The House on Mango Street

Book Description

Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.

Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong--not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.

Customer Reviews:

Great Writing, But Lackluster Characters.......2007-09-22

The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza, a Mexican-American girl growing up in a "ghetto" area of Chicago.

But instead of being your typical novel, this book is a collection of vignettes, each focusing on one specific character or event, with few of them mentioned in future chapters. And instead of being in a typical prose style, the book is more of a combination of standard writing and poetry together.

With the way the book is written, we are allowed a very intimate contact with Esperanza's mind. Sandra Cisneros blends that with a skillful use of metaphors to create a very detailed and personal world.

But that's pretty much what I like about it.

On the other hand though, I was very disappointed with who was telling the story - Esperanza. Despite the writing, I didn't really care for her that much.

Even worse was the Esperanza got very whiny towards the end of the book. For some reason I can't fathom, she simply decides to hate her house, insisting that it isn't her home. But even before that, Esperanza continually self-pities herself for a variety of things, falling into a boring humdrum of angsty teenage melorama. And then we have the (vaguely described) rape scene.

I didn't find the other characters very rememberable, either. Most of them just them were one shot characters who wouldn't affect the story at all if they were removed.

In conclusion, I think this is a good book to read, but not really that great as everyone else says it is. (It's a good thing that it's short.)

Horrible.......2007-09-07

This book is most overrated. Yes it is a great remark on culture and growing up Latino, but ignorance of simple writing styles and grammar is no excuse. Not to mention that the book is not even remotely interesting. The main character is confusing, rambles on, and Cisneros always tries to draw pity for her. This is the worst book I have ever read.

a classic young adult novel.......2007-09-03

I first encountered this book while scoring tests for an educational testing company... the first chapter was used as a prompt for a reading test. The kids saw the author's Hispanic name and jumped to the obvious conclusions... that the family is desperately poor and oppressed (and also many kids concluded that the family lived in the Southwest or even in Mexico, whereas Mango Street is in fact a real street on the North Side of Chicago.)

This is in fact very much a structured novel, even though it is written in an episodic and impressionistic manner: it is a classic coming of age story. The family is certainly not wealthy, and they go through crises like any other family --- but this is actually a fairly happy and average American family.

Disappointed.......2007-08-23

After reading the positive reviews on this book, I was disappointed. I found the book boring and a waste of my time.

I liked it.......2007-08-22

I had to read this in my English Composition class and I thought it was very good and interesting. The characteres and story are both well-told. Cisneros is a good writer and she doesn't bore the reader to tears like cough cough John Steinbeck cough. This was the first book by Cisneros that I read and I am interested in her other works. Hopefully they will be as good as hers.

The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive, interesting and relevant book
A book about the history of a family
America's Gilded Age
The history of JP Morgan par excellence!
In Depth, to the Nth degree

The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
Ron Chernow
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802138292

Book Description

The winner of the National Book Award and now considered a classic, The House of Morgan is the most ambitious history ever written about an American banking dynasty. Acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as "brilliantly researched and written," the book tells the rich, panoramic story of four generations of Morgans and the powerful, secretive firms they spawned. It is the definitive account of the rise of the modern financial world. A gripping history of banking and the booms and busts that shaped the world on both sides of the Atlantic, The House of Morgan traces the trajectory of the J. P. Morgan empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the crash of 1987. Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the private saga of the Morgans and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved. Based on extensive interviews and access to the family and business archives, The House of Morgan is an investigative masterpiece, a compelling account of a remarkable institution and the men who ran it, and an essential book for understanding the money and power behind the major historical events of the last 150 years.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive, interesting and relevant book.......2007-03-03

This is a great story told well. Chernow is an amazing researcher and a very good writer. I agree with some of the reviewers that the earlier parts of the book are better, but his description of the transformation of the capital markets in the late 20th century and the House of Morgan's role in this transformation is interesting and relevant. This book increased my understanding of the banking and investment banking worlds. My only quarrel is that, at times, I thought Chernow editorialized too much detracting from the story. Like many financial journalists, I got the sense that he is not a big fan of capitalism. Perhaps that's unfair, but if he simply told the story without some of his asides, the book would have been even better.

