Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Amazon.com

John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame.

Book Description

Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981.  Was it murder or self-defense?  For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares.  John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction.  Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.

It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight.  These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

Customer Reviews:

oustanding read.......2007-09-21

This was a very well written and funny historical book. Inspired my recent trip to Savannah Georiga, to actualy visit some of the places described in the book.

Hello Savannah!.......2007-09-18

One of my favorite books. I am one of the few that actually liked the movie as well as the book. The book goes into great detail much more then the movie. The characters are so crazy I actually considered moving to Savannah...seriouly! An excellent read, highly recommended!

Nothing special.......2007-09-03

First, the characters are somewhat interesting in the way that many alcoholic, affluent types are, but the storyline never weaves them together in a way that makes the book itself intersting. Second, the author is trying to strike a balance between 1. historic integrity and theme, 2. his first account experiences, and 3. what might make for an interesting read. I think he relies heavily on his first account experinces at the expense of history and an interesting story. My real motivation for finishing the book was to see if I knew any of the characters - I grew up not far from Savannah.

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

Truth is stranger than fiction.

The bizarre cast of characters in Savannah, Geporgia, or thereabouts has to be seen to be believed. This is probably why it makes a decent book, as any novelist would have been happy to come up with stuff as whacky as guys walking invisible dogs, and other oddities, as well as having an interesting murder mystery in the middle of it.

Plenty of Evil, but "Good?".......2007-09-03

So, having survived my 10 and 11 year old daughters' recent Girl Scvout trip to Savannah for the pilgrimage to visit the Juliette Low birthplace, the troop leader(one of my best friends)and I decided to revisit the book we read a few years ago for our book group. I didn't really like it much the first time. I enjoy nonfiction, but I've come to since learn this book isn't all "non fiction" anyway. Lots of artistic license taken here!

Savannah is a beautiful old city, very historic and charming. I usually first think of Ellen O'Hara when I think of Savannah, being a big GWTW fan. BUt while on my first trip to Savannah, the Mercer name and Jim Williams' name as well is mentioned over and over on various tours of the city and local cemetaries. You can't help but be reminded of the book, especially if you've read it before your visit. It had been a few years though, so not all the locations/squares of the various famous homes mentioned in the book were very fresh in my mind.

The book itself is a montage of "Life in Savannah." Jim Williams, the "Lady" Chablis, Danny Hansford, Lee Adler, Minerva, Jim Odom and Mandy, Luther Driggers and Serrena Dawes, The Married Ladies' Club and Sonny Seiler are interesting enough characters. My problem with the whole story was really that I didn't like or feel any sympathy with any of these characters. Except maybe Uga. I'm partial to English Bulldogs. But really, there was no plot, except for the killing of Hansford and the subsequent trials of Jim Williams. I found little to laugh at concerning Chablis; in fact I was not a little repulsed by her behavior. I can handle a drag queen, but so ill mannered and ill behaved! I wouldn't want to be aquainted with anyone like that! I didn't really like John Berendt's "character" either. I guess the voyeuristic tone was supposed to be engaging, but I really had a difficult time getting through this book for a second time without falling asleep.

Every city has its characters and intrigues, even small historical ones, like Savannah. If you go, visit Bonaventure Cemetary--it truly is a beautiful and haunting place. Forget about Williams and Hansford and the "Lady" Chablis, though. Don't let their spirits ruin your visit to a lovely historical city. The intrigues that went on in the founding and growth of the city (i.e. the ban on liquor, lawyers and Catholics, the pirates, the Gordon and Low families, literary greats Flannery O'Conner and Conrad Aiken, [who did get cursory mention in the book] the Civil War history as the gift the city became to save itself, etc.) are much more interesting than the Peyton Place soap opera presented in this rather sullying book. Not bad writing, but a little dull, if you ask me. I just wasn't all that interested in these folks and their problems. They seemed to be dedicated to creating them.

Average customer rating:

Midnight in Death
Disgusted
A Great Addition to the Series
Midnight in Death
Midnight in Death

Midnight in Death (In Death)
J.D. Robb
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425208818

Book Description

The number-one New York Times bestselling In Death series explodes with intrigue, passion, and suspense. Now, Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb propels you into the darkest night of Lieutenant Eve Dallas's life-when a killer comes to call.

Eve's name has a made a Christmas list, but it's not for being naughty or nice. It's for putting a serial killer behind bars. Now the escaped madman has her in his sights. With her husband Roarke at her side, Eve must stop the man from exacting his bloody vengeance-or die trying.

Customer Reviews:

Midnight in Death.......2007-09-21

Another typical J D Robb. Story is fast-paced and a little predictable. All in all a quick, pleasant read.

Disgusted.......2007-08-26

My mistake, never occured to me that a paperback novel wouldn't be a full novel --- didn't notice the number of pages listed. This is a rip-off.
Paid more for the postage than I did for the stupid book. I'm not about to spend any more money on postage, I'll eat the book. Just cancel any connection I might have with you. CANCEL ANY FURTHER E-MAILS TO ME --
REMOVE MY NAME FROM YOUR RECORDS. MARNA COWAN

A Great Addition to the Series.......2007-08-09

Again Nora Roberts has created a thrilling story that is all neatly placed into this short story. I took it with me to the beach and read all 90 plus pages and just enjoyed every minute of it as I took in a bit of sunshine. Roarke and Eve kept the pages burning and I thought the story moved along at a fast pace and it was very entertaining. Midnight in Death is a great addition to the series.

Midnight in Death.......2007-07-20

I enjoy Nora Roberts but more so the J.D. Robb series. Full of action, emotion, and the punch line comes at the end. Not always easy to guess what is next.

