No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Home Again; A Symphonic Novel
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Frightening talent
  • wow.
  • Look for other works by this gifted author.....
  • Cool Book and whatnot
  • A Journey I Wish I Hadn't Taken
 No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Home Again; A Symphonic Novel
Edgardo Vega Yunque
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
LiteraryLiterary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. The Lamentable Journey of Omaha Bigelow Into The Impenetrable Loisaida Jungle The Lamentable Journey of Omaha Bigelow Into The Impenetrable Loisaida Jungle
  2. Blood Fugues: A Novel Blood Fugues: A Novel
  3. Casualty Report Casualty Report

ASIN: 0312424027
Release Date: 2004-09-09

Book Description

This sweeping drama of intimately connected families--black, white, and Latino--boldly conjures up the ever-shifting cultural mosaic that is America. At its heart is Vidamiacute;a Farrell, half Puerto Rican, half Irish, who sets out in search of the father she has never known. Her journey takes her from her affluent suburban home to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where her father Billy Farrell now lives with his second family. Once a gifted jazz pianist, Billy lost two fingers in the Vietnam War and has since shut himself off from jazz. As Billy's colorful new family draws her into their fold, so Vidamia determines to draw her father back into the world he left behind.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Frightening talent.......2006-07-05

Capturing the readers attention by continuously drawing us back; I felt much like I did when I first read Conrad's LORD JIM. The author carries us into lives we may have never read; disturbing, rewarding and disturbing again. When I encountered the sexual violent scene I had to get up and walk away. As a vet I read through the Vietnam memories in a cathartic nod; but when the sexual violence was crammed into my face I put the book down. I no longer cared about the book's ending.

5 out of 5 stars wow........2005-09-03

This book was amazing. I will never forget this book, this book has seriously contributed to me intellectually, emotionally, and has added to my world scope and view. As a puerto rican-american, I truly connected with the characters in this novel, and learned intensively from Yunqué's description of the loisaida y los nuyorriqueños in general. I've never read a book with such intensely discoursed characters and with such a widespread blanket of social, philosophical, and emotional depth contained in one book. The descriptions here and other reviews are more than enough to understand what the novel is about but I just wanted to add how inspiring this book was for me. There have been very very few books out there that have inspired real emotions in me, and this was one of them...If you felt true paranoia and fear after reading 1984, you'll feel true understanding and heartache after reading this novel. it's over 600 pages, but i highly recommend this to anyone, and for any other literary nuyoricans out there, this book will be especially touching.

edit: I went back and read some more reviews, and I have to agree that there are some parts that are long and extensive and not directly related to the main plot, but I never found the book boring. I feel that these offshoots just served to widen the scope of the book...for me, as a young reader, it's refreshing to read a book where not everything has a direct importance to the main plot yet has value and interest.

5 out of 5 stars Look for other works by this gifted author............2004-06-18

The writer of the Publisher's Weekly review should be more thorough in their research before writing reviews. This is not Sr. Vega Yunque's "debut" novel. He has written and published, I believe at least two novels and at least one collection of stories and has published widely in journals/magazines. The man writes superbly and I was thrilled to finally have his beautiful book in print, after hearing so much about it. I'm furious with his publishers for the lack of promotion. Readings from this novel, which must have the longest title in publishing history, are quite special with actual jazz accompanyment. I believe that the publisher missed the boat when they failed to send the author out on a major book tour. It should be recognized, rewarded and READ.

5 out of 5 stars Cool Book and whatnot.......2004-06-12

When I heard that this author had spent sixteen years writing an epic novel having to do with jazz music, I said, "Here we go again," having just read the two other 600-page Great American Novels published in 2003 -- those of Messrs. Lethem and Powers-- which somehow dealt with ethnic identity and music. And the sleeper, Vincent O. Carter's epic of growing up in Depression-era Kansas City, while not specifically about music, is certainly musical in its prose. So I had to read this book and didn't care what it was called, Concerto for Horn & Hardart or John Goldfarb, Please Come Home.

I have to disagree with the reviewer who said this novel doesn't have the 'sensitivity to music' of Time of Our Singing (undoubtedly a fine book in many ways), and I think one basis for comparison is both authors' interpretations of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and its jazz adaptation by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. I think that Mr. Vega Yunqué gets it exactly right in Garlande's dialogue with Wyndell (Joseph Strom take note).

