Book Description
River Road Recipes is the nation's #1 best-selling community cookbook series. This cookbook features classic creole and cajun cuisine. These 650 recipes include the basics like "how to make a roux". This is the "Textbook of Louisiana cooking".
Customer Reviews:
Fun -but not for every day use.......2007-05-16
I enjoyed reading this cookbook and feel certain I'll use it one day, but it's not the best for every day cooking. It's a bit old fashioned and many of the recipes are very high in fats and calories.
Wonderful piece of history.......2007-01-27
I lost my copy in a move and finally just had to replace it. This book is an institution in Louisiana cooking. There is unspoken history in each recipe.
River Road Recipes: The Textbook of LA Cuisine.......2007-01-11
a must have for bayou lovers cooking!
A Holy Book in Louisiana.......2006-08-16
Junior League cookbooks are an interesting phenomenon in that they document regional cooking in a really grass roots way.
This is one of the classics of Louisiana cooking. Every one has it and uses it down here. I remember it as a chilld learning to cook in New Orleans. I just bought a new clean one to replace the one that drowned.
Some of these recipes are really dated, very fifties, but interesting to read. Many are authentic 19th century Creole cooking, making this a great historical document for you REALLY hardcore foodies. And there's plenty of old fashioned healthy slow food that stands the test of time. Pair it with Charleston Reciepts and you have a food anthropology seminar... (another Junior League book from the Carolinas)
Notice I say Creole? "Cajun" was something completely different, different culture, different parts of the state. It's now a marketing term that has no respect for the
differences in styles, unfortunately- but this book predates that.
The River Road is about big cities and plantations; this is the French/ African/ native foods fusion that defines Creole. And a lot of very odd cocktails and punch ideas.
A great read and a great working book.
The ultimate cookbook for Louisiana cuisine.......2006-05-05
There really isn't much to say about this cookbook that others have not already said.
In a word, it's FANTASTIC.
Do yourself a favor and pick one up, you won't regret it
Product Description
The creators of the nation's number one best-selling community cookbook series welcome you to celebrate all of life's ordinary and extraordinary occasions. Enjoy 48 inspiring menus and over 300 new and innovative recipes from Baton Rouge, LA, where we celebrate life through our cooking, and our culinary history is legedary. Recipient of Addy Award for photography (David Humphries).
Customer Reviews:
The Best of the River Road Series.......2007-09-09
I have all of the River Road books and this one is the best of the series. It is not only beautiful, with colorful picture, but it has a durable hard cover to sustain a long life. I can't wait to try the wonderful recipes inside.
Sorry, but the size has really dropped...........2006-05-18
I came into this marriage with a husband who had his own river road cookbooks. And a mother-in-law on the committee.... (who hates to cook- guess???) and I LOVE the first, despite the plastic comb, like the second, really appreciated the 3rd, (but healthy and cookbook don't go that well together), and this is a beauty.
I LOVE the hardback, killer format. The photos, and ESPECIALLY the stories. But come on you guys, it is starting to really LOSE the regional flavor that made the first so great. And ASIAN??? I mean, yes, you can get great Asian food almost anywhere now, but I buy regional cookbooks for the regional flair- thus knocked off one of the stars...
what I REALLY WANT to see is a 'BEST OF RIVER ROAD' with all the glitz of the last cookbook, and all the HEFT (number of regional recipes, I have enough Lasagna thanks very much) of the first.... PLEASE
Wonderful!.......2005-04-08
This is a truly wonderful cookbook. It looks beautiful, is laid out well, and most importantly, has lots of terrific recipes. The recipes are not difficult, the ingredients are generally easy to find, and yet they all have that special flare that great southern cooks are known for. I'm buying a second copy to give to my sister-in-law. It is a great addition to your cookbooks and makes a great gift.
Wow! This book is beautiful!.......2004-12-11
This new River Road Recipes is absolutely beautiful! The pictures are gorgeous and the text reads like a Louisiana traveloge. The recipes are new and current but still reflect the types of food people like to eat in Louisiana. Not the same old gumbo recipes but no weird ingredients you have to look up either. We are loving it.
This book has it all!!.......2004-10-25
This is my new favorite cookbook. Everything I have made from it has been wonderful. I especially love the recipes for crawfish pie, pecan praline bacon and spinach salad sandwiches. Plus it is a beautiful book. This is a must for all Southern cooks!