A book about the history of a family.......2006-12-14

This is an interesting book about the history of the Morgan family. It tends to drag on and is not as good as Chernow's other books about finance (notably Hamilton). I was expecting quite a bit more on JP Morgan and the book did not deliver in that way. Despite those two flaws the book is filled with such good information and is so well organized that it still deserves five stars I would just know you are not buying a book solely or even focusing on JP Morgan.

America's Gilded Age.......2006-11-10

Ron Chernow is good at writing in great detail while making his books interesting. "House of Morgan" is well documented as are all of Chernow's books. This book is the interesting story of big banking in the United States and abroad during the period of 1850-1900. Chernow goes beyond the earlier years of the J. P. Morgan empire to the present; giving an introduction to Morgan/Chase as we know it today. The early founder, Pierpont, was ruthless, secretive and rich. The book is a long one, and took awhile to read, but it was worth the time.

The history of JP Morgan par excellence!.......2006-10-26

A much more engaging and beautiful account on the life of the Morgan family and their banking legacy has been outdone by this work from Ron Chernow.

The book covers all aspects of the Morgan family and even discovers long forgotten family secrets. It dwells into the minds of these great capitalists and takes the reader deep into historic moments in American financial history. The overall grandeur and majesty of some of the most powerful men to have ever walked the earth, men who saved the U.S. from financial ruin, is evident in every page.

Read this one and you will love it!

In Depth, to the Nth degree.......2006-04-22

I read Chernow's awesome book on Rockefeller and expected the same from this treatment of America's first uber-bank. For some reason the narrative just seemed half as interesting as the Rockefeller book. This work primarily seemed to be lots of facts and figures and a historical timeline-- the interesting anecdotes and sidebars available in Rockefeller seemed to be somewhat lacking here-- either that or I've become jaded in what entertains me.

Overall it's certainly the definitive work on the subject to be sure, but I was hoping on a little more entertainment as the thing is a telephone book. And anyone can read a telephone book for a hundred pages-- 500 pages takes dedication.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Sisters (Random House Large Print (Paper))

Average customer rating:

Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!
Sisters
Too Fluffy too perfect !!!
Should have been a short story - not a novel
Disappointing

Sisters (Random House Large Print (Paper))
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0739327011
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

Four sisters, a Manhattan brownstone, and a tumultuous year of loss and courage are at the heart of Danielle Steel’s new novel about a remarkable family, a stunning tragedy—and what happens when four very different young women come together under one very lively roof.

Candy–it’s the only name she needs—is blazing her way through Paris, New York, and Tokyo as fashion’s latest international supermodel. . . .

Her sister Tammy has a job producing the most successful hit show on TV, and a home she loves in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills. . . . In New York, oldest sister Sabrina is an ambitious young lawyer, while Annie is an American artist in Florence, living for her art. . . . On one Fourth of July weekend, as they do every year, the four sisters come home to Connecticut for their family’s annual gathering. But before the holiday is over, tragedy strikes and their world is utterly changed.

Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives—on opposite sides of the world—reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. Thus begins an unscripted chapter of their lives, as a bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men . . . and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the direction of their respective lives. As the year passes and another July Fourth approaches, a season of grief and change gives way to new beginnings—as a family comes together to share its blessings and a future filled with surprises and, ultimately, hope.

With unerring insight and compassion, Danielle Steel tells a compelling story of four sisters who love and laugh, struggle and triumph . . . and are irrevocably woven into the fabric of each other’s lives. Brilliantly blending humor and heartbreak, she delivers a powerful message about the fragility–and the wonder—of life.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!.......2007-09-14

In Danielle Steel's latest novel "Sisters", the story starts out with the usual trademark fairytale quality.

Four sisters with highly successful and interesting careers, are scattered around the world; New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Florence. Hardly your average bunch of ordinary lives.

But that's the beginning. The surface. The setting. Until tragedy strikes and man's vulnerability cuts through whatever glamourous lifestyles the sisters may seemingly enjoy.

Life is turned upside down. Reality is as unexpected, harsh and as far from a fairytale as can be. The best part of the book describes the developments straight forward, honest and with much warmth and insight.

That a happy ending awaits, is Danielle Steel's trademark. However, the way tragedy all too quickly literary turns into happiness is a bit too easy to give the story balance. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place so fast and conveniently for all the family members that the situation is hard to fathom even for the most soft-hearted.

Tragedies ARE overcome but usually it takes time and hardship to build up a new future.

This book could actually have been longer. A more natural development of the situation and not the lightening quick wrapping up of loose ends during the last fifty pages or so, would have given the story more credibility.

