Book Description

Eerie, terrifying, unputdownable—Scott Smith’s first novel since his best-selling A Simple Plan (“Simply the best suspense novel of this year—hell, of the 1990s”—Stephen King). The Ruins follows two American couples, just out of college, enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico as, on an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group—the young German, who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for the remote Mayan ruins, site of a fabled archeological dig.

This is what happens from the moment the searchers—moving into the wild interior—begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific “other” among them . . .

Customer Reviews:

There are no "ruins" in ruin.......2007-10-02

The Ruins is a horrible horror story with a trite predictable plot, stupid, unlikeable characters and no redeaming social value. Filled with gratuitous gore and monstrous plotholes, the reader keeps reading with the fading hope the retarded characters will get a clue and the unimaginative author will suddenly astound us with an interesting ending. Unfortunately, the ending is as boring as the bulk of the novel. The author's head-hopping, annoying at first, leaves the reader dizzy and filled with the firm desire not to know characters who have no visible motivation for anythiing they do. When I was finished, I felt cheap and used as well as duped. I can't believe I read the whole thing. Take my advise and don't read any of it.

Inactive Adventure.......2007-10-02

With The Ruins the author, Scott Smith, has stumbled upon a new genre: The Inactive Adventure novel. Horror fiction seems to have eluded him and apparently Action-Adventure has nothing to do with botany.
I apologize -- this is not a review so much as a book report. I trust the reader, however, will get the gist.
Here goes:
A group of puerile, narcissistic, idealist brats get stranded on a hilltop in remote Mexico. They can't come down from the hill because the local Mayan villagers will kill them. They sit around a campfire eating grapes, drinking tequila, and talking about nothing of any consequence. One by one, over the course of 36 hours (give or take), they are picked off by a monster plant with no discernible root system, acid sap, and pretty red, talking flowers.
If this sounds like a scary premise to you, dear reader, then knock yourself out. Buy the book.
Personally, had I been with the Mayan villagers, I would have been lobbing bottles of Miracle-Gro up the hillside just to step up the plant's timing.
My copy of the paperback boasts a quote from Stephan King: "The best horror novel of the new century."
While it is true that the esteemed Mr. King has delivered some good reads -- Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, etal. -- he is also responsible for penning the Darwin Award winning masterpiece, Gerald's Game.
My advice? Don't believe everything you read on a book jacket, leave The Ruins on The Shelf, and go rent a movie.

A Page Turner 'til the bitter end...........2007-10-02

A well-written thriller with compelling characters in the tradition of 'Ten Little Indians'. Smith's writing style keeps one glued to the page, and the lack of chapter breaks was an effective tool in keeping the reader on the edge. Here's hoping he doesn't wait another 13 years before publishing his next work.

Intensely Disturbing and Wonderfully Descriptive.......2007-09-30

I was stunned when I saw that many people who read this book didn't like it. This was one of the best books I've ever read; another one being A Simple Plan. True, this book contains some pretty disturbing images and is not for the squirmish reader. But, boy oh boy, this book sure held my interest. I listened to this book on CD while driving to work, and it was hard to force myself to turn off the book and actually go into work. I loved everything about this book. I can't believe some people actually said this book wasn't well written. The descriptions were very effective, and the characters all had distinct personalities. This is not a happily ever after book, but I'm sure happy I read it. If you like dark, creepy books, then I highly recommend this one.

What a downer!.......2007-09-30

I always know that if someone tells me a book or movie is "brilliant" that I will hate it. I want a good story that will entertain me and this most certainly didn't. No adventure here - just sickening frustration and hopelessness. It was overlong and endlessly depressing. After making a valiant effort I gave up, just read the end and threw it away. Next time someone tells me a book is "brilliant" I will know not to buy it!

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 Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Augustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books General | World | History | Subjects | Books General | Asian American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Asian American | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Arabic | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Armenian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Czech | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Greek | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Hungarian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Japanese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Korean | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Norwegian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Persian & Farsi | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Polish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Portuguese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Romanian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Russian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Swedish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Turkish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Science | Subjects | Books General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books Similar Items: History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology) History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

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.

Average customer rating: This book rose from the ruins 2/3 of the way through Funny & Fascinating

Rising from the Ruins Daniel J. Peters Manufacturer: Random House ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: how to Reach Your Life Goals The Luck of Huemac How to Reach Your Life Goals: Keys to Help You Fulfill Your Dreams How to Handle a Major Crisis How to be Motivated All the Time ASIN: 0679433066 Release Date: 1995-02-28

Customer Reviews:

This book rose from the ruins 2/3 of the way through.......2002-04-17

The copy I have of this book has a great picture on the cover: a Tikal-style pyramid, somber gray gleaming under moonlight amidst a thick, dark green jungle. I dug in, expecting a book of adventure and mystery in the secret depths of hidden ruins...

Not quite so. The story begins with a disenchanted, out-of-work academic, who to distract himself from his lagging self confidence and boredom begins a life of crime... stealing the ornaments off of people's lawns. It's actually quite funny, and our hero, Harper, has a sarcastic sense of humor that kept me chuckling.