Book Description
A Walter s. McIlhenny Community Cookbook Hall of Fame Winner. This cookbook is filled with family-friendly creole and cajun cuisine. There are 600 recipes many of which use convenience products to help you get dinner on the table quicker. It is a must have for a family who insists on quality meals, but has little time to prepare them.
Customer Reviews:
Yummy.......2002-06-05
I got this cookbook as a gift, and so far the recipes have been easy to follow! My family loves the Banana Nut Bread on page 58 any time of the day. I was afraid the recipes would all be too spicy, but they were yummy! I am going out to buy River Roads Recipes III this week.
Easy to Prepare Meals.......2001-09-17
When I say that this cookbook is one of my favorites, topped only by Talk About Good, that is saying a lot. I have found myself pulling this off of my mother's shelves after she has 'borrowed it'.
When I got this as a gift from my Sister In Law, I didn't know what a treat I was in for. Thank you!
The recipes are fairly easy to prepare and the results turn out great meals.
My only issue with any cajun cooking is that it sometimes calls for those Louisiana type of ingredients that are hard to get anywhere else but Louisiana (tasso for example!)
Great At Home Cooking!.......2000-11-22
This book has become a staple for my at home daily cooking. The Breakfast Casserole and the Lemon Squares are particularly good. This cookbook will serve as an outstanding guide for anyone who is intersted in adding the delicious flavor of Louisiana cuisine to their everyday meals!
River Road, A Second Helping.......2000-05-26
Having lived in New Orleans for 8 years, I acquired a taste for the unbelievable food there. In 1988, I moved away and some of the most important items to pack were my copies of the River Road cookbooks. I have just discovered my son has "borrowed" my Second Helping cookbook only to inform me it is his now. I now find myself having to reorder it as it contains so many easy to prepare and outstanding recipes. Congratulations to your contributors for a job well done.
Book Description
In an evocative sequel to the acclaimed New Orleans: Elegance and Decadence, author and photographer Richard Sexton returns with an in-depth visual journey through the hidden mansions—some inhabited, many now long abandoned—of Louisiana's River Road. Bordering the Mississippi, these antebellum landmarks were once the epitome of gracious living in the Deep South. Over the past century, these grand dwellings have slowly succumbed to time, humidity, and the reclamation of the land: first by nature, then by real-estate developers who built subdivisions, oil refineries, and strip malls where curtains of Spanish moss once swayed from the live oaks. This collection—featuring over 200 haunting color photographs with extensive captions explaining the architectural significance and history of each structure—is a beautiful elegy for a rapidly disappearing landscape and its ghosts.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Pictoral Tour of River Road.......2007-05-05
This is a gorgeous book full of information and amazing photos of some of the most prominent plantations that are on River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Some of the most amazing photos were from plantations that have all but been destroyed. I'd be really interested to see an updated version as some of these homes have been completely transformed since these photos were taken. Most noteably would be Houmas House and Laura which both in this book are nothing like their now restored selves. Regardless, this book is an excellent addition to anyone's plantation library or coffee table!
GREAT BOOK FOR BOTH THE COFFEETABLE AND THE MIND!.......2006-03-18
I was born and raised on the River Road. I have grown up and almost all of the wonders in this book. Nothing comes close to the accuracy and beauty captured in these photos. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone that would want to know or learn about the grand homes along the Mississippi and South Louisiana. This book is second to none in my rating. A MUST HAVE and a MUST OWN for EVERYONE!
Thoroughly enjoyable!.......2005-08-29
This is a fantastic coffe table book. This book is all about the pictures, with interesting text to accompany each image. Pictures are loveley, colour and large. If you are considering buying a copy without the dustjacket- go for it, as the cover image is on the underneath as well.
A great addition to any bookshelf or coffee table, my family have all had a look!
Most in depth book about River Road Architecture.......2003-07-02
I am fascinated with New Orleans and the River Road area and it's history .This has to be one of the best publications about this subject. Sexton seems to capture so much of it's history in the pages of this book, more so than any other author has. The photography is also wonderful and straight forward. I recommend it to any one who wants to learn more about southern Louisiana plantations.
