Amazon.com
Bestselling author Nora Roberts has another classic on her hands with Heart of the Sea. This final installment in Roberts's faerie tale trilogy returns readers to Ardmore, Ireland, where the Gallagher family's pub is the heart of the community. Passionate and beautiful, Darcy Gallagher works as a waitress in the family pub while looking for a way to achieve the glamorous lifestyle to which she would like to become accustomed. Enter wealthy American builder Trevor Magee, whose Irish roots have drawn him back to the childhood home of his grandfather to build a theater. As Darcy and Trevor revel in the heated sexual attraction that flares between them, neither believes that they are the final key to end an ancient spell that separated Carrick the Faerie Prince and his human lady love, Gwen. But Ireland is a magic place, where the faeries dance among mere mortals and love blossoms under starry skies. Let veteran storyteller Nora Roberts transport you to the Emerald Isle, home of the little people and overwhelming passion. --Alison Trinkle
Book Description
Nora Roberts brings her acclaimed Irish trilogy to a close with this tale of a woman whose dreams of riches lead her to the heart's greatest treasure.
Download Description
The conclusion to the enchanting Irish trilogy.
Customer Reviews:
Heart Attack on the Seashore.......2007-07-25
This book fell off my wife's bookshelf, which made me pick it up and decide to read it. I hadn't read the first two books in the trilogy, but have read a couple of Roberts' other books. As a romance, I enjoyed the feisty aspect of the couple. I fully enjoyed Darcy's independence and appreciated that those qualities remained even after she realized she was in love. The part of the book that did not work for me was that so much of it revolved around the building of the theatre. I thought it was emphasized to such a degree that I fully expected the theatre to be completed by the end of the novel and hear an account of the first concert with the Gallagher family. Instead, we get mired in Trevor's inability to fall in love and say he loves Darcy. While I understand guys who are commitment-shy, it seemed so belabored that by the final pages I was tired of Trevor's romantic stupidity. I also thought that having a record label is a very speculative business, as is building a theatre. The fact that his family had huge amounts of money could explain his ability to dally in the arts, but it hardly seemed like the bedrock of a multi-million dollar multi-national corporation. The fairy story with the ghosts was quaint, but there wasn't much of a bang for the buck there. The legend assumes that dead people have hormones much as the living that results in a dead person mating ritual. I found that story line disrespectful. The Gallagher pub sounded like an interesting place to visit. However, the story seemed to have loose ends and remained incomplete as it abruptly concluded. I would have liked a chapter that projected the characters into the future a bit for us.
My Favorite Trilogy.......2007-06-01
I was recently introduced to Nora Roberts through her In the Garden Trilogy, which I only enjoyed two of the three. Since then, I have jumped head first into reading her books and have experienced quite a few enjoyable reads, both through individual books and trilogies. On a whim, I picked up these three books and, within days, I was finished with the third book. This would have to be my favorite of all her series and by the end of the third book, I was wishing that I hadn't gone through them so fast. The Gallagher family was a blast to read and I enjoyed everything from their family dynamic, to their pub and also the Irish setting. I've already passed them off to a co-worker and am looking forward to reading them again. Roberts also made me fall in love with Ireland through her wonderfully described setting and Irish tales. Highly recommended reading!
Love all of Nora's romance books.......2007-02-25
You can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts romance novel and this is just one more great one in the list.
Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy by Nora Roberts.......2007-02-16
Do you believe in fairies? Do you have a fondness for the Emerald Isle? Do you believe in true love? You will after reading this enchanting trilogy by Nora Roberts. Thank goodness I purchased all three books at the same time as I couldn't wait for the pages to turn. The characters are so endearing, I often felt that I was inside Gallagher's pub or walking with them over the green hills of Ireland on a "soft" day.
Jewels of the Sun.......2007-02-07
If you love Nora Roberts then, you will not be disappointed
Average customer rating:
- The Devil Froze From Fear
- One of the Great novels of all time
- Very good...
- On Time, as Described
- Impenetrable, maddening, and brilliant!
