Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War

Book Description

From the bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea—winner of the National Book Award—the startling story of the Plymouth Colony

From the perilous ocean crossing to the shared bounty of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim settlement of New England has become enshrined as our most sacred national myth. Yet, as bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals in his spellbinding new book, the true story of the Pilgrims is much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a fifty-five-year epic that is at once tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound.

The Mayflower's religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor during a period of crisis for Native Americans as disease spread by European fishermen devastated their populations. Initially the two groups—the Wampanoags, under the charismatic and calculating chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, whose pugnacious military officer Miles Standish was barely five feet tall—maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades, New England would erupt into King Philip's War, a savagely bloody conflict that nearly wiped out English colonists and natives alike and forever altered the face of the fledgling colonies and the country that would grow from them.

With towering figures like William Bradford and the distinctly American hero Benjamin Church at the center of his narrative, Philbrick has fashioned a fresh and compelling portrait of the dawn of American history—a history dominated right from the start by issues of race, violence, and religion.

Customer Reviews:

Educational book.......2007-09-26

This is a very informative, accurate writing of our history. More people should read and know the real history of our country.

Not what I expected, but.......2007-09-16

the book was still a captivating piece of literature. I read this directly after reading In the Heart of the Sea by Philbrick, and was expecting the same type of story. That was not the case however. The title is a bit misleading in that one thinks they are going to be reading (or at least I did) a story of the journey. The subtitle should have cued me in. The book is about the struggle between the settlers and the natives more so than it is about the voyage to the new world. All that being said, I still loved the book. I gave the book four stars because I wish there was more about the actual voyage, and I think the title is a little misleading. All in all though, it is a superb piece of literature.

Clear & Interesting narrative of a difficult and complex period.......2007-09-13

There really aren't very many good, recent books about the early years in Massachusetts. This is an exceptional treatment...very engaging and clear. The number of Indian tribes, the various Pilgrims, Puritans, etc. can be a real mess to understand. And of course, there is usually a biased or pointed perspective you have to deal with. Philbrick has genuine regard for the good on both the English side and the various Indian sides and heartfelt disdain for the vicious and stupid acts on both sides that caused this war and ultimately turned it into a 14 month blood bath throughout New England. Makes me want to do some real research here in my New Hampshire home town.

Myth History and Real History.......2007-09-13

Every American teen should read this book. Myth-busting, rich in suggestion and detail, comprehensively researched. The defining text for this country's first sixty years.

Teaches you something not learned in elementary school........2007-09-12

Would have preferred more maps, a Summary timeline of key events and Summary of all key individuals, especially relationships of all the Indian tribes and geographical locations. Occasionally the skipping around between times is a little confusing. But, the index is helpful.

Map of Southern New England and New York during King Philip's War should be brought forward to "Kindling the Flame Chapter," so that the battles could be followed with the map.

Mayflower: September 6, 1620 to November 9, 620 (65 day voyage)
102 members is cut to 50 by spring of 1620)

William Bradford (- 1657) - Leader, Wife falls off the Mayflower upon the arrival.
Christopher Jones - Mayflower Captain returns to England April 5 - May 6 1621
Pastor John Robinson ( - 1625) - Left in England influences Mayflower Compact
Miles Standish ( - 1656) - Strict/Brutal Military Captain for pilgrims, which laid the base of strength for the pilgrims position amongst the Indians
Thomas Weston & the Merchant Adventurers - Investment backers of the mayflower - Finally paid off in 1648. First payment lost to the French

King Philip's War
Josiah Winslow, Plymouth Leader
Mary Rowlandson, he Sovereignty & Goodness of God (Feb 10, 1676)
Captain Samuel Moseley, Massachusetts Bay most ferocious Indian fighter. The only good Indian is a dead Indian
Benjamin Church, Key military leader during the King Philip War, style opposite of Moseley
Treat the enemy like a human being
Learn as much as possible from the enemy
Bring the enemy to your way of thinking
Loyal Indians: Mohegans, Pequots, Niantic (subset of the Narragansetts)
Tri-axis: Nipmuck-Narragansett-Pokanoket
King Philip, Son of Massasoit (Pokanokets) King Philip's War 1675 - 1676
Killed in battle, quartered, head is placed as a fixture at Plymouth for over 2 decades; hand is a showcase through New England

July 1675: Pease Field Fight
Sept 3, 1675: Richard Beers Ambush 21 of 35 killed
Sept 1675: Bloody Brook, Captain Thomas Lathrop 57 of 65 killed, Moseley joins battle and saved by arrival of Major Robert Treat and friendly Mohegans
Dec 1675: Jireh Bull's Garrison 15 killed
Dec 19, 1675: Great Swamp fight Winslow, Church (injured) and Moseley and Pequots and Mohegans against the Narragansetts: Critical battle injuring the Narranansetts. Fort built by the Narrangansetts destroyed. Defensive stance questions the involvement o the Narranansetts in the war.
March 1676: Clark's Garrison Massacre
March 1676: Pierce's Massacre
April 9, 1676: Canonchet killed, beheaded, quartered and burned, Charismatic leader of the Narragansett with Philip
July 1676: King Philip's death: Church and his men. Caleb Cook and Pocasset named Alderman

Times called for brutal discipline. Fighting against odds of weather, food, Indians and other Europeans.
Similarities to "Praying Indians" & Japanese internment camp
1863 Abraham Lincoln officially established Thanksgiving

Average customer rating:

Ack
Worthy addition to the Stone sagas...
Jesse please get over that low life ex wife , or i am firing you!
Jesse Stone in Paradise
Jesse Stone with Sunny Randall reprised

High Profile
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399154043
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

The murder of a notorious public figure places Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone in the harsh glare of the media spotlight.

When the body of controversial talk-show host Walton Weeks is discovered hanging from a tree on the outskirts of Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone finds himself at the center of a highly public case, forcing him to deal with small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny. When another dead body-that of a young woman-is discovered just a few days later, the pressure becomes almost unbearable.

Two victims in less than a week should provide a host of clues, but all Jesse runs into are dead ends. But what may be the most disturbing aspect of these murders is the fact that no one seems to care-not a single one of Weeks's ex-wives, not the family of the girl. And when the medical examiner reveals a heartbreaking link between the two departed souls, the mystery only deepens.

