Book Description
Noel Coward's glorious wit and dramatic precision combine to form his 1930s masterpiece about modern romance. Private Lives continues to be one of his most performed and read works.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulously Witty: A Great Quick Read!.......2006-07-19
I saw this play on Broadway a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it and only now returned to it when we studied it for an English class, and I chose it to do an essay on. Reading it for the first time, I really loved it; it flows exquisitely and is very witty and light. I'm somewhat of a fan of Coward's plays, though this was the first one I actually read in book form and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another of his brilliant works. Well worth reading or seeing in a production if possible, since it begs to be performed, something that is very evident while reading the play.
"To hell with love.".......2005-04-09
This farcical look at marriage, first produced in 1930, starred the author, Noel Coward, and the legendary Gertrude Lawrence. The play's recent revivals in London and New York, however, attest to its incisive wit and its razor-sharp social observation, both of which transcend the 1930s setting and give continuing life and relevance to the play.
Elyot Chase, five years divorced, has just married a young bride, Sybil, with whom he is on his honeymoon at a French seaside resort. His former wife, Amanda Prynne, has also just remarried, and, coincidentally, she and Victor, her new husband, are also honeymooning--in the room next door. Almost immediately, Elyot and Amanda rediscover each other on their adjoining balconies, find themselves drawn to each other, and abandon their new spouses at the resort to run away together to Paris.
The major action of the play shows us the relationship of Elyot and Amanda in Paris as they try to sustain their rekindled love and avoid the pitfalls that destroyed their original marriage. Both are passionate, uninhibited, live-in-the-moment people, and both have married very traditional, predictable, and conformist new spouses. When Sybil and Victor eventually discover the lovers, who, by now, are fighting and even engaging in fisticuffs, Coward makes his point about the nature of relationships, their fragility and/or what makes them endure.
Though the play is set in the 1930s, Coward so accurately captures human traits and behavior that the play is still delighting audiences today. In his opening scene, for example, he shows Sybil subjecting new husband Elyot to a mood-killing interrogation about his former wife. He then turns this scene on its head by showing Victor interrogating Amanda about her honeymoon with Elyot, showing the two new spouses to be identical to each other--and completely opposite to Elyot and Amanda. The scenes in Paris, in which Elyot and Amanda, their passion rekindled, try to keep their roiling anger under control are hilarious, and when they eventually resort to slapping and dish-throwing, the elegant verbal duels and clever repartee we have seen till now change the play into a more visually exciting and more farcical experience.
The ending of the play is not really a resolution, but it does confirm Coward's theme that though opposites may attract in the short term, this kind of attraction may not be as powerful as the attraction between like characters, which, however, can change instantly when familiarity breeds contempt. Sardonic and sometimes a bit cynical, the play artfully captures the vicissitudes of a wild, passionate relationship and provides insights into its inner workings. Mary Whipple
Witty But Shallow.......2001-07-09
This is often regarded as Coward's best play. Supposedly written as a vehicle for Coward and his friend, the great Gertrude Lawrence, it displays the wit and stagecraft which made Coward famous. As a serious work, however, it is limited. It is clear that Coward was aiming to investigate the irrational nature of love, sort of a modern day Twelfth Night. Coward's plot and characters are not able to sustain this burden. Even when performed by excellent actors in first rate productions, it still comes across as a skillful farce and not much more.
Book Description
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.
Investigative reporter Angel Buchanan dug up a whopping surprise: The late "Artist of the Heart" Stephen Whitney -- famous for his family values -- was the father who'd abandoned her when she was four. And there's nothing like the reading of a will to bring people out of the woodwork, especially relatives you never knew you had...
...Such as the grieving widow and her sexpot twin sister...and a hunky man Angel is thrilled to learn is not any kind of cousin at all. He's C.J. Jones, the legendary lawyer determined to keep her quiet about her late, not-so-great deadbeat dad's secret life.
Angel knows he'll try to woo her into submission, but how can she resist? The setting: Tranquility House, a remote retreat containing plenty of private rooms and romantic hideaways. But how far will C.J. go to get what he wants? And, for that matter, how far will Angel?
Customer Reviews:
Artist of the Heart.......2006-09-04
This is the third book I've read by Christie Ridgway and I must say, I enjoyed it immensley. The story moved along at a good pace and all of the characters were quite likable. The relationship between Angel and Cooper was also well developed; as was the secondary relationship between Judd and Beth.
The only real problem I had with this book was the fact that the entire premise is that Angel is the daughter of Stephen Whitney, a Thomas Kincade type man, but his current family knows nothing of her existance. Upon his death, Angel travels to his home under the guise of writing a news article on his life.
Internally, the reader comes to know Angel and the life she led that made her bitter towards her father. The reader also finds out that Stephen was not really the saint his current wife and the world thought him to be; aside from being Angel's father, he was also involved with another woman.
None of this, however, is revealed to the characters in the book. Angel comes to terms with her daddy issues, but the reaction of his family is never discussed. The only mention comes in an epiloug and is basically summed up with the sentence "Stephen's family accepted her with open arms" or some such drivel.
Other than that, the book is enjoyable and enteraining. Christie Ridgway is quickly making her way onto my 'must read' list.
A light-hearted story, but definitely not a shallow one.......2005-09-18
When reporter Angel Buchanan's father, famous and celebrated "Artist of the Heart," Stephen Whitney, dies in a car accident, the world mourns the loss of such an immense talent and dedicated family man. What a crock! The man might have been a fabulous painter, but he was anything but dedicated to family. Angel should know, for she is his daughter -- the one he abandoned twenty-three years ago when he left her mother. Determined to expose the truth about the two-faced phony -- and boost her career at the same time -- Angel tries to get close to his family under the pretense of writing a positive article. At first, things go just as she planned, then two problems arise that threaten everything: 1) Angel's growing attraction to the grieving widow's brother, Cooper Jones, who is more than a little suspicious of her and seems to be keeping secrets of his own, and 2) Angel begins to like her father's other family, especially her teenage half-sister, Katie.
From the very beginning, the reader empathizes with Angel's desire to show the world the truth about her father. The pain and confusion of the little girl whose beloved father left without explanation is evident in the adult Angel has become. Due to his death, she has questions that can never be answered. When she sets out to expose her father, the reader roots for her. After all, it seems only fair. Later, when Angel gets to know her father's second family and begins questioning her original intent, the reader struggles with her. Yeah, the new family seems very nice, but allowing him to keep his sterling reputation -- well, where's the justice in that? Furthermore, the man was a public figure, and as such, doesn't the public have a right to know? Doesn't she owe it to her job to write the truth? I appreciated the author's handling of her quandary, because life is seldom black and white, and the line between what is right and what is best are not always easy to see.
Cooper has his own issues to deal with. His father, after receiving a clean bill of health from the doctors, died in Cooper's arms while the two were on a camping trip years ago. Now an adult and about the age his father was when he died, Cooper has already had one heart attack and fears that history is about to repeat itself. Because of his fear, he has avoided relationships and walked away from the job and life he loved. Angel's appearance on the scene stirs up feelings and emotions he has tried to suppress. For different reasons, both Angel and Cooper are afraid of being left alone again, and just as afraid to stay.
Secondary characters are well developed and act as more than filler for the story. As in real life, each has his or her own quirks, fears, faults and strengths. I especially liked Angel's half-sister, Katie. While the romance has the requisite happily-ever-after, not all issues are neatly and satisfactorily wrapped up. Though this bothered me at first, upon further reflection the author's choice seems the more realistic and appropriate decision. We don't always get the answers we want, so we have to adjust, deal with our disappointment and move on.
Witty, warm and wonderful, DO NOT DISTURB is a light-hearted story, but definitely not a shallow one. I highly recommend it.
Finding Love near the Sea within Tranquility .......2005-04-18
This was a fun romance with periods of angst and self discovery. Angel Buchanan was searching for the truth about her natural father, Stephen Whitney upon his recent death. He was a world reknown "Artist of the Heart" with a reputation for paintings resembling a cross between Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol who left her when she was 4 years old. She crashes his funeral under the guise of wanting to write a story on Whitney for a west coast magazine. She meets Cooper Jones, brother to Stephen Whitney's widow at the funeral. She learns that her accommodations have been set up at Tranquility House, his family's retreat which is a conclave of cottages with no speaking, electronic devices, meat or caffeine allowed and tofu reigns supreme at every meal, much to her chagrin.
Angel's burgeoning relationship with Cooper is against both of their rules. Cooper has survived two heart attacks from heredity and a previously stressful life as a high powered criminal defense attorney. Angel does not trust men due to her abandonment issues from her father. Cooper wants to protect his family at all costs. He agrees to Angel doing a story on Whitney, although he is not completely trusting of the outcome in terms of his family's welfare. The sideline relationships with Whitney's previous relationships to the other family members make for interesting diversions to the main characters' romance.
Cute..........2005-02-26
I thought this book was a mildly amusing quick read, but there were a few things that kept me from really loving it. Maybe I'm being a little bit critical, but I thought it was annoying that the writer kept reminding us that the heroine (Angel) was supposedly "strong" and/or "tough" because she had a difficult childhood, yet every time she was around the hero (Cooper) she was falling over backward (literally) only to be rescued by him. I can understand it happening once, twice at a stretch, but I believe it happened more like five or six times. I understand that we're supposed to see it as a metaphor for the imbalance he was creating in her life, yada yada, but come on! We get it already! And for a writer on an assignment, Angel sure had an awful lot of time to spend playing cat-and-mouse with Cooper. When did she ever work?! I know, I know...it's only a story. But it's attention to details like that that make the difference between a good book and a great one.
Loved it!.......2004-05-04
But then I love everything Christie Ridgway writes. "Do Not Disturb" is in keeping with all her stories, funny but with lots of emotion, too. Her characters always make me smile and always leave me feeling good. And her California settings make me want to book a vacation to the west coast ASAP. Can't recommend this author, or this book, enough.
Customer Reviews:
The first book of a new series set in england in 1906........1997-07-01
Kate Kingsbury's first entry is a winner. The characters are endearing, the locale is a luxury resort on the beach, and the mystery is engrossing. I like this series because it allows the reader to peek into the world of the upper class in Edwardian England. Patty Habersberge
Average customer rating:
- Ornate, Exquisite, Sumptuous
- Perfectly Gianni
- Satified my curiousity!
- A dazzling book of luscious, erotic, artful photographs
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Do Not Disturb
Gianni Versace ,
Roy Strong , and
Richard Avedon
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Art and Craft of Gianni Versace
ASIN: 0789201135 |
Amazon.com
Ah, naughty Gianni! The front cover of Do Not Disturb shows Versace himself in a Renaissance pose, wrapped in a sumptuous silk quilt; what you can't see on this page is the back cover, on which a nude Claudia Schiffer, hair snaking around her beautiful shoulders like a Teutonic Medusa's, gives you a come-hither stare as she toys with the same strategically placed quilt. Versace, before his untimely death in 1997, had perfected the art of living voluptuously, and these photographs--about half of which include perfect, mostly naked people romping gleefully through the sybaritic surroundings of Versace's various homes (in Milan, Miami, and Lago di Como)--are a testament to his great ability to elevate the beautiful to icon status. For its sheer, amazing gorgeousness, this may be the most wonderful (and one of the most poignant) lifestyle books of the last few years.
Customer Reviews:
Ornate, Exquisite, Sumptuous.......2005-07-09
Yes, Versace's book is about an extravagant and sumptuous lifestyle, and yes, it is exquisitely portrayed in this heavy paean to his glorious mode de vie. But what is most compelling is the revelation of his creative genius, his definition of beauty and how he captured it in so many varying elements of design. It is his definitive vision of the way he viewed the world, and the power with which he communicated that vision, that blow the mind. This weighty book is a testimony not only to Versace himself but to the very times in which we live(d). Truly, genius.
Perfectly Gianni.......2000-03-24
I am a Gianni Versace fans, i got this book from my friend as a birthday gift. This book is great i like it very much. The layouts, the pictures, the style all of them are so Versace, it's glamorous, beautiful, and full of freedom of expressions. This Book is as great as Men Without Ties and Rock and Royalty, those who enjoy the creativity of Versace, must have this incredible one.
Satified my curiousity!.......2000-01-25
Standing on Ocean Drive in front of Versace's Casa Casaurina in South Beach, I wondered, what was behind those beautiful gates? Do not disturb satisfied my curiousity. This beautiful text not only displays Versace's immaculate home interior designs, but he was ever so gracious to open his three unbelieveable homes to our curious eyes. All three homes in Milan, Lake Como,Italy and South Beach are absolutely incredible and tasteful. This book bleeds of opulence and Mr. Versace's enourmous fetish for Baroque patterns. I also highly recommend Versace's other 5 treasures from Abbeville press; Vanitas, Signatures, Men without Ties, Rock and royalty, and The Art of being you.
A dazzling book of luscious, erotic, artful photographs.......1998-05-18
Gianni Versace's "Do Not Disturb" is perhaps his own way of bringing his extravagant and admirable lifestyle to immortality. The book brilliantly showcases his glamorous, erotic and luscious way of living. A look into Versace's homes, the photographs are adorned with incredible architecture, dazzling colours, and beautiful nude young men. A great insight into how extravantly life can be lived.
Book Description
Inspired by personal experience, DO NOT DISTURB is a delicious, fast-paced journey through the world of international hotels. A thrilling, behind-the-scenes ride-as told by one of the industry's most privileged insiders. To others, Rolfe Ritter is the consummate global hotelier, surrounded by beautiful, talented women. Inside, he is relentlessly pained by personal demons. Born into the torrid milieu of European intrigue following World War II, he was a child when he witnessed the mysterious murder of his father-a decorated war hero and intelligence officer. This one defining moment would not only rob him of his innocence, but unleash a chain of events that would impact his career, his relationships, and his life-forever. Pursuing a lifelong obsession to create the world's finest chain of luxury hotels, his rapid rise rewards him with riches, sex and prestige. But Rolfe's insatiable need for dominance and the inherited lure of international espionage drives him into dark territory-leading him to compromise his beliefs, sacrifice love, make dangerous deals-and breed powerful enemies. When Rolfe learns a shocking family secret, and unexpected circumstances threaten his success, he becomes uncertain of his allies-even his longtime lover, who suddenly appears to have secrets of her own. In an exotic world where greed, corruption and betrayal are commonplace, Rolfe is alone and trapped by the black consequences of his ambition. He stands to lose everything and the lives of those he holds dear are at risk-his death may be the only way out. Or is it?
Customer Reviews:
Skillfully combines suspense, passion, the threat of death gradually closing in, and the burning need to uncover the truth........2007-05-13
Inspired by the personal experience of author Laurence Geller, Do Not Disturb is a sultry, red-hot novel about Rolfe Ritter, a dashing global hotelier who appears to have it all - yet is inwardly haunted by the childhood memory of his father's murder amid post-World War II intrigue. When Rolfe uncovers a startling family secret, his trust in all his friends and allies wanes; even his longtime lover seems to have a dark secret. Set amid modern-day greed, corruption, complacence, and betrayal, Do Not Disturb skillfully combines suspense, passion, the threat of death gradually closing in, and the burning need to uncover the truth.
Customer Reviews:
Best to have a Medic available. . . .......2007-04-03
. . .when you first open this book. Be especially careful not to
eat or drink as danger of choking during a laugh spasm increases.
Also, if you find yourself cutting cartoons out of this book to
send (pointedly) to friends, try not to cut yourself. In fact,
sharp instruments aren't such a good idea either, so maybe it's
best to just send them their own copies which are, heaven
knows, cheap enough.
What makes Callahan so ridiculously funny is that he apparently
spends a lot of time thinking and not very much drawing. What
he thinks about are things like dogs reserving their seats in
the movies by urinating around them, the exotic dancer vomiting
up cake at the bulimia convention and of course the sherrif's
posse that finds the fugitive's abandoned wheel chair in the desert
and is told 'don't worry, he won't get far on foot'.
The best way to use this book is to leave it in the bathroom
when you have guests and listen for the howls of laughter
followed by the gasping sounds as your company struggles to
catch its breath.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books. ISBN 9781601640005
laugh oiut loud .......2006-06-12
I've shown this book to many friends. Watching as they look through it, I have yet to find one person who does not laugh out loud, usually within the first few pages, and then it gets louder. Callahan spoofs holy cows others dare not touch.
Vulgar, grotesque, and hilarious!.......2002-06-10
"Do Not Disturb Any Further" is a collection of one-panel cartoons by John Callahan. In a cover blurb, "Far Side" cartoonist Gary Larson says of Callahan, "[H]e makes my own work look normal."
Callahan may be the ultimate politically incorrect cartoonist. Nothing is taboo in this book. He mines humor from the following subject matter: AIDS, blindness, obesity, hell, baldness, suicide, anal sex, eating disorders, demonic possession, crucifixion, homelessness, and evolution, among others.
Callahan's subject matter is well served by his ultra-crude drawing style. His grotesque human figures are ugly and misshapen (but oddly endearing!).
I'll describe two typical cartoons from this book. A female Grim Reaper, accompanied by two Reaper children, encounters a man giving away free puppies. The little Reapers excitedly ask, "Mommy! Mommy! Can we kill the puppies?" In another equally warped cartoon, a man is confronting his topless wife, one of whose breasts has been replaced by a pirate hook. He exclaims, "You're going back to that surgeon and demanding a more attractive prosthetic device!"
Is Callahan the most depraved and offensive cartoonist of all time? I don't know, but I do think he's one of the funniest. If you've got a strong stomach and a thick skin, enjoy!
Rude, Tasteless, and Priceless!!! Challenge your views!.......1999-09-23
This man knows no limits, and lets you know it. His biting social commentary gives you no choice but to laugh and think - a winning combination for the best of authors, let alone a cartoonist.
John Callahan is brilliant!.......1999-03-03
John Callahan is nothing shy of brilliant. The title "Digesting the Child Within" demonstrates in itself the amazing sense of humor of the author. He has the keen ability to take issues and situations that seem humorless, and with his witt, make them really funny. Not unlike Larson he has the remarkable ability to think of the most absurd things and makes them hysterical. Everyone I have shown his books to has enjoyed them. Bar none.
Customer Reviews:
The Bridal Bed by Helen Bianchin (Harlequin Large Print).......2006-10-06
Description from the book back cover:
The wedding deception! Everyone expected Suzanne to attend her mother's wedding with her own fiance, the very gorgeous Sloane. So, how could Suzanne admit their engagement was off? Sloan had a plan: for the weekend of the wedding, they'd play the part of a happy couple, sharing a suite - and a bed! Secretly, Sloane also intended Suzanne to have trouble remembering that the passion between them was only pretend ... then he'd bring about the second family wedding of the weekend!
Do Not Disturb! Anything can happen behind closed doors!
Simply wonderful.......2000-09-01
This is the first time i read Helen Bianchin book. It is simply wonderful. I really loved it. Be prepared to cry a little, laugh a little, smile a little and be torn in a thousand different directions. Its one of the best romance i have ever read. The characters are wonderful. I will remember this book for a lifetime. I liked the ending very much. Its really something. I hope everybody enjoy reading this book.
Average customer rating:
- An Enigmatic Man by Carole Mortimer (Large Print Harlequin)
- Not as good as most.- An enigmatic man.
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An Enigmatic Man (Do Not Disturb!)
Carole Mortimer
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
| Romance
| Subjects
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Mortimer, Carole
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
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| Contemporary
| Romance
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ASIN: 0373123167 |
Customer Reviews:
An Enigmatic Man by Carole Mortimer (Large Print Harlequin).......2006-12-14
Description from the book back cover:
He wanted to make love ... but what about giving it? From the moment Crystal Webber had arrived as an unexpected guest at Sam Barton's remote mansion in the Yorkshire moors, she'd got the message: Sam had no room in his life for emotional involvement. But it wasn't as if Crys wanted to marry him, for goodness' sake - just somewhere to stay for a couple of nights! Crys steeled herself to endure enforced proximity with this arrogant, infuriating man - she was prepared to give as good as she got! Only she was taken aback to discover that beneath Sam's tough, brooding exterior there existed a passionate sensuality ... which he wanted to share with her!
Not as good as most.- An enigmatic man........2003-06-26
I really dont think that this is up to Carole Mortimers usual standard. I found it hard going to get into this story line and when I had finished the book I was somewhat dissapointed. It is about two characters, both trying to put the past behind them which I found quite dull. Carole has been one of my favourite writers for years but this story was weak. For me anyway.
Average customer rating:
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Do Not Disturb
Nancy Tafuri
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
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Tafuri, Nancy
| ( T )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
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General
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