Felix in the Underworld
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • "I do need some sort of drama in my life....You and I in the bathroom. That'd be an experience."
  • Be careful what you say
  • Flawlessy funny
  • Delightful and Filled With Surprises
  • If you like Rumpole, you'll like Felix.
Felix in the Underworld
John Mortimer
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0670860794

Amazon.com

Be careful what you wish for--it just might come true. John Mortimer, author of more than 20 Rumpole of the Bailey books, introduces us to novelist Felix Morsom. Known as the "Chekhov of Coldsands-on-Sea," Morsom leads a very sedate and predictable life, writing genteel little novels about the middle class. His wife left him for a Welsh college professor but returned after she developed a terminal illness. His days of writing are interrupted by the occasional book tour, rather dull and unpleasant affairs where nothing really happens. Morsom longs for a little drama in his life, just a touch of spice to keep thing interesting. His wish comes true in spades when he is confronted by a blackmailer waiting in the autograph line, wielding a paternity suit. To top it off, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a rather brutal murder. John Mortimer is a master of ingenious plot twists, and he leaves plenty of red herrings for us in this hilarious and clever novel.

Book Description

In Felix in the Underworld John Mortimer's grasp of character has never been so sure, and his characteristic humor and pathos sting with equal force. His hero, Felix Morsom--once a bestselling author dubbed the Chekhov of Coldsands-on-Sea--writes sensitive, well-received novels of middle-class life and love in a seaside town. Separated after a childless marriage, Felix is obsessed with his publicist, Brenda Bodkin, and their unconsummated passion. But a bolt from the blue--a paternity suit hinted at in an anonymous tape received in the mail, and subsequently threatened at a bookstore signing--leads to murder, and an underworld of poverty and crime, in which Felix finds himself the chief suspect.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars "I do need some sort of drama in my life....You and I in the bathroom. That'd be an experience.".......2007-04-26

Written in 1996, this "non-Rumpole novel" by John Mortimer stars not a barrister but a writer. Felix Morsom, who is probably in his late thirties but who seems decades older, is a quiet widower once nominated for the Booker Prize. His latest book is not selling, however, perhaps because his books, like Felix, are so sedate, mannered, and precise. His attractive publicist tells him that he needs more drama in his life and work, but though he tries to persuade her to engage in a wild dalliance with him, she demurs, telling him that he needs to get out more.

Before going to his next book-signing, Felix listens to a tape sent to his house, detailing the brutal prison rape of man jailed for non-support of a child. When Felix later meets this same man and a woman at his book-signing, they claim that Felix is the real father of her ten-year-old son, and threaten him with jail for non-support if he does not pay up. When the man is murdered, Felix is the prime suspect, having left an ambiguous message on the man's answering machine and his fingerprints all over the murder scene.

Though the plot here is not unique--famous man accused of fathering a love-child by couple bent on blackmail--Mortimer endows the novel with unique descriptions and odd characters (from the homeless people with whom Felix eventually beds down under Blackfriars Bridge to his barrister, Septimus Roach). Proper Felix finds his life filled to the brim with unexpected activity as fate takes him by the scruff of the neck and forces him to become engaged in real life, much of it seamy, instead of simply observing the world at a distance. The characters in general are more a function of plot than fully drawn individuals, though Felix does grow and change as his situation becomes more dire.

Filled with the dry humor and word play which makes Mortimer's Rumpole series so popular, this novel is a more leisurely foray into a murder investigation than the Rumpole mysteries, and it does allow for some limited character development and some stunning ironies. Felix is not a barrister, and his inexperience with the world forces him to follow dead ends and to make tactical mistakes as he tries to find the supposed victim and stay out of jail. An amusing take on the writing life which also includes some classic court scenes between Felix and his counsel, it is easy to see that author/lawyer Mortimer had great fun writing this one. n Mary Whipple

4 out of 5 stars Be careful what you say.......2001-07-03

There are many things to like about this book, most of which are described well by the other reviewers. What really struck me about this book (perhaps because I listened to the unabridged tape) was how so much of the plot turned on what happens when a writer is less than precise with language. Mortimer does a masterful job of creating Felix, a writer who doesn't even realize that his misstatements are misstatements or the trouble those statements cause.

