Amazon.com
If Susan Perabo wrote pop songs instead of fiction, they'd be filled with the kinds of hooks that get stuck in one's head for hours. The first line of nearly every story in her debut, Who I Was Supposed to Be, is a testament to her infectiousness. Just try to read these openings without wanting to unravel the whole yarn:
My mother, beside herself with loss, spent thirty-five thousand dollars on lottery tickets in nine months.
After the baby died, I found it imperative that my German shepherd Stu understand and accept the concept of death.
I was twelve the summer I watched four men beat up my father on a softball field at his company picnic.
Quirky Americans populate Perabo's stories, playing their unusual circumstances straight-faced for laughs. Unfortunately, Perabo often starts with a great premise but doesn't get too far with it. "Retirement," the story of Batman's assassination told from the point of view of his butler, Alfred, falls curiously flat, in want of a little more literary "OOF!" and "POW!" In "Counting the Ways," Katy, wasting her life in a thankless data-entry job, comes into an inheritance and blows the whole thing on a dress once worn by Princess Di. When the Princess meets her tragic fate, the dress skyrockets in value, and Katy debates whether or not she should sell it. Instead of exploiting this inner turmoil, Perabo leaves the story in the hands of her character's clueless and ineffectual husband, Joel.
Many of these stories feel as though Perabo let her unique vision of America become diluted by academic expectations about what constitutes the form--conflict, irrational action, emotionally vague denouement. It's a shame when she succumbs to sounding like every other short-story writer on the block, but a wonder when her own voice shines through. --Ryan Boudinot
Book Description
Behind every face in Who I Was Supposed to Be is a singular quirk to explore, a peculiarity to celebrate. In Susan Perabo's world, nothing can be taken for granted: here, a retired grocer takes up jewel theft in his twilight years; a data processor squanders her inheritance on one of Princess Diana's gowns; a mugging victim feigns amnesia to win back his wife.
In the tradition of Lorrie Moore, Susan Perabo's slightly off-center lens looks hard at the banal and the bizarre, and at the human condition, where she finds extraordinary magic within the smallest of gestures. Sharply written and overlaid with a mischievous wit, Who I Was Supposed to Be is an unforgettable homage to laughter, love, and wonder.
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Behind every face in Who I Was Supposed to Be, Susan Perabo's incandescent, devilishly hilarious debut short story collection, there is something simmering, a singular quirk to explore, a peculiarity to celebrate. In the world of her fiction, nothing can be taken for granted, and there is no such thing as the run of the mill: here, a retired grocer takes up jewel theft in his twilight years; a data processor squanders her inheritance on a gown from Princess Diana's collection; a mugging victim, newly separated from his wife, feigns amnesia to win back her love; a teenage pyromaniac finds release in the company of her mother's jilted second husband. In the tradition of Lorrie Moore, the stories in this collection celebrate the absence of normalcy, the quirkiness of the human condition, the everyday deviance of "ordinary" people. In story after story, Perabo peels back the layers of the banal and the bizarre, revealing a world that is at once stunning and familiar, shocking yet comforting. Through her slightly off-center lens, she provides a fresh and penetrating look at human nature, giving us a glimpse of the extraordinary in the ordinary, the magic in the smallest of gestures. Her resilient characters are a testament to the undying potential for optimism that gives people a fighting chance despite the twisted, sad world around them. Written in sharp, incisive prose -- overlaid with a subtle, mischievous wit -- Who I Was Supposed to Be is an exquisite and unforgettable homage to the human capacity for laughter, love, and wonder.
Customer Reviews:
I am just thankful I was one of her students..........2004-01-06
I read Susan Perabo's collection after being her student over Christmas. Wow.
These stories amaze me. Well written, she does so well what she has taught her own students. The gears in my head turned, and I finally understood all those things she wrote on my stories or tried to explain in class.
I love her characters. The data processing woman with the Diana dress. The pot smoking music teacher father. The woman whose baby just died. The actor whose marriage is ending so he invites a klepto father to stay with him. On and on they go, so confused, so much in pain, but she makes their lives and situations funny. It's a bittersweet pain, but Perabo has one of the most original ways of communicating pain I've seen since the writers she told us to read.
