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This work is interesting enough for its history. Completed in 1940, Long Day's Journey Into Night is an autobiographical play Eugene O'Neill wrote that--because of the highly personal writing about his family--was not to be released until 25 years after his death, which occurred in 1953. But since O'Neill's immediate family had died in the early 1920s, his wife allowed publication of the play in 1956. Besides the history alone, the play is fascinating in its own right. It tells of the "Tyrones"--a fictional name for what is clearly the O'Neills. Theirs is not a happy tale: The youngest son (Edmond) is sent to a sanitarium to recover from tuberculosis; he despises his father for sending him; his mother is wrecked by narcotics; and his older brother by drink. In real-life these factors conspired to turn O'Neill into who he was--a tormented individual and a brilliant playwright.
Book Description
Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical play Long Day's Journey into Night is regarded as his finest work. First published by Yale University Press in 1956, it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1957 and has since sold more than one million copies. This edition, which includes a new foreword by Harold Bloom, coincides with a new production of the play starring Brian Dennehy, which opens in Chicago in January 2002 and in New York in April.
Customer Reviews:
Great play, not for light reading.......2007-09-01
Eugene O'Neill's classic play, "Long Day's Journey into Night," is an autobiographical work that makes you feel immense pity for his family life. It's a great read, and wonderful to analyze! Just don't think that this will be a playful romp through the theater. O'Neill tackles a lot of heavy issues in this play and it can be difficult to read.
Living death in the middle class.......2007-07-18
Starting in the 1600s, America was known as the place to make it big, where one could make a decent and happy living if one just worked hard. Whether contrasted to the chaos of Revolutionary France, the abject urban poverty of Dickens' England, the abject rural poverty of Ireland, the militarization of German society or the civil strife of Russia; America was heaven on Earth, a place where one could live the life they wanted. This image gradually wore away by the early 1900's, and this disillusionment was captured in work after work of American literature. The Great Gatsby unveiled the decay of the super-rich, The Grapes of Wrath showed the pitfalls of the rural farmer, Sinclair's "The Jungle" revealed the horrors of industrialized society, and To Kill a Mockingbird forced us to confront the horror of Jim Crowe laws. But no work so fully and so subtly attacked the everyday failings and desperation of middle class America until this short classic by Eugene O'Neill. This story has no true protagonist or antagonist. Instead, it examines one middle-class family, the Tyrones, over the course of one day. The Tyrones live in their own house, and are financially independent. The parents are middle-aged. The husband is past his prime earning years, and his wife, Mary, is addicted to snuff. One son is an alcoholic womanizer, and the other is frail and probably a nervous wreck. Nobody is in danger of starvation or eviction, but the family as a whole has problems, with depression probably being universal. Everyone has personal failings that weigh on their souls, and each day is a struggle to get through without damaging relationships with each other. Hence the title of the book, a long day's journey into night. Night probably means death here, as noone in the family is going to die soon. The journey is the time they have to spend with each other and put up with each other. This fate, this tragedy probably afflicts more people around the world than any other, and that is to have to live with your failings and those of your loved ones. This book was published at the end of O'Neill's career, and is supposed to represent his family. Regardless of its intention, this is a great book, and of the few American classics that anyone around the world can understand.
NO EXIT.......2007-06-24
I have written reviews of some of Eugene O'Neill's other plays elsewhere in this space. I have noted there that Iceman Cometh is my favorite for a variety of reasons, some of them political. Journey, however, may be O'Neill best play and not only because it is somewhat autobiographical. The trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional family that is ultimately clueless about solutions to what ails each of the four characters (father, mother and two very unlike sons)is very much the stuff of modern drama. The intervention of the gods would seem out of place here.
In O'Neill hands the tensions, misunderstandings and illusions presented are recognizable to today's audiences, even those who may themselves be troubled about finding solutions to some very disturbing problems. Althought this is a difficult play to read (and more difficult to watch performed)virtually everyone I know who has read and/or watch it has survived to the end. And was glad of it. That will tell as much as anything else that I could add that we are dealing with a master work of American literature. Enough said.
The Great American Drama of the 20th Century.......2007-06-14
I recently re-read "Long Day's Journey into Night" on a vacation flight and was surprised to find how well it stood up in my second reading.
The first time I read the play was when I was in my late teens and I could easily relate to melancholia of Edmund.
With age and time, I am less melancholic and perhaps less Edmund-like but "Long Day's Journey into Night" is a wonderful play. The most personal (autobiographical) of O'Neill's work: it also is his most universal work.
On every page, the American Dream/nightmare comes through with a brilliance perhaps not equaled elsewhere.
If a professional or quality amateur production of this work is not readily available to you, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. Enjoy!
American literature at its best.......2007-05-18
Simply said, the most beautiful American play of all time.
Amazon.com
"Turning 50 can be one of the most powerful and positive sexual passages in a man's life," writes Barbara Keesling, a sexuality and psychotherapy educator. However, "the focus has to be on lovemaking, not erections--on partnership, not performance." After 50, men's sexual response is affected by the "Big 5": stimulation, circulation, lubrication, stress, and sleep. Keesling teaches women (and men) how to understand how the "Big 5" affect sex, and specifically what to do about each of them. For example, anything that affects blood flow affects erections: temperature, time after eating, position, friction, gravity, and illness, to name just a few.
