Book Description
Powerfully depicts the fall of France in 1940, and the anguished response of the French people to the German occupation. Translated from the French by Gerard Hopkins.
Customer Reviews:
a not so memorable conclusion to a great trilogy.......2005-04-16
this is the 3rd in the trilogy, the "roads to freedom". although not necessary, it is recommended that you read them in order. the main characters you meet in this book were first introduced in the "age of reason" novel.
this tells the story of the overrunning of france by the germans in 1940. the first part of the book looks at the last of the soldiers who face the oncoming germans and face imminent death. the second part looks at the soldiers taken prisoner and their reaction to the war and what the future now holds.
unlike the two earlier novels, this book leaves a lot of open ends. some like the death of mathieu can easily be assumed, while the fate of others is left unresolved.
the interesting part of this book like the previous ones is its perspective of france and its people. although the feelings run the gamut of emotion, they are driven by those who feel betrayed by their leaders, their younger generation, and their laziness. in part 2, we begin to see the drift of the socialist sartre from the communism of russia to pure socialism. this is the most interesting part of the book.
of the three books, this was my least favorite, but i enjoyed them all and highly recommend them. they are very insightful especially about the french, but also about ourselves.
French reactions.......2002-09-08
This novel is the third in the trilogy which started with "The Age of Reason" and "The Reprieve". Through the eyes of his characters, Sartre depicts French reactions to defeat and occupation in 1940.
There is comparatively little "battle action" in this novel, so if you're looking for a conventional war book, this is not the one to pick up. Sartre seemed to me to be far more concerned with staring in the face the uncomfortable realities of 1940. What and who did the French blame for their defeat? What were their reactions to the on-coming German occupation? In this sense, it's a deeply introspective work about one of the (if not the) most difficult eras of French history.
The feelings of the characters are deeply mixed: betrayal; regret and anger at pre-war disunity; loss of "moral fibre" and so on. The reactions to occupation are as, if not more, interesting, ranging from the sheer folly of the belief that now the war had "ended" life would return to normal, through collaboration (Hitler's an OK guy and France deserved what she got, it will do France good), to the early seeds of resistance.
I thought the the Communist characters were very interesting. Within the French prisoners-of-war, the Communists find each other and start organising a "cell". They hold the most realistic views of the Nazis, and yet hold the least realistic views concerning the nature of the Soviet regime. Their great intellectual and moral struggle is to come to terms with the Communist party's ambivalence towards the Nazi threat in the immediate run-up to war and invasion.
I understand that Sartre intended to continue with further volumes of this work, and this novel does feel part of a bigger scheme: I found myself wanting to read the next instalment. The downside of it is that you can be left with the feeling that it's a somewhat inconclusive piece of work. Nonetheless, I thought that it stands on its own as a very interesting novel.
Different view.......2001-05-12
This is the first Sartre book that I have ever read. I liked it enough to read more from this author. There were 2 (maybe more) other sub plots going on that just left you hanging, I thought.I have not read much literature that dealt with WW II that wasn't directlyrelated to the Holocaust(sp?) or from an American perspective. That made, for me, all the difference in the world.
troubled sleep may not be the problem.......2001-04-08
THis is the first novel length fiction I've read of Sartre. Not his best form I think. Perhaps too many blank, beguiling pages to fill with unrelenting existentialism incarnate in meandering vignettes of characters that one can neither really place nor pity. A pity. Such a stunning writer in a shorter format ("The Wall" and other short stories). One grows a bit weary of self-castigating anti heros (the common man hero I gather one is supposed to infer) but a bone to lick for all one's trouble would be nice. Alas, one is not ever offerred a bone, which is not really the problem. One is never offerred a bone and therefore expects one. What one does procure, in turn, is a handful of mordant, self pitying and pitiable characters indignant that their forces were overcome with such swift Teutonic efficiency. Above and outside of this, however, Sartre has his own efficiency for writing dialogue, the sum of which, becomes many times more than the mere words which comprise it. Suffice it to say, if one is interested in Sartre's philosophy, this book, in parts, is not a bad sugarpill.
A basic fiction/philosophy book.......1998-12-21
Well, since I'm the one person who read it, I suppose I'm talkin to meself, but I thought that this is one of the greatest books I've ever read. The main purpose of this book is to examine the minds of people with no short, medium, or long term plans (disposessed french soldiers) when facing confrontation with an alternate culture in which everything falls under a master plan (the Nazi invaders.) Lots of good commentary between the lines on topics such as human nature, art, sociology, and moderate international politics of the '40s. A very humbling book, if you're an egotist; a very profound book if you're a fatalist. I've passed it along to a few potheads, and they seem to think it's a very good book too.