A FINE TRIBUTE TO RIVER ROAD!!!!!.......2002-05-16
Although I've never been on River Road I feel this book brought me an authentic glimpse of life during the plantation era. The photographs are amazing and the book kept me spellbound for hours!! What fascinanted me most was how some plantations looked as if their inhabitants literally walked out the door and never looked back. Fine furniture, pictures, personal posessions were just left to slowly rot under leaky ceilings and caving roofs. On my next trip to New Orleans I will make it a priority to take a trip down River Road.
Book Description
JoAnn Ross, one of the most passionate voices in contemporary romantic fiction, returns to the moss-draped splendor of Blue Bayou in a powerful novel of love and suspense, filled with characters you will never forget.
Julia Summers is in Blue Bayou, Louisiana, wrapping up her role on the sizzling soap opera River Road before jetting off to play the part of her dreams. But when she receives an all-too-real threat, her director saddles her with a no-nonsense FBI agent as protection. Free-spirited Julia figures she'll just use her feminine wiles to keep the handsome bodyguard out of her way.
Finn Callahan has no interest in baby-sitting a spoiled starlet, but he owes his brother, Blue Bayou's mayor, a favor. When danger closes in on Julia, Finn realizes that what he feels for her is much more than physical attraction. Now he'll willingly lay his life on the line for the woman who has shown him how beautiful life can be when it's filled with laughter and love.
Download Description
JoAnn Ross, one of the most passionate voices in contemporary romantic fiction, returns to the moss-draped splendor of Blue Bayou in a powerful novel of love and suspense, filled with characters you will never forget. Julia Summers is in Blue Bayou, Louisiana, wrapping up her role on the sizzling soap opera River Road before jetting off to play the part of her dreams. But when she receives an all-too-real threat, her director saddles her with a no-nonsense FBI agent as protection. Free-spirited Julia figures she'll just use her feminine wiles to keep the handsome bodyguard out of her way. Finn Callahan has no interest in baby-sitting a spoiled starlet, but he owes his brother, Blue Bayou's mayor, a favor. When danger closes in on Julia, Finn realizes that what he feels for her is much more than physical attraction. Now he'll willingly lay his life on the line for the woman who has shown him how beautiful life can be when it's filled with laughter and love.
Customer Reviews:
Second in the Callahan Brothers series.......2006-05-20
Actress Julia Summers is about to leap from the small screen to the big screen as the next Bond chick. But first, she has to film her final season of nighttime soap "River Road" in the small town of Blue Bayou. Julia has a stalker sending her hate mail, so the producers decide to bring in a local bodyguard.
Finn Callahan just got suspended from the FBI for beating up a suspect that was trying to escape custody. Back home in Blue Bayou, his brother Nate asks him to do the small favor of play babysitter to what he assumes is a bubble headed and over-indulged actress. Julia could not be further from that. And with his own Bond-fixation, his hormones are in overdrive. Ever the resourceful agent, he manages to delve into her background and find out that she is the daughter of two hippies and has even been jailed for subversive activities herself.
As the two fight their attraction and fall deeper into lust (then act on what we all know would happen), they must also find the baddie that is making threats against Julia, as well as make a good impression on her parents who don't trust cops, especially feds.
Ross adds all the steam you come to expect from one of her novels. Though this is the second in a trilogy, the book stands on its own (though it is nice to get the family background), but pales overall in comparison to its predecessor "Blue Bayou".
I expected to like this.......2006-04-23
Actress Julia Summers is being vaguely threatened by a sometime stalker. She's ending her starring role on a prime time soap, "River Run", to be the next Bond girl. (She was raised by hippie parents, Freedom and Peace. It didn't connect with me how she became such a Fleming fan while living a vagabond and unconventional lifestyle with her free-spirited parents. Anyway.)
"River Road" is going to film the season cliffhanger in Blue Bayou, Louisiana. The Blue Bayou mayor asks his FBI agent brother, Finn Callahan, to bodyguard for Julia and protect her from the stalker.
Finn is at loose ends, enduring a four week unpaid leave of absence from the agency. Seems he tracked a serial killer for three years, caught him and, when the killer tried to escape from the hospital, Finn beat him up. Finn doesn't understand why his FBI boss had a problem with that. (Yeah, I'm rolling my eyes here.)
