Travesuras de la nina mala / Mischiefs of the Bad Girl

Product Description

Ricardo, at an early age, sees his life-long dream fulfilled: to live in Paris. But an encounter with a past love will change everything. The young girl, adventurer, pragmatic, wicked, calculating, and mischievous, will drag him out of his small world of ambitions. This is the story of the intimate love that occupies more than three decades of Ricardos life, and it is also a fascinating tale traveling through Europe, South America, and Japan. Starring in the backdrop are Perus history from 1950 to 1987 and its swinging from democracy to dictatorship; Paris in the sixties and its great philosophers Sartre and Camus; the decade of the 70s in London, the birth of a new culture, drugs, music, hippies, freedom of love; Japans big dealer lords, and, finally, Spain halfway through the 80s. Creating an admirable tension between comedy and tragedy, Mario Vargas Llosa plays with reality and fiction to release a story in which love presents itself as indefinable, owner of a thousand faces, just like the mischievous girl. Passion and distance, chance and destiny, pain and pleasure... Which is the true face of love? Description in Spanish: Ricardo ve cumplido, a una edad muy temprana, el sueño que en su Lima natal alimentó desde que tenía uso de razón: vivir en París. Pero el rencuentro con un amor de adolescencia lo cambiará todo. La joven, inconformista, aventurera, pragmática e inquieta, lo arrastrará fuera del pequeño mundo de sus ambiciones. Testigos de épocas convulsas y florecientes en ciudades como Londres, París, Tokio o Madrid, que aquí son mucho más que escenarios, ambos personajes verán sus vidas entrelazarse sin llegar a coincidir del todo. Sin embargo, esta danza de encuentros y desencuentros hará crecer la intensidad del relato página a página hasta propiciar una verdadera fusión del lector con el universo emocional de los protagonistas. Creando una admirable tensión entre lo cómico y lo trágico, Mario Vargas Llosa juega con la realidad y la ficción para liberar una historia en la que el amor se nos muestra indefinible, dueño de mil caras, como la niña mala. Pasión y distancia, azar y destino, dolor y disfrute... ¿Cuál es el verdadero rostro del amor?

Customer Reviews:

travesuras de una niña mala.......2007-09-01

The book was missing about 10 pages. this is unacceptable.Pages 73 to 88 were missing. Would like a new book with all the pages.

Just a masterpiece.......2007-08-24

I got this book as it was recommended by a person I love a lot. She told me that this will be a good reading and she was absolutely right. The way how Mario Vargas Llosa describes every single place, situation and feelig is just something that gets you into the history pretty quickly. It was really hard to stop reading it since i started it. That is why I finished it just in 2 nights. Mischiefs of the Bad Girl was for sure a great novel and was worth the time for sure. I highly recommend it...

The best book I read - Lo mejor que he leaido.......2007-05-22

This book is very good and when you are star reading you will no able to stop. Lo recomiendo te va agradar y la verdad no te arepentiras.

The best Vargas Llosa book so far.......2007-05-16

Once you pick up this book you won't stop reading it. The adventures of two lovers who keep bumping into each other at different points in life and at different points of the world mesmerizes the reader with powerful descriptions of love and lust. If you like Vargas Llosa you will love this book.

Excellent service and book.......2007-03-09

Thank you for your prompt service. The book was in an excellent condition.

Money Mischief: Episodes in Monetary History

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AIMED AT MONETARY ECONOMISTS, NOT A GENERALIST BOOK
The Power of Monetary Thinking
A great introdcution to the importance of monetary policy
Friedmanýs Case Against the Government Is Crystal Clear
Interesting

Money Mischief: Episodes in Monetary History
Milton Friedman
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 015661930X

Book Description

Friedman makes clear once and for all that no one is immune from monetary economics-that is, from the effects of its theory and its practices. He demonstrates through historical events the mischief that can result from misunderstanding the monetary system. Index.

Customer Reviews:

AIMED AT MONETARY ECONOMISTS, NOT A GENERALIST BOOK.......2005-02-09

Many of Milton Friedman's previous books, especially "Free to Choose" are aimed at a popular audience, supporting the cause for freedom in many different aspects of society. With it, this book shares the brilliance and throughness of thought employed by Friedman, perhaps the most well known (if not the best) economist of the 2nd half of the 20th century.

In "Money Mischief" Friedman enters the realm of monetary economics, briefly telling a history of the different systems that have been employed through history for value conservation. Aside from perhpas the first 100 pages, the rest of the book relies on some notion of monetary economics and international trade and finance. Most of the book is devoted to the study of the old metallic or bimetallic standards and the early days of the fiat money system (the one most used today). An experienced economist will recognize the brilliance of the arguments linkings seemingly unrelated events such as the US elections in 1892 and the fall of the Chiang Kai-shek government in China (believe me, Friedman convinced me they were directly linked).

For a non-economist, the first one hundred pages may tell a brief history of money, so if that is your interest, stop there. Experienced economists will definitely enjoy the suddle linkages of events, such as deflations and the California gold rush and the development of the cyanide process for extracting gold. The book is aimed at a more knowledgeable crowd; with such an aim, it achieves its objective brilliantly.

The Power of Monetary Thinking.......2004-03-11

In his best selling study, Robert L. Heilbroner calls Economists 'The worldly philosophers'. That description certainly captures what Milton Friedman does in this book - he takes the seemingly simple concept of money, the unit of exchange we use daily and rarely reflect upon, and demonstrates how complicated the issues regarding it are.

(As an interesting aside, Heilbroner's original title for his book was 'the money philosophers' - a definition that fits Friedman in this book even better then his chosen title, even if it is too narrow to account for all of economics).

More then half of this collection of essays is about the so-called 'Crime of 1873' - America's decision, following the issuance of fiat money (that is, money irredeemable in specie) during the Civil War, to peg the dollar not to both silver and gold, but to gold alone. This seemingly arcane and academic topic was a major political issue in the 1880s and 90s, climaxing with the nomination of the silver Democrat, William Jennings Bryan to the presidency of the United States in 1896.

As the Unites States, along with most other 19th century nations such as Germany and France, followed Great Britain in adopting the gold standard, the price of gold rose in terms of other resources, so prices went down. Therefore there was a severe deflation causing much unrest and discontent.

The cure to the deflation came not through political or monetary means, however, but because of an invention of a method to extract gold from low grade ore. This increased the supply of gold, lowered its prices. Hence stopping the deflation, and killing the presidential ambitions of William Jennings Bryan.

The rest of the book describes various issues, from FDR's decision to 'help silver' which helped Communism in China instead (by increasing the cost of silver, overvaluing the Chinese currency and thus hurting Chinese exports and undermining the Chinese economy), to the policy of pegging a currency to the dollar (not a good idea as it subjects the country to the whims of the world economy. The policy was a grave failure to Chile and a great success to Israel, due entirely to external changes in the value of the dollar).