Keesling presents a series of exercises designed to keep your man "sexually fit, sexually focused, and sexually fabulous for decades." Some are performed during lovemaking; others are completely separate from sex. Some are done by the woman on the man; others by the man on his own. She also offers her 21 "home remedies" for maximizing sexual enjoyment.
Keesling stresses that mental attitudes--yours and his--are as important as the physical exercises. Understanding his aging process will help you accept his changes and adapt your lovemaking so that it's still exciting, loving, and satisfying, even though it may be quite different. Keesling isn't just talking about sex--she's talking about intimacy, acceptance, and love. And those can be powerful aphrodisiacs. --Joan Price
Book Description
This book is not about Viagra--it is about making love. Getting older really does mean getting better. By taking the mystery out of the aging process, this book educates, reassures, and reinvigorates.
Customer Reviews:
All Night Long from the guy's view.......2004-02-19
As a man over 50 this is great stuff to read for yourself. Give it to your wife when you are done, but read it yourself first, there is much good stuff to learn here about being a man and being over 50. Very good physiological information, some health & reality checks, a little technique.
All NIght Long, How to Make Love to a Man Over 50.......2002-05-15
I read the book, my husband read the book, we read the book together. A wonderful tool to bring love, romance, and great sex back into a marriage. After 33 years, we feel like newlyweds again.
Excellent Book..........2002-04-09
...for its intended audience, which is lovers of men over 50. It gives advice and insight on making love to a man over 50 without hurting his feelings, and more or less helping him along without him knowing it. However, if you have a more open and communicative relationship with your lover, I would recommned the book "Sex over 50" which is a great book about loving each other.
Book Description
ON A COLD, SNOWY NIGHT IN 1985, TWO MEN BEGGED FOR THEIR LIVES.In 1985, two 27-year-old friends left their suburban Detroit homes for a hunting trip in rural Michigan. When they did not return, their families and police suspected foul play. For 18 years, no one could prove a thing. Then, a relentless investigator got a witness to talk, and a horrifying story emerged. FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, THEIR KILLERS WENT FREE.In 2003, this bizarre case hit the glare of the criminal justice system, as prosecutors charged two brothers, Raymond and Donald Duvall, with murder. With no bodies ever found, the case hinged on the testimony of one terrified witness who saw a bloody scene unfold-and who was still nearly too frightened to talk. THEN A WITNESS TOLD HER CHILLING STORYNow, the truth behind an 18-year-old mystery is revealed against the backdrop of an unusual, electrifyingly dramatic trial. Raymond and Donald Duvall bragged to friends that they killed their victims, chopped up their bodies and fed them to pigs. A Michigan jury soon had evidence of this brutally methodical execution-evidence that would lead a shocked courtroom through the heart of evil and beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Customer Reviews:
He's done it, yet again!.......2007-07-13
Another amazing and captivating True Crime book by Tom Henderson! This is a book I could not put down! Watch out Ann Rule! Tom Henderson has the ability to topple the Queen of True Crime and crown himself King!
A Great Book to Read.......2007-05-29
Do not start to read this book unless you have time to finish it. You will not put it down until you are finished.
scary and fascinating.......2007-05-14
Two buddies from Southern Michigan decide to join family and friends at their traditional deer camp up north. At last minute, they take a detour and head east for Mio, to drink, party and raise hell. There were a few sightings in the Mio area: they asked directions of a local homeowner, and they were seen at a few bars. Then nothing. But over the years rumors kept circulating that they had crossed paths with the Duvall brothers. The Duvalls lived in squallor, migrating between occasional factory jobs in Southern Michigan and raising pigs and selling wood and committing petty larceny in Northern Michigan. The locals lived in fear of the Duvalls. State Policeman Bronco Lesneski spent years tracking down the sources of rumors about the Duvalls' involvement in the disappearance. This makes for a very creepy, atmospheric story about just how bad human beings can be.
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction.......2007-04-20
It has certainly kept my attention I am ready to read another of Tom Hendersons' books. This is a remarkable piece of work. I was born in Curtisville and am acquainted with so much of the area which,aside from this horrendous crime, I have some of the most beautiful memories from there. I live in the southwest part of the state now but still consider "Up North" home. Friends and family still live in the area. So sad that the Duvall family and their so called buddies gave some areas a "A Darker Than Night" picture of this beautiful part of Michigan. I ordered the book as soon as I heard about it and have had a hard time putting it down, even though I knew the outcome. I would like to see a movie or documentary covering the whole picture and to bring in the finer aspects. The AuSable River is awesome to me. When I was 14 I went down 12 miles tubing starting at the Mio bridge. It was hard for me to believe such a thing could happen so near there. I am thankful to Bronco, Donna and Tom and all who helped for bringing this to us and for all the astromical amount of time and effort and dedication put into it. I would hope this has brought closure to the bereaved families and comfort.
WOW! from a True-crime reader.......2007-04-13
I read a lot of true crime books, but this is one of the best, if not the best of all (not taking real "literature" into account as In cold blood).
It's very well written and extremely suspenseful. Enjoy!
Book Description
An exciting novel of passion, murder, small-town secrets, and scandal brought to light.