However, when his luck turns, and Harper heads off to join an archaelogical team among Mayan ruins, there's a long run of ho-hum details of camp life, speculations about the fictional village that the crew is digging up, and a lot of incredibly petty bickering among them. I could hardly keep my eyes open during this central portion of the book.

The last third starts picking up speed as Harper accumulates more enemies among the crew, and they encounter a group Guatemalan refugees. They must decide whether to help them with food, at the risk of losing their digging permit from the Mexican government. Following on the heels of the refugees are soldiers hunting them down and who briefly put the team in danger. These events add some spice, and so does Sancho, the friendly jungle pig.

The end of the book ties the pieces up nicely, and its message clarifies why the characters (and the reader) had to endure all that bickering. I was able to make peace with the book by its end, and with the help of Harper's sense of humor, was able to give this book a 4.

Funny & Fascinating.......2001-08-14

The best "read" I've had all summer. The setting is an archeological dig in Mexico. The characters are very human, and intuitively helping each other to heal, while working hard and playing hard. The Mayan history is fascinating. The jungle is described vividly. The laughter and the love bubble up easily. The jacket cover says "a powerful story of personal redemption and marital survival." And it's told with wit and clever wordplay. A lot of fun.

Average customer rating: amazing book Lost and Found Lots of Memories Interesting book, room for improvement Great book to compare what Rt 66 was to what it is today.

Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited, Volume 2 Russell A. Olsen Manufacturer: Voyageur Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | United States | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books West | United States | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books Americana | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books General | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books North America | Travel | Subjects | Books General | Travel | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Here It Is! The Route 66 Map Series Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition Lost America: The Abandoned Roadside West Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Updated and Expanded Third Edition (Route 66 Series) Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers ASIN: 0760326231

Book Description

Much more than just a ribbon of crumbling asphalt, Route 66 today appeals to the world for its nostalgia valuefor the promise that Steinbecks "Mother Road" once held and the places that stood alongside it. As the highway has declined into disuse, so too have the countless establishments that sprouted up from Illinois to California to cater to weary travelers and hopeful vacationers alike.Motor courts, cafes, main streets, filling stations, and greasy spoonsall are represented in this new book featuring dozens of lost-and-found sites not featured in photographer and author Russ Olsens first volume. As does its predecessor, this new installment presents 75 locations along the Mother Roads entire 2,297 miles, showing them both during their heydays as seen in black-and-white photographs taken for period postcards, and as they appear today from the same angle and also with black-and-white photographs. Each site featured is accompanied by a detailed capsule history tracing the locales rise and fall, as well as an exclusive map pointing out its location along Route 66.

Customer Reviews:

amazing book .......2007-08-06

this is a great book in my opinion i love it very informative nice pictures and comparisons from old-new of most photos of places .. i have been on bits of 66 over the years i may never drive the majority of it but reading this book made me feel like i did wonderful is all i can say

Lost and Found.......2007-07-24

Both volume one and two are very interesting and well researched books.
I traveled Route 66 a couple of years ago and reading the book was fascinating- now I know how many locations I went sailing past without a clue!
When I next get a chance to do a repeat journey, I shall certainly re-read the books very thoroughly and travel slower so as not to miss such historic scenes.

Lots of Memories.......2007-07-14

I love this volume and number two. As a child in the fifties whose father was an Air Force officer, I remember the thrills and excitement I had whenever my father would be posted to a new base. My sister and I would be in the back seat and we always drew an imaginary line on the seat which delineated our respective domains.
We would love the nighttimes because when we drove through the towns, there were all these brightly lit signs for drive-in movies. We would usually stop for gasoline and have lunch in some greasy spoon. It seemed like each restaurant booth had a box on the wall that would beckon one to play five songs for a quarter from the jukebox.
As an Army officer myself in the 60's and 70's, I traveled Route 66 with my own family. The thrill was still there up until the 70's when it became more expedient to use the interstates.
These aforementioned books continue to bring back very fond memories.
It is readily discernable that the author spent numerous hours researching his information for each of his photos. Where possible, it appears that he shot the modern versions of the subjects from the same angle as that shown in the archival photos.
I hope there will be a volume III and volume IV.

Interesting book, room for improvement.......2007-05-19

First I have to admit being a bit envious of anyone who hast the time and lifestyle that lets them drive around seeking out these old ruins. I bought this book because I already had the other volume and enjoyed it. I think it would be improved if the 'now' photos were really sized and shot to compare more readily with the 'then' photos; some of them are hard to visualize that it's the same place due to changes in perspective between the photos. Also I would really like to see a few interior shots of the ones which are still standing, abandoned or not, vs. possibly anything available of what was taken long ago if any such pictures exist. I did enjoy the book however; there are lesser efforts out there.

Great book to compare what Rt 66 was to what it is today........2007-04-12

Basically my subject line says it all. This is a unique book on Rt.66 in which it pretty much gets down to details on the buisness establishments and attractions that exist(s)(ed)on the entire run of Rt.66.

