Book Description
The Wideacre estate is bankrupt. The villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But, in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence.
Equal claimants to the estate, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favored child. Only one can inherit the magical understanding between the land and the Lacey family that can make the Sussex village grow green again. Only one can be Beatrice Lacey's true heir.
Sensual, gripping, sometimes mystical, The Favored Child sweeps the reader irresistibly into the eighteenth century, a revolutionary period in English history. This rich and dramatic novel continues the saga of the Lacey family started in Philippa Gregory's bestselling and enduringly popular Wideacre.
Customer Reviews:
Julia Lacey .......2007-09-04
The book is called The Favored Child, due to a legend that has sprung up around the village of Acre that Beatrice's true heir will return and the land will be happy again.
That's the only interesting thing about this book. Julia is an extremly weak character, due mostly to the fact that she is raised by Celia, the late Harry Laceys wife. But her real mother, Beatrice, is hardly in evidence in her daugther. Other then her love of the land and it's people,Julia is very different. She was raised as an indoor girl, and was taught to know her place. But i still can't believe how she puts up with Richards abuse. From almost the first chapter, when see her cavng in time and again, simply because he's the boy!
Her only attempt to escape Richard, a betrothal to James,a man she meets in Bath, is thwarted by Richard.
Richard is himself a very unlikable character. i never felt sympathy for any of the charcters. Well, a little bit for Julia at the end. Thats why the book got two stars. She finally starts tro prove herself towards the end.
Read it as the middle part to the wideacre trilogy.
These are getting a little creepy.......2007-08-11
In this second book in the Wideacre trilogy, Julia and her cousin Richard have grown up together among the ruins of their family estate and have always planned to marry, despite their guardians' disapproval. When, as a teenager, Julia begins to demonstrate a talent for working with the land and its inhabitants, Richard grows resentful. After all, only one of them can be the rumored favored child, the true heir to Wideacre.
Gregory's early works are starting to remind me of V.C. Andrews' style of near-horror stories, only with richer detail and better writing. I really wanted to strangle Julia for her stupidity at times. Yes, she was confined within the role of women in her time, but had she told someone - anyone! - what was happening, at least some of the tragedy might have been avoided.
Good Book.......2007-07-19
After reading the first book in this trilogy (Wideacre), I was not too excited to read this one but I wanted to find out what happens to the Lacey family. I have to say this book is much better than Wideacre. I am now reading the third book (Meridon) and I believe it is even better than the second book. So, if you got through the first book and are wondering if you should venture into the other two, it is definitely worth your time.
incredibly powerful...........2007-07-06
so i just finished reading this book and my stomach is still in knots. philippa gregory is a puppet master and with every word she will tug on your emotions with this book along with her many other masterpeices....simply amazing. there were times when i was afraid to continue reading it because i was actually scared of what would happen next. it is beyond powerful. truly spectacular. i cant give this book or this author enough praise.
Disappointingly Miserable.......2007-06-11
This book did not live up to Gregory's later book, Meridon. I don't know about Wideacre because I haven't read it yet but reading The Favored Child made me not want to go back to the first book.
Julia is just an idiot. I felt really bad for her but she kind of just screwed herself over throughout the entire story. And nothing good ever came out of all of her struggles.
It left me with a really disturbed, and unsatisfied feeling. I do not recommend this novel.
Book Description
This book examines Nancy's contribution to the arts of interior decoration and garden design by chronicling her own homes and gardens. These are Mirador, a Virginian country house, etc.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read.......2007-06-27
I truly enjoyed this book. The pictures were excellent quality and representative of the text. For the professional decorator or a person interested in house decoration it is funny and informative. I highly recommend this book.
Nancy Lancaster:English County House Style.......2007-02-09
Book was not what I expected. Book was recommended by a decorator who said Nancy Lancaster was her inspiration so I was expecting more decorating and less biography-like book. It does make an excellent coffee table presentation!!
A classic tale of high style.......2007-01-18
This book is sumptuous and entertaining. Martin Wood weaves a fascinating story of the founder of English County House Style. If you love biography, decorating, and history along with beautiful photographs, renderings, and paintings of exquisitely decorated rooms, this book will fit the bill! A lavish feast for sight and soul.