Overall, it took me a while to warm up to the book but by the end I was rooting hard for the truth to emerge. The actual ending was a little corny but ok. It's a book filled with a fun assortment of characters. More than a few humorous jabs are made at the modern publishing world and modern society in general. Not a laugh out loud book but one that made me chuckle to myself.

A New York Times notable mystery in 1997 - for those who are fond of books with credentials.

5 out of 5 stars Flawlessy funny.......2001-06-01

A hapless middle-aged midlist author gets embroiled in the British legal system when he is accused of fathering a child and not paying support. You may need a certain amount of anglophilia and interest in the literary scene to fully appreciate it. The only fault I could find was that it's too short. I hate finishing books in one night before I fall asleep.

5 out of 5 stars Delightful and Filled With Surprises.......2000-11-16

John Mortimer is the writer of many charming and wonderful books, although he is no doubt best known for his stories of Horace Rumpole, the irascible British barrister. In Felix in the Underworld, Mortimer showcases his comic and satirical talents most admirably.

Mortimer reminds me a little of bestselling Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami, in that his characters in this book are quite ordinary people who live quite ordinary lives but have the absurdly bad fortune of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The protagonist of Felix in the Underworld, Felix Morsom, is a moderately successful, quiet, sensitive novelist at Llama Books who manages to become involved, much against his will, with a man named Gavin Piercey.

Soon after meeting Piercey, Felix notices the man everywhere in his life: at book signings, during radio talk shows and, most especially, at one fateful meeting where Piercey introduces Felix to a woman named Miriam. This meeting will have serious, but hilarious, repercussions on Felix's life.

From the moment Felix meets Miriam, his life becomes one of turmoil and wild, unbelievable events. He receives a letter from an agency calling itself PROD; he is accused of a brutal murder; he becomes involved with London's homeless population.

Mortimer's handling of the plot is superb, his writing as smooth as silk and the characters, although slightly cliched, are still polished and hilarious. One of the funniest is the lawyer, Septimus Roache, the man Felix turns to in desperation when he attempts to prove his innocence in the murder. Roache is an obtuse and self-satisfied man who has little to no interest in his clients and really doesn't listen to a word Felix is telling him.

Mortimer, who himself was a successful barrister before becoming a writer, knows how to create a rollicking good murder mystery and this is part of why Felix in the Underworld works as well as it does. Another large part is Felix, himself, an engaging character we can't help but like; a man who maintains his dignity and poise even in the face of adversity of the highest, and most unexpected, order.

Mortimer calls himself a "Champagne socialist," and is a champion of the poor and the downtrodden. In this book he manages to take us on a trip through contemporary British society, especially homeless society. The book is fun, though, above all, and never sounds like polemic. We can credit Mortimer's superb writing skills for that.

The snobbish character of Simon Tubal-Smith, Felix's boss at Llama Books is contrasted wonderfully with Esmond, a homeless man who was, at one time, a manager in a supermarket. Esmond left his job and home for a life in the streets when tragedy struck. Felix, himself, spends some time as a member of London's homeless population and is reminiscent of George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London.

The dialogue is pure Mortimer and always fun. When Felix is temporarily residing in jail, his cellmate is a man named Dumbarton who allegedly beat another man to death. "You killed him?" Felix asks. "Thoroughly," Dumbarton replies, quite satisfied with what he did.

Felix is both self-effacing and hilarious as he attempts to cope with unhelpful lawyers who do just as much to convict as help him, as he tries to sort out the mystery behind PROD, as well as develop his budding relationship with Brenda Bodkin, his publisher's publicity agent.

Although this book is a little formulaic at times, the formula works and works well. Maybe that is because Mortimer is a master who never lets us down. Felix in the Underworld is a first-rate murder mystery, a comedy of errors and a satire of the British class system. It is always delightful and filled with surprises up until the very last page.

4 out of 5 stars If you like Rumpole, you'll like Felix........2000-03-24

In his book The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten sets out the distinction betwen a schlemiel (a fool) and a schlimazel (one prone to misfortune)thusly: A schlemiel is the waiter that trips while carrying a large bowl of soup to a table. The schlimazel is the person that ends up with the soup on his lap. Felx Morsom, the ptoagonist of Felix in the Underworld is the quintessential English schlimazel. Though not a fool, Felix plays an altogether passive role as misfortune falls upon him. The strength of Mortimer's book lies in his ability to portrary Felix in a charming, almost winsome manner while at the same time moving the story ahead in a plesant fashion. Mortimer has a keen eye for detail. The book is easy to read, amusing, and charming.
Felix in the Underworld
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Felix in the Underworld
    John Mortimer
    Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000OJ5NA4
    Felix in the Underworld (abridged audio)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Felix in the Underworld (abridged audio)
      John Mortimer
      Manufacturer: Penguin Putnam~trade
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000OIZEUE
      Felix in the Underworld (Penguin Audiobooks)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Felix in the Underworld (Penguin Audiobooks)
        John.. Mortimer
        Manufacturer: Penguin Audio
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000OJBXJE

