Captain of the Sleepers: A Novel

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Postcolonial Summer Reading

"Un tiro de gracia"

Captain of the Sleepers: A Novel
Mayra Montero
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312425430
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Book Description

For fifty years, Andrs Yasin has carried a grudge against J. T. Bunker. Now eighty-three-years-old and dying, Bunker wants to tell his side of the story, the story of his affair with Estela, Andrss mother. As a child Andrs knew Bunker as the Captain of the Sleepersso called because he transported back to Vieques those who had died on the mainland but wished to be buried at home. But what really happened between Bunker and Estela, and between Estela and her one true love, a leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Movement? What did Andrs witness, and what were the real circumstances of his mothers mysterious death?

Customer Reviews:

Postcolonial Summer Reading.......2007-06-26

This is a tropical story of secrets and conflicts: familial, sexual, social, political, all intricately tangled up together in the Caribbean islands. It proceeds along parallel timelines, unfolding in the present day and in the 1940s and '50s, switching narrators at times, evoking disturbing events in which North American expatriates, tourists and Marines play key roles. It tells of love, death and a failed revolution.

The novel begins starkly: "I'm in the last place on earth I'd like to be. Waiting for the last person in this life I thought I'd ever see again." The narrator Andrés has come to St. Croix to meet a man he calls the "Captain of the Sleepers," an old friend and enemy from childhood. The two men are at odds over an incident that occurred some fifty years ago. There's a secret something that Andrés saw or did not see or seemed to see, that the Captain admits, but does not admit: "It never happened. . . . Not in the way you imagine." The Captain, J.T. Bunker, is the son of a man who engineered the U.S. takeover of the Virgin Islands. His father later returned to Maine, but the Captain stayed, eking out a living by flying cargo and passengers around the region, including the small Puerto Rican island of Vieques where he got to know Andrés. Some of his passengers were actually corpses, being ferried home to be buried; bodies that the small boy's parents described to him as merely "sleepers."

The history of the islands will be unfamiliar, perhaps confusing, to many North American readers, but also fascinating. Montero's lyrical prose, full of colors, sounds and smells, brings the reader into close contact with the exotic setting. When the U.S. Navy begins to expropriate land on Vieques for a bombing range, the scene moves from the camp at Montesanto, where displaced women "who'd just given birth died like flies," to the hundreds of American paratroopers practicing their jumps on the beaches to the distressing waves of dead fish, mutilated sharks, even a smashed sea turtle, that wash up on the sands from naval maneuvers offshore.

Amid all the commotion, the novel centers on Andrés and his mother Estela, an enigmatic beauty who says little and never tells her own story in her own words. Readers must try to piece together the fragments other characters contribute, in order to understand Estela's complicated relationships with her son, her husband, her women friends and family, Bunker and Roberto, the doomed leader of a group of Puerto Rican nationalists. Montero's use of male narrators preserves Estela's mystery, which is perhaps the author's goal, but, as a woman reading about a woman in a book by a woman, I felt more than a little cheated of a chance to know Estela from her own perspective. The book is nevertheless intriguing, whether you read it for pleasure on the beach this summer or as an introduction to postcolonial studies when you head back to school this fall.

"Un tiro de gracia".......2005-09-05

A pilot, a small hotel on the beach and an insurrection; from such inspiration, Montero weaves a fascinating tale of love, betrayal and the loss of innocence. Vieques is a small island off Puerto Rico, used for field exercises after World War II, the residents forced to evacuate so that the Navy can blanket their homes and land with bombs. Individual family passions mixed with a nationalist obsession, one man's unfettered lust for Estella and a jealousy that eats away at the mind, are all part of this richly evocative era embroiled in political upheaval, social change and the fanaticism of political beliefs.