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Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Editions)
Joseph Conrad
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Conrad, Joseph | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0393926362 |
Book Description
The Fourth Edition is again based on Robert Kimbrough's meticulously re-edited text. Missing words have been restored and the entire novel has been repunctuated in accordance with Conrad's style. The result is the first published version of Heart of Darkness that allows readers to hear Marlow's voice as Conrad heard it when he wrote the story.
"
Backgrounds and Contexts" provides readers with a generous collection of maps and photographs that bring the Belgian Congo to life. Textual materials, topically arranged, address nineteenth-century views of imperialism and racism and include autobiographical writings by Conrad on his life in the Congo. New to the Fourth Edition is an excerpt from Adam Hochschild's recent book, King Leopold's Ghost, as well as writings on race by Hegel, Darwin, and Galton.
"
Criticism" includes a wealth of new materials, including nine contemporary reviews and assessments of Conrad and Heart of Darkness and twelve recent essays by Chinua Achebe, Peter Brooks, Daphne Erdinast-Vulcan, Edward Said, and Paul B. Armstrong, among others. Also new to this edition is a section of writings on the connections between Heart of Darkness and the film Apocalypse Now by Louis K. Greiff, Margot Norris, and Lynda J. Dryden.
A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.
About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the
Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.
Customer Reviews:
The Devil Froze From Fear.......2007-08-08
Daytime scents of nightmare horrors. Man and his insane ways - bushman, postman, commoner, who to blame? Unless you are familiar with the background of this stunning novel do yourself a favor and get the Norton Critical Edition. For a century Conrad's novel has drawn raves and rage. Each is left to decide where the sanity line lies, to the right or to the left. Upriver or downriver? Riveting every page of the way.
One of the Great novels of all time.......2007-05-12
One of the must reads in literature. Probably my favorite novel ever written. The short length is decieving. It is not a novel to be blown through without thought. The themes of this novel resonate more in our day and age than ever before. Literary greatness.
Very good..........2007-04-11
I was satisfied with purchasing this book from Amazon.
The shipping was fast and it was packaged in a nice box.
On Time, as Described.......2007-03-15
Book arrived shrink wrapped, in excellent condition, on time and as described. Would order from this supplier again.
Impenetrable, maddening, and brilliant!.......2007-01-03
I have started and stopped, started and stopped this maddeningly impenetrable short novel more times than I care to admit, finally finishing it (once) two years ago. There is something really quite remarkable about it. The journey upriver is supposed to be difficult, dark, dangerous, and hard to get through -- and reading the book is an experience of exactly the same sort. And not in the sense that the book is badly written or boring. No, it's more like the *experience of reading* the book mirrors the experiences *in* the book. And that, in itself, is quite an accomplishment! There is also a touch of brilliance in the morally ambiguous archetypes presented in the story. You can read it once (or less than once, as with my many previous attempts), and something about it stays with you. Like a bad rash. Yet as difficult as it is to get through, something about it, something you can't quite put your finger on, keeps you wanting to come back for more. Astonishing!
Book Description
Irish Thoroughbred
It was a dream come true for Irish lass Adelia Cunnane--to work with her uncle, a horse trainer at Royal Meadows, one of the most renowned stables in the world. But there was a catch, and his name was Travis Grant. He was the stable's owner, and a man as proud, as passionate, as opinionated as…herself.
Irish Rose
When Adelia's feisty cousin Erin McKinnon first meets Burke Logan, she's not impressed. He's a womanizing, cigar-smoking gambler who won the farm beside Royal Meadows in a game of poker. He has money--too much for Erin's liking--and a bad reputation. But Burke keeps staring at her--and Erin keeps finding herself staring back.
And she's beginning to think she may have finally met her match….
Customer Reviews:
Love It.......2007-09-25
I loved this book. Simple and heartwarming. Made me feel in love with love.
C Tang.......2007-07-13
Ageless love story. It's Ms. Robert's first book and you can see how 20 years on that she's become such a great phenomenon. The central character Adelia moved me in her strength and spirit. I find the book has a certain honesty, freshness and forthrightness about it which is missing in the more well-crafted and titillating romance stories these days.
