The Apprentice Lover: A Novel

Amazon.com

Jay Parini's The Apprentice Lover is a smart and sexy coming-of-age novel marked with the sense and sensibility of the '70s and the Vietnam War. After Alex Massolini's brother dies in Vietnam in 1970, Alex drops out of Columbia University and travels to Italy to work as a secretary for Rupert Grant, a famous Scottish writer living on the isle of Capri. Villa Clio, where the irascible Grant lives with his wife, is the center of singular and sybaritic scenes involving Grant's two young research assistants, the unstable Marisa and the aloof Holly. Dinner brings cruel psychological parlor games and such literary luminaries as W.H. Auden, Graham Greene, and Gore Vidal. Brilliantly brittle dinner dialogue is contrasted with the raw, emotional letters to Alex from his brother Nicky in Vietnam. During his months on Capri, Alex learns much about the craft of writing from the riveting yet monstrous Rupert Grant, who comes to resemble the lustful and dictatorial Roman emperor Tiberius, exiled to Capri. In the wake of a tragic death, a romantic off-island interlude, and a thrown dagger, Alex decides to flee Capri, only to come back 30 years later for a final reckoning. In The Apprentice Lover, Parini has created an unforgettable portrait of a literary titan and his youthful apprentice. --Susan Biskeborn

Book Description

A poet and biographer, Jay Parini is also a novelist whose fiction has been acclaimed as "dazzli/ng," (Los Angeles Times) "achingly beautiful," (Washington Post) and "a subtle masterpiece" (John Bayley in the Times Literary Supplement). In his new novel, The Apprentice Lover, Parini evokes the gorgeous Mediterranean island of Capri during the summer of 1970 as the setting for a sensuous, deeply affecting story of a young American's coming into his own and reconciling himself with his past.

When Alex Massolini's brother is killed in Vietnam, he drops out of Columbia University and leaves his conservative family behind for Capri to become secretary to Rupert Grant, a famous British novelist and poet, who dominates the island like a latter-day Prospero. Alex soon finds himself ensnared in a web of love affairs, friendships, and rivalries within the eccentric community that inhabits the idyllic beauty of the isolated Italian island.

Among that group are the selfish, cunning, and brilliant Rupert Grant; his wife Vera, a charming and sophisticated social manipulator; the elusive Holly and the mysterious Marisa, who act as Grant's research assistants; the young philosophy student from the Sorbonne, Patrice LaRue; and Father Aurelio, who is desperate for parishioners.

The Apprentice Lover traces a young American's enchantment and disenchantment-with his American past, with his new European mentor, and with the various characters on an island famous for its characters. As Alex stumbles upon intrigues and secrets, he tries to balance what others demand of him with his own nascent desires. His apprenticeship in love, literature, and life unfolds with a combination of Mediterranean clarity, wry humor, wit, and emotional power that only a master of fiction could orchestrate.

Customer Reviews:

Sex, Death, Beauty, Time, Awareness.......2005-03-08

The Apprentice Lover is a very good read. Following the death of his brother, in 1970, in Vietnam, Columbia senior Alex Massolini drops out of school and, attempting "to cut loose from the overfilled barge of [his] youth," decamps Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and the family construction company that awaits him there, for the Isle of Capri. He lands a job as secretary, mentee, and surrogate son to Rupert Grant, a Scottish literary giant forty years his senior.

Besides Alex, Grant is attended to by his wife Vera and, more curiously, two young live-in female "research assistants" with whom Grant regularly naps. In Victorian style, one of the assistants is dark, Italian, and physical, and the other is fair, English, and cerebral. Re-reading his dead brother's letters and the poetry of Rilke, Alex seeks to come to terms with the world he has abandoned, tries to make sense of the social relationships he encounters on Capri, and -- spurred on by literary example -- endeavors to make contact, both physical and emotional, with his true beloved.