The novel begins in the present, but the crux of this story takes place in Puerto Rico in the 1940-50's, the author blending past and present in an exotic tapestry of myth and truth, layered in secrets and mystery. Andres Yasin has waited fifty years to confront the only man alive who may have the answers, J.T. Bunker, now eighty-three and dying of cancer. Yasin has no intention of allowing Bunker to exit this world without revealing the truth of the tragic moment that defined Andres' youth and poisoned his adulthood. One of the secrets Bunker hoards is an affair he supposedly had with Andres' mother, Estela. But there is more he seeks than the details of the affair; Andres yearns as well to learn the circumstances of his mother's death.

Bunker was known in the 1950's as Captain of the Sleepers, a pilot who transported people who died on the mainland back to the island of Vieques for burial, a common practice for islanders. There was a time when Andres believed that "the corpses transported by the Captain in his small plane were travelers who had fallen asleep". Yasin reaches into memory, no longer a child, reliving the impressions from the perspective of childhood, locked in the past that haunts him. The family history is shrouded in mystery, the secrets Andres assumes J.T. will finally disclose answer only one small part of an experience that involved everyone, his father, Estela and the man she so desperately loved and Bunker. All of it came crashing down in one fated day, hopes extinguished for more than his family. As so often happens, Andres' years of rage and confusion have been misspent; the unvarnished truth isn't so easily obtained.

Caught in the great human drama of revolution, Andres' family is central, but to the boy, his parents' political aspirations are irrelevant; he views all through the eyes of a child. Even as a grown man, he is unable to relinquish the hurt feelings of his youth. Forced finally to accept alternative perspectives, the story evolves, images of a time and place where personal freedom is purchased at a great cost, misconceptions perishing along the way. Yasin has pinned all his hopes on the dying declarations of an old man. The truth he uncovers requires courage, and with it, a revelation of self. Luan Gaines/2005.

Customer Reviews:

Chuck Austen's third worst story.......2004-09-19

Chuck Austen is incapable of writing a halfway decent story. Even so, it seemed like he was just going to copy the story directly from "Romeo and Juliet," and while that's hardly novel, it'd have been better. And anyway, Salvador Larroca was illustrating, and his pencils are definitely beautiful.

Either way, Chuck Austen did not do that. In this story, Josh Guthrie sees some girl, Julia, that he used to play with when he was a little kid. He suddenly realizes that he can't possibly live without her, despite not having spoken to her, or even noticed her in years.

The two of them spend the whole arc speaking to eachother in bizarre speech that is clearly meant to be seen as beautiful. But it comes off as very awkward. It sounds like they're reciting poems written by children.

Meanwhile (and some of this might be considered minor "spoliers," but this story isn't worth reading anyway--I'm hard;y ruining it for you), Archangel randomly dumps Paige Guthrie (Husk), and then the two get back together and, up in the air, have sex--in front of Paige's mom, no less.

And then it drops to an ever lower level, when Julia's family goes after them with GIANT ROBOTS. This is up there with the exploding communion wafers.

In the end, they both sink to the bottom of a lake (really, they just drop) and drown together. Only then Josh's healing blood takes effect. Yes, he has that too, now.

The final pages show Josh singing a song, "She lies with Angels," that is enough to make any moderately educated person cringe.

It's like watching "Full House" live, only every role is acted out by one of the "Golden Girls."

This is an abomination. Don't touch it. Run.

Much better than I expected.......2004-07-19

Yes, I'm guilty of buying into all of the Austen-hate that seems to pervade the comic-reading world. Much of it is valid given Austen's propensity for confusing story-telling. I found the exception here though. This was a very well done bit of storytelling. Using the tried-and-true Romeo and Juliet story as a basis for his tale, Austen abley weaves together a story that's at times heart-wrenching. It's not by any means an original tale, and doesn't really feel like an X-Men story, but well done overall. And though I've never been a huge fan of Larocca, he really provids some beautiful work here. A worthwhile read.

fabulous.......2004-06-24

Somewhat soapopera-ish, she lies with angels is still a very good read, one of the best in the series.

