We Never Make Mistakes: Two Short Novels

We Never Make Mistakes: Two Short Novels
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Two compelling short novels from a master author

2 extremely powerful parables of the human spirit

We Never Make Mistakes: Two Short Novels
Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 039331474X

Book Description

In "An Incident at Krechetovka Station," a Red Army lieutenant is confronted by a disturbing straggler soldier and must decide what to do with him. "Matryona's House" is the tale of an old peasant woman, whose tenacious struggle against cold, hunger, and greedy relatives is described by a young man who only understands her after her death.

Customer Reviews:

Two compelling short novels from a master author.......2003-12-01

This is a collection of two short novels written by Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that appeared in the January 1963 issue of a Soviet literary magazine called "Novy Mir."

The first novel, "An Incident at Krechetovka Station," centers around Lieutenant Zotov who works at one of the railway stations ensuring men and provisions make it to their proper destinations. One stormy night, full of wind and cold, an army straggler appears at the station, and it's up to Zotov to determine if he is who he says and what should be done with him. A fine novel about the idiosyncracies of war and justice.

In the second novel, "Matryona's House," a young teacher is placed out in the country and finds lodging with an old peasant woman. Through the cold winter, he watches her put up withe cold, hunger and greedy relatives, never once asking for anything in return. It isn't until after she has died that he truly understands her. A powerful tale about what remaining true to yourself and to your ideals.

Both novels make for great, worthwhile reading.

2 extremely powerful parables of the human spirit.......1999-07-27

These two great stories are written in that harsh realistic style so charateristic of Solzhenitsyn's works. Both stories are important on two fronts: They are both allow for primary-source insight into what many Westerners have a skewed perception of (the poverty and oppression in Stalanist Russia), and secondly, both stories present severe criticsm of human nature in such grand metaphoric form as to allow them to penetrate the reader's own soul. The phrase "thought provoking," does these stories no justice, the parables are better described as painfully applicable.

WE NEVER MAKE MISTAKES, TWO SHORT NOVELS

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WE NEVER MAKE MISTAKES, TWO SHORT NOVELS
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Manufacturer: Sphere
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K5O1OG

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We Never Make Mistakes: Two Short Novels
Aleksandr Isaevich; Blackstock, Paul W. (translator) Solzhenitsyn
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O89L7G

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We Never Make Mistakes Two Short Novels
Aleksa Solzhenitsyn
Manufacturer: SPHERE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCMUA6

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WE NEVER MAKE MISTAKES, TWO SHORT NOVELS
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Manufacturer: Sphere
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K5N08Y

Customer Reviews:

Amusing reversal of fantasy cliches.......2007-06-29

This book is a refreshing reversal of the tropes of "extruded fantasy product"---IOW, the stuff that's been ground out by the yard for decades. It also asks an interesting question: Can "Good," if taken too far, become an evil in itself, if only by unbalancing things?

Great Book.......2006-10-13

I absolutely love this book. I read it at least once a year for a good chuckle. I don't know about you, but all your typical, goody two shoes, self righteous heros and heroines bore me to death, and reading about them gets very old. If you're like me, and like your characters with a few flaws, and a sense of humor; or just someone you can relate to..you'll be very amused and entertained with this book. I wish Eve Forward would write a series on this.

Same story with a twist........2006-09-19

In quite a few of the sci-fi/fantasy books, the storyline is the same. A group of heroes with different skills get together to combat evil to save the world. This story is the same concept, however the "heroes" are actually villains, getting together to save the world from being set off balance and destroyed by light. It is a very good story, with full interpretation of each character.

Root for the bad guys!.......2006-06-18

After an all-out war, Good has at last truimphed over Evil. Peace, milk and cookies now reign over all the kingdoms. But something is wrong. The total victory of the forces of Good has created an internal imbalance in the universe and now, unless Evil is raised up to a measure of its former glory, the world will end. It falls upon an assorted group of leftover minor villains and misfits to save the day. Included in this contentious band are: Sam, a bored assassin always clothed in black; Arcie, his vertically-challenged sneakthief sidekick; Valeriana, an embittered sorceress; Kaylana, a Druid priestess; Blackmail, a mute black knight; and Robin, a naive minstrel-centaur who chronicles the villains' deeds. Pursued and harried at every turn by the minions of Good, with a spy lurking (but more likely, cantering) in their midst, this bunch of lowlifes must learn to co-exist and then somehow reopen the magically sealed Darkgate and release darkness back into the world. Only the Good die young? Not in this book.