United States to Great Britain: Shared Style.......2006-08-30
This book takes the reader from the style of America in the early years of the 20th century to the life she created in Britain. Many aspects of style were shared in the two countries, but many are unique to each. It is interesting how Nancy Lancaster blended the two worlds into a grand country style that was appreciated by both. Her childhood home in Virginia was her inspiration throughout her life and helped set the style she was so well known for.
Adrift in the Cozy, Comfortable, Tasteful English Tradition!.......2006-04-10
Martin Wood is an excellent biographer and chronicler of style and in this richly illustrated monograph on Nancy Lancaster he makes use of his own credentials as a garden designer and interior designer to praise the virtues of a lady few of us know.
Nancy Lancaster gained her reputation as a gardener and designer of gardens whose only clear rival has been Gertrude Jekyll. But Martin Wood increases her stature by naming her the creator of the English country house style. His writing style is fluid, humorous, tender and informative, giving all the biographical data about Lancaster's heritage, youth, and life in a manner that makes what seems to be a picture essay become a page-turner novel!
Lancaster devoted herself to recreating the English Country atmosphere, though she was a born and bred American. Her own various homes as well as those of people who engaged her expertise demonstrate how even the most modest dwelling can breed the charm of the English Country house. Her gardens are like dream sequences out of Arthur Rackham and her taste in balancing room space with the gracious furniture and window treatments and light is impeccable. The Book is filled with some very lush photography that takes the time to scrutinize her concepts as well as pleasure the eye over her accomplishments. This is far more than a design book. This is a book about a life and how it extended into creating a personal world of quiet dignity and beauty. Grady Harp, April 06
Book Description
Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her family name and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her ancestral heritage. Seduction, betrayal, even murder -- Beatrice's passion is without apology or conscience. "She is a Lacey of Wideacre," her father warns, "and whatever she does, however she behaves, will always be fitting." Yet even as Beatrice's scheming seems about to yield her dream, she is haunted by the one living person who knows the extent of her plans...and her capacity for evil.
Sumptuously set in Georgian England, Wideacre is intensely gripping, rich in texture, and full of color and authenticity. It is a saga as irresistible in its singular magic as its heroine.
Customer Reviews:
Could Not Put It Down.......2007-09-26
I must first say I should have bought it on Amazon because I payed $16 for it in the bookstore. However I would not have bought it if I had first read the reviews. This is not the sort of book I would want. The other reviewer are correct saying it is sickening with the incest but I have to admit I could not put it down. If it were not for the incest I would have given it a 5 star but I just could not get past it. One reviewer said it was necessary for the plot and if that is the case it did not have to be that graphic in details. I did not read those parts, I just moved on untill I saw " so I new someone was talking again. :-)
A Passionate Tale Not for the Faint.......2007-09-21
Philippa Gregory weaves a passionate tale combining seduction, murder and obsession in yet another engaging novel spanning the early 19th century. Engrossing and intriguing, Wideacre is disarming with its intense thematic elements that can make for an uncomfortable but enraptured read. Beatrice Lacey is the anti-heroine of Gregory's novel, as a woman who will not let her gender, and her era's attitude towards people of it, foil her plans for the future.
Told from the perspective of Beatrice, Gregory uses her skills to develop a protagonist that is utterly unlikable. Beatrice, the "Lacey of Wideacre," decides from an early age that her only true love is her father's land, Wideacre. When she discovers that she is not the heir of the land, that it is instead going to her studious brother, Harry, she resolves to do anything in her power to take back what she deems is rightfully hers. Whether it is murder or incest, Beatrice does, with no second thought, whatever possible to make sure she is in control of the land she holds so revered.
At times an overwhelming read, Wideacre vicariously brings to life the wretched acts of Beatrice Lacey and the horror she inflicts upon the people she encounters. The only person Beatrice fears is Ralph, the one man who knows how far she is willing to take her greed and infatuation with the land. Her passion for Wideacre is one they both shared as childhood lovers, but with Ralph forcefully removed from Wideacre and Beatrice's life, Beatrice is left alone and able to wreck havoc on the lives of those effecting her position as Squire of Wideacre.
Everyone around her is soon weaved into Beatrice's tumultuous web of deceit, especially because they are all charmed by Beatrice's seemingly enchanting and personable mien. The townspeople of Wideacre, her family and especially her brother Harry are all cast under Beatrice's spell.