Happy solutions are nice, but the turning of events in "Sisters" is simply too sweet and sudden even for a fairytale.

Sisters.......2007-09-06

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Being one of three sisters I could definatly understand the sisters.

Too Fluffy too perfect !!!.......2007-08-28

Although I did enjoy this book, I found the characters too perfect. The relationships between the sisters seemed too false. All the sisters were beautiful, with great jobs, and would do anything for each other, and they hardly ever had a fight, blah, blah,blah. Most sisters do not get to live like the girls in this fluffy type fairytale.

Should have been a short story - not a novel.......2007-08-20

I have not read DS in many years and now I remember why. This book repeated the same ideas and even the same phrases so often it was annoying. She could have written this book in just a few pages and not missed anything important. I anticipated the predictable story ie. tragedy, depression, find a man fall in love, live happily every after. The rape story seemed thrown in and was all wrapped up too quickly to add anything interesting to the story.

Disappointing.......2007-08-18

The plot was good and could have been written in a much better style. The details were repeated over and over so many times. It looked like it was written in a great hurry.

House of Sand and Fog (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

Immigrant experience is the only redeeming feature of the story
Hmmm...
I can't believe this made Oprah's book list
Mixed Feelings
wow!

House of Sand and Fog (Oprah's Book Club)
Andre Dubus III
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375727345
Release Date: 2000-11-16

Amazon.com

Oprah Book Club® Selection, November 2000: Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

Dubus tells his tragic tale from the viewpoints of the two main adversaries, Behrani and Kathy. To both of them, the house represents something more than just a place to live. For the colonel, it is a foot in the door of the American dream; for Kathy, a reminder of a kinder, gentler past. In prose that is simple yet evocative, House of Sand and Fog builds to its inevitable denouement, one that is painfully dark but unfailingly honest. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to resotre his family's dignity. Kathy Nicolo is a troubled young woman whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge in an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog marks the arrival of a major new voice in American fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Immigrant experience is the only redeeming feature of the story.......2007-08-21

The story drags. It is depressing, as others have written. Multiple layers of tragedy, but the most compelling perhaps is the tale of prejudice experienced by the family. There are better ways to spend time than reading this book.

Hmmm..........2007-08-20

I will say that the story line held my interest, the plot was plausible, even the depiction of the cultural differences and what havoc that wrought in the clash between the characters was fascinating and truthful. I cared about each of the characters and was riveted to find out what would happen to them next. The BIG downer of this book, however, was all of the cursing and way too much explicit sex. I realize this was somewhat important for developing the characters of Lester and Kathy, but the mere suggestion of it would have been enough. Instead, it was excessive, dirty, and over the top in my opinion. Overall, I'm glad I read this strong emotion and thought provoking story, but I would be reluctant, embarrassed even, to recommend it without warning of the excessive and explicit sex and cursing.

I can't believe this made Oprah's book list.......2007-08-07

If you think that you are too happy with your life and you want waste a couple hours, then this is the book for you. I can't believe that this book was made into a movie or that Oprah put this on her book club list. It is that bad.
I did find it interesting to review the cultural differences and expectations of different societies, but other than that it was extremely depressing and a total waste of time. If you want to know the ending - everyone either dies or goes to jail. What an uplifting story - not!

Mixed Feelings.......2007-07-02

Rating this novel was extremely difficult because the book left me with very mixed feelings. The writing and imagery were magnificent and certainly worthy of five shining stars. Some of the plotlines and characterizations, however, were relatively disappointing. The characters of Lester and Kathy evoked a lot of anger and frustration, which may have been the author's intention, but their overwhelming selfishness, ignorance, and simplicity was a bit over the top. Their "love" affair was also a bit over the top and Lester's instant devotion was difficult to swallow considering he was essentially a confused adulterer who violently abused his power as a police officer and somewhat took advantage of a troubled woman who had nothing left to lose. This wasn't as emotional a read as I was expecting because it was almost impossible to sympathize with half of the key characters (mainly Lester and more often than not Kathy). I do, however, commend the author for the unique and intriguing cultural perspective he weaved throughout the book.

wow!.......2007-06-14

Even though the ending was spoiled for me ( didn't finish in time for book club) I was captivated enough to finish anyway. I really enjoyed the story. Very well written. I highly recomend this one. ( The film was pretty good too!)