I liked some of the secondary characters and wish there had been more about them. The conversations between Julia and Finn were boring and I felt no chemistry between them. The stalker and serial killer and James Bond fixation were blech. On page eleven "her green eyes limpid pools of desire" was particularly blech. And it's really too bad Ms. Ross made the Louisiana bayou so ho-hum, about as interesting as a local city park . . . in fact, local parks are more interesting.
This is the second book in a trilogy. It's possible reading the first book (which I didn't) would make this one more enjoyable, possible, not probable.
Finn is my favorite Callahan.......2006-02-24
I read all three books in the Callahan Brothers Trilogy, and River Road (#2) was my favorite. All the books are fun and romantuc stories, but the brother Finn is the most interesting and best developed character of the three. The story line is different, with River Road being the name of a TV show--and the main female character being an actress. Also, I did not read the books in order, and it is not necessary to the enjoymnt of any of them.
RIVER ROAD - WELL PAVED.......2005-08-25
This 2nd episode of the Callahan Brothers was MUCH better than Blue Bayou! First of all, altho this plot has been done before, the characters were developed enough so that the tension and repartee was the most enjoyable thing.
River Road is a soap opera and Julia one of its sexiest stars. When she is stalked, they hire a bodyguard (Finn Callahan) and things excalate from there. I hope this story was meant to be funny because I laughed and groaned at the oh so corny soap opera. I liked Julia a lot and of course, Ms Ross wrote Finn to die for!
The ending is very well written, very romantic but the road getting there was satisfying. On to Nate's story.
Lots of tension!.......2003-12-31
Yes, the plot is cliched. Yes, the characters are stereotypical to an extent. I'm not denying that. HOWEVER, all of that is forgiven when I found myself reading this in two days because the sexual tension between the two main characters kept me riveted. I'm a big fan of romance novels, and it's difficult to find novels that can slip by my picky reading preferences.
This is the first book I've read by JoAnn Ross. I was disappointed to find that my local library doesn't carry many of her books, so I'm on the hunt to find others. At this point, I don't know if I can say that JoAnn Ross is one of my favorite authors, but I did like this book. I know I have a winner when I want to scream to the two main characters, "GET TOGETHER, ALREADY!"
Average customer rating:
- Slow start but builds to an exciting read,
- Flawless
- fascinating but flawed
- Don't Blame The South For The Likes of Lucy Bondurant!
- Not my favorite Anne Rivers Siddons book
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Peachtree Road
Anne Rivers Siddons
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0061097233 |
Book Description
Headstrong, exuberant, and independent, Lucy Bondurant is a devastating beauty who will never become the demure Southern lady her mother and society demand. Sheppard Gibbs Bondurant III, Lucy's older cousin, is too shy and bookish to become the classically suave and gregarious Southern gentleman his family expects. Growing up together in a sprawling home on Atlanta's Peachtree Road, these two will be united by fierce love and hate, and by rebellion against the narrow aristocratic society into which they were born. Anne Rivers Siddons's classic novel vividly brings to life their mesmerizing, unforgettable story—set against the dramatic changing landscape of Atlanta, a sleepy city destined for greatness.
Download Description
Headstrong, exuberant, and independent, Lucy Bondurant is a devastating beauty who will never become the demure Southern lady her mother and society demand. Sheppard Gibbs Bondurant III, Lucy's older cousin, is too shy and bookish to become the classically suave and gregarious Southern gentleman his family expects. Growing up together in a sprawling home on Atlanta's Peachtree Road, these two will be united by fierce love and hate, and by rebellion against the narrow aristocratic society into which they were born. Anne Rivers Siddons's classic novel vividly brings to life their mesmerizing, unforgettable story--set against the dramatic changing landscape of Atlanta, a sleepy city destined for greatness.
Customer Reviews:
Slow start but builds to an exciting read,.......2007-09-27
This was the only Anne Rivers Siddons book I have read with a slow start. But, it eventually builds the tension level, and I was hooked. Ms. Siddons is quite adept at descriptions of southern locales, and she describes Atlanta in that time beautifully. Gibby, the narrator, wasn't always a hero just like the rest of us, but the main woman,(whose name I can't remember), needed to disappear about half way through the book. She became excessively tiresome.