In an incestuous relationship with her brother, and the mother of two of his children, Beatrice guarantees she has Wideacre, and Harry, under her control. Yet everything around her slowly unravels as her intelligent, charming husband and sweet, timorous sister-in-law begin to realize the true evil behind Beatrice's innocent nature.
Gripping and forceful, Gregory doesn't leave room for pleasantries. Beatrice will do anything to hold control of her beloved Wideacre, and the novel becomes more disturbing as the lengths Beatrice will go to quench her desires are revealed. However, the novel's brilliance lies in Gregory's inability to apologize for her unsettling story in which the lead characters are so contemptible.
Gregory's writing, like always, is impeccable. The story is woven together beautifully and the writing both captivates and appalls. Gregory's novel shows how far a ruthless woman like Beatrice would go for her land, and the price she pays for it all.
The first book in the trilogy, Wideacre sets the pace for Gregory's brilliant penmanship.
guilty pleasure.......2007-09-12
It's like reading a better written "Flowers in the Attic" but with a historical backdrop that makes you feel less dirty. Same scandalous and incestuous themes, but with a slightly more intellectual veneer. Still, reading it was like passing a horrible car crash on the highway and not wanting to rubberneck like the rest of the fools, but not being able to tear your eyes away from the carnage. Exactly like that.
Couldn't put it down. Sabotaged my plans to complete my Advanced Physiology reading for two straight days.
Wow........2007-08-30
I honestly didn't expect to like this book. I read some of the reviews on here, and it made me uncertain. But i thought i'd give it a shot. I'm very glad i did.
This book was well written, and you actually cared about them.
Beatrice Lacey: She does everything and anything possible to stay on the land she loves. She goes from a young girl of 14 or 15 who adores her father, only tro plan his death, enjoying her first lover, to a jaded woman of twenty or twenty one, who has sacrified her own soul,consience and chance at love to ensure she and her son never leave Wideacre.
It's actually rather sad to read at times. At some point, Beatrice realizes she's lost her way, and finally is just waiting for death it seems. Nothing can make her feel alive again. Her character just goes from this woman who loves her home and fights her brother to keep to the old ways so the poor don't suffer, to being the cause of their ruin. It's sad. And it creeps up on you in this book before you even realize its happening.
Harry Lacey: He goes from a self indulgent, beautiful boy, almost a god of the harvest in Beatrice's and Celia's eyes, to selfish boorish man. He never fully understands whats happening to him. The relationship between himself and his sister at times seems so oddly normal its bizarre in itself.
This book is definetly a page turner. you want something different, this is it!
Don't put these images into your mind.......2007-08-26
I've thoroughly enjoyed several of Gregory's other novels, so I had high hopes for this book. Honestly, though, I wish I didn't have images from this story lingering in my mind, because the plot and protagonist are simply too vile for words. I bought it as an airplane read, and I did finish it (trapped in the big tin can in the sky), but I threw it away in disgust as I left the airport because I didn't want it in my home. I find myself a bit sick to my stomach thinking about it again, although I read it months ago. Stick with the wonderful Boleyn series, and leave this one alone!
Average customer rating:
- Like panning for gold...
- Rich and Profound
- An Entirely New Level
- Tied for second place among the annotated Waldens
- INSOMNIA'S CURE
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Walden
Henry David Thoreau
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Similar Items:
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Walking
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The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Modern Library Classics)
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Letters to a Spiritual Seeker
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Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition
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Walden: 150th Anniversary Illustrated Edition of the American Classic
ASIN: 0395720427 |
Book Description
On July 4, 1845, Henry David Thoreau moved into the cabin he had built on the shore of Walden Pond. Now, on the 150th anniversary of that event, Houghton Mifflin is proud to publish an exceptional new edition of what is perhaps the most important book in our history as a publisher. Walden: An Annotated Edition features the definitive text of the book with extensive notes on Thoreau's life and times by the distinguished biographer and critic Walter Harding. In the third chapter, Thoreau writes, "How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book?" For many readers, Walden is that book. Written a century and a half ago, it grows more meaningful every day, and whether you are reading it for the first time or the hundredth, Walter Harding's insightful comments will open your eyes to the true depths of this masterpiece.
Customer Reviews:
Like panning for gold..........2006-12-31
...you have to sift through a lot.