Product Description
Jean-Paul Sartre's subject in this magnificent novel is the impact of a crushing defeat on a great people, and their consequent disintegration. Troubled Sleep opens in June 1940 with the fall of France. The action of the first two thirds of the story is confined within three dramatic days; the final section extends over several weeks. The characters of his earlier volumes reappear, but are seen in a new, tragic light. Sartre's handling of theme, characters, and scene reaffirms his leading position among the truly great representative novelists...
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- A unique contribution . . .
- Important Linguistic Text and Map, Numenor Story
- if you read the first four in the "history", then set your expectations higher than the last book
- Beware
- Good for the Tolkien Enthusiast
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The Lost Road and Other Writings (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 5)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Shaping of Middle-Earth: The Quenta, the Ambarkanta and the Annals (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 4)
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The Lays of Beleriand (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 3)
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The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 6)
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The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 2)
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Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7)
ASIN: 0395455197 |
Book Description
At the end of the 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien reluctantly set aside his now greatly elaborated work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings. This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien, completes the presentation of the whole compass of his writing on those themes up to that time. Later forms of the Annuals of Valinor and the Annals of Berleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified version, and a new map had been made; the myth of the Music of the Ainur had become a separate work; and the legend of the Downfall of Numenor had already entered in a primitive form, introducing the cardinal ideas of the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West.
Closely associated with this was the abandoned time-travel story, The Lost Road, which was to link the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.
A long essay, The Lhammas, had been written on the ever more complex relations of the languages and dialects of Middle-earth; and an etymological dictionary had been undertaken, in which a great number of words and names in the Elvish languages were registered and their formation explained - thus providing by far the most extensive account of their vocabularies that has appeared.
Customer Reviews:
A unique contribution . . . .......2007-02-05
. . . to the continued "The History of Middle-Earth" series.
In "The Lost Road", Christopher Tolkien brings his father's mythology to the point where writing "The Lord of the Rings" became a priority. Later developments in "The Silmarillion" are published later in this series.
What makes "The Lost Road" unique is the connection between it and "Out of the Silent Planet" by CS Lewis. Tolkien and Lewis had agreed to write a pair of novels, with Tolkien exploring time travel, and Lewis exploring space travel. While Lewis completed "Out of the Silent Planet" (and two sequels), Tolkien never finished "The Lost Road". This volume gives us hints of what "might have been".
Again, thanks is due to Christopher for his labor of love, allowing the rest of us to delve more deeply into the lore of Middle-Earth.
Important Linguistic Text and Map, Numenor Story.......2007-01-21
`The Lost Road' is the fifth volume in Christopher Tolkien's editions of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien's unpublished works, dedicated mostly to the history of the three ages which preceded the events chronicled in `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings', which marked the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth. In some ways, `The Lost Road' represents a rise in the amount of `interesting' material, after the relatively dry material, especially the poetry in `The Lays of Beleriand' and `The Shaping of Middle Earth'.
This is especially true in that it wraps up the material on what I consider the most interesting events in the Middle Earth `prehistory', the story of Numenor and its fall, plus some excellent notes on the languages of Middle Earth.
We read here that the story of Numenor was, as it is probably obvious to most, a recreation of the Atlantis myth. It always struck me as odd that while Numenor was so obviously an echo of a Greek myth that the Numenorean names and language is so clearly patterned after Arabic. Note the prominence of the `Ar-` prefix, later changed to `Tar-`, so similar to the Arabic article, `Al-` seen in so many Spanish names such as the Alhambra and Alcatraz.
The story of Numenor began in an agreement with Tolkien's Oxford pal, C. S. Lewis for each to write a science fiction story. Lewis' result is his `Out of a Silent Planet' trilogy. Tolkien's effort became subsumed into his history of Middle Earth as the most important event in the First Age.
If you are an avid fan of Tolkien's linguistics, then this volume is a `must have', as it includes Tolkien's own dictionary of his various linguistic constructions. If your love of Tolkien lies more with the mythology, this book is slightly less interesting, as the central `The Lost Road' tale is actually a weak `time travel' story', since Lewis chose space travel as his theme, Tolkien was left with the other great Sci Fi theme.
Of course, if you must have every volume, you can feel satisfied that the next four volumes are probably the most interesting of all, as they represent early drafts of Tolkien's greatest work, `The Lord of the Rings'.
if you read the first four in the "history", then set your expectations higher than the last book.......2006-03-13
past reviewers keep saying these books are really hard. Now I graduated high school but have started college 3 different times and yet will have to start a 4th because certain parts of it are just too hard for me. I am actually kind of ashamed of myself because all of my friends are WAY ahead of me.
