Average customer rating:
- A gripping story of teenage angst, cruelty, and self-delusion
- An unlikeable main character
- You are cooking them, aren't you ?
- If only it had a different ending
- Brilliant Book
|
The Wasp Factory: A Novel
Iain Banks
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Paperback
 Banks, Iain
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ASIN: 0684853159 |
Amazon.com
"I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me."
Those lines begin one of the most infamous of contemporary Scottish novels. The narrator, Frank Cauldhame, is a weird teenager who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly Sacrifice Poles to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory.
Few novelists have ever burst onto the literary scene with as much controversy as Iain Banks in 1984. The Wasp Factory was reviled by many reviewers on account of its violence and sadism, but applauded by others as a new and Scottish voice--that is, a departure from the English literary tradition. The controversy is a bit puzzling in retrospect, because there is little to object to in this novel, if you're familiar with genre horror.
The Wasp Factory is distinguished by an authentically felt and deftly written first-person style, delicious dark humor, a sense of the surreal, and a serious examination of the psyche of a childhood psychopath. Most readers will find that they sympathize with and even like Frank, despite his three murders (each of which is hilarious in an Edward Gorey fashion). It's a classic of contemporary horror. --Fiona Webster
Book Description
Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least:
Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim.
That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again.
It was just a stage I was going through.
Customer Reviews:
A gripping story of teenage angst, cruelty, and self-delusion.......2007-06-23
"The Wasp Factory" is a story self-narrated by Frank, an angry and confused teenager who only finds solace through elaborate rituals involving cruelty to animals.
Frank's story takes us through several days of his life where he wanders the island he lives on and the town he lives by. As an indifferent aside, he also tells us, in dark, cold, and unsettling humorous detail, the three murders he has committed--some of them family members. If you are in the mood for a dark psychological study narrated by a unreliable sociopath, then this is the book for you.
Banks creates a very dark and twisted world with this book. His attention to detail when he describes Frank's inner thoughts is flawless. With ease he describes the quick, sometimes random, feelings that we all have and that we all forget. He also describes Frank's cruel rituals in fascinating specifics.
Unfortunately, I give it four stars only because the ending was a bit over the top and, IMHO, it didn't fit well into the main vein of the story.
An unlikeable main character.......2007-05-01
I think that this is another book that you either love or hate. I loved it, it has a very black humour throughout the book, and there are some disturbing aspects to our main character.
I have leant this book to a few people, and of these, a couple have loved it, one absolutely hated it.
It is true that it is hard to empathise with a main character that is violent and malicious, but in this respect, this book reminds me a little of A Clockwork Orange only in as much that the main character in this book has no redeeming qualities either.
If you like twists, this one has a good one at the end.
You are cooking them, aren't you ?.......2007-05-01
Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'.
Frank Cauldhame is sixteen years old and hasn't quite had what you'd call a typical upbringing. In fact, he doesn't officially exist : Frank was never registered, has no birth certificate, no passport and no national insurance number. The upside is that, as a result, he's never had to attend school - though he was educated at home by his father. (Angus, Frank's father, did occasionally embellish parts of the curriculum - for example, Frank believed for a time that there was a character called Fellatio in "Hamlet"). Angus is a scientist : the discipline is never clearly identified, though he does appear to be involved in the biomedical sector. These connections have also apparently allowed Angus to provide for Frank's medical needs - despite his son's official non-existence. (These needs were increased at an early age, following a devastating encounter with a dog). Angus' study is strictly off-limits to Frank and is permanently locked - though Frank is determined to make it inside someday.
The pair are pretty comfortable, whatever it is Angus does for a living. They live on a small island, just off the coast of Portneil in Scotland. Frank never knew his mother, Angus' second wife, as she left shortly after he was born. (Apparently, she didn't care much for children). It's probably lucky for her that she didn't stick around : Frank has turned into a very strange kid whose values and beliefs don't really overlap with those held by 'normal' society. He's very fond of general destruction and killing - so far, he's dispatched two cousins, one brother and various animals. (He's yet to be caught out). He is also very inventive and has essentially created his own belief system - involving a Wasp Factory, some Sacrifice Poles and the Bunker (a pillbox on the beach, a relic from the Second World War). He also has his own name for various parts of the island, depending on what he's done there - for example, the Snake Park, Black Destroyer Hill and the Bomb Circle.
The events of "The Wasp Factory" take place over a couple of days - beginning with the news that Eric, Frank's half-brother, has escaped form hospital. (Eric was committed several years earlier, for setting dogs on fire). The book sees Frank looking back over his life, in the build-up to Eric's expected return. This isn't something that causes Frank any great amount of stress, despite the fact that Eric clearly still isn't firing on all thrusters. (Frank's is more than a match for his brother : the worrying this is that he sees himself as being the "somebody sane who still likes" Eric.) Unsurprisingly, the book can be a little gruesome at times and it isn't one I'd recommend if you're feeling a little queasy. However, if you're feeling up to a challenge, it's certainly well worth reading !