One thing I really loved were the histories of the characters, especially the rural Southern ones like Pop Butterworth, Buck Sanderson, Lurleen, et al., and I also like the author's sense of family and the interrelatedness of some of the characters in terms of ethnicity. And I think that shows in his view of music: he knows the lyrics to St. Thomas, he knows Phil's solos on Thelonious Monk at Town Hall, and someone I know even gets a word in: "Yeah!."

Walter Mosley not too long ago wrote a great blues novel set on E. 6th St. on the Lower East Side, but this one includes some of the landmarks and history of the neighborhood, the transit system, some of the literature, etc., that you probably have to have lived there to know about.

And finally, I loved all the information about New York Puerto Rican culture, the PR sense of self-identity, and especially the humor. Another great American cross-cultural irony is that Vidamía learns more about that culture by hanging out with her white half sister than from her Puerto Rican mother and stepfather. I liked Elsa because she's smart and she grows over the course of the novel.

A lot to recommend about this fine book.

2 out of 5 stars A Journey I Wish I Hadn't Taken.......2004-05-28

A "Symphonic Novel"? Perhaps, if the symphony had been composed by PDQ Bach. About the only thing I'll remember about this book is its title. It is inconsistent in the quality of its prose. At times, it is almost poetic and spellbinding. At other times, however, it's very tedious and somewhat pompous and lecturing in its tone. A little more editing could have eliminated about 200 pages of unnecessary detail and dialogue.

Usually, when I finish a book, I like to sit and savor the experience. When I got to the end of this tome, I breathed a sign of relief that it was over. Oh well, that's about 10 hours of my life I'll never get back.
No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Home Again; A Symphonic Novel
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Home Again; A Symphonic Novel
    Edgardo Vega Yunque
    Manufacturer: Picador
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000OTS34C

    Baby's Room: Ideas and Projects for Nurseries
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Decent Book
    • An Inspiring Book
    • Projects but no great ideas
    • classy baby room ideas
    		 Baby's Room: Ideas and Projects for Nurseries
    Jessica Strand
    Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Children's RoomsChildren's Rooms | Remodeling & Renovation | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    DecoratingDecorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Family HealthFamily Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
    Child CareChild Care | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Sunset Ideas for Great Baby Rooms (Ideas for Great) Sunset Ideas for Great Baby Rooms (Ideas for Great)
    2. The Smart Approach to Baby Rooms (Smart Approach) The Smart Approach to Baby Rooms (Smart Approach)
    3. Babies' Rooms: From Zero to Three Babies' Rooms: From Zero to Three
    4. Baby's Room: Create-A-Special Baby's Room: Create-A-Special
    5. Nursery Decor: Projects for Decorating Your Baby's Room Nursery Decor: Projects for Decorating Your Baby's Room

    Accessories:
    1. Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
    2. philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

    ASIN: 0811832937

    Book Description

    Preparing a nursery may be a parent’s most joyful and meaningful decorating project ever. Filled with visions of the newborn swathed in soft blankets and tucked in a crib with a rocker at the ready, it’s easy to feel excited-and to be completely overwhelmed. Enter Baby’s Room. In the same winning format as Kids’ Rooms, this inspirational book shows that decorating and furnishing a room for a newborn need not be difficult or expensive. Author Jessica Strand offers practical counsel on all the elements of room layout-everything from furniture and fixtures to lighting and window treatments. Color choices, fabrics, and themes are also explored, along with baby-friendly storage systems. To help parents visualize the possibilities, Baby’s Room showcases ten innovative nurseries that blend form and function with charm and creativity. With a comprehensive source list, easy make-it-yourself projects, and colorful photographs throughout, Baby’s Room delivers-everything but baby!

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Decent Book.......2006-07-03

    This book gave us some good ideas about how to decorate our nursery. It had great explanations about crib types, sizes and more. I wish the pages were bigger. Other than that its a good book.