Sorry to get off topic up above there, and maybe it is my passion for these books after discovering the lord and the silmarillion, BUT THESE BOOKS ARE NOT DIFFICULT. You may have to be a big time geek like me to read every single word of this and to fully follow the evolution of these early writings. ANYBODY who was a fan of lotr, silmarillion and the first 4 of the "history", ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK.
The book is billed as having the lost road in it. While it does have it, it is certainly not one of tolkien's strongest works. Some info on sauron from a modern day point of view is nice to read.
The other low point of this book is the etymology stuff, but though I say a low point, there are no real low points in this book, just some parts that are lower than others. I have no desire to learn elvish languages, at least before I learn at least one other real one, but looking through the extremely short dictionarywas very interesting just for reading.
Honestly, this book did go a little bit over my head, but not too many people can actually write and speak elvish and other tolkien languages without first knowing finnish, old english, irish, etc., though the only part of the book that didn't make any sense to me, still ver neaty to look at.
Beware.......2005-05-16
If you loved The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, you may not enjoy this book. Although it provides valuable Numenorean historical information, it is comprised of unfinished stories. Tolkein's son Christopher has annotated passages, and he includes his notes at the end of each tale. This is sometimes helpful, sometimes not. He points out the obvious. A lot.
There are some fairly interesting tidbits in here, though. The book shows you exactly how Tolkein started writing about the history of mankind inheriting the world.
So, only read it if you're looking to learn about Numenor or how Tolkein thought up Middle Earth, otherwise, stick to The Silmarillion and Lost Tales.
Good for the Tolkien Enthusiast.......2004-02-03
If you're a Tolkien scholar, you already know how good this book is. It provides insight into the process of creating many important stories in the Silmarillion, most notably the Downfall of Numenor. Most critically, if you are studying Tolkien languages (Quenya or Sindarin = elvish), you need this book, which includes Etymologies, an important reference. I'm studying Quenya, so this is pretty much mandatory reading.
But if you're reading this review, you're probably a Tolkien fan just browsing. In that case, my message to you is this. Read Lord of the Rings. Then, read the Hobbit and the Silmarillion. If you love the Silmarillion, and want a sense of how it developed over the decades, then get The Lost Road. Otherwise, it will probably be too dry an academic for you.
Book Description
Continuing the theme of Armageddon: The Musical, this book chronicles the further adventures of characters such as Rambo Bloodaxe, Deathblade Eric, and Hugo Rune, caught up in events beyond their control.
Customer Reviews:
Not the best Rankin.......2000-08-11
Being an avid Rankin reader, I was a bit disappointed about this follow-up to the excellent original. Armageddon II contains the trademark humour of all Rankin books, but has a poorly-planned, confused plot and an ending which ultimately makes the entire tome pointless. Worth a read but if you are new to Rankin "Sprout Mask Replica", the original Armageddon or even "Nostradamus Ate My Hamster" would be better to begin with.
A note to all Hugo Rune fans: If you didn't know, he plays an active role in "The Book of Ultimate Truths". Read that NOW!
Even funnier than the brilliant original!.......2000-03-27
The continuing adventures of Rex Mundi, Elvis and Barry the Time Sprout amongst others, which surpasses even the original which was hysterical. This is the funniest book of its type since The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The best parts of the book are the introductions to each chapter which seem to be totally unrelated to the story but gain more relevance as the book goes on; the best one with the two wildly differing accounts of Hugo Rune turning himself invisible. A must read if you like that sort of thing.
the funniest ever!!!.......1999-09-29
This was one of the wittiest, and most comical books I have ever read. It made me laugh continuously from beginning to end. Much in the vein of Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett. Make sure to pick up the other two books in the series.
Strange.......1999-06-17
Kind of a strang book. Or should I say very strange. This is for very young kids.
Book Description
Leper Priest of Moloka'i traces the life of Father Damien from his boyhood in rural Belgium to his death at the leper settlement after sixteen years of remarkable accomplishments. Damien overcame major obstacles to become a Catholic priest and serve as a missionary in Hawai'i. To his spiritual ministry he added the practice of medicine and the skill of a master builder of chapels, churches, and houses, both professions that he taught himself. He decried human suffering, and in his medical practice he emulated the example of his patron saint, Saint Damien the physician, who led many to Christianity by the example of the Good Samaritan.