Thoreau has some really great, original ideas and approaches to life. He has whole sections that seem incredibly tangential but after you reread them, you realize they were perhaps the greatest parts of the book.
That being said, he also has sections that are just incredibly tangential, and when you finish you miss things like narratives, a centered topic, main points, etc. These are just stream of consciousness it seems.
Rich and Profound.......2006-01-05
To a citydweller who enjoys the modern conveniences, the idea of building a primitive shed in the woods and observing Nature for days on end was entirely unappealing. I felt I would have no sympathy with the Thoreauvian worldview.
I was pleasantly surprised. Thoreau has a distinct sense of humor. While a lot of the book is descriptions of Nature, the writing was lovely enough to make up for my disinterest in the subject. In fact, Thoreau's enthusiasm communicated itself to me, and I found myself becoming more interested as I read on.
Thoreau has a reputation for being unworldly, but interestingly the longest chapter in the book, "Economy," lays out in great detail the cost-effectiveness of his experiment in simple living. Although living in an isolated shed, he is no misanthrope but displays much affection and compassion for his fellow man. He is a keen observer of human nature and his descriptions of his friends and visitors were some of the best parts of the book. He is a man of sensibility, sincerely concerned about the direction he sees society taking.
The annotations were useful, as was the map of Concord.
An Entirely New Level.......2005-03-22
Henry David Thoreau did something truly magical in Walden. He brought boredom to an entirely new level I never knew existed. The amount of pointless and extraneous details that overflowed the pages of the book never ceased to amaze me.
I was forced to read the book for an english class. My life has never been the same since. Thoreau's brilliant writing technique has allowed me to realize the full potential of other "books." I often find myself engrossed in the phone book or the dictionary, which have become suspenseful thrillers in comparison to Walden.
Tied for second place among the annotated Waldens.......2004-08-10
WALDEN has rarely been out-of-print since its first publication in 1854. Copies come in all sizes, shapes and price ranges. Today's Thoreauvians have three ANNOTATED versions of WALDEN to choose from. Each one provides same-page explanatory notes that help the reader interpret the sometimes esoteric references in Henry David Thoreau's original text. The three books are "The Annotated Walden" (edited by Philip Van Doren Stern, 1970), "Walden: An Annotated Edition" (edited by Walter Harding, 1995), and "Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition" (edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer, 2004). Each one has at least one map of Concord and/or Walden Pond. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Each one has appeal for a devoted audience.
"Walden: An Annotated Edition" by Walter Harding was released in 1995, a year before the editor's death. Harding was a founding member of the Thoreau Society and devoted his entire life to the man and his writings. He is still regarded as *the* HDT expert of the 20th century. In addition to the text of WALDEN, this volume includes a few "extras": a four-page forward that contains a biographical summary; a bibliography; journal entries and original HDT sketches scattered throughout the book's margins (a favorite Harding technique); and a special appendix regarding the story about "a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle-dove." The explanatory notes -- the essence of an annotated edition -- define a number of references both in word and phrase. Harding didn't copy anything from Van Doren Stern's previous work, and he also didn't include as many stylistic comments as his predecessor. He offered more frequent explanations and backed them up with a variety of source materials. He also throws in his own opinion every once in a while. The occasional ink doodlings from the journals serve well to break up the text. But lack of an index is a major failing. This is a handsome volume that improves upon Van Doren Stern's previous WALDEN analysis.
Lining up the three versions side by side is an interesting experiment, best conducted on a rainy summer day when no other work has appeal. Let's use two well-known and oft-debated passages for an initial sample interpretive comparison.
"I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle-dove, and am still on their trail." ("Economy") Do those three animals stand for actual individuals in Thoreau's life? Or does this passage simply refer to Life's losses? Philip Van Doren Stern devotes a page-length note to this paragraph. He mentions a few of the major interpretations and refers readers to the bibliography for more. His conclusion is: "Since there is no clear explanation, each reader will have to supply his own." Walter Harding offers three pages in a special appendix that covers all the major theories. At the end, he too suggests that "each reader is free to interpret them as he wishes." Jeffrey Cramer's paragraph cites two similiar excerpts found in other Thoreau pieces, and his explanation states that "no analysis has been generally accepted as valid." So the three men agree: we have to decide for ourselves what we think of the story.