Henry James is the most recent American author that the fictional Grant appreciates. Interestingly, The Apprentice Lover has a Jamesian feel (though mercifully none of the Master's phraseology). Like a character in James, Alex struggles to adapt to very different sensibilities in a setting laden with a rich and perhaps parallel history (the first-century emperor Tiberius, who may or may not have been a pederast, made Capri his home away from Rome), to understand the highly obscure motives and indirect words of his hosts, and to make the fitful passage to adulthood. Many of the great themes of literature -- sex, death, art, truth, human connection -- swirl in this mix. To add to the enjoyment and perhaps to leaven the mystery, Graham Greene, Gore Vidal, W.H. Auden, and a Mario Puzo knock-off even come to dinner. Only a plot-driven reader could fail to appreciate this novel written in the form of a memoir.

Parini, whose output as a novelist, poet, biographer, and critic is as broad as his range, is a very good writer. His characterizations, dialogue, descriptions, and inner voice are equally satisfying. By the end of the novel I cared enough about every character in it that, applying Greene's own standard of quality, I would love to be able to invite them all -- Greene included -- to lunch. Robert E. Olsen

Will this lover graduate?.......2003-09-27

The apprentice of the title is Alex Massolini who tells his story in this book. He just left his native Pennsylvania and moved to Capri as secretary to the famous Scottish writer Rupert Grant. He becomes a member of the Grant household that includes the writer's wife Vera and his two research assistants Holly and Marisa - both of them young, beautiful and not too concerned about research.

Alex is approached by Vera, but rebuffs her. His heart is set on Holly who ignores him. Marisa goes after him, but that is not what Alex had in mind. Life at Villa Clio is rather complicated, especially as Grant's preferences are not entirely clear. In time, Marisa will break apart while Holly simply leaves and Vera stays behind to take care of aging Grant.

There must be a reason to this book, but I was unable to pin it down. The one really developed character is Alex's brother Nicky, who writes long (and touching) letters from Vietnam, where he is later killed. A major part of the book is name dropping, starting with emperor Tiberius and continuing to Curcius Malaparte ("La pelle"), Axel Munthe ("The story of San Michele") and every contemporary Brit writer you can think of. There is a wonderful supper dialog between Gore Vidal and Graham Greene. Later on, W. H. Auden is dragged into the story. All of these characters are presented with cutting remarks about the other writers. One gets the feeling that the author simply wanted to show of.

Alex gets his Inspiration from reading and quoting Rainer Maria Rilke. Now there is a poet who must be interpreted by the reader and cannot be understood by reading him off the page. He would fit more with Young Werther than with a hick from Pennsylvania.

Did our lover graduate? I think not.

Alas Too Literary For Me: You Might Like It.......2002-12-25

Alex Massolini, heir to the Massolini Construction Company, enmeshed in family conflict and shaken by the death of his brother in Viet Nam, drops out of college and flees to the fabled island of Capri, trying to find himself. He will be working, in some nebulous sense, for the famous writer Rupert Grant. In actuality he will become an acolyte to a troubled, self-absorbed, aging man and his entourage. He will struggle to make sense of the complex, unconventional, and ever-shifting relationships in that strange household. And he will make some terrible, regrettable mistakes.

While the other reviewers have praised this book, I found it somewhat disappointing, a pretentious "literary" novel about pretentious literary people. The story is told by Alex in stream-of-consciousness fashion, with interminable commentary on the meaning of everything that is said and done. Underlying the literary pretension of the book is an ever-present layer of amateurish freudianalysis, of the kind that was once popular among educated people. Everything, of course, means something else. The language is lush and colorful, with vivid descriptions of the island and people, but alas, too many names dropped, too many literary allusions, too many unexplained Italian phrases.

In refreshing contrast are the letters of the late brother, Nicky, read and re-read by Alex, written in vulgar, down-to-earth, gritty language. These letters, and in a sense, Nicky himself, become an anchor to reality for the troubled Alex.

Will Alex find himself? Will he come to understand what is real and what is pretentious nonsense? Will he ever form a responsible adult relationship with anyone else? I won't spoil it for you. I will only say that a lot of pain and disappointment lie behind the frothy literary discussions. A good book but not for everyone and not always easy reading. I thought it could have been better done.