Midnight in Death.......2007-07-20

Excellent writing. J.D. Robb books are real thrillers. If you love mysteries then check out the " In death " books by her. Very difficult to put the book down once you have read a page or two.. I highly recommend these books.

Average customer rating:

dark hunter
Good read
Disappointing
Anthology books
Not the Best, but still worth a read

Midnight Pleasures
Amanda Ashley , Sherrilyn Kenyon , Ronda Thompson , and Maggie Shayne
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312987625

Book Description

Handsome and sensual, surrounded by an aura of danger, mystery, and the forbidden, a lover steps from the shadows. But is he mortal? Or is he an ancient god, a sorcerer, or a mythical beast who can possess a woman's heart....and her very soul? Four of romance's most popular authors have created this spellbinding collection of stores filled with dark passion and desire. Under the cover of darkness, their heroes inhabit worlds haunted by ageless hungers and deadly forces stronger than any seen by day....and vanquished only by the power of love. Now travel into realms where dazzling wonders roam the night, where magic replaces reason, and where a kiss unleashes a raging fire in the blood. And here, if you dare, discover the seduction that begins at the bewitching hour when a man and woman partake in....Midnight Pleasures.

Customer Reviews:

dark hunter.......2007-03-25

I thought this book was amazing, well written and it really held my attention all throught the book.

Good read.......2007-01-12

This was a good, easy read. The first story was okay, but not the best I have ever read. I really enjoyed the Kenyon story and the last one had to be my favorite by far. For some reason, I can't remember much about one of them, it must not have been that good.

I recommend this one for light reading on a rainy weekend.

Disappointing.......2007-01-07

The Amanda Ashly & Maggie Shane stories weren't that disappointing because I don't expect a lot from them. Sherilyn Kenyon;however, I usually love except when she goes for porn which she unfortunately decided to do here. Ronda Thompson's story was too short. I was annoyed that this story, like her story in "Love At First Bite" fall into the middle of her "Wild Wulfs" series. Readers of that series will forever be missing two pieces of the family history unless they happen to stumble upon the missing links in the two anthologies. Not fair to her fans. If the publisher felt neither story was complete enough for its own book, why not combine them in a seperate small book or add one to book 2 and one to book 3 of the trilogy? Curse you, St. Martin's Press!

Anthology books.......2007-01-05

Some of the stories were ok. I enjoyed Sherrilyn Kenyons story more than the others.

Not the Best, but still worth a read.......2006-10-24

I bought this for Kenyon story and I was not disappointed, what a great intro into the dream-hunters...I'm really looking forward to the first full length dreamhunter book in her darkhunter series. I really like Rhonda Thompson...I don't care what other reviewers say, if you like paranoral romance you'll love her stories. I think some reviewers are more partial to the paranormal and not the romance so maybe they don't enjoy it as much but I honestly loved the story. Amanda Ashley's was good but was missing something. I couldn't bring myself to finish the Maggie Shayne story it just didn't work for me.

Average customer rating:

LIke most drunks, in choir or not...
I love police procedurals.....
Law as the Means to an End
Finest
"The law is a swamp patrolled by alligators in wigs and gowns."

The Midnight Choir
Gene Kerrigan
Manufacturer: Europa Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1933372265

Book Description

"An absorbing, beautifully written tale."- The Times (London)

A sophisticated crime story of contemporary Ireland, The Midnight Choir teems with moral dilemmas as Dublin emerges as a city of ambiguity: a newly scrubbed face hiding a criminal culture of terrible variety. Small-time criminals have become millionaire businessmen, the poor are still struggling to survive, and the police face a world where the old rules no longer apply. "Believe me, you want The Midnight Choir with you on holiday," says The Sunday Business Post. "This is the kind of book you pass on to someone you like, and say â€~read this.'"

Customer Reviews:

LIke most drunks, in choir or not..........2007-09-24

In the end, it doen't deliver. I was disappointed enough to take the time to do my first review. Authenticity galore, and well-plotted. I read it all, and I don't do that with trash. But it did not produce the ending I felt the reader deserved, or expected. The garda/world may work like that, but I don't read police procedurals to learn what I already know or suspect.

I love police procedurals............2007-07-24

and this one is splendid. Gritty. Realistic. What twists and turns, yet Kerrigan keeps it all on the rail for a rattling good ending. Highly recommended.

Law as the Means to an End.......2007-07-22

Take Joseph Wambaugh's keen insight to life within the precinct house, combine it with Ken Bruen's lean, raw prose and that shade of noir uniquely Irish, and you'll have an idea of what to expect from Gene Kerrigan and his blockbuster second novel, "The Midnight Choir". By telling a "Hill Street Blues-like" series of seemingly unconnected events unfolding over a week in Galway and Dublin, Kerrigan weaves the threads together in a mystery uncommon in its depth - a cleverly drawn tale that relies on moral dilemma and irony as much as the action and thrills more common in a novel of this genre.

"Midnight Choir" is the story of Detective Inspector Harry Synott, a veteran Irish cop whose sense of the law and justice is somewhat ambiguous, making him an enigma on the force, hated by most, revered by others, but never completely trusted by any. Author Kerrigan eases the reader easily into a comfortable rhythm, introducing the reader to a number of the relatively petty crimes one would expect in the day of the life of any big city cop: a jumper on a Galway pub roof, a mugging with a syringe of tainted blood as the weapon, date rape, a jewelry store robbery. But the stakes are raised when of one these transgressions leads to a Dublin home containing a couple of freshly-slashed corpses, and before you can order up your second Guinness, the reader's beginning to realize that this is not your typical police thriller, and that the crafty Kerrigan is operating on a level few popular authors ever reach. Complementing the slick plotting is a set of richly drawn and believable characters - characters with flaws and vulnerabilities that bend and twist together and keep the lines blurred between the guys wearing white or black hats. This is gritty and realistic, and while not as violent as Bruen, Charlie Stella, or Duane Swierczynski, it is just as dark and ultimately more subconsciously impactful.