Rising Star.......2007-03-27
I have read dozens of Nora's books, and enjoy them all. This very first one was a true pre-cursor of the rest.
simple and sweet.......2007-03-07
if you are looking for simple and sweet, then you've found it. each story (in this series) is passionate and full of love, family and irish lore. quick and easy reads to relax to.
A GREAT BOOK.......2007-02-21
Adelia travels to America to work with her uncle Paddy on a horse farm and falls for the owner Travis. In Irish Rose, Erin meets Burke and follows him back to America. Both stories are very good romances that you can just read again and again.
Average customer rating:
- Nora Roberts, Irish Trilogy
- Excellent!!
- Wonderful trilogy!
- damaged goods
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Nora Roberts Irish Trilogy: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, Heart of the Sea (Irish Jewels Trilogy)
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
General | Literature & Fiction | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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ASIN: 1590865413
Release Date: 2003-06-10 |
Book Description
Jewels of the Sun (Jill Sovis, engineer)
Determined to re-evaluate her life, Jude Murray flees America to take refuge in Faerie Hill Cottage, where she immerses herself in the study of Irish Folklore, and discovers hope for the future in the magic of the past.
Tears of the Moon (Melissa Coates, engineer)
A talented songwriter, Shawn Gallagher spends his days lost in reverie and wonder, oblivious to the wiles of women and the ways of the world. He claims that he's content with his life, but his music tells a different story - one of loneliness and desperate longing...
Heart of the Sea (Jill Sovis, engineer)
Darcy Gallagher has always believed in the pull of fate, the magic of legend . . . and the importance of money. She longs to find a rich man who will sweep her away - into a world filled with glamour and adventure, and the exotic life that is her destiny.
Customer Reviews:
Nora Roberts, Irish Trilogy.......2007-06-07
This is a great trilogy, I enjoy listening to it to and from work. I have a long drive to and back home from work and the CD's keep me nice and calm in traffic jams.
Excellent!!.......2005-11-08
There is nothing this series does not hit on!! It really has everything needed to make the entire series a real page turner and the characters could be anyone of us, all you have to do is believe love can conquer all thru time and space, these books are a wonderfully enjoyable treasure!!
Wonderful trilogy!.......2005-07-16
This continues to be one of my favorite trilogies! It combines Irish Myths with a real working family.
Each story stands on it's own but at the same time the three together flow very well.
Note to other reviewer George. Call information and get the 1800 number and them talk to a real person. I have had to return a DVD player and they have the best service of anyone I have ever dealt with.
damaged goods.......2005-06-03
I received this item and was joyfully listening to it when I came to tape two of Heart of the Sea- it is all jumbled up- twisted and totally un fixable- I've tried to contact Amazon about this but all I get is the runaround on their AWFUL "return system" on their website. This is a warning to any others who order from Amazon- check your order CAREFULLY. Now I'm stuck with this defective tape and Amazon WON'T LET ME CONTACT THEM!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't given up yet. There's got to be a way to return defective merchandise without being sent to one dead end after another. Sincerely wmclement@yahoo.com
Book Description
Published here for the first time with Conrad’s complete
Congo Diary and
Up–river Book, this is a centenary edition of the author’s masterpiece—a profound exploration of the human subconscious twinned with a terrifying portrayal of the dangers of imperialism. A work of immense significance, it has been hailed as the first novel of the 20th century.
In this searing tale, Seaman Marlow recounts his journey to the dark heart of the Belgian Congo in search of the elusive Mr. Kurtz. Far from civilization as he knows it, he comes to reassess not only his own values, but also those of nature and society. For in this heart of darkness, it is the fearsome face of human savagery that becomes most visible. With a Foreword by A.N. Wilson.
Customer Reviews:
PBRK at 34ºSouth.......2007-02-04
Heart of Darkness is encapsulated in a time of human history when exploitation, murder and mayhem was brought onto Africa and its peoples by besotted power-hungry brutally callous buccaneering white men from Europe. The riches of Africa were raped and plundered and its peoples humiliated, murdered, displaced and treated as animals. Africa was butchered like a wild animal and the carcass divided amongst the colonial powers.
