Book Description
Brian Hall's compulsively readable novel vividly re-creates Lewis and Clark's extraordinary journey into the unknown western frontier. Focusing on the emblematic moments of the participants' lives, the story unfolds through the perspectives of four competing voices—from the troubled and mercurial figure of Meriwether Lewis, the expedition leader who found that it was impossible to enter paradise without having it crumble around him, to Sacagawea, the Shoshone girl-captive and interpreter for the expedition, whose short life mirrored the disruptive times in which she lived. Bringing the day-to-day life of the expedition alive as no work of history ever could, Hall's magnificent novel fills in the gaps and provides a new perspective on the most famous journey in American history.
Customer Reviews:
There's no map.......2007-08-06
Several people here seem upset by the use of "four-letter" words. For your information, dear readers, the f- and c-words are as old as the English language (their etymologies go back to Old French). The point is that these words were NOT shocking to a people totally comfortable with their own bodies, in which little was taboo.
The lyrical language and descriptions in this novel are very good, and heighten the familiar story. I probably wouldn't recommend this as a first novel for anyone who hasn't read about L&C before, but if you feel you already know these people, then this novel provides some good twists.
It IS a bit slower than it needs to be, and I was shocked that some things which should be highly climactic (i.e., meeting Sacagewea's people, seeing the Pacific) are given almost as parenthetical asides and/or in brief flashbacks. Still, it's less romantic and more accurate than many L&C novels out there, which is always welcome.
My biggest complaint is in the title of this review. Any book about the Corps of Discovery should have a map of their journey, for God's sake.
The raw & the uncooked.......2007-03-24
Earlier reviewers have summed up why this book gets such disparate five- and one-star ratings. My three stars weigh its merits and its shortcomings equally. Let me explain. I picked this up knowing nothing about the subject. Brian Hall has labored to flesh out (and as with any honest book about a frontier, savagery, and harsh, raw, primitive survival, there is flesh and blood in many senses) their inner lives. He explains in his afterword that he filled in the gaps of the historical record of L&C, and came up with fictional but possible situations that would explain what is factually known about the expedition.
Anyone who critiques this book (pro, con, or mixed) needs to read it all the way through. Be fair to the author! Any reader must after reading it then study the carefully worded explanation by Hall of his methods, research, and intentions in spending four years writing this novel. Hall deserves to be taken seriously for his ambitious undertaking. He breathes life what for most of us are two names & an ampersand, and a polysyllabically named woman on a dollar cone. Hall delves into musty tomes and yellowing charts and half-recalled tribal names. Through the interpretations and changes that L&C bring and complicate, names change, loyalties shift, and even the languages nearly die out in Charbonneau's case quicker than he as their interpreters. This emerges in the multi-voiced narrative he builds up from four main points-of-view.
He takes a time when what words mean and who translates, alters, or creates them demonstrate power over the Other. Control is conveyed in what you call or name someone. And these words can be brutal, demeaning, funny, or profound. Hall dares to make his figures human in all their messy longings, their mental ramblings, and in their bodies, graphic as the language may be.
Chaucer used the words repeated here, as did Shakespeare and Joyce (his influence is also evident in some of Lewis' later self-questioning). Graphic or at least ruder terms for sex exist in probably any language. Many people two hundred years ago may not have spoken (or at least written!) the blunt words that repulse some reviewers today, but they may have thought them, or euphemized their intended impact. For the protagonists, the root of their existence is grounded in the material, the raw, the uncooked -- not in culture, goods, or ideas. Lewis, Clark, Charbonneau even, and Sacagawea in her own elusive manner all respond to the land and its bounty and its horrors.
Hall also admits that, of course, with Charbonneau and Sacagawea (and I suppose York, but I leave that to experts) he had far less to go on. Hall's ability to enter into these respectively non-"white," or "French Canadian-gone native" streams of consciousness is impressive, but not fully convincing. It's partially because (and I seem to be in a minority of reviewers here) C & S (not to mention York's but one narration) earned by Hall's dexterity many more chances than he gives them to "speak." Lewis grows tedious and dulls as the book continues, and the pace slows in the last third considerably. The final 150 pages are seen to be necessary "overall" in the story's arc, but the climactic scene -- that seems to be the arrival at the Continental Divide, or the journey to the Pacific, is muffled considerably. This mutes the message. The impact of the attainment of their goal is an echo when it should have been a roar.