In short, "The Midnight Choir" is one of the most thoughtful and intelligent crime novels of the past several years. One can only hope that Kerrigan keeps writing, and that this talented new author finds an increasing audience for his fiction on this side of the Atlantic. A novel you'll not easily forget - don't miss it.

Finest.......2007-06-24

These days, practioners of 'Noir' procedurals seem to be going through the motions, whether it's Connelly or Lehane. Kerrigan is simply a more intelligent writer. This isn't a showy work, but the more you read on, the better you realize it is. It's not just the plot, that moves together and apart in ways that always surprise you and never seem forced. It's also the language, simple and direct and the city of Dublin, which seems like it's getting its first gritty close-up after decades of fondness. An absolute pleasure to stumble across, you can only hope that Kerrigan continues to produce novels of this quality.

"The law is a swamp patrolled by alligators in wigs and gowns.".......2007-06-18

Garda Detective Inspector Harry Synnott sometimes ignores the niceties of Irish law when the evidence against a felon does not meet court standards, but he abhors the violence with which his fellow Gardai sometimes beat prisoners to get information. In clear prose which often contains bits of black humor and a great deal of irony, Irish author Gene Kerrigan sets the primary story of this police procedural in Dublin, and the secondary, companion story in Galway, until they overlap.

The Galway story seems simple enough: Two Gardai save a man threatening suicide from the roof of a pub, only to discover that the man's clothes are covered in blood. He will not tell his name, and the only statement he makes is an enigmatic, "I'd never hurt a woman before." When he is identified, detectives find that his only connections with Dublin are that he once worked for a Dublin security firm, and that his sister is a Dublin resident.

In Dublin, Harry Synnott, mired in police politics, is being shunned for having testified against his fellow officers in the beating of a prisoner. Synnott and Detective Garda Rose Cheney are investigating allegations of rape and abuse brought by a young woman against the son of a wealthy businessman who has top-notch lawyers. They are also trying to get help for Dixie Peyton, a poor junkie, sometimes an informer, who has robbed a tourist couple, using a syringe as a weapon. In a third thread, Joshua Boyce, a businessman with an indeterminate business, commits a robbery in which a man dies. The Irish mob enters the picture. As the details of these cases unfold and overlap during the space of one week, one of Synnott's old cases, the "Swanson Avenue" case, casts its long shadow and eventually raises serious questions about justice, responsibility, and guilt.

Kerrigan keeps the action crisp and fast-paced, with plenty of complications to keep the reader busy. What makes this novel different from so many of this genre is that he is also outstanding at creating characters with whom the reader develops empathy--Synnot and Dixie Peyton and her son, in particular. Synnott, himself, is likable and basically good-hearted, but he is easily distracted and fails those who depend on him, including his family. His final recognition of his failings comes dramatically and brutally, and the reader is left to ponder whether he will be able to deal with his self-realization. Dark and sad in its vision of humanity, even with the bleak humor that is scattered throughout, this dramatic and tense novel questions the relationship between freedom and responsibility, between order and justice, and between principles and expediency. n Mary Whipple

Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon

Average customer rating:

My daughter loves the series
Great buy
magic treehouse books
Wonderful reading experiences
The Ninja book is scary for younger children.

Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375822666
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Book Description

This Magic Tree House set including the following titles:

Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House, No. 5)
Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House, No. 6)
Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House, No. 7)
Midnight on the Moon. (Magic Tree House, No. 8)

Customer Reviews:

My daughter loves the series.......2007-08-09

The Magic Tree House sure has the magical power to keep my daughter, a very active 7 year old, in her room for at least a few hours everyday. She just love these books! I will get the rest of the series for her very soon!

Great buy.......2007-06-27

My grandson loves this book series and was excited to get this set for his birthday.

magic treehouse books.......2007-06-04

My son checked one of these out at school. He did not put it down until he finished it and asked for more. So I gave him 3 sets. He did not like reading until he got these books. Service excellent.

Wonderful reading experiences.......2007-05-13

My grandchildren love these books. My daughter says the kids all look forward to their reading time and learn so much from these books.

The Ninja book is scary for younger children........2007-03-29

The Treehouse series is very good overall. We read 2-3 chapters a night as part of the bedtime routine for our 3 1/2 year old. The stories hold her interest and there are just enough illustrations to anxoiusly await the page to turn. Her vocabulary has also increased due to some less common words and names used as part of the stories.

A word of caution. The Ninja story is scary for younger children and the illustrations are frightening and creepy. We had to throw this book out in the trash.

Average customer rating:

Boilerplate thriller
Pure hokum
not bad- not a home run
Okay on audio, but not his finest!
Audio Version Keeps the Treadmill Running

The Midnight Club
James Patterson
Manufacturer: Vision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446606383

Book Description

"Guaranteed: you'll devour this yarn-burner in one sitting."NEW YORK DAILY NEWSJohn Stefanovich, a tough New York cop, has one mission in life--to nab Alexandre St. Germain, the most treacherous and powerful member of the Midnight Club--a secret international society whose membership is limited to an elite group of ruthless crime czars, all of whom are "respectable" businessmen. Blasted by St. Germain's shotgun, Stef is left in a wheelchair, but no less determined. With the help of a beautiful journalist and a Harlem cop, Stef is determined to crack the Midnight Club And he's up against odds that are as unknown as they are deadly....