Average customer rating:

Moving and Well-Told... For the Most Part
Another great addition to the Silk House series!
A moving portrayal of French History...
A lot of build up...

Written on Silk (The Silk House #2)
Linda Lee Chaikin
Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310263018

Customer Reviews:

Moving and Well-Told... For the Most Part.......2007-09-30

Don't let the quintessential run-of-the-mill Christian fiction cover and title fool you - this book is no ordinary "inspirational novel." This is the second in Chaikin's Silk House trilogy, a series written about a young Huguenot woman named Rachelle Macquinet, who lives during the sixteenth century. Never heard of a Huguenot? They were French Protestants who had responded to the Reformation, particularly under the influence of John Calvin from Geneva, by changing their allegiance from Catholicism. They faced much persecution from a Catholic monarchy.

This is the moving, well-told account of one family's struggle to withstand the persecution and intrigue surrounding their life in France. The only reason I don't give the novel five stars is because the grammar is stilted and faulty at times, and the story can get overly complicated with too many subplots, confusing character names, and unfamiliar French words. However, those are minor issues - especially since some of the best fiction works in history are complicated as well. I wholeheartedly recommend this excellent and biblically sound book.

Another great addition to the Silk House series!.......2007-05-18

Murder, intrigue, betrayal in the palaces of 16th century France. Catherine De Medici, the ruthless queen regent, plots to maintain her power while trying to rid the influence of the Guise brothers who are controlling her son, King Francis II. Rachelle is caught in her path while being the maid of honour to Catherine's daughter, Margo. Linda did an excellent job on the research of the time period and the emotions and the plotting of both the historical characters and fictional characters are well-written and believeable. And now there is an announcement that there are going to be four books in this series. The story is building up...and we need to find out what happens next for Fabien and Rachelle.

A moving portrayal of French History..........2007-05-03

I really liked this book, but am now sitting in extreme anticipation for the third book, which doesn't come out till December!! I have to agree somewhat with the other comment. This book does leave you hanging quite a bit, and I would probably also recommend waiting to read this with the third book; however, this series is supposed to have FOUR books, not three, so you might be waiting a while before you're completely satisfied.

With that said, it is no wonder that the plot is built up so much in this book because a lot of things are still going to happen in the next two books. This book really moved me, and helped me appreciate what so many have gone through for freedom to worship as they wish. I also love the continuation of the relationship between Fabien and Rachelle, and the addition of James Hudson and Bertrand, though I am a little skeptical of what happens at the end, and sometimes Rachelle's behavior towards Fabien is rather maddening.

Overall, though, I would say this book is thoroughly enjoyable, and I will enjoy rereading the first two books when the others come out. I also haven't minded learning a little French along the way. Linda does better with the French terms in the second book, in not using them quite as much, and using terms that are easier to figure out(because they're very similar to the English terms for the same things). I definitely recommend this book!

A lot of build up... .......2007-05-01

History. Tragedy. Intrigue. Piracy. Romance. Murder. Inquisition. Royal Plotting. Imprisonment. Suspense. Jealousy. Love. Betrayal.
There is a lot going on in Written on Silk (second book of the Silk House series). So much potential. But it is mostly just an upward slope, building to a great climax that never comes. At least not in this book.

I like the idea of this book. Having taken French for seven years, the interspersed French words didn't bother me. But I can easily see how it would turn off many people. Granted the first time a word is introduced it is in italics and there is a handy glossary in the beginning of the book, but having to look up words breaks up the pace of the story- slowing you down from reading it and slowing down the momentum of the story.

That being said, the plot is aggravating. There is a LOT of build up but no real climax or resolution. A lot of the story is being saved for, what I'm assuming is, the third and final book. The Macquinet family is struck by tragedy early on in the book. A Huguenot massacre occurs. A family member is killed by the Queen Mother. Another is unknowlingly putting herself in danger of being a pawn- a means to an indetermine end. And yet after all this there is no climax- no "ultimate battle", if you will, between Catherine de Medici and the Huguenots (or just the Macquinets, Fabian). I'm assuming this action is being saved for the next book. A lot happens plot-wise; story-wise there isn't much development. Rachelle is portrayed as vengeful, petty, capricious, and wishy-washy (particularly in her feelings for Fabian). On a happy note, their relationship does make a "flying leap" into another stage of their lives.