I still can't get out of my mind the one called "Explaining Death to the dog". The pain the woman feels when showing the dog the book of Time photos or showing her the dead animal, wow. I read it three times in a row the first night I read it. I am still in awe of it.
As she told my class so many times, "Show, don't tell."
Perabo shows. I can't believe I was lucky enough to have classes with her. I just wish I read these sooner.
Great stories.......2003-03-06
Barring a very few exceptions, the stories presented here are top-notch. I finished this book in half a day, and wanted more when I ran out of stories. I would love to see more stories about the characters here!
Well Done Short Stories.......2001-05-08
I found this collection by accident and didn't know what to expect. Short stories can be so good, or so bad. These stories are very good, and consistently good. These are stories of people searching for something missing in their lives, well told stories with humor and heart. Enjoy this collection.
The best book I've read in 10 years........2000-11-30
Should be 'nuf said -- but I want to add that the author's voice is completely true! (i think this a book for older people -- ie, over 40 -- who understand about disappointment, and transformation). What a read!
Somewhat disappointed.......2000-08-23
This book came with high recommendations and expectations but for me the book failed to live up to them. The characters are inventive and memorable but their treatment falls short and the stories repeatedly end on a dissatisfying note. I agree with the Amazon review that her characters' promise and development seems to stall out of some kind of self conscious regard for academic critique and conflict, etc. (I'm not an academic, but you can feel their eyes on the text.) I wish she'd just let it rip. I also think the writing suffers from a lack of a clear voice; the voice often seem contrived and forced and in some instances just competely derails the story. The good part is the characters themselves, who are memorable despite their author's too-often shallow treatment.
Book Description
"Powerful . . . A lusty, poetic and legendary world based on Ireland's mythical warrior-hero Cuchulain." The New York Times Book Review
In a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain -- torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven -- fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor.
Customer Reviews:
One of my favorite books about Cuchullain..........2007-02-27
Red Branch is absorbing. After a visit to Ireland years ago I discovered this work and Morgan Llywelyn's others, but this one is my favorite. Thomas Kinsella's Tain Bo Cuallaige was a great translation, but this book blows it away with detail and fluidity. I wish they'd convert this one into a movie. Two thumbs way way up.
strands of the Ulster cycle woven together seamlessly.......2006-01-08
This book weaves together the many stories that comprise the life of Cuchulain and the other warriors of the Red Branch. Llywelyn, as usual, shows great skill in telling this story, as well as injecting the book with a feel of what Ireland was like during this long ago time.
Ever wonder why your Irish Wife loves to fight?.......2005-02-07
I love this book, I read it as a beginning of a diversity search... We have all this diverse cultural stuff thrown at us in the workplace in this age of political correctness, so I read some of Llywelyn's novels, to see where my family comes from. Boy did I get a better understanding of my wife! All that aside, this is a fascinating telling of one of Celtic Mythologies most exciting tales.
Many Problems With Interesting Moments.......2004-12-16
This is the second Llywelyn book i've read, I read 'Druids' several years ago. I enjoyed Druids very much, so I was excited to start reading Red Branch. Unfortunately my excitement dwindled quickly.
I'm not saying that it's a bad book. For me it has many problems. Her writting style is simplistic, in between moments of attempted flash and bold description that leaves me cringing. It took me almost the first half of the book to warm up to the main character, Cuchulain, and I couldn't help but thinking he was such a 'Mary Sue' character; although this is a book that retells mythic heroic deeds, so that's not such a bad thing ultimately. It was still difficult for me to get over just how perfect he was.
Llywelyn was also incapable of making me believe in the depth of the world. The world in which she set her characters was trite. Again, I know this is a fantasy based novel retelling well known cultural myth, but at no time during reading this book did I feel immersed in its universe.
I also found myself reeling when from one paragraph to the next, quickly and without warning, she changed the time and sometimes place of the story. Most authors let their readers know when hours lapse between paragraphs in a pleasant way rather than just shoving it down your throat.