If only it had a different ending.......2006-12-18
I would have given this book 4 stars if it had an ending that wasn't absolutly terrible and ruined every page that came before it.
Brilliant Book.......2006-09-08
A friend suggested this book to me, so I decided to give it a try. I found it compelling plot and liked the twist at the end. Iain Banks knows how to write excellent characters that you can sympathize with, even though the character is murderer. This is one of the best books I've read in recent years. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
In this inspired follow-up to the bestselling Yiddish withDick and Jane, Yiddish--the mother tongue of irony--invades the ultimatebastion of American WASP culture: Kennebunkport, home of the Bush clan. What do George and Laura Bush have in common with Dick and Jane? Well, bothhail from prototypical WASP families. And, perhaps more to the point, bothexhibit a natural resistance to moral complexity (i.e., reality). That's the premise of this hilarious new primer-style book in which George,Laura, and the entire Bush family communicate with uncharacteristicexpressiveness, conveying shades of feeling and nuances of meaning thatplain old English can't deliver--by peppering their conversation withYiddishisms. See George's mother. Her name is Bar. She wears alot of pearls and is a farbisseneh. "You are late, George," Bar says. "Of course I am late," George says. "I am the President of the United States. I am a big macher." Like all good primers, YIDDISH WITH GEORGE AND LAURA tells a simplestory--and, in the end, important life lessons are imparted.
Customer Reviews:
a real mechaya........2007-09-15
bought this for our daughter who is enjoying her yiddish roots and who despises the bush family as we do. it has some cruel parts, but they are well deserved by this arrogant and greedy bunch. well worth the price.
I laughed 'til I plotzed!.......2007-05-12
Well, actually, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry in despair! So true. And SO funny! (And can you name all the people on the last page?)
Even goyim will love it!.......2007-03-15
Yiddish with George and Laura is even more hilarious than Yiddish with Dick and Jane, the authors' first 'Yiddish Primer'--for Democrats, at least. The jokes in the 'glossary' at the back are also funny, some are even funnier than the main text. With a few exceptions (tschotkes, chazerai, schvantz, for example) the Yiddish words and phrases in this volume are less mainstream than those in the first book, so keep one finger in the glossary as you read.
This is a Panic!.......2007-03-13
This one is even funnier than "Yiddish With Dick & Jane." The George Bush family speaking "Yinglish" and interspersing Yiddish words with English is a hoot! I laughed so hard that I wiped tears of laughter from my eyes when I read this delightful gem of humor.
George and Laura, twins in tow visit the senior Bushes (Bar & Poppy) along with Bush's brothers. Readers are introduced to the Bush clan and each sentence has Yiddish words describing each person. Jenna and Barbara are called "sheyna maydls" and Poppy feels like a shlimazel when he trips over a globe Dumbya left on the floor.
Each page has an accompanying illustration and readers can figure out many of the Yiddish words from the context. Luckily for all, the glossary at the end of the book offers a translation and proper pronounciation guide so you can describe the shmendrick in the White House and the twin sheyna maydls.
The story spoofs the Bushes, ridiculing them. The delightful inclusion of Yiddish makes a good story even better. Poppy feels like a shlimazel; has a son in the White House who really is a shlimiel and a tuchas leker as well as a macher. This story will certainly bring a smile to the faces of all ages and political ideologies. I love it!
ADORABLE BOOK; GREAT GIFT.......2007-01-16
I bought 7 copies of this book. It's a really cute and funny book, really interesting, and a great little primer on Yiddish. Great to own and have around for a gift. If no one is throwing around Yiddish in your house, get this book. The kids will take a look at it and it'll help keep so many wonderful Yiddishisms alive.
Book Description
- How fat do you have to be to become bulletproof?
- Why do people have eyebrows?
- Why do pineapples have spines?
- How much does a head weigh?
- What affects the color of earwax?
- How quickly could I turn into a fossil?
Have you ever thought up a question so completely off-the-wall, so seemingly ridiculous, that you couldn't even find the courage to ask it? Maybe at the sports bar you were transported by the beauty of your beer to wonder, "How long could I live on beer alone?" Or, cycling through the park, you mused, "Did nature invent any wheels?" Or looking up at the night sky, you had a moment of angst, "What would happen if the moon suddenly disappeared -- if it were vaporized or stolen by aliens?"