Eve Forward may be the daughter of sci-fi writer Robert L. Forward but this debut novel is more reminiscent of Roger Zelazny's work, in its wit, tone and predisposition to upending themes. She writes with zest and imparts a sense of satiric fun to the epic proceedings. Her oily-haired assassin Sam is an endearing character, never mind that he's technically a bad guy. I fervently hope she puts out more books in the feature. I wouldn't mind a bit if she revisits this fantasy universe.

Lastly, this book needs to be re-released and soon. I've looked everywhere for a copy and the lowest price I've found is $38.25 for a paperback from the original printing.

Wonderful book.......2005-10-14

I was introduced to this book my freshman year of college. Since then I have read this book close to a thousand times (ok maybe not that many but close). I can open the book anywhere and start reading.

One of the things I like about "Villians by Necessity" is that the "heros" are not the typical knight in shinning armor type.

I was dissapointed by the end of the book, but overall I truley enjoyed it.

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Villains by Necessity
Sara Woods
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312846835

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VILLAINS BY NECESSITY
Sara Woods
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTSUFE

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Villains by Necessity
Forward Eve
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UE7NG0

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Villains by Necessity
Eve Forward
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTNEH8

Book Description

A Collection of Articles from the Archives of the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping. 27 selections that appeared originally between 1950-1976 provide a historical perspective about surveyors, surveying and survey instruments. Covers the broad panorama of surveying history from China, the Roman Rectangular Survey through the surveying in America to the 20th century. Perfect bound, shrinkwrapped

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It'll take you back, in more ways than one
History rewritten with a James Bond touch
This could be straight out of the Hartnell Era
well written but wildly wrong in capturing the Hartnell era.
If Only The TV History Stories Had Been As Good As This

The Plotters (Doctor Who)
Gareth Roberts
Manufacturer: London Bridge (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Doctor Who | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0426204883

Customer Reviews:

It'll take you back, in more ways than one.......2006-09-25

Anyone who ever watched the original series knows that early on, the intent wasn't to bring space and time faring SF action to the viewers every week, but to educate kids who might be watching the show. Thus, the plan was to have the TARDIS visit different time periods every week and thus teach children about said time periods. This idea lasted all of two stories, as the Daleks showed up and proved to be so darn popular that the concept of historical tales every week went totally out the window. They weren't totally abandoned and were fairly prominent during the Hartnell era (the last "true" one was Troughton's second story, "The Highlanders"), taking the team to Marco Polo, the Aztecs, the Crusades, the Romans and so on. Thus, this novel attempts to bring those days back for three hundred pages by having Ian, Barbara and Vicki land in merry olde England just before a certain fifth of November. As was typical, they get separated and just as quickly, they get caught up in the events of the day. Roberts is fairly good at this type of thing and writes a witty, fast paced novel filled with a lot of sneaking around and people scheming against other people, keeping the plot tangled enough so that it's one step ahead of you but not so opaque that you have no idea who is who or what the heck is going on. He captures the local (both temporally and geographically) flavor well and while I'm sure it wasn't exhaustively researched (he basically admits as much in the forward) it's close enough to count for me and it's no worse than the original series was. The cast interacts with a variety of real and fictional personages of the time and everything is fairly true to the spirit of the series. Even the joke of King James thinking Vicki is a young boy and wanting to spend some extra . . . time with her is reasonably tastefully done and mostly played for laughs, even if the implications are a tad disturbing. I'm not as familiar with this crew so I don't know how well they're portrayed, Ian and Barbara strike me as true, although Barbara does overplay the "oh Ian you're so strong and heroic" card a bit too much, but then Ian's job was to be the resolute action hero type. I've never seen a single episode with Vicki in it, and she seems a bit useless here, mostly following someone else's lead or crying a lot but from what I've heard that was basically her role in the series as well, being so young and fragile and helpless everyone had to work double time to protect her. The Doctor is played well in Hartnell's fashion, the bumbling old man act, the transitions from irate and egotistical to a pleasant grandfatherly type, the way he could command any situation by sheer force of will, it's all here. Fans of the early seasons can't really go wrong here, as it's a well written and deftly plotted homage to that era, functioning as a story that would have fit quite well into that season, but at the same time not looking dated to our modern eyes.