        Nile shadows
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Magnaminity
        • BACK IN PRINT !
        • floating down a literary river
        Nile shadows
        Edward Whittemore
        Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Unknown Binding

        United StatesUnited States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
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        ASIN: 0030185319

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Magnaminity.......2005-09-17

        If you've heard about Whittemore from one of his fans you've probably heard it all already. In fact, the 'all' can usually be summed up in two or three phrases: 'Unknown,' 'Unrecognized' and/or 'unappreciated genius.' I am not here to argue against these sentiments but I will just say that there is a logical inchorency here that may be cleared up if we say that he is known but not known enough; that he is recognized but his recognition must spread beyond his small but growing legions of fans; that he is appreciated but hitherto he has been appreciated by far far too few. Furthermore, the quality of Whittemore being a genius limits him, I think, to just the usual stylistic tropes of that appalation. I don't think we would usually call someone an emotional genius or a genius of virtue although perhaps we should. For Whittemore is something more beyond his mastery of evocative language and his plethora of great characters. There is a quality of Whittemore's work that Kenneth Rexroth observed is lacking even in many of those novels we would often call 'great.' That quality is 'magnaminity.' It's there in the great Chinese novels such as the 'The Story of the Stone' and it's there in Ford's 'Parades End' and (although I can't remember if Rexroth says this himself but I do believe it to be the case) it's there in Tolstoy. And it's certainly there in Whittemore.

        5 out of 5 stars BACK IN PRINT !.......2002-10-10

        Old Earth Books will be reprinting this and the other 4 Whittemore novels. Google the web for "Edward Whittemore".

        5 out of 5 stars floating down a literary river.......2000-07-16

        Since there were no reviews of this book on Amazon, I decided to give it a try. Having read his debut novel and the first three of the Quartet, this book is a bit slower in terms of action but I found it to be the most cerebral of his books so far. Whittemore is a modern master of storytelling, but his strength is dialogue. The conversations that take place here are beautifully written, rivalling only those of William Gaddis. As I begin his last novel, I wonder why the publishing industry has let these books fall out of circulation? Whittemore's novels are a secret history of the 20th century. One last note, I have read that his first novel has nothing to due with the Quartet, not true. There are bits and pieces that filter through the Quartet. All interested parties should read his first book before trying to decode the mysteries of the Quartet.
        In the Shadow of the Nile
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • A Compelling Story
        In the Shadow of the Nile
        Sara Hylton
        Manufacturer: Arrow
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0099216310

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars A Compelling Story.......2001-07-04

        This is by far Hylton's best novel to date. The story grips you even after you finish the novel. The story is very believeable and you feel the struggles of the characters and you cannot easily dimiss them from your mind upon finishing the novel. Hylton manipulates your emotions so that even though you are aware of the impossibility of the heroine's predicament, you are still rooting for her to get what she wants so that she will become happy. Even years after first reading this novel you are still emotionally moved by these characters, and even though you vow never to subject yourself to the heartache you cannot help your self. In short: A Compelling Story
        Sun and Shadow at Aswan - A Commentary on Dams and Reservoirs on the Nile at Aswan, Yesterday, Today, and Perhaps Tomorrow
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Sun and Shadow at Aswan - A Commentary on Dams and Reservoirs on the Nile at Aswan, Yesterday, Today, and Perhaps Tomorrow
          Herbert Addison
          Manufacturer: Chapman & Hall, London
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Unknown Binding
          ASIN: B0000CKB9F
          The Third Shadow
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Third Shadow
            Dorothea Nile
            Manufacturer: Avon
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback
            ASIN: B000VDB7EY