As I said it's not all negative, though. Being a heroic, mythic adventure tale the characters and situations were often very interesting. I enjoyed reading about these legends of which I had no previous experience. I kept threatening to stop reading it, but it held enough fun and interesting moments to keep me reading. I'm not sure this book deserved the almost 500 paperback pages it is made up of. It seems better suited as a series of character events told throgh a series of short stories, rather than a novel.
The Hound of Ulster Rocks!.......2004-10-25
I absolutely loved this book. Before picking it up I knew absolutely nothing about the story of Cuchulain, the legendary Hound of Ulster. I found myself enthralled by the story, the characters, the myth, and the setting of this novel from page one. This was the second of Ms. Llywelyn's novels that I'd read -- Lion of Ireland being the first -- and I think it's ranks as one of her best. By the end of the novel, even though you know that it cannot end well, you've become invested in the characters and it's sad when it finally ends. The novel has a lot to say about love and war, what motivates men (and women), and a curious historical tie-in to the modern troubles of Ireland. A great read for anyone interested in ancient Ireland's legendary past.
Average customer rating:
- marvelous retelling of Ulster myths
- AT LAST!!!!
- Giving the swords & balls back to the Irish warrior
- beautiful lyrical translation
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The Red Branch Tales
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
British & Irish | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Celtic & British Isles | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0312870191 |
Book Description
In this collection of Ireland's famous myths, Eickhoff once again proves his mastery of translation and his ability to give these classic tales new life. Here he presents more than twenty stories that display Irish culture as it has seldom been seen before. All of the characters of Irish myth receive new life and are presented in vibrant and unique ways. In the pre-Christian era, when warriors fought from chariots while Druids provided the mystical answers to the universe, the Irish believed strongly in the magic that these stories reflect. Plus, by providing introductions to the tales and a comprehensive index, Eickhoff gives insight into the legends that formed the identity of a people. Prepare to once again enter Randy Lee Eickhoff's Ireland.
Customer Reviews:
marvelous retelling of Ulster myths.......2006-01-08
More of a retelling rather than a strict translation, this book is nevertheless researched thoroughly by the author. Covering many of the stories of the Ulster Cycle of myths, there are stories here that I actually hadn't heard before, as I am sure will be the case for many other readers. Overall, a great book, and not to be missed by someone interested in Irish and Celtic mythology.
AT LAST!!!!.......2004-11-30
Finally, translations of the corpus of medieval Irish literature are available!!!I have hunted for years to find little bits and pieces of the texts that Eichoff has so brilliantly brought together. I can't wait to get the rest of the series. Good job!
Giving the swords & balls back to the Irish warrior.......2003-10-30
THE RED BRANCH TALES are stories of the Ulster Irishmen. The Medieval Christianized tales have their basis in the oral traditions of the Pagan Irish Celts. Basically, they cover the building of Emain Macha, the main city and the rise of Conchobar Mac Nessa until just after his death. Conchobar is kind of like an Irish King Arthur (Arthur was a Romanized British Celt Warlord if he was anything but a legend. Forgive my doubt.) but without the genteel chivarly put on the Arthurian legends by later generations. Conchobar was the king that Deirdre of the Sorrows was meant to marry before she set her sights on Naisi, but her story is not in here as the Eickhoff has set it apart in another book THE SORROWS. However, he does give us another version of the pivotal The Cattle Raid of Cooley, which he covers in THE RAID from a different source. Among the other characters you will encounter are Queen Maeve (Mabh), Cuchulain, & Fergus Mac Roich. Although these read like fairy tales and have supernatural elements in them, they are earthy and violent. Think Conan the Barbarian, not Disney's Snow White. This along with their lists of names make it unsuitable for anyone under a mature 12. The Fragments were intiguing, hinting at things that we have lost. I especially enjoyed the small tidbit called On Werewolves. Eickhoff also has a large section of notes that explain details and ideas to the reader. If you are interested in entering the mind of the ancient Irish, these are the stories for you. I have read various versions of these tales and never quite got the stories, never quite understood the mindset of these people, my ancestors. Here the translator has done an excellent job of giving the ancient Irish warrior back his swords and balls in a context that makes sense.
beautiful lyrical translation.......2003-03-01
The thirty stories that make up THE RED BRANCH TALES come from twelfth century Ireland translated into modern English with the beautiful lyrical prose that Dr. Randy Lee Eickhoff has brought to all his previous translations. The tales provide common themes of life among the various clans with the title providing an obvious clue as to what to expect. The stories vary in content with many dealing with heroism, war, and romance.