Flawless.......2007-01-18
What a wonderfully written book.I still can't help thinking of this great read.If you want a great book,this is it!
fascinating but flawed.......2006-12-04
The glimpse into a life that few of us understand was enthralling, but after awhile I couldn't care less about the characters. I finished it because I was hoping they would somehow redeem themselves. In Siddon's other stories her characters are deeply flawed but somehow we see why they are, and what they can't overcome. Here these folks have it all and still can't be decent human beings. I really had no sympathy for the moral lethargy of all of them.
Don't Blame The South For The Likes of Lucy Bondurant!.......2004-01-03
If, as Anne Rivers Siddons insinuates in the opening lines of this novel, the South killed Lucy Bondurant, then no one need ever take responsibility for their bizarre actions and dysfunctional behavior. Just blame it on your hometown. Hogwash, Ms. Siddons! You have given us much better than this cop-out.
Lucy and her mother, brother, and sister are seemingly abandoned by Lucy's father and this fact haunts her for her entire life as she searches for a father figure everywhere. When her family takes up residence with wealthy relatives, she forms a bond of love and hate with her cousin Shep. The fact that she ruins his life while destroying every chance at happiness he ever has, the fact that she is amoral, self-centered, and totally without real love for anyone cannot be blamed so easily on the fact that Atlanta emerged from a sleepy Southern hamlet to become one of the country's greatest metropolitan areas. There were too many other abandoned children (and worse) who turned into fine, upstanding adults in spite of early misfortunes.
In addition to Lucy being totally unlikeable as a heroine, it was the narrator Shep who made me sick with his pushover personality. He enables Lucy every page of the novel and, amazingly, never sees her for the troublesome, demented woman she becomes. Poor Shep the doormat.
Despite two highly unlikeable characters taking center stage in this novel, the story might be interesting since it is set in a pivotal time-frame of American history and one which today's aging baby boomers are very familiar with---Camelot, the assassination of JFK, the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King's dream, etc. However, it slogs painfully along for about 400 pages before things really begin to happen. Where were the editors on this one?
As I moved into the final 200 of 800+ pages, I began to think that maybe this was a pretty good book after all. That's before the author knocked the wind out of me by ending with such ambiguity that I'm not sure what really happened. So now I am desperately searching for friends, enemies, anyone who read this book and begging them to enlighten me as to what *really* happened in the last two paragraphs.
Not my favorite Anne Rivers Siddons book.......2003-12-27
I've thoroughly enjoyed quite a few of Siddons' books but this one didn't absorb me the way some of the others had. The 800+ pages could have easily been edited to about 500 and been a more compelling read. I found myself scanning over pages of repetitive narrative. I was, however, fascinated by seeing the change in culture throughout the "golden age" of this little hamlet. I was never able to feel much sympathy for the self-centered and destructive Lucy Bondurant and was often disgusted with the weak-willed main character, Shep Bondurant who allowed her to destroy his life. It was hard to believe that all the woes of Lucy Bondurant were due to "the south" rather than her own self-destructive impulses and mental illness.
Average customer rating:
- Terrific Story...Abrupt Ending!
- I enjoyed it
- Very Entertaining
- Suspenseful but maddening
- Deception and Naiveté'
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Mad River Road: A Novel
Joy Fielding
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0743488032 |
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author
JOY FIELDING
puts suspense into high gear, taking readers on a seductively twisting thrill ride into the heart of danger and desire -- to a place where nothing is as it seems.
She found the perfect lover. . . . Jamie Kellogg's life is at a crossroads. Stuck in a dead-end job, the divorced twenty-nine-year-old has been ruled by the voices of her judgmental mother and her perfectionist sister long enough. Now she's hearing only the sexy whispers of the thrillingly handsome stranger in her bed, the man she met in a Florida bar. His name is Brad Fisher, and he's telling her everything she's been dying to hear: She's gorgeous. She's smart. She's adventurous. Quitting her job and joining Brad on a spontaneous road trip, Jamie's ready for the ride of her life. But this trip has one destination: a run-down Ohio house on Mad River Road, where vengeance will come home at last -- and where someone will pay for the secrets and lies of the past. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Terrific Story...Abrupt Ending!.......2007-09-24
I enjoy Fielding's writing. I have read a few of her other pieces and find her to keep the story moving at a very fast pace as she presents the reader with several twists and turns. This work was no different. After having read her "Whispers and Lies" (which has one of the best endings of modern day fiction) I turned the pages of this novel faster than the Pope passes out holy cards, and I was rather disappointed as I got to the climax because it was so abrupt (however, not bad), it left me with a sense of wanting more and asking myself...Is this it? That's OK Joy, you kept me going and I enjoyed the ride. I will look forward to reading another one of her novels in the near future.