            Product Description

            Avon Gothic Original , 1st Avom printing , April 1973
            3 Book Set; Dragon Lance; "Riverwind the Plainsman" & "Flint the King" & "Tanis the Shadow Years" (Preludes 2 Saga Trilogy Fantasy, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              3 Book Set; Dragon Lance; "Riverwind the Plainsman" & "Flint the King" & "Tanis the Shadow Years" (Preludes 2 Saga Trilogy Fantasy, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3)
              Paul B. Thompson , Tonya R. Carter , Mary Kirchoff , Douglas Niles , Barbara Siegel , and Scott Siegel
              Manufacturer: TSR Fantasy
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

              GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
              Niles, DouglasNiles, Douglas | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: B000OK99H6

              Product Description

              3 paper back set of dragon Lance Preludes 2 Saga Trilogy.
              Forever in the shadow of Churchill?: Britain and the memory of World War Two at the end of the 20th century (Historical roots of contemporary international and regional issues occasional paper series)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Forever in the shadow of Churchill?: Britain and the memory of World War Two at the end of the 20th century (Historical roots of contemporary international and regional issues occasional paper series)
                Nile Gardiner
                Manufacturer: International Security Studies, Yale University
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Unknown Binding

                GeneralGeneral | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: B0006RAT12
                In the Shadow of the Nile
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  In the Shadow of the Nile
                  Sara Hylton
                  Manufacturer: Century
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000J2RBLA
                  In the Shadow of the Nile
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    In the Shadow of the Nile
                    Sara Hylton
                    Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000OT4UI0
                    Nile Shadows
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Nile Shadows
                      Edward Whittemore
                      Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: B000O8VFA2
                      PRELUDES (2) (II) Two: Book (1) One: Riverwind the Plainsman; Book (2) Two: Flint the King; Book (3) Three: Tanis the Shadow Years
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        PRELUDES (2) (II) Two: Book (1) One: Riverwind the Plainsman; Book (2) Two: Flint the King; Book (3) Three: Tanis the Shadow Years
                        Paul B. Thompson , Tonya R. Carter , Barbara Siegel , Scott Siegel , Mary Kirchoff , and Douglas Niles
                        Manufacturer: TSR
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                        ASIN: B000JL8JZS

                        Product Description

                        PRELUDES (2) (II) Two: Book (1) One: Riverwind the Plainsman; Book (2) Two: Flint the King; Book (3) Three: Tanis the Shadow Years

                        X-Men: Empire's End (X-Men)
                        Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
                        • it's not bad, but...
                        • Not for those who fondly remember their youth...
                        • More about Xavier's sex life than I wanted to know
                        • An OK read
                        • A True Waste of Time
                        X-Men: Empire's End (X-Men)
                        Diane Duane
                        Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        X-MenX-Men | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
                        GeneralGeneral | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
                        United StatesUnited States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
                        ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                        Duane, DianeDuane, Diane | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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                        ASIN: 0399143343

                        Book Description

                        A cosmic adventure with the fate of the galaxy at stake! Shi'ar scientists have learned of a creature that devours galaxies and is heading towards Shi'ar space. Beset by panicked people and several assassination attempts, Empress Lilandra must call upon the X-Men for their assistance--for the galaxy eater will target Earth next.

                        But the price for stopping the creature may be higher than the X-Men expect. They must use a device that increases their powers a thousand-fold to drive the creature back. A process that could destroy them...or make them insane with power!

                        Based on the Marvel characters the X-Men

                        Customer Reviews:

                        3 out of 5 stars it's not bad, but..........2001-02-11

                        Well, she made an effort. And she raised interesting issues, though she never really resolved them. But I think Diane Duane works better with a smaller cast. Her original novels are fine; they have much smaller casts. Her Spiderman trilogy is fine; it has only three main characters. Even her Star Trek novels are fine; she tends not to use more than five major characters per book. In "Empire's End," she's dealing with Professor X, Beast, Gambit, Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, Iceman, Cyclops, Jean, Lillandra, a Shi'ar lord, etc. There are simply too many characters, and though each gets a few scenes or "moments," they all seem shallow.

                        The plot is as follows: the Shi'ar discover that a mysterious creature, which destabilizes galaxies by eating their cores, is heading their way. They enlist the X-Men to stop the creature. This totally unequal confrontation is made "plausible" by a strange device that enhances the X-Men's powers. Gosh, how convenient. Meanwhile, Lillandra's council is pressuring her to marry a Shi'ar noble and produce an heir, instead of continuing her relationship with Charles. Ooh, look, a romantic subplot.