The anthology is entertaining though like much of medieval literature, formal language is sprinkled with baroque eloquence and comically lewd capers. Also included are "Fragments" of incomplete tales and proverbs. As usual Dr. Eickhoff provides a marvelous collection, that will be of interest to English majors and those readers who recently savored The Canterbury Tales or Beowulf.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Enthralling accounts of the legendary Cuchulain, the greatest of ancient Ireland's Knights of the Red Branch, tell of his birth and boyhood deeds, exploits in love and war, and premature death, all in the same beautifully simple style Lady Gregory first heard them as a child. Preface by W. B. Yeats.
Customer Reviews:
The Hound of Cullen takes on All Comers.......2005-08-31
To qualify, I would have given this book 4-and-a-half stars, if possible, because it's a great book, but the material is definitely overrated in precedence in this reviewer's mind. Although a great read, this is not the mythology of Ireland, but rather the regional mythology of Ulster. I'll explain...
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Lady Gregory's Complete Irish Mythology several years ago, which contained Gods and Fighting Men, and this book, Cuchulain of Muirthemne, in one tome. If you're lucky enough to find a copy of Complete Irish Mythology, buy it.
If not, try to land a copy of Gods and Fighting Men. Gods and Fighting Men contains the Mythological Cycle (the legendary invasions of Ireland up to the coming of the Gael) which contains many stories of the Tuatha De Danaan, or the Great Fae, and the Fenian Cycle, which are the tales of Finn Mac Cumhail (pronounced MacCool) and his warband/policing force.
The Mythological Cycle is the essential root of Irish mythology, and our early introduction to the Gods, Goddesses and Divine Heroes (and Heras), some of whom make guest cameos in Cuchulain of Muirthemne.
The Fenian Cycle is known throughout Ireland and in the Highlands of Scotland. Finn wanders throughout Ireland righting wrongs and providing security against would-be invaders. Magic is alive and well and the Gods walk among the mortal men and women. People are much more interactive with Nature than the (possibly) later Ulster Cycle.
Cuchulain of Muirthemne is the star of the Ulster Cycle. In his youth he was known as Setanta and was born with a radiance on his brow (this ties in with Lugh, who he claims as his father, and also reminds one of the Biblical Nephilim, children born of angels and mortal women). Later on, Setanta arrived late for a supper at the blacksmith's house and fought a life-or-death battle with the blacksmith's dog, the biggest, meanest hound in all of Ireland. When Setanta wins this contest, the blacksmith is very upset. Showing a high degree of Irish honour, Setanta becomes known as Cuchulain (Hound of Cullen) until a new mastiff can be raised and trained to take his place.
The Ulster Cycle is much more urban than the Fenian. The warriors ride to battle in war chariots and spend most of their time in inhabited areas. Magic is much less common, and the Gods no longer walk in this world; rather, they make rare appearances to special individuals.
Although an integral body of lore within the larger corpus of Irish mythology, the Ulster Cycle seems to receive almost exclusive attention from scholars, possibly because of its greater compatibility with written history. Unfortunately, most books with titles like "Early Irish Mythology" almost exclusively detail the Ulster Cycle while largely ignoring the Mythological and Fenian Cycles. This is a misnomer, because, again, the Ulster Cycle is the lore of one region in Ireland and is largely unknown in oral tradition outside of it.
I would list Cuchulain of Muirthemne as required reading AFTER one has been acquainted with the Mythological and Fenian Cycles. This is fascinating supplemental lore of a regional nature, not quite foundational Irish mythology (in this reviewer's mind, anyway). I really did enjoy the lore of Cuchulain of Muirthemne and, with the qualifiers above, would recommend this work to all.
