Book Description
Dan Reingold was one of the top analysts on Wall Street. Specializing in telecom companies like WorldCom and Qwest, Reingold believed in Wall Street, and was a part of it. But in this insiders memoir, Reingold describes how his enthusiasm gradually gave way to disgust when he saw how deeply corrupt Wall Street really was. Because big investors had the advantage of inside information, which companies shared with more accomodating analysts, Reingold saw how a straight arrow like himself was doomed to fail.
Reingold is like an incredulous minister who mistakenly finds himself in a whore house. He struggles with temptation: for example, his employer, Credit Suisse First Boston, wants him to sign a contract that would give him huge incentives in return for essentially selling out his clients. He seethes with resentment at being continually trumped by his nemesis, Jack Grubman, who was viewed as a superstar and only later, fined