The theme of the later parts of the book is undoubtedly inflation. Friedman demonstrates his claim that inflation is "always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon" (p.104). Inflation is caused by government increasing the money supply, although one time price increases may be caused by unfortunate outside events (like Arabs reduction of the exportation of oil in the early 1979s).

Although Friedman is well known as an economic right winger, there is nothing in this account that should be displeasing to anyone from the left - Friedman's case is against mismanagement, not for small or big governments. Nor is there any argument about whether government spending should go to the military, to welfare, or to any other cause. Although Friedman's book is filled with stories of the political economy, its moral is politically neutral. Indeed, Friedman clearly discusses how inflation is often used by governments because direct taxation is unpopular (p.205) - can you say "read my lips, no new taxes"?

Furthermore, the economic analysis of some reviewers in Amazon is shaky. Friedman writes "all these adjustments [the negative effects of inflation] are set in motion by changes in the rates of monetary growth and inflation. If monetary growth was high but steady... the economy would adjust to it. ... Such an inflation would do no great harm " (p.222).

Although Friedman does not like inflation, he actually makes a case for it, at least at a low single digit level. Since people are usually sellers of few things and purchasers of many, they are more aware of the increase in the price of the commodity they sell then they are of the increase of general prices, especially when those changes are low. People like to see their income go up, as they feel it is a just reward for their efforts (p. 70).

'Money Mischief' is an interesting, challenging book. Its chapters vary from the extremely technical and difficult, (notably chapter 4, a counter-factual exercise estimating the effect of continuing bimetallism after 1873), to 'pop economics' chapters which are no less enlightening and easier to read.

The book ends with a discussion of the new experiment started in the 1970s - currency which is entirely unredeemable by any kind of good. Earlier economists thought that this was impossible, and would necessarily lead to high inflation, but Friedman is optimistic - he believes that aware and well informed public and decision makers can pressure the government against unduly increasing the money supply. Thus, widespread understanding of economics is the real cure for inflation.

A great introdcution to the importance of monetary policy.......2002-12-09

I must confess of my unbounded admiration for Milton Friedman. He has contributed so much to our understanding of the effects of monetary policy and has been such a tireless advocate for freedom that I must admit I am not impartial in any way, so readers beware.

This book examines 10 different episodes in world history in which seemingly trivial policy choices towards money had profound, unexpected, and unforeseen consequences (usually very bad). They make enjoyable reading and are most educational.

The discussions are not all that technical and, to me, sparkle with wit and insight. This book can serve as a great introduction to how gold and silver money was abused, the effect that minting rights can have, how technology changes in mining precious metals caused a crisis of devaluation, what the heck bimetallism is and what the issues around it were (are), and most important, the risks of the kind of money we have (fiat money - because it is not tied explicitly to some kind of commodity and is therefore at the risk of somebody running the printing press too much). This is all great stuff. Enjoy!

There are several useful graphs and tables. Also, a reference list in the back can act as a bibliography for further reading.

Friedmanýs Case Against the Government Is Crystal Clear.......2002-06-13

Imagine a grand winning case that is laid before the Supreme Court to change the course of modern life around the world. Friedman starts at the very beginnings of money and traces its evolution in copious detail. As proceedings finally reach the summation which is the final chapter: "Monetary Policy in a Fiat World." I see the court in a unanimous wonderment over the masterful job that has been done by Friedman. Well, the court required is public opinion--- a bit more cumbersome.

In any nation at any point in modern history, inflation comes from only one source the national government, not by some physical event, war or deficit spending. He details how the cause of inflation is growing the money supply faster than the output of goods and services. In his fabulous review of money he chronicles the centuries of price stability that came to an end with the creation of paper money. This fiat money is not backed by a precious metal and it has spread becoming the only remaining currency in the world. He does not argue for the return to a precious metal standard as some have misrepresented.

He provides details in country after country of how governments hallucinate that the citizens will not blame the government. Inflation directly benefits the government at the expense of the citizens. In addition to the impact on your liquid assets, the government debt is paid back or refinanced with far less valuable inflated dollars. He shows how tax cuts only giving back the tax increases that come from bracket creep in an inflationary environment. Finally. People and the financial markets quickly learn that interest rates have to compensate for inflation plus a real above inflation.

In current times this means government ten year bond rates of six to eight percent or more. The last ten years was the most ideal time in a century to control inflation. However, inflation was still three to five percent per year. The only logical assumption is that in the next ten years inflation is more likely to be near five percent or more. The historical real return required on government bonds is viewed as about three percent hence the total yield of six to eight percent. Currently, it is slightly below the range. Home mortgages will tend to be a couple percent higher than the government bond. In the simplest terms, had the Federal Reserve controlled inflation to zero, mortgage rates would be half what they are today. Since Greenspan went into the job committed to zero inflation like no other Fed Chairman, there will be no realistic basis for trusting in any potential Federal Reserve policy to eliminate inflation. It would take many years of proof before bond markets would believe any such policy. Because of money mischief we are stuck with high interest rates for a very long time. Thanks to our Federal Government and no one else. The blame could not be more clear.

Many governments have fallen including democracies over the matter of inflation. As USA citizens learn about inflation, it follows that political views will change. One of Friedman's most valuable contributions is the mathematical proof and imperial evidence collection that a little inflation does not help reduce unemployment. It worsens employment. Specifically, while 3% inflation is a smaller crime against the people than 10% inflation, it is still a crime with no redeeming virtue. This is not a matter of theory or political philosophy. Thanks largely to Friedman, the proof is in and the public debate should draw to a close.

The crowning moment of the book is when he details the observations that fiat money as a global money system is only a few decades old and it remains to be seen if governments can be harnessed by citizens to stop inflation. Friedman causes us to appreciate that there is only one place to draw the line. That is at zero inflation. The wreckage of inflation is not just in the aggregate economy, the low income and the retired. The mismanagement of money in the case of the USA by the Federal Reserve eventually reeks havoc in the securities markets. While Friedman is the Federal Reserves most articulate and worthy critic, his goal is to strengthen the spine of the Federal Reserve by educating the public and the government. After reading this book you are likely to see the senators that rant that "only they care about the unemployed and the Federal Reserve must now and always pump up the money supply" as at best badly misinformed.

To label Friedman a conservative or a libertarian economist as some reviewers do is to suggest that you can dismiss the authors views as not mainstream and suspect. This convention has clearly crossed over from the liberal major market media of modern times. It is truly dastardly to degrade the standing of Milton Friedman. His great works should command everyone's study and one should allow your views to be challenged simply on the merits of Friedman's work. A Nobel Prize is not awarded as the result of some game. Friedman's contributions to the modern world are profound.