Despite Weeks's reputation and the girl's tender age, Jesse is hard-pressed to find legitimate suspects. Though the crimes are perhaps the most gruesome Jesse has ever witnessed, it is the malevolence behind them that makes them all the more frightening. Forced to delve into a world of stormy relationships, Jesse soon comes to realize that knowing whom he can trust is indeed a matter of life and death.

Customer Reviews:

Ack.......2007-08-17

Thirty-five years ago Mr. Parker started a series about a guy who thought and and acted differently, and the books were fresh and clever. The thing about the books was the way the charaters thought about things, and that was expressed through dialog. By now, we all know very well how RBP's chraacters think, so there's really nothing new to say, unless we start having the characters say things that no person on earth would say. If you can sit through this without wishing that most of the protagonists would be stabbed or beaten, God bless you.

Worthy addition to the Stone sagas..........2007-08-09

First, it might help if the readers understand that I get my Parker books from the library, so I have not invested the typical $20 or so purchase price. Second, I have been a Parker fan for about 30 years, so I tend to give him a break now and then. He does not need the benefit of the doubt for this entry into the Jesse Stone series, however. It is a quick read, as are all of Parker's dialogue-heavy, description-light productions, but the two murders which set the plot going are interestingly done. The suspects are numerous, the clues few. Even better than the murder mystery however, is the double triangle Parker set up by bringing private detective Sunny Randall into Jesse's love life. Sunny, of course, has a book series of her own, but in this one she is a supporting character. Events bring her into an important temporary role in the life of Jesse's former wife Jenn. Jesse and Jenn can't live together, but can't make their divorce a firm fact, either...just as Sunny cannot get her former mate, Richie, out of her own bed totally. Yet Sunny and Jesse seem ideal for each other. Many fans may resent the love complications taking up so much of the book, but to me, they have become more compelling than the killings being investigated. You'll be done with reading this in three hours, so whether it is worth buying instead of borrowing is a tough question. But for me, it worked, and gave me pleasure.

Jesse please get over that low life ex wife , or i am firing you!.......2007-08-04

This is enough! I love Parker, and i love Jesse Stone.He showed great promise in the beginning of the Stone series.However, i am tired of his hanging on to that low life, cheating, obviously disturbed ex wife. I also found Sunny's relationship with Jenn to be odd. If i had the opp to be with a great guy, no way would i condone the way his ex wife jerks him around. Geez, either add more plot or i am firing you Parker.

Jesse Stone in Paradise.......2007-07-22

This is the last book I will ever purchase by Mr. Parker, after a lifetime of buying his hardcovers. The reason? His ridiculous and unreal mooning over a really unlikeable, unbelievable ex-wife which serves only to detract from the real character of Jesse Stone.

We like to think of Jesse Stone as a solver of problems: he is doing just that now in Paradise, MA...it is unreal to believe that, five books later he has come no further than the juvenile pining portrayed by Mr. Parker in this book. It seems to be getting worse, rather than better which only serves to make us feel Jesse is going backwards....and we do not want to believe that for a moment.

Hopefully, Mr. Parker will find a really good shrink and clear his head of this unproductive mess. Then, we can concentrate and the terrific plot and story lines he brings us and not be sidetracked by the dumbdown of an unbelievable side story. Too many pages on too little reality.

Jesse Stone with Sunny Randall reprised.......2007-06-27

The plot is slightly better than OK because of the rather lame outcome, but that aside, this is a first-rate detective novel. I especially like the fact that all of the characters are flawed, i.e., realistic, uncertain of themselves. One does not often see that to such an extent in the heroes of mysteries. And the atmosphere of Paradise, Mass. and New York City has a good feel.

But the very best thing about this, the feature that raises it from about average to excellent, is the dialogue. There is a smoothness to it, a realism that includes humor even when the situation does not call for it. Again, Parker reminds me of Lawrence Block and you can't say anything nicer than that.

The perps were a trifle obvious, I think most readers will find. Murderers in mysteries are usually the ones the reader suspects least, which, in turn, makes the murderers the most obvious--if that makes any sense at all.

Let's hope that Jesse and Sunny never quite get over their exes and that more combo books are in the offing. I'll read them all.

Average customer rating:

Unguessable!
Not her writing
Don't Let This Book Hide at the Bottom of Your Yet to Read Pile!
Plenty of twists and turns!
Great Beginning, Confounding Ending

Hide
Lisa Gardner
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0553804324
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

You have good reason to be afraid. . . .

It was a case that haunts Bobby Dodge to this day—the case that nearly killed him and changed his life forever. Now, in an underground chamber on the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital, the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses resurrects his worst nightmare: the return of a killer he thought dead and buried. There’s no place to run. . . . Bobby’s only lead is wrapped around a dead woman’s neck. Annabelle Granger has been in hiding for as long as she can remember. Her childhood was a blur of new cities and assumed identities. But what—or who—her family was running from, she never knew. Now a body is unearthed from a grave, wearing a necklace bearing Annabelle’s name, and the danger is too close to escape. This time, she’s not going to run. You know he will find you. . . .

The new threat could be the dead psychopath’s copycat, his protégé—or something far more terrifying. Dodge knows the only way to find him is to solve the mystery of Annabelle Granger, and to do that he must team up with his former lover, partner, and friend D. D. Warren from the Boston P.D. But the trail leads back to a woman from Bobby’s past who may be every bit as dangerous as the new killer—a beautiful survivor-turned-avenger with an eerie link to Annabelle. From its tense opening pages to its shocking climax, Hide is a thriller that delves into our deepest, darkest fears. Where there is no one to trust. Where there is no place left to hide.

Customer Reviews:

Unguessable!.......2007-08-26

Annabelle Granger has spent her whole life on the run and she doesn't even know what she has been running from. While she was growing up her father uprooted the family every 12-18 months to keep her safe from a threat but he never told her what exactly that threat was. And now, with her parents both dead, there is little chance of her ever finding all the answers. After all the family name changes, she doesn't even know what her real name is. Is it really Annabelle Granger?

A grave is found on the site of an old abandoned mental hospital containing 6 murdered girls, one of whom has a bracelet with 'Annabelle Granger' on, one that Annabelle remembers finding gift wrapped on her doorstep when she was a child, before all the family moves. She goes to the police to let them know that she is alive and well. They have as many questions about her life as she does and it's a rush to find the answers - who killed the girls, was this person the threat that her father tried to save Annabelle from, and is Annabelle still at risk?