Full of fun factlets, Does Anything Eat Wasps? is a runaway bestseller around the world. It celebrates the weird and wacky questions -- some trivial, some baffling, all unique -- and their multiple answers culled from "The Last Word," a long-running column in the internationally popular science magazine, New Scientist. Tackling the imponderables of everyday life, sparkling with humor, and bursting with delightful erudition, Does Anything Eat Wasps? is irresistibly entertaining and utterly engrossing.
So, go on. Put away your lab coat and your pencil -- science is fun again.
Download Description
How fat do you have to be to become bulletproof? Why do people have eyebrows? Why do pineapples have spines? How much does a head weigh? What affects the color of earwax? How quickly could I turn into a fossil? Have you ever thought up a question so completely off-the-wall, so seemingly ridiculous, that you couldn't even find the courage to ask it? Maybe at the sports bar you were transported by the beauty of your beer to wonder, "How long could I live on beer alone?" Or, cycling through the park, you mused, "Did nature invent any wheels?"Or looking up at the night sky, you had a moment of angst, "What would happen if the moon suddenly disappeared -- if it were vaporized or stolen by aliens?" Full of fun factlets, Does Anything Eat Wasps? is a runaway bestseller around the world. It celebrates the weird and wacky questions -- some trivial, some baffling, all unique -- and their multiple answers culled from The Last Word, a long-running column in the internationally popular science magazine, New Scientist. Tackling the imponderables of everyday life, sparkling with humor, and bursting with delightful erudition, Does Anything Eat Wasps? is irresistibly entertaining and utterly engrossing. So, go on. Put away your lab coat and your pencil -- science is fun again.
Customer Reviews:
Fun, but limited.......2007-08-15
Well this is indeed interesting. You will leave with more tidbits of knowledge to amaze your friends. But I was expecting a little more. It did not take me very long at all to read everything of interest in this book. IT is more of a novelty gift of coffee table book, not for educational or litereary pursuits.
Very Hungry Birds (and More !).......2007-05-26
The 'New Scientist' is a weekly magazine, first published in 1956, that covers the recent happenings in the scientific world. In 1994, the magazine launched a new column called "The Last Word" in which its driven by its readers - not all of whom are geeks in white coats. Here, they could not only pose a science-related question, but also provide the answers. "Does Anything Eat Wasps" is a selection of the questions asked and answered over the column's first eleven years, and proved to be one of the UK's surprise hit of the year.
The book is divided into chapters, depending on the focus of the questions selected - our bodies, our planet and 'wierd' weather for example. While the book is informative, it is equally as likely to raise a smile - the overall tone is not that of a difficult, highbrow scientific paper. Some of the questions that are dealt with include : how long can a human being live if their sole source of food or drink is beer ? (One respondant includes in his answer it would be unethical to conduct such an experiment - though I suspect he would have plenty of volunteers). What causes the changes, in terms of colour and consistency, in earwax ? Can it be scientifically proven that your arse looks smaller in black trousers ? And just how far above the Earth's surface would you have to be before a compass stops pointing north ?
An enjoyable and informative book - though it's one I tend to dip into once in a while, rather than reading it from cover to cover.
NewScientist Readers Give Answers to Questions You May or May Not Have Thought of Before.......2007-05-05
There are many informative interesting fact books out there, what makes this one different from the rest is that they haven't actually gone and found experts to find out what the actual answers are, instead readers of popular magazine NewScientist (and granted some of these are scientists, lecturers and others who would know what they are talking about, but a lot are just every day people as well) have answered questions pondered by other readers. This book is a collection of a column that appears in each addition of the magazine. So it is comparable to logging onto a forum on Yahoo or somewhere else where questions are posted by one users for anyone else to answer, the answerer may be 100 per cent right then again the again they may be a hundred percent wrong. You could also compare this book to when researching a fact going online to Wikipedia where anything can be posted as fact, instead of looking up an actual encyclopaedia or specific topic research book.
If you like visiting these types of websites, and can take every answer with a grain of salt as they say, then this may well be the book for you. If you actually want answers you know are true to interesting questions or books of facts then there are far better alternatives out there such as Do Blue Bedsheets Bring Babies?: The Truth Behind Old Wives' Tales, Great Mythconceptions: The Science Behind the Myths, Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S. and Shocking Science to name just four examples.
Oddball questions, clever answers.......2007-04-10
I've always been a fan of trivia books -- you know, those books that are full of factoids and/or short bits of knowledge. They often have a problem though -- they tend to run a lot of items without fact checking. The question-and-answer type (as exemplified by David Feldman and Cecil Adams) tend to be better-researched, since they're more than just factoids. This is one of the latter kind, and then some.