"There was an artist in the city of Kouroo who was disposed to strive after perfection." ("Conclusion") Is the parable that follows that opening sentence based on some of the Eastern texts that Thoreau was fond of reading at the time? Or is it a thinly-disguised depiction of his own struggle to perfect the final WALDEN manuscript? Philip Van Doren Stern simply says that "no one has been able to find a source for the legend" and agrees with Arthur Christy that it is an allegory about Thoreau's own life. Walter Harding offers several possible origins of the legend but eventually cites and agrees with Christy's allegory statement. Jeffrey Cramer devotes just a two-sentence annotation, concluding with "It is generally agreed that the following fable is by Thoreau." In this instance, Cramer has the benefit of time over his colleagues. Most Thoreauvians have come to the same realization during the past decade after much gnashing of teeth.
Explanatory differences are more pronounced at other various junctures in the text. Each man obviously was intrigued by certain references more than others. I can say that overall, I found Jeffrey Cramer's annotations to be the most helpful of the three. Maybe someday someone will have the courage to tell all the makers of posters, bumper stickers, and t-shirts that "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in" is NOT about fishing at
all.
Every school and public library should own at least one of these annotated editions. Academic libraries will want at least two of the three versions. If you want a book that has a lot more HDT than just WALDEN, find a used copy of the Philip Van Doren Stern book. If you want to hear from expert Walter Harding, choose his. Individuals who want the most comprehensive interpretation should go with the newest volume by Jeffrey
Cramer. It's a worthy addition to the Thoreau legacy.
INSOMNIA'S CURE.......2004-05-13
I first read Solitude in high school(over 10 years ago), not as part of the regular curriculum but for US Academic Decathlon. To think about it even now still bores me. Reading Solitude may have been the most boring part of USAD, & that ain't a little bit of boredom. Thoreau, Emerson, those other guys I can barely differentiate, especially the 'fire & brimstone' types were some of the reasons I took British lit instead of American lit in college. I also took British lit rather than American because it is 800+ years vs. 200+. (Thanks Mr. M, my h.s. English lit teacher). But back to Walden.
Think of it. You decide to live in solitude for a couple of years, in the 19th century! The very idea is boring. Let's not get into no t.v., et.c. But not even the daily news? Didn't they have newspapers back then? Before some make the mistake of thinking I don't understand, I (yawn) say I can appreciate one's desire to engage himself by the near total exclusion of others. I just don't believe its something you need to read about some guy doing over 150 years ago. On the other hand, if you wanted to avoid those very interesting times, you'd do what Thoreau did if you could so afford. If not you'd read about it, to quiet the debate going on outside one person's journey of self-discovery. Specifically, if I wanted to learn more about those times I'd check up on abolitionist writings, women's suffrage, and other things from the period that were more topical.
Nevertheless, I could use a copy though, for those troublesome nights when I can't get to sleep.
P.S. Thoreau is one of those authors you list that maintains your "with it-ism" in our increasingly 'my country, right or wrong' times.
Book Description
The Cotswolds (Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire, and parts of North Wiltshire) have a rich history, stunning architecture, and glorious countryside. English Country Interiors features 18 specially photographed Cotswold homes with traditional charm, each house belonging to a person with a particular trade, from bee-keeping to carpentry. Many period-style buildings are shown, including a mill house, a shooting lodge, and a terraced cottage. Mark Nicholson’s stunning photography brings alive this beautiful part of England, capturing the essence and feel of each individual property.
Customer Reviews:
The Particular Flavor of the Cotswolds.......2006-05-26
Writer Sarah North with photographer Mark Nicholson take us through a stroll of Cotswold homes in a most unique way. The Cotswolds region is in central England, covering an area bounded by Oxford, Stratford, Cheltenham and Bath, an area known for quaint villages and scenic countryside. The term 'Cotswold' for most homeowners conjures visions of serene beauty of habitat and this excursion brings us closer to those elements that denote the Cotswold flavor.
But what North and Nicholson have elected as a tour is to knock on doors of various citizens who are not necessarily those with wealth, moneywise, but those who make life more beautiful. We visit the homes of florists, designers, craftsmen - the regular people of the streets and lanes of this beautiful region, and the book feels like a neighborly stroll. Interiors demonstrate the use of the elements of Cotswold design that are often copied in United States homes, but here retain the basic simplicity of functional design.