Customer Reviews:

Boilerplate thriller.......2007-09-05

The über-bad guy who's invincible until the end. The cop bent on revenge. The rogue cop. The secret criminal society a la The Godfather on steroids. Bits and pieces of every thriller we've read are here on display. The bits and pieces fit adequately well, and the plot (the New York Cop and the Intrepid Reporter take down criminal mastermind with the help of the Feds) moves along. It's a decent airport read, but no more than that.

Pure hokum.......2006-12-29

Isn't it about time to put the paranoia sub-genre to rest? It's been done over and over. The hero just can't trust anyone. The villain is a superman with absolutely no morals. I've read most of the James Patterson novels, and he vacillates between really good and pure nonsense. This book is from the latter end.

The sadistic and perverse sex doesn't add anything to the book. Really, now, naked 12-year old girls? Torture? Rape? I'm not a prude, but I objected to all this sexual melange because it was obvious that the writer threw it in, not because it developed the plot but because it would--well, you supply the rest of that.

Patterson has given us much better books. Much, much, much better. This one is a waste of paper and reading time.

not bad- not a home run.......2006-06-15

This is my second Patterson book, and the jury is still out on him for me. It's always a little hard to be critical of someone who you know could write circles around you, but hey, that's what Monday morning quarterbacking is all about.

On the plus side the story is faced-paced, the characters well-developed and reasonable to very good dialogue, always tough for writers. The short chapters keep the action from having pacing problems. The plot is basically credible, and the actions of NYPD and FBI seem credible to me- but then Patrol Boy was as close as I ever got to law enforcement.

The down side for me was probably the characters. Even though they were well developed, I didn't find them terribly likeable, and by the end didn't much care what happened to them. This may be pure crankiness on my part, but I don't think so.

The plot, without giving too much away, is as follows: The protagonist, or hero even, is a youngish (to me) NYPD Lieutenant who tangles with a sophisticated underworld personified by a man they call The Grave Dancer. He is an anti-James Bond, at once cosmopolitan and violent, and frankly seemed to overmatch the Pennsylvania farm boy turned cop (I forget his name, and I finished it yesterday-it's that kind of book) who is out hero.

There is a bit of family tragedy, to say the least, and- now I remember his name- Stef- is bent on revenge against the Grave Dancer. Along the way he teams up with a female writer who seems to be given Carte Blanc by NYPD, kind of made an honorary police chief or something- going on stakeouts and even taking over watches. This I find a little tough to swallow, but the book was written in '89, and she was good looking, so allowances could've been made.

The final ending was not bad- and even good books don't always end well, so it's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. It definitely was not a page turner for me, but again, the short chapters kept it from stalling. Recommend if you like his other books or police action.

Okay on audio, but not his finest!.......2006-03-17

This is a bit too convoluted with characters to hold interest and some of the characters aren't developed as well as they are in most of Patterson's books. I've read many of the non-Alex Cross books and found them as wonderful as all the others, including the Murder Club series...but this one just wasn't my favorite. I found myself hurrying through it without fully listening just so I could move on to another book. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, still better than a lot of mystery authors' works, but just not the full greatness of James Patterson!

Audio Version Keeps the Treadmill Running.......2006-02-16

I don't usually care for James Patterson's non-Alex Cross books, so I was a little wary of this, one of his earlier books. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the story, which kept me on the edge of the treadmill, so to speak. The main character, John Stefanovitch (Stef), is a good, strong, believable character who rebounds from a brutal attack that leaves him in a wheelchair to take down St. Germain (the Grave Dancer) who organized the ambush in which Stef was injured and who killed Stef's wife.

We catch up with Stef two years after the ambush. He has returned to his job on the NYPD and is still determined to bring the Grave Dancer down and to fight against organized crime. Stef is smart and tough and in no way a victim. Sarah, a true-crime writer who is writing a book about the Midnight Club, a group of organized crime leaders, is also a good, strong character and is more than a match for Stef. The relationship that develops between them is realistic and unforced.

However, it is the young police officer, Isaiah Parker, who steals the show. He is a terrific character- young, idealistic, and determined that good should prevail over evil through whatever means necessary. This book raises the interesting issue of how does good fight against evil when all legal methods fail. The way the book answers the question is gratifying.

Full credit must be given to the narrator of the audio version, Robert Forster. He uses his voice to give life to the various characters, with the different people easily recognizable by the voices used.

If I have a problem with the book, it is the question of why it did not occur to any of these people that Sarah and her son would be an obvious target for the crime lords and take steps to protect them. But that's a minor quibble and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville Series, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Good Kitty
Light Hearted and Fun
A fresh new take on the supernatural world.
Review - Good idea, but heroine is a victim
A Great start for a newcomer to the Paranormal Genre, not too graphic, not too silly

Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville Series, Book 1)
Carrie Vaughn
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446616419

Book Description

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station?and a werewolf in the closet.Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it?s Kitty who can use some help.With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew?

Customer Reviews:

Good Kitty.......2007-09-05

I enjoyed the character development and story line. I have read all of Laurell Hamiltons books and the Rachel Morgan series. I have tried a few new authors and I will continue with this series

Light Hearted and Fun.......2007-07-24

I had just tackle a 1500 page novel and moved on to this book. I was not disappointed I wanted something lighter and that's what I got. This is a good story and easy read and kept my attention. I will probally buy more of this series.