This is a truly fantastic thriller. Annabelle is so unsure of her identity it is almost like she is trying to deal with amnesia. In finding out who she is she has to find out who she can trust and that entails letting down her guard, something her father has trained her never to do. I kept thinking that I had worked out who Annabelle was and who the threat was and then there was another twist and I was back at square one again. I like an author who can keep it fresh and keep me guessing and Lisa Gardner certainly did that for me in "Hide". I can't wait for her next book.

Not her writing.......2007-08-09

This of course is the sequel of "Alone" and I'll ask the same question: where's the plot? After read so many excellent books written by LG like: "The Other Daughter", "The Next Accident", "The Survivorss Club", "The Perfect Husband" among many others I'd think that LG didn't wrote these two stories. I cant't believe that after writing so many books that you can't close she wrote this kind of gibberish. I'm still a great LG's fan and I'll be waiting for the next one. But this surely is not her kind of writing.

Don't Let This Book Hide at the Bottom of Your Yet to Read Pile!.......2007-08-05

Have read a few of Gardner's books and this is easily the best of them. One of those books was Alone which also had a few of the characters from this novel. Although this novel could easily be read as a standalone novel I would recommend reading Alone first as paragraphs in Hide do give away key plot points of that novel. You'll also have a greater understanding of the characters who are back again if you read Alone first. They are both great reads.

I actually don't know why Gardner didn't just use fresh characters as the plot from Alone paid no real part for Hide's plot but as I said by using that novel's characters she does give away parts of that storyline and ultimately some of the reader's enjoyment if they chose to read that after.

In Hide ex sniper but still Massachusetts state cop Bobby Dodge is contacted by his ex, who is homicide detective for the city. She takes him on a tour of a new crime scene where six mummified little girls are found in an underground chamber on an ex mental hospital's grounds. Annabelle Granger's father has had her changing identities for most of her life and upon learning one of the victims was wearing a necklace with her original name on it she decides to tell the police the bizarre tale of her life. Soon it becomes apparent the necklace used to be hers, she gave it to her childhood friend who disappeared not long after her family did. Was she meant to be the victim? Is this killer what her father had her family running from?

Hide is a great read! I will definitely check out other Gardner novels.

Plenty of twists and turns!.......2007-08-02

I really enjoyed this book. I have read a number of Lisa Gardner novels and I believe that "Hide" is the best. There were plenty of twists and turns but still the author kept the main character, Annabelle, at the center of this wonderful mystery. I won't go into detail about the book as there are many already, except to add that the plot is exciting and the story will keep you turning pages. I think one of the most accurate aspects of the book was that the characters are well developed and the conclusion didn't leave any loose ends. This is a wonderful, suspenseful mystery that I would recommend.

Another mystery novel that will draw you completely into the story is The Monopoly Factor by Robert L. Saunders. Beware! You may stay up till 2am reading this thrilling story. Saunders writing is wonderfully smooth and the text flows with such supple and natural ease in this story of corporate deceit, greed and murder. There's a bit of romance between Barry and Susan and you can't help but root for them all the way through this exciting mystery. You won't be disappointed. Have a good read.

Great Beginning, Confounding Ending.......2007-07-29

This was my first Lisa Gardner book, and I read it quickly. It was fast paced, interesting--a real page turner. However, the ending made absolutely no sense. Another reviewer termed it perfectly: "contrived." It was as if the author had run out of steam and needed to finish the book, so she threw something out there. *SPOILER ALERT*--What frustrated me the most was how Annabelle's highly "intelligent" father, was unable to track down his brother after he shot him in the head. Also, it would seem that someone shot in the head would probably suffer brain damage, so why would "Russell" think that his brother was still a threat, and instead of running from "Tommy," why not search for him?! But the most illogical "surprise," was how "Ben" coincidentally found Annabelle and "knew" it was her. Non-sensical, I say! Other than the disappointing ending, this was a good read.

Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine (Pocket Notebook)

Average customer rating:

Must have for the med-student or resident.
One of the best internal medicine handbook
Fantastic resource!
Must Have
Without a doubt, a must-have for IM residency...

Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine (Pocket Notebook)

Manufacturer: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

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ASIN: 0781744474

Book Description

Prepared by residents and attending physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital, this pocket-sized looseleaf is one of the best-selling references for medical students, interns, and residents on the wards and candidates reviewing for internal medicine board exams. In bulleted lists, tables, and algorithms, Pocket Medicine provides key clinical information about common problems in all areas of internal medicine. The looseleaf binding resembles the familiar "pocket brain" notebook that most students and interns carry and allows users to add notes. This thoroughly updated Second Edition includes a new section on neurological problems, particularly stroke and seizures.

Pocket Medicine, Second Edition is also available electronically for PDAs. See PDA listing for details.

Customer Reviews:

Must have for the med-student or resident........2007-05-23

But you already knew that. Just buy it already!

One of the best internal medicine handbook.......2007-05-13

One of the best. Buy this one if you would only buy one. Very readable.

Fantastic resource!.......2007-05-08

I did not know what i was missing till i bought this book....it holds a surprisingly large amount of info given its size....a must have for all medicine residents.....

Must Have.......2007-05-06

Not too much to say here, this is a must have and you see it in the coats of med student, interns, residents and attendings. New version out in October if you can wait.

Without a doubt, a must-have for IM residency..........2007-03-05

This book will save the rear-ends of both you & your patients. I rarely find a topic which isn't covered in this book when I need it. The index is superb, and full, concise explanations are there to guide your diagnosis/workup. It fits nicely into my white coat, and I feel pretty vulnerable without it.. especially doing new admissions or consults. Get yourself this book and do everyone a favor.

Average customer rating:

Not the best
Mercy
Where was the surprise?
Have mercy on yourself and skip this book
Sorry, I Don't believe this was Jodi's Best

Mercy
Jodi Picoult
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743422449
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Book Description

Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy.

Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval, and drives a wedge into a contented marriage: Cameron, aiding the prosecution in their case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife, Allie -- seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he'd grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?

Praised for her "personal, detail-rich style" (Glamour), Jodi Picoult infuses this page-turning novel with heart, warmth, and startling candor, taking readers on an unforgettable emotional journey.