I enjoyed it.......2007-06-06
I've been a Joy Fielding fan for many years. I've read all of her books. She's one of my favorite authors. I liked this book. It was not as good as "The First Time", "Missing Pieces" or "Whispers and Lies" but it was a lot better than the last two books she wrote. I read this book in one day - I couldn't put it down. Jamie was very dumb but I did feel sorry for her near the end of the book. I liked Lily and the detective. I did not like the ending at all. I agree with the reviewer who said it was too abrupt. I can't wait to read "Heartstopper."
Very Entertaining.......2007-05-02
I really loved this book. I can normally tell you what happens in the end by the 2nd chapter, but this one really threw me a curvball. I was happy with the ending and with the other characters viewpoints throughout the book. A little dark, but very hard to put down.
Suspenseful but maddening.......2007-04-27
I'm somewhat ambivalent about this novel. I wanted an easy-to-read thriller to entertain me on a rainy spring evening, and that's what I got - Joy Fielding knows how to create suspense, and the result is a real page-turner - but her characters drove me up the wall.
The main character (no way can she be called a "heroine") is an idiot. Now, I certainly expect flawless characters (who'd be terribly boring as well as unrealistic) but I do expect the main character to be sympathetic, someone I can relate to or at least understand).
Jamie Kellogg is a divorcee whose marriage to a man she barely knew (she married him two weeks after they met) was an unqualified disaster. At the beginning of the novel, she's just learned her latest boyfriend is married and has no intention of leaving his wife. Does this make Jamie more cautious? A little warier, a little more discerning?
Nope, not our gal. She meets a good-looking man in a bar and, after spending the night with him, decides he is Mr. Right and agrees to go on a cross-country road trip with him. Later - too late - she finds out he is a murderous psychopath, recently released from prison. Oh well.
One of the criticisms I have had of Joy Fielding's books is the characterization of the men she portrays - almost all of them are either first-class jerks who torment women or psychopaths who torment women. However, her female characters don't come off any better. They are invariably "professional victims" - women who are passive, let things happen to them instead of taking control of their lives and making things happen, and end up feeling used, abused and terribly sorry for themselves.
Deception and Naiveté'.......2007-04-05
The plot in this novel could happen to anyone. The women in this novel are a reminder to all women to guide their hearts and their bodies.
Average customer rating:
- Back to the Front
- The trilogy moves from brilliant to sublime
- The final chapter of Regeneration Trilogy
- Great war literature -- great book
- I was disturbed and intensely involved with this book
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The Ghost Road
Pat Barker
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0452276721 |
Customer Reviews:
Back to the Front.......2006-03-31
I reviewed REGENERATION, the first volume in Pat Barker's WW1 trilogy, when I first read it and liked it. I did not submit a review of the second volume, THE EYE IN THE DOOR, because it did not seem to sustain the promise (or answer the questions) of the first, and I felt it necessary to see how this third volume would pull the threads together. My verdict: while THE GHOST ROAD is certainly a more focused book than its predecessor, it still does not quite sew the trilogy into a coherent whole.
Barker's method is to take a huge subject that has been much written about, the first World War, and to examine it from unusual angles. Almost all the first two books and the first two-thirds of this one take place in Britain rather than in France. They do not show the war itself, but its effects on the damaged minds of soldiers who return from it, and on social attitudes at home. The brilliance of the first volume was to take two real people -- the poet Siegfried Sassoon and the pioneering psychiatrist William Rivers -- and trace their interaction at Craiglockhart mental hospital, where Sassoon has been sent after publishing a denunciaton of the war. I doubt that Barker had a trilogy in mind when she wrote the first book, and it might have been difficult to have extended it further in the same vein. THE EYE IN THE DOOR suffers from having too many characters; there is a bit of Sassoon, a bit of Rivers, and a bewildering array of new people, but the main character is a relatively minor figure from the first book, Billy Prior. The main subject of the story is the strongly prejudiced reactionism in wartime Britain, taking as its targets pacifists, socialists, and homosexuals. It is a hard book to follow, and it rather loses its way.