Interesting.......2001-11-28

As always , concise writing which make you able to understand the hardest part of monetory policy

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Spenser v. Susan's ex
The Accidental Therapist. Spenser's Sigmund Sofa Shines Susan's Spirit. Self-Actualization Be Done.
One of the Better Spensers
Reading human behavior
Selfish Susan at it again

Sudden Mischief (Spenser)
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 042516828X

Amazon.com

Sudden Mischief, the 25th Spenser novel, finds Robert B. Parker's seemingly ageless sleuth once again engaging Boston's bad guys and sorting out life's moral dilemmas, all (or mostly) in the name of love. When Spenser's girlfriend, psychiatrist Susan Silverman, asks him to investigate charges of sexual harassment leveled against her ex-husband, Brad Sterling, the detective agrees, though the assignment "shows every sign of not working out well." As the sexual harassment allegations melt like April snow, Sterling drops out of sight, a dead body appears in his office, and Spenser discovers a murky slush of clues that suggest Sterling's work as a marketing genius for local charities has been a front for some truly despicable criminal activities. As always, the more-than-slightly-shady Hawk is on hand to help Spenser sort the good from the bad, but Spenser is left to his own devices when it comes to making sense of the emotional havoc the case creates in his relationship with Susan. And what devices they are: emotionally mature and physically dynamic, Spenser once again proves himself as detective, friend, lover, and human being as Sterling's reappearance forces Susan to examine her past and her conscience while searching for her own autonomy. As always, Spenser endures as an intelligent, ethical, and poetic private eye, even if his endless middle age seems a bit supernatural. Parker's nimble, Spartan prose suits a character who carries his years in wisdom rather than body fat. If the heart of any truly great detective series is a truly great detective, Sudden Mischief and the rest of Parker's Spenser novels surely fit the bill. --L.A. Smith

Book Description

Spenser's back. And Susan's ex is quaking in his boots...

Susan Silverman's ex doesn't call himself "Silverman" anymore--he's changed his name to "Sterling." And that's not the only thing that's phony about him. A do-gooding charity fundraiser, he's been accused of sexual harassment by no less than four different women. And not long after Spenser starts investigating, Sterling is wanted for a bigger charge: murder...

"Sparkling."--Detroit Free Press

"A highly satisfactory addition to a well-rounded series."-- Houston Chronicle

"Smooth as silk."-- Orlando Sentinel

"A corker."-- Buffalo News

Customer Reviews:

Spenser v. Susan's ex.......2007-08-17

In "Sudden Mischief," Susan comes to Spenser asking him to help out her ex-husband, Brad Sterling (he has changed his name). Brad is "on the edge of dissolution" and has been sued for sexual harassment by four women after he chaired a major charity event. However, when Spenser goes to talk to Brad, Brad laughs it off - claiming he is doing fine, there is no problem with harassment and Susan was over-reacting. Puzzled, Spenser starts to dig. And, of course, that brings some bruisers to bear upon him. Discovering that the charity event brought no money to any of the charities - except maybe one mysterious charity chaired by another of Brad's ex-wives called Civil Streets, but Spenser cannot be sure because no one will talk to him about it - Spenser becomes suspicious. Also, the harassment suit comes under fire when Spenser discovers love letters and naked pictures of one of the woman under Brad's bed.

Well paced and intricately plotted, this novel had more twists than the California coastal highway. I enjoy the Spenser novels, because they keep you guessing until the end. Not to be missed!

The Accidental Therapist. Spenser's Sigmund Sofa Shines Susan's Spirit. Self-Actualization Be Done........2007-05-31

SUDDEN MISCHIEF, # 25 in the Spenser series, provided another prime work up on the Man/Woman relationship scene, dealing with ex-hubby scars, Susan's turtle-snap moods, and a new-and-improved conversational skill from Dr. Sigmund Spenser. I'm roaring onward toward the end of the series with continued amazement at how many miasmas of human angst Parker has been able to muck into, for Spenser to clarify and deodorize; and how many relationship scenes and character cards he can lay bare on any table, with Spades called true.

Opening what I might term "The Pandora in The Relationship," a scene between Spenser and Susan slipped suddenly from the most comfy of cozy, with humor set and staged on-a-roll ... to sour milk, paused peace, and stomach knots. I felt that hit along with Spenser, possibly more than any other emotional toll taken in the series (except when Susan left in VALEDICTION, # 11 in the series). The way Spenser worked with and through the situation was a perfect expression of ... not of psychological actualization ... but of the wisdom of a dynamically-operating human maturity. This scene and Spenser's "self-talk" in understanding the dense drama underlying Susan's behavior took the reader ozone holes beyond the trite advice to "roll with the punches."

I particularly enjoyed the few glove punches of tribute to X-Files here, in the slight, playful change in the style of humor between Hawk and Spenser, and in the Lone Gunman computer geek. SUDDEN MISCHIEF was another example of the cultural evolutionary intrigue contained in this triple-decade-running series. In this one and in a few previous recent offerings readers were also given hints of the beginning of The-Waitress-Hurry-Rush-Syndrome, which appeared to have begun in the nineties.

In SUDDEN MISCHIEF Spenser stepped up to the tallest measure of being Susan's hero, savior, Knight-in-Shining Armor, and her Shrink. Acting as her shrink, Spenser's jangled the jargon from the popular surge of psycho-self-help books which carried "come-communicate" concepts from the 70's and 80's into the 90's. Spenser's part of every dialogue with every character seemed to have suddenly altered in MISCHIEF in a manner which felt somewhat but not totally, tongue-in-cheek. The alteration came through the famous style of the Shrink's SILENCE, the true listening mode ... of no response ... to stretches of out-loud contemplations from whomever happened to be the partner in repartee (or payer of shrink-wrap fees). I enjoyed the fact that the dialogues often took place over meals or in interesting restaurants, so that when Spenser worked the no response deal, he replaced the saved mouth motion with warm, moist bites of fresh, spongy bread, and savored the yeasty flavor. Usually his comment in that venue went something like, "I took a bite of .... It was good."

Spenser did the shrink silence with as much perfection as he has done all else. Even so, one of the reasons for success of his perfection was his ability to see (and note) his and Susan's flaws here. And, Susan's self-actualization scene in chapter 48 was truly incredible in Parker's perfection of process of her coming to that catharsis, with Spenser providing support in an awesomely effective way of stand-aside-but-be-ready.

As noted above, it appeared to me that the humor had changed slightly in this one, with appetizer overtures in recent previous offerings as well. Some of the conversational fun-poking definitely seemed to have taken on a warmly entertaining edge of the X-Files, Fox Mulder type.