The paths and gardens are also scanned in this beautifully designed book. For those interested in traveling through England or for those with special interest in the Cotswold style, this book is well worth the investment. Grady Harp, May 06
Book Description
The English House is a vivid photographic tour of the private homes and lifestyles of the storied English countryside that offers England's rich span of architectural and interior styles as wonderfully inspiring and intiguing examples of current influential decorating trends. Whether a charming and humble cottage or a grand Georgian and Palladian manor house, all the homes featured in this stunning book illustrate the epitome of styles that define the English house.
The delightful text details each house's quirks while highlighting the decorating approaches and design ideas-startling juxtapositions, new takes on tradition, witty visual puns, and bold new combinations. This is an ideal book for any anglophile and is equally appealing to anyone with an interest in interior decoration, with many design ideas that easily translate into interiors on either side of the Atlantic.
Sally Griffiths started writing after her own home was featured in British House & Garden 20 years ago. She runs a photo library called Red Cover and is the author of The English Country Cottage.
Customer Reviews:
Great Sourcebook.......2007-07-21
I found this book to be extremely resourceful when building my Georgian-style home; it gave me great decorating ideas. This book is full of knowledge and beautiful colorful pictures. It is a great source for English decorating.
Average customer rating:
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The Politics of Home: Postcolonial Relocations and Twentieth-Century Fiction
Rosemary Marangoly George
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521453348 |
Book Description
Twentieth-century imperial and postcolonial narratives in English have a major investment in the notion of "home." At the same time, the concept of "global English" challenges the traditional boundaries of national literatures. Through inter-related readings of the work of "first-world" and "third-world" writers and theorists, including Joseph Conrad, Kazuo Ishiguro, Anita Desai, Edward Said and Homi Bhabha, the author explores the problems, pleasures and privileges involved in "feeling at home" in literature.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book.......2006-11-16
I loved this book ... couldn't put it down until the last page was over ! When's the next one coming??
Book Description
Meridon knows she does not belong in the dirty, vagabond life of a gypsy bareback rider. The half-remembered vision of another life burns in her heart, even as her beloved sister, Dandy, risks everything for their future. Alone, Meridon follows the urgings of her dream, riding in the moonlight past the rusted gates, up the winding drive to a house -- clutching the golden clasp of the necklace that was her birthright -- home at last to Wideacre. The lost heir of one of England's great estates would take her place as its mistress....
Crowning the extraordinary trilogy that began with Wideacre and The Favored Child, Meridon is a rich, impassioned tapestry of a young woman's journey from dreams to glittering drawing rooms and elaborate deceits...from a simple hope to a deep and fulfilling love. Set in the savage contrasts of Georgian England -- a time alive with treachery, grandeur, and intrigue -- Meridon is Philippa Gregory's masterwork.
Customer Reviews:
Decent, not as disturbing as the previous two books.......2007-09-11
Throughout her entire life Meridon has sensed that she doesn't belong in the life she's leading, that `Meridon' isn't even her real name, and that she has a real home somewhere, waiting for her. She's grown up in a gypsy lifestyle with her beloved sister Dandy and their step-father, a horsetrader. Leaving their step-father, Meridon and Dandy join a traveling circus and are finally able to start saving some money of their own, but just when things are going well an unthinkable tragedy strikes, leading Meridon to seek her true heritage.
This is a somewhat satisfying conclusion to the 'Wideacre' trilogy. It certainly is more uplifting than the previous books. There are times that the heroine is rendered unlikable to the reader, and some of her actions seem contrived as merely plot devices. Overall, it was an interesting, if occasionally disturbing, series -- not bad for an author's first works.
Not as bad as The Favored Child.......2007-09-07
Meridon is the story of Sarah Lacey, given away at birth by her mother Julia. Julia's attempt to break the chain of squires at Wideacre had repercussions she couldn't possibly have predicted.
Meridon and her sister Dandy have a hard life from the get go. Raised as twins, Meridon only cares about one person only, Dandy. Everything she does is an attempt to keep Dandy safe and out of trouble. They end up being sold to a man nsmed Robert, who runs a show with horses, and eventually the trapeze. When tradegy befalls, Meridon runs, eventually findsing her self at Wideacre, the place she's drewamed about since she was small.
Discovering she is the lost heir to the estate, she trys to become the lady she feels she should be.