Shy, studious Irene Stenson and wild, privileged Pamela Webb had been the best of friends for one short high school summer. Their friendship ended the night Pamela dropped Irene off at home-and Irene walked in to discover her parents' bodies on the kitchen floor. It was ruled a murder-suicide, and Irene fled the northern California town of Dunsley. But seventeen years later, when Pamela sends a cryptic e-mail asking for help, Irene returns to her hometown to find her old friend has died suddenly, leaving behind a lot of ugly, unanswered questions.
Caught up in a firestorm of desperate deceit and long-buried secrets, Irene knows it would probably be smarter to just pack up and leave Dunsley behind again, but her reporter's instinct-and her own hunger to know the truth-compel her to extend her stay at the local lodge. Even more compelling is the man who runs the place-a hazel-eyed ex-Marine who's as used to giving orders as Irene is to ignoring them. Luke Danner can see the terror beneath Irene Stenson's confident exterior-and he is intent on protecting her. But he is also driven by passions of his own, and together they will risk far more than local gossip to sort out what happened to Pamela Webb, and what really happened on that long-ago summer night. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Great book, really enjoyable.......2007-06-30
I really, really, enjoyed this book. I can't think of two characters I've read in a romance novel in a long time that were so likeable and well-suited. The book had a great love story, good suspence and was very funny in places. I simply didn't want it to end!
Irene Stenson and Luke Danner are a perfect match. They just really 'get' each other in a way that is very rare and romantic. Irene's parents were murdered when she was 15 and she has struggled to be seen as normal ever since. Luke's mother committed suicide when he was 6 and he left the Marines six months ago. Searching for peace and quiet, Luke opened a lodge in Irene's hometown, which she has not visited for 17 years. The pair meet when Irene briefly returns home to meet up with an old friend. Needless to say, the suspence and romance kick off almost immediately as Luke and Irene work together to solve a murder case and find themselves falling in love. Both Irene and Luke are very believable characters, and their actions are solidly based on their pasts and personalities.
I really appreciated the humour in this book. Most of it is created by the fact that Luke treats the paying guests at his lodge like they are army recruits. There is also a lot of fun banter exchanged between Luke and Irene, which makes the book a joy to read. I really liked the fact that Luke treats Irene with respect right from their first meeting, and there are no 'big misunderstandings' or unnecessary rudeness between the two lead characters.
The only off-key note in the book is the inclusion of a sub-plot about Luke's family, who have mistakenly assumed that he has post-traumatic stress disorder. I found this sub-plot quite baffling because I couldn't understand why his family had assumed that Luke had certain problems (which I won't give away here) based on the fact that he ended a short engagement with a woman he didn't love shortly after leaving the Marines.
Overall, this is a great novel and I've already re-read it several times. There is no silliness or eye-rolling stupidity in this book, which makes a refreshing change from some of the romance I've read recently. Instead, the novel is down to each and very realistic. The ending made me cry - the words that Luke says to Irene are simply beautiful :-)
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!
Yes! This is JAK at her best.......2007-05-22
JAK has been very spotty in recent years, she's done quite a few books I haven't liked much at all. But then she comes out with a classic and ALL NIGHT LONG is one of them.
A hero and heroine who are interesting characters and have their own quirks -- sparkling dialogue and fast action as the mystery at the center of the story develops. The mystery is a good one and turns out Irene and Luke mesh and understand each other very well because of their quirks! Luke is a guy I could love, Irene is a character to care about. I have read this book about 3 times already and love it every time.
I wish JAK would do more like this one under any name in any time period or on any planet.
How many stars?.......2007-05-14
1) You won't be able to close the book once you started.
2) You won't have any clue of why Irene's "friend" was killed. And when you know you'll be appalled.
3) You'll always read the main story, that means no landscape descriptions or no-sense boring stories.
4) You'll learn to be careful with your family. I mean little and old ones.
5) You won't have a mite inkling of which is the bad guy till the book's end. And then again you'll be astonished.
6) I can't tell you that you'll enjoy the end. But is a real good one.
So yes I rate this book with SIX stars.
Odd Man Out.......2007-05-06
I seem to be the Odd Man Out in my review, but I thought the reading was fine, and I tend to be pretty critical about the audiobooks I will listen too. It was certainly not the best reading ever, but it was pretty fair.
I have heard some horrible audio books and hated them, Jayne Ann Krentz's 'Eclipse Bay' was certainly a terrible waste of money.
The combination of Voices was not that bad. The woman was not terribly memorable, the male voice was fairly soothing.
skimmed to the end.......2007-04-06
This reminded me of a Nancy Drew story in which Nancy gets laid, more than once. If this seems vulgar, then prepare yourself for a big surprise if you read this book. Contrived "in the nick of time" encounters hobble the already weak suspense, and stereotypes abound. You'll be happier with some James Lee Burke.
Book Description
Now, drawing on hundreds of interviews and previously untapped sources, the author gives a hair-raising account of the trumpeter's dark journey.
Customer Reviews:
"Face of an angel, heart of a demon".......2007-07-27
I'd had vague recognition of the name Chet Baker until a trip to Amsterdam a year ago. Across from our hotel--now owned by a major chain--stood a plaque noting that Baker had died on that spot in 1988. I soon learned that in 1988, that area was among the worst of Europe's Skid Rows and that Baker had fallen from the window above to his death.