The combo of these subtle changes continued to herald the "Signs of the Times," reinforcing my sense of one of the major values in this series being its feathered function as a cultural-evolution-landmark for the 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's.

Sometimes series authors have espoused a wish that they could get out of the limitations of a genre and write something "significant." Parker has repeatedly and unfailingly honored his series genre, while packing his products with the ultimate in literary significance. Possibly the greatest gift in this accomplishment is that readers can choose to see this significance (and be awed by it). Or, they can merely let go of cares and worries, and be entertained by pure escape fiction.

I wonder if RBP was born on the precise point of an Annular Solar Eclipse, to have continually generated and successfully manifested so much primal, pivotal creativity. Or maybe ... like today ... Robert B. Parker was born during a Blue Moon peaking full in the company of Jupiter and Vesta (the asteroid). All I know about that is that he was born in 1947 (or 48?), a Baby Boomer like many of us.

Another man, born in 1928, wasn't a Baby Boomer, nor an author, yet he reminds me of Parker, in the sense of the above described type of continued creative generation and manifestation. See the Amazon Short, I Worked: A True Story

Immensely thankful for fascinating feats such as these,
Linda G. Shelnutt

One of the Better Spensers.......2007-04-16

I enjoy Robert Parker's books a lot, and SUDDEN MISCHIEF is one of the better novels in his Spenser series.

Many of Parker's books after 1990 are hit and miss, especially when it comes to the mystery plots. Fortunately, SUDDEN MISCHIEF has a fully developed storyline that kept me interested in what was going on. This novel is also noteworthy in that Parker reveals key information about the past of Dr. Susan Silverman, a key character in the series.

If you've never read Spenser before, my advice is not to start with this novel. It's the 25th book in a long running series, and features some key characters that were introduced in prior novels. I would recommend looking at some of the early novels instead, like THE JUDAS GOAT and LOOKING FOR RACHEL WALLACE. Generally speaking, the very best Spenser novels are the earliest ones, written before 1985.

Reading human behavior.......2005-05-30

Susan's ex-husband, Brad Sterling, needs help. He is being sued for sexual harassment. He doesn't have enough money to defend himself. The husband of one of the litigants calls Spenser a bouncer. An attorney friend tells Spenser to be careful.

Spenser sends Hawk to Marblehead, confident that Hawk can find a way to blend in. The specifics of the harassment claim are not described by anyone Spenser encounters. The charities that were supposed to receive the proceeds of a benefit gala, Galapalooza, arranged by Brad, received nothing. Brad has refused to hire a lawyer to represent him.

Next Spenser and Hawk find out that Brad is living in one room in Brighton and that he is not paying his bills. Spenser goes to see Brad's sister. She relates that he, Brad, is always on the verge of bankruptcy. She and her husband found it necessary to cut him off a year and half ago. Spenser meets one of the women claiming harassment at a mall in Peabody. He learns the suit is bogus, just brought into being because a wife needed to find a way to meet the justifiable suspicions of her husband.

By this point Brad is both missing and a murder suspect. Spenser learns that Galapalooza is probably a scheme to launder money. Brad appears. Some symbolism is involved in his misdeeds and has misfired. He feels that everyone has let him down.

The story delineates the Susan-Spenser relationship and history in interesting fashion.

Selfish Susan at it again.......2004-10-05

Susan Silverman, the pinnacle of the selfish, self-involved (...), strikes again. This time she expects Spenser to save her ex-husband while putting up with her petty bitchery about him saving her ex-husband. The (...) mental. I do not understand why Parker feels compelled to include such a worthless character in all his books. She really ruins the story lines.

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WOMAN WITH A LOAD OF STYLE
The Man With a Load of Mischief
Pretty bad
wonderful series
Long Piddleton... Where it all began.

The Man with a Load of Mischief
Martha Grimes
Manufacturer: Onyx
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451410815
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Book Description

Two pubs in Long Piddleton are the sights of two murders. Scotland Yard's Richard Jury gets some help from Long Piddleton's own Melrose Plant to root out evil in the heart of the village.

Customer Reviews:

WOMAN WITH A LOAD OF STYLE.......2007-07-18

This is the first of the Inspector Jury mysteries. My own debut with the series was one of the most recent books, Winds of Change. I enjoyed that greatly, but I found the large cast of characters a bit of a strain on the memory, so I next chose the first of all, expecting to be introduced to the main characters in a systematic way. To some extent I have been, but Ms Grimes doesn't really do systematic introductions. Jury, Melrose Plant and the others ease their way on to the scene rather than make any highlighted entrance. However with another volume in the series behind me I was better attuned to what to expect, and I coped better with the extensive character-list this time.

One thing that helped was that so many people in this story are murdered that there are fewer to keep tabs on as the book progresses. Indeed unless I'm mistaken the author herself loses count of exactly how many. Another intriguing feature is that the story has actually two heroes, Jury himself and the elegant aristocratic dilettante Melrose Plant, formerly Viscount this and Baron that before he resigned his titles out of boredom. Otherwise the style is a rather brilliant pastiche of the traditional English whodunit, as practised most famously by Agatha Christie. American spelling is used (vise, gray, fiber, checkbook) but otherwise it would be hard to tell that the author was not another English Rose herself, except for an oddly nonchalant attitude to geography that I had also noticed in Winds of Change - she appears to think that Northamptonshire, which is in the south Midlands, is somewhere in northern England. Like Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle she has a penchant for bachelors as making the best detectives, although there is one solitary reference, never elaborated, to some one called Maggie who haunts Jury's memory, and I have to hope that this was someone who had formed part of his personal life and not the prime minister at the time of the book's creation.

The book is light reading, but there are one or two good phrases and more than one or two striking perceptions that suggest to me that Grimes has depths to her that may be more apparent in her other kinds of fiction. The story-line is a genuine page-turner, I found, and the final denouement is an excellent specimen of the over-the-top genre, more familiar these days from detective series on television than from Christie and her generation. The atmosphere evokes the picture-postcard kind of English village, still without ethnic minorities or cut-price housing developments, that Christie's Miss Marple would have recognised, and the place-names are at least a brave attempt at English nomenclature. As far as the dialogue goes, Grimes seems to me to have a very good ear indeed, to the extent that even Plant's American whodunit-writing aunt talks in the general English manner, despite her difficulties with some people's names.