Many of the questions in this book (culled from the Last Word column in New Scientist Magazine) are distinctly weird -- questions about convection currents in liqueurs, decomposition of a guinea pig corpse, and the use of bromide as an anaphrodisiac all come up, along with a great many others. The interesting thing is the answers -- quite a lot of them are written by multiple contributors, allowing the reader to get different perspectives on an answer.
So if you're into q&a trivia books, get this one. There's quite a lot to learn, and you'll even get some understanding about how scientists disagree.
Does Anything Eat Wasps?.......2007-01-09
My husband heard about this writer and wanted to try his book. Now there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn a new tidbit of somthing from him!
Book Description
Four million wasps invade Itching Down, so the villagers make a giant jam sandwich to trap them.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Fantabulous.......2007-10-08
I read this book when I was a child and LOVED it. I remember the thrill of seeing that HUGE loaf of bread and the jam. Sent my imagination soaring. Then there was the satisfying end to the bees (I was terrified of bees as a child so you can imagine how thrilled I was at the end. =D) I think it was my most favorite childhood book.
I found this book in the library some years ago and shared it with my son (now 12). I've just bought it to share with my younger son...and my older one is THRILLED. =D We both can't wait for it to arrive.
My favorite children's book.......2007-07-08
This was my favorite book when I was a kid, and now my son asks for "Sandwich" as well. I started reading it to him when he was 6 weeks old. We had to take a break to board books when he was in his eat books and turn their pages roughly phase, but now he appreciates having this book read to him. I and my parents, and one day my kids, all know the words by heart. You won't get sick of reading it either. Since I have the words memorized, I can look at the pictures, and even after reading it so many times, I keep finding new details in the pictures!
The Giant Jam Sandwich.......2007-03-12
This is a wonderful rhyming book fun to read and kids love it. This is the second one I have given away.
Nothing better than a jam sandwich!.......2007-03-08
I got this book at our local library book sale. It quickly became a bedtime favorite due to its rhythm and rhyme. A truly small-town problem with a truly small-town solution. What a delight! The best 25 cents I ever spent!
I loved this book when I was a child, now my little girl loves it too!.......2007-02-11
What can I say? This is an enchanting, beautifully rhymed book with fabulous pictures. I know it off by heart and my little girl wants me to read it to her over and over again.
Book Description
Oak apples, honeydew and ambrosia galls, witches' brooms, and fasciations--all are types of plant galls, a commonly observed, yet little-understood botanical phenomenon. Often beautiful and bizarre, galls are growths of various shapes, sizes, and colors produced by host plants in response to invading organisms. This guide, a trove of natural history lore, explores this hidden realm, taking a fascinating look at the world of plant galls, the organisms that initiate them, their host plants, and their intricate behaviors. Focusing on native trees and shrubs, but also discussing several galls that occur on herbaceous and ornamental plants, it illuminates the complex interrelationship between botany and entomology and magnifies our awareness of plant communities in the West.
Identifies more than 300 species of galls--95 on oaks, 22 on members of the rose family, 60 desert species, and 35 species that are new to science
Describes plant galls from coastal dunes, the high Sierra, the Great Basin, forests throughout the western states, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts
Includes information on host selection, growth and development, predator and parasite defense, and animal and human uses of galls
Customer Reviews:
Everything you want in a field guide.......2007-08-29
Perfect size, organization, filled with photos, descriptions (size, host plants, scientific names, lifecycle and illustrations), glossary, comprehensive index and 70 pages of essential Introduction. Besides, there is nothing else like it. I've used this guide for seven months in California and Arizona. If you want to identify and become familiar with plant galls of the western states, this is the book you need.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad for a short read........2007-08-11
Parts of this book were better than others. I think I liked the personal aspect of Ann Carl's life more than the adventures in flight. I just felt her book contained too many details and aeronautical jargon that would not hold a great deal of interest to those of us that have little or no knowledge of aviation. Having said that, though, I believe I will read some other books on these amazing and brave women known as the
WASP'S.
A WASP among eagles: The story of an exceptional woman living during difficult times........2006-03-13
I enjoyed reading the story of Ann Baumgartner Carl, an aviatrix that challenged the bigotry and mysoginy of the 1940s United States in order to serve her country. The book, as it was, was interesting and enjoyable. Its problem is that it is too short and sometimes only brushes subjects that a reader may wish to know more about. I would have liked in particular to learn more about the personalities of a few people described in the book and who played important roles in the aviation career of the author. This book is still a good bet however to pass some quiet time at home or during a trip.
There is no such thing as a bad aviation book this one is A+.......2002-09-30
Ann Carl's book tells what most male pilots know.
That is that the laws of physics apply equally to both genders.