As one early reviewer below noted, the band is in the Rockies and then ten pages later seems to be at the Pacific. It's over that fast, and the retrospective way the post-Rockies scenes are conveyed drains the energy out of them. (This same sudden lurch happened in Hall's Balkan travelogue, "Stealing From a Dead Place," and on my Amazon review of that book I commented on this unsteady quality.) I sensed that Hall might have half-secretly wearied after so much verbal effort in the middle third detailing the long trek along the Missouri River. Perhaps inadvertently, the exhaustion that Lewis suffers post-climax at the mountain source of the Missouri vitiates practically the rest of the narrative, and that severely unbalances its structure.
This novel, which I also found very slow going over ten days, was not perfect. It lagged, it lumbered, and after a while one becomes weary of moping Lewis and longs for more of Charbonneau's acerbity or Sacagawea's unfamiliarity, so vivid are both characters expressed evocatively. The central figures, Lewis, as does Clark, becomes less intriguing as the novel goes on. Maybe this was Hall's intent and/or historical veracity yet it dulls the impact of their tale.
I do like the attempt to show the "afterlife" once one achieves celebrity young and has to live long beyond it, but the novel needed more intrinsic interest to sustain this stage of the narrative. Flawed, but learned and intricately crafted. It shows its idiosyncracies, but in the tone that Charbonneau and Sacagawea energize if so differently from each other, Hall shows his talent. All in all, this book demands close attention. It does not move quickly. But, if you are willing, it may to you too prove admirable for its vivid audacity L&C may recede after you read their tales, while both C & S have superbly described reactions in their very distinctive and nearly utterly polarized "inner voices" that narrate their intriguing stories as "supporting roles" to the main figures, who pale (!) by comparison.
A different approach to telling the Lewis & Clark story.......2007-01-26
I enjoyed this book -- it's a different kind of book, to be sure, but I appreciated the author's approach of telling the story from several characters' decidedly different points of view and voices.
If you're looking for a straightforward telling of the story of the expedition, this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for something that explores the humanity behind the different people involved in this epic adventure, this book certainly provides an intriguing point of view -- or, rather, several intriguing points of view.
This book reminded me a bit of "The March" by E.L. Doctorow and "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver, both of which also told a story from various points of view and in different distinct voices.
Book helps historical figures become less fabled and more *Real*.......2006-03-23
Let me share the "bad" first. This book was not a quick read. It did not grab me up and sweep me away, encouraging me to forego meals and reasonable bedtimes. I love books that do that, but they are not the only books I love. I also love to read books that require some time and care on my part, a commitment to go along with the auther and experience something new. This book was of that kind.
None of that is to imply any reluctance on my part to pick up the book. Although I often read multiple books concurrently (one at work during my lunch hour, one at bedtime, etc.), I carried this one with me and it was the only book I read until I finished it.
Historical fiction has been one of my favorite genres since childhood. Also, I grew up just outside St. Louis, Missouri, so Lewis' and Clark's expedition has loomed large in my personal mythology. I've read several novels about it, and many more that touched upon it. I am not sure what induced to pick up yet another book on a well-known subject when there are so many topics that I have yet to explore, but I am so glad I did.
What this book is not is a methodical step-by-step account of the expedition. Instead the author does an extremely good job of putting us in the shoes of the participants. In doing his research he focused on the personalities and motivations of these historical figures. Certainly that is uncertain ground requiring a good deal of speculation. Recognizing early on that little of this could be proven, rather than being disturbed by it, I found it made the characters more accessible to me. Even if the actual people did not have exactly these personalities or motives, by presenting them in this way it made it easier to imagine what it was like for these real men to be involved in what today has become a great American legend. Just as all people in the center of something momentous, Lewis and Clark et al. did not check their ordinary humanity at the landing in St. Louis. Their weaknesses make their accomplishment seem all the greater.