This is a more straightforward detective story than the much more recent Winds of Change. The narrative is all focused on the plot-line without diverging into the deeper recesses of Jury's or anyone else's personality and deeper thoughts, although there are a few displays of erudition just to give a distinctive feel to it all. I'd say that a genuine distinctiveness is what I like best about Martha Grimes, so far as I have got to know her by this stage, and it appears likely that she values this quality herself, to judge from the scorn heaped on the derivative efforts of one author in the course of the story. Her large following do not need me to tell them what to look for or what to admire, but for newcomers like myself I would say start at the beginning - with this book. Apart from anything else, I found myself admiring the adeptness with which this American writer has captured a particularly English type of style without affectation or artificiality. If you like this sort of thing, you should find this a fine example of the sort of thing you like.

The Man With a Load of Mischief.......2007-01-09

This was as good an effort as Martha Grimes has made.

Pretty bad.......2006-12-22

I did not like this book. It seemed like something a high school student would have written. Several other reviewers mentioned that they like the characters. I found them boring. I much prefer the characters in Elizabeth Peters series of Amelia Peabody mysteries about Egypt, or the Rumpole series by John Mortimer.

wonderful series.......2006-05-05

Luckily for me, this was my first Martha Grimes book so i was introduced to the characters from the very begining.

This author has great character development and while the murder and the murder investigation is very well written it plays second fiddle to the lifes of the people in Long Pudd, Scotland yard, and Jury's Appartment building.

Throughout the series you will find that Jury has the worst luck with women. Either they are dying, dying to kill themselves, or about to be jailed when they finally hook up with him.

Melrose Plant is handsome, titled and rich and is a perfect Robin to Jury's Batman.

Betwixt the two you know they will solve the case, it may be after another 5 or 10 people are dead, but they will get the one.

One thing about Martha Grimes' Mysteries is she never gives you all the answers. She always leaves you asking, no begging for more. Maybe that's why this series is so popular.

WE WANT MORE JURY.

Long Piddleton... Where it all began........2006-03-08

This is the first Martha Grimes novel. It features Richard Jury and Melrose Plant and the pub: The Man With a Load of Mischief. The book is wonderful. Martha Grimes has a rather unique style of writing, which is all the more improbable since she is an American specializing in the British Mystery Genre.

Her Jury/Plant series, with books all named after British Pubs, makes for excellent reading. Although all of her books are excellent, she first introduced us to the town of Long Piddleton in this novel.

We are introduced to the denizens of this town after a murder occurs at a local pub. Jury, along with his dutiful sidekick, Sgt. Wiggins, responds to the town and the investigation begins.

The mystery is excellent and the novel stands on its own. The fact that this is the start of a spectacular series, makes this a must read. This is one of a very few books that I can re-read again and again.

Enjoy!

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McLeod does it again.
Perhaps the best written book I've ever read
Great Canadian Read
Ridiculously Overrated
Rubbish

No Great Mischief: A Novel
Alistair Macleod
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0375726659
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

For the MacDonalds, the past is not a foreign country. This Cape Breton clan may have lived in the New World since 1779, when Calum Ruadh ("the red Calum") and his wife, 12 children, and dog landed. Scotland, however, remains their true home. So profound is their connection to their lost land that on brief visits they find themselves welcomed by strangers. When one descendent tells a Scotswoman that she's from Canada, she is offered a gentle rejoinder: "That may be.... But you are really from here. You have just been away for a while." In some ways this is unsurprising, since the MacDonalds either have deep black hair or their ancestor's coloring. And those with the latter have "eyes that were so dark as to be beyond brown and almost in the region of glowing black. Such individuals would manifest themselves as strikingly unfamiliar to some, and as eerily familiar to others." Another sport of nature? Many are fraternal twins, including Alistair MacLeod's narrator, Alexander, and his sister.

But No Great Mischief is far more than the straightforward saga of one family over the generations. Instead the author has created a painfully beautiful myth in which the long-ago is in many ways more present than modern existence. Even in the last decades of the 20th century, the MacDonalds fall into Gaelic--its inflections, rhythms, and song--with deep nostalgia. This is a family that is used to composing itself in the face of disaster. They often assure one another, "My hope is constant in thee," and in the light of their many losses, the clan must cling to its motto.

No Great Mischief begins with Alexander's visit to Toronto, where his eldest brother now subsists on a diet of drink and memories. The narrator, a successful orthodontist, doesn't have much to do with the former but is unable (or unwilling) to escape the latter. As the novel proceeds, Alexander fills in his family history, including such key episodes as his great-great-grandfather's self-exile from Scotland. Though Calum Ruadh had intended to leave his dog behind, it broke away and tried to catch up with him. MacLeod piercingly captures the animal's struggle as her master first tries to make her head for shore and then--realizing she won't desert him--spurs her on. Throughout No Great Mischief various people recall this incident, an emblem of intensity, hope, and dependence. A descendant of the bitch is also on hand when Alexander's parents and one of his brothers disappear under the ice on a cold spring night. She persists in searching for her people and tries to protect their lighthouse from the new keeper, receiving in return "four bullets into her loyal waiting heart." When Alexander's grandfather hears of her death, he uses a phrase that becomes one of the book's litanies, "It was in those dogs to care too much and to try too hard."

This is a MacDonald characteristic as well. A good deal of No Great Mischief's strength stems from scenes of longing and despair--for those who die for a lost cause, whether in 1692 when one leader is killed ("the redness of his hair dyed forever brighter by the crimson of his blood") or in an Ontario uranium mine where one brother is decapitated. MacLeod evokes his clan, and the elemental beauty of their landscape, in quiet, precise language that gains power with each repetition. (A sentence such as "All of us are better when we're loved" comes to acquire a near proverbial ring.) If he occasionally tips his hand too much, pressing home his point that present-day prosperity isn't all it's cracked up to be, no matter. I doubt that this inspired and elegiac novel will ever leave those who are lucky enough to read it--proving after all the persistence of the clann Chalum Ruaidh. --Kerry Fried

Book Description

Alistair MacLeod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us No Great Mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it.

Generations after their forebears went into exile, the MacDonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and cruelties of life. Alexander, orphaned as a child by a horrific tragedy, has nevertheless gained some success in the world. Even his older brother, Calum, a nearly destitute alcoholic living on Toronto's skid row, has been scarred by another tragedy. But, like all his clansman, Alexander is sustained by a family history that seems to run through his veins. And through these lovingly recounted stories-wildly comic or heartbreakingly tragic-we discover the hope against hope upon which every family must sometimes rely.

Customer Reviews:

McLeod does it again........2007-08-23

I picked up Alistair MacLeod's No Great Mischief on the advice of one of my reading buddies (and you can never have enough of those!). I have never heard of MacLeod and when looking for more of his work, I was surprised to find that this Canadian is one of his country's most distinguished writers, although he has only two collections of short stories to his credit.