During WW II special women took the challenge during special
times. Prior to WW II special women, such as Aline Rhonie
Hofheimer of Warren, NJ. tested various Luscombe models after
investing in the company. But during WW II the rigors
of testing became extreme. I think that no child can
say that they had a good education without knowing about these women who gave not excuses only their all. When you look at
all of the superficial celebrities in Hollywood.. all of them
would not add up to one of these women pilot of WW II.
A first-hand, insider's account.......2001-02-18
Ann Carl was a female military test pilot in World War II. A Wasp Among Eagles is her story of her experiences and adventures. She first learned to fly in 1940 and in 1943 found herself assigned to Wright Field. She underscores how women, because of the wartime shortages and pressures, were vital in performing jobs that were once the exclusive domain of men. A Wasp Among Eagles is an impressive, informative, first-hand, insider's account and an invaluable contribution to military studies, and highly recommended reading for women's twentieth-century history studies as well.
Impressive contribution to WWI military history studies........2001-01-04
Ann Carl was a female military test pilot in World War II. A Wasp Among Eagles is her story of her experiences and adventures. She first learned to fly in 1940 and in 1943 found herself assigned to Wright Field. She underscores how women, because of the wartime shortages and pressures, were vital in performing jobs that were once the exclusive domain of men. A Wasp Among Eagles is an impressive, informative, first-hand, insider's account and an invaluable contribution to military studies, and highly recommended reading for women's twentieth-century history studies as well.
Average customer rating:
- Great series.
- MORE AND MORE EVIL!!!!!!
- Secrets Of Droon
- THE SECRETS OF DROON ( books)
- Mom approves!
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The Golden Wasp (Secrets of Droon, 8)
Tony Abbott
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0439182980 |
Book Description
Eric, Neal, and Julie have a big problem on their hands. Galen the Wizard had warned them never to bring anything from Droon into the Upper World. But Julie has brought a bracelet by mistake, and it's turned Eric's dad into a ghost in Droon! Now the kids must find him. If they don't, he'll end up in the Land of the Lost - forever.
Customer Reviews:
Great series........2007-03-21
My daughter is in the 4th grade. She is hooked on the entire Droon series. I wouldn't recommend these for younger children unless they are above average readers. Droon is a magical world full of adventure and mystery.
MORE AND MORE EVIL!!!!!!.......2006-01-11
This book is great because it gets you very excited. All of the kings are invited to a ball but they were tricked by Sparr and they all get stung by the golden wasp. Read another great book in the Droon series.
Secrets Of Droon.......2000-07-31
My name is Jake Grass I have read all of the Secrets Of Droon books. The Secrets Of Droon is just like The Magic Tree House but I think The Secrets Of Droon is lots better than the Magic tree house.
THE SECRETS OF DROON ( books).......2000-07-13
MY DAUGHTER AND I STARTED ON THE DROON BOOKS IN THE MIDDLE OF SECOND GRADE. AFTER I READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS TO HER SHE WAS HOOKED. SHE STARTED TAKING THE BOOKS TO SCHOOL, SHE WOULD READ THEM IN THE MORING WHILE SHE WAITED FOR THE BUS, THEN ON THE BUS, THEN AT SCHOOL AT READING TIME AND QUITE TIME. IF YOU WOULD OF TOLD ME MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WOULD BE CARING AROUND BOOKS AND READING ON HER OWN BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO 6 MONTHS AGO I WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED IT. THESE STORYS KEEP YOU INTESTED AND ARE GREAT EARLY READER BOOKS. I EVEN FIND MYSELF ASKING HER WHEN SHE GET HOME WHAT HAPPED TO A CHARACTOR OR WHAT HAPPED FROM WERE WE LEFT OFF LAST.
Mom approves!.......2000-06-23
As the parent of a 8 year old boy I am very happy with the Secrets of Droon series. They fullfill my sons need for adventure, excitement and suspense. These stories have a "Harry Potter-esque" tone to them but are more age appropriate for my 8 year old to read. (Kind of Harry Potter meets the Magic Treehouse.) Our only problem is, #9 isn't out yet.
Book Description
Katherine Forrester Vigneras, in a continuation of her story from The Small Rain, returns to New York City from Europe to retire. Now in her seventies, she encounters an old friend from her Greenwich Village days who, it turns out, is the former Bishop of New York. He asks Katherine to give a benefit concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This leads to new demands on her resources--human, artistic, psychological, and spiritual--that are entirely unexpected.
Customer Reviews:
Waking Up .......2007-05-15
Although perhaps best known for her excellent work in children's fiction, Madeleine L'Engle is an astounding writer of adult fiction. "A Severed Wasp" is a brilliant novel that interweaves numerous characters and storylines without losing or short-changing a single one. L'Engle is a masterful storyteller with an uncanny ability to weave intelligence and faith into the heart of her stories.