Marlow, the narrator, during that sad epoch, tells his story of a mission to the Congo to pilot a steamboat on the Congo River for `the Company'. On arrival at the decrepit sham of a Central Station on the River where suspicion and decay and corruption hangs over everything Marlow learned that a very important trading station was in jeopardy and that it's chief, Mr. Kurtz was ill at a deserted trading post 300 miles down stream.
The manager of the Central Station, a sordid, greedy, cruel and bloated insecure white man live a life of uncertainty amongst filth and decaying bodies of chained and starving indigenous black people and idle suspicious white workers. And Kurtz is piped to succeed him. And he hates Kurtz with a vengeance. And Kurtz hates and despises him.
Kurtz a man "of greatness, of generous mind, of noble heart, a great musician, and a man of magnificent eloquence" is a man of great influence with the Council in Europe. Kurtz asked to be sent to the outpost. His self declared mission "each station should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a center for trade of course, but also humanizing, improving, instructing"
Kurtz send large hoards of ivory to the Central Station with his assistant and returned alone in a dugout canoe to his trading post. And Kurtz disappeared for nine months; wild rumors reached the Central Station; and the ivory from Kurtz dries up to the consternation of the manager of the Central Station.
Going up the river to Kurtz's trading post Marlow experienced the great silence and spookiness of the impenetrable tropical rainforest and the boat followed by angry indigenous people hiding in the thickets. Finding Kurtz, metamorphose has happened, the refined man turned into a maniac, adoring his fence posts with black, dried human heads. The wilderness has found him and crept into his being. His weary brain was haunted by shadowy images - images of wealth and fame - and turbulent angst tormented his soul. He transformed into a heart of darkness. He hoarded all the ivory he could find and claim it as his; he raised an impi of naked spear carrying indigenous black men lead by a black warrior woman and he died lonely and frightened and his body was slid into the turbulent waters of the Congo River.
A Haunting Re-Readable Classic.......2006-06-23
Set in the Belgian Congo during the 19th century Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is a journey to the darkest corners of the wilderness and the human heart. The story is told by Marlow, a sailor, who journeys to the Congo to captain a river steamer and ends up on a expedition to save an extrodinary ivory trader by the name of Mr. Kurtz.
Throughout this journey he encounters the raw brutality of colonialism in all its horror and greed. Conrad brings the reader to the frontier where men do savage things all for the spoils of conquest. This is in sharp contrast with other African adventure classics, such as King Solomon's Mines, which take a much more amiable view of the conquest of Africa.
Conrad shows all this barbarism with vivid imagery. His description of the Congo wilderness brings it life with all the mystery and majesty it is due. Conrad's prose is magnificent; you feel like you are at Marlow's side throughout the whole story. However anyone thinking this is a fast paced thriller is mistaken. It plot moves at a leisurely pace and isn't as rushed as novels today.
Another one of the beauties of this book is its re-readability. I first read it through without reading the introduction and I am glad I did. It let me interperet the meaning of the book without anyone else's influences and when I read the introduction at the end I found that there was a myraid of other themes that could be drawn from the story that I had not thought of. I am now reading it a second time in a new light. I suggest anyone reading it the first time to skip the intro and the footnotes until you've read it once. It will definetly make it a more enjoyable read.
Not that it is not already an excellent book. Heart of Darkness is a literature masterpiece that shows the raw repungent character of colonialism and human nature with haunting power.
The horror! The horror!.......2006-06-05
Being that it is only about 90 pages long, I was able to finish this story in one afternoon. It is easy to see why Whites and Blacks get such different messages from the book.
The reader is encouraged, throughout the story, to be sympathetic to the White characters. Since most Whites, even in the 21st century, have yet to shed their racist garments, they will naturally emphathize with the plight of these poor White guys who, unfortunately, are "forced" to put up with the strangeness of this strange land in order to steal the resources from that land's inhabitants. After all, White guys are having to put up with similar trials even today in order to steal the resources from, yeah, that's right, the same country, the Congo. Oh, pity those poor French military advisors who are forced to go into the "Heart of Darkness" to keep the natives fighting each other, to make sure they don't turn on the real theives of their abundant mineral resources. The horror! The horror!