Download Description

Praised for her "personal, detail-rich style" (Glamour), Jodi Picoult infuses this page-turning novel with heart, warmth, and startling candor, taking readers on an unforgettable emotional journey.

Customer Reviews:

Not the best.......2007-09-20

This is the third Picoult book I've read and I have to say I was disappointed. The book did have some good parts but overall it lacked substance. I wouldn't read it again and I advise readers to pick another book instead.

Mercy.......2007-09-16

Another Jodi Picoult story with a controversial subject, in this case, euthanasia. The book examines all aspects of the mercy killing of a wife with end stage metastatic cancer by her husband who can't stand to see her suffer anymore. When she asks him to end her life he does in the most gentle way he can think of because he loves her so much. From begining to end it was a page turner.

Where was the surprise?.......2007-09-11

I have read Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper and am in the process of reading Keeping Faith. I loved the ending of the first two I finished and thought I would be ready for the surprise at the end of this one but it never happened. Definitely not impressed. Interesting story line until the end.

Have mercy on yourself and skip this book.......2007-08-17

Generally, I enjoy reading Picoult's books. Though the topics are often difficult, she writes in such a way that you wonder how you would react in the same situation. However, "Mercy" was an extreme disappointment. By midway, I could not have cared less about what happened to any of the characters. Cam and Mia are arrogant and selfish, Allie is too clueless to be believable and Jamie, the long suffering, tortured soul, is just too much.

I have a hard time believing it was written by the same person who wrote "My Sister's Keeper" and "19 Minutes".

Sorry, I Don't believe this was Jodi's Best .......2007-08-08

I believe this is my fourth book I've read by Jodi Picoult, and she is one of my favorite authors. My Sister's Keeper and Keeping Faith, are probably my favorites while with Mercy I didn't think that it was up to the standards Ms. Picoult normally puts forth in her novels. I'm sorry to say, but it's just my opinion. I was intrigued by the subject of the book, as I have been with all of her subject matter that she has written about. This book was supposed to focus on the question of mercy killing, and the scenario of would you kill someone that was very ill if they asked you to. However, a majority of the book was about Cam MacDonald, adultery, who is the sheriff of Wheelock, Mass.. His affair just seemed to ramble on and on as if the author was trying to justify it, but there was nothing that surface that I could see that really justified his eager romp. By mid point I was bored with the story, but plugged away, believing it was going to get better. The courtroom trial was a bit exciting, but for me the story never kept my interest. I admire Ms. Picoult writing skills, but I wasn't thrilled with Mercy. It's not a terrible book, just not a super read.

A novel that did not disappoint me was Gathering of Cans by Robert L. Saunders. This colorful evocation of Zoie Baker, the heroine in this Women's Fiction has some finely drawn characters. Zoie is a determine woman that feels right down to her bones that she can build a swimming pool by gathering aluminum cans. As she stumbles on unique cans, Mountain Dew, Nehi, etc, the author takes the reader on a glorious journey in the life of this astonishing character. This is a well-written and entertaining story that you don't want to miss. You won't be disappointed. Also, you Mystery lovers, check out his The Monopoly Factor. It's a real page turner that is full of meat. Bye.

Average customer rating:

Filed it in my circular file
doesn't live up to the hype
Comical, Compelling, Farcical, Fierce
Not His Best Work
So awful you can only laugh

Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Augusten Burroughs
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312425414
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe

Book Description

Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. At the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctors bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy and if things got dull an electroshock-therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing, and bestselling account of an ordinary boys survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Customer Reviews:

Filed it in my circular file.......2007-09-30

This book was advertised as darkly humorous. I found it dark but not humorous. It was the only book I can remember throwing away because I just couldn't see any redeeming value in it. The author fills us in on whats happening but not really how this affects him emotionally. I must admit I kept wondering where the neighbors were through all the weird goings on at the "old victorian house on a nice street". Also, the scenes between Neil and the author were just a little to graphic. I'm not asking for sugar coating, I know these things happen, but just a little less detail would have been better. I was disappointed with this book and wish I had taken the time to read the reviews before I bought it. Don't waste your time or your money.

doesn't live up to the hype.......2007-09-23

I gave it a solid 50 pages before putting it down. AB just goes on and on about his outrageous teen years and probably embellished events without discernable humor. This is another one that makes me ask how did it ever end up on the best-seller's list. I suppose its popularity is due to its being compared to Sedaris but it is not near as good. Though I'm not a huge fan of Sedaris either at least there are occasional points of humor that are completely lacking with Burroughs who just plays up his disfunctional family and sickening events of his childhood..yada..yada..yawn. Sick/crazy/unique childhood doesn't alone doesn't make entertaining writing.

Comical, Compelling, Farcical, Fierce.......2007-09-18

This was one of the most intriguing books I've ever listened to, not only the writing and the content, but he narration by the author. There is something about Augusten Burroughs' ability to talk to you as if you've known each other forever that is rare even among actors who normally narrate the best books. No matter how absurd the situation the main character finds himself in, his take on it is always that combination of wry amusement and naive expectation common to intelligent children.
I love Burroughs because although he is never childish, he is always childlike. Can't wait for more of his audiobooks!!!

Not His Best Work.......2007-09-17

I would like to start by saying that I LOVE Augusten Burroughs, his perspective, and his sharp wit. Unlike many people, "Running With Scissors" was not the first of Burrough's books that I read. While I found the book to be enjoyable enough, well written in a way that did not try to elicit pity where pity was clearly deserved, and an easy read, I have preferred every one of his other books to this one.

It's something I can't quite place my finger on that seemed to be absent from this book and not from his others. It's worth a read, if only to gain perspective and insight into the person he becomes and discusses in the rest of his books.

So awful you can only laugh.......2007-09-14

The entire point of this memoir seems to be that you can either go under or you can laugh. Horrifying and funny at the same time. He has managed to find humor - black though it may be - out of what is truly a nightmare. This is going to be a book you will either love or hate. I can't see it being a book that garners middle of the road reactions.