Too dramatic for it's own good.......2004-06-04

Chuck Austen, arguably the most criticized writer in comics today, continues his Uncanny X-Men run with this five issue arc. The story revolves around Husk, who along with fellow X-Man Archangel pay her family a visit when her younger brother is injured. Soon enough a family war stirs up between Husk's Guthrie family and the Cabot family; all the while Husk's other brother Josh (who has angel type wings, hence the title of the book) and Julia Cabot declare their love for each other with Romeo & Juliet-esque results. Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Polaris are called in as well; all of which are sadly underused in this arc. Austen's writing, especially the dialogue between Josh and Julia, is mellowdramatic lovey-dovey fare that doesn't seem realistic one bit, while the action itself is just one big drag. She Lies With Angels' only saving grace is the art by X-Treme X-Men artist Salvador Larroca which is absolutely gorgeous. All in all, this is still worth reading, but those who love to criticize Austen will find plenty to nitpick here.

Customer Reviews:

A Tinker Toy Collector's Treasure.......2001-02-09

This very enjoyable and informative 205 page, Tinker Toy guide book contains more than 400 large, full color and black and white, sharp photos that collector's will be sure to enjoy. Even those who aren't true collectors will find this book informative, and enjoy memories of days gone by. In addition to the great photos, there's plenty of information included and excellent descriptions of items. Prices are provided, but they're 1996 pricing. Every type of Tinker Toy is featured, ranging from Action Toys, Art Sets, Bead Toys, and Construction Sets, to Quester and Playskool. There's plenty of box photos and advertising pieces. There are nice sections featuring items by years. This is an outstanding reference, certain to be enjoyed by collectors.

Informational.......2000-03-26

After finding several boxes and cylinders of Tinker Toys I needed to find out how much they were worth. A collector friend of mine suggested this book, and after purchasing it, it was worth it. It had every item that I had and then some. It gave prices for each, and a picture for most.

The Strange Adventures of Blue Dog (Picture Books)

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Everyone has a Blue Dog

The Strange Adventures of Blue Dog (Picture Books)
Jean Van Leeuwen
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

Activities & Toys | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0803718780

Book Description

Blue Dog lives on a small wooden farm where life is pretty quiet-except when Big Billy comes to visit. Whenever that happens, things change. Suddenly the pig is put in the hayloft, and Blue Dog might find himself in the chicken coop. But no change is as startling as the one that occurs when Big Billy picks Blue Dog way, way up and says, "I wish I had a dog just like you." It's then that Blue Dog's strange and wondrous adventures truly begin.

Jean Van Leeuwen and Marco Ventura offer this tender yet unsentimental tale sure to touch the mind and heart of any child (of any age) who has felt the magical power of a beloved toy.

Customer Reviews:

Everyone has a Blue Dog.......1999-08-19

The Strange Adventures of Blue Dog has struck some of the people in my office as, well, just *strange*. The idea of a childhood toy taking on a life of it's own struck them as an odd topic for a children's book.

I disagree. Completely.

One of the problems is that adults forget what it's like to be kids where ANYTHING is possible, including an unusually blue toy dog having a mind and curiosities of it's own. While the story is told from the perspective of Blue Dog and not Big Billy (the human child who plays with B.D.), it's soon dawns on the reader that the story IS being told by Big Billy after a fashion.

Children play with toys to stimulate their imagination and, in the case of Billy, to live vicariously through experiences. Billy wants a real dog, so, in his mind, Blue Dog functions as one (including snoozin' with Billy at night). When I read the story, I was immediately transported back in time to my OWN childhood where all my toys took on a secret life of their own (when Toy Story came out, I was first in line to see it!! Childhood fantasy put on the big screen!!) I took care of my toys (like Billy does) because I didn't want them to get hurt or lonely. In my own mind, I sometimes imagined what they would think if they could, and hence they would take on a life of their own. I think that is what the author is trying to do here.

Customer Reviews:

The best of the series.......2001-12-16

This was my first Strange Matter book that i read. It was awesome especially when Karen was talking to the 8 ball and the jester scared the (...) out of me. Strange Matter books emit emotions and have that wierd feeling that you want to read more.
Ive been looking for years for Engle And Barnes. These are better than Goosedumps.

