Book Description
The haunting story of three copsone good, one bad, one brokenand the murder that reunites them in a showdown decades in the making. Gus Ramone is good police, a former Internal Affairs investigator now working homicide for the citys Violent Crime branch. His new case involves the death of a local teenager named Asa, whose body has been found in a community garden. The murder unearths intense memories of a case Ramone worked as a patrol cop 20 years earlier, when he and his partner, Dan Doc Holiday, assisted a legendary detective named T.C. Cook. The series of murders, all involving local teenage victims, was never solved. In the years since, Holiday has left the force under a cloud of morals charges. Cook has retired, but he has never stopped agonizing about the Night Gardener killings. The new case draws the three men together, re-igniting the love, regret, and anger that once burned between them, and old ghosts walk once more as they try to lay to rest the monster who has stalked their dreams.
Customer Reviews:
This is a Strong Effort by Pelecanos.......2007-09-20
Many people consider THE NIGHT GARDENER to be the best crime novel of 2006. While I wouldn't go quite that far, I think this book is a very fine effort by Pelecanos.
While THE NIGHT GARDENER is about the search for a serial killer, it is not a typical serial killer book. This is not a fast-paced, tightly plotted suspense novel. Instead, Pelecanos takes his time in telling the story, and focuses a great deal of effort on developing a rather large number of characters and subplots. This requires a certain amount of patience on the part of the reader, but it is well worth it, since nearly all the characters in this book are believable, realistic human beings.
The ending of the NIGHT GARDENER will not please everybody. Needless to say, Pelecanos does not resort to a cheap Hollywood ending here. But I found it a satisfying way to close the novel.
Overall, THE NIGHT GARDENER is a very good book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys slower paced, character-driven crime fiction. The only other Pelecanos book I have read is RIGHT AS RAIN, and I thought this book was far better than that one.
Pelecanos is so . . . very good .......2007-08-21
Structure, pace, fully developed characters built around descriptions which flesh out well in the reader's mind, superb dialogue comparable to the late great George Higgins, strong plotting and an ending which satisfies. The urban DC setting can well be appreciated outside the Beltway; his stories
are not just for area readers.
A wonderful book.......2007-08-20
This is one of the best books I've read this year. Pelecanos has yet to let me down.
Very good.......2007-05-18
Just finished this book and found it to be very good, I'll definitely read more of this author's books, if he has any. My comments:
1) Very well written and easy to read.
2) Well written characters. The characters are what makes this book worth reading. You are drawn to them and they are well fleshed out (as another reviewer said below, the crime seems to be an after thought.)
3) Good description of the nitty gritty of life in the DC area.
3) However, too much drama; I'd rather he focus more on the crime than the protagonist's family life. It just takes away from the story, IMHO.
4) Two story threads. I didn't really care about the minor thread. It was nicely tied together at the end (artistically if I may say so), but it just detracts away from the main story.
5) Even though most people could guess the ending, the crime was never solved by the protagonists, it was just given away on the last page. Too bad, but it's an unusual ending. You could say it was a surprise ending that way for people who expected the crime to be solved. I think it could have ended better.
6) A little jumpy as it jumped from one thread to another and you really didn't know how they were connected (they weren't really connected together).
Conclusion: I would still recommend the book because it was well written. There are many "best sellers" out there which are a struggle to read, but this one drew me along. It's a good book when I can't put it down and will trade sleeping time for reading time and I did for this one. I will now look for other books written by this author.
Intresting but Dull.......2007-04-10
The story is a very good story you are always on the edge but the ending is not what i expected and it is not very intresting
Average customer rating:
- Extortion plot that could lead to numerous rampages
- Deaver at his meticulous and macabre best
- Madness in D. C. Transit
- An amazing book
- A riveting psychological drama!
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The Devil's Teardrop: A Novel of the Last Night of the Century (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
Jeffery Deaver
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Hardcover
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A Maiden's Grave
ASIN: 0684852926
Release Date: 1999-08-10 |
Amazon.com
Thriller readers can always count on getting extra value from Jeffery Deaver--strong plots, fascinating research, believable characters, and plenty of surprise endings. Like in The Terminator, the bad guys in The Devil's Teardrop just won't quit, and they create enough havoc in the last 50 pages to fill a whole new book.