I have to agree, the book feels a little anticlimatic, but all last books in trilogies are that way sometimes. Shes nowhere near as evil as Beatrice Lacey, nor as gentle and forgiving as Julia. Julia was used her whole life, Beatrice used. Meridon, well...she finally rises from the ashes of her family and lives the life she wants.
Meh........2007-07-14
I bought this trilogy after reading some of the authors other books - The other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Queens Fool, The Constant Princess, etc. I enjoyed those books immensely. They had some humor and intrigue and were very well done.
The Wideacre series is nothing like the others. It is a tacky, trashy, tawdry, semi-historical soap opera. Incest, greed, and horses seem to be the main characters of the series. Meridon was a waste of time, and the first two books in the series were not any better. I felt compelled to finish the series only because I had paid for the books, and kept hoping the storyline would improve. I was bored with the same description of Meridons hair as a tumbling mop of copper curls that was used repeatedly, and the whole character of Dandy was useless. And even though I don't have a medical degree, I think that the product of two generations of incest would be not only a little farfetched, but not in the robust health Meridon enjoys for most of her life.
Meridon.......2007-03-24
Fascinating. Couldn't put it down. It is a page turner to the last page
cheers for the gypsy brat!.......2007-02-24
(Spoiler warning) This novel offers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, first because it is the conclusion and second because Meridon is the first of the Lacey women who is sympathetic, endearing, likeable, and one whose choices the average reader can endorse, which always makes for a rewarding read. The novel can be equally enjoyable on its own--and might be better enjoyed that way by readers who would find the incest theme of the other two books too disturbing. The whole success of the Wideacre trilogy seems to rest on Gregory's ability to make a frankly unlikeable character interesting enough that we hang in there to learn how the story ends. In this case the character is Dandy; though we the reader may not find her appealing, Sarah/Meridon's feelings for her are completely compelling. The details, atmosphere, and emotional resonance are absorbing and utterly realistic, a rare but prized accomplishment in historical fiction. I still hold my breath through the gambling scene at the end, though I've read the book several times now. Every time I find myself rooting for the gypsy brat to discover her way, mature into a woman, overcome all her obstacles, and win through to what is right for her--and she does. A thoroughly satisfying book.
Average customer rating:
- Poetry at its best
- An amazing read
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On Desert Trails With Everett Ruess
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty/ Wilderness Journals Combination Edition
-
Sandstone Sunsets: In Search of Everett Ruess
-
The Wilderness Journals of Everett Ruess
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Raven's Exile: A Season on the Green River
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Soul of Nowhere
ASIN: 0879058250 |
Book Description
9X12 In, 96 Pp, 45 Black & White Illustrations We Are Proud To Introduce This Handsome Commemorative Edition of On Desert Trails With Everett Ruess (First Introduced In Our 60, 000 Copy A Vagabond For Beauty), Which Was Originally Published In 1940 and Has Since Become A Collector's Item. The Poetry, Letters, and Artwork Contained In This Book Reveal The Adventurous Young Artist Who Loved The Arid Wilderness and Disappeared Into The Desert of Southern Utah. To The Original Book We Have Added Many Photographs of Ruess On The Trail, Along With Others Taken By Ruess of The Land That So Inspired Him. A Special Appenidx Tells The Salt Lake Tribune's Account of Its 1935 Expedition To Southern Utah In Search of Everett Ruess.
Customer Reviews:
Poetry at its best.......2005-02-03
Everett Ruess is a marvelously gifted poet. He writes in elegant lines teeming with passionate imagery. "Wilderness Song" is the most incredible piece and describes nature at its fullest. Any poet can write beautiful lines, but Ruess writes with soul, the soul of an aficianado of the wilderness.
An amazing read.......2004-06-23
A chilling voice out of the past from one who loved wilderness so much he vanished without a trace in it. I am hard pressed to come up with a book or person who was able to articulate the beauty around him more than Everett Ruess. In a tragic twist this lover of the purity nature gave and continues to give a painter's perspective in words to the American west despite the mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearance. He left behind not only the beautiful writings of a master (and at such a young age) but also a mysterious tale of intrigue that leaves people guessing to this very day. Was he a victim of murder or did his love for wilderness drive him into the vast unknown to live out his days in the peaceful tranquility only nature can provide? Buy the book and formulate your own opinions. I highly recommend it.