A fresh new take on the supernatural world........2007-07-10

I loved this story for many reasons. The psychological aspects of accepting such a change in one's life stand out as a strong point.

Review - Good idea, but heroine is a victim.......2007-07-02

A fun twist on the urban fantasy plotlines - Kitty is a werewolf and has a radio call-in show - very fun. She also inadvertantly is drawn into a murder mystery along the way, and that mystery
is well-done and satisfying to read.

If you like urban fantasy novels featuring strong women Anita Blake(Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)), Mercy Thompson (Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1)) or Rachel Morgan Dead Witch Walking, The Good the Bad and the Undead, Every Which Way but Dead, A Fistful of Charms and Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil in Dates from Hell (5 books, as a set) (The Complete Rachel Morgan Series) this book may NOT be for you.

Kitty is portrayed in this first novel as newly wered, and controlled by her alpha, which also includes his perrogative as such of essentially getting to rape her whenever he feels like it. And she takes it. She also hates him, but talks about how she used to love him because he was the alpha and "protected her" - ick ick ick. And how did she become a were in the first place? You guessed it - raped by a frat guy while on a date and then dumped in the middle of the woods where she is attacked by a werewolf. The whole book is like this, and when I read it, I just thought "Pathetic and annoying."

The book ends with the bad guys essentially winning, and her getting no revenge because she is weak and insecure.

I've started the second book in this series, in the hopes that kitty will grow a set of fangs and stop being everyone's victim. Will update with a review on that to see if this series can redeem itself.

A Great start for a newcomer to the Paranormal Genre, not too graphic, not too silly.......2007-05-03

I'm somewhat new to the paranormal genre (having been introduced to it by Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire SeriesAll Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Bk. 7)) and for me this was a perfect blend of romance, suspense, mysticism, and humor. I've enjoyed meeting Kitty and by the end of the book, you understand the fine line between human and wolf that she treads everyday. She is pulled by the freedom of running with the wolves and the support/protection she receives from the pack, but at the same time she still has her human ties such as friends, family, and a career.
This is a great series for us newbies, not too graphic, not too sexual (not that I don't love a good love scene, it shouldn't consume the storyline), and definitely not too silly. I really tried to get into MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series but fond them much too goofy, but definitly lighter than LK Hamilton or Anita Blake.
I recommend to anyone wanting to check out Paranormal for the first time

Average customer rating:

An Indian Odyssey
Born to Greatness, Mired in Madness: Rushdie Laments India's First 3 Decades.
A Stream of (Enlightended) Consciousness
Over-baked, but fantastic
One of the Ten Greatest Novels Ever Written

Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140132708

Amazon.com

Anyone who has spent time in the developing world will know that one of Bombay's claims to fame is the enormous film industry that churns out hundreds of musical fantasies each year. The other, of course, is native son Salman Rushdie--less prolific, perhaps than Bollywood, but in his own way just as fantastical. Though Rushdie's novels lack the requisite six musical numbers that punctuate every Bombay talkie, they often share basic plot points with their cinematic counterparts. Take, for example, his 1980 Booker Prize-winning Midnight's Children: two children born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947--the moment at which India became an independent nation--are switched in the hospital. The infant scion of a wealthy Muslim family is sent to be raised in a Hindu tenement, while the legitimate heir to such squalor ends up establishing squatters' rights to his unlucky hospital mate's luxurious bassinet. Switched babies are standard fare for a Hindi film, and one can't help but feel that Rushdie's world-view--and certainly his sense of the fantastical--has been shaped by the films of his childhood. But whereas the movies, while entertaining, are markedly mediocre, Midnight's Children is a masterpiece, brilliant written, wildly unpredictable, hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.

Rushdie's narrator, Saleem Sinai, is the Hindu child raised by wealthy Muslims. Near the beginning of the novel, he informs us that he is falling apart--literally:

I mean quite simply that I have begun to crack all over like an old jug--that my poor body, singular, unlovely, buffeted by too much history, subjected to drainage above and drainage below, mutilated by doors, brained by spittoons, has started coming apart at the seams. In short, I am literally disintegrating, slowly for the moment, although there are signs of an acceleration.

In light of this unfortunate physical degeneration, Saleem has decided to write his life story, and, incidentally, that of India's, before he crumbles into "(approximately) six hundred and thirty million particles of anonymous, and necessarily oblivious, dust." It seems that within one hour of midnight on India's independence day, 1,001 children were born. All of those children were endowed with special powers: some can travel through time, for example; one can change gender. Saleem's gift is telepathy, and it is via this power that he discovers the truth of his birth: that he is, in fact, the product of the illicit coupling of an Indian mother and an English father, and has usurped another's place. His gift also reveals the identities of all the other children and the fact that it is in his power to gather them for a "midnight parliament" to save the nation. To do so, however, would lay him open to that other child, christened Shiva, who has grown up to be a brutish killer. Saleem's dilemma plays out against the backdrop of the first years of independence: the partition of India and Pakistan, the ascendancy of "The Widow" Indira Gandhi, war, and, eventually, the imposition of martial law.

We've seen this mix of magical thinking and political reality before in the works of Günter Grass and Gabriel García Márquez. What sets Rushdie apart is his mad prose pyrotechnics, the exuberant acrobatics of rhyme and alliteration, pun, wordplay, proper and "Babu" English chasing each other across the page in a dizzying, exhilarating cataract of words. Rushdie can be laugh-out-loud funny, but make no mistake--this is an angry book, and its author's outrage lends his language wings. Midnight's Children is Salman Rushdie's irate, affectionate love song to his native land--not so different from a Bombay talkie, after all. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

A classic novel, in which the man who calls himself the "bomb of Bombay" chronicles the story of a child and a nation that both came into existence in 1947—and examines a whole people's capacity for carrying inherited myths and inventing new ones.