History rewritten with a James Bond touch.......2000-10-12

This novel places the TARDIS crew in London in November 1605. This is during the reign of King James and is best remembered for the plot by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Gareth Roberts could have chosen to follow a fairly straightforward line in this book, but instead we end up with a plot worthy of a James Bond movie. He also chooses to play with one of the fundamental ideas of the Hartnell era, summed up by the Doctor in 'The Aztecs': "You can't rewrite history! Not one line!" In this story, Guy Fawkes is the agent of a secret society and seems a fairly decent chap. The possibility of history going off the rails occurs when Fawkes is killed by his co-conspirators.

The story takes the opportunity to parody various elements of Doctor Who. In this story, like 'The Crusades', Vicki is obliged to dress as a boy and call herself Victor, supposedly to prevent unwarranted advances. But in a takeoff of the pursuit of Barbara by Nero in 'The Romans', this merely brings her to the attention of King James, who is determined to have his way with "Victor".

The translation of the Bible into the King James version is occurring during this book, and some of the efforts of the translators affords some humour.

While these are amusing, the depiction of the characters (especially the travellers) and Mr Roberts main story, how can history continue unchanged when Guy Fawkes is dead, are the bread and meat of this excellent story. For me, it would have been improved if some of the most Bondian excesses had been cut, but they may very well appeal to other readers.

This could be straight out of the Hartnell Era.......1999-11-17

This book is very well written. Gareth Roberts manages to capture the spirit of the early Hartnell era, with his Doctor being a cross between the crotchety scientist, and the dotty old grand-father. Most of the jokes in it are clean, and it's a really good, well written book

well written but wildly wrong in capturing the Hartnell era........1999-10-08

In concept and partial execution, a good book. The last hundred pages are particularly well done. Unfortunately, at least the first 50 to 100 pages are wasted with a bizarre obsession with pedophilia. It moves the plot no where and is obviously not true to the Hartnell era. It is also disturbing that such a thing could be in a Doctor Who novel period. Also, since the book is not intended for younger readers, some type of warning should have been indicated on the cover. Since pedophilia is a vile practice, the book is then foisted with the baggage such a ghastly subject would entail. If homosexuality must be dragged into a Doctor Who book, I would suggest THE EMPIRE OF GLASS as a template. But, I don't see how pedophilia can ever be handled in a non evil way. Strange. Unfortunate.

If Only The TV History Stories Had Been As Good As This.......1999-05-04

I was not a big fan of the historical stories in early Doctor Who history. Only "The Aztecs" and its commentary on trying to change history held any interest for me. So, I find it surprising that a purely historical Missing Adventure could be so gripping. But, it was!

The plot was very well paced. The novel introduces the time travelers early on, and very quickly everyone is given something interesting to do. In my opinion, Vicki steals the show when she dons the guise of a boy and has to fight off some unwanted amorous advances. The Doctor also has lots of great moments as he bluffs his way through the court of England as a "doctor of divinity". Ian and Barbara attempt to avoid getting involved in anything, so of course they inadvertently alter the course of history.

Roberts does a great job of establishing the way of life in 1605...the crudeness of the buildings, the stench of the sewers, and the darkness of a world lit only by fire. We also get a nice cross-section of people, from Sybil the lowly bar maid to King James himself.

My only criticism, and it is a minor one, is that as a reader from the States, I knew nothing about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. It would have been nice if someone had outlined the events earlier in the story. But, enough details were given that I was eventually able to piece things together. And, I could always go to an encyclopedia and look it up.

In summary, the book does an excellent job of capturing the Hartnell era. And given that it's historical and interesting, one could even say it improved upon the era. It's a good read for anyone who enjoyed the days when the Doctor was as much a passenger of the TARDIS as his companions.

TOM SWIFT AND HIS TELEVISION DETECTOR OR TRAILING THE SECRET PLOTTERS
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS TELEVISION DETECTOR OR TRAILING THE SECRET PLOTTERS
Victor Appleton
Manufacturer: Whitman Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Plotters
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The Plotters
John Roy Carlson
Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton & Company
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Binding: Hardcover

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Accounting and Financial Fundamentals For Your Post Plotter Papers Business
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Accounting and Financial Fundamentals For Your Post Plotter Papers Business
James Orr and Jassen Bowman
Manufacturer: LearnToBeRich.com, Inc
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Algebra Structure and Method Books 1 and 2 (Using Algebra Plotter Plus)
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Algebra Structure and Method Books 1 and 2 (Using Algebra Plotter Plus)

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0395557070

Product Description

Book plus 2 diskettes

Analytical Plotter Symposium and Workshop: Under the auspices of the Instrumentation Committee of the American Society of Photogrammetry, April 20-25, ... Conference Center, Reston, Virginia