Average customer rating:

Boston

Boston: A Pictorial Souvenir
Carol Highsmith , and Ted Landphair
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517201437
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Book Description

Boston, that historical center of colonial charm, splendid parklands, superior universities, and technological development, is an endlessly fascinating place. It is the cauldron, not just of American freedom, but also, arguably, of modern democracy itself. The great names of Boston—Revere, Hancock, Adams, Kennedy, Lodge, O'Neill—are American legends. The stops along the Freedom and the Black Freedom trails are cornerstones of Early American life. Luckily for visitors, this old port city is compact, easily walkable, and eminently photogenic.
Gleaming skyscrapers have asserted their place in the skyline, but Boston seems little changed from the days when Henry David Thoreau dropped in on the Old Corner Bookstore. In this stunning new collection of full-color portraits, renowned photographer Carol M. Highsmith captures the principal historic landmarks from the African Meeting House to John F. Kennedy's birthplace in Brookline; neighborhoods from tony Beacon Hill to the eclectic South End; thriving downtown shops and restaurants; the major universities and celebrated museums; and the "Emerald Necklace" of parklands. A lively, information-packed introduction and captions by award-winning writer Ted Landphair offer the perfect complement to Highsmith's outstanding images.
Boston: A Pictorial Souvenir celebrates the enduring elegance of New England's hub city. It is the perfect souvenir of a memorable visit, and the ideal gift for anyone who savors history, unforgettable architecture, cultural vitality, and high-tech innovation—the diversity that is truly Boston.

Customer Reviews:

Boston.......2002-09-01

This is a good book as a souvenir and after having visited Boston six times, I know many of the places photographed and can vividly recall the moments I spent there. There's a detailed introduction looking at all aspects of Bostonian life, including some fabulous old photographs. The rest of the book presents the modern-day town, from the architecture to its people, traditional and contemporary. A lot of the photographs focus on detail, with some good camera angles, but I feel some more general views could have been used to get a better impression of this fantastic town.

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Spenser Fans Will Enjoy, But...
Hundred Dollar Baby Spencer Book
Sometimes love just ain't enough . . .
A Red Silk Garter. A Steel-Standard Gun. The Valentine Lifeline.
Please get rid of Susan

Hundred-Dollar Baby
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399153764
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

A client from a decades-old case reaches out to Boston PI Spenser-but can he rescue troubled April Kyle once more?

Longtime Spenser fans will remember that once upon a time, though not so long ago, there was a girl named April Kyle-a beautiful teenage runaway who turned to prostitution to escape her terrible family life. The book was 1982's Ceremony, and, thanks to Spenser, April escaped Boston's "Combat Zone" for the relative safety of a high-class New York City bordello. April resurfaced in Taming a Sea-Horse, again in dire need of Spenser's rescue-this time from the clutches of a controlling lover. But April Kyle's return in Hundred-Dollar Baby is nothing short of shocking.

When a mature, beautiful, and composed April strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI barely hesitates before recognizing his once and future client. Now a well-established madam herself, April oversees an upscale call-girl operation in Boston's Back Bay. Still looking for Spenser's approval, it takes her a moment before she can ask him, again, for his assistance. Her business is a success; what's more, it's an all-female enterprise. Now that some men are trying to take it away from her, she needs Spenser.

April claims to be in the dark about who it is that's trying to shake her down, but with a bit of legwork and a bit more muscle, Spenser and Hawk find ties to organized crime and local kingpin Tony Marcus, as well as a scheme to franchise the operation across the country. As Spenser again plays the gallant knight, it becomes clear that April's not as innocent as she seems. In fact, she may be her own worst enemy.

Customer Reviews:

Spenser Fans Will Enjoy, But..........2007-10-04

Years ago, Boston PI Spenser made a difficult decision in helping troubled teen April Kyle get off the streets. Now the adult April is back in Boston running an upscale call-girl operation. April says she has been pretty successful in running the all-women business, but recently some thugs have been threatening to take it all away from her. They've come by the business a few times to squeeze some money from her and now they've starting beating up some of her workers and she wants Spenser to stop them. Spenser, who still wonders if he made the right decision years ago in sending April to work for Madame Patricia Utley, agrees to help April. But the more involved Spenser gets, the more he realizes that several people are lying to him, including April. The deeper Spenser digs into the case, the more he realizes that it's not going to have a happy ending.

Robert Parker fans will enjoy "Hundred-Dollar Baby" but other readers may find it lacking. It's a sequel of sorts to Ceremony, an earlier, gritty and thought-provoking Spenser book. "Hundred-Dollar Baby" is not as good as "Ceremony", but it's still a good, quick read. At this point, Parker can probably write the Spenser books in his sleep. The book is dialogue driven and much of the dialogue feels like it could be lifted from this book and inserted into any other Spenser book especially Spenser's conversations with long-time girlfriend Susan Silverman (as can his observations about her eating habits). I love the repartee between Hawk and Spenser, but all too often other characters exchange the same witty dialogue, so they all blur together as characters. The plot line with April is interesting, with some twists and turns and a surprising, if somewhat unbelievable ending. Long-time fans will enjoy seeing characters from other Spenser books turn up in this one including April, Patricia Utley, Eugene Corsetti, and Tedy Sapp. Parker's greatest strength is his ability to capture the streets of Boston in his writing and he again does it well in this book - I could picture the various streets and locations in my mind while reading the book.

"Hundred-Dollar Baby" doesn't break any new ground, but Spenser fans will still enjoy it.

Hundred Dollar Baby Spencer Book.......2007-09-30

good read, classic Parker/Spencer book. not his best but not bad at all and I certainly wouldn't turn it away. overall, I enjoyed it.

Sometimes love just ain't enough . . ........2007-08-23

In this novel, Spenser is again trying to save April Kyle (first seen in Ceremony then again in Taming a Seahorse) from herself. April has approached him for help - Patricia Utley has set April up with her own house of ill repute in Boston, but someone is trying to shake her down and April would like Spenser to protect her and find out who is trying to take over her business. When Spenser begins to investigate, he finds that maybe April isn't telling the whole truth.

Sweet and sad, Spenser has to come to the realization that maybe he can't always be the knight in shining armor. He can't help someone who doesn't want helping.

On a slightly tangential note, since this will be my last Spenser book for awhile (until I get High Profile); according to the time-line laid down in these books, Spenser should be about the same age as my dad - that is, somewhere in his 70s. Now, admittedly my dad is a tough cookie - a real-life cowboy who is still out there riding broncs. However, Spenser is still behaving like a man in the prime of his life. Interesting. . . :-)

A Red Silk Garter. A Steel-Standard Gun. The Valentine Lifeline........2007-07-24

Reading this novel was quietly satisfying, a gentle goodbye, a perfectly seasoned acknowledgment of external reality and time, with Spenser's subjective warmth settled and safely sealed, allowing space for the conclusion.