Although Deaver's brilliant, wheelchair-bound forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme makes a guest appearance, the muscular scientist in charge here is Parker Kincaid--an expert in document analysis who'd much rather be checking the authenticity of letters from Thomas Jefferson than figuring out when a crazed shooter known as the Digger will strike again. But it's New Year's Eve, 1999, and the Digger has begun a reign of terror--promising to shoot into crowds in Washington, D.C., every four hours until he's paid $20 million. As Kincaid searches an odd ransom note for clues (and tries to maintain a low profile so that his vindictive ex-wife won't get custody of his young kids), we get to know the Digger better. He is a frighteningly invisible character with serious brain damage, who methodically obeys a set of instructions from an unknown handler. We also learn many amazing facts about paper, ink, and handwriting analysis, and watch as a relationship slowly and reluctantly develops between Kincaid and the FBI agent in charge. All this as the devious Deaver leads us down several garden paths overflowing with dead bodies. --Dick Adler
Book Description
It's New Year's Eve, December 31, 1999, and Washington, D.C., is under siege. Early in the day, a grisly machine gun attack in the Dupont Circle Metro station leaves dozens dead and the city crippled with fear. A note delivered to the mayor's office pins the massacre on the Digger, a robotlike assassin programmed to wreak havoc on the capital every four hours -- until midnight. Only a ransom of $20 million delivered to the Digger's accomplice -- and mastermind -- will end the death and terror. But the Digger becomes a far more sinister threat when his accomplice is killed in a freak accident while en route to the money drop. With the ransom note as the single scrap of evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon Parker Kincaid, a retired FBI agent and the top forensic document examiner in the country. Somehow, by midnight, they must find the Digger -- before he finds them.
In The Devil's Teardrop, Jeffery Deaver delivers the same intricate forensic detail, masterful plot twists and harrowing breakneck pace that made A Maiden's Grave, The Bone Collector and The Coffin Dancer national bestsellers. The Devil's Teardrop is destined to continue Jeffery Deaver's bestselling track record and thrill his legions of fans worldwide.
Download Description
"It's New Year's Eve, December 31, 1999, and Washington, D.C., is under siege. Early in the day, a grisly machine gun attack in the Dupont Circle Metro station leaves dozens dead and the city crippled with fear. A note delivered to the mayor's office pins the massacre on the Digger, a robotlike assassin programmed to wreak havoc on the capital every four hours - until midnight. Only a ransom of $20 million delivered to the Digger's accomplice - and mastermind - will end the death and terror. But the Digger becomes a far more sinister threat when his accomplice is killed in a freak accident while en route to the money drop. With the ransom note as the single scrap of evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon Parker Kincaid, a retired FBI agent and the top forensic document examiner in the country. Somehow, by midnight, they must find the Digger - before he finds them."-
Customer Reviews:
Extortion plot that could lead to numerous rampages.......2007-09-01
A criminal mastermind is plotting an extortion scheme against the city of Washington, threatening massacres at four hour intervals if 20 million dollars is not paid by noon that day.
The day is New Year's Eve, 1999, and someone is terrorizing Washington D.C., which leads the FBI to turn to Parker Kincaid, who had retired after an ugly incident a couple of years earlier which had endangered his children's lives.
With his expertise as a certified document examiner, they unravel the spellbinding mystery.
Parker is very likeable as a single father, which makes this story all the more enjoyable.
Deaver at his meticulous and macabre best.......2007-06-13
The devil is in the details, they say - and that's always been one of Jeffrey Deaver's strengths: the ability to take well-worn story-lines yet make them refreshingly exciting by going into meticulous detail with regard to characterisation and modus operandi. I have about a dozen Deaver novels, only three-quarters have been read so far but The Devils's Teardrop is as good as any if not the best. The semi-automaton in this novel, known as The Digger, is quite a scary individual and absolutely devoid of remorse. Someone has 'programmed' him however, and that's where the main challenge lies. While the central character here is good-guy Parker Kincaid, the author is confident enough to introduce none other than Lincoln Rhyme in a cameo appearance! It's bordering upon arrogance but he gets away with it.