A Classic in the Field.......2000-03-30
Lady Gregory's book is one of the jumping-off points and first fruits of the Irish Renaissance in literature. This translation is one of the classics of modern Irish scholarship. It's fairly readable, especially if you like epic stories, and it does an excellent job of introducing you to mythic Ireland. This is one of Lady Gregory's two finest works, in my opinion.
A great book about the Legendary Irish hero Cuchulain.......1998-06-26
This book is a translation of many myths, legends, and folk lore of Ireland that make up the Ulster Cycle. The focus of the book is upon Cuchulain, The Hound of Ulster and champion of The Red Branch of Ulster, his life, and his death. A great book for any fan of Celtic myths and legends as well as any lover of fantasy.
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The Abode of Life
Miller
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0671900862 |
Average customer rating:
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The abode of Life
Lee Correy
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRGMEA |
Average customer rating:
- For anyone who was ever annoyed by the Prime Directive...
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ABODE OF LIFE (Star Trek (Numbered Paperback))
Corey
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Star Trek
| Media
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0671661493 |
Book Description
ON THE PLANET MERCAN THERE ARE NO STARS, NO MOON, NO OUTER SPACE...
The citizens of Mercan cannot conceive of worlds beyond their own. Their sun, Mercaniad, is prone to deadly, radioactive flare-ups, and the Mercans have organized their life around the need to survive The Ordeal -- until a strange visitor appears from out of nowhere...
The Enterprise, badly crippled and in desperate need of repairs, must seek help from a people who cannot believe in its existence. Mercaniad is about to blow, and James Kirk faces an impossible choice: to attack the sun itself and save his ship and crew -- or let a people live in peace, in the only world they know...
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The citizens of Mercan cannot conceive of worlds beyond their own. Their sun, Mercaniad, is prone to deadly, radioactive flare-ups, and the Mercans have organized their life around the need to survive The Ordeal -- until a strange visitor appears from out of nowhere.
The Enterprise, badly crippled and in desperate need of repairs, must seek help from a people who cannot believe in its existence. Mercaniad is about to blow, and James Kirk faces an impossible choice: to attack the sun itself and save his ship and crew -- or let a people live in peace in the only world they know....
Customer Reviews:
For anyone who was ever annoyed by the Prime Directive..........2003-05-12
Kirk & Co. are transported into a void at the edge of the galaxy and encounter a planet so distant that their society cannot conceive of anything beyond their own planet which they refer to as - the Abode of Life.
This story has what I consider to be one of the greatest violations of the Prime Directive ever portraited in Star Trek.
The star around which the Abode of Life orbits is unstable. It flares periodically sending out deadly radiation causing the population of the planet to seek shelter in protected areas. The society of the planet is fundamentally based on the solar flares and how they are detected and dealt with.
In order to save the Enterprise and themselves, Kirk & Co. devise a plan to stabilize the planet's unstable star by firing modified torpedos into the unstable star that will either stabilize it or cause it to go nova!
Let me be more specific... Kirk & Co. risk the lives of hundreds of millions of the planet's inhabitants in a gamble to save the Enterprise and her crew and to promote what they consider to be the further "approporiate" development of the planet so that it can be incorporated into the Federation as a refueling stop on the way to colonize and explore this new area of space.
If you can swallow and stomach that little plot point - the rest of the story is not too bad.
I think maybe the author may have intended this as a Mirror, Mirror universe episode!
Average customer rating:
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ABODE OF LIFE (Star Trek (Numbered Paperback))
Corey
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Star Trek
| Media
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0671627465 |
Average customer rating:
- The Code of the Abode
- A good story with glaring flaws
- Not bad.
- Good book
- A bit simplistic, but a nice read
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The Abode of Life (Star Trek)
Lee Correy
Manufacturer: Gregg Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Textbook Binding
General
| Star Trek
| Media
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0839829310 |
Book Description
The citizens of the planet Mercan cannot conceive of worlds beyond their own. Their sun is prone to deadly radioactive flare-ups, and the Mercans have organized their life around the need to survive The Ordeal. All that might change, though, when a badly-damaged EnterpriseTM arrives near Mercan, desperately in need of repairs. It's not an easy task, though, begging help from people who can hardly believe in your existence, and Kirk finds himself torn between the safety and survival of his crew and the Prime Directive, which dictates that he must leave the Mercans to live their lives in peace, and, therefore, in ignorance.