    5 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Book.......2005-05-22

    This is truly an inspiring beautiful book.It revolves
    completely around babies and their myriad needs.Most of the
    rooms could be called unisex for an infant.All babies like
    stuffed animals,mobiles and have the same baby needs,e.g.crib,
    changing area,rocking chair.
    I did enjoy the little ideas that came with it-"The Asian
    Look".How beautiful for a little adopted girl from China.I have
    a Beatrix Potter "Peter Rabbit" room in blue & white,for my
    grandson's room.This interested me because there was a
    vintage theme of Beatrix Potter (pg.148)for girls done in
    pink and green.They both hold the same characters on their
    shelfs and I had not seen this book when I decorated.
    In many ways,you see,we get ideas for either boy or girl
    on each page.This will of course change (the minor decor)as
    the child ages.
    It is good to be reminded of the size of crib slats,lead
    free paint,and other safety issues.Also,to contemplate flooring,
    and the large amounts of storing space you will need.And do
    check vintage toys and flea-market furniture to meet safety
    requirements.
    If you are looking for projects,Better Homes & Gardens,
    has several soft cover books on the subject.These can usually
    be found in a large Home Improvement Store or Library.

    2 out of 5 stars Projects but no great ideas.......2004-07-09

    I was somewhat disappointed in this book in that it was really geared towards girls' rooms. Some of the ideas were helpful. But in looking back, I don't think that I should have bought this book. The photographs were very limited as well. I was looking for ideas and I didn't find them here.

    5 out of 5 stars classy baby room ideas.......2002-06-12

    okay, i admit, i'm very picky when it comes to decorating. i recently had a baby and when it came to designing her room, i was in a quandry as to how we ideally wanted to decorate it. I'm a designer, so i prefer to stray from the pack and create a unique environment, yet still maintaining comfort and class. This book brought it all together! The colors, themes and choice of furniture were ideal to what we had in mind. No corny ideas in this book. The rooms are designed so that they can grow with the baby for a while as well. I'm hoping our little girl will enjoy her garden theme for at least 5 more years :) If you're one to do projects, the book instructs you on how they created a few of the room accents...a floral coat rack, for example.
    Great ideas, great photography, great book.
    The House on the Strand.
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Unusual Story
    • Great Book!
    • An interestine premise
    • Is it time travel, or is it all a dream?
    • House on the Strand
    		 The House on the Strand.
    Daphne, Dame Du Maurier
    Manufacturer: DoubleDay
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover
    Similar Items:
    1. Jamaica Inn Jamaica Inn
    2. The Scapegoat The Scapegoat
    3. My Cousin Rachel My Cousin Rachel
    4. Rebecca Rebecca
    5. Frenchman's Creek (Virago Modern Classics) Frenchman's Creek (Virago Modern Classics)

    ASIN: 0385019556

    Book Description

    In this haunting tale, Daphne du Maurier takes a fresh approach to time travel. A secret experimental concoction, once imbibed, allows you to return to the fourteenth century. There is only one catch: if you happen to touch anyone while traveling in the p

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Unusual Story.......2007-03-15

    I have read many Daphne du Maurier books. As I began this book, I started to get bored with the 14th century characters. Determined to finish the book, I took special note of the unusual names and locations in order to fully understand the various plots; and I finished the book with its surprise ending making it worth the while. As everyone knows, du Maurier is a great writer. Anyone that could dream this situation up has a great imagination.

    5 out of 5 stars Great Book!.......2007-02-15

    Daphne Du Maurier is best known for her masterpiece, Rebecca; however, I think The House on the Strand, is just as good if not better. The House on the Strand introduces a clever idea of a way of time-traveling that is simple, and doesn't leave you confused after you have read the explanation. This is also no fantasy land that Richard Young (the main character) travels to. After Young drinks a mysterious potion, he finds himself in the exact place where he was before...except now he's in the fourteenth century. I recommend this book to anyone who likes history, time travel, or mystery.

    5 out of 5 stars An interestine premise.......2006-09-05

    The only other book I have read by du Maurier was Rebecca, absolute ages ago. I never thought of reading her again till a fellow sci fi fan suggested I try it. What a wonderful surprise! Her characters both present and past were real to me, and the journey that Dick takes certainly time travel rather drug induced (which the doctor concludes). Gave me some interesting things to think about along the line of what our mind holds from generation to generation and how reincarnation might just play a role. And I of course had a great urge to try some liquid in that vial!

    I did have a problem at the end, which seems to suggest a very Freudian answer to all of this, and seems to conclude that it was all a hallucinatory dream. Sorry, don't buy it. It was time travel. Well, in my eyes anyway.