If you have yet to buy a Deaver novel, here is as good a place as any to start and you will surely want to join the club. And if you're a Deaver reader already, then buy The Devil's Teardrop with absolute confidence, it will maintain or even raise the standards you have become familiar with. Jeffrey Deaver is one of a very select group of contemporary writers I can think of who make it a safe bet to buy everything they publish - he just doesn't write duds.
Madness in D. C. Transit.......2005-11-01
Gilbert Havel, a blackmailer, is the only person who can communicate with Digger, an invisible character with brain damage, which left him a 'half-human killing machine.' Already he'd carried out the massacre in the Dupont Circle Metro tunnel at midnight and had three other explosions to set off if Mayor Gerald Kennedy did not pay the ransom demanded.
Digger is an emotionless, robot-like madman who doesn't know not to follow through on the death job his 'handler' arranged. Havel is killed in a freak accident, but Digger is like a skinny ape man on Halloween, only this is New Year's Eve. He is unseen by those he's been programed into 'making ghosts.'
It is a tense, suspenseful thriller as they try to discover where he will strike next. Jeffery Deaver has written his major success, THE BONE COLLECTOR, NOCTURE, and THE LESSON OF HER DEATH.
An amazing book.......2005-06-30
Deaver really makes the reader stay interested in "The Devil's Teardrop". I found it arduous to put down. The serial killer, "The Digger" knew how to remain unseen. Leaving only a note for the FBI, their only clue, they call upon the help of Parker Kincaid.
A riveting psychological drama!.......2005-06-11
It's New Year's Eve 1999! A fixated killer, known only as "Digger", walks into Washington DC's Metro Station at 9:00 a.m. and empties a silenced Uzi on full automatic into the crowd on a brutal killing spree. The FBI receives a ransom note demanding a $20 million dollar payoff with curt instructions that unless the payment happens without a hitch, the "Digger" will repeat the mass murder at 4:00 p.m., at 8:00 p.m. and again at 12:00 midnight during the height of the New Year's Eve celebrations. Parker Kincaid, a former FBI agent and top flight forensic document examiner, is asked to return to active duty as a consultant to assist Margaret Lukas, special agent in charge of the task force put together to round up the mastermind and his automaton killer before the carnage is repeated. Given the intensely compressed time frames and enormous potential for death involved, Gerald Kennedy, DC's mayor, agrees to the payment demand and the FBI puts a plan in place to track the murderer and his "control" after the ransom is collected. The whole affair comes off the rails when the extortionist is killed in a hit-and-run car accident on the way to the drop. It now appears nobody knows how to contact "Digger" to stop the next three scheduled killing fairs!
The reading is intense and compelling. The excitement builds from the very first page until a breathless climax with two incredible twists that will leave every reader sitting on the edge of their chairs.
Despite the fact that the entire book takes place in less than a one day time frame, the action in this thriller is surprisingly low key and evenly paced. Deaver's success with this novel rests more on the psychological components of the drama - examination of the realistic issue of whether a city should succumb to payment of extortion demands to terrorists and criminals; the fascinating minutiae of forensic investigation of evidence, in particular, the ransom note; the validity of profiling on the basis of criminal conduct and physical evidence such as handwriting; the political maneuvering of governments and the balance of rivalry and cooperation between police agencies during a crisis; and, both the synergy and conflict of multiple brains at work in the environment of a task force assigned to a criminal investigation.
But the climax does arrive, of course, and,when it does, the action switches gears and becomes intense and frenetic. Despite a double surprise ending that has somewhat of a Hollywood over the top flair to it that stretches the credibility factor somewhat, any thriller fan will be left feeling they've got their money's worth! An enjoyable read, a worthy addition to Deaver's extraordinary body of work, and an easy book to recommend to those that enjoy the thriller genre.