This biography presents and analyzes much new information about Damien and his years in Hawai'i. The correspondence between Damien, his colleagues in the Catholic church, his Protestant supporters, and agents of the Hawaiian Board of Health gives a fuller understanding of the extent of Damien's work at the settlement and the tensions underlying his relations with Church bureaucrats, who were both impressed by his energy and zeal and irritated by his willfullness and independence. But even his detractors could not deny that he was almost singlehandedly responsible for tremendous improvements to Kalaupapa in the face of overwhelming odds. This is the story of one humble man with faith in God and in himself, who faced gargantuan challenges and triumphed.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing and inspiring biography.......2002-09-10
Although this book was hard to read at times, I feel like I am a better person for having read it. Father Damien is truely a remarkable individual and his Christlike devotion to the lepers of Hawaii is what made this book so compelling for me. I loved reading about this wonderful,humble man. He loved these people with all his heart and soul. He absolutely changed everything for them, and he not only built churches for them with his bare hands, but he also was their doctor their priest and their friend. When no one would go to the lepers and give them the just the bare necissities of life, Father Damien was a willing and humble servant. I loved this book and know you will come away from reading it, amazed as I was at what this great man accomplished in his short life.
Book Description
The great adventure of Damien the Leper began quietly over a century ago. Since then, his remarkable story has become legend throughout the world.
Joseph De Veuster left his secure life in Belgium, thrusting aside all thoughts of personal danger and spending the rest of his days as Father Damien comforting the sick and the dying. Though virtually entombed among the living dead of a leper colony on the island of Molokai, Father Damien managed to find beauty and enchantment in the lush surroundings. His extraordinary journey of the spirit comes to life in John Farrow's splendid biography, which has become a classic over the years and is sure to endure as long as people thrill to deeds of valor and pay homage to the great spiritual truths so perfectly reflected in this unforgettable story of courage, sacrifice, and devotion.
Customer Reviews:
An Amazing Life.......2007-01-22
It is often difficult to write a critical reveiw of a biography of a man that you deeply admire. However, I must be honest in my assessment of this book. It is informative and paints an excellent picture of Father Damian. The misfortune is that John Farrow needed an editor to edit his work before it was published.
Farrow spends far too much time describing the scenary of Hawaii, which takes away from the story of Father Damian. In a book that was over 220 pages, it seemed that less than 80% was directly related to Father Damian. The author also wastes time exploring alleged "unclean acts" by Father Damian. To quote page 220, "... if the story were a thousand times true, can't you see you are a million times lower for daring to repeat it." This reflect my feeling on this discussion. If even the author does not believe it, why include it in the book?
I only became aware of the story of Father Damian by chance within the last year and have taken great interest in it. Farrow's biography puts in perspective a life which had chosen to be martyred for the suffering lepers. Not only did he choose to be with the lepers, but he built their secluded island to a more respectable state and lobbied politicians to better the way of life for them.
As the author worked in Hollywood, it amazes me that such a story could not inspire a movie. This is certainly a touching and important tale for a wider audience to know, without a focus on the scenary.
A Great Book for a Great Man.......2002-04-28
I have always considered Father Damien one of my heroes. This book details him as a flawed human being but a crusader for his fellow lepers. The Holy Father has bestowed on Father Damien the title of Blessed and will be made a Saint when miracles occur in his name. He was the miracle for his people and for us all. Candace Serviss
Loving and giving until it hurts.......2000-01-19
I have read this book five times and I fully expect to do so once again. It is the true story of a Priest from Belgium who, in the late 1800`s, cheerfully accepted, even demanded an assignment which would cause people of lesser intestinal fortitude to run away: Molokai, a leper colony in Hawaii. His description of the sorry state of the people is enough to make one ill. Yet, through his own unconditional love for his fellow man, took it upon himself, to feed them, cleanse their disgusting wounds, bury the dead with his own hands, cousel them, hear their confessions and prepare them to meet their maker after death. It is a moving tale of a man who totally abandoned himself in favour of his God and his bretheren. This healthy, athletic man knew that by associating with these human outcasts, he would likely fall victim to this dreaded disease and, in fact he did. It would be extremely difficult to imagine any person giving more of himself for the benefit of others. By anyone`s definition, Damien DeVeuster, `Damien The Leper` was a true saint. His story should be required reading for all because it would be sinful to allow the lessons to fade into obscurity. Bless his lily-white soul.
Good, but romanticized.......1999-10-05
This book tells the story/history of Father Damien of Molokai, a most remarkable man whose indefatigable work in a notorious Hawaiian leper colony gave him the international status of the Mother Theresa of his time. It is well-written, lively, and most readable; but it is also terribly romanticized, Damien IS saintly. Perhaps he was. Readers should take minor note that the main text was published originally in 1937 (according to an older edition of this book that I own).
Product Description
The definitive work on the courageous priest who walked among the "living dead" until he became one of them himself, solely because of his great love for Christ.
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Damien, the Leper Priest
Anne E. Neimark
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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| Religions
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ASIN: 0688222463 |
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Damien the Leper
John Farrow
Manufacturer: Sheed & ward
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EFJU48 |
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Damien The Leper
Manufacturer: Image Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H0I12M |
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DAMIEN THE LEPER
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H4F4T6 |
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