    BTW I found that this author writes in a similar vein to Norah Loft, another historical fiction writer of the same time period. If you liked this book, you might want to check hers out as well, starting with Bless This House, in which she does some time traveling in a different sort of way. Also, with historical references, you might read Katherine by Anya Seton after this one, as the time period of the first is just after the latter.

    5 out of 5 stars Is it time travel, or is it all a dream?.......2006-04-14

    Daphne Du Maurier's THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND receives a powerful reading by narrator Michael Maloney - perhaps influenced by his many Shakespeare roles on the London stage - as it tells of an experiment which transports one Dick to 14th century Cornwall where he becomes involved with medieval murder and intrigue. But the question remains: is he really moving through time, or is it all a dream?

    4 out of 5 stars House on the Strand.......2005-09-25

    Well written story I could hardly put down. Language is a lttle stilted but the storyline is so good you hardly notice. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.
    The House on the Strand
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		The House on the Strand

      Manufacturer: Avon books
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000G39N54
      The House on the Strand
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		The House on the Strand

        Manufacturer: Double Day
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover
        ASIN: B000IG8GDO
        The House on the Strand
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		The House on the Strand
          Daphne Du Maurier
          Manufacturer: Penguin Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
          ASIN: 0140031642
          The House On The Strand
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		The House On The Strand
            Daphne Du Maurier
            Manufacturer: World Books
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000KKJRXG
            3 Titles By Du Maurier - Rebecca - The Glass-blowers - The House on the Strand
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              		3 Titles By Du Maurier - Rebecca - The Glass-blowers - The House on the Strand
              Daphne du Maurier
              Manufacturer: various
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Mass Market Paperback
              ASIN: B000QTUA8M

              Product Description

              Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
              A Catalogue of Books, in Various Languages, and in Every Department of Literature, Now Selling at the Prices Affixed to each Article. By Rivingtons and Cochran, 148 Strand, (Near Somerset-House).
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                		A Catalogue of Books, in Various Languages, and in Every Department of Literature, Now Selling at the Prices Affixed to each Article. By Rivingtons and Cochran, 148 Strand, (Near Somerset-House).
                Rivingtons and Cochran.
                Manufacturer: London:
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000IURCNA
                The House on Strand Street
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  		The House on Strand Street
                  Daphne du Maurier
                  Manufacturer: Doubleday
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000NGSQRK
                  THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    		THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND
                    DAPHNE DU MAURIER
                    Manufacturer: HERON BOOKS
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000SA98OG

                    The Ghost of the Revelator (Ghost trilogy)
                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                    • Well-done, complex, worthwhile alt-hist political thriller
                    • Uneven and confusing
                    • Enh
                    • An exciting thriller with both spooks and spies.
                    • Solid but Heavy
                    		 The Ghost of the Revelator (Ghost trilogy)
                    L. E. Modesitt Jr.
                    Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                    Similar Items:
                    1. Of Tangible Ghosts (Ghost trilogy) Of Tangible Ghosts (Ghost trilogy)
                    2. Ghost of the White Nights (Ghost trilogy) Ghost of the White Nights (Ghost trilogy)
                    3. Ghosts of Columbia Ghosts of Columbia
                    4. The Forever Hero: Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, In Endless Twilight (Forever Hero) The Forever Hero: Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, In Endless Twilight (Forever Hero)
                    5. Soarer's Choice: The Sixth Book of the Corean Chronicles Soarer's Choice: The Sixth Book of the Corean Chronicles

                    ASIN: 0812545362

                    Amazon.com

                    Following up on the inventive Of Tangible Ghosts, L.E. Modesitt Jr. takes us back to his balkanized, techno-colonial vision of America, an alternate history in which the English colony at Plymouth failed long ago and New France, Columbia, Quebec, and the Mormon state of Deseret scheme and scrap for control of the continent and its resources. A land of dirigibles and difference engines, Modesitt's eerily refined world is compelling and coolly original, a place where you still drive to work in a car--albeit steam-powered--but think nothing of waving good morning to the zombies raking leaves off your lawn.