The story opened with Parker's confidence long established, showing, and flowing, in a touching scene holding April's return to Spenser's Private Eye world of righteous rescue.

Though I hope I'm wrong, HUNDRED DOLLAR BABY, # 34 in the series, felt like a gift wrapped, final Spenser. Thankfully, I had already purchased and received from Amazon the first novels of Parker's other two series, NIGHT PASSAGE, and FAMILY HONOR. I'm half-way into NIGHT PASSAGE with Jesse Stone seeming like a young Spenser being maneuvered through some less bright choices than Spenser made, showing how those choices dimmed the path. Yet, thankfully, Stone isn't totally stoned, hasn't abandoned his heart. He seems to be living on a precipice of dynamically balanced shadow and light. I like his quiet, stately strength and self-acceptance.

The copyright of NIGHT PASSAGE was filed in 1997. The copyright of HUNDRED DOLLAR BABY was filed in 2006. The literary contrast between these novels seemed to be much greater than 9 years, yet both are excellent works of classic literature. To be different doesn't have to mean more or less than.

With my lifeline set in Spenser's other 2 series, I'm stepping away from my study of Spenser with this review, though not as gracefully nor as eloquently as Parker wrapped his insightful study of Spenser's belief in Romantic Love Vs Sex For Hire, exposing through pages turning brightly, the high and low ends of both.

From Page 272 of the hardcover, at the end of Chapter 60 (of 64 Chapters):
>>
"Why you after April Kyle?"
"I'm trying to save her," I said.
"From What?"
"I Don't know," I said.
<<

Insights to share filled my mind as I read this novel. Now I can't remember them. I remember only that the read was every bit as satisfying as each of the preceding 34, in a more peaceful, yet no less captivating way.

It seemed appropriate that Spenser and Susan's Valentine's Day dinner-with-poetry-exchange be celebrated in this novel about "Looking for love in all the wrong (and right) places/ways." You'll want to read Parker's descriptions of the simple, earthy sensitivity of that sharing which takes place a little over half-way into the book. Here's a small sample of that scene, to prime your need to read more (Page 164, Chapter 37):

>> We began with cocktails. Cosmopolitan for Susan. Martini for me, on the rocks, with a twist. We were alone and it was safe, we exchanged poems written expressly for the occasion, as we always did. [Here a simple, touching description of the poems was included].... After we're gone," I said, What do you suppose people will think?" <<

I think, "Thank You."
Linda Shelnutt

Please get rid of Susan.......2007-06-29

My husband and I are both loyal Spenser fans but are so tired of his relationship with Susan and their tedious conversations. My husband wants him back with Rita. I just want Susan gone. Women her age often get breast cancer.

Average customer rating:

A Very Solid Novel
Couldn't Finish the Book
Chekov would've hated this novel
Lovely characters
Not literally a good book but nevertheless, a great one.

On Beauty
Zadie Smith
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143037749

Amazon.com

In an author's note at the end of On Beauty, Zadie Smith writes: "My largest structural debt should be obvious to any E.M. Forster fan; suffice it to say he gave me a classy old frame, which I covered with new material as best I could." If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Forster, perched on a cloud somewhere, should be all puffed up with pride. His disciple has taken Howards End, that marvelous tale of class difference, and upped the ante by adding race, politics, and gender. The end result is a story for the 21st century, told with a perfect ear for everything: gangsta street talk; academic posturing, both British and American; down-home black Floridian straight talk; and sassy, profane kids, both black and white.

Howard Belsey is a middle-class white liberal Englishman teaching abroad at Wellington, a thinly disguised version of one of the Ivies. He is a Rembrandt scholar who can't finish his book and a recent adulterer whose marriage is now on the slippery slope to disaster. His wife, Kiki, a black Floridian, is a warm, generous, competent wife, mother, and medical worker. Their children are Jerome, disgusted by his father's behavior, Zora, Wellington sophomore firebrand feminist and Levi, eager to be taken for a "homey," complete with baggy pants, hoodies and the ever-present iPod. This family has no secrets--at least not for long. They talk about everything, appropriate to the occasion or not. And, there is plenty to talk about.

The other half of the story is that of the Kipps family: Monty, stiff, wealthy ultra-conservative vocal Christian and Rembrandt scholar, whose book has been published. His wife Carlene is always slightly out of focus, and that's the way she wants it. She wafts over all proceedings, never really connecting with anyone. That seems to be endemic in the Kipps household. Son Michael is a bit of a Monty clone and daughter Victoria is not at all what Daddy thinks she is. Indeed, Forster's advice, "Only connect," is lost on this group.

The two academics have long been rivals, detesting each other's politics and disagreeing about Rembrandt. They are thrown into further conflict when Jerome leaves Wellington to get away from the discovery of his father's affair, lands on the Kipps' doorstep, falls for Victoria and mistakes what he has going with her for love. Howard makes it worse by trying to fix it. Then, Kipps is granted a visiting professorship at Wellington and the whole family arrives in Massachusetts.

From this raw material, Smith has fashioned a superb book, her best to date. She has interwoven class, race, and gender and taken everyone prisoner. Her even-handed renditions of liberal and/or conservative mouthings are insightful, often hilarious, and damning to all. She has a great time exposing everyone's clay feet. This author is a young woman cynical beyond her years, and we are all richer for it. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

Winner of the 2006 Orange Prize for fiction and from the celebrated author of White Teeth comes another bestselling masterwork

Having hit bestseller lists from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle, this wise, hilarious novel reminds us why Zadie Smith has rocketed to literary stardom. On Beauty is the story of an interracial family living in the university town of Wellington, Massachusetts, whose misadventures in the culture wars—on both sides of the Atlantic—serve to skewer everything from family life to political correctness to the combustive collision between the personal and the political. Full of dead-on wit and relentlessly funny, this tour de force confirms Zadie Smith's reputation as a major literary talent.