"Love the questions themselves that lie inside you.".......2002-08-26

Do not be misled by the "moony" cover art, the title, or the fact that this is sometimes described as a coming-of-age novel--it is not romantic, whimsical, or lightweight. Instead, it is a meticulously crafted, mature novel which illuminates the major themes and issues which thoughtful men and women confront throughout their lives. Elegantly written and emotionally involving, it is one of the best--and most unsettling--novels I've read in a long time.

Alex Massolini, aged 22, is a budding poet and student of classics in 1970, when he drops out of Columbia because he no longer "cared a feather about the fate of Rome or its [Gallic wars]...My only brother, Nicky, had been killed in Vietnam." Taking a job as a secretary to Rupert Grant, a well-known Scottish writer living on Capri, Alex faces his own, more subtle wars as he tries to discover who he is and what he believes, while living in Grant's turbulent household and observing his decadent lifestyle. Grant is manipulative, vindictive, and ego-driven, often abusive to his wife and two young female assistants. As his resentment of Grant grows, Alex finds himself in a quandary, since he admires Grant's writing, loves meeting his friends--W.H.Auden, Graham Greene, and Gore Vidal, among others--and hopes Grant will become a mentor for him in his own writing.

Themes of love and loss, good and evil, free will and obligation, and war and its aftermath pervade the novel as Alex tries to understand himself, the creative life, and the sacrifices artists make for it. Issues of sexuality, religion, politics, philosophy, and even economics come into play for Alex, and Parini widens the perspective and gives universality to these themes and issues by juxtaposing, throughout, the letters which Alex's estranged brother Nicky has sent him from Vietnam. This is a beautifully realized, patiently designed, and maturely confident novel, by an author who himself illustrates a quotation by Rilke in the book: "Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree that does not force its sap but stands confident in the storms of spring without fear that after them may come no summer." For this author, summer has arrived. Mary Whipple

Eloquent and Exotic.......2002-07-22

This book is a must read for anyone who ever considered writing the great novel. The characters in this story are multi-dimentional people who will inhabit your thoughts whether the book is in hand or not.

Reminding me slightly of books that tackle the idea of eutopian societies, this takes place on the exotic Isle of Capri. It is, in short, the story of a budding writer who leaves behind his unfinished ivy league education for a Summer working as one of the great Rupert Grant's apprentices. An eccentric and impetuous being, Grant has quite an influence on all who are under his wing. His pompous behavior and eccentric manner make it obvious that his writing is his greatest attribute.

Primarily I interpreted this as a coming of age story. For me, it was the story of Alex Mussolini, a young man utterly at odds with his upbringing, harbouring mixed emotions about the untimely death of his brother during Vietnam, and the insatiable desire to become a writer. Alex faces many challenges while on the Isle of Capri, all of which will captivate the reader as would the greatest mystery. But this book is a mystery of the soul. For who is anyone, aside from how others see them?

For me, at the crux of this novel is the question of identity. But there is so much more. I will undoubtedly read this story again -- I hope, while visiting Capri someday. There is so much to this book, I cannot recommend it highly enough. And I will seek more by Jay Parini as his writing is truly incredible.

Average customer rating:
The Apprentice Lover: A Novel
Jay Parini
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEVPCE

Average customer rating:
The Apprentice Lover: A Novel [Paperback] by Parini, Jay
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WEXF4M

Amazon.com

"I was dead, and right content," the narrator says in the penultimate chapter of Phantastes. C.S. Lewis said that upon reading this astonishing 19th-century fairy tale he "had crossed a great frontier," and numerous others both before and since have felt similarly. In MacDonald's fairy tales, both those for children and (like this one) those for adults, the "fairy land" clearly represents the spiritual world, or our own world revealed in all of its depth and meaning. At times almost forthrightly allegorical, at other times richly dreamlike (and indeed having a close connection to the symbolic world of dreams), this story of a young man who finds himself on a long journey through a land of fantasy is more truly the story of the spiritual quest that is at the core of his life's work, a quest that must end with the ultimate surrender of the self. The glory of MacDonald's work is that this surrender is both hard won (or lost!) and yet rippling with joy when at last experienced. As the narrator says of a heavenly woman in this tale, "She knew something too good to be told." One senses the same of the author himself. --Doug Thorpe

Download Description

One of nineteenth-century novelist George MacDonald's most important works, Phantastes tells the story of its narrator's dreamlike adventures in fairyland, masterfully recounted to convey a sense of profound sadness and a poignant longing for death.

