Wall Street Journal's online Opinion Page for April 21, 2007 in an article entitled "Past Tense.") Here's part of what she said:
"This is the story of the English King Alfred's desperate stand against invading Danes in 878. England is conquered, and Alfred is a fugitive when he sees a vision of the Virgin Mary that bids him call together the remnants of his people for a final battle. "The Ballad of the White Horse" is an epic poem of courage, passion and unsurpassable beauty."
If you'd like to read other tales and poems by Chesterton, you might want to get "The Ballad of the White Horse" as part of a collection of his poetry that I edited for not much more money. It's called G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry and has "The Ballad of the White Horse," along with two other books of Chesterton poetry under one cover. That means you'll also get his best humorous poetry, "Greybeards at Play." No less a writer than George Orwell ranked Chesterton as one of the three best writers of funny poetry in twentieth century England. The poems are a riot of the ridiculous and are accompanied with equally funny sketches he did.
And although Anne Perry and I have the same last name, as far as I know we're not related. Her's is a pen name. Mine is a real name. I guess I'm not creative enough to invent a name for myself.
G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry: Greybeards At Play, The Wild Knight And Other Poems, The Ballad Of The White Horse
An epic poem of phenomenal power.......2007-01-14
Mr. Chesterton has a masterful skill with the pen; _Orthodoxy_ and _The Napoleon of Notting Hill_ are wonderful books--but _The Ballad of the White Horse_ is heartbreaking in its power, beauty, and nobility. With a stunning use of alliteration, rhythm, and imagery, Mr. Chesterton teaches the reader about true hearts, true faith, and true sacrifice. I have bought a few copies of this book to give as gifts to friends, and I eagerly recommend it to anyone who will listen. This book is a must-have for any individual interested in expanding their knowledge of great poetry!
Simply amazing.......2006-02-19
I had read some of Chesterton's fictional books, most of which contain poems which he has written, and I very much enjoyed his poems, so I decided to get a book of his poetry. This too I really enjoyed, so I decided to get another book of his poetry, this time it was The Ballad of the White Horse, and this book simply blew away all of the rest of Chesterton's poems. In fact, it simply blows away most poems by anyone. I have read Dante's Divine Comedy, Milton' Paradise Lost, Eliot's Wasteland, Chaucer's Canturbury Tales, etc., but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this epic far more than any of them. I am not saying that it is a better written poem or that it should be ranked above these classics, but I am saying that it is much more exciting to read than the others. Somehow Chesterton makes his poem involving: you are drawn into it and cannot put the book down until you have finished the chapter. He wrote it in such a way that the verses beg to be read quickly, and as I read I found myself reading faster and faster, until I was stumbling over the words and had to slow down again. Chesterton, like not other poet whom I know of, paints a picture of glory, honor, bravery, and captures the true spirit of an idealized Medieval War. The poem resounds with the drums of doom, the cries of angels, the hordes of invading barbarians and great deeds of heroes of old. If I were to recommend owning one epic poem, this would be the one.
Overall grade: A+
The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton.......2005-07-03
A stirring epic poem with a message important for the future of western civilization...to act on hope when there is no longer any hope... The outcome is always, finally, in God's Providence. "The Ballad of the White Horse" should have great appeal for young men who can dream impossibilities because they are firmly grounded in the eternal verities. The battles scenes will fire the blood!
Book Description
Here under one cover are the complete texts and sketches of G. K. Chesterton's first three books of poetry: Greybeards at Play (1900), The Wild Knight and Other Poems (1900) and The Ballad of the White Horse (1911).
The poet W. H. Auden said that Greybeards at Play, "contains some of the best pure nonsense verse in English.... Surely, it is high time such enchanting pieces should be made readily available.... By natural gifts, Chesterton was, I think, essentially a comic poet."
In The Wild Knight Chesterton is asking an important question, Can someone be so evil that they are unreachable by anything someone else might do or say?
The playful humor of Greybeards contrasts with the high seriousness of Chesterton's great Tolkien-like epic, The Ballad of the White Horse. During one of the darkest moments of World War II The Times of London would quote these words from it: "I tell you naught for your comfort, Yea naught for your desire, Save that the sky grows darker yet, And the sea rises higher." They expressed better than anything else the great trials England was facing just five years after Chesterton's death."
With his great epic, Chesterton had done with English history what Tolkien would later do with his imaginary history of Middle-earth. He had molded events and place them in a new light to give meaning and purpose to history. As Chesterton would note on the epic's title page, quoting from the King Alfred of the tale, "I say, as do all Christian men, that there is a divine purpose that rules and not fate."
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THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE
G. K. CHESTERTON
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Chesterton, G. K.
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ASIN: B000S5IVVC |
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The Ballad of the White Horse
G. K. Chesterton
Manufacturer: Methuen & Co. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Chesterton, G. K.
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ASIN: B000KL6OPY |
Average customer rating:
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The Ballad of the White Horse
G. K. Chesterton
Manufacturer: Methuen & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Chesterton, G. K.
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ASIN: B000NKRLYK |
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The Ballad of the White Horse - 1912
G. K. Chesterton
Manufacturer: Book Jungle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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Literary
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Chesterton, G. K.
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ASIN: 1594623589 |
Book Description
This ballad needs no historical notes, for the simple reason that it does not profess to be historical. All of it that is not frankly fictitious, as in any prose romance about the past, is meant to emphasize tradition rather than history. King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie. But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him.The cult of Alfred was a popular cult, from the darkness of the ninth century to the deepening twilight of the twentieth. It is wholly as a popular legend that I deal with him here. I write as one ignorant of every-thing, except that I have found the legend of a King of Wessex still alive in the land. I will give three curt cases of what I mean. A tradition connects the ultimate victory of Alfred with the valley in Berkshire called the Vale of the White Horse, I have seen doubts of the tradition, which may be valid doubts. I do not know when or where the story started; it is enough that it started somewhere and ended with me; for I only seek to write upon a hearsay, as the old balladists did...
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