This installment was an overall disappointment. Right when the action is so close to reaching its climax, it ends. A HUGE cliffhanger. Usually this would make you wait with bated breath for the conclusion, but on top the already 200+ pages of build-up, you want SOMETHING big to happen. Ending at that point is aggravating, to say the least. After reading all that, you want some resolution. But instead all that we're given is a pithy, one-sided page epilogue.

I think the second book is mostly a waste- filler until the next book comes out. I'm hoping the action picks up. Well it'd better because there's a lot left to resolve. Like her East of the Sun trilogy, there is some slow moving points-too much exposition on boring points and not enough dialogue to keep it moving. Fans of the first Silk House book may be as disappointed as I was. Maybe not. Maybe I'm a minority. Though, to save others the frustration, I would suggest waiting until the last book is out so you can read them together. I'm hoping the story will read better as an unit because reading one by one is going up (good for the first) and down (with the second).

Average customer rating:

Good effort
Inspiring antidote to urban sprawl

The New American Town House
Alexander Gorlin
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847821412
Release Date: 2000-02-05

Book Description

Simultaneously defining and defined by its surroundings, the town house-- as one of the basic building blocks of the city-- has emerged at the close of the twentieth century as a symbol of architectural innovation and refinement. At one time the bastion of Park Avenue society, the American town house has now been embraced by a broader group of people: families with small children, single urban professionals, and retired couples. Drawn between the antipodes of architectural precedent and originality, the modern town house enhanced the urban landscape through both its break from and adherence to the delimitations of the typology. Within its five-story frame and two parallel walls exquisite solutions to the constraints of the form take place. Sweeping stairways, moonlit loggie, and seemingly boundless atria all comprise some of the newly realized fantasies of these structures. The playful interchange between public and private spaces, living and work quarters, and interiors and exteriors are all part of the new rhetoric of the town house.

Ranging from sites in New York, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Seaside, Florida, and Los Angeles, each of the buildings featured in The New American Town House represents an eloquent contribution to the form. From the funky, gritty streets of Greenwich Village to the quiet sunny walks of San Francisco, the book explores the cutting-edge designs of twenty-six recently built town houses by such celebrated young architects as Tod Williams and Billy Tsien, Mark Mack, Dan Solomon, Stanley Saitowitz, Dirk Lohan, and Alexander Gorlin. Each project is extensively illustrated with full-color and black-and-white photography, plans and drawings, providing a striking presentation of the elegance and stylistic distinction of the houses. Alexander Gorlin includes an insightful essay on the history of the town house from its origins in Pompeii to recent urban dwellings designed by twentieth-century architects. The esteemed architecture critic Paul Goldberger discusses new developments in the genre during this period of resurgence and what they portend.

Customer Reviews:

Good effort.......2000-12-13

This book is simply that, a book about new American town house. It started with a description of the evolution of town house, rite from the time of Palladio & Vitruvius to the present time. The rest is 20 examples of American townhouses all seemed to be going skyward fulfilling all kinds of tastes ranging from chic, loft style, minimalistic, opulence, romantic. & so forth. There are tonnes of pictures in this book with helpful building plans. I always like variety & after browsing thru initial examples, the rest of the book I really couldn't bother with as they all look pretty much similar. Afterall, a townhouse is a townhouse. Anyhow, this book is beautifully presented & definitely worth keeping if you simply want a coffee book for show. Keep up the good work.

Inspiring antidote to urban sprawl.......2000-06-09

With the cities and suburbs spreading out into former farmland in the form of superstores, fast food chains, and garishly oversized homes reminiscent of motel conference centers, Gorlin and Goldberger present the compelling alternative: the townhouse, revamped, revitalized, and more relevant than ever. No matter what your esthetic, there is a townhouse to suit it, and you can find it in this book. It could be argued, in fact, that the townhouse represents architectural humanism at its best: inherently social, family-friendly, scaled to real human dimensions and needs. In other words, just right. An excellent introduction to an important new trend in architecture and home-building.