Very Cool!!!!!!!.......1999-05-23

I'm with everybody else. This is the best series of "scary" books ever. It's way better than Goosebumps.

this is the best book ever.......1999-04-21

This book is one of the best books I've ever read and so are all the other StrangeMatter books. I am suprised that they aren't as popular as Goosebumps and I think that Strange Matters might be better than Goosebumps. Everyone who likes horror books should read this and every other Strange Matter book if they like Horror books. Overal Strange Matters and Engles & Barnes rule!!!!! and they should make more books and put their website back up.

Starts off fast, and kept me on the edge of my seat........1999-03-28

I think this is a great book for young readers. There is no killing, but the main characters get hurt. This is definitely the best book I have ever read.

A very worthwhile book!!.......1999-03-22

I like that 8 ball, and how it tells her the future and what will happen. Kinda cool when she goes for her friend and she's all knocked out and about to be carried off, like her other friend. The best doll was the jester doll, introduced it in the beginning, and finally, in the end. They also found the dead owner. WAY cool.

Average customer rating:

Stranger Fetishes
The warm-fuzzies
Left hanging
Trippy and fabulous!
Trippy and fabulous!

Strange Toys
Patricia Geary
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0553268724
Release Date: 1987-06-01

Customer Reviews:

Stranger Fetishes.......2007-05-27

Cross-genre books often suffer from people's inability to categories them and slip between the cracks as a result. This seems to be the case with this book, which is one of my favourite novels of all time. I disagree with comments made abut not understanding the ending, it is a nicely paradoxical and subtle ending which leaves the door open to further speculation. For me this is the best book Geary has written, as it epitomises the ability to express truths and real magick in fiction so much more effectively than most authors do in "how to" books on magick and paganism. This book really is a delight and deserves reading sevral times to pick up on all the nuances and to appreciate the flawless spell the author has woven into this masterpiece!

The warm-fuzzies.......2002-04-14

This may sound ridiculous,but I wanted to write a review of this book eventhough I can't remember a thing about it!(Time for a reread I guess).Anyway I do have it on a place of honor on my shelf because I never forget the feeling I get when I've read something and my feeling for this book was unadulterated joy!I can't wait for your next work Ms. Geary,it's been too long.

Left hanging.......2001-03-20

Ok first the good news. I loved Geary's writing style, her characters were very real and her descriptions very poignant.

Now the bad news. I kept turning pages expecting some kind of answers or a conclusion but got absolutely nothing other than some very Budda like statements "If you believe it happened then why does it make a difference if it did or not?". You never find out what happened to Deane, you never find out anything about Sammy. I'm assuming that Alonso and Barnett are angels (can't remember what she called them) but that just makes part 2 and part 3 almost exact copies of each other.

So I would say it was an enjoyable experience up until the end when you realize none of your questions are going to be answered. Some people love endings left open for speculation, others hate them. If you don't hate them, read this book it's good, especially if magical realism is your 'thing'.

Trippy and fabulous!.......2000-08-29

One of my all-time favorites! It's truly a shame this is out of print - so glad to see she's writing a new book.

Trippy and fabulous!.......2000-08-29

One of my all-time favorites! It's truly a shame this is out of print - so glad to see she's writing a new book.