By contrast, Conrad's treatment of his black characters is non-existent. They are soul-less beasts of burden. Conrad doesn't even bother to give them names. They are just referred to as niggers. When they are described as being beaten, or left alone to die, or forced to work on Marlow's ship for over a month with no food except rotten hippo meat (Marlow's only concern was that the smell of the rotted meat was annoying the White guys), Conrad writes of these incidents with no more sympathy than what you would expect from a description of an ant being stepped on by our poor embattled protagonist. Only a Black fool would not be offended by Conrad's work and Barak Obama is anything but that.
To get some idea of just how bad Conrad's character development is, compare it to that of one of his contemporaries who actually had talent ... Mark Twain. It is a sign of Twain's genius that he could suck Whites in by using the word "nigger", but at the same time get them to see his black characters as human beings. His black characters had names, families, they could even feel love and pain. Just like White people. Imagine that.
A fictional account of the novelist's experience in Africa.......2006-04-22
The story is that of a group of men aboard the Nellie, among them the anonymous narrator, who are told Marlow's experience in the Congo in the 1890s. Marlow's career, like Conrad's, spans an important period in the history of relations between Europe and Africa. The author's purpose is to show that the "civilising" mission actually reveals the "darkness" at its own heart instead of bringing light into the darkness as it claims.
In 1890 Conrad was appointed to the Congo by the Societe Anonyme Belge pour le Commerce and in June that year he reached Kinshasa, the Central Station in "Heart of Darkness". But soon the idealised realities of a boy's dreams were replaced by "the distasteful knowledge of the vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the history of human conscience and geographical exploration" (in "Last Essays").
Thus Marlow's journey to the Congo becomes a moral journey in which he confronts the workings of colonialism and his account is a frame-tale with inset stories, a so-called "oblique narration" - a tale within another tale. The darkness of Marlow's expedition is enhanced by the fact that his quest for Kurz contains repeated references to the latter's "eloquence" and "gift of expression" thus promising to articulate the solution to the moral and philosophical problems that the journey has created. Marlow's encounter with Kurz is a bitter disappointment with its "desolate exclamations, shrugs, hints ending in sighs".
Although Conrad shows the criminality of inefficiency and selfishness of Europeans when dealing with the civilising work of Africa, the narrative is not gloomy. Kurz himself is merely a victim of the discourse of imperialism and his break-up shows how damaging it is for both Africans and Europeans.
Another aspect in Conrad's novel is the stereotypical representation of women and the exclusion of the female reader. This is shown in Kurz's last words before dying: "The horror! The horror!" which refer to his Intended!
Heart of the Darkness Book Review.......2006-03-07
The Heart of the Darkness begins on the ship named Nellie, as it steadily flows down the Thames River. The main characters that are introduced in the beggining are the Director of Companies, who is a captain, a lawyer, an accountant, and Marlow, who is the main leader of the whole group. Marlow narrates about his trip to Congo, Africa. He began his life story by introducing his early childhood and how he had always wanted to be a sailor and explorer. One of the most important trips was the one to Congo River, which fascinated him with many of its secrets. When he had finally arrived to Congo with his trade caravan, he had met Mr. Kurtz, who was there as a slave trader and was mad with power. Later he figured out that Mr. Kurtz was an ivory dealer and has bases set up full of ivory. Marlow had his eye set on exploring the general mentality of people in that area and seeing how Mr. Kurtz's business is going. He was soon dissapointed in his work, due to the racial exploitations, and had set sailed back on his way home.
Book Description
The team that made international best-sellers of The Secrets of Pistoulet and Dancing with the Moon returns with a powerful new tale of transformation and the healing power of love, this one set in Ireland, that most magical and warm-hearted of countries.