THE GHOST ROAD more or less gets back on track, by giving more of the book to Rivers, by building Prior into a richer and more sympathetic character, and finally moving the action into the trenches for the last chapters. But the focus on war poets which gave such character to the first book has all but vanished in this one. Sassoon barely appears. Wilfred Owen, who figured as a secondary character in the first book, returns here and dies (as he did) in the last days of the way, but he is treated so peripherally that it is hard to see why the author cites no less than six books on him in her concluding bibliography.
This change of direction is a pity, because Barker is much more successful finding the humanity in her real characters than she is inventing others out of whole cloth. She seems to want to use Billy Prior, for example, in protean fashion, to represent whatever she needs at any given moment: a homosexual and yet a lover of women; an officer and gentleman who nonetheless comes from a working-class background; a soldier turned civil servant turned solider again. The lack of focus in Prior's own life risks the narrative focus of the last two books; his decision to return to France comes as a relief, because it simplifies everything.
The psychiartist Rivers has always been an attractive and complex character, I think because his complexity is real and not made up. In this volume, Barker fills him out by delving into his past: his relationship with Lewis Carrol as a child, and his anthropological work in the South Seas at the start of the century. Both are interesting, but their relationship to the overall direction of the trilogy is less clear. Others have commented on the parallels between the Melanesian culture and the situation in the trenches, but I do not find it especially cogent. However, it certainly makes an unusual angle on the war, and the ability to find unusual angles has been Pat Barker's greatest success from beginning to end.
The trilogy moves from brilliant to sublime.......2005-04-22
The books in this trilogy get better as you go. Eye in the Door certainly explores the dissolving bonds of society in war time but Ghost Road seems to move the theme even further into the primitive societal meaning of war.
In Regeneration, Siefried Sassoon must find personal meaning in this horroble meaningless mess called World War I. In Eye in the Door we seen how sexual bonds are losened while society seeks to blame negative events in wartime on homosexuals. Finally in Ghost Road we see war as the sacrifice of the young male to the gods. The upperclass elderly males who direct wars sacrifice the young sons of the working class on an altar of horror. Dr. Rivers makes this connect as he treats the young Billy Pryor for shell shock while remembering the ritual sacrifice of the Melanesian head hunters.
The trilogy is absolutely great and should be read in order to follow the character developement as well as the exploration of war that Barker develops differently with each book.
The final chapter of Regeneration Trilogy.......2003-11-25
THE GHOST ROAD is the final volume of Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, and the winner of the 1995 Booker Prize. Throughout the trilogy Barker performs a phenomenal job of detailing the psychological consequences of trench warfare during the Great War. Set in London and France, THE GHOST ROAD focuses on the principle characters of Billy Prior and the renowned Dr. Rivers and their personal relationships with each other and the First World War. The reader is provided a glimpse into the terrible conditions of trench fighting, and how the medical establishment viewed shell-shock as a medical diagnosis and how it was treated. Through the poetry of Owen, Sassoon, etc, the world can begin to understand the personal horrors they have witnessed of a war that many did not understand. Based loosely on historical events and characters, Barker has created a perspective of modern warfare that does not contain the quintessential happy ending.
I believe each volume of the Regeneration Trilogy should be read in chronological order (REGENERATION, THE EYE IN THE DOOR, AND THE GHOST ROAD) to fully appreciate the merits of each volume. Although the plot is re-summarized at the beginning of each book, the main characters are continually being developed throughout. I just finished reading GHOST ROAD, and I have to admit that it's not my favorite of the three. I don't understand how this volume was awarded the Booker Prize when I believe REGENERATION is the strongest of the bunch. I also enjoyed THE EYE IN THE DOOR because of the exploration of societal issues during The First War, especially scape-goating of homosexuals and pacifists.
Overall, this trilogy is a wonderful glimpse into the atmosphere of Britain during the First World War.
Great war literature -- great book.......2003-10-24
Everyone living in the 21st century who cares about the future of humanity -- not to mention fine literature -- should read this extremely skillfully written, emotionally powerful novel of The Great War. Pat Barker has perfect control over her material, and manages to write with power but never goes over the top or gets melodramatic -- a tough thing to do when you're writing about any war. Starting gently, subtly, even humorously, the book builds quietly until it reaches its final, wrenching chapters. It's a touching, compelling, beautifully told tale that deserves a worldwide audience. I can't wait to read more by Pat Barker!