Amazon.com
In 1977, Rudy Tomjanovich and Kermit Washington became entwined in a single punch that would change not only their lives, but how professional basketball is played today. Because the punch dislodged Tomjanovich's skull and nearly destroyed both men's careers, the scuffle never settled as a dusty bit of NBA trivia. Instead, it nearly superseded both men's notable achievements. The history of that punch (it could not, by any standards, be considered a fight) and the fate of the two men are the subjects of John Feinstein's The Punch.
In the early days of the NBA, teams had their stars and their "enforcers." Enforcers such as Washington protected star players on the court with their willingness to mix it up. With concise prose, Feinstein reports on this era, following strings of trades, drafts, and personal relationships to their nexus. Those who do not think about basketball on a statistical level may occasionally find themselves lost, but Feinstein, ever conscious of his subject, ties the tangents neatly to the core of the scuffle that led to the infamous punch.
Thorough and thoughtful, Feinstein does not make any excuses, nor does he vilify. He simply traces the web of both men's lives back to their adolescent years when it was not about the NBA, nor the punch, but about the game. Anyone who has ever wondered about these two men, or the history of the NBA, will want to read this book. --Karin Rosman
Book Description
When a fight broke out between the Houston Rockets and the L.A. Lakers one night in 1977, All-Star Rudy Tomjanovich raced to break it up. Unfortunately for Rudy, he ran into Kermit Washington, a good player with a great reputation, and one of the most ferocious punches ever seen in sports.
The punch dislodged Tomjanovich's skull, and he was never the same player after. Now he's head coach for the Rockets and coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 2000. In the years since the fight, every team in the NBA has turned Washington away.
With his unique insight, style, and bone-deep knowledge of basketball, John Feinstein finally reveals the truth of that night and all the years after. Through this one cataclysmic event he casts a light on the NBA's darkest secrets, exploring race, conspiracy, violence, and how one mistake has haunted two good men for 25 years.
Download Description
When a fight broke out between the Houston Rockets and the L.A. Lakers one night in 1977, All-Star Rudy Tomjanovich raced to break it up. He was met by Kermit Washington's fist, which delivered one of the most ferocious punches ever seen in sports. The punch dislodged Tomjanovich's skull, and required years of surgeries and therapy to get him back to normal. He was never the same again. Washington was an average player for the Lakers, 6 foot 8, and one of six athletes in the history of the NCAA to be both an academic all-American and a basketball all-American. By all accounts he was an exemplary man, but the split second in which he threw his fist toward Tomjanovich devastated his reputation. Every team in the NBA has refused to hire him in any coaching capacity. Tomjanovich, on the other hand, is a star: head coach of the two-time world championship Rockets, and coach of the 2000 gold medal US Olympic team.With his unique insight, style, and bone-deep knowledge of basketball, John Feinstein finally reveals the truth of that night, and how it changed basketball forever. Through this one cataclysmic event he casts a light on the NBA's darkest secrets, exploring race, violence, and how one mistake has haunted two good men for 25 years.
Customer Reviews:
Two victims: one sympathetic.......2006-12-15
Everyone has a moment in their live's that has significant consequences. A time where everything changes, often as the result of a split-second or rash action. Kermit Washington, then of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Rudy Tomjanovich, of the Houston Rockets, on one night in 1977 in the midst of an NBA Game had such a moment. In an instant, Tomjanovich was almost killed by a punch which had connected with extreme force and velocity, and Kermit Washington was foreever defined by that aberrant act of violence.
Feinstein writes well and describes a fascinating world of professional athletics in the 1970's. He describes each of the protagonists' lives and the perspectives and effects of the incident to all whom it affected. Some great characters of sport past are here: Pete Newell, Red Auerbach, Bill Walton, Rick Barry, Chick Hearn, Larry O'Brien, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, etc. The writing is smooth and entertaining and keeps you from turning away.
There are some problems with the book, however. Editing is poor. Episodes recounted in one chapter are repeated in another. More importantly, Feinstein tries so hard to be objective that he distances himself from the reader. One cannot read this book and not come to the unmistakably conclusion that the reason why the event still affects Kermit Washington is because Washington has never come to grips with his own conduct.