Customer Reviews:
Good story, good history.......2007-08-14
This book, the second in the Daisy Dalrymple life, is a good second, no let down in characters, nor in setting. I enjoy Carola Dunn's work very much, and recommend her to any Christie fan.
The First in a Great Series.......2007-08-11
This is the first in the Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries. The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple has recently entered the journalism world as a light reporter on the various estates for Town and Country. When she arrives at Wentwater Court, the atmosphere is charged with deceit and deception. Then, when Lord Stephen Astwick is found dead on the frozen pond, her pictures show an interesting twist. Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher is brought in to figure out what happened.
This book sets the stage for future novels involving Daisy and Alec. It's light, frothy and fun. The book uniquely captures the post WWI feelings in England, that American readers will find very interesting.
Not the best.......2006-01-30
This is a great series, but I'm glad this was not the first book I read. This didn't have the depth or plot interest that many of the others had. I think it was trying to introduce the series, but it was too slow. While its worth a read as part of the series, don't start here or you won't read the rest of the wonderful series!
Uninteresting "Death".......2004-08-09
Imagine an Agatha Christie mystery with the goofy upper-class air of P.G. Wodehouse -- and you will get what Carola Dunn clearly wanted for her debut mystery. Unfortunately, "Death At Wentwater Court" is too predictable and too easily unravelled, and the mysteries are solved with whimpers instead of bangs.
Daisy Dalrymple -- in defiance of her class -- has taken on a job as a journalist. She arrives at Wentwater Court to do an extensive article on the Dalrymple house, but soon finds that there are potentially deadly secrets lurking there. Lady Wenwater has either a lover or a blackmailer, and her much-older husband is unaware of this. His daughter is infatuated with the blackmailer, and his sons either worship or hate his new wife.
Then the blackmailing guest is found dead in an icy river, and almost everyone present had a motive for wanting him dead (not to mention his army of ex-lovers and their husbands). Daisy teams up with police detective Alec Fletcher to unearth who did the blackmailer in, and why. But soon Daisy learns that the crime is more complicated than she thought...
"Death" is an extremely simple book -- it more or less goes from point A to point B without a lot of twists and turns. It has a fun, cozy atmosphere with a classic setting reminiscent of Christie and Sayers, but without the sizzly plot and dynamic twists that they were well known for. It's almost painfully easy.
Dunn seems to chicken out about halfway through the book, as if she's afraid to make things too complex. Half the red herrings -- such as Lady Annabel's scandalous past, or her stepdaughter's darker side -- are built up as plot developments, only to be brushed aside with a "oh, is that it?" response. And what's the point of a murder mystery if the killer starts sobbing for no reason in front of the detective? However, she does handle the character relationships well, as well as the pleasantly earthy atmosphere of a country manor.
Daisy herself isn't a terribly good character -- while she's refreshingly flawed and likable, she doesn't actually do much detecting. The other characters -- the stoic aristocrat, his neurotic kids, the tough cop -- are more or less stereotypes, pleasant but not memorable. Damsel-esque Lady Annabel in particular lacks a personality, and her blackmailer is all evil, all the time.
Carola Dunn has a good sense of atmosphere and subtle interaction, but she strikes out in her first attempt at mystery writing. Here's hoping the rest of the Daisy Dalrymple series is far and above the pallid "Death in Wentwater Court,"
A very British cozy.......2001-08-31
I am an ardent reader of British mysteries. I was first drawn to this genre by reading a series of cozies. Over the years my tastes have changed, though, and I now much prefer a British psychological thriller or police procedural. However, I still read a cozy now and then for a change of pace.
"Death at Wentwater Court" is the first book in a series featuring The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple and Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. Take a weekend gathering at a country estate in the 1920's, one of the guests who is the unfortunate victim, suspects galore, a promising romantic story line, more red herrings than clues and you have the makings of the ultimate cozy.
Most of the sleuthing is done by Daisy, a member of the British aristocracy who, being rather down on her luck, is supporting herself by working as a journalist. Alec seems to be along for the ride providing her with bits of information that set her off in her pursuit to solve the murder. Oh, he also serves a very important role as a possible suitor for Daisy.
I am giving this book three stars because I found it to be a bit too one-dimensional for my tastes. However, if you like an old fashioned very British mystery, this just might be your cuppa.
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