The author compares each structure (or attraction) and shows a picture of what it looked like in it's heyday, and what it looks like now.

What is amazing is how many business's have not changed much or have been restored when the comparison is given.

The book is very well laid out and is hardcover, so it could be a nice reference book or even a coffee table book that could be put out to stir up conversations.

This book is NOT a guide on how to get to certain attractions on Rt. 66. Nor does it explain the full history pf the road.

If you are planning a Rt. 66 road trip, you can use this book to find out what you want to see, but then I recommened getting "Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Updated and Expanded Third Edition" by Drew Knowles.

If you want to read up more on the history of Rt. 66, then I would recommend "Route 66: The Mother Road" by legendary Rt 66 historian, Michael Wallis.

Between these three books, one could easily plan a trip on Rt. 66 and be very well informed of its past as well as current history.

NOTE: The only reason why I gave this book 4 and not 5 stars is that not all of the Rt.66 attractions are covered. In fact quite a few of the more well known attractions are not in this book. However, this book is a second volume and there is obviously a volume 1.

Average customer rating: The Depressed Wayfarer On Target . . . A Biography Worthy of Its Subject

A Pilgrim in the Ruins: A Life of Walker Percy Jay Tolson Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers Similar Items: Walker Percy: A Life The Correspondence of Shelby Foote & Walker Percy Signposts in a Strange Land: Essays Conversations With Walker Percy (Literary Conversations Series) Love in the Ruins: A Novel ASIN: 0671657070

Amazon.com

This extremely well written biography offers many of the satisfactions of a good novel: strong themes, sensitive appreciation of character, and a compelling protagonist. The author of The Moviegoer and Lancelot, Walker Percy, seems always to have been a solitary wayfarer, despite an enduring marriage and close friendships, including a lifelong one with novelist and Civil War historian Shelby Foote. In Jay Tolson's assessment, the weight of his father's and grandfather's suicides bore heavily on Percy, whose desire to escape his deadly family legacy undoubtedly had a bearing on his choice of the Catholic faith at age 31.

Customer Reviews:

The Depressed Wayfarer.......2005-08-26

Years ago I immersed myself in the world of Percy: the fiction and nonfiction, the two books of conversations, the literary criticism, the correspondence with Shelby Foote, the biography by Patrick Samway, John Kennedy Toole's Confederacy of Dunces, and even some Kierkegaard. I became a disciple. Years later, after some living and re-evaluating, I realized that Percy had taken some wrong turns. What nagged me most was Percy's ambivalence if not hostility toward psychiatry, especially considering the large role suicide and depression played in his life and work.

His only direct experience with psychiatry came in the late 1930s, while in medical school, when he underwent Freudian psychoanalysis. This was a purely behavioral and cognitive approach in which self-awareness was intended to help the patient overcome his problems through force of will. Mind over matter, in other words. After three years he concluded that it had failed to cure what ailed him. During recuperation from TB, when he read various works of philosophy, religion, and fiction, he discovered his vocation as a writer and began to develop the core and motive force of his life's work: the search for meaning against the forces of "malaise." The physician became a metaphysician. He applied his diagnostic skills to his fiction and nonfiction, attempting to diagnose and treat mankind. He transformed his own predicament, which he often labelled melancholy or laziness, to mankind's predicament. At one point he even suggested that depression was the natural condition of man. I saw no evidence that he ever located its proper definition: a persistent illness caused by abnormal brain chemistry, not by external events, weak will, or insufficient faith.

Over the years Freudian analysis was superseded by other methods, such as the combination of cognitive therapy with psychotropic medication. But Percy distanced himself from these advances. He created a false dichotomy between "science" and religion -- either man was a biological being or a spiritual one, never both -- and set up psychiatry as a straw man. Psychopharmacology appeared only in his last novel, The Thanatos Syndrome, where it was lampooned as a tool of evil scientists. There were additional obstacles: old southern and Roman codes of honor and stoicism, conflicts with his metaphysical search, and the fact that he was treating his depression on his own with alcohol, reading and writing. Although he admitted often that his search had yielded no answers, he did not feel compelled to seek psychiatry again. He never received the medication that might have turned his life around. This is the great tragedy of his life.

But that is my view. Tolson doesn't explore the medical definition of depression, but he does examine the role depression played throughout Percy's life and work. Where Patrick Samway took a fairly objective approach, often getting bogged down in detail, Tolson is more inclined to interpret, probe, and analyze. He does a particularly good job at exploring the novels and their autobiographical influences. His approach is more literary, yielding greater insight and providing a richer reading experience. Readers might also want to take a look at The House of Percy by Bertram Wyatt-Brown.

On Target . . ........2003-02-20

Percy was never terribly anxious to talk about himself, so it was a joy to read Tolson's well-researched account after devouring all of Percy's books. Where Percy has left only hints, Tolson delves more deeply to uncover Percy's troubled childhood which was redeemed in his teenage years by his Uncle Will, author of Lanterns on the Levee. If you read Walker Percy, you undoubtedly find you want to know more and more about the enigmatic genius. Tolson's biography of him fills in a lot of gaps.