                        There are some interesting discussions about the effects of absolute power, and the enhancement of the X-Men's powers at the expense of the more human aspects of their personalities, but when they finally save the day (you never seriously thought they wouldn't, did you?) those issues vanish like mist, never fully confronted. The power-enhancing device also conveniently disappears; I sense an author avoiding the implications of a bad concept.

                        Also, I'd really like to know exactly what the huge, ghostly X-Men-shaped constructs are. They are first described as psychic projections, or something along those lines, but later seem to become real. They seem to be a device for avoiding the idiocy of pitting the X-Men against a creature larger than Manhattan. I say, if you're using the X-Men, give them an adversary they can confront as is. But if you lack the foresight to do that, the least you can do is remain honest to your original premise, and keep the relative sizes of the space creature and the X-Men as is. (Actually, the ghost figures aren't needed for the final victory, which makes me wonder even more why they were there in the first place. I sense more bad concepts.)

                        The story is fast and fun, and Duane's style is quite readable, but "Empire's End" feels like a rush job by an author not quite familiar with her world and characters, who tried to make up for the gap by shoving them into Star Trek.

                        2 out of 5 stars Not for those who fondly remember their youth..........2000-10-07

                        If you are looking to recapture your youth through X-Men novels, skip this one. You won't like the way this book treats its characters.

                        If you are looking for an afternoon read; occasionally enjoy a bubblegum-for-the-brain space story; are more interested in plot than characters; and most importantly, didn't put down good money for the book but got it from the library, you might like it.

                        That's worth two stars.

                        1 out of 5 stars More about Xavier's sex life than I wanted to know.......2000-06-09

                        First of all, let me just say Charles is not supposed to behave like a hormonal teenager. But that's exactly how he comes off in this book. A crisis hits, some new diffuculty in killing this Bug Eyed Monster of the Week, and Charles and Lilandra hop in the bed! Honestly, it got old after the first two chapters. Also, the writer completely forgot Charles IS Lilandra's acknowledged consort, according to the comics. An annoying error to be sure.

                        She wastes the other characters as well. Beast is only here for snappy one liners. Gambit (without Rogue - BORING!) has powers utterly unlike his in the comics. Even Scott and Jean come across as a generic couple. She could have used the exact same plot and just changed the names to Spock, Kirk and McCoy. I doubt we would have noticed a difference.

                        I was hoping these books would get better with more established writers. Looks like I still will have to hope.

                        2 out of 5 stars An OK read.......2000-06-06

                        Diane Duane, in my opinion, did a great job on the Spider-Man novels. But this book was a major letdown. First of all, I have always found the Shi'ar, even in the comics, to be quite boring and dull. Sadly, this is also the case with this book. I read this book, and then I re-read a few issues of Uncanny X-Men, and I have to say that the characterization in the comics is leaps and bounds over that in this book. The characters in this book are undeveloped, and seem just "off" from their normal selves. Some of them don't even have that many lines, which is always a problem with so many characters being sqeezed into one book (at least in the comics, they can alternate character focus each issue).

                        However, this aside, I found myself not even enjoying the plot. The main villain (that being the galaxy-devouring creature) was completely and utterably uninteresting and static. And the idea of the X-Men fighting it with a "device that increases their powers a thousandfold" is just corny, and even more "comic booky" than the comic itself. It didn't sit right with me from the beginning, and it still doesn't even now.

                        Another thing that bothered me was Duane's apparent misunderstanding of Gambit's mutant abilities. Throughout the book, she seemed to be operating under the assumption that his abilities involved the charging of EXISTING kinetic energy. However, Gambit's abilities actually deal with converting an objects potential energy INTO explosive kinetic energy. The book never gave any evidence that Duane realized this to be the case. Of course, maybe I was too bored to notice if she did...

                        One last thing: she really seemed to be writing this the way she would a Star Trek novel. This book was absolutely cluttered with space jargon, from mini blackholes to blue and red shifting to galactic cores going quasar. It just really seemed to take up a lot of space without really saying much at all.