In the enchanted Irish countryside of ancient forests, singing bridges, and babbling brooks stands a thatch-roofed pink cottage overlooking the sea. In all of Ireland there's no place finer to have a cup of tea. On the door of that cottage is a timeless symbol that recalls travelers home no matter how far they've roamed. And in the heart of that cottage is a compassion and generosity whose warmth and wonder turn the world.
Thus begins Circle of Kindness, a finely wrought fable about Mademoiselle J. and an act of kindness that touches the lives of several people, finding expression in a gift of nurturing and food. Like its predecessors, this book is beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated and features booklet inserts, pocket cards, and envelopes with uplifting sentiments. The book's beautiful Irish message has already inspired a matching line of china from Pfaltzgraff, which will be available this fall.
Customer Reviews:
Still Sweet.......2007-04-05
Pistoulet, Villa della Luna & now Circle of Kindness are all sweet & tenderly written books that touch one's soul at a very deep level. Pistoulet is still my favorite. This series, much like life, is an endearing journey very artisticly painted by two extraordinarily gifted & creative authors.
Cozy, fun book.......2007-03-20
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this book. I love the recipes and other bits included. It was so cozy reading the story and opening all the envelopes. Great book for a gift to others or for yourself.
What a Little Treasure.......2007-01-11
This book is just as beautiful as Jana Koplen's other books. They make perfect gifts but I always buy one for myself too. It's just the thing to read when you're feeling a little down. "Pistoulet" was so wonderful, I ordered several of this one for Christmas. Everyone loved it and wanted to know if there were more in the series. You can even try the recipes if you have a little imagination and faith.
Book Description
For ten years Kevin Toolis investigated the lives of the IRA soldiers who wage a secret battle against the British State. His journeys took him from the back kitchens of Belfast, where men joked while making two-thousand-pound bombs, to prisons for interviews with men serving life sentences, and to the graveyards where mourners weep. Each chapter explores a world where history, faith, and human savagery determine life and death. At once moving and harrowing, Rebel Hearts is the most authoritative and insightful book ever written on the IRA.
Customer Reviews:
Very Personal account of Oglaigh na hEireann.......2005-09-26
This is a great book about Oglaigh na hEireann. The journalist who wrote the book got to meet with some IRA leaders. He got first and second hand acounts of specific missions. It gives you a very close and personal view of the troubles. I would recomend this to any Irish man or woman, especially if you are of a republican backround
Review of Rebel Hearts.......2003-12-14
I have read many books on the struggles in Northern Ireland but this book stands apart from them all. Toolis has the unique ability to remain both objective and passionate about this topic. As the subtitle suggests he truly gets into the soul of the IRA. His book is based on research, interviews and perosnal experiences that could have placed Toolis himself in harms way. Some may see this as a weakness, but Toolis's conclusions are clear. Prior to reading this book I knew a lot of facts about the struggles of the IRA. After reading Toolis's book I suddenly understood some of what created and continues to fuel these struggles. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Irish History, the history of the IRA or interested in the violent struggles that mark the 20th century.
Both Profound & Better than Expected.......2003-06-19
I read _Rebel Hearts_ as part of my research for my senior thesis on the Northern Question and found it better than I ever imagined. While it does indeed profile the lives of particular IRA members (as already mentioned by other reviewers), it does so much more: it delves into the psychology of how and why the IRA exists and operates. To me, this is a much bigger issue than individual biographies, as good as they are. From the book's preface, Toolis is clear about his position: he foresees peace in Ireland only through "a transfer of power away from the British Crown." He explores Irish martyrdom, politics, history, and methodology, though I would caution that this book is no crash-course on Irish history. If you are looking to know more about that subject, _Rebel Hearts_ already presumes a fair amount of knowledge. (But Toolis does include a list of abbreviations at the beginning.) Toolis delves into the link between politics and religion without browbeating the reader and he thoroughly explains the deep-seated spiritual issues that accompany the political conflicts in Northern Ireland. His compelling conclusion at the book's close gave me goosebumps as I read it: "There will be peace in Ireland and it will be a republican peace." Here, here.
go beyond the title.......2002-03-28
After you get beyond the title of Toolis' book, and beyond the sappy first chapter of family history, he offers a highly interesting account of the people behind the militant Republican movement. Toolis has sought out people who don't usually make the front page--family members and informers--as well as prominent Republicans and Martin McGuinness, who "is the IRA," according to Toolis' sources. By documenting the every day workings of the people involved in the conflict, he establishes the complexity of their motivations and actions. The reader is not left with a black and white view of the struggle.