Customer Reviews:
The Code of the Abode.......2003-01-08
The Abode of Life by Lee Correy (Star Trek #6, 1982)
Released a few months before the Wrath of Khan movie, Star Trek's second cinema outing, this novel postulates an interesting scientific situation. What if there was a civilization so remote, it couldn't even conceive of other life in the universe? When the Enterprise comes in contact with such a civilization, the impact is likely to be devastating.
While mapping in an unexplored sector of the galaxy's Orion Arm, the Enterprise begins encountering gravitational anomalies. After a few bumps and shifts, the ship contacts a gravity well strong enough to throw them well off course, and into the gap between the Orion Arm and the Sagittarius Arm, in an interstellar space with very little matter at all. The dilithium crystals have been greatly drained by this jump, and can manage only Warp Factor 2, which would require 75 years to get back to the nearest starbase for repairs. (Shades of Star Trek: Voyager) With little else to do, they set off back toward the known galaxy. Shortly, they encounter a single star, orbited by a single planet. Orbiting the planet will help facilitate some repairs, so Kirk orders an approach. Scans discover that the world is inhabited, and even has advanced technology: there seems to be a large amount of transporter traffic.
The world Mercan is so remote, they can see the galaxy near them only as a "Ribbon of Light." (The Milky Way galaxy looks much the same from here. Go out on a dark night, with no lights around, such as on top of a remote hill. Look up in the sky for what appears to be a thin cloud, stretching across the sky overhead from horizon to horizon. This is the major part of the Milky Way, as visible from Earth.) With no reason to believe that these are suns like their own, the population has never imagined space travel, and has instead developed technology with only a planetary focus.
Kirk determines that a culture with such a level of technology must be able to help, or at least provide materials, to repair the warp engines. Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Rand beam down to the planet to make contact with the inhabitants. The visit soon becomes a threat to Mercan society, especially when the variable star Mercaniad begins an active cycle, which the Enterprise shield cannot fully block. Spock must devise a way to prevent the loss of all hands on the ship.
Correy is an experienced science fiction writer, so it is somewhat surprising that his writing here is so stiff. He never seems to quite get the feel to the characters, who never advance beyond two-dimensional. Even his own creations, the natives of Mercan, do not leap off the page to life. The plot is quite interesting, but Kirk is too quick to ignore the Prime Directive and contaminate the culture of the planet. It is also disturbing that none of the crew, even Spock, objects to this effort. This is certainly the fault of the writer, who could have written a more interesting and more suspenseful novel by simply paying more attention to this simple law of Starfleet, often observed more in the abeyance than the obeying.
The book is simply not involving. It is hard to believe in these characters, even though the situation is intriguing. It is a good science fiction idea, poorly realized. It's not a bad book, but it is not well-written. This plot would have been better served with another writer's words.
A good story with glaring flaws.......2001-10-26
In my reviews of Classic Star Trek novels, it must be understood that I adhere to the original canon
as invisioned by Gene Roddenberry, and not the "Star Trek" universe accepted by Rick Berman and company.
I generally rate a classic novel thus:
Adherence to Canon -- does this novel adhere to the vision of the original Star Trek?
4 stars -- yes, this novel tries to explore the philosophy behind the "Prime Directive" in a unique setting.
Believability (within the confines of 23rd century Star Trek viability) -- is this novel well-plotted and well
written? Can I picture this novel or imagine myself in it?
3.5 stars -- to a certain extent. The premise is fascinating, but there are certain inconsistencies.
Coherence and Consistency -- does this novel internally consistent? Is it consistent with other Star Trek
novels by the same author? Is it consistent with what is known of the CLASSIC Star Trek universe?
2 stars -- the science is truly bad -- even when considering this is a Star Trek novel. I don't find it particularly consistent with the understood Canon of the classic series either.
Mitigating Factors -- pluses or minuses which dramatically affect the enjoyment of this book
A fairly well written story. I truly enjoyed this book. It just doesn't quite come up to scratch.
3+ stars.