Weaving the past and the present, No Great Mischief is a tale of family. There are three plot lines in this intricate, yet highly readable novel. In current day, Alexander MacDonald is a successful orthodontist who often has trouble with why people pay him so much to make them pretty. He is trying to care for his oldest brother, Calum, a dying alcoholic who fascinates and repels him.

The second plot line is about Alexander's childhood. Taking place in Cape Breton, Alexander and his twin sister are raised by their paternal grandparents when their parents and one of their older brothers, Colin, falls through the ice as they make their way from the Cape to the lighthouse island where they live. Their three older brothers, now on their own, become loggers and miners in places around the world. They always go together and work side-by-side until one of them is sent to jail for murder.

And the predominate, yet most subtle, plot line is the coming of the MacDonalds to Canada. From the Scottish Highlands, the Calum Rudah (the red-haired clan) weathers a nasty and ill-fated trip across the ocean.

The story is almost, but miraculously not, confusing as different generations of MacDonalds are named "Alexander." However, that is one of the strengths of MacLeod's writing. It has the ability to weave in and out and flash back and forth, all the while never losing the reader.

At the heart of this novel, is family and loyalty. When the Calum Rudah leave Scotland, they try to leave their dog behind, but the dogs swims behind them until they can no longer risk her drowning and pull her into the boat. That image ignites the heart of the novel, as one of the dog's descendants waits for Alexander's parents to return to the lighthouse island in a show of loyalty.

Armchair Interview says: A 5-star offering from Alistair MacLeod.

Perhaps the best written book I've ever read.......2007-08-11

Alastair MacLeod's book is an stunningly well crafted and beautiful novel.

For me, the book that starts out confusing--why the characters are doing what they are today? and ends with a deep comprehension of bonds that form during a life.

This is definitely not a book for someone wanting a breezy travelogue about the pretty vacationland on Canada's East Coast. MacLeod's novel has nothing to do with the tourist experience. Instead, it is about a harsh and demanding land that shapes the characters and their relationships much as the waves carve the shore.

I'm not from Cape Breton, although I have been there 9 times and grown to love the place. The locals see MacLeod's writing as being very true to their heritage, and treasure it. His stories are often dark and quite sad. In particular his short stories (see "The Island") often leave me in tears.
This is the story of some lives, tough lives in remarkable places from Cape Breton to western Canadian mines. In the end, if you are like me (and several of my friends), you will understand the brothers' bond, and applaud the extraordinary skill and beauty with which the author has told this story.

Great Canadian Read.......2006-12-09

Canadian fiction usually has at least one of two themes--harsh conditions of some kind, and family. This has both. This book takes harsh conditions to mean a few things: the terrain, the sadness of true life, and the things we must face everyday. It is an interesting story about a family who has not had the easiest life, and it continues to be difficult for everyone. It is a story about how a tragedy can bring a family together and tear them apart. It is full of courage, hope, and love for your family. It makes you think what you would do if this happened to you. This is a story that dates back to the narrator's ancestors and how the events and tragedies that happened to the ancestors and the actions of distant relatives affect the narrator and his family today. It is a deep and interesting tale, good for anyone to read.

Ridiculously Overrated.......2006-07-13

I've had this book on my radar for quite a long time. Ever since it won the IMPAC award really. I've never been much for Canadian literature, to be honest, and recently I've started to feel that was a shame so I've been making an effort to find some good Canuck authors. This book, unfortunately, was a misstep.

The story revolves around an Orthodontist called Alexander MacDonald. While on a trip to visit his decaying, alcoholic brother in Toronto, MacDonald recalls the story of the first half of his life in Cape Breton, and the story of how his family came to Canada in the 19th century.

There actually is some good writing in here, but you have to wade through a great sea of mediocrity to get to it. The narrator's grandfathers are probably the best developed characters, and the description of his parents' death and visits to his older brothers' house are highlights, but I don't think they alone are enough to recommend it.

One of the first things you'll notice is that MacLeod has a tin ear for dialogue. The only way the dialogue between the narrator and his twin sister could have actually been delivered is if they were both stoned and one had nodded off while the other prattled on, or possibly if there was a hypnotist in the room, mesmerizing each in turn. The parts of the book that stuck most in my craw, however, were the descriptions of trips to Scotland.

These descriptions, given by the sister and by the narrator, really come across as the pathetic wet dreams of an ex-pat. Just try not to roll your eyes as misty-eyed locals, seemingly equally as mesmerized as the main characters, approach any visiting foreign MacDonalds they happen across (recognizing them, apparently, because they have black or red hair and dark eyes), and instantly "know" them and accept them back into the fold. Welcoming them "home." This book really should come with an Enya CD.

Anyway, if you like that sort of mystical clan nonsense, and can look past the dialogue, you might get something out of it. I am still stunned that this won the world's richest literary prize. Perhaps all of the judges had red hair, dark eyes, and haunted, far off stares?

Rubbish.......2006-06-19

I agree entirely with B. Walsh of San Francisco. The dialogue in this novel is wretched. The only reason we're given to care about the characters is their omnipresent Cape Bretonness -- and that's just not enough. How the book managed to pick up the Impac Dublin award is beyond me.

Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement

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Twelve Snails to One Lizard

Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement
Susan Hightower
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

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ASIN: 0689804520

Customer Reviews:

Twelve Snails to One Lizard.......2000-06-18

This is a delightful book about the problems a beaver has measuring a log to repair the dam on his pond. His friend, Bubba Bullfrog, offers him many non-standard measurements that would be appropriate to use. All prove to be a pain for Milo, in more ways than one!Bubba realizes he has a yardstick at home to prove he's correct. What a great way to help children learn about equivalent measure! I recommend it highly.

Black Mischief, Scoop, The Loved One, The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics)

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Black Mischief, Scoop, The Loved One, The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics)
Evelyn Waugh
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1400040779
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Book Description

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

In honor of the hundredth anniversary of Evelyn Waugh’s birth, four of the master’s most wickedly scathing comedies are here brought together in one volume.

Black Mischief is Waugh at his most mischievous–inventing a politically loopy African state as a means of pulverizing politics at home. In Scoop, it is journalism’s turn to be drawn and quartered. The Loved One (which became a famously hilarious film) sends up the California mortuary business. And The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold is a burst of fictionalized autobiography in which Pinfold goes mad, more or less, on board an ocean liner.

Here in four short–very different–novels are the mordant wit, inspired farce, snapping dialogue, and amazing characters that are the essence of everything Waugh ever wrote.

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Umm, that's Missoula MONTANA!, folks . .
What else could happen?
Great story, great characters... but the dialogue?
A Step Back
Suspend Your Disbelief

Plain Heathen Mischief
Martin Clark
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400034116
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Book Description

Moments after finishing a six-month sentence in the Roanoke jail for a crime he might not have committed, Baptist minister Joel King is served some unwelcome papers. His wife wants a divorce, and the teenage vixen everyone believes he seduced is suing him for five million dollars.