House to House: Playing the Enemy's Game in Saigon, May 1968

Average customer rating:

Unflinching
Excellent coverage of Mini-Tet
House to House
Accurate and Not Pretty
Nolan Got it Right

House to House: Playing the Enemy's Game in Saigon, May 1968
Keith Nolan
Manufacturer: Zenith Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0760323305

Book Description

Keith Nolans research, his comprehension of the political as well as the military actions, his careful concern for those who were there, and most of all, his writing, are superb. Stephen AmbroseDuring the first days of May, 1968, several regiments of Viet Cong fighters quietly infiltrated the South Vietnamese capital city Saigon.With no chance of actually capturing the city, it was a suicide mission aimed at the already-battered hearts and minds of the American people whod been rocked by the Tet Offensive just three months earlier.The story of what followeda week-long battle in which the 9th Infantry Division drove the Viet Cong out of the capitalis told in all its gritty and gut-wrenching detail in House to House. Keith Nolan chronicles one of the most brutal engagements of the entire warthe U.S. Armys only house-to-house battle of Vietnamand reveals the hard-won lessons of Saigon, with their echoes resounding in the streets of Baghdad today.

Customer Reviews:

Unflinching.......2007-09-13

A brutal and unflinching chronicle of house-to-house fighting in the Cholon
District of Saigon during May 1968. A grunt's eye-view of war. Extensive interviews with 9th Infantry vets add depth and a 'you-are-there' feeling. Another great job by Nolan.

Excellent coverage of Mini-Tet.......2006-08-19

This book provides an excellent overview of a little known battle during the Viet Nam war, Mini Tet. It is, however, more than a simple account of a battle; it provides one of the best explanations I have read on why the battle occurred and why the North Vietnamese were successful in winning the all important "hearts and minds" battle for the citizens of Saigon. The book was particularly interesting to me as a soldier who took part in the battle. Many of the names and places were familiar to me, but like many "grunts" I knew very little of what was actually going on. This book finally explained what I was doing and why.

House to House.......2006-07-17

Well written. Readership for Vietnam War may be flagging due to focus on Iraq. Key characters well portrayed but minor characters sometimes appear to be confusing as if author is attempting to acknowledge absolutely everyone he has interviewed. The result is a need to reread some pages to straighten out the narrative. Some tendency to be negative about higher ranking seniors who may simply be doing their jobs but may have, in the process, offended those who are excessively critical of them.

Accurate and Not Pretty.......2006-06-27

Well written, well researched and best of all an accurate and not pretty description of what we all know was an very ugly war.
I was there. Dustoff Freddy

Nolan Got it Right.......2006-06-07

As one of the battalion commanders at the Battle of the Y-Bridge, I can attest to the fact that Keith Nolan got it right. He has to rank as the foremost historian of the Vietnam War with this, his eleventh book on that war.

Nolan has done a masterful job of pulling together accounts of this battle from hundreds of sources, and producing a very readable story. He did so with great sensitivity and yet told the good and the bad, which is what war is. His transitions from the actions of the various units made for a smooth and continuous story, rather than a bunch of choppy events.

As a participant in this action,I may be prejudiced, but I think this book is better than his previous book on the Vietnam War - Ripcord - and, having read the Maraniss book "They Marched Into Sunlight", House to House is as compelling an account.

I highly recommend this book as a vehicle for discussion of leadership from the small unit to the Division levels of command.
The situations encountered in this book are as applicable to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they were to the war in Vietnam.

Average customer rating:

Lobe-Isherwood
How cliche, but ooh la la!
Did not like!
Disappointed......
Hilarious!

Paris Hangover
Kirsten Lobe
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312355688
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Book Description

A glamorous fish-out-of-water first novel, Paris Hangover stars Klein, a just-escaped New Yorker with trunk-fulls of fabulous footwear but without the significant relationship shed really expected and longed to have by now, in her mid-thirties. Fleeing a live-in lover and their sleek TriBeCa triplex as well as a career in fashion, Klein starts over in Parisin a tiny walk-up in the 6th that she had to lie (in broken Franglais) and write a bad check to get, only to discover that, among other things, Parisian apartments dont come with kitchens. Living out of her ten piece luggage set (Louis Vuitton, natch), Klein plunges into the mysterious world of French men and dating. She muddles her way through: the sexy Renaud, the prototypical Frenchman; dating three men named Jean simultaneously; and one completely wrong Monsieur Married Man, who wants Klein for his very well-kept mistress. Set against a backdrop of knowing references to Paris and its unique manners and mores, Paris Hangover is a very satisfying modern romance.

Customer Reviews:

Lobe-Isherwood.......2007-09-16

Since taking off from Tegel ensconced in an ancient paperback of "Goodbye to Berlin" I've been looking for a repeat experience - saying farewell to an extraordinary city with a gift-wrapped miniature to hand. At Orly last week I finally had my wish. Lobe is a seriously good writer, so don't be taken in by the "chic(k) lit" cover. Not a paragraph, in fact barely a sentence of this brilliant 'Year-in' novel fails to be original, witty and engagingly modest at the same time. Her archetype American (Wisconsin) ingénue finds by degrees that the language barrier is the least of her cultural problems, with a resulting voyage of self-discovery (City of Light) that is a pleasure to witness. Austen, the Fieldings (both), yes even the Swan of Avon - make way: a splendid, up-to-date addition to classic romantic fiction (the 'taming' sub-genre) with just the right amount of character development to ensure a good, extended shelf-life. Chapeau ... et bravo!

How cliche, but ooh la la!.......2007-08-24

Firstly, for the reviews in the negative due to "too much sex, little substance about Paris"....WHAT did you think you were buying? A travel memoir?? Anyone can read the back cover explicitly explaining this book was more about one woman's search for a FRENCHMAN and the guts to move somewhere....well, foreign. I found Loeb's writing style hilarious...although, like some others, it started to wane a bit towards the end, however I thoroughly enjoyed this as a time passing whirlwind (decadant) trip through Paris. It's refreshing to find a novel NOT about your typical 21 year old's study abroad time on daddy's dime, and while this book is full of frivolous parties and casual sex, it's also much more 'adult' than many novels of the same genre. Overall, very good and worth its price.

Did not like!.......2007-03-23

So pretentious and full of herself! I purchased this to read on my trip to Paris and nearly threw it out. If not for her references to significant Paris monuments and some of the cultural nuances of the Parisians, I would have tossed this and given it only one star. I'm not terrible serious or prudish, however her writing really seem contrived in order to shock you.

Disappointed.............2007-02-05

I hate to be negative about a book....but.....
I also have to admit the book started out great. It was laugh-out-loud funny. Especially during the flight from NYC to Paris with her cat.
Shortly after that, it appeared to lose it's steam and my interest.
I did finish it...but I had to struggle.
If you're into those stiletto heels, looking for Mr. Right by romping in bed with every male that comes along (and sometimes two)and you're fine with reading a novel that lacks any "substance" with a main character that should have "shallow" for her middle name.....then this book is for you!

Hilarious!.......2007-01-21

I felt like I was living in Paris! I could feel her frustration, joy, anxiety and lust as each day unfolds.

Average customer rating:

"Wake up!" is the tender, fierce cry of this book...
An aide to see the world in a deeper reality.
Excellent imagery!
Illuminating!! Oliver is brilliant...

House of Light
Mary Oliver
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080706811X

Book Description

Winner of a 1991 Christopher Award Winner of the 1991 Boston Globe Lawrence L. Winship Book Award This collection of poems by Mary Oliver once again invites the reader to step across the threshold of ordinary life into a world of natural and spiritual luminosity.

Customer Reviews:

"Wake up!" is the tender, fierce cry of this book..........1999-07-19

I've read just about everything that Mary Oliver has written...and something about "House of Light" makes me sit up and LISTEN to the natural world. These poems -- I think especially of "The Kookaburras" -- invite us to become more accountable for every thought, action, and gesture. Mary's poems break my heart open again and again; they're soul-food for me; they remind me of what is essential. Mary is a compassionate witness for the exquisite minutae of life.

An aide to see the world in a deeper reality........1999-01-07

The poems bring us close to nature and enable us to create a link of awareness that is sometimes soft, sometimes shattering. We are connected closely to the animals and birds - "The Kookaburras" made me cry. The reality of death is treated in a way that makes us pay attention and live NOW and know that when we are enveloped by that vast darkness, as everything eventually is, it will be alright.

Excellent imagery!.......1998-07-17

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and found it to be a spiritually-filling experience. I particularly like the imagery of "The Ponds". Read it, all of you!

Illuminating!! Oliver is brilliant..........1998-04-28

After reading "House of Light" by Mary Oliver (the book was a gift for my sixteenth birthday a few years back) I began to write. It is inspirational ! Oliver captures the essence of each animal, plant, and situation. My personal favorites are: "The Buddha's Last Instruction" and "The Hermit Crab" The book is refreshing and a must have for poetry lovers!

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