                    The protagonist of Tangible Ghosts, college professor and former secret agent Johan Eschbach, is back in this espionage thriller, now married to world-class singer and fellow former spy Lysette duBoise. Amidst intrigue and having barely survived an attempt on their lives, the two head off to Salt Lake City after Lysette is invited to sing there by Deseret's Mormon government. Of course nothing is quite as it seems: the situation quickly becomes complicated as Austro-Hungary tries to derail any cooperation between Columbia and Deseret, and a fanatic splinter group kidnaps Lysette to force Eschbach to summon the ghost of the Revelator, no less than Joseph Smith. With its smooth and measured action and its novel and well-developed characters and setting, Ghost of the Revelator is a rich, rewarding read. --Paul Hughes

                    Book Description

                    L.E. Modesitt, Jr., has gained a legion of devoted fans for his science fiction as well as his epic fantasy novels. The Ghost of the Revelator is one of the best displays yet of his ability to blend dramatic, imaginative stories with rigorous social and scientific extrapolation.Doktor Johan Eschbach (the central character of Modesitt's popular alternate history SF novel, Of Tangible Ghosts) had hoped for a quiet life in retirement from the intelligence service, teaching environmental science at the University of New Bruges and living with his new wife, the vocalist Llysette du Boise. Llysette, a refugee from the burning remains of France, would herself like little more than to resume her singing career and forget her time in the prison camps of the Hapsburg Empire.But an unusual invitation from the Mormon nation of Deseret inexorably drags Johan back into the spy business, though he isn't quite sure why or for whom. It quickly becomes apparent that he is being used as a pawn in a deadly game of international maneuverings that are leading the world closer to war.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars Well-done, complex, worthwhile alt-hist political thriller.......2004-01-01

                    [paired review with Of Tangible Ghosts]
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    Johan Eschbach, retired from an eventful career in service to
                    Columbia as a naval aviator, Spazi agent, and cabinet minister,
                    now teaches environmental economics at Vanderbraak State
                    University in New Bruges (New Hampshire in OTL). Doktor
                    Eschbach lost both his wife and daughter in a political murder --
                    he himself was badly wounded -- and he would like nothing better
                    than a quiet life in this academic backwater. But that would make
                    for a dull book, and he is soon caught up in a murder
                    investigation, love affair, political intrigues, and secret military
                    research into "deghosting".

                    Doktor Eschbach's solution to the ensuing tangle is
                    "rather appalling and not entirely credible" [note 1].
                    --------
                    "A land of dirigibles and difference engines, Modesitt's
                    eerily refined world is compelling and coolly original, a place where
                    you still drive to work in a car--albeit steam-powered--but think
                    nothing of waving good morning to the zombies raking leaves off the
                    lawn." -- Paul Hughes, Amazon.com

                    Ghost of the Revelator picks up Doktor Eschbach and his new
                    wife Llysette Du Boise as her singing career is taking off, and
                    as the messy ending to "Tangible" comes back to haunt Eschbach.
                    The story unfolds slowly, but the same wonderful details of
                    everyday life that enlivened the first book -- lunch at a favorite
                    cafe, icy roads, dense, lazy, occasionally sharp students, petty
                    academic politics, politicians who can "smile and smile and be a
                    villain" -- make the trip worthwhile. This world is slower-paced
                    than ours, and Modesitt's prose has something of the heavy Dutch
                    feel of well-fed burghers, shining-clean windows, tidy lives. Very
                    human. If slow bothers you -- skim.

                    Modesitt still hasn't smoothed out his jarring exposition
                    of the differences between his alternate world and ours, here

                    usually dumped as interior monologues. Show, don't tell, please!

                    Llysette sings at a Presidential Arts Awards dinner and is
                    invited to perform at the prestigious Salt Palace in Deseret --
                    after fleeing the fall of France and an Austrian political prison.
                    Johan comes to the uncomfortable conclusion that he's about to be
                    eclipsed in fame and fortune by his glamorous wife....

                    ....but maybe Deseret is after more than just a performance by the
                    new prima diva. And what about Austria-Hungary? And New
                    France? And the shadowy "Revealed Twelve"?

                    Minister Eschbach resolves the ensuing international crisis with
                    verve, skill, and a couple of twists that would be unfair to reveal.
                    Suffice it to say that the ending is most satisfactory, and leaves
                    plenty of room for future Eschbach/Du Boise adventures.