I give the book four stars because his sources are very good and original, enabling him to give a very thorough view of his subject. The book deserves to be read. The silly involvement of his personal stories adds nothing to the book and almost caused me to put it down. Also he gets caught up in the argument he is making with his sources so that the prologue and afterward seem out of place.
informative.......2002-03-27
I am not at all Irish but have been reading about Ireland's history since high school. After reading alot about the Rising and past history, I was looking for something that tells of more recent accounts in the land. Rebel Hearts was it. The stories are excellent and left the way they happened. Toolis was not afraid to leave commentary run on. If that is how long an interview lasted then that is how it was written. I did not find this book bias either wich is always a plus for me. My only problem was getting lost in a few places. Seemed like a story would jump around from beginning to end back to beginning. Maybe this was just my error though.
Average customer rating:
- Deep
- 4 Monkeys
- Actually haunting...
- Full of crazy characters and vivid images
- Book = great - durability = awful
|
Heart of Darkness and Other Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
Joseph Conrad
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0192801724 |
Book Description
HEART OF DARKNESS*AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS*KARAIN*YOUTH The finest of all Conrad's tales, 'Heart of Darkness' is set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent, the renowned and formidable Mr Kurtz. What he sees on his journey, and his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex him, and call into question the very bases of civilization and human nature. Endlessly reinterpreted by critics and adapted for film, radio, and television, the story shows Conrad at his most intense and sophisticated. The other three tales in this volume depict corruption and obsession, and question racial assumptions. Set in the exotic surroundings of Africa, Malaysia. and the east, they variously appraise the glamour, folly, and rapacity of imperial adventure. This revised edition uses the English first edition texts and has a new chronology and bibliography.
Customer Reviews:
Deep.......2006-07-29
The four tales in this collection are beautifully composed; they are art, not just stories. Each story is deep in its unique complexities. Each one has plots and subplots and paints an impeccable image of the story upon the reader's mind. And when I look back upon the book as a whole, upon the adventurous stories, the excitement and emotion that the author presents so exquisitely, I can't help but be extremely impressed.
4 Monkeys.......2004-06-26
If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, would they eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare? Who knows?
What I do know is that "Heart of Darkness" could be the result of 4 monkeys doing about 2 hours of work. To read the book is a chore.
My daughter had to read this book as part of a summer assignment for English. I, being one to read classics, looked forward to reading another good book.
Conrad's rambling tale is difficult to follow, but even more, BORING to follow.
I can more easily read a book on quantum physics. To require someone to read Conrad is more like punishment than education.
Actually haunting..........2004-06-21
The word's thrown around a lot, but this is the only case where I've actually been literally haunted by a book. It surfaces in the mind when I don't intend for it to, and its disturbing. I've never been really psychologically messed with by a book like this. I mean, not bad, but I get chills thinking about it. Like someone said, the images are great. The ship firing into the continent is one of those I can't get out of my head. And for those of you who are curious after seeing Apocolypse Now, I think they really messed up the Kurtz character. Its one of, if not the one of, my favorite movies, but he's so overacted and the script never really tells what the horror is. From the movie I got that it was the situation and man's situation, but from the book it is definitely the mind and soul, in my opinion. Any social commentary in the book is secondary to the more philosophical and psychological, here, I feel.
I also enjoyed Lord Jim and every one of his other short stories I've read, but none have been as good as Heart of Darkness. I'll probably read Nostromo pretty soon, too. If you want another take on a somewhat similar situation in colonial Africa, check out Journey to the End of the Night by Celine. I didn't so much care for the book as a whole, but that part has stuck with me.