                        1 out of 5 stars A True Waste of Time.......2000-02-29

                        I can't believe I wasted my time reading this book. It was atrocious! The characters were reduced to 2 dimensional garbage. You knew what was coming chapters ahead. The author tries to draw out the dark temptations each character experiences but it was so bland, so cartoony, and very very unimaginative. She discards characters because their abilities just so happens not to fit in battle, how convenient. Ugh, I don't know why I even read it. I kept giving the author another chance with each chapter, and it was not worth it. Truly, stay away from this book.
                        Star Wars - Empire's End #1 : Triumph of the Empire (Dark Horse Comics)
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Star Wars - Empire's End #1 : Triumph of the Empire (Dark Horse Comics)
                          Tom Veitch
                          Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000VWKFLQ

                          Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years Of Food And Art
                          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                          • GLORIOUS MEXIAN FOOD/ART
                          • Gorgeous Book
                          • Recipes that deliver accurately and with style
                          • Great cookbook!
                          • Amazing recipes!
                          Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years Of Food And Art
                          Tom Gilliland , Miguel Ravago , and Virginia B. Wood
                          Manufacturer: Shearer Publishing
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
                          MexicanMexican | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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                          ASIN: 0940672774

                          Book Description

                          In celebration of three decades of success. Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art presents more than one hundred recipes from the restaurant's menus over the years, including many of the signature dishes that have made it one of the Southwest's top restaurants. From appetizers and drinks to desserts and the traditional after-dinner coffee, the home cook can now prepare a delicious assortment of the restaurant's most popular dishes from Mexico's diverse regional cuisines. Supplementary sections contain tips on buying and cooking with the various ingredients as well as information on basic recipe components, cooking equipment, and mail order sources.

                          Full-color photographs illustrate special dishes and capture the romantic hacienda-style decor of the restaurant. Selected works from the impressive Fonda San Miguel art collection are also pictured with notes on the artists.

                          Customer Reviews:

                          5 out of 5 stars GLORIOUS MEXIAN FOOD/ART.......2007-05-17

                          This book is a must for every Mexian food lover and art. I have attended a cooking glass by them and have eaten brunch at their restaurant. Absolutely fantastic. The almond flan is superb and very easy to prepare in a blender. The chicken in banana leaves is also a standout. Recipes are fairly easy to understand and prepare, it just takes a bit of time.

                          5 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Book.......2007-05-13

                          Beautiful pictures, great recipe. Perfect for a table book, not just a cookbook.

                          5 out of 5 stars Recipes that deliver accurately and with style.......2007-05-07

                          The cookbook Fonda San Miguel: Thirty years of Food and Art seems to be one of those titles you see from time to time, when an established restaurant puts together a collection of recipes and a publisher hopes that name recognition will move copies. But open the cover, try some of the recipes, and you find a culinary gem.

                          Fonda San Miguel is a well-regarded restaurant in Austin offering Mexican cuisine. Author credits are co-founders Tom Gilliland (runs the front of the house) and Miguel Ravago (the chef) as well as "text by" Virginia B. Wood, whom is an Austin writer. The foreword is by noted Mexican cuisine expert Diana Kennedy, who apparently is a friend of the founders and whose work has inspired some of the dishes.

                          From first glance, the book is visually sumptuous: all color photography of the recipes and art in the restaurant with attractive design, hardbound. And here comes the first of my few quibbles: even though the publisher, Shearer Publishing, may have bought the rights to the photography, or even done it in-house, it should have given full credit to the people responsible for the actual photographic and food styling work. There also should have been better photo editing; I noticed a few out-of-focus images, one of which seemed planned and appropriate although the others looked like mistakes.

                          The recipes, though - marvelous. I tried four for a family dinner: guacamole, Sopa de Elote (a smooth corn soup served with roasted chiles and cheese), Adoba Sauce (pork marinade made with ancho chiles, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns), and Comote Y Piña (baked sweet potato puree with pineapple). The results were uniformly excellent. Unlike many cookbook recipes, I found that I could use each of these without modification or even adjusting amounts, which is pretty rare. I do wish that when a recipe referred to a preparation or technique elsewhere in the book that there was a page number associated, but, again, I did say quibbles.

                          The book originally came out in 2005, which does have me wondering why the PR firm that sent the copy is promoting it now, but it's nice to see that someone is taking an active interest in promotion this excellent volume.

                          5 out of 5 stars Great cookbook!.......2007-01-15

                          This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever owned! Every recipe so far has been amazingly good! I highly recommend adding this to anyone's cookbook library!

                          5 out of 5 stars Amazing recipes!.......2007-01-04

                          We love the recipes and the artwork and can't wait to make a trip to Austin to visit Fonda San Miguel!

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