This book, if you can get through it all without being completely disgusted, is not at all flattering to the man. He recorded hundreds of records, very few any good due to his drug addictions and abhorrent version of a work ethic. But boy, when he was good, he was awesome. Often dismissed as a pale white version of Miles Davis, he attracted admirers of both sexes with his boyish looks and sad songs that, at his best, seemed to flow effortlessly from his trumpet.
Still, the book goes on too long, hence the three stars. We learn, with increasing incredulity, what a despicable person Baker was--absentee father, abusive husband and lover (often at the same time), thief, burglar, arsonist, rapist, forger, drug smuggler, literal pusher (he injected at least one person with heroin against her will). And those were with his friends! About the only thing he didn't do was murder (although he did secretly dispose of a shooting buddy who OD'd on him, dumping it in an alley). And, of course, there were the drugs; taking more than 200 crushed-up pills a day, the only place he didn't inject himself was his eyeball. To add to this incredible list of sordid behaviors, he vehemently refused over and over again to get tested for AIDS, despite his penchant for needle-sharing in the most unseemly of communities.
By the time of Baker's death in 1988, he is so pathetic one ALMOST feels sorry for him. Toothless, gaunt and ever cruel to everyone who ever reached out to him, even his fans looked for foul play as the reason behind the death of the otherwise indestructible Chet Baker. Only a concrete post crushing his head seemed to finish the job he'd started so many years before. (The contrast between Baker on the front and back cover photographs illustrates the toll on his physical appearance, never mind the rest of him.)
I have since borrowed a copy of In Paris: Barclay Sessions 1955-1956, which is a lovely album from sessions recorded in a relatively sober period in the mid-1950s. Still, the ugliness of the artist precludes full enjoyment of the album. In the end, it's just sad.
Valentine.......2007-07-07
Having just finished "Deep in a Dream" I want to mention a few thoughts.
As a read, it has a tension throughout. Odd for a biography when the ending is known at the outset. I believe it's created by the high level of research and the writer's editing choices of that level of detail.
I chose the book because of my having seen Chet Baker. Once.
It was 1966. There is a picture in the book from that appearance.
Having seen perhaps many hundred's of performances by many different jazz artists that one was the real deal. As a musical-human performance. The reputation of jazz is that it is all about improvising. That is seldom the case in my listening life. Only a small percentage have it and use it. Chet Baker is one of those rare ones.
The song has haunted me ever since. As " My Funny Valentine " has stayed with so many other folk. The conflict's in the book are tough to read.
The seeming lack of redemption for Chet's life...........It's rough but a worthwhile read. I do think Mr. Gavin must of been glad to be done with the project. I hope he worked on something a bit lighter afterward.
Be prepared to be radically disillusioned........2005-08-15
Just a glance at the front and back covers tells you quite a bit about Chet Baker. On the front he's an almost singularly good-looking young man, the equal of Hollywood actors of the day. On the back he looks like a corpse that's neglected to lie down and stop moving. Jazz, travel, pain, and heroin. That's Chet Baker's biography. He was a right bastard and if someone did push him they probably had a pretty good reason, played one hell of a gorgeous trumpet though.
Hatred........2005-05-31
I'm curious why someone who apparently thinks Chet Baker is a no-talent hack, would go to all the trouble of writing a biography of him?
After stating early on that Baker's horn playing was just a pale imitation of others, his voice was weak, etc. Mr. Gavin contradicts himself based on other peoples reviews of later performances.
It's really got nothing to do with Chet's music here anyways, it's just a book demonizing him as a person pretty much.
While it's interesting to see the life Chet led, the book over all just seems like an attack on a man who isn't even around to defend himself.
If the idea was just to make a buck off a dead celebrity, James Gavin would have done well to choose a celebrity that more people are interested in.
If there's a reason for Mr. Gavin's apparent vendetta against Chet Baker, that story might make for more interesting reading.
Synopisis: Chet Baker was a junkie and he hurt a lot of people.
That's about all you're going to learn here, and I said it in a sentence. Mr. Gavin tells us over and over and needs 448 pages to do so.
The companion CD 'Deep in a Dream' pretty well disproves James Gavin's critiques of Baker's talent, and gives a far more important picture of Chet Baker as a truly gifted and important artist.
Skip the book, get the CD.
Pityfull mr.gavin ........2004-11-30
Ooooooo, mr.gavin, if you can reach 1/10000000000000000000, glory and popularity, and geniousity, of Mr. CHET BAKER.
Better listen Chet`s, music and be quiet please!!
Average customer rating:
- Moon struck!
- Long Night Moo n
- not just for bedtime
- Many delightful moments for parent and child
- indelible memories
|
Long Night Moon
Cynthia Rylant
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0689854269 |
Book Description
Have you ever stopped to consider what might be revealed in one spot over one year by twelve unique and exquisite full moons?
Customer Reviews:
Moon struck!.......2006-11-09
My 3 yo granddaughter loves the moon and loves this book. Although the prose is spare, it captures the essence of each month's full moon. The illustrations are soft, subtle and like Rylant's writing, full of wondrous detail.