The book relates how never really apologized or took accountability and that his failure to do so, when contrasted with Tomjanovich's ability to overcome in life and basketball, turns him into a self-inflicted victim. Now, Feinstein implies such and uses the words of others to reach this conclusion, but it would've been nice if he would break free from the sympathetic shoulder and challenge some of Washington's self-serving statements. This lack of journalistic integrity is particularly distressing in light of the clear implication that Washington, in an attempt to avoid personal responsibility, has dragged the reputation of another player and his family (Kevin Kunnert) through the mud. Inasmuch as Feinstein wants you to feel for Washington, this book fails to conform to the facts.
Still, an entertaining read and a fascinating look at sport in a different time and different place.
Feinstein delivers.......2006-01-30
The punch. This was a horrible sports moment which affected so many lives. I still get shivers when I think of that event. As a teenager, it changed some of my views on sports, life and the two individuals involved. Feinstein had the incredible challenge of revisiting this event with the Rudy and Kermit and with the reader.
Feinstein delicately, but straightforwardly, tackles this subject, bringing out a wide range of emotions from himself, the particpants, the onlookers and the reader. He succeeds in showing that both men are truly victims of this unfortunate event. Rudy T is not the hero, nor Kermit the villian, although each will begrudgingly play that role on and off for years.
For the first time ever, the incident is studied in painstaking detail. It is poked and probed from many angles. For the first time ever, Kermit and Rudy both have a say about the event. Hopefully, this experience will help both men help. I know this book certainly opened my eyes to the men and the challenges both faced in the aftermath.
" The Punch".......2005-10-31
"The Punch" was an important event in the history of basketball. The author, John Feinstein did an okay job writing this book, but he kind of lost my interest after he started to repeat statements. "The Punch" is worth reading, because it told the event that changed the sport forever. If you are interested in basketball I recommend reading this book.
Quota to fill?.......2005-10-17
This book is a complete ripoff. Feinstein must have a quota to reach because this book is just unbelievably poorily and laziliy written and edited. The repetition is so severe a 5th grade teacher would have given the writer an "F". Hopefully, this is an aberration for Feinstein but after reading this book I came away believing he's sold out = write a book, collect a check. Well, he won't be getting any of my $s anymore.
A great read.......2005-05-31
When i first looked at getting this book, i noticed it didnt rate highly as far as the star rating was concerned. Yes, the book can be repetitive in stages, but i have to say that i found myself enjoying this book immensely and glad i purchased it.....then again, anything to do with basketball and i take to it eagerly. Give the book a chance, under it all it paints a story of two lives and the different paths they took after one misfortunate punch. I am a big fan of John Feinstein anyway, so maybe im not one to properly critique the book and point out its inconsistancies, but personally, i enjoyed it and can only go by that.
Average customer rating:
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The Night Chant: A Navajo Ceremony
Washington Matthews
Manufacturer: Ams Pr Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States
| Americas
| History
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| 19th Century
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ASIN: 0404118801 |
Average customer rating:
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Amateur Night/a Jane Da Silva Mystery
K. K. Beck
Manufacturer: Mysterious Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States
| World Literature
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| 18th Century
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Beck, K.K.
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Night+Day D.C. (Pulse Guides Cool Cities Series)
Colleen Clark , and
Elise Hartman Ford
Manufacturer: Pulse Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
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| South
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Washington, D.C.