Customer Reviews:

Father of modern fantasy- or father of depth psychology? .......2007-10-06

I was not sure what to expect from this novel. I had from reading C.S. Lewis known that he considered MacDonald to be his "master." I also knew that he was highly regarded by both J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton. Then there was the fact that so many called him the father of modern fantasy. In light of this I expected to find an early adventure tale set in faeryland with a few elves and dragons thrown in- and interlaced with Christian platitudes. I could not have been more wrong...

What I found beneath the dense Victorian and Scottish veneer of his writing style was pure depth psychology- written in 1858!

It is all here: anima, animus, shadow, Self, the higher spiritual world as the source of patterns (archetypes), the subconscious reached through dreams- and through the plane of the mirror or of the surface of the waters, the necessity that the ego or small self must die that the Self find its place. Then there are hints and suggestions of the earth, or even faery, as a place of struggle for the purpose of growth and transcendence. Chapter 24 gives hints of the immortal part of the soul separating from the body for spiritual life- or rebirth ("take to itself another form.")

In short, there is no "fantasy" here, for George MacDonald instead broke through into the Higher Reality. His Faeryland is the higher spiritual world that interfaces with our own like veins of silver through granite. No, I would not call McDonald the father of fantasy, but I would call him the father of depth psychology, for he had obviously anticipated Jung's life work- and even gone directly to his hard-won spiritual conclusions. Both men crossed the plane of the subconscious to bring back Truth, for as C.S. Lewis told us in THE GREAT DIVORCE, MacDonald would never lie to us.

A Mystery Indeed.......2007-08-14

Why am I writing a review on this? I'm not entirely sure. This book is probably the most confusing I have ever read. I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't understand it at all. That is not to say that I never will - I very much hope to someday. I was for some reason deeply moved by many passages from this book, although as I say I had no clear notion of the point.
I hesitantly recommend this book - but not as a first MacDonald. The Curdie books are excellent for adults as well as children, and as far adult fare, 'Lilith' I think is more approachable.

Additional Product Details.......2007-08-06

The following review is given specifically for the Johannesen edition (George MacDonald Original Works) of Phantastes.

First of all, the book has a slick, dark green cover that is waterproof. The front cover and spine are engraved with gold leafing, which gives the book a beautiful antique appearance. Furthermore, the spine is well-rounded and appears to be enforced for a lifetime of handling (this is obviously important for a serious book collector!). Also, the sewn pages within are acid-free and are of a light cream color which makes it easy on the eyes while reading.

Secondly, Johannesen has included all thirty-three illustrations by Arthur Hughes. No other modern printing of this text includes these illustrations. Although it may sound silly to wish for these illustrations, it really adds a touch of delightful nostaglia to Phantastes

Thirdly, the Johannesen editions are considered authoritative editions, which hold significant weight for the literary student or MacDonald scholar.

Although the price may seem a bit steep, the product is well worth it. This is an attractive edition which may be passed down through your family for generations to come. I hope that this brief review has been helpful - happy shopping!

Good read with many memorable lines.......2007-04-13

I came to this story, having read some of MacDonald's writings years ago, and now being drawn to him through a brief biography I had read of him. I also had read (again) Lewis' The "Great Divorce," where MacDonald shows up in heaven as a guide. All of this drew me to "Phantastes."

I found myself struggling at first, not being a regular reader of the fantasy genre. As I read this story, I, like so many have alluded to above, found the story to be a bit uneven, or disjointed. Still, the symbolism of some episoides intrigued me, and kept me going. The more I read, the more enjoyable and delightful it became. Over all the book is very entertaining, and even edifying. I rarely say this about a read, but I was encouraged after reading this book.