This is a fabulous pairing of writer and illustrator. They compliment each other perfectly. I enjoy this one as much as my granddaughter.
Long Night Moo n.......2006-08-27
Grear book to inspire young writers to take off an re write thie own versions
not just for bedtime.......2004-12-31
i read this book late at night in the winter time during the full moon, and was so taken with the artwork, i stayed awake to reread and reread it. the landscape really caught me, i could feel it and smell it, it felt like i was walking through this panorama. i loved looking at each page to see how it connected to the page before, how the road got closer, then further away as i kept walking. when i read the book to my kindergartners, they were awed and silent. they loved finding some of the hidden art in the drawings, looking for the wolf in the sky was their favorite. this is a magical book, which leaves you feeling hushed, peaceful, happy.
Many delightful moments for parent and child.......2004-12-29
This book is a remarkable achievement. Rylant's simple yet moving and profound poems capture the magic and wonder of the night-time, and they have been further brought to life - and to light, amazingly so, in a rich diversity of luminous grays, blues, purples - by the illustrator.
Reading it with my five-year-old niece, who has often been afraid alone at night, was truly delightful: Long Night Moon brings out the richness, softness and intimacy of the nocturnal environment, in a way that a child finds reassuring.
The journey of the seasons is shown in snapshots, panning along a 360° view of the same landscape, bringing us back, at December's Long Night Moon, to the homey scene of the beginning. It gives a feeling of completeness and harmony, one more of the very successful uses of symbolism and imagery by this author/illustrator pair who were very fortunate to find one another.
I've recommended this book to several friends, who told me it also gave them very pleasant reading experiences with the children in their life.
indelible memories.......2004-12-29
From BOOKPAGE, December 2004:
Once in a blue moon
Inspired by the Native American custom of naming full moons, veteran Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Rylant teams up with newcomer Mark Siegel in a lovely new book showcasing the 12 full moons of the year.
As artist Mark Siegel shares in a note, although he was immediately captivated by Rylant's words, he wasn't quite sure of the best medium to use for his artwork. After trying acrylics and oils, he finally chose charcoal, pencil and pastels.
Perhaps more importantly, he took "many long walks by moonlight in the beautiful Rockefeller Farms, near Sleepy Hollow, New York," realizing that he'd never given so much attention to moonlight before. This careful attention paid off in Siegel's stunning illustrations exploring all 360 degrees of one spot in the countryside. The dark yet silvery images seem perfectly in tune with Rylant's words, which evoke the moons, the natural world and seasons, and the meanings they hold for us. The book begins:
"In January
the Stormy Moon shines in mist, in ice, on a wild wolf's back.
Find it and find your way home."
Each month is lovingly evoked, from the Sprouting Grass Moon of April, to June's Strawberry Moon, to the Acorn Moon of October. December's moon is the Long Night Moon, which waits, and waits, and waits for morning. This, Rylant tells us, is the faithful moon.
Long Night Moon is a perfect way to introduce young children to the seasons. Share it with your family after a moonlit walk, and you will create indelible memories.
Book Description
Has Jessica gone too far?
Elizabeth Wakefield knows her beautiful twin can handle almost any guy--most boys are just no match for Jessica's seductive charms. But Scott Daniels, Jessica's latest love, is more of a man than a boy, much older and much more experienced than anyone Jessica's ever dated.
When Jessica sneaks off to a college beach party with Scott, Elizabeth's afraid of what could happen. And when her twin sister isn't back by morning, Elizabeth's fear turns to alarm. Why has she stayed out all night long?
Customer Reviews:
ITS SPOUSED TO BE ABOUT JESSICA BUT ITS REALLY NOT!.......2005-03-07
Its was kinda good but its spoused to be aobut Jessica and her new college boyfriend. But they only have like one chapter about that. The whole book is mostly about Elizebeth. Like what will she do to help out her sister, her and Todd having some problems. This whole book just revloves around Elizebeth not Jessica. I was very disapointed about this book. Next time they should give a descreption about Elizebeth instead of Jessica!!
An Older college guy.......2005-02-25
Jessica[Typical Jessica] goes out with a college guy named Scott.She sneakes off to a college beach party,and has a little beer. She doesn't come home the next morning for school,Elizabeth does both twins,her and Jessica.Jessica arrives in time for Cheerleading practice,and She said that Scott Daniels did make her sick,While Elizabeth[who pretended to be Jessica] said She threw Scott Daniels in the water because he was being a creep in front of all his friends.She made it all up of course.Elizabeth and Todd have a fight then make up again.
I guess it was good..........2000-03-02
This is good book for great series, but this isn't so very good. I mean that it's okay, but it wasn't so good that I would buy it or something. Jessica was in trouble and Liz was acting Jess. There was happy ending, but they should've write longer book. If they've made other plot too, this could've been better. Borrow it, don't buy it!
I'll rate this with 3 stars! I love the next book of this series - Dangerous Love!
Jessica Does it again.......1999-08-28
I think this book was alright, but it would have been great if that Jssica hadn't gotten away with murder, as usual. And if Elizabeth hadn't let herself get manipulated by Jessica.