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Analytical Plotter Symposium and Workshop: Under the auspices of the Instrumentation Committee of the American Society of Photogrammetry, April 20-25, ... Conference Center, Reston, Virginia

Manufacturer: The Society
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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Auerbach on digital plotters and image digitizers (Its Auerbach on series)

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Auerbach on digital plotters and image digitizers (Its Auerbach on series)
Auerbach Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Boat Crew Pocket Guide

Manufacturer: Great Eastern
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BTLS60

Amazon.com

Betty Crocker is on the health bandwagon. Not one for fads, Betty sensibly bases this 175-recipe cookbook on the Food Guide Pyramid guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association and many other medical and nutrition professional organizations. You learn tips for cutting down on fat and cholesterol, understanding the different kinds of fat, and making smart food choices for heart health. The idea is to reduce fat by making ingredient substitutions and small alterations, but not making drastic changes. The recipes are varied and creative and don't resemble "diet food": Ginger Shrimp Kabobs, Vegetable Potstickers, Stuffed Veal Chops with Cider Sauce, Vegetable and Ham Jambalaya, Curried Chicken and Nectarines, Caribbean Fish Salad, and Thai Shrimp and Rice Noodle Nests. The desserts include Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping (only 20 percent fat!), Blueberry-Lime Torte (about 15 percent fat), and Double Chocolate-Date Cake (about 25 percent fat). Recipes are labeled with symbols indicating "low-calorie," "low-fat," "moderate-fat," "low-cholesterol," and "moderate-cholesterol," so you can choose how far you want to go. Each recipe has a hefty amount of nutritional information: calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and diet exchanges. Cooks who love knowing what the dishes should look like will enjoy the 45 mouth-watering color photos. --Joan Price

Book Description

Everyone's favorite cooking expert Betty Crocker has completely revised and updated the perennial favorite, Betty Crocker's® Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cooking Today, with updated information about fat and cholesterol, and lots of easy-to-understand tips for establishing a healthy eating lifestyle. But with Betty Crocker it can't only be easy--it has to be delicious. And true-to-form, 120 recipes prove that healthful eating can also be enjoyed by the whole family.

With Betty Crocker, low-fat and low-cholesterol eating is a snap!

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful cookbook.......2007-04-19

My husband had quadruple bypass in January of this year. I started looking for low fat-low cholesterol cookbooks! I purchased this cookbook along with a few others, and this one is by far our favorite. The meals are fast, taste great, and use ingredients you usually have on hand. We have been cooking new recipes out of this book frequently and haven't found one that we didn't like. We bought the book as a gift for friends and they love it too. When we have people over for dinner, they do not even realize they are eating a healthy meal, as every recipe has great flavor. Definitely a star!

wonderful.......2007-03-15

after receiving this book, I was able to control my cholestrol, not that it was totally out of control, but being told it is slightly high I needed to change my diet. Betty Crocker has been around along time so it is a trustworthy and household name.

Great reference book as well as cookbook.......2007-01-13

I was recently diagnosed with the "lower it or we're putting you on medicine" type of cholesterol so along with internet research, I bought this book. I'm a big fan of cooking and this has a TON of great ideas for cooking. I was surprised that things I thought were on the "no no" list were listed in several of the recipes as partial ingredients. I was very excited to learn I could still have cheese (in moderation!)

The book categorizes all of the recipes with "low calorie" "low fat" and "low cholesterol." While not every recipe is all three there is enough variety that if you're in the mood for a little cholesterol, there's a recipe that's low cal and low fat to satisfy you (and vice-versa). It also gives you pictuers for things you're not exactly sure about -- like just how peaked the egg whites need to be when making meringue.

Better Advice Than Recipes.......2007-01-09

I've had this book for several months, and I haven't yet prepared a recipe from it; however, I've referenced it countless times. If you have high or even borderline cholesterol problems -- even if your cholesterol was fine last time you had it checked, this book will help you stay on the rails. It is invaluable for such things as the five highest fiber cereals. Lists of veggies that are filled with folic acid. Foods to get your LDL down and your HDL up. And one of these days, I will prepare a recipe, too.

Cookbook review.......2006-11-07

I have found several receipes in the cookbook that I have cooked and my family has enjoyed. I also had my mom try some and she ordered the cookbook for herself. The only thing that I would like to see would be to have alternates for people cooking for less and for people that don't tolerate a lot of spices.

Betty Crockerandapos;s Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cooking Today

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Betty Crockerandapos;s Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cooking Today
Betty Crocker Betty Crocker
Manufacturer: Betty Crocker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O96BIM

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