I was disturbed and intensely involved with this book.......2003-01-10
Not your ordinary war read. I love authors that take a topic of huge proportions, say World War I, and write a book that actually stands taller in the imagination of the reader as great a couple weeks later.
Book Description
Welcome to the town of Blue Bayou, where passion and intrigue are always in season....
BLUE BAYOU
When Danielle Dupree returns to her childhood hometown as a widow with a young son, she discovers that her "bad boy" first love, Jack Callahan, has also come home. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air...and that the past may ruin their second chance at having a once-in-a-lifetime love.
RIVER ROAD
FBI agent Finn Callahan owes his brother, the mayor, a favor. So when visiting television star Julia Summers receives a death threat, it's up to Finn to guarantee her safety. Free-spirited Julia figures she'll just use her feminine wiles to keep the stern but handsome bodyguard out of her way...until her attraction to Finn puts them both in danger of falling passionately in love.
MAGNOLIA MOON
Having just discovered that she's adopted, L.A. homicide detective Regan Hart comes to Blue Bayou to uncover her true identity. With the help of Nate Callahan, the town's mayor and most eligible bachelor, Regan slowly pieces together the puzzle of her family's history -- and finds herself unexpectedly losing her heart to Nate....
Customer Reviews:
There are better JR books out there -.......2006-09-19
These are the stories of 3 eligible bachelors/brothers and the women that finally 'catch' them. I enjoyed the stories since I live in LA but that was about it. JR's earlier books are great! These stories were silly at times for me and didn't really have anything to really sink your teeth into. They were just fun to read for an afternoon. Glad I didn't buy the book. Would I recommend it - if you just want something to read, yeah.
Better than Ms. Ross's Last Few,.......2004-07-08
First, I'd like to say as a rule I have been a huge fan of this writer for quite sometime but her last few novels have been a little less than what I had grown to expect from this writer, so I stopped buying her books for awhile hoping Ms. Ross would somehow magically get her MAGIC back. A friend gave me this book as a gift for my birthday. I was glad she did. I enjoyed the story and even though Ms. Ross still isn't 100% she is at least back to 75%, a doable percentage as far as I'm concerned. Now, I find myself looking forward to her next novel. Hopefully her skills will be back to normal by then!
Book Description
Who thought healthy cooking and cajun cooking could go together? The Junior League of Baton Rouge! Classic Louisiana cooking for our health-conscious age. This book features 700 recipes to help you trim the fat and calories, but not the taste. All recipes have nutritional analysis, including American Dietary Exchanges.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful recipe book!.......2004-05-09
This book was like a dream come true for me. The two previous River Roads Recipes books were my favorite cookbooks, but I was trying to cut back on the fat content that is usually so high in the Cajun & Creole cooking I grew up on. This book offered me the answers I was looking for.
Healthier Cooking.......2002-06-06
My husband --- like so many others--- is on a modified diet. This cookbook took already delicious recipes and modified them with the help of a licensed dietitian to fit our newly apdopted healthier lifestyle. The nutrition notes give ideas on how to cut the recipe even further plus lets you know what was your saving in calories, fat, salt... I like the sidebars stories; They add interest. I also like the "Something Extra" section at the end. The Curried Chicken Salad is a luncheon favorite at work.
Wonderful recipes, made healthier in River Road III.......2000-04-27
I guess I would give this book more like 4 1/2 stars. My fiance is from New Orleans and I wanted to serve more native dishes but in a healthier way. This book is just the ticket. The only thing I'd change is a few more of the "traditional" recipes but what is in there is very good with easy-to-follow directions. I especially like the way it shows you the difference between the original and lighter recipes. My future mother in law has used the book for years and really likes it. I can't wait to try more recipes.
Books:
- Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn
- Safe Harbor (Drake Sisters, Book 5)
- Scandalous Lovers
- Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child : Eliminating Conflict by Establishing Clear, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries
- Skylark (Sarah, Plain and Tall)
- Slightly Sinful
- Stolen Magic
- Storm Runners: A Novel
- Strangers in the Night
- Summer of the Sea Serpent (Magic Tree House #31)
Books Index
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