Not bad........2001-08-01
This book tries hard to cover alot of hard issues. The prime directive, the safty of the Enterprise and crew as well as the beliefs and how to deal with an alien culture. But in the end it doesn't really cover any in deapth. That doesn't mean it was a bad book. I have quite enjoyed reading it. The characters are good and the story always moves, never really dragging along. If you are a big fan of the show then you should enjoy this book.
Good book.......2000-12-05
Hey...this stuff isn't going to win a Pullitzer/Nobel, but it's good reading if you're a Trek fan.
A bit simplistic, but a nice read.......1999-02-19
A "nice to pass the time" type of book, with am interesting preposition. A planet so remote that at night the sky is only black. No other planets, no moon, no stars. And the star of the system itself flares up every now and then with lethal radiation, thus forming a society in which those who can predict these Ordeals are powerfull, especially since they can grand and deny access to the Keeps where it is save during these periods. A few nice finds like the use of transporters as means of transport on the planet: no roads, no role for "distance" in their fysics. But the plot is a bit predictable, and the society with three groups gets a lot of attention in the book, but is perhaps a bit to well known nowadays. And I really missed some of the usually so entertaining interactions between Kirk, Spock and Bones.
Average customer rating:
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Abode of Mahashiua
Madhu Jain
Manufacturer: Indus Publishing Company,India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Other Eastern Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 8173870306 |
Product Description
5 massmarket paperback Star Trek Titles - The Entropy Effect - Covenant of the Crown - Prometheus Design - Abode of Life - Triangle
Book Description
1856. In gathering information on the heavenly world, the author was surprised to find that so little had been written directly on it. He also found that there are many whom it has been a subject of like interest, and who eagerly read what professes to throw light on it. He therefore ventured to offer this volume as a contribution to this department of pious inquiry, hoping that the reading of it may be as much blest to the hearts of those who read it, as he felt the writing of it was to him. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty, faded or difficult to read.
Book Description
In additon to its inspirational value, Kongtrul's story is a rich source of information on the religion, culture, and political climate of Tibet during his times.
Customer Reviews:
Get a complete picture of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole.......2004-10-26
From the foreword by ven. Ringu Tulku: "If one wants to get a complete picture of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole, especially from an inner perspective, I think there is no book more important to read than The Autobiography of Jamgön Kongtrul the Great. This is the autobiography of a yogi who studied, practiced, and found the essence of each and every spiritual path in Tibet. Jamgön Kongtrul was a true saint, a great scholar, an exemplary teacher, a renowned physician, a peacemaker, and one of the most prolific writers of Tibet. The Five Great Treasuries of Kongtrul, which comprise over one hundred volumes of a thousand pages each, enshrine all the wisdom of Tibet. It is so very easy to see that if he did not compile, transmit, and publish these teachings, most of them would have been lost during the recent turmoil in Tibet.
"Jamgön Kongtrul's greatest contribution, though, is seen as being the Ri-mé movement that he and Jamyang Kyentsé Wangpo revived, a movement that is actually the essence of the Buddhist approach. (...)"
In the introduction to "Creation and Completion; Essential Points of Tantric Meditation" the enormity of Kongtrul's contribution is aptly expressed by the following quotation from the late Dudjom Rinpoche: "So if we examine Jamgön Kongtrul's career (...) it is as if he spent his whole life as an author. None the less, if one thinks of his teaching and propagation of the empowerments, guidance, esoteric instructions, recitational transmissions, and so forth (...) it is as if he spent his whole life teaching and propagating. And, if one investigates how (...) he experientially cultivated the stages of creation and perfection associated with inconceivable myriads of mandalas, it seems as if he passed the length of his life in a retreat house sealed up with mud. Likewise, if one considers (...) his legacy in connection with the ten modes of doctrinal conduct, it is as if he passed his whole life diligently engaged in the sphere of work and activity. In these ways [his career] was inconceivable, within only the reach of those who are truly sublime."
RE:A great gem.......2003-05-01
A great book that impresses you with the life of a siddha.After reading the book, your faith to your guru will be aroused so much!All the bodhisattva acts of the 1st Jamgon rinpoche should be rememebered by the practitioners of all lineages.He's a good example for ALL.
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