Named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, Time, and Publishers Weekly A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Denver Post, and Publishers Weekly bestseller A Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlantic Monthly, Newsday, Christian Science Monitor, and Minneapolis Star Tribune Best Book of the Year Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize BACKCOVER: Praise for On Beauty:

“A thoroughly original tale . . . wonderfully engaging, wonderfully observed . . . That rare thing: a novel that is as affecting as it is entertaining, as provocative as it is humane.”
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“A thing of beauty. Oh happy day when a writer as gifted as Zadie Smith fulfills her early promise with a novel as accomplished, substantive and penetrating as On Beauty.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Smith's specialty is her ability to render the new world, in its vibrant multiculturalism, with a kind of dancing, daring joy. . . . Her plots and people sing with life. . . . One of the best of the year, a splendid treat. ”
—Chicago Tribune

“Short-listed for [the 2005] Man Booker Prize, On Beauty is a rollicking satire . . . a tremendously good read.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

Download Description

"Howard Belsey, a Rembrandt scholar who doesn't like Rembrandt, is an Englishman abroad and a long-suffering professor at Wellington, a liberal New England arts college. He has been married for thirty years to Kiki, an American woman who no longer resembles the sexy activist she once was. Their three children passionately pursue their own paths: Levi quests after authentic blackness, Zora believes that intellectuals can redeem everybody, and Jerome struggles to be a believer in a family of strict atheists. Faced with the oppressive enthusiasms of his children, Howard feels that the first two acts of his life are over and he has no clear plans for the finale. Or the encore. Then Jerome, Howard's older son, falls for Victoria, the stunning daughter of the right-wing icon Monty Kipps, and the two families find themselves thrown together in a beautiful corner of America, enacting a cultural and personal war against the background of real wars that they barely register. An infidelity, a death, and a legacy set in motion a chain of events that sees all parties forced to examine the unarticulated assumptions which underpin their lives. How do you choose the work on which to spend your life? Why do you love the people you love? Do you really believe what you claim to? And what is the beautiful thing, and how far will you go to get it? Set on both sides of the Atlantic, Zadie Smith's third novel is a brilliant analysis of family life, the institution of marriage, intersections of the personal and political, and an honest look at people's deceptions. It is also, as you might expect, very funny indeed."

Customer Reviews:

A Very Solid Novel.......2007-09-25

Smith's OB is a fine novel. Not great. Not particularly memorable (at least I don't suppose that it will leave a lasting impression on me; I doubt I'll find myself quoting from it days, weeks, or years from now). But solid: well written, well styled, balanced, strong on character development, well researched. This last point bears underscoring. OB is a perfect evocation of university life, in certain quarters of certain universities. I'm not familiar with the details of Smith's own biography, but I assume she herself was, once upon a time, enrolled in a school similar to the eponymous one at the center of this novel. OB evinces the kind of offhand familiarity with academia that experience (and, I imagine, only rarely research) brings. Kudos to Smith for successfully toeing the very fine line between characterization and stereotyping. The protagonists of this novel, their strengths and their foibles, the storylines, the setting -- in short, everything about OB -- seem genuine. That said, OB gets 4 stars from this reader for the following reason: that which is genuine is not always compelling. In the end, OB felt over-long to me and a little less substantial than it might have been. The classics to which it has been compared, and on which it was consciously modeled, all have something this one lacks. For all the reasons I can imagine reading Howard's End again and again, at different stages of my life, I doubt I'll ever crack the pages of OB again. Smith is a fine writer, to be sure. I look forward to reading more of her in future. OB is a fine novel. It's no masterpiece, though.

Couldn't Finish the Book.......2007-09-17

I initially enjoyed this book and the characters but as I got further into the story, I started to feel like it wasn't going anywhere. The story seemed to run out of steam for me after Carlene discovered the truth about Howard's affair. I found myself wandering and losing interest after that point and then I finally gave up without finishing the book.

Chekov would've hated this novel.......2007-09-06

Chekov would've hated this novel. Why? By the end of the novel, there are a dozen guns on the mantle, not one of them fired.

Every character had potential. Every story thread had potential.
But non of them go anywhere!

I read the whole novel WAITING and nothing ever really happened.

There is an affair which has no real meaning in the book but to supposedly add weight. There are friendships which never go anyhwere.
The supposed main plot never even really happens.

Guns guns everywhere but not a single shot fired!

Lovely characters.......2007-09-01

Una de esas novelas que cuando las terminás, extrañás a todos los personajes como si los hubieras conocido. Tiene buen ritmo. Lo mejor: las descripciones de las familias y susmiembros. Lo de la académica de la pintura me pareció lo más flojo del texto.

Not literally a good book but nevertheless, a great one........2007-08-14

I read this book twice while in Senegal and it really got me interested in the work of Zadie Smith. I have since read White Teeth which I too thought was amazing but quite different in approach and method.

When looking to rate in some nebulous, objective manner the quality of an author's work, it may be best to look into what the author set out to accomplish in the first place. If Smith was setting out to do some sort of historical fiction or dramatized non-fiction about the American academic culture or do some scathing exposition of the dodgy world of Rembrandt criticism, she had done a bad job of it (Zadie Smith is not a documentarian in the strict sense of the word, she is, however, a great recreator of contemporary Western society). That's why I don't think it's the case that she sought to do that kind of story.

This book is about two things: middle age and social (interpersonal) politics, it is as much about the interaction between middle age and social politics as it is the way each of them affect the whole lives of the characters in the story. The story of Howard is terribly interesting because one can delight in his downfall as he realizes his agedness yet realize that the mistakes he makes along the way are at least human, if not understandable in some instances (the pridefulness of wishing to be recognized for his academic work at the expense of his nemesis). Of course, Smith doesn't stray far from her character wheelhouse of hybrids too, which always adds some pretty attractive complication to the storyline.

A great book on an interesting subject.

Average customer rating:

Well Played
Miller's finest
A story of betrayal and personal ethics!
delightful
A Timeless Parable; A Theatrical Masterpiece

The Crucible (Penguin Classics)
Arthur Miller
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142437336
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Book Description

Based on historical people and real events, Arthur Miller's play uses the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence unleashed by the rumors of witchcraft as a powerful parable about McCarthyism.

Introduction by Christopher Bigsby

Customer Reviews:

Well Played.......2007-09-11

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", a four act play about the Salem witch trials in 1692, is a wonderful drama that speaks about intolerance and authoritarian power in society.