Customer Reviews:

An Indian Odyssey.......2007-10-01

Salman Rushdie is the third author I've read recently that I'd put off reading for many years out of a misplaced fear I'd find his books dull and uninteresting--James Joyce and Thomas Pynchon are the other two authors. With great consternation and teeth-gnashing I finally picked "Midnight's Children" off the shelf and soon wondered what the heck had taken me so long.

To put it simply, "Midnight's Children" is a great book. It's a darkly comic odyssey through the history of India in the 20th Century told not only with touches of humor, but the supernatural as well. Reading the book can be an adventure, given the winding narrative that mixes past and present and the walls of print on each print, but it's an adventure worth the effort.

The story is told by Saleem Sinai on what he believes to be his deathbed. Padma, his caretaker and erstwhile fiance, begs to differ with this assessment, but aids Saleem by serving also as sounding board and editor. The relationship between Saleem and Padma continues to advance as he recounts the story not just of his life, but those of his parents and grandparents as well. His grandfather was a European-trained doctor in 1915 who returned to India, lost faith in God, and met Saleem's grandmother through a strategically torn sheet. His mother marries a poet on the run from assassins who hides out in their basement, but because he does not have sex with her winds up divorcing her. She then marries the businessman Ahmed Sinai and changes her name. On the stroke of India's birth, along comes Saleem. From this moment, his fate is tied with that of India. Like Saleem, the new nation of India--as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh--is finding its way and searching for its identity, though the answer is not really a happy one.

A side plot involves the "Midnight's Children," a group of children born in that first minute of India's existence. These 1001 children have supernatural abilities. Saleem can read minds while others master witchcraft, time travel, and so forth. This put me a little too in mind of the X-Men, though Saleem lacks the composure and leadership abilities of Charles Xavier and his rival Shiva is never as charismatic or evil as Magneto. (Recent TV viewers might compare this more to "Heroes" or "The 4400.") At any rate, I didn't particularly enjoy this subplot until at the end when it's used to demonstrate the madness of the Indira Gandhi regime.

Even if you're like me and have little understanding of India short of watching "Gandhi" you can still make sense of this book if you're willing to try. Make no mistake: this is not for the casual reader or the faint of heart. At the same time, the touches of humor--especially the bickering between Saleem and Padma about how to tell the story--and the supernatural make for an entertaining yarn. In the end you might also wonder what took you so long to find this wonderful book.

That is all.

Born to Greatness, Mired in Madness: Rushdie Laments India's First 3 Decades........2007-09-15

"Midnight's Children" is Salman Rushdie's rumination on the first 30 years of India's independence following British rule. Saleem Sinai, an Indian Muslim born on the stroke of midnight August 15, 1947, at the instant of India's independence, recounts a mystical, doleful tale of his own birth and trials as they coincided with those of India and Pakistan. All children born at the hour of independence were endowed with extraordinary gifts, the great potential of a new nation. Saleem of elephantine nose and dual parentage sees them all in his paranormally perceptive mind as he is witness to the initial optimism, two Indo-Pakistani wars, and India's oppressive State of Emergency instigated by Prime Minister Indira Ghandi.

"Midnight's Children" is an opinionated, critical tour of modern India's struggles with its own diversity and demons. Its overwhelming pessimism seems out of place now, as India has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The book must be viewed in the context of time at which it was written, the late 1970s. Salman Rushdie has a lot to say, and says most of it more than once. He pulls no punches and makes no excuses for anyone. In spite of Saleem's first-person narration, Rushdie's fractured, repetitive prose style impedes its accessibility and slows the reader down. And I would not have thought it possible to pile so many metaphors on top of metaphors and remain coherent. "Midnight's Children" is a long, provocative lament but somewhat overworked.

A Stream of (Enlightended) Consciousness.......2007-08-30

Much has been written about the unique writing style of Salman Rushdie and Midnight's Children. It is hip to like it and thus call oneself a literary, and not unusual to dislike it as an uninitiated reader who cannot possibly know what to expect a priori. For what it's worth, here is my attempt to characterize the style. The book is written as a "stream of consciousness", long long long sentences, side-by-side repetition of adjectives for emphasis (hint hint hint!), use of synonyms similes parellels without punctuation or separators (again for emphasis), revealing the plot's end-game in advance yet (or thus) engaging the reader in the path to getting there, repeated summaries each to make an overarching point than to simply recollect the story so far, admitted insecurity and intermittent defense of the story's believability, and did I mention rechristening of events and characters with metaphoric names. If you could read and follow the last sentence in one shot, you are ready to read and enjoy Midnight's Children. The story-telling is hallucinatory on the surface, but enlightened underneath; deliriously exaggerated on the surface, but scrupulously balanced underneath; grossly fatalistic on the surface, but hopelessly optimistic underneath; carelessly raw on the surface, but meticulous genius underneath.

Never judge a book by its cover, judge it by its metaphors. Besides being one intense allegory, the book is a collection of the richest metaphors I've ever read in a piece of literature. Metaphors, mind you, and not its evil cousin, Analogies. Every event and character is first rechristened with its metaphoric name. In the process of writing the book, Rushdie has created a new vocabulary of words that become the best way (if not the only way) to describe those characters and events.