Some of the author's devices could be annoying to some, but rather than bothersome, I found them to be effective. One of these is the general presentation, an interesting blend of stream of consciousness with (for some characters) a third-person limited narrator.
Mr. Hall does a great job adjusting his style to match each of the characters. Chapters are written from of the point of view of several characters, mostly Lewis, many Clark, a few from Sacagawea and Charbonneau, and also one from Clark's man York. One device that is part of the different styles are spelling changes depending on who is narrating. This seems very authentic, and puts the reader in mind of the different levels of education, experience and understanding of the various characters. Another device is the lack of capitalization for proper names by Sacagawea. This was very confusing to me at first with various Native names having multiple words and often including verb forms. I got used to it, but I could see where it could possibly irritate.
Hall chooses to include a discussion at the end (Author's Note) regarding many of his choices, including style and facts. I really appreciate having an author share some of this with me. Certainly it helped that I found I could agree with many of his decisions, but I think I would have liked this material regardless.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and could imagine reading it again someday. I could not possibly express in words how alive these historical figures have become for me now. I am grateful to Brian Hall for a new perspective on a well-known topic. Give it a try! If you think it might not be your cup of tea but want to try anyway, borrow from the library instead of purchasing a copy. :o)
I Was Extremely Happy When I Threw It In the Trash.......2005-10-19
I wish I would have read some of the online book reviews prior to purchasing this book. I agree 100% with Robert M. Barge's online review now that I've taken the time to read them. I too plowed through the pages to the bitter end hoping for a true novel to unfold. Disappointing is much too kind of a word for this book. I am equally disappointed in the award committees' that placed this book on our Bestseller lists! Surely they never really read it. I was Extremely Happy when I threw it in the trash ... where it does belong!
Book Description
E. Godz, Inc.'s stock-in-trade was magic. When Edwina Godz had inherited the family corporation after her parents were killed in an accident, she had put to work all the sorcerous techniques that she had learned during her Spiritual Quest period, taking all the shamans with the Right Stuff on board as subsidiaries, and raking in all the benefits of the material world, including big profits and a high-selling stock. Unfortunately, Edwina's two children, Dov and Peez, hated each other's guts, to put it mildly, and if she stepped aside and let them take over the company, it was certain to go down the tubes. So she pretended to be dying from a disease that neither science nor sorcery could cure, and let the two of them fight it out for dominance using all the tricks of both corporate in-fighting and wizard warfare that she had taught them. No holds barred-and may the most evil and ruthless sorcerer win!
Customer Reviews:
Sibling Rivalry.......2006-07-06
While I agree with other reviewers that the book ending was a little weak, I found myself really enjoying the character development. As the siblings each met with the same characters in different order, it gave the book continuity. The humor was more subdued than the two authors usually use, but it was perfect for this book.
Surprisingly disappointing .......2005-06-27
I picked this book up at the local library as just something to kill time, and wasn't expecting very much from it. I wasn't expecting anything more than something to occupy my time at the bus stop, but in the end, I got much less. This book ended up raising my hopes as I read further into it, only to cruelly dash them later.
It starts of slowly, explaining the premise and the characters, and takes its sweet time speeding up to anything remotely close to a pleasant pace. Several of the characters are just downright obnoxious and completely spoil every scene they are in. Despite this, the middle third picks up considerably, and I began to wonder if it would end up being a book I enjoyed after all. Silly me.
Most of the second third follows a fairly solid, well reasoned, and logical plot twist, which I found myself enjoying, right up until the last few pages, where it is all tossed out the window for one of the most insipid, horribly written, and flat out insulting endings to any book I've ever read. I was literally angry at the authors for wasting my time as I read the last few pages. I won't spoil it in case you are some sort of masochist intent on subjecting yourself to painful reading, but I strongly advise staying away from this book.
Another thing that bothered me was that for a book about a company based on magic, there is surprisingly little magic in it. Only a handful of spells are cast by any of the characters, and almost none of them have any impact on the plot at all.
Just stay away from this book. Do not buy it, do not rent it, just save yourself the hassle and ignore it.