                    Both books are reasonably self-contained, but if you read one and
                    like it, you'll want to read the other, so it makes sense to start with #1.

                    Doktor Eschbach and the "Ghosts" books have parallels to Mr
                    Modesitt's real life: the author was a naval aviator, spent twenty
                    years in our "Federal District" as a political aide, EPA staffer, and
                    college teacher. He's married to a lyric soprano (sorceress?, who
                    teaches at Southern Utah University). He and his family moved
                    from DC to New Hampshire ("New Bruges") and then to Utah:
                    these are the settings for the "Ghosts" books. "Write what you
                    know," the old adage goes -- it certainly works for Modesitt. I
                    presume the spies and ghosts are from the author's imagination...
                    _____________
                    Note 1) -- not to mention *confusing*. A reader at
                    Amazon.com writes: "I've read the book 6 or 7 times,
                    and I'm *still* not sure what's happened at the end..."

                    Review copyright 1998 by Peter D. Tillman & SF Site
                    http://www.sfsite.com/12a/gost46.htm

                    2 out of 5 stars Uneven and confusing.......2000-06-06

                    I didn't read the precurser to this novel, which may have been a handicap, but I am an unabashed fan of the Recluce and Ecolitan books by Modesitt, and I was expecting realistic characters and a logically consistant universe. I didn't say mundane or "normal", I said "logically consistant". Well, the characters were quite real, but the world was... Frankly, words fail me. This book is billed as an alternate history; Ok, but an alternate history of WHAT? Historical names are mentioned, but the apparent timeline is completely out of sync. The archduke Ferdinand and Tony Blair in political contention? Really. The book is roughly two-thirds expostulation and I still couldn't figure out where (geographically) the story actually takes place and who the geopolitical players are and where they're located! Add the whole "Ghosts" premise, and I went thru "suspension of disbelief" and out the other side. I'm sorry, but this book either should have come with a warning label to see the previous volume or it truly needed the services of a good editor. I give it two stars based entirely on the strength of the characters. The world and the plot were a mess.

                    3 out of 5 stars Enh.......1999-01-07

                    This is a sequel to "Of Tangible Ghosts", but it doesn't seem to add much that is new to the previous story.

                    It's a combination of alternate history (something to do with the Mayflower settlement failing) and ghosts actually existing. This seemed to work in "Of Tangible Ghosts" -- which I quite likes -- but here is just blah.

                    There is some interesting stuff involving resource (energy and water) politics between "Columbia" (our eastern US), Deseret, and "New France" (our Mexico and California), but it gets lost in the end when the ghost story is allowed to take over. And that's between the recipes that seem to dominate whenever the main character and his wife have a meal!

                    Anyway, I have a feeling in the back of my mind that Modesitt is setting the story up for something interesting between "Columbia" and the Austria-Hungary which dominates Europe in this weird alternate history. But whatever that is, it will be in a subsequent volume. This just seems to be an intermediary to get you from book one to a not-yet-published book three, and so doesn't really do a whole heck of a lot to advance the tale.

                    5 out of 5 stars An exciting thriller with both spooks and spies........1998-11-25

                    If John Le Carre tried his hand at alternate history the result might be similar to The Ghost of the Revelator. Maybe -- assuming Le Carre grafted elements of science fiction and fantasy onto his creation, enjoyed opera, and was feeling particularly quirky. As with the best Le Carre, Modesitt's characters live in shades of grey, struggling to make ethical decisions in a world where good is ambiguous but evil can be absolute.

                    Professor Johann Eschbach, hero of Tangible Ghosts, is a newly tenured professor of Natural Resources at Vanderbraak State University, former Subminister for Environmental Protection, and former highly successful covert operative for the Spazi, a state security agency every bit as warm and cuddly as its nickname. Not surprisingly, Eschbach is far more enamored of his retirement from government service than his former employer despite his "insurance policy".

                    The one bright spot in Eschbach's life is his recent marriage to Doktor Llysette duBois, a once famous opera singer who came to the university in exile after the fall of old France. Between the Ghost books and his acclaimed Spellsong Cycle fantasy series, Modesitt demonstrates extraordinary interest in and insight into the character of beautiful, supremely talented sopranos.