Buck Rodgers 25th Century " Strange Adventures In The Spider Ship"

Average customer rating:

For children, read it with the 30's in mind

Buck Rodgers 25th Century " Strange Adventures In The Spider Ship"
Lt. Dick Calkins
Manufacturer: Applewood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1557092362

Customer Reviews:

For children, read it with the 30's in mind.......2007-03-13

Originally published in 1935, this pop-up book retains all of the campy appearance of children's books of that era. The pop-ups are colorful and will attract the child's eye, although the dialog will seem strange to the modern child. It and the diagrams are unaltered and in true 30's style, there are phrases like: "LOOK! THE ALARM INDICATOR! WE'RE LOST! CAUGHT OFF GUARD! IN THE GRIP OF A DREADED COSMO-HURRICANE OF SPACE!"
There really is nothing like the science fiction of that time. With very little to work with other than exclamations, made up technical phrases and scantily clad damsels, the writers, illustrators and animators did the best they could. I enjoy reading and watching it on occasion just to see be reminded of how things were. If you read this book through modern eyes, you will probably be disappointed. However, if you put yourself back to the time before television and in the depression, then you can understand how children would have been thrilled by this book.

The Harvey Grey Mystery Series: The Strange Death of Nelly Robertson (Harvey Grey Mystery)

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Great fun!

The Harvey Grey Mystery Series: The Strange Death of Nelly Robertson (Harvey Grey Mystery)
Jason Toy Jackson
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1424133947
Release Date: 2006-03-27

Book Description

Nelly was nervous already, but when the winds and ice caused a giant tree in the front yard to fall and subsequently knock out her electric, she became twice as nervous. She didn't like to be alone in the dark. She called her best friend for comfort and then her daughter, Daisy, in Massachusetts. She was expecting her son and daughter-in-law home the next day. However, that was not much comfort as she had been more than a little alarmed at the way they seemed to be treating her lately. Nelly knew her daughter was angry about the way Jake and Lynn had been treating her, but felt helpless to change anything. That day Nelly was to breathe her last breath. Harvey Grey gives a possible, if not necessarily factual, explanation about an elderly woman who died a tragic and untimely death. Was it by her own hand?

Customer Reviews:

Great fun!.......2006-09-18

This book was a great read and i am looking forward to the second book.

Seres Extranos/Strange Beings (Disparate)

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Seres Extranos/Strange Beings (Disparate)
Sigmar
Manufacturer: Sigmar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Seven Plays by Argentine Playwright Susana Torres Molina: Strange Toy, That's All That, Mystic Union, Sirens' Song, Paradises Lost, Zero, and She

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Seven Plays by Argentine Playwright Susana Torres Molina: Strange Toy, That's All That, Mystic Union, Sirens' Song, Paradises Lost, Zero, and She
Susana Torres Molina , Maria Claudia Andre , and Barbara Younoszai
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Strange & Amazing Facts: A Keep-Busy Book

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Strange & Amazing Facts: A Keep-Busy Book

Manufacturer: Verlan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M7ZDC6

Product Description

Fascinating data about nature, customs, sports & famous personalities. Age 9-15.

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THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A TOY SOLDIER
Cyril W. Illustrated by Wyndham Payne. Beaumont
Manufacturer: C.W. Beaumont.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P8S8HE

Book Description

The Inner Eye of Love offers a contemporary theology of mysticism that locates it at the very center of authentic religious experience. It provides as well a practical guide for meditation even as it maps out the oceanic experience toward which meditation points. Johnston begins with the mystical tradition itself, its roots and origins, its appearance and significance in the Gospels, the letters of Paul, and the early Church. He explains what mysticism is and is not, and how it is inextricably bound up with love. It is at the level of mysticism, he maintains, that the two traditions of East and West can at last understand one another and begin to work together to heal a broken world. The Inner Eye of Love escorts the reader through the stages of the mystical journey, from initial call to final enlightenment. Johnston compares and contrasts the Oriental and Christian experience, continually revealing new points of commonality The much discussed "dark night of the soul" is seen here in a positive way, as an emptying preliminary to the overbrimming of the soul with the knowledge and love of God. Finally, the author considers the often misunderstood relation between mysticism and practical action.

The Inner Eye of Love - Mysticism and Religion

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The Inner Eye of Love - Mysticism and Religion
William Johnston
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IOUBDY

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Inner Eye of Love: Mysticism and Religion
William Johnston
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WVFMVY

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The inner eye of love: Mysticism and religion
William Johnston
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMBIQ

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