To try to summarize the plot of "A Severed Wasp" would do a disservice to the book, for it is a joy to discover each intricate detail as it emerges from the past and present. The tale centers around Madame Katherine Vigneras, a concert pianist, who has returned to her home in New York City, hoping to retire quietly. Out of the blue she is contacted by an old acquaintance, a former bishop of the Episcopal Church, who wishes for her to give a benefit concert for the cathedral's building fund. Against her better judgment, Katherine soon finds herself agreeing, and finds her retirement anything but quiet as she becomes involved in the lives of those connected with the cathedral. Yet as she learns more about the families associated with the church, she finds a dark story lurking just beneath the surface, a mystery that someone doesn't want uncovered and is more than willing to keep Katherine from discovering the truth.
"A Severed Wasp" is beatifully written, a testament to the power of memory, as Katherine weaves her narrative between present events and the past that has shaped the woman she is today. At times the story is ponderous and relies a little too heavily on coincidence, but L'Engle pulls her narrative through to the end. And while the resolution is perhaps a little quick in coming, the buildup to the final pages is a remarkable journey. The author deftly brings all of these characters to life, making the reader one with the events unfolding around them. Madeleine L'Engle allows her readers to witness firsthand, the joy and bittersweet realities of life through fictional characters, a feat that is often hard to accomplish.
Well written but ultimately disturbing.......2006-03-31
I grew up reading and enjoying L'Engle books, and recently re-read "A Severed Wasp." Now that I'm older and have children my perspective has changed, and the book bothered me. (Spoiler alert!) At the end of the book Katherine discovers that one of the characters attempted to molest a child (kissing on the mouth, telling her she was like a sacred temple virgin, other innapropriate behavior and statements) - - and then threatened the child if she told anyone. This had happened 2 years prior, and because of certain events that took place the child was afraid to tell anyone and had been living a nightmare. Her sister and friend were frequent visitors of this character and seemed to be in her thrall. When Katherine discovers this, instead of immediately telling the child's parents, and getting the other 2 girls out of danger, she just takes it upon herself to offer absolution to the character. This horrified me! Katherine's behavior is portrayed by the author as being wise and gracious, instead of criminally negligent. I also found Katherine's personality to be abrasive, self-serving and annoying. As another reviewer stated, the author sees Katherine through rose colored glasses, but she bothered me intensely. Most of the characters tried to justify immoral behavior. The book left me with a really bad taste in my mouth.
very readable but often disappointing.......2005-09-17
Like other reviewers, I was a "Wrinkle in Time" fan who ran across the "adult" books and the bookstore and thought I would return to her writing. I read "A Small Rain" few months ago, which I mostly enjoyed. What was striking to me was how the characters lingered with me, sneaking into my thoughts even months later. So when I saw this return to the same characters, I was happy to pick up "A Severed Wasp."
But I didn't really enjoy the book. It succeeds as a story - a good pace, and very readable. But the magic of the characters disappears in this follow-up. I found the main character Katherine to be annoying, a dislikable person who is constantly described lovingly. L'Engle constantly flatters this character as so talented, amazing, and eminently respected by all. But she is clearly a judgmental person, stubborn, self-centered, and obnoxious. In "A Small Rain", interactions between Katherine and other characters reveal how her stubbornness might be a strength and a weakness. Here, Katherine remains an imperfect person but the reader sees her only through the author's rose colored glasses. It becomes tiresome very quickly.
The lack of character richness extend to the minor players as well - it is only in the last few pages that L'Engle attempts to bring any motives to characters beyond the lead, which makes the ending seem forced and implausible. Even the character of Mimi who is so prominent throughout the book lacks independent qualities or motives, and is essentially dismissed before the end of the novel.
I suppose I did enjoy the puzzle of the portrait of Katherine - given her self-absorbed, arrogant nature, why do the other characters flock around her? But in the end, the characters just do not work for me.
A wonderful sequel.......2005-07-13
This book is SO much better if you have read A Small Rain! I had not, the first time I read this, and while I liked it, I did not love it (which is unusual for me with a L'Engle book). But, I recently read A Small Rain and then re-read A Severed Wasp. I only kind of remembered it because it had been so long and it was delightful. I think part of my lack of enthusiasm the first time was that I was too young for it the first time I read it. I think it stands alone as a novel, but not when you are too young to appreciate it. Had I read A Small Rain, first, I think I would have loved this from the beginning because I could have read it as a sequel. Now, I could probably just read it as a novel and enjoy it, but not as a teenager!