ONCE AGAIN. . . . . . ........1999-04-22
Once again, Jessica gets herself into a mess and Elizabeth is left to get her out of it. When Jessica goes to an party with her new boyfriend, Scott Daniels, she doesn't know that this party is an all-nighter. The next morning, Elizabeth wakes up to find Jessica's bed hasn't been slept in (how would she know, since Jessica's bed is never made) A few minutes later, Jessica phones Elizabeth and tearfully announces all that had happened (she deserved everything that happened to her) Unfortunatly, Elizabeth is nw plunged into another one of Jessica's messes, which seems to always happen. Elizabeth vowed not to get herself into one of Jessica's messes, but unfortunatly, Elizabeth is too gullible and weak to keep that up. Now Jessica's mess becomes HER mess as well, as she wouldn't dream of "standing by and watching her own twin sister get into trouble" I seriously doubt that Jessica would all the things that Elizabeth does for her during the school day. The first thing that Elizabeth does is dress up as herself, pretend to leave and then come back into the house and pretend to be Jessica, to fool their mother. The next thing is when Todd and Elizabeth break up because of Jessica and Elizabeth takes a test for her. And then Jessica has the absolute NERVE to blame Elizabeth for the test scores (which were bad) At least she took the test for her. Ungrateful little witch. I can't imagine Jessica doing all that for Elizabeth.
Book Description
The Long Night of White Chickens is a novel truly born of two worlds: It is the story of Roger Graetz, raised in a Boston suburb by an aristocratic Guatemalan mother, and his relationship with Flor de Mayo, the beautiful young Guatemalan orphan sent by his grandmother to live with his family as a maid. When, years later in the 1980s, Flor is murdered in Guatemala while running an orphanage, Roger returns to uncover the truth of her death. There he is reunited with Luis Moya, a childhood friend, and together they attempt to chronicle Flor's life story, a quest that will have unexpected, and unforgettable repercussions.
Customer Reviews:
A beautiful novel.......2006-11-12
The Long Night of White Chickens is a rich stew of interwoven memories and perceptions. It works from both the inside out and the outside in to create its characters, and at the same time paints an unforgettable picture of Guatemala. All this, plus a sort of mystery plot!
The best book to read on Guatemala, fiction or non-fiction.......2005-11-14
I've worked in Guatemala as a human rights observer as well as with many Guatemalan asylum seekers in the United States.
This book, in evoking what Guatemala is like, with its beauty and cruelty and silence, is the best I've encountered. Sometimes a fictional narrative can explain the truth of a situation better than any recitation of historical facts. This is one of those rare books.
While you could obviously read Rigoberta Menchu, the Guatemala Nunca Mas Report (REHMI, which got the Archbishop killed in 1998), the Historical Clarification Commission Report, or Fear as a Way of Life by Linda Green, Goldman's book probably explains best the complexity of Guatemala.
I don't want to diminish the great literary quality of the book, but what impacted me the most was how Goldman had put into words my most complex feelings about my time in Guatemala, the amazing draw and beauty, and this sense of silent horror penetrating the entire place.
mesmerizing....they need to make this into a movie..........2005-08-10
This was one of the books I assigned as "summer reading" to myself, a year ago. I am so glad I did it. Francisco Goldman juxtaposes magical realism, humor, human tragedy and sexuality into one amazing epic of a novel. I was first introduced to him when I read "Half and Half," a book filled with accounts of bicultural and biracial writers, recalling their experiences growing up in two factioned worlds in society. For Goldman, it was the Jewish world of his father, and the Guatemalan world of his mother. He transposes his experiences loosely, in the perspective of Rogerio, the main character and (sometimes) narrator of "The Long Night of White Chickens."
Rogerio is biracial/bicultural young man, plagued by illness, as a young boy, and living between the middle class world of his Jewish father, and the village life of his Guatemalan mother. It is through a remarkable twist of fate that he comes to know Flor, the beautiful heroine of the book, who is his nanny/companion, throughout his childhood and into adulthood. Flor haunts many people with her memory, after a horrendous tragedy that leaves all she touched stricken by sadness.
This book is really hard to describe, but hopefully my little review encourages you to check it out!!!!
A Memorable Knot.......2005-03-05
I enjoyed this book, although I must admit that after hearing the author on BBC radio I was predisposed to liking his books. I was not disappointed when I read this.
This book is not for anyone interested in linear narrative or a whodunit? detective story. The facts concerning the mystery of Flor de Mayo are given slowly and at times vaguely. Mr. Goldman is superb in his descriptions of place, and much of his imagery will stay with you after you have read the last page. Throughout the novel Flor often feels like a ghost, though this very well could have been the author's intent. The characters are vivid and the reader can feel himself becoming entangled in the knot of their relationships to the extent that he wonders if he will ever be able to untie it.
If you enjoy moral uncertainty, then this is a book for you. This novel is also illuminating on how Latin Americans perceive their nothern neighbors and vice versa. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys William Faulkner or Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Totally Enjoyable.......2004-02-27
Like most readers, I was confused my the crazy timeline. The story is told out of sequences with flashbacks that last forever. It can be confusing. But once you let go of that it becomes easier to surrender to the story. The characters are lovable. It is a long read but every time I put the book down I missed Roger, Flor, Mora, and the rest.
Just enjoy it!
Average customer rating:
- Whatever happened to Londo and Vir anyway?