                    Revelator's world, although contemporary, diverges from our own by presuming changes in a few key historical events, particularly the failure of the English colony at Plymouth and the early death of George Washington. The result is a North America which is far more politically fractured than in our world. Columbia, Eschbach's Dutch-Anglo home, is bordered to the south by New France, to the north by Quebec, and to the west by Deseret -- a Latter-Day Saint republic that still permits polygamy. Europe is mostly united, albeit forcibly under the bloody heel of Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

                    Modesitt creates a subtly detailed universe which weaves an eclectic yet on-target cast of characters along with politics, economics, energy security, technology, the environment, and matters of the heart into a novel which, in the best literary tradition, enlightens us about our own world as well as offering an escape. More importantly, Revelator is a flat-out fun read. As usual with Modesitt's books, Revelator's dry humor includes a number of thinly disguised persons famous and obscure. Readers will be able to find such names as Blair, Chirac, and Hartpence among others.

                    Ghosts is also enlivened by the not-so-minor matter of, well, ghosts -- human spirits released into haunting mode by prolonged and violent death. Not only tangible, Modesitt's ghosts can be destroyed and even replicated by those few, including Eschbach, who posses and know how to use the right technology.

                    Llysette is invited to give her first major performances since exile in Great Salt Lake City, the capital of Deseret. The concerts are important to on many levels various people and powers. Deseret and Columbia's relations are uneasy although both understand the need for closer ties. Deseret has an advanced synthetic fuel industry while Columbia needs additional energy sources. Columbia's need for energy security has led to strict environmental regulation. Vehicles are steam-powered and run on kerosene. Air travel is usually by dirigible.

                    Anonymously mailed news clippings, a Presidential request for Llysette to sing at the White House, meetings with spies in offices which smell of disinfectant, the occasional assassination attempt and a surplus zombie or two do nothing to ease Johann's mind about the upcoming trip. Eschbach's travel is mandatory since Deseret's conservative culture forbids unaccompanied women -- a notion which does not sit well with either wife or husband.

                    Modesitt portrays the theocratic Saint state with restraint and balance, allowing the society speak for itself. One failing of the book is that while the role of religion in Deseret's society is fully developed, there is virtually no consideration of what if any role religion or religions play in Columbia. Similarly, Johann and Llysette's own beliefs (or lack thereof) remain unexamined which is both disappointing and odd given the otherwise highly detailed characters drawn by Modesitt.

                    Following the last of three triumphant performances, Llysette is kidnaped -- apparently by a schismatic sect. The real kidnaping target is Johann who soon swaps himself for his wife but not before seeking assistance from his embassy. Eschbach asks for a senior career official, rather than a political appointee with a more prestigious title.

                    The schismatic Revealed Twelve have a modest request of Johann -- bring back the ghost of Joseph Smith, certainly one of the more creative ways ever devised of staging a coup. While Modesitt's descriptions of virtually everything from university students to political machinations ring true, the same cannot be said of his descriptions of computer ghost programming which have a Star Trek-like temperance and authenticity. However, the real issue Johann is working through at the keyboard and much of the book is the need to support those who have betrayed him.

                    Revelator is somewhat marred by lack of a good copy editor. At one point Llysette's beverage changes from tea to chocolate and back in the space of a few sentences. In another instance which becomes increasingly bizarre, a car changes from a Reno to a Reo to a Reno to a Reo in a few pages. The reader deserves better quality control for their dollar. Publishers should not consider themselves any more immune to the need for production quality than auto companies.

                    It would be tough to shelve Ghosts under any single genre. Alternate history may be the closest match but science fiction, fantasy and, particularly from Eschbach's perspective -- horror, would also be viable contenders. However, as Keith Richards recently noted with regard to music, there are really only two kinds: good; and crap. This is why Mozart and Robert Johnson will be listened to for centuries while the Monkees... no. Modesitt's work will likely be appreciated long after Robert Jordan follows the Spice Girls into oblivion.

                    4 out of 5 stars Solid but Heavy.......1998-11-15

                    This was an enjoyable return to the world of "Of Tangible Ghosts". It tries to stand alone from the first novel, but doesn't quite succeed; certain character and background details are repeated (and repeated...), while others are omitted. His treatment of an evolved Mormon society is interesting, particularly in comparison the one in the author's novel "The Parafaith War". I look forward to future stories in this series that explore some of the other cultures in this world-line, such as the New French.