L'Engle does what she does best - weaves complex characters into a multi-faceted, multi-layered story. It is fun to see characters from her other (young-adult) novels and what became of them. Though, I would have liked to have had more back story on how they got to where they are (that's a story L'Engle has never told). I also would have loved more back story on Manya's relationship with Phillipa Hunter (from And Both Were Young), but that's the obesessed L'Engle fan in me. This is a fantastic novel and one that almost anyone (old enough) should be able to enjoy.
Wise and unsentimental - L'Engle's best.......2005-06-21
Katherine Vigneras, concert pianist and widow of composer Justin Vigneras, returns to New York - the city of her youth - in retirement. She's in her seventies now, enjoying good health despite a few of the usual age-related physical problems, and she's tremendously thankful that she can still keep a routine of daily practice. When she meets an old friend whom she hasn't seen since she was seventeen years old, she has no idea that their renewed connection will draw her into a mystery that is somehow tied to the cathedral where Felix Bodeway was once Bishop of New York. She's simply amazed that the boy she knew could have turned into a clergyman.
This thoroughly adult (in the best sense of that word) novel is peopled with characters familiar to L'Engle's readers from her young adult books. I found it fascinating to look at them through a different pair of eyes - those of sophisticated expatriate, septugenarian Katherine. As always, even L'Engle's "minor" characters reach the page fully fleshed. The novel plays itself out in layers, as each event in Katherine's present day life (her "new" life of retirement) reminds her of her past. She moves back and forth through time, across the Atlantic and back, and takes the reader along without causing confusion. Writing with this technique takes skill, but it's absolutely necessary when following the thoughts of an elderly protagonist whose work now is to make sense out of the past. To think through everything that she had no time to analyze while she was living it, and to come to terms with everything she's lived long enough to regret.
L'Engle's best, in my opinion; and I've been reading L'Engle since I discovered A WRINKLE IN TIME over 40 years ago. Wise and unsentimental, yet brimming with hope and with common human love. Highly recommended, indeed!
Customer Reviews:
A....C U L I N A R Y...P E E K...I N T O...T H E...W A S P...W O R L D.......2006-09-11
SAMPLE REVIEW, (ONE OF 3) FROM THE COVER OF THIS BOOK: 'A very funny, nostalgic trip through WASPland. Chock-full of sociological information".....Letitia Baldridge
If you are a person who pronounces the word as "QU-LIN-AIR-Y', and NOT as "cull-in-ary'; if you admire and aspire to the "WASP" (White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant) lifestyle, love books such as "Elegance", by Genvieve Darieux, and "Faro's Daughter" by Georgette Heyer, (which....I herein must admit, in shameless self-promotion, that I have also reviewed for Amazon), and all other exquisitely written regency novels...would die to become a debutante, or a debutante's glamourous escort, if you read the "Style" sections assiduously, and agonize, daily, with your sense of fair play, and political correctness coming into conflict with your love of the good life and material success....THIS IS YOUR COOKBOOK!
It helps to have a wry sense of humour, as well, in reading this book. For the authoress, ALEXANDRA WENTWORTH, is not only a genuine, top-drawer WASP, but is also an accomplished comedienne, having appeared on "IN LIVING COLOUR", and other entertainment vehicles. (Ms. Wentworth seems to have found THE answer in how to assuage a guilty conscience and STILL enjoy the "good life": simply to SHARE the wisdom and wealth, of that good life, with others! She did so in the TV programme, "IN LIVING COLOUR", and does so, as well -- and with obvious glee and relish, (no pun intended -- by me, at least), in this book.
The book is divided, firstly, into the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season has several subsections, (such as "Annual Family Meeting Tea", in 'Spring') Each subsection contains one or more receipies....many with pithy, and insightful comments showing the good, (and yes, the bad) sides, of real WASP life. For instance, in "Annual Family Meeting Tea", there are two receipies, prefaced by a delightfully humourous, and very knowing introduction. Herewith, the introduction, and one receipie, (together with the comments given)
.........A N N U A L....F A M I L Y....M E E T I N G....T E A.........
The annual family meeting used to be a time when the extended family gathered to discuss property, financial accounts, and the name of a good doctor who can declare Grandpa legally incompetent. Alas, as WASPs have, over the years, lost much of their estate and holdings, owing to n'er-do-well offspring, the annual family meeting has become more of a de facto reunion. If you have married into such a family and are of a different background, I suggest you feign the flu or a slipped disk and stay home.
As WASPs can't cook an elaborate meal, family meetings have mercifully taken on a tealike quality.
.......................M A R Y ' S.....K N E E S.......................
Serves 15-20. An important drink for calming nerves and provoking hearty laughs, (ie: add extra vodka).
6 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
4 cups Absolut citron (lemon vodka)
2 cups Grand Marnier liqueur
Mix ingredients with plenty of ice and orange wedges.