There are parts of this book, lines, paragraphs, and even one chapter, where the authors words approach the masterpiece level. His word-craft is superb at moments and should not be missed.

An Absolutely Gorgeous Book.......2007-01-04

George MacDonald, perhaps even more than the authors he inspired, should be cheifly admired for his imaginitive power. Phantastes is episodic, somewhat disordered, and even prone to rambling at times, but each episode is saturated with that unnameable quality that Lewis claims "baptized his imagination." Other reviewers have compared MacDonald unfavorably to Lewis Carroll, and while MacDonald has none of the sly wit that infuses Carroll's works, he has penetrative insight that Carroll could never match. MacDonald sees through the surface of the world to the supernal beauty beneath, then draws it forth and through his imaginatitive power places it back upon the surface for the rest of us to enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Phantastic!

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486445674

Book Description

An enchanting early masterpiece of fantasy fiction, Phantastes tells the story of a young man's journey to, and adventures in, a fairy tale netherworld. Outstanding for its imaginative characters, vivid action, and subtle yet powerful moral messages, this is the book that earned MacDonald recognition as "The Grandfather of Modern Fantasy."

Customer Reviews:

Phantastic!.......2007-05-16

I came to Phantastes through Tokien and Lewis. After reading in "Surprised by Joy" the profound impact this book had on C.S. Lewis, I had to read it for myself. I was not disappointed. The book has its finger in something that modern fantasy books are mostly missing. Where modern writers tend to infuse their stories with modern men and women with swords and an older manner of speech, the very essence of Phantastes is something truly "old." There is a strong moral root to it, that is profoundly Christian, a sense of good things lost but better things gained through humility. The moral foundation of it has the weight of reality behind, and has a bitter-sweet quality to it.

The line from a song sung in the book has stayed in my mind ever since I first read it (and I do not have a great head for memorizing lines)

"Alas, how easily things go wrong!
A sigh too much, or a kiss too long,
And there follows a mist and a weeping rain,
And life is never the same again."

I think this line captures that "Paradise Lost" feeling present in the book quite profoundly, and yet there is much more to it than that.

I could go on at length about this book, but shall leave it at this: This is a fairy tale, and a true romance, with a profound moral center. It has its roots in the old ways of thinking and the old ways of feeling. It is a bridge to the "old," the heart and soul that makes knights and maidens and chivalry and honor a fascination to this very day. It is easy to see why this book inspired the great fantasy writers of the twentieth century.

I would conclude with a comment on the illustrations. I highly recommend this version as the illustrations are incredible. Arthur Hughes captures the essence of the things I spoke about above in his art. I am very glad to see this printing include the artwork that MacDonald preferred for his book, and can honestly say that it greatly increased my enjoyment of the already wonderful book.

Phantastes (Large Print Edition): a Faerie Romance for Men and Women

Average customer rating:

Phantastes (Large Print Edition): a Faerie Romance for Men and Women
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

For offering this new edition of my father’s Phantastes my reasons are three.

Average customer rating:

Phantastes, A Faerie Romance
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: Aegypan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

George Macdonald was a fantasy writer cited as a major influence by C. S. Lewis.

Phantastes's narrator turns twenty one. Part of his inheritance is his father's desk, with a hidden compartment containing a fairy who tells him he shall find the way into fairy land.

The way starts in his room, and he meets is a girl who tells him "Trust the Oak. Trust the Oak, and the Elm, and the great Beech. Take care of the Birch, for though she is honest, she is too young not to be changeable. But shun the Ash and the Alder; for the Ash is an ogre, -- you will know him by his thick fingers; and the Alder will smother you with her web of hair, if you let her near you at night."

Book Description

George Macdonald was a fantasy writer cited as a major influence by C. S. Lewis.

Phantastes's narrator turns twenty one. Part of his inheritance is his father's desk, with a hidden compartment containing a fairy who tells him he shall find the way into fairy land.