- Great storyline, writing a little off
- Picks Up Where the TV Series Implies
- Not quite good
- You will be alright.
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The Long Night of Centauri Prime (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 1)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0345427181
Release Date: 1999-12-07 |
Book Description
The beginning of an exciting new adventure that continues the Babylon 5 legacy . . .
Bombed to the brink of oblivion, the planet Centauri Prime is starting the slow and painful process of rebuilding, under the watchful eye of Emperor Londo Mollari. But Londo is in turn being watched--and manipulated--by the conquest-hungry Drakh. The malevolent beings are reshaping the Centauri Republic into a secret seat of power from which to strike out at their enemies--especially the Interstellar Alliance.
All but helpless to resist, Londo watches as his beloved Homeworld is transformed into a ruthless police state. And the Drakh have willing allies, including one of Londo's own countrymen--Durla, a powerful official with his own sinister agenda.
As the abuses of the repressive new Republic escalate, the double-edged Drakh master plan begins to unfold. Their goal is to smash the Interstellar Alliance by assassinating its president, John Sheridan, and to obliterate Earth, using a fabled, monstrous Shadow weapon known as a Planet Killer . . .
Customer Reviews:
Whatever happened to Londo and Vir anyway?.......2005-11-25
Peter David fleshes out Michael Straczynski's outline on whatever happened to Londo Mollari after the series Babylon 5 completed its five-year run. The three novels--The Long Night of Centauri Prime, Armies of Light and Dark, and Out of the Darkness detail the tragic fall of Emperor Mollari at the hands of the vengeful Drahk and Vir's quest to undermine Centauri Prime's enemy and reveal them as the agents working to destroy his homeworld from within the government.
Aside from some rather unbelievable coincidences and some rather stupid "superior aliens" (who cannot figure out that Vir is leading the guerilla movement), the novel is well-crafted and well plotted. In fact, the novels are more satisfying B-5 fare than the Psi-Corp trilogy written by J. Gregory Keyes a few years back; here there is definitely a sense of closure to the characters and their actions make sense. And, should you even be interested, there are some characters from Straczynski's short-lived follow-up series Crusader appearing, apparently an attempt to tie the novels in with the television show. Of course, the show had come and gone before the series had even been completely published.
Great storyline, writing a little off.......2005-02-12
For Babylon V fans, getting more on what is occuring on Centauri Prime is a boon. Londo, now emperor, was involved with the Shadows, but betrayed them, something that the Drakh have not forgiven.
This book reintroduces us to some familiar characters, former Ambassador, now Emperor, Londo Mollari, his former aide de camp, now ambassador in his own right, Vir Cotto, Londo's divorced wive Mariel, and the one he kept Timov.
The storyline itself was written by J. Michael Straczinski, but the quality of the writing was not up to the level of the story itself. For Babylon V fans, this is a must read due to the background info we gain about the situation on Centauri Prime. If you are not family with Babylon V, I recommend getting familiar with it before reading this book, because it does assume a familiarity with the general plot line of the series, particularly as they played out over the last two or three seasons.
Picks Up Where the TV Series Implies.......2004-09-01
Babylon 5 is simply one of the best SciFi tv shows that I have ever seen. This book picks up from the tv series where Londo Mollari has acended to the position of Emperor. In the last three tv episodes, much is alluded to as to what happened to Londo and his friend Vir Cotto. This book jumps right into what is alluded to, and how Londo handles his "hidden enslavement" to the Drakh. The twists and turns the plot takes are excellent reminders of the twists and turns that Londo's scheming and planning took the entire tv show over its five seasons. Very good beginning to a series, and it leaves you wanting more in the final pages.
Not quite good.......2004-06-22
First off I would like to say the authors like Peter David are what has killed sci-fi literature. This book, and the others in the series, only offers stale and emotionless sequence actions taken by the fairly flat characters in the book. It would have been more enjoyable as a two-page outline of events. At least then I would not have felt cheated.
You will be alright........2004-02-23
This book, based on an outline from Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski (so you know it's official), covers the period in B5's history detailing the first years of Emperor Londo Mollari's rule of Centauri Prime, all while under the thumb of the Drakh.
Weaving in and out of the final episodes of the Babylon 5 series, this book gives a greater insight into the events shown, and explains things that were never fully explained as well.
Plus, an unlikely hero starts to emerge from all this in the form of Vir Cotto. Initially through no fault of his own, he starts to leave behind the Flounder-ness of his character and starts to go down the path that will someday lead him to becoming Emperor himself. Strongly recommended for Babylon 5 fans.
Book Description
The steady tick of an aged Regulator wall clock and the squeak of an overhead fan turning slowly are soft but insistent, counting down the night, while the high desert thrums like a half-remembered Victrola song. The sounds are below the consciousness of Winchell Dear, an old-time gambler, a Texas poker player on the southern circuit, as he waits for something . . . something vague that his life of chance tells him is evil and moving his way. He has gassed and oiled the Cadillac and adjusts the pistol in his right boot, then plays one of the six fiddle tunes he knows, thinking back to his good days with Lucinda Miller. Alone, he waits in his remote ranch house, while, just outside, an acquaintance named Luther hunts, unblinking and of nervous temperament and moving through yellow primrose bending in the night wind.