Finding Your Inner Self.......2003-10-21
E. Godz is a novel about earth magic in its many guises. Edwina Godz was an independently wealthy flower child in the 60's who paid closer attention than most to her gurus and spiritual guides. Using the sharp mind and business acumen inherited from her father, Edwina started a holding company, E. Godz, Inc., for spiritual organizations, providing tax advice and administrative support. Along the way, she also had two children by different fathers, but found that her managerial talents were much stronger than her maternal instincts.
In this novel, Edwina is very upset that her daughter and son cannot stand each other. She has tried every trick and manipulation in her repertoire, but nothing has worked. Now she is down to her last card: she decides to die.
She sends faxes to Peez and Dov stating that her last medical checkup has uncovered an inoperable condition that will kill her within a few months. Since they cannot cooperate in managing the business, she has determined that E. Godz, Inc., and the bulk of her estate will be left to only one of them. Her decision as to her heir will be made as soon as possible.
Peez and Dov are electrified and fly off to round up support from the major subsidiaries of the company. They each visit the same people, but in reverse order: the witch, the Egyptian revival, the totem pole carver, the California cult, the Indian shaman, and the voodoo priest. Each carries a magical construct as a companion; Peez has her Teddy Tumtum and Dov has Ammi the amulet.
This novel is a quest for spiritual enlightenment for both parties. At first the subsidiaries are just accounts and statistics, but they begin to see some of Edwina's purposes in supporting these people. They also begin to become independent of their emotional security blankets; the laughing-out-loud funniest scene in the book is when Teddy gets thrown out the window of Sam's pickup.
This story is about character and love and spirituality and has little to do with action or even plot. Label it a spiritual coming of age or a finding your own inner self story, but the tale is about delving underneath the public persona to discover one's basic personality.
This is written by two authors known for their humor and it shows throughout the story. However, it is mostly quiet humor, with a touch of Jewish satire and some situational comedy. Teddy is pure Asprin, with a cutting wit reminiscent of Aahz the Pervect, but Edwina is pure Friesner, depicting a somewhat atypical Jewish mother (what mother is willing to confess to behaving like Edwina).
Since the authors are known for moralizing, it may not come as a shock that this story has a moral, but I am not certain what it is! Maybe that Mother Nature doesn't like siblings to quarrel with each other? In any case, the ending is quite in character with the rest of the story and satisfying to boot. Although I am still not sure what the squirrel has to do with anything.
Of course, none of the enjoyment I found in this volume excuses the authors from producing more of the Skeeve and Chicks books.
Recommended for Asprin and Friesner fans and anyone else who enjoys tales with quiet humor and self-enlightenment.
ZZZZZ !.......2003-07-07
I expected more from two of my favorite authors, but either it didn't gel between them or neither really wanted to put some effort into it. The premise is thin and the story line starts off slow and gets slower. You can't identify with any characters, (which are more two-dimensional that I've seen in any published work in years.) The finish is almost a relief, and you can see it coming by the third chapter. I'd avoid this book, even in paperback. Anyone want my copy? Cheap?
Very disappointing.......2003-06-24
I was hoping for a more humorous book. I loved the MYTH, Phule, and Time Scout series. This book was dull and the plot was not very original. After 100 pages, I jumped to the climax of the story near the end of the book so I could finally be done with it. I wished I had at least waited for the paperback edition. Although I don't think paying a cheaper price would make up for the time I wasted on it.
Average customer rating:
|
E. GODZ
ASPRIN / FRIESNER
Manufacturer: Baen Publishing Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QV5GL6 |
Product Description
From page 4 of the book: Brief History of the Album Cover The album ruled the Earth, or at least the record store, for over 40 years. When the long-playing vinyl record, or LP as it is better known, was driven out by the compact disk in the late 19080s, much was said about the improved sound quality and portability of the new format; yet little was said about the loss of one of the most widespread forms of popular culture in the 20th century.