A Biography Worthy of Its Subject.......1999-05-27

This book is one of the finest I have ever read. I don't say that lightly; I have read my share of books and devoured anything written by or about Percy.

Tolson is worthy of the novelist whose life he portrays. He writes beautifully and takes the reader through the many periods of Percy's life. The biography is particulalry strong with the formative influences that shaped the novelist's life and world view-- the suicides, the depressions, both the "Old" and "New" South, his Uncle Will, Shelby Foote, modern America, religion, race, etc.

The book impacted me more than any other I have read, and I would not be the same person today without it. There can be no finer praise for a work; 5 stars seems so insufficient.

How fortunate we are Percy had Tolson as a biographer.

Average customer rating: Chock full of goodness An important work

Hudson Valley Ruins: Forgotten Landmarks of an American Landscape Thomas Rinaldi , and Robert J. Yasinsac Manufacturer: University Press of New England ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books New York | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books Mid-Atlantic | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Ghostly Ruins: America's Forgotten Architecture Phantoms of the Hudson Valley: The Glorious Estates of a Lost Era American Ruins Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom ASIN: 1584655984

Book Description

Countless books have been published on the historical sites of the Hudson River Valley. But these books have focused over and over again on the best-known, best-preserved places. Every bit as valuable are dozens of other historical sites that haven't fared as well. Many of these buildings are listed on the National Register of Historical Places, and a few are even National Historical Landmarks. But in spite of their significance, these structures have been allowed to decay, and in some cases, to disappear altogether.

In an effort to raise awareness of their plight, Hudson Valley Ruins offers the reader a long-overdue glimpse at some of the region's forgotten cultural treasures. In addition to great river estates, the book profiles sites more meaningful to everyday life in the Valley: churches and hotels, commercial and civic buildings, mills and train stations. Included are works by some of the most important names in American architectural history, such as Alexander Jackson Davis and Calvert Vaux.

The book is divided into four parts that correspond to the upper, middle, maritime, and lower sections of the Hudson River Valley. Sites have been selected for their general historical and architectural significance, their relationship to important themes in the region's history, their physical condition or "rustic" character, and their ability to demonstrate a particular threat still faced by historical buildings in the region. The Dutch Reformed Church at Newburgh tells the story of the Valley's oldest religious group; the Luckey Platt department store in Poughkeepsie was for decades the "Leading Store of the Hudson Valley"; and the ruins of the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring are all that remain of what was once one of the river's most important industries. Taken together, these places present a broad picture of the region's past that is relevant to its present and future.

This book was published with the generous support of Furthermore, a program of the
J. M. Kaplan Fund.

Customer Reviews:

Chock full of goodness.......2007-08-29

This book is chock full of information about abandonded places(obviously within the Hudson Valley Region). I honestly wish there were some more detailed photographs of some of these places, but i imagine i might be able to find them on the internet somewhere.Dont get me wrtong There are alot of photographs of the locations and places, and a color plate section in the center but they are like brief narriations of places that could be shown in so much more detail. I can honestly recommend this book to anyone interested in urban decay, preservation of old places, or interested in those abandonded places from times past. Urban Explorers might also find this book of some use as well.

An important work.......2006-09-12

This book is well-researched and well-written. A must-have piece of work for anyone interested in or involved in preservation.

Average customer rating: Photos from the 1906 Fire (Earthquake) of San Francisco An important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes

After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006: Rephotographing the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Philip L. Fradkin , and Rebecca Solnit Manufacturer: University of California Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | United States | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books West | United States | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books California | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | California | States | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Earthquake Days: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire in 3-D Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself Yosemite in Time: Ice Ages, Tree Clocks, Ghost Rivers San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires ASIN: 0520245563

Book Description

How exactly has San Francisco's urban landscape changed in the hundred years since the earthquake and cataclysmic firestorms that destroyed three-quarters of the city in 1906? For this provocative rephotography project, bringing past and present into dynamic juxtaposition, renowned photographer Mark Klett has gone to the same locations pictured in forty-five compelling historic photographs taken in the days following the 1906 earthquake and fires and precisely duplicated each photograph's vantage point. The result is an elegant and powerful comparison that challenges our preconceptions about time, history, and culture. "I think the pictures ask us to become aware of the extraordinary qualities of our own distinct moment in time. But it is a realization that a particular future is not guaranteed by the flow of time in any given direction." So says Mark Klett discussing this multilayered project in an illuminating interview included in this lavishly produced volume, which accompanies an exhibition at The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006 features a vivid essay by noted environmental historian Philip Fradkin on the events surrounding and following the 1906 earthquake, which he describes as "the equivalent of an intensive, three-day bombing raid, complete with many tons of dynamite that acted as incendiary devices." A lyrical essay by acclaimed writer Rebecca Solnit considers the meaning of ruins, resurrection, and the evolving geography and history of San Francisco.
Copub: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Customer Reviews:

Photos from the 1906 Fire (Earthquake) of San Francisco.......2007-06-26

I received this book along with another one called: "Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco",by Gladys Hansen.