Book Description

Phantastes, A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is an 1858 fantasy novel written by George Macdonald. George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works (particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels) have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his "master". Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer (1868) and Lilith (1895), show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God's electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons (1867-89) he shows a highly developed theology. His best-known works are Phantastes (1858), At the Back of the North Wind (1871) and The Princess and the Goblin (1872), all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as - The Light Princess (1867), The Golden Key (1867), and The Wise Woman (1875).

Average customer rating:

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: IndyPublish.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Phantastes: a Faerie Romance for Men and Women
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

For offering this new edition of my father’s Phantastes my reasons are three.

Book Description

Gan Moondark had united the people of what used to be Seattle. Chief among his supporters were the Rose Priestess Sylah and the strangers with the magical weapons -- the survivors of centuries in cryogenic sleep. Now Sylah and two of the strangers, Tate and Conway, begin an odyssey that will either or destroy what remains of the human race . . . .

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Series.......2003-05-29

I really enjoyed reading this as well as Witch and Warrior. Post-apocalyptic with many different characters to walk with. Look through the eyes of those who have survived in more ways than one.

McQuinn celebrates redemption.......2000-02-22

Don McQuinn writes with poignant lyricism and deft plotting, gripping a reader with struggles surreal yet universal. Don't miss this epic. Don't miss any of his entire catalog. Get every single one.

Average customer rating:

The Time Wanderers
Arkady Strugatsky , and Boris Strugatsky
Manufacturer: Eagle Publishing Corporation.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0931933315

The Dangerous Escape From Slavery (The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)

Average customer rating:

The Dangerous Escape From Slavery (The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)
Lehman C. Riley
Manufacturer: Lehman Riley/Matter of Africa America Time Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0976052318

Book Description

Papa Lemon and Mama Sarah are the neighborhood grandparents in a small town in Mississippi. With the use of Papa Lemon's magical train, the Little Wanderers can travel back in time in order to learn about the United States great diverse heritage.

Can you imagine being a slave in 1852? Working in the hot sun for long countless hours is what the Little Wanderers will experience on their next great adventure. If you are brave enough, climb aboard the magical train and join us in reading "The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers Book 2: The Dangerous Escape From Slavery."

Average customer rating:
The Adventures Of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers Book1 Meeting Dr. Martin Luther King (Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)
Lehman Riley
Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Dangerous Escape From Slavery (The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)

World War II, The Navajo Wind Talkers (The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)

The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers Book 4: The Life of Babe Didrikson "Greatness is Never Forgotten" (The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers)

ASIN: 097605230X

Average customer rating:
The Gypsies: Wanderers in Time
Katharine Esty
Manufacturer: E P Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0801532167

Average customer rating:
Thirty thousand miles in "The Wanderer": Extracts from the log kept at various times by John Boit and Sam P. Blagden
John Boit
Manufacturer: R.H. Russell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00088BN1Y

Average customer rating:
TREASURY OF GREAT SCIENCE FICTION STORIES - Number 2 - 1965: Purpose; The Woman from Altair; What's It Like Out There; Planet of the Black Dust; Percy the Pirate; De Profundis; Wanderer of Time; Columbus Was a Dope; Music of the Spheres; Affair of State
Jim (editor) (Ray Bradbury; Henry Kuttner; Leigh Brackett; Murray Leinster; Robert A. Heinlein; Edmond Hamilton; Jack Vance; Polton Cross; Walt Sheldon; Charles A. Stearns) Hendryx
Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N97Z6U

Average customer rating:
Wanderers in Space: Exploration and Discovery in the Solar System
Kenneth R. Lang , and Charles A. Whitney
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0521249767

Book Description

How were the features on the Moon created?. What is the evidence for past or future life on Mars? What might cause the Earth to become as hot and steamy as Venus? . Why do some say that a colliding asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago? From the earliest of times the human race has pondered upon the nature of the Heavens. The moons and planets have changed from mere points of light to fascinating, diverse worlds. Spacecraft have visited all the planets known to ancient people. Human beings have visited the Moon, and robot spacecraft have landed on Venus and Mars. This book presents the result of this captivating voyage of discovery, recording more than two decades of extraordinary accomplishments. The voyage starts with the still, silent and lifeless Moon. Then on to the contrasting world of Mars with its towering volcanoes and deep canyons. The exploration continues across asteroid belts and icy comets to the outer planets where Voyager II revealed cyclonic storms, liquid hydrogen and helium rain and the beautiful pink and blue dynamic world of Neptune. This book includes numerous photos from spacecraft as well as a few works of modern art. They provide the best available metaphors and images of the previously invisible worlds.