Customer Reviews:
Dear Cheap-n-Easy, baffle no more.....!.......2006-03-01
This is a hilarious book. One thing that did not improve with the advent of CD's is the cover art; the good ol' 12"x12" LP cover really was a unique art form---how are you gonna use "The Square"? This book highlights the ABUSES, intentional or otherwise, of record cover art. To Cheap-n-Easy (earlier review below), allow me to solve for you the mystery of "why buy this book when you can get it online?": because, my dear friend, there is a unique phenomenon in this world that apparently you have never heard of, a ritual activity that the overwhelming majority of the human race has participated in at one point or another in their sojourn on this planet known as Earth, but you are evidently not among this majority, and have not yet had the good fortune to participate in this activity...... it's called: giving a GIFT. And this book makes a very good gift, assuming the recipient has a sense of humor.
Funny book, yeah, but why buy ???.......2006-01-14
The book is absolutely funny and a unique item for parties and friends to look at, buy why buy the book when you can see all covers and descriptions that are in the book PLUS soem new ones on the author's web site www.bizarrerecords.com for free??
This really baffles me?!?
An absolute hoot of a book.......2005-10-03
Every good library needs books that remind us of how many absurd things there are in the world. This book manages to collect some of the worst LP covers in the history of the planet, almost all of them by performers you have never heard of or never want to hear. I had heard of only about five or six in any way whatsoever (and that includes Nancy Walker, who I literally walked into on Washington Square once as we were both talking to people back over our shoulders--most remember her from RHODA and the commercials as "the quicker picker upper"). A disturbing number of the album covers were by Christian acts. Many were just flat out strange.
It would have been fun to see some albums that featured awful covers but contained good music. A good example of this is the Louvain Brothers gospel collection SATAN IS REAL, with featured the brothers cowering comically before a huge cardboard Satan (the disc contains their wonderful "The Christian Life," that Gram Parsons would perform, including his brief stint with the Byrds).
All in all, this is a great book either for making yourself laugh, for leaving around to make others laugh, or for buying for others a a gift. I defy anyone to look through it with a straight face.
An absolute riot: I laughed until I cryed!.......2005-06-13
I received Nick DiFonzo's THE WORST ALBUM COVERS ever as a birthday gift from my best friend. I am a huge music fan...not that I've ever heard of any of the "artists" in this book. It seems the guy who wrote the book has quite a record collection and his favorites are trashy $1 bin records no one has ever heard of: Christina artists, ventriliquist acts, weird acts aimed at children, singing midgets, etc.
If you like to laugh at "What were they thinking????" humor this is the book for you. I couldn't put it down and laughed til I wept.
I urge you to find a copy and buy it. You'll bust a gut.
Book Description
This report was created for global strategic planners who cannot be content with traditional methods of segmenting world markets. With the advent of a “borderless world”, cities become a more important criteria in prioritizing markets, as opposed to regions, continents, or countries. This report covers the top 2000 cities in over 200 countries. It does so by reporting the estimated market size (in terms of latent demand) for each major city of the world. It then ranks these cities and reports them in terms of their size as a percent of the country where they are located, their geographic region (e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America), and the total world market. In performing various economic analyses for its clients, I have been occasionally asked to investigate the market potential for various products and services across cities. The purpose of the studies is to understand the density of demand within a country and the extent to which a city might be used as a point of distribution within its region. From an economic perspective, however, a city does not represent a population within rigid geographical boundaries. To an economist or strategic planner, a city represents an area of dominant influence over markets in adjacent areas. This influence varies from one industry to another, but also from one period of time to another. In what follows, I summarize the economic potential for the world\'s major cities for "LP vinyl record albums" for the year 2007. The goal of this report is to report my findings on the real economic potential, or what an economist calls the latent demand, represented by a city when defined as an area of dominant influence. The reader needs to realize that latent demand may or may not represent real sales. For many items, latent demand is clearly observable in sales, as in the case for food or housing items. Consider, however, the category "satellite launch vehicles". Clearly, there are no launch pads in most cities of the world. However, the core benefit of the vehicles (e.g. telecommunications, etc.) is "consumed" by residents or industries within the world\'s cities. Without certain cities, in other words, the market for satellite launch vehicles would be lower for the world in general. One needs to allocate, therefore, a portion of the worldwide economic demand for launch vehicles to both regions and cities. This report takes the broader definition and considers, therefore, a city as a part of the global market.