Spoiler alert: To pick from this new vocabulary, one way of characterizing the life of Saleem Sinai, and therefore the book, is Sperectomy: the draining-out of hope. To quote the last sentence of the book that sums it up "...because it is the privilege and the curse of midnight's children to be both masters and victims of their times, to forsake privacy and be sucked into the annihilating whirlpool of the multitudes, and to be unable to live or die in peace."

Midnight's Children is a great way to live vicariously through post-colonial India. If A Fine Balance is a bus-ride through India with a good commentator, Midnight's Children is your dark roller-coaster with ghosts popping out at you at every turn. If A Fine Balance is real in a touchy-and-feely way that you wish it was unreal, Midnight's Children is unreal in a mystical way that you will hate to, and yet force yourself to believe it is real; just like a post-traumatic nightmare, only it was a re-enactment.

Over-baked, but fantastic.......2007-07-26

"Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie is called a 'Great Book of the 20th Century" and "a modern classic," and rightly so. This novel is one of the most interesting and memorable of the 20th century, and one of the best novels by a living writer, at least that I have read. Rushdie weaves a semi-historical, semi-mythical portrayal of the newly formed nation-state of India. Throughout the book, I kept thinking that the protagonist was actually Rushdie himself; or, perhaps the protagonist represents Rushdie's generation, since he was born in Bombay in 1947. The plot is interesting indeed, which I won't get into because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Let's just say that the protagonist relates the life of himself and his immediate ancestors in such a way to make Rushdie the "Indian mythmaker." The writing is often too much in some places, and I feel that Rushdie over did it in a few places. I do like how Rushdie would refer to his own metaphors throughtout the book to keep the reader focused, because the reader can indeed get lost in the plot if one is not careful. This novel is often put next to "One Hundred Years of Solitude" because of its style. I might agree to that to some extent, primarily because each of these two novels have a different purpose. They are both written in the style of magical realism, but again, each novel has it's own purpose. If Rushdie had kept his writing focused on India in his subsequent novels, I believe that he would be to India what J.M. Coetzee is to South Africa. However, Rushdie's scope is much broader than one country or even one culture. Anyway, that's another topic. Overall, if you have never read Rushdie, this is a great place to start.

One of the Ten Greatest Novels Ever Written.......2007-06-14

The thing that really surprised me about Midnight's Children, by the end of it, was its generally sardonic attitude towards the magical symbolism and omens that are so central to the plot. So much is made of the mystical connections relating to the main character (Saleem Sinai), so much promise is set up in the story, that it's surprising when the abuse starts being heaped on Saleem with almost sadistic relentlessness. By the end of the story Rushdie has portrayed a startlingly pessimistic view of the "potential" of the innocent. And, with the obvious parallels between the life of Saleem Sinai and the development of modern India, Rushdie also exhibits a pessimistic and fairly depressing forecast for the future of one of the world's most populous nations.

But amidst all that is an epic; a collection of stories that seems almost like "A Thousand and One Nights" in its scope. The magical realism style Rushdie employs is far less confusing than that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez: where Marquez's rambling, stream of consciousness writing serves largely to (intentionally) disorient the reader, Rushdie (through a liberal use of semi-colons) gently guides the reader through narrative leaps spanning both time and distance. Astonishingly descriptive, Rushdie is almost more a painter than a writer in this book: the near 550 pages pass by with a very economical use of dialogue, and it is the scenes and descriptions that provide the meat and memories of the novel.

Those who are fans of Tolkein and other authors who write lavishly detailed stories simply cannot miss this novel. "Midnight's Children" plays out like an Oscar-winning film or a very vivid, elaborate dream.

Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

perfect book,just as good as the last series.
Good to the last page and beyond
a very awsome book
BEST SERIES EVER!
Super Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1)
Erin Hunter
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060744510
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Book Description

Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together... and shake the forest to its roots.

The next generation of warrior cats faces a peril that threatens the whole forest in this exciting spin–off series starring the children of the original Warriors heroes.

Packed with riveting suspense, compelling new characters, and classic themes of epic fantasy, this is an adventure not to be missed for both fans of the previous six books and readers unfamiliar with the world of the warrior Clans.

Customer Reviews:

perfect book,just as good as the last series........2007-09-28

Perfect,just perfect.This book is funnny,sad,and exciting and wrapped in mystery!One cat from each clan as well as one who was curious and one who is protective,meet at mystical Fourtrees to decide what to do.Each of them(except for two)has had a prophetic dream sent by Starclan.Now they must race against time,before something terrible happens.All in all a perfect book and don't forget,there is the first series.Trust me you won't want to put it down.

Good to the last page and beyond.......2007-08-26

I wasn't sure how I would like it when Firestar was not the main character, but I soon warmed up to the new heros introduced in this book and the writing style I so loved in the first series carries through into these books. This was an excellent book and left me craving more. I am already halfway through book three of the New Prophecy books and I am loving every bit. The writing really keeps you turning the pages and I can't wait to get back to the book to find out what will happen next. I know the books say for ages 9-12 but I am 48 and cannot put the books down. They are a great read for any age, especially if you love cats and the natural world. I would highly recommend all the Warrior books. They are great.

a very awsome book.......2007-08-14

i think this book happened to be somwhat inspiering becuase when they were about to give up brambleclaw gave them hope to carry on i liked how they were always helping each other when tawnypelt got her ratbite it got infected and i thought she was going to die but there freinds all helped her and she was fine.

BEST SERIES EVER!.......2007-07-29

ok. all these people are complaning about not getting what firestar says in book 6 sunset about his quest. and people are also saying that there was a huge space in between the first series and the new one. well there is a new book coming out soon called FIRESTARS QUEST and it will explain all that stuff. and for all you people who miss firestar as the main character, he will be the main character in FIRESTARS QUEST.