The heart of the play is not about the accusations of witchcraft, but about the conditions that led to the accusations and how quickly people will take advantage of one another during hysteria. It is a historical reminder (and a warning) that people died because of hysterical fanaticism in an authoritarian culture. Miller takes this important lesson in history, adds words to the historic figures, and makes a darn good fictional drama depicting their roles in this historic event. The action inside the court room is beautifully constructed and explores the idea of injustices being perpetuated in a sanctuary designed to create justice.

Miller does a great job creating scenes that evoke outrage and indignation while keeping the characters real and human. John Procter is not be looked upon as the "hero" or "victim" because of his past indiscretions and ignorance, just as Abigail Williams is not to be looked upon as the "villain" because her actions are perpetuated by a persecuted youth who is suddenly granted power by the courts. The characters are an interesting mix of people caught-up in a blizzard of conditions that were just right to give innuendos truth and superstitions law.

I found the play very enjoyable and entertaining even without all the parallels to what was happening in the 1950's when it was written.

Miller's finest.......2007-09-01

Along with Death of a Salesman, The Crucible is deservedly known as one of the greatest American plays of all time.

A story of betrayal and personal ethics!.......2007-06-12

This tragic and thought provoking story follows the time period of the Salem Witch trials and the victims who were wrongly accused. "The Crucible" preaches for justice, truth and loyalty. When the Proctor's wife, and later on the Proctor himself, are unfortunately called under trail for relations with the devil, the pair suffers through the ordeals of asking for forgiveness of their sins or dying with pride as they know they are innocent. As they are being tried in court, Mary is the sole person who can testify if the allegations against them are true or not. In the beginning, she stayed loyal to the truth despite the pressures from society to condemn them. Yet eventually Mary breaks under the pressure of her peers and agrees that the pair is indeed guilty of their accusations, although they are innocent. She clearly gives in because of the fear she had of her own life, worrying if others would become suspicious of her. The proctor eventually refuses to repent for something he does not do, but is he still eventually hanged for his crime? Read this story to find out! As you read, benefit from it's parallels to the struggles in our society today, where the justice systems gets overly involved in the moral investments and rumors of the outside world. This book is the perfect historical account to one of the most despicable times in history, it preaches loyalty to the truth even in the worst of times.

delightful.......2007-03-27

This play by Arthur Miller is definitely worth reading, partly because of its engaging storyline and also for its succinctness. This play can pretty much be a model for what play should really be like. It has complex characters that at times both amuse and scare us, a straightforward storyline that is not without it's twists and turns, and most importantly, a fascinating topic that is in relation to historical context.

The plot revolves around the historic Salem Witch Hunt in Salem, Massachusets. A young woman named Abigail is among the others who are accused to performing witchcraft and for enthralling ordinary civilians. When they are finally proven guilty, they stand before court, but not before Abigail gains power in the justice and randomly convicts innocent women to be the "real" witches. The hyseria and corruption surrounding the court and Salem society as a whole will never be the same, as the innocent are convincted while the guilty are let go. Although fiction, this play does relate immensely to historical times, in which women indeed were sentenced to death during the trials for no reason and were never proven guilty. The story is written with eloquence and wit, with the occasional tad bit of humor and irony in the mix. The best part? The language is easy to understand, for us mere mortals at least.

A Timeless Parable; A Theatrical Masterpiece.......2007-02-15

Like many others, Elia Kazan flirted with the American Communist party in the 1930s; again like many others he was soon disgusted by the vicious totalitarianism of the Soviet Union and left the party. In the 1940s Kazan emerged as a major director, creating such films as GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT for the screen and staging playwright Arthur Miller's landmark dramas ALL MY SONS and DEATH OF A SALESMAN--but in the early 1950s his former affiliation with the American Communist Party came back to haunt him the form of the House Unamerican Activities Committee.

In the wake of World War II the American goverment began to fear that Soviet agents had infiltrated the country and were working for the overthow of American democracy. The film industry became a hotspot of investigation, with conservatives claiming that motion pictures were being used to popularize communist thought. Unfortunately, the House Unamerican Activities Committee was less interested in getting to the truth of the matter than in maintaining political power: American citizens were hauled before the committee; attacked, often for no reason; and found their careers and lives destroyed as a result. But there was a way around this. If you confessed you had been a communist (whether you had been or not), if you recanted your former beliefs (whether you had held them or not), and if you named names of others involved in the party (whether they had been or not)--you could survive. And when Kazan was called before the committee in 1952 that is precisely what he did.

Arthur Miller was so outraged by Kazan's behavior that he terminated both their longstanding friendship and highly successful working relationship; although they would eventually resume a working relationship, they had no contact for more than a decade. He also wrote a play about the situation: THE CRUCIBLE.

On the surface, THE CRUCIBLE is a retelling of the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692. The power-hungry Rev. Parrish has met with resistance in the town, and when his daughter Betty, his ward Abigail, and several other teenage girls are found dancing in the wood the community fears the worst: witchcraft. In order to protect himself, Parrish calls in Rev. Hale, an expert in such matters. In order to protect themselves, the girls confess--and then begin to name names of "other witches." In order to placate the court, those named must name others in turn, and the lies and hysteria turn into a cycle of power-grabs and revenge.

Among those named as a witch is Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor--a man who had a sordid affair with Abigail, who now sees the opportunity to get rid of Elizabeth via hanging and force Proctor into marriage. In an effort to protect his wife, Proctor goes before the court and denounces Abigail, but Abigail now turns on him as well, accusing him of being a witch. He is arrested and sentenced to hang. Rev. Hale, now aware of the fraud involved, begs Proctor to confess, even though the confession will be a lie. Proctor refuses and pays for his integrity with his life.

In broad historical outline, Miller's tale of the witch trials is quite accurate; he does, however, take considerable license with individual characters and relationships. Whatever the case, the result is a uniquely powerful play, not only as a story pure and simple but on a deeper level in its warning against the communist witch hunt of the 1950s--and any similar witch hunt, regardless of nature, which relies on a process created by those with ulterior motives and uses as evidence testimony extracted by fear of reprecussion. While most consider DEATH OF A SALESMAN Miller's finest play, I have always given that title to THE CRUCIBLE; unlike SALESMAN, which has a dated quality, THE CRUCIBLE has a timeless quality, remarkable in intensity, thought-provoking in subtext in ways which most plays are not. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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