Seven other topics, (making a total of eight topics) each including several recipies, are given for "Spring", (many with similarly pithy insights), These include one or more receipes for "Easter Supper", "Bridal Tea" and "Baby Shower Bruch" -- amongst receipies for other crucial Spring events in the WASP Calendar. In "Summer" are shown receipes for ten events, including: "June Graduation Supper", "Fourth of July Cookout", and "Wimbledon Fancy", (amongst others). "Autumn" gives receipes for six events, including "Prep School Send-Off", "A Middleburg Foxhunt" and "A Racquetball Lunch", and other important events. And "Winter" again gives culinary musts for six events, including "Debutante Ball Cocktails", "Boxing Day Lunch", and "Vail Weekend".
(This reviewer notes the fact that several receipies are given for both "Fourth of July Cookout", and for "Boxing Day Lunch". This shows this book to be a genuinely AMERICAN WASP cookbook.....as, by and large, both American WASPS -- and WASP Admirers -- find absolutely no contradiction in being proud to be American, and being an unashamed Anglopile, at one and the same time. Or, at least, we try very, very hard to find no contradiction in liking, and being proud of, our interest in both. I mean, after all, it HAS been over 200 years since the American Revolution, and, with the "Special relationship" between the U.S. and the U.K. And, after all, Boxing Day DOES involve giving presents to the "help" -- which is a good, democratic idea...or is it a condescending one???? Well, it appears that, though WASP wanna-bes, like me, struggle mightily to join our sometimes conflicting admirations, real WASPS, such as Ms. Wentworth, have absolutely NO compuction of combining their seemingly conflicting admirations. At least, no apologies of any kind for admiring things English is given in THE WASP COOKBOOK. And, after all, why should there be -- as a WASP, Ms. Wentworth, and others like her, are only admiring their own genetic heritage. Oh....why can't everyone be lucky!?
I noticed, by comparing similar receipies in "The WASP Cookbook", and "The Jewish Cookbook", (by Mildred Bellin....which, yes indeed, I have also reviewed for Amazon), that the WASP recipes use FEWER INGREDIENTS. Thus, to "Waspisize" any receipie, it MIGHT be an idea to simply take away some ingredients....preferably those with the most calories or fat. However, for GENUINE Wasp receipes....along with eye-opening, very true, very humourous, and often self-depricating comments, this slim volume with 110 numbered pages, a WONDERFUL velveteen cover, (with golden printing on the cover!), and lovely pale-blue endpapers, can't be missed! It is a very true, and very real, treasure-trove, both for WASPs, and for anyone who wants to eat like one!
a laugh on every page.......2004-03-01
This book made me laugh until I cried. Clearly the author has "been there." Forget about the recipes; it's the commentary that matters. I particularly liked the cookies sent to the child at boarding school with "love from Mummy" written in the cook's handwriting.
Entertaining ,Not To Be Taken as Fact !.......2003-10-24
10/24/03 The book is entertaining with much levity since it comes across absurd(e,g recipe for Green Leaf Salad: Boston lettuce,red oak leaf lettuce,Newman's Own Salad Dressing)...or.. "Mary's Knees" :orange juice,lemon juice,lime juice,lemon vodka(Absolut Citron),Grand Marnier liquer).The book does not come across "as believable",based on books and other mediums(TV,Magazines) for biographies and autobiographies which have exposed the "life styles" of the "low keyed" bluebloods(The Paparazzi have shown their radicals such as the Spencer Family(Princess Diana),Kelly Family (Princess Grace).The rich's conservatism with their cash have made them able to be philanthropists and "powers behind the throne" of most politicans(who do take them seriously!)..The products mentioned (in the many foods not made from scratch e.g. for "Barn Parties:"Spring Chicken Potpies( ingredients incuded 4 cans of chunk white chicken(5-oz ea.)..4 cans creamy potato soup(10 oz ea.)...6 pkg. of pie crust mix (10 oz. ea)) as well as the events,categorized by season(e.g. Winter:Debutante Ball Cocktails(Pg 90) appear to show a faction not "atypical" of the sterotypes which have been depicted.(Possibly because the book shows "only leisure time"(before graduation from school,at lunches,brunches,showers,weddings,egg hunts,fox hunts);not inside the corporate board rooms or an actual easedropping of the "cigar guys" in their private clubs..
Love this food.......2003-05-26
Alexandra Wentworth should receive the Nobelprice for collecting these recipies. Also the comments were great fun to read.
Very funny!.......2003-04-08
This is a great book. I bought it for myself - and I'm now buying them for my WASP girlfriends for their birthdays - a very funny book with some good (not great) recipes.
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