Both books are wonderful to read together because the book by Hansen describes what happened during and after the 1906 Fire (and/or 1906 Earthquake), and this book by Fradkin shows more photos from the tragic event. Thus, I recommend both books highly.

An important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes.......2006-08-19

AFTER THE RUINS: 1906 AND 2006 - REPHOTOGRAPHING THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE has been a century in the making, and deserves a spot on any collection purported to be even halfway authoritative about San Francisco or California history. Its purpose seemed simple: to capture the meaning and impact of the 1906 quake through juxtaposing 'before' and 'after' photos, right down to the very angle of original landscapes. The idea was to also document how the city's landscape changed because of and since the quake: black and white and duotone photos by photographer Karin Breuer compliment essays by Philip L. Fradkin and Rebecca Solnit, longtime writers on California history, compliment an outstanding survey. College-level holdings on urban planning and design also should make this a special pick: it's an important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating: Interesting and informative Stellar Work on Nixon and Watergate Well balanced with the focus on Watergate A Nixon Finale Watergate happened in a democracy!

Nixon: Ruin and Recovery, 1973-1990 Stephen Ambrose Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Nixon, Richard | ( N ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books 1945 - Present | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books 1970s | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Nixon: The Triumph of a Politician, 1962-1972 (Ambrose, Stephen E//Nixon) Nixon: The Education of a Politician 1913-1962` Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1908-1960 Volume 1 (Lone Star Rising) Eisenhower The President Flawed Giant: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1960-1973 ASIN: 0671691880

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and informative.......2005-04-01

For a guy that didn't grow up during Watergate, I found the third volume in this series to be a real page turner. Ambrose does a good job of telling you what happened, why it happened, how the public saw it and all the ways Nixon tried to keep the public from seeing it all.

Ruin and Recovery is a great subtitle for this volume because Nixon truly did recover. There were a few things he never lost... his ability to guage the American people and how they felt about candidates and the ability to breakdown foreign affairs. It was good to see that in the final years of his life he was called on as an expert on both.

I'm going to say it..."I ADMIRE RICHARD NIXON." Obviously I don't admire his Presidency or his decision-making during Watergate... but... for the most part I feel he was an idealistic, patriotic person that took a bad path and ruined his place in history at least when it comes to his Presidency. He did many things that Americans should respect though and it's high time we did.

I am glad he has made a recovery in the minds of many Americans and as I read this final volume I think I saw Ambrose almost making a case for Nixon being a kinder, gentler person who should be slightly more respected in American history.

Everybody makes mistakes and true Nixon made a big one, but I think in this final volume Ambrose almost makes a personal peace with Nixon and in a way advises Americans who resented Nixon to do the same.

Really an enjoyable series of books that I would recommend to anyone willing to spend 1900 words delving into what made Nixon both good and bad as a person and politican.

Stellar Work on Nixon and Watergate.......2004-08-16

To fully understand Nixon, I highly recommend first reading volumes 1 and 2 of Ambrose's work. If, however, you are more interested in the Watergate affair, this volume certainly stands on its own.

This is the final part of Ambrose's definitive three-volume biography of Nixon. The destructive tendencies wonderfully described by Ambrose in the first two volumes come to a head in Ruin & Recovery. Ambrose takes the reader through the unfolding of the mess that was Watergate.

Even though we all know the ultimate outcome will be resignation, the author manages to maintain enough tension and suspense to keep the reader engrossed. In the wake of resignation, Ambrose follows Nixon's remarkable comeback as an elder statesman.

If an affordable copy is not currently available, be patient. Because this book is out of print, it will be more expensive than you might expect, but you can find it for $20 to $30 if you look around.

Well balanced with the focus on Watergate.......2002-08-31

This third volume of the Nixon series is dominated by the Watergate scandal, with Ambrose skilfully detailing how the great election victory in 1972 slowly unravelled, as the full weight of the media and Democrat-controlled Congress worked to expose the whole tawdry episode. During this era, there was also the bombing of Hanoi followed by the Vietnam ceasefire, and summits with the Soviet leadership, but Watergate overshadowed all. Ambrose makes it clear that Nixon reinvented the story over and over, and bears a large burden of blame for the predicament he found himself in. He also makes clear that this was the opportunity for Nixon's arch enemies in the media and Congress to go for blood. The descent into the nightmare of possible impeachment and eventual resignation reads like an inevitablity, that Nixon lasted till August 1974 said a lot about his tenacity and stubborness in the face of relentless adversity.

The recovery of Nixon was never fully realized, although he was an authoritative elder statesman in later years, and Ambrose shows that Nixon had regained a fair amount of respect in his later years. Since his death the left has continued to disparage and villify his legacy, but as hard as it is to defend Nixon at times, he was still a statesman to be reckoned with, and his foreign policy record, especially with his China trip, is one of distinction. The eastern establishment despised Nixon, but he did not cater to them, it was the silent majority that was his constituency. One finishes this book wondering where America would have gone had the Watergate scandal not occurred.