Book Description
This study covers the latent demand outlook for LP vinyl record albums across the regions of Greater China, including provinces, autonomous regions (Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang - Tibet), municipalities (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin), special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and Taiwan (all hereafter referred to as “regions”). Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 1,100 cities in Greater China. For each major city in question, the percent share the city is of the region and of Greater China is reported. Each major city is defined as an area of “economic population”, as opposed to the demographic population within a legal geographic boundary. For many cities, the economic population is much larger that the population within the city limits; this is especially true for the cities of the Western regions. For the coastal regions, cities which are close to other major cities or which represent, by themselves, a high percent of the regional population, actual city-level population is closer to the economic population (e.g. in Beijing). Based on this “economic” definition of population, comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city’s marketing and distribution value vis-à-vis others. This exercise is quite useful for persons setting up distribution centers or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each region and city of influence, latent demand estimates are created for LP vinyl record albums. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.
Book Description
This study covers the latent demand outlook for LP vinyl record albums across the states, union territories and cities of India. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across over 1,600 cities in India. For each city in question, the percent share the city is of it’s state or union territory and of India as a whole is reported. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-à-vis others. This statistical approach can prove very useful to distribution and/or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each state or union territory and city, latent demand estimates are created for LP vinyl record albums. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.
Book Description
This study covers the latent demand outlook for LP vinyl record albums across the prefectures and cities of Japan. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 1,000 cities in Japan. For each city in question, the percent share the city is of it’s prefecture and of Japan is reported. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-à-vis others. This statistical approach can prove very useful to distribution and/or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each prefecture and city, latent demand estimates are created for LP vinyl record albums. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.
Book Description
This study covers the latent demand outlook for LP vinyl record albums across the states and cities of the United States. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 5,100 cities in the United States. For each city in question, the percent share the city is of it’s state and of the United States is reported. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-à-vis others. This statistical approach can prove very useful to distribution and/or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each state and city, latent demand estimates are created for LP vinyl record albums. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.
Book Description
This study covers the world outlook for LP vinyl record albums across more than 200 countries. For each year reported, estimates are given for the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for the country in question (in millions of U.S. dollars), the percent share the country is of the region and of the globe. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a country vis-à-vis others. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each country and across countries, latent demand estimates are created. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.
Book Description
Since the emergence of religious studies and the social sciences as academic disciplines, the concept of "magic" has played a major role in defining religion and in mediating the relation of religion to science. Across these disciplines, magic has regularly been configured as a definitively non-modern phenomenon, juxtaposed to distinctly modern models of religion and science. Yet this notion of magic has remained stubbornly amorphous. In Making Magic, Randall Styers seeks to account for the extraordinary vitality of scholarly discourse purporting to define and explain magic despite its failure to do just that. He argues that this persistence can best be explained in light of the Western drive to establish and secure distinctive norms for modern identity, norms based on narrow forms of instrumental rationality, industrious labor, rigidly defined sexual roles, and the containment of wayward forms of desire. Magic has served to designate a form of alterity or deviance against which dominant Western notions of appropriate religious piety, legitimate scientific rationality, and orderly social relations are brought into relief. Scholars have found magic an invaluable tool in their efforts to define the appropriate boundaries of religion and science. On a broader level, says Styers, magical thinking has served as an important foil for modernity itself. Debates over the nature of magic have offered a particularly rich site at which scholars have worked to define and to contest the nature of modernity and norms for life in the modern world.
Books:
- In Another Place, Not Here
- In Defiance of Painting: Cubism, Futurism, and the Invention of Collage (Yale Publications in the History of Art)
- Indulekha
- Jane Austen's Charlotte: Her Fragment of a Last Novel
- L'Immoraliste (Folio)
- Le Pere Goriot
- Lorna: The Ark (Lorna)
- Loyal Subject (German Library)
- MAD - Cover to Cover: 48 Years, 6 Months, & 3 Days of MAD Magazine Covers
- Making a New Vow: A Christian's Guide to Remarrying After Divorce
Books Index
Books Home
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- Industrial Economics I: Harwood Fundamentals of Applied Economics
Contemporary
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The White Bone : A Novel
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