Average customer rating:

FUTURE IN THE PAST

Wanderers of Time
John Beynon
Manufacturer: New English Library Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0450420159

Customer Reviews:

FUTURE IN THE PAST.......2005-10-22

John Beynon is actually John Wyndham, famous for The Day of the Triffids, The Chrysalids, The Midwich Cuckoos and one or two other best-sellers. This paperback is presumably the same collection as I have recently come by, from the house of Hodder, and it contains 5 of his earlier stories, before he struck oil with The Day of the Triffids.

As a writer Wyndham/Beynon is a gentleman amateur, the modestly gifted product of the best English education. He disliked the term `science fiction', and it's probably fair to say that his knowledge of science was as near nil as makes no difference. I'd also say that that is no bar to the enjoyment of these stories. Stapledon probably knew next to nothing about science either, and that does not detract from his outright greatness nor did it prevent him from being admired by Arthur C Clarke himself, the educator of an age in matters of astronomy and physics. These 5 stories resemble Wyndham's better-known efforts in their fascination with space, time and the mystery of creation, written by an amateur to be read by amateurs sharing similar interests. It's what passed for science fiction half a century ago, and part of its charm for me is precisely its `period' feel. The first story, from which the collection gets its title, is on a familiar theme of time-travel, written at a time when the year 1941 was in the future just like the year 10.402, whenever exactly that might be on current numbering. The influence of Wells is strong and obvious, not just The Time Machine but The War of the Worlds too. The story is a fluent and agreeable read like everything its author did, although it peters out rather lamely. In fact one could probably say that about 4 of the 5 to some extent - they seem to be addressed to readers with a short attention-span. I'd make an exception for Child of Power, which is well and convincingly put together as a short story. The writer of the preface to my edition draws a parallel with The Midwich Cuckoos, but Beynon himself points up the much more significant example of Stapledon's Odd John, which probably underlies not only both of his own productions but even Clarke's mighty Childhood's End.

Science fiction, to use the term loosely, has become far more scientific and far more sophisticated since Wyndham's time, although probably more sophisticated in general than properly scientific. This book took me back to an age of wide-eyed wonder and innocence about such matters. Stapledon had been and gone by then, and what Wyndham picked up from him was the superficial narrative aspects, ignoring the frightening depths that Stapledon peered into. The book made no demands on me and didn't cost me very much, so I can think of no reason for not recommending it.

Average customer rating:

Forgotten Worlds

Wanderers of Time (Coronet Books)
John Wyndham
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Forgotten Worlds.......2000-12-19

This is another collection of John Wyndham's early work, written in the 1930s. Having read all John Wyndham's better-known work, I thought I'd sample this curiosity.

These stories are from the era when John Wyndham was writing as John Beynon. The stories in this book were originally published in the pulp magazines, when Wyndham was still developing his craft as a writer. The stories are a forerunner of such later classics as "The Day of the Triffids" and "The Chrysalids".

The early stories in this collection showed promise. One of the stories ("The Puff-Ball Menace") is about a species of deadly plant that threatens humanity. Sound familiar? "Derelict of Space" describes a future where space travel is commonplace. People have been on the Moon. (A concept people laughed at in the 1930s.) Mind you, in Wyndham's imagined future, Germany is still ruled by the Nazis. The story "Wanderers in Time" is about a collection of time travellers from different periods who find themselves on a future world where man no longer rules the planet. The Earth belongs to a very different, yet quite common, species.