THIS IS THE BEST SERIES EVER AND I THINK IT IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE!

Super Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-18

This was the first Warriors book I got and I thought it was awesome. I can't compare to the original series since i haven't read them yet. 4 chosen cats, one from each clan Must go on a long journey. Brambleclaw from Thunderclan,(who brings FireStar's daughter,Squirelpaw with him)Crow paw from Windclan, Tawnypelt from Shadowclan, and Feather tail from Riverclan(who brings her brother, Stormfur along) When they get there to listen to Midnight...well...I won't spoil the ending, but I had a big surprise. By the way, gee, thanks to all the people who sent in reveiws that either spoiled the ending or said that any of the characters were stupid, boring, idiots, wished they were dead, or said the plot was horrid. All the characters did their best. in conclusion, this book should be read by any Warriors fan, especially one who wanted more when the first series ended. Warriors (and this book) ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. [...]

Average customer rating:

Good read, just not the GREAT read we now expect from Hunter
Still my favorite Stephen Hunter book.
Fast and Furious
Action thriller with kick
The countdown drags. . . . . .

The Day Before Midnight
Stephen Hunter
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553282352
Release Date: 1989-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Good read, just not the GREAT read we now expect from Hunter.......2007-05-16

From anyone but Stephen Hunter this would be considered as good as it gets, but if you've been along on the many adventures of the Swagger family this may seem kinda average. That doesn't mean it's bad, it isn't. Fact is, it's hard to put down even if it is rather unbelievable in places. Sure not on a par with "Point of Impact" however!

Still my favorite Stephen Hunter book........2006-07-14

When I talk to other Stephen Hunter fans, it's surprising to see how many of them don't know about this book. Probably because it's not a Swagger book.

That said, even after Pale Horse Coming and Havana, "Day Before Midnight" is still my favorite Stephen Hunter book. It should be mandatory reading for everyone in the National Guard. I've read this book three times.

An unidentified military force overtakes a U.S. nuclear missile silo. The hostile troops fortify their position outside the silo. Untested National Guard troops are closest to the scene, so they are sent in first. The U.S. commander has to make a lot of tough choices, because some of our guys are going to get killed, but they have to get into the silo before the bad guys can launch the missile. (Hunter creates plausible technical reasons why we can't just bomb them to smithereens.)

Hunter did a great job keeping the tension going, all while giving us great action scenes of small unit military combat. Unlike the Swagger books, where Hunter keeps the action close to the main character, this book follows many different characters and storylines, all headed toward the same place and time.

Fast and Furious.......2006-05-24

Great book, plenty of action and suspense! Reads fast and very hard to put down (like Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger novels). The plot is rather contrived, but overall believable. My main beef is with the COL Dick Puller character, who I thought was the weakest character in the book (the Army should have left him retired-- he was, after all, retired in disgrace for a reason!). COL Puller never impressed me as being the great tactician the author intended. Instead, he seemed rigid and outdated in his tactical approach to the battle scenario presented. COL Puller simply "wasted" the Maryland guardsmen in a poorly planned and executed frontal assault against an entrenched enemy force without even trying to obtain basic pre-op intelligence (such as what might be under that "tarp" in front of the silo entrance). Puller even implied the guardsmen were expendible at that stage of the operation, though better planning on his part might have achieved a more favorable outcome for them and the mission. Also, seems that Puller could have simply planned (even if only as his backup contingency) to blow up the MX missle when it exited the silo (missles aren't going very fast at that point of the launch sequence). Better yet, he could have dismantled/destroyed the silo hangers directly to prevent a missle launching through them. Destroying the missle or silo directly would have been easier than trying to fight his way to the launch capsule at the end of the elevator shaft, or trying to infiltrate a small team through an uncertain (erosion-created) tunnel network at the base of the mountain. As it was, he never did have any such backup plan, should his "race against time" not succeed. But Puller-quibbling aside, The Day Before Midnight was still a very suspenseful book, one well worth the read.

Action thriller with kick.......2006-05-21

I really enjoy well done action stories like this one. Hunter creates great, complex action plots in this very gripping story. I listened attentively though the whole thing and loved it. Excellent story. The book has depth and the characters are real and believable, even the bad guys. There is suspense and violence, but you feel it as part of the plot, not a separate thing thrown in after the fact to whip things up. If you like technological action thrillers involving the military strategy and intellectual types trying to solve puzzles, you'll like it.

The countdown drags. . . . . ........2006-02-28

I'm probably the only one who will say this but when it comes to this novel, which I give props to the author for creating suspense, it is just too long and drawn out. I think I was at page 350 when I finally couldn't take it anymore and threw the book at the wall. It is good to build up suspense in anovel but, after reading this one, now I know that there is such a thing as too much suspense. As a writer's gimmack, you have to gradually give little hints and problematic, somewhat unescapable events, to the reader giving them just enough to feed off of. That's what drives the reader to progress foward, naturally, because he/she wants to see what happens next. But in this book there are just, dare I say, too many subplots. It almost feels that, when you're reading it, the author piles on different problems and events every ten pages. It just gets plain old tiring. It got me frustrated and I wasn't even in a bad mood. Okay, I can believe that someone was kidnapped and brought out of their house and forced into cutting a thick steel wall that leads to a doomsday machine but does there have to be so much stuff in it. Sure, I could imagine it becoming a movie but I couldn't even finish the book. I even cheated and just read the last page just to satisfy myself. But this is only my opinion. It is probably a really great book. If you have the patience for this author. I'm sure a lot of you out there will. Enjoy!

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