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ASIN: 0976601346 |
Book Description
With opinionated listings, insightful descriptions, and witty, intelligent writing, travelers rely on this smart guide to get the insider information they need to make the most of their time. From the trendiest tables, hippest hotels, top shops and galleries and coolest classic attractions, Night+Day D.C. is packed with expert recommendations and insider tips. For discerning travelers, it's the details that make the difference. That's why this guide emphasizes what you really need to know: the right hotel rooms to request, the best seat at restaurants, bars and clubs, and the prime time to be there, with equal billing for both nighttime and daytime activities. Structured around the styles that comprise the city's unique character, travelers can explore D.C. through its array of personalities: from /Chic D.C./ (like Rasika, where the fashionable set gathers, and favorite drinks are clove martinis and mango cosmopolitans); to /Hip D.C./ (at the Hotel Helix, ask for room 1018 for the best views, of old architecture and the trendy neighborhood), to /Classic D.C./ (where at the Round Robin Bar, no tour guide in D.C. will be able to give you the history lesson that bartender Jim Hewes relates while muddling your mint julep.) Night+Day's signature sections include: The 99 Best - the very top picks in categories that represent the city's standout features: the must-do, must-see and must-experience; The Perfect Plan Itineraries - three unique, nonstop 3-day itineraries put you in the right place at the right time; The Cheat Sheet - essential information savvy travelers need to hit the ground running; Shopping Blocks - quintessential, classic, and cutting-edge stores and products; Black Book - the invaluable tool that puts all our recommendations at your fingertips - don't leave the hotel without it; Leaving Town - Full recommendations and hot tips for the best way to spend your time outside the city limits; Maps, event calendars, and more...
Book Description
Many of North America’s most beloved regions are artfully celebrated in these boardbooks designed to soothe children before bedtime while instilling an early appreciation for the continent’s natural and cultural wonders. Each book stars a multicultural group of people visiting the featured area’s attractions—such as the Rocky Mountains in Denver, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Lake Ontario in Toronto, and volcanoes in Hawaii. Rhythmic language guides children through the passage of both a single day and the four seasons while saluting the iconic aspects of each place.
Customer Reviews:
Fun Reading.......2007-05-21
The Good Night... series are good books for young kids to read or to have read to them. It includes basic words and gets the kids interested in different travel locations.
Pretty Lame........2007-01-18
A poor sequel to the "Good Night America" original, and a great disappointment. Bad illustrations, uninspired presentation and choice of subject matter. Don't bother with this one.
Average customer rating:
- be prepared for a journey
- Confusing but not without interest
- If on a winter's night a traveler... or not?
- Damn you Calvino...
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If on a Winter's Night a Traveller (Everyman's Library Classics)
Italo Calvino
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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ASIN: 1857151380 |
Customer Reviews:
be prepared for a journey.......2005-10-12
Read carefully and you'll find that you are traveling -- Calvino takes you for a ride in this one. It's fun and intellectual. And Calvino is a master at the art of telling a good story.
Confusing but not without interest.......2005-03-16
Has the book you're holding really been written by the author mentioned on the cover? We readers rarely ask ourselves this question but in Mr Calvino's novel, even this simple assumption is questioned. The story is quite confusing indeed because nothing is as it appears.
But apart from the plot, Mr Calvino reflects on interesting topics which in my view save the book. For instance the reader's dilemma of choosing the appropriate novel among the thousand existing publications, the required ingredients to create suspense in a plot, the fact that books are easily defined entities which can be enjoyed without risks compared to the elusive quality of real-life existence, the pleasure of using a paper knife as the reader cuts his way through a novel or the problem posed by someone reading a text which may impose an undesirable pace on the listener. The author also casts a critical glance at universities as literary institutions which have forgotten that literature can be enjoyed in a natural, innocent and primitive way without having to be lacerated by intellectual analysis.
If on a winter's night a traveler... or not?.......2005-02-09
One definition of metafiction is "Fiction that deals, often playfully and self-referentially, with the writing of fiction or its conventions." That could pretty much describe Italo Calvino's "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler," a gloriously surreal story about the hunt for a mysterious book.
A reader opens Italo Calvino's latest novel, "If On A Winter's Night A Traveller," only to have the story cut short. Turns out it was a defective copy, with another book's pages inside. But as the reader tries to find out what book the defective pages belong to, he keeps running into even more books and more difficulties -- as well as the beautiful Ludmilla, a fellow reader who also received a defective book.