I found "Wanderers of Time" in a second-hand bookshop. The cover was a painting of a space ship by the well-known fantasy artist Chris Foss. Between the covers its pages are yellowed by age. The original price sticker was still on the back. In the United Kingdom it cost just 40 pence. In Australia, $1.25. That should give you an idea of how long the book's been out of print. I paid $9.95 for it. How times have changed.

I've yet to complete my collection of John Wyndam's books. His more obscure works should be published again.

Book Description

Explores the role of stories in our lives--how we are born into stories, shaped by stories and need to find a story for our lives in which we can be an active character.

Customer Reviews:

one of the best and most important books i've ever read.......2007-03-10

this book was one of the most meaningful books i've ever read.not only was the read enjoyable,but the content was at a life changing level for me.i learned from this book what recognizing your own story did for you.the importance of story in not only books and movies,but in every art form.even the 12-step community and in the world of psychology,understanding your story and sharing your story are vital.the importance of each of our individual stories and how we must understand them to grow and mature.it is a book our chidren and our culture really need today.i continue refer to and give copies away today.

How We Use Story to Create Meaning in Our Lives.......2007-01-12

This is an excellent book, both for writers and for readers who are interested in analyzing stories. It is also an excellent book for those who want to reclaim their lives from the meaninglessness and fragmentation of our day and age.

Taylor provides a thoughtful rationale for the role of narrative in giving voice to those who are all-too-often voiceless, and meaning to those who see their lives as being a series of fragmented events.

He also explores epistemological questions as he examines the specific type of knowing that narrative knowledge provides; which stands in contrast against, but also complements, fact and statistic-driven knowledge.

His chapter on plotting examines how people search for patterns and order in their lives, and his chapter on characterization moves beyond merely creating a personality or an image, to the use of fully complex, multi-dimensional characters in order to build character in readers of the story.

Taylor includes an excellent chapter on the relationship between story (narrative) and the formulation of different worldviews. This is a particularly important chapter to read, given the tendency of most people to take their worldview for granted.

Throughout the book Taylor illustrates his points with, well, stories of course. There are quite a few well selected references from literature (mostly a few paragraphs at a time -- to illustrate a particular point) as well as stories from his own personal experiences or those of people he knew.

It is an engaging book but it is not lite reading. On the other hand, it is not overly "academic" either. Graduate students who are interested in doing narrative research and who care about principle and moral integrity in their work would do well to begin with this book. Others will benefit from a refreshing point-of-view that it can give them on life, and on how to become actively engaged in making choices in one's life, as opposed to being a mere spectator.

Wonderfully written book about the creative spirit.......2006-11-10

Daniel Taylor's book is a wise and authentic book about creativity as it applies to the spiritual self. Any aspiring writer and, actually, anyone who has felt the urge to create (that would be everyone!) should buy this book and read it. It is a permanent addition to my writing book collection.

Too Good To Review; A Wonderful Gem.......2002-10-14

This book is so good I kept putting off writing a review on it, afraid my words would not do it justice.

Daniel Taylor explores the ways that STORY has power in our lives. We have our master stories which shape the way we view our world. We have our cultural and community stories. They all are interwoven in the core of our beings.

Somehow, reading this book, I got an image of Daniel Taylor as a gentle little English professor (Me being over 200 pounds, it's not hard for me to picture people diminutively.) I met Dan last month, at my StoryCon meeting and he is a biggg guy. But gentle, very gentle, and soft spoken. Yet his stories and his understanding of story are so powerful. This book should be required reading for anyone who works with story, any psychologist or minister.

I mark up books with wise words. This one must have [drained] the ink out of two or three pens with all the quotable, wise words I triple starred.

Dr. Taylor's book hits the mark.......2001-07-04

Short, insightful, highly readable, and mind-opening, this book sheds light, not heat, on such topics as diversity, individualism, and values. He helped me see the importance of taking personal responsibility for my actions, and the role story can play in helping me live up to my ideals. The idea of seeing myself as a character in a story gives me the perspective to do what I already know is right. Why is this marvelous book out of print?

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books