In Diablo Canyon, a distant part of Winchell Dear’s ranch, Peter Long Grass squats by a campfire, contemplating the profile he saw moving along the ridge of Guapa Mountain an hour ago, thinking about the gambler’s housekeeper, Sonia Dominguez, about the small, quiet world he has fashioned far from civilization and what undefined presence might now be threatening it. He gathers his tools and begins to run across the desert floor.
And boring toward all of them is a cream-colored Lincoln Continental with two men aboard. Traveling from Los Angeles on a mission they’ve been given, they are professionals, cool and implacable at the start, but becoming steadily more confused by the strange landscape they are passing through. Forty minutes from their task, they ready themselves, while a kitchen wall clock ticks its way through the long night of Winchell Dear.
The Long Night of Winchell Dear finds master storyteller Robert James Waller at his best as he takes us through the wind and dust of the high desert mountains, into the shadowy world of high-stakes poker fought in the back rooms of Amarillo and Little Rock, and headlong toward the book’s stunning finale of chaotic terror, where an unexpected hero emerges.
Customer Reviews:
Liked Marty & the Driver Characters Best.......2007-08-11
Caution: Spoiler Ahead. I have most, if not all of Waller's books, and The Long Night of Winchell Dear was a good, fast-paced read - except when it got bogged down with too much detail & time spent about poker-playing strategy & techniques. I enjoyed Marty & the Driver characters most - they reminded me somewhat of Steinbeck's George & Lenny. They provided suspense, tension and humor, and I enjoyed their dialogue. As I mentioned, it seemed to me that too much detail & time was given to Winchell's poker-playing education and prowess, since, in the end, it didn't matter and had no effect on the story's outcome. Of course, he won his ranch by bluffing at poker, but still, I didn't think the story benefitted from so much detail. As for the oft-mentioned rattlesnake, as the end drew near, it was obvious that "Luther" was going to be Marty & the Driver's demise. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I hope Waller writes another non-love story such as this.
Not a good title for the book.......2007-02-21
This book reads like a classic. The literary quality flows. It's unfortunate that a lot of people might not read the book because of the title. I'm a librarian so I get a chance to look beyond titles and summaries before I choose to read a book. I give books a chance to interest me. I'm very glad I did with this one. However, still I say, Winchell with the last name of Dear would of kept me off balance while reading the book because the last name (one word!) unknowingly sends a mixed message regarding the content. Everytime I read the word "Dear" my mind kept wanting to revert to light romance reads. There is a meaningful story inside this book and well worth the time it takes to read it. I hope the book doesn't become a "albatross" for the author.
A great new book by Robert James Waller.......2007-02-11
I love anything by Robert James Waller.......this was another great book, building up to a surprising end.
Long time reader.......2007-01-11
I have read all of Mr. Waller's books and have enjoyed them a great deal. With this novel he seemed to be more in a hurry to tell the story. I always enjoyed his storytelling how hepainted a vived picture. This book he put everything together in the final pages of the book; disappointing quick ending.
Entertaining Romp From Versatile Writer.......2006-11-30
Fans of Madison County will be surprised and a little shocked by this book, but fans of all of Waller's books should appreciate it. After his first three romance books took off, Waller changed directions and started doing something few writers do... he started writing what he wanted to write and didn't hold to any one genre. While I like his love stories best, even the one contained in High Plains Tango (his most developed to date) I did enjoy "The Long Night of Winchell Dear."
Borrowing lyrics from his song "Blue Suspenders" from his excellent and underrated album "Ballads of Madison County," Waller creates Winchell Dear, a professional gambler with a checkered past and a few regrets. Dear lives on a ranch he won in a poker match. On this property also lives his maid, an American Indian, and a rattlesnake that is mentioned several times to foreshadow it is going to play some part in the story. Staying with the maid in her adobe is an aging Mexican drug runner. On the way to the ranch, for reasons left unexplained until the very end, are two comical stereotypical mob hitmen who banter back and forth and use language the average "Madison County" romance reader will likely find inappropriate. Waller builds up all of these characters, makes us care about them, and brings them all together in the end. He also introduces a few others along the way and tosses in a pinch of romance (but not quite enough to satisfy.)
As always, it takes a chapter or two to get used to Waller's style of writing. He skips from one character's point of view to the next without using section breaks. Some of the narrative and a little of the dialogue is clunky. It is kind of hard for a man who lived in Iowa all his life to move to Texas for a couple of years and pick up on the rough Texan vernacular, but Waller gives it his best shot. Some of it is kind of forced, as if lifted from old west movies from the forties, but once you get into the story you overlook things like that. And he misuses the term "ya'll." Northerners take note: "Ya'll" is PLURAL. No Texan is going to tell one person, "Ya'll want to go to the store?" The term means "You all," much like, "You guys" or "You's twos."
Aside from those minor complaints, the story is fast paced... I can see it being made into a pretty good movie. Waller's prose, as always, captures the winds and mystery of the rugged Texas night. He holds a great respect for the reclusive ways of life and the dreams that surround them. He captures the essence of his characters and doesn't disappoint. I look forward, as always, to his next one. And hopefully next time it will be another love story, as that is the kind of book he writes best.
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