Full of crazy characters and vivid images.......2004-05-03
Heart of Darkness is, without a doubt, one of the best and most confusing books ever written. It is probably the most discussed book of the 20th century, and an obscene number of academic papers, criticisms and interpretations have been written about it. What does it mean, everyone wants to know. It is so impenetrable, to use one of Marlow's favorite words. Even if you don't want to spend the time figuring out the "message" (if there is one), this is a great novel simply for the characters and the images.
Our narrator, Marlow, is a fascinating character in himself, and he always makes me smile with his wit and insight, though he can be a little pretentious. Kurtz is an enigma, a man who has set himself up as a god with unclear motives. He is taken care of my a Russian harlequin, a hilarious idealist who forgives that Kurtz once threatened to kill him (you can't judge a man like that by ordinary standards!) Marlow comes across many others, such as the fat Englishman who cannot stop fainting on their way to see Kurtz. The imagery is evocative and haunting. A group of starving indiginous men are referred to as a "bundle of acute angles." The scenery is described better than a movie could portray (Apocalypse Now does the jungle no justice.)
It's a short book too, so you have no excuse for not reading it!
Book = great - durability = awful.......2003-08-31
I was assigned Heart of Darkness as part of my summer reading regiment for my english class. I usually don't enjoy assigned books because I often try and pay attention to all the details rather than just read it for fun. However, this book, albeit a bit confusing, is definately good. It really gets your brain going as you question your own opinions on imperialism. Plus, it contains explanatory notes in the back, which definately help to understand the context. However, its MAJOR fallacy with THIS exact publication is its shoddy manufacturing. I've had the book only for one month and the pages that Heart of Darkness are on are already falling apart from the binding of the book. And I treated it well - all I have done is placed it in my backpack when traveling to a few places. Overall, the literary piece is good and so are the explanatory notes, but if you can't stand your book falling apart (trust me, it's really annoying), then search elsewhere for a different copy of this book.
Book Description
Using London as their home base (since they love dinner and the theater too), the jolly Amateur Historians take you on merry romp that travels back in time to the sites and history of some of the most fascinating areas of the English Midlands. Magnificent Windsor Castle and neighboring Eton College, the ancient educational institutions of Oxford and Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford are the anchor sites. In addition, the book explores the history of the great medieval castles of Kenilworth and Warwick, tours the glorious cathedrals and abbeys of St. Alban’s, Dorchester and Reading and drops in for a look at the many medieval and Tudor manor homes, churches, almshouses, barns and other buildings in the region. Centuries will drop away as readers:
* Walk with Edward III in the first ceremonial procession of the Order of the Garter, held in 1348 at Windsor Castle;
* Slide down a rope of sheets with the Empress Matilda in her dramatic 12th-century escape from a siege of Oxford Castle;
* Fight--and die--with Richard III as he struggles to keep England’s throne at the Battle of Bosworth;
* Dine with Elizabeth I on one of her numerous visits to Kenilworth Castle, one of the many properties that she gave to her favorite courtier Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester;
* Pray with Mary Queen of Scots as she waits at Fotheringhay Castle for her cousin Elizabeth to decide her fate.
These and many other exciting adventures await readers in the pages of "The Amateur Historian’s Guide to the Heart of England."
Book Description
At age 24, Maura O’Halloran traveled to Japan, where she began studying Zen, first in Tokyo and later in the remote northern countryside. Her journey into the depths of her heart and mind is portrayed in this memoir. Journal entries and letters home recounting her quest to become a Zen master reveal Maura’s humor, compassion, wisdom, and above all, her endless commitment to awakening. Insightful and absorbing, Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind remains one of the most beloved dharma books ever published. Maura O'Halloran and her book have inspired popular songs, artists, and countless readers. This new edition will be a must-have for previous fans and is sure to find thousands of new ones.
Books:
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- International Economics (2nd Edition)
- Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of the Baroness De Pontalba
- Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills (9th Edition)
- Knitting Beyond the Edge: Cuffs and Collars*Necklines*Hems*Closures - The Essential Collection of Decorative Finishes
- Landscaping with Stone
- Laura's Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House)
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