                    About my only other complaint is that the main ghost (you knew there had to be one from the title) appears quite late in the story, and doesn't have the depth of character of the first novel's. I enjoyed the ghost construction details -- kinda like building a Web page on steroids.
                    Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      		Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                      L E Modesitt
                      Manufacturer: TOR BOOKS ST MARTINS MASS
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000U0FY5Q
                      Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        		Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                        L E Modesitt
                        Manufacturer: TOR BOOKS ST MARTINS MASS
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover
                        ASIN: B000SNS9ZM
                        The Ghost of the Revelator
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          		The Ghost of the Revelator
                          L.E. Modesitt
                          Manufacturer: Tor Books
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000OTGTWK
                          Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            		Ghost of the Revelator Signed
                            L E Modesitt
                            Manufacturer: TOR BOOKS ST MARTINS MASS
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover
                            ASIN: B000N7HM92

                            The Joel Goldsmith Reader
                            Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
                            • this is a truly magnificent book
                            • The Joel S. Goldsmith Reader
                            		 The Joel Goldsmith Reader
                            Joel S. Goldsmith
                            Manufacturer: Citadel
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

                            GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            InspirationalInspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            Similar Items:
                            1. The Contemplative Life The Contemplative Life
                            2. The Infinite Way The Infinite Way
                            3. Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture
                            4. The Master Speaks The Master Speaks
                            5. The Only Freedom The Only Freedom

                            ASIN: 080651051X
                            Release Date: 1998-09-21

                            Book Description

                            This reader includes selections from all of these works by Joel S. Goldsmith: "Beyond Words & Thoughts; Conscious Union with God; Consciousness Unfolding; The Contemplative Life; God, the Substance of All Form; Leave Your Nets; Living Now; Man Was Not Born to Cry; The Master Speaks; and Realization of Oneness". Lightning Print on Demand Title

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars this is a truly magnificent book.......2006-06-04

                            I'm so sorry that the previous reviewer got mixed up about the difference between rating their seller and rating this beautiful book. I hope that the single star that was mistakenly given to the seller hasn't turned anybody off from buying the book itself. It is ASTONISHING.

                            By page 20, I was rueing every day of the past four years that I have been studying metaphysical and spiritual thought without the benefit of these insights. The discussion of good vs. evil (in the very first chapter) changed my outlook on the Universe completely... and that's just the beginning. I literally could not recommend this amazing book more highly.

                            I'm so glad I picked this book up (it was good karma that brought me to the bookstore that day... I was trying to do a kindness that had to be put off, and with time to spend I went to the bookstore and found this JEWEL), because I didn't have nearly the same feeling about another of Goldsmith's books, "The Infinite Way." This one has affected me so much more deeply... it really is a blessing.

                            1 out of 5 stars The Joel S. Goldsmith Reader.......2005-09-09

                            Prompt service, well packaged. Book looks excellent from the outside,BUT although pages are attached to each other near binding base they are not all attached to the binding and some of them already have the appearance of seperating from each other. Does not appear to be able to withstand much use. I had planned to use it as a study guide.

                            Books:

                            1. Northern Trails: Book I
                            2. Only the Heart Knows How To Find Them: Precious Memories for a Faithless Time
                            3. Our Arcadia: An American Watercolor
                            4. Pelican Watch
                            5. Peter Camenzind: A Novel
                            6. Pocketful of Pearls (Elect Trilogy #2)
                            7. Prairie Skies: Cabin in the Snow
                            8. Pregnancy Wishes & IVF Dreams: A Story & Lessons About Life, Love & Infertility
                            9. Puttering about in a Small Land
                            10. Red Meat Cures Cancer: A Novel

                            Books Index

                            Books Home

                            Recommended Books

                            1. Self-Modifying Systems in Biology and Cognitive Science
                            2. Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog
                            3. Career Guidance and Counseling through the Lifespan: Systematic Approaches, Sixth Edition
                            4. Exodus from Obesity: The Guide to Long-Term Success After Weight Loss Surgery
                            5. Gathering Remnants: A Tribute to the Working Cowboy
                            6. Passage
                            7. History: Fiction or Science
                            8. Directory of Executive Recruiters with Book
                            9. Consiga un trabajo en 30 días o incluso antes
                            10. Membership Directory 2002: National Frozen Food Association