With Ludmilla assisting him (and, he hopes, going to date him), the reader then explores obscure dead languages, publishers' shops, bizarre translators and various other obstacles. All he wants is to read an intriguing book. But he keeps stumbling into tales of murder and sorrow, annoying professors, and the occasional radical feminist -- and a strange literary conspiracy. Will he ever finish the book?
In its own way, "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler" is a mystery story, a satire, a romance, and a treasure hunt. Any book whose first chapter explains how you're supposed to read it has got to be a winner -- "You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, "If On A Winter's Night a Traveler." Relax. Concentrate." And so on, with Calvino gently joking and chiding the reader before actually beginning his strange little tale.
As cute as that first chapter is, it also sets the tone for this strange, funny metafictional tale, which not only inserts Calvino but the reader. That's right -- this book is written in the second person, with the reader as the main character. "You did this" and "you did that," and so on. Only a few authors are brave enough to insert the reader... especially in a novel about a novel that contains other novels. It seems like a subtle undermining of reality itself.
It's a bit disorienting when Calvino inserts chapters from the various books that "you" unearth -- including ghosts, hidden identities, Mexican duels, Japanese erotica, and others written in the required styles. Including some cultures that he made up. Upon further reading, those isolated chapters reveal themselves to be almost as intriguing as the literary hunt. Especially since each one cuts off at the most suspenseful moment -- what happens next? Nobody knows!
It all sounds hideously confusing, but Calvino's deft touch and sense of humor keep it from getting too weird. There are moments of wink-nudge comedy, as well as the occasional poke at the publishing industry. But Calvino also provides chilling moments, mildly sexy ones, and a tone of mystery hangs over the whole novel.
At times it feels like Calvino is in charge of "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler"... and at other times, it feels like "you" are the one at the wheel. Just don't put this in the stack of Books You Mean To Read But There Are Others You Must Read First. Pure literary genius.
Damn you Calvino..........2004-02-27
Italo Calvino has surpassed himself. He has taken the "relating to the character" feeling to new heights, by making everyone who picks this books up, a character of the book. He takes you to the edge around 10 odd times, in 100 beginning sof 10 unrelated stories, but holds you back from plunging into the story line. He gets you so frustrated...no thts not the word...mmm ok I will use the word, but with no negative connotation...He pulls the ground from under you with every turn of the page. A must read for anyone passionate about reading for reading's sake.
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Lincoln's Last Battleground: A Tragic Night Recalled
Robert , T. Bain
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Germany
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1420859722 |
Book Description
On an unsuspecting night in April of 1865, the world would be changed forever. Our president, while sitting with his wife, was assassinated inside Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. by a man named John Wilkes Booth. The events that followed changed the lives of so many people both of that time and the present day. I think all historians agree that a gambit of emotions were experienced that evening. Some of anger, some of distress, some of sorrow like never experienced before. Several accounts have been written about that night and the events that unfolded but out of this chaos and panic there would be several fateful, far reaching consequences. My name is Robert T. Bain and this is the story of my ancestors, William and Anna Petersen. They owned the house where President Lincoln died. It has been known for over a hundred years as the Petersen Boarding House. William Petersen was born in Hanover, Germany in 1816. Anna was born in Hesse Cassel, Germany. They both arrived on the ship "Europa"at the port of Baltimore on June 23rd ,1841. William was listed on the passenger list as being 25 years of age and a tailor by profession. Anna was listed as age 23. They applied for naturalization papers in Washington, D.C. and in 1846 became citizens of the United States. As it was with most immigrants, I'm sure, all they wanted from life was to raise a family where they would feel safe and know that their children, with hard work, could carve out a life for themselves that would continue for generations to come. However, a terrible war and an infamous assassin would turn that dream into a nightmare..
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The Night Chant: A Navaho Ceremony
Washington Matthews
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Native American Studies
| Special Groups
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1428654402 |
Books:
- The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
- The Photographer's Eye
- The Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration and Retouching Book
- The Ralph Nader Reader
- The Rapture: Truth or Consequences
- The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art
- Thomas Jefferson on Wine
- Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones, and More (3rd Edition)
- Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear
- Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras (DV Expert Series) (DV Expert Series)
Books Index
Books Home
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