Holding on to his faith with a white-knuckle grip, Joel accepts a ride out west with Edmund Brooks, a member of his former flock who has some Commandment-challenging ideas about helping Joel help himself. From the author the New York Times Magazine called “the drinking man’s John Grisham,” Plain Heathen Mischief ranges from the cross to the double cross, from Virginia to Las Vegas, from courtrooms to trout streams, as Martin Clark follows his Job-like hero through dubious choices and high-dollar insurance scams to a redemption no reader could possibly predict.

Customer Reviews:

Umm, that's Missoula MONTANA!, folks . ........2007-06-22

Set predominantly in the Big Sky country, my state of birth, "Plain Heathen Mischief" is a most interesting morality play. Are there shades of grey? Or is anything beyond the straight and narrow path just plain heathen mischief, as the protagonist's old professor (who he used to call Dr. Brimstone) used to say? Often quite unlikeable, Joel King nonetheless does what he does with a consistent desire to do whatever it is he is doing for the greater good. With often misplaced loyalty - and with the burden of being seen as a child molester by the law enforcement community, even if the young woman who he is accused of having sex with was 17 and even if she was the aggressor - he fumbles along, straying farther and farther away from his beginning point as a Baptist preacher. With his sister Sophie - who is often earthy to the point of vulgarity - to act as a foil to his prudery, I found myself liking this book despite myself. Not knowing Missoula very well, I can't tell if the landscape was described very well or not - maybe a native Missoulan can step up and tell us? But Montana winters were definitely described to a "T" - Brrrrr! Recommend from me for anyone looking for something a little different to pass the time.

What else could happen?.......2005-12-15

This is definitely the story of Job. I couldn't put the book down once I started it, but I kept thinking "how can this guy be so gulible?" As usual, I got into the characters and Joel (Job?) was someone I felt for. When I hear myself saying to a character, "don't do it!", I know I'm into the book. His sister, Sophie, was remarkably believable in her no-nonsense, out-of-patience take on life. Of course, if I had a brother like Joel, I'd be the same way. What a fun read. This would a good book for discussion in a book club.

Great story, great characters... but the dialogue?.......2005-08-05

I'm willing to suspend a fair amount of disbelief when reading a novel: I know that few authors can accurately reflect human speech in their narratives, and often we wouldn't enjoy novels that did. In Plain Heathen Mischief, though, I couldn't do it. Main character Joel King is interesting, and his attitudinal shifts only seem slightly pat, but basically all of his dialogue (and others) is a series of competing monologues. More people speak seven sentences at once, without interruption, full of clever metaphors and snappiness, than I've ever met.

This is a significant negative in what otherwise is a fine caper novel, with some great turns and fun character development.

I'll certainly read another Clark novel - I enjoyed reading most of this - but I was exasperated by the end. Talk like a normal person!

A Step Back.......2005-07-06

I will try to be as fair as possible in this review because I really like Martin Clark's writing, and I know he reads these reviews. First the good: Clark has matured exponentially in his grasp of the English language since his first book, "The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living." This is a beautifully written book. His phrases are just right and often startling in their artistry. I'm rather envious that a judge has attained such a high literary level. However, the main weakness of this novel is the protagonist, Joel King. He's simply a flat, dull character. I found myself never really caring about him or his moral dilemmas. And his passivity was nettlesome. This was disappointing to me because the characters in "Mobile Home" are very rich, complex, real, and downright funny. While there are spiritual themes in "Mobile Home," there are more religious ones in "Plain Heathen Mischief." Christians should respond well to this novel. "Heathens" may find it overbearing. I'm still a fan of Mr. Clark, and I will read his third novel. I hope he returns to the characterization that made him a star.

Suspend Your Disbelief.......2005-07-01

What a fabulous ride this book is. Beautifully written, dialog that absolutely sizzles. This isn't an "inspirational" novel. No God beams or angels with flapping wings appear to hand Joel King a Hollywood-style redemption. Instead this book is filled with outstanding description, emotions, and characters that are at once poignant and so goofy and hilarious, they jump right off the pages. Sa'ad X. Sa'ad and Edmund made me think of a Johnnie Cochran knockoff and Cosmo Kramer. I hope Martin Clark is working on his next book because he's got a sale here.

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A glimpse of a vanished place
Snobs on snobs
Aristocratic Decadence in Africa
"Mystery and scandal in high places are always good copy"
White Mischief: The Murder Of Lord Erroll

White Mischief
James Fox
Manufacturer: VINTAGE (RAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 009976671X

Customer Reviews:

A glimpse of a vanished place.......2007-04-26

This brilliant book examines the story of the British colony of Kenya in the 1940s, particularly the white upper class that immigrated their as settlers and enjoyed themselves immensely. This is a culture that is vanished completely, both in England, with the class distinctions and 'public school' and in Africa and elswhere, where colonial societies have vanished.

A brilliant study of a philandering wealthy society in the 'Happy Valley' settlement in Kenya, the 'White highlands' and the sort of folk who immigrated their. It examines the death of Lord Errol, a man of many disguises who loved not only women but also marriage to increase his wealth. This murder upset the small colony when it took place in 1941 and was a great scandal.

This picture painted by this book is brilliant and loving, touching, interesting, history and novel rolled into one.

Seth J. Frantzman

Snobs on snobs.......2006-03-10

The 1941 murder of Lord Erroll in Kenya would seem an irresistible subject for a writer: Erroll, an extremely handsome cad given to all number of vices, was gunned down one night and left in the wild after publicly cuckolding a fellow hereditary peer. The atmopshere of colonialist decadence the story provides is incredibly heady, and the first part of Fox's work detailing the central cast of characters and the murder itself has a real lurid charm (and it also provided the focus of the 1987 film version of the book with Charles Dance and Greta Scacchi). But then the book gets immersed in the trial of the cuckolded husband, Sir Jock Delves Broughton, and begins to get mired down in all manner of details that become very dull. Then near the midway point, Fox then details how his mentor, Cyril Connolly, became obsessed with Lord Erroll's murder and decided to write a book about it. Connolly is himself almost as much of a snob as the decadent aristocrats of Kenya's happy Valley implicated in the crime, and Fox too seems addicted to dropping names right and left. You become so lost in the sea of titled names that you begin to lose all interest in what otherwise would seem to be a can't-fail topic.

Aristocratic Decadence in Africa .......2004-12-23

If you ever had any royalist sentiment -- or harbored a feeling that British aristocrats are superior beings -- this book should cure you. The characters of "White Mischief" are about the most disgusting and useless bunch of parasites that can be imagined.

"White Mischief" is about a murder in colonial Kenya in 1941 and the people who were involved in the case. The murderee was Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Errol, and the accused murderer was Sir John Henry Delves Broughton. This book is an examination of the free and easy "Happy Valley" society that both belonged to, a recapitulation of the trial, and an examination of the evidence. The author's investigation, carried out over decades, includes interviews with people connected with the case, including the loathsome Diana, wife of the accused murderer and mistress of the murderee -- and a strong candidate among others to be the mastermind of the affair. (As this book, although non-fiction, is something of a murder mystery, I won't spoil it by revealing the author's conclusions as to who killed Lord Errol.)

It's a crackin' good story, set in the splendid "White Highlands" of Kenya. To me "White Mischief" is also a cautionary tale of what happens when a privileged minority is allowed to run wild.

Smallchief

"Mystery and scandal in high places are always good copy".......2004-08-29

"White Mischief", written by James Fox, is the story of the unsolved murder of Lord Erroll. Josslyn Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll was discovered dead on the morning of January 24th, 1941. He had been shot. Although a trial was conducted, no one was ever convicted for the crime, and the murder remains, officially, unsolved. Forty years after the murder, author James Fox painstakingly pieces together transcripts from the trial, and testimony of witnesses in an attempt to both explain and solve the crime.

Erroll was murdered in Kenya, and a large portion of the beginning of the book concentrates on establishing the atmosphere in Kenya in the late 30s. It was a wild place--well at least it was a wild place for the British expatriates who were whooping it up in the area known as "Happy Valley." British nobility gathered in this area of Kenya--building splendid palaces, throwing endless parties, and engaging in appallingly bad behaviour. Most of the British expatriates were there for a reason--sometimes scandal and divorce drove them from the shores of England, and to the less inhibited social whorl of Kenya. Sometimes British upper-class families despaired of a son's relentless gambling habit, and so he was banished off to Africa. Whatever the reasons, and there were many, a certain 'type' gravitated towards Happy Valley. And there, various degenerates led unleashed, uninhibited lives.

These uninhibited lifestyles resulted in morphine addictions and an endless array of extra-marital affairs for the upper-crust loungers who bestirred themselves once in a while to go off and shoot an elephant or two. For those who couldn't conform to British society, Happy Valley was a sort of paradise--and one was limited only by one's personal resources.

Many people thrived in this Happy Valley bohemia, but many did not. The Earl of Erroll was one of those who thrived. He was a known philanderer who delighted in deceiving husbands. No doubt he made many enemies along the way, and while women adored him, and men enjoyed his company, someone hated him enough to kill him.

The story behind the crime is excellently and meticulously researched. The background story of Happy Valley's society is fascinating stuff. It's absolutely riveting, and the build up to the murder is rather tense. Every little piece of background information is slotted into place. All the puzzles are solved. Most of the characters are a dissolute, bored, destructive lot--certainly no one 'deserved' to be murdered (although one may feel a certain astonishment that there was only one victim). The degree of wonder remains in the fact that a nobleman was bumped off. Would this have happened in England? I doubt it. Kenya, for the decadent British ex-patriates who took up residence, was a peculiar paradise, and this was a unique time. While the author does a simply marvelous job of recreating the atmosphere of the times, there is no great revelation here as the crime and the murderer are unmasked. Everything is an inevitable foregone conclusion, and the book's strength is found in its successful re-creation of a peculiar time and place--displacedhuman

White Mischief: The Murder Of Lord Erroll.......2003-04-22

This is a simply fascinating book for anyone interested in colonial Africa, murder mysteries and just plain good writing. The author James Fox, an erudite Eton graduate, does much more than simply describe the wild African setting, the fascinating murder involved and the absurdly decadent lifestyle of the characters involved. He also tracks the process of his research and the input of the quirky British author, Cyril Connelly who simultaneously studied the events at hand.

Fox uses the murder of man-about-town Lord Erroll as a backdrop to chronicle the deterioration of a British subculture in the early 1900's. While war was being waged in Europe, this group of moneyed and titled hedonists (who left their kiddies back home) lived a surrealistic life of partying, drinking, drugging and partner swapping. Such a detached lifestyle virtually requires a murder or two as a logical conclusion.

Although the accused, Lord "Jock" Delves Broughton, is aquitted in an African trial (with lots of perjury involved) Fox makes no secret of his opinion that Boughton was the culprit. That does not dampen the book one bit because it is the cast of characters and how they talk about each other that is the best part of the book. The only problem I had with Fox's ultimate theory is that he bases it upon an interview with an eccentric, elderly woman who was only 15 years old at the time of the crime. Although she claims the suspect confessed the crime to her immediately after its commission, she did not reveal that alleged fact to anyone until Fox interviewed her in the 1980's. As a legal professional, I find that kind of evidence inherently not credible. This woman had plenty of opportunity to reveal the alleged confession on many prior occasions and Fox's reasons for her failure to do so are a bit far-fetched.This slight criticism does not in any way demean the entire book however as the rest of Fox's research and conclusions based thereupon seem sound.

Book Description

He's always pulling naughty pranks until he meets up with a wise old Wizard and gets a taste of his own medicine!

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding read to book.......2007-01-09

I have used the Mr. Men series for many years in the classroom. It was always a highlight for the children. I would read one each week, and they always looked forward to it.

Great.......2006-08-14

I had this book when I was a child and I still enjoy reading it. I purchased it so my daughters can enjoy it as well.

The best Mr. Men book- my personal favorite........2002-06-21

Mr. Mischief loves to play pranks on the other Mr. Men characters. In this book, he does sneaky things to Mr. Happy, Mr. Greedy, and Mr. Funny. But of course, Mr. Mischief gets a taste of his own medicine! A hilarious story! I had this book as a child and rebought it as an adult. I still laugh when reading it today at age 27. All of the Mr. Men books are superb, and Mr. Mischief is one of Roger Hargreaves' best works.

Engaging.......2001-06-30

Back in college I got a job as a summer janitor at the local elementary school. One of the things I had to do was clean up in the library. I took this time as an opportunity to catch up on some reading... in the form of the Mr. Men series. Mr. Mischief is about a guy who enjoys causing trouble. It makes him laugh. It will make you laugh. But then something happens to him, and he learns a lesson.

Mr. Mischief.......2000-06-16

Mr. Mischief is a practical joker. However, when a prank for the Wizard goes awry, Mr. Mischief finds the tables turned when he becomes the victem of the jokes! But beware, with mischief in his heart not even this lesson has taught him not to play jokes on people...and that means nobody is safe! Mr. Mischief is another great by Roger Hargreaves. All of the Mr. Men books are perfect for kids of all ages.

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