A Nixon Finale.......2002-05-05

I enjoyed this concluding part of Stephen Ambrose's three-volume biography of Richard Nixon. This could have been the most difficult of the volumes to write - as the author needed to write in a way which maintained the reader's interest through the often tortuous intricacies of Watergate. I thought that the dangers (or challenges) were twofold: a reader's familiarity with the issues behind and history of Watergate could produce boredom, or the sheer complexity of the affair could bewilder the less well-informed reader.

I sat somewhere in the middle - I knew the broad issues (having read Woodward and Bernstein, and seen various TV documentaries) but being a non-American, my grasp of the relative roles and importance of the various US institutions involved and the politico-constitutional nuances was to say the least, tenuous. I think that Ambrose succeeded in both keeping my attention and guiding me through the whole affair: the book read at times like a political thriller, but with passages which guided me through the more complex issues. Whether or not this would bore politically aware Americans is not for me to judge.

The vast majority of this book is (rightly) devoted to Watergate. I thought that Ambrose made a good point, and one which is perhaps forgotten as the collective memory of the 1970s fades, that Watergate became such a tremendously irritating bore - people wanted rid of it because it was just so tedious, seeming to have been dominating the news forever, and producing a sclerosis in the body politic when major events of world importance needed to be addressed. Again, not being an American, I can't attest to the accuracy of Ambrose's point, but it seems to me to ring true.

The remainder of the book deals with Nixon's post-resignation reconstruction of himself, and one has to admire Nixon's sheer tenacity and willpower. At the end, Ambrose attemps an assessment of the man and his impact on America and the world. It's up the each reader to take his/her own view on that assessment, but in this cynical world when our trust in politicians seems to be ebbing ever further away, I thought that it's tempting to agree with Ambrose that Nixon's tragedy was that he got caught.

Watergate happened in a democracy!.......2002-03-26

Stephen Ambroses third Nixon Volume : "Ruin And
Recovery" takes on into the heart and soul
of democracy.
Cynics accustomed to political scandal might
be bemused by Watergate. What was all the
hullabaloo really all about?

Ambrose puts it something like this in the book:
To the british, with their official Secrets Act, nothing
that Nixon had done seemed that out of the ordinary,
much less illegal. The Italians simply threw up their hands
at the crazy Americans. To the French. Watergate
confirmed their suspicions about the naive Americans.
In west Germany, the frequent comparison of Nixon
to Hitler by his enemies in America showed either
how little the Americans understood Hitler,
or how little they understood Nixon, or both.
Nixons friends in China, could not understand
why he just didn't shoot his critics.

But in a democracy you must play by the law,
and you must trust and have faith in the wisdom
of the election process.
Watergate was all about how these things were
violated and how american democracy proved strong
enough to recover.
Ruin and Recovery reads like a detective story,
absolutely undeniable brilliant stuff.
Average customer rating:

• Looks good to me--listen up hysterical "yankee cum immigrants"
• Great Personal History
• Excellent
• It's a Grabber!

Surviving the Confederacy: Rebellion, Ruin, and Recovery--Roger and Sara Pryor During the Civil War
John C. Waugh
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Confederacy | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

1. On the Brink of Civil War: The Compromise of 1850 and How It Changed the Course of American History (The American Crisis Series, No. 13)
2. The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan, and Their Br others
3. American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies
4. The Plantation Mistress
5. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War

ASIN: 0151003890

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Looks good to me--listen up hysterical "yankee cum immigrants".......2005-09-24

Being a 1933 vintage southern guy (with 1890 vintage parents), it never occurred to me to either trace my "roots" or read much about the Civil War a/k/a War between the States, War of Northern Aggression, Slavery Revolution, etc. Of course, us Southerners receive a lot of Civil War history, cultural idiosyncrasies, ghost stories, etc. by osmosis, and we even believe some of it.
Guess the Waugh title attracted me since the Reconstruction period has some interest for me, and I really haven't seen a good book concentrating on that era -- neither does this one (maybe Amazon can be helpful in that regard?).
Anyhow, SURVIVING THE CONFEDERACY is an outstanding book and compares favorably with one of my favorite authors -- that Ol' deceased liberal, James Michener, who seems to do a better job of history with his "novels" that most of the current crop of "historians" accomplish with what they call the real thing. Of course, Clarence B. Carson, Ph.D., a deceased southern historian, does a very credible job in his six volume, A BASIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES (but even it is a little light on the Reconstruction period). Waugh's book is for you if you believe history should be used to correct behavior looking forward and not settle old scores of the past, a la "civil rights war lords" and of course the real thing in Africa, the Middle East, etc.
This book does exactly what the dust cover and introduction say and much more. It is a vicarious journey back to those days in time with characters even more interesting than the Michener composites used in his novels and is loaded with lessons for the future.
Neither the reviews by the "professionals" nor the few "five star" readers do the book justice and one hopes it found an audience in other places. The book would be most helpful to the numerous transplants (many 20th century immigrants to this country, including some babbling baby Bolsheviks) currently invading the South to enjoy the heat, hurricanes and southern "culture" with us.

Great Personal History.......2003-02-25

An excellent book in not only the telling of Civil War history, but of immersing oneself in the characters of Roger and Sara Pryor. Their hardships and sufferings were shared by a generation during those calamitous years and the way they bore them was truly inspiring. Their faith in God always guided them in their duties and responsibilities to each other and their fellow man. Their self-denial, especially Sara's, struck me deeply. This is a remarkable lesson in the contrasting of cultures of how people of high moral fiber lived then to how we live now.

Excellent.......2002-09-23

I usually read fiction. I read this book on a recommendation and loved it. It reads like a novel, but is all the more touching because it is true. he Pryors must have been remarkable people.

It's a Grabber!.......2002-09-03

I buy a lot of books. It's my addiction. Only difference between a book addiction and drinking is I still have the book with me the next morning and no headache despite lapping up the intoxicating verbiage all night.

Most Civil War books I read are pedestrian, fulfilling a utilitarian need, but oh sometimes, I stumble on a page turner where the writing is so extraordinary it breathes life and color into even small and inconsequential events. Though I resisted it for several years, "Class of 1846" by John Waugh turned out to be a page turner and I adored his Re-electing Lincoln as well.

This week I discovered "Surviving the Confederacy" Waugh's new book. Sara and Roger Pryor are the heart of the book, which celebrates the vigor and vinegar of southerners as war promised better things and then failed to bring them the promised tomorrow. The Pryors were the quintessential, noble, charming and eloquent southerners, perfect examples of Virginia's gracious and cultured society. Roger was an author, lawyer, general and ardent secessionist while Sara was his devoted helpmate. Just as it should be! But not quite. The beautiful Sara was different from the ordinary belle. She was a well educated and independent woman with a talent for writing and definitely a survivor. Sara managed to navigate the horror of war and come out a survivor.

I was already familiar with Sara Pryor's writing and was thrilled to find a book in which she was the focal point. Sara's book "My Day: Reminiscences of a Long Life" has always been one of my favorites. Her plaintive memory of the long siege at Petersburg was filled with the immediacy of the moment and yet carried a tiny seed of optimism void of recriminations, "With all our starvation we never ate rats, mice, or mule meat. We managed to exist on peas, bread, and sorghum. We could buy a little milk, and we mixed it with a drink made from roasted and ground corn. The latter, in the grain, was scarce. Mr. Campbell's children picked up the grains wherever the army horses were fed, washed, dried, and pounded them for food."

Surviving the Confederacy is definitely a grabber. Waugh's writing style and perfect pacing, which captured my imagination in his two previous books is just as riveting and vivid in Surviving the Confederacy. "Sara's general impression of her growing-up years was of gardens . . . For Sara it was as if fairies, mounted on butterflies, visited each flower and painted it in the night. She was a dreamer. It was a time when living rooms were called parlors, and when the grown-ups gathered there and talked of politics or religion or slavery. At such times Sara retired into the inner chambers of her imagination." [pg 15]. How can you resist?

Average customer rating: Not impressed it went downhill fast (3.5 stars) Liked the book, if not necessarily the narrator Life is .... Elayna is a pathetic, weak, despicable person

Sweet Ruin: A Novel Cathi Hanauer Manufacturer: Atria ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books Similar Items: The Love Season You're Not You: A Novel London Is the Best City in America My Sister's Bones Nantucket Nights: A Novel ASIN: 0743277341

Book Description

Thirty-five-year-old Elayna Leopold lives with her young family in suburban New Jersey. Working from home so that she can raise her six-year-old daughter, Hazel, while her husband, Paul, puts in long hours as a corporate lawyer, Elayna is typical of women who spend their twenties chasing dreams in the city only to spend their thirties chasing children in the suburbs. Yet no one knows better than she that life can change in an instant. Two years ago her infant son died, sending her into a deep depression from which she is just emerging. Awakening now to the idea that she can want more than simply to get through the day, Elayna finds herself suddenly -- thrillingly -- craving life's passions again. When she meets Kevin, a young artist with whom she begins to spend more and more time during Paul's absences, Elayna discovers a version of herself she thought was gone forever. As she uncovers yearnings that could destroy everything she cherishes, a threat to Hazel emerges from an unlikely source, making Elayna's choices and decisions that much more critical.

Customer Reviews:

Not impressed.......2007-09-25

This novel is supposedly about a married suburban housewife (named Elayna) who is trying to move on with her life after the loss of a child. She has an affair with the "neighbor boy" (the author's words) while her lawyer husband works to free an accused murderer from death row. She has a three or four year old daughter she cares for while editing from home.
The problem with this book is that even with a potentially interesting plot, the book spends the majority of its time describing the tease leading up to to Elayna's affair. There is little exploration of the aftermath of the death of the lost child, or even why she has the affair. Painting the husband as a workaholic and saying repeatedly that the "neighbor boy" wears tight t-shirts and has piercing green eyes isn't enough of a reason in my book to cheat on your husband. The author doesn't even link the death of her child with the affair (except that the "neighbor boy" happens to be young and male--are we supposed to extrapolate from this that Elayna sleeping with him is somehow reconnecting with her lost son? If so, yuck) Basically we are forced to focus on Elayna's insipid waffling over whether or not to sleep with the "neighbor boy", while ignoring the elements that could have made this a great story: the loss of a child, the fact that Elayna's own father may be doing something inappropriate with her surviving daughter.
Seems that the author included the deceased child and inappropriate Grandpa insinuations to justify why this married woman slept with a college kid who lives across the street. I have no problem with stories about adultery, but I hate when authors transparently try to make readers feel that the main character is justified in doing it because of tragedies in their lives. I'm sure in some cases they are, but I'd like to hear more about the tragedy itself and how they dealt with the fallout, then you can tell me about the resulting affairs and whatever else.
Also, other reveiwers seem to like the author's "flowing prose"; I just found it silly and unnecessary in some sections. Describing the moon as a "milky orb" acutally made me laugh out loud.

it went downhill fast.......2007-08-10

I really liked this book in the beginning but as it progressed, it become so unbelievable! Why does her husband not own a cell phone as a lawyer in the present day and why does she not try harder to find/call him when he is missing for days with their child? There are other things at the end of the book that are very hard to swallow as well but it would give away too much of the story to detail them. I was disappointed because the story was good until it hit a point towards the end where it went downhill and really lost me.

(3.5 stars) Liked the book, if not necessarily the narrator.......2007-08-03

Elayna Leopold's story is a typical one in many ways: She's a suburban housewife with a young daughter, a workaholic husband, and an attraction to the adorable (and much younger) boy across the street. What we soon learn about Elayna, though, is that she's suffered two great losses in her life: the first, when she was a child, a loss of innocence after an episode with her parents; the second, much more recently, a loss of innocence of a very different kind: the death of her infant son, Oliver. When we meet Elayna, Oliver has been gone for a year, and she's slowly reaching the acceptance stage of her grief. Helping her through the grieving process are her six-year-old daughter Hazel and best friend and college roommate Celeste. (Her husband, Paul, is a lawyer who's working around the clock on a death row case, and he's rarely home.) But it is Kevin, the artist across the street with the Weimaraner who poops in her yard, who will be both Elayna's salvation and her downfall as she hurtles toward something she can't take back.

Author Cathi Hanauer has a true gift. SWEET RUIN is a beautifully written novel, with particularly stunning descriptions of the seasons (which serve as a larger framework for the novel). Hanauer has a keen eye for detail and a good ear for dialogue. Her observations and insights on suburban life are spot-on and subtly sarcastic, which amused me.

However, I found many of the characters to be lacking, both in substance and believability. Elayna herself comes across as shallow and self-indulgent. I really wanted to have sympathy for her, but Hanauer never really offers us the opportunity to mourn Oliver's loss along with Elayna. Instead, we are treated to Elayna's seemingly endless interior monologue, most of it regarding Kevin. Kevin himself is never really fleshed-out, and I struggled to see Elayna's attraction to him. The character of Pansy, Hazel's daycare teacher, was a little bit too wacky for me; I just didn't "get" her. And the situation with Elayna's father was just creepy and could have been left out of the novel entirely.

What really saved the novel, for me, was Hazel. I saw her as an endearing, bright character in a novel of hollow ones. She lends a sense of innocence to the plot, and Hanauer really succeeds in conveying her expressions, dialogue, and utter child-ness. Hazel is the kind of child I want to have; Hanauer portrays her beautifully.

I really wanted to love this novel; as I mentioned, the writing is beautiful. I plan on picking up Hanauer's first novel from the library; I think she's an author I'll like reading. I just hope, in her next novel, she explores less stereotypical territory.

Life is ...........2007-07-27

complicated, never as black and white as we wish. A great vacation book. Both likeable and entertaining.

Elayna is a pathetic, weak, despicable person.......2007-03-25

Yes, she has a lot going on and yes her husband buried himself in work and yes her neighbor is attractive...but there is ABSOLUTELY no justification for having a fling. She is a weak and pathetic wife. Why wouldn't she simply talk to her husband and say "Honey, I am feeling really lonely because of how much you are working. I love you and I miss your company, and I'm starting to feel distant?" That is what any normal, mature adult would do.

An artice of Cathi's that I just read in Tango about dating proves that she is an immature adult, stuck in the 10th grade. She actually advised a girl who has been dating the same guy for 10 years and who is still crazy about that guy to try and "see other people" before they get married so she won't regret anything.

Morons like Cathi Hanauer make having a normal, stable, loving relationship and drama-free dating experience IMPOSSIBLE. SHe needs to die.

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1. The Seventeen Traditions
2. The Story of Ernie Pyle.
3. The Sunlight Print Kit: Materials, Techniques, and Projects for Homemade Photography
4. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
5. There's a Nightmare in My Closet (Pied Piper Book)
6. Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails
7. Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor
8. Whiskey River (Take My Mind): The True Story of Texas Honky-Tonk
9. Who Built America?: Volume Two: From 1877 to Present (Who Built America)
10. You Want Me to do What? An Illustrated Book on the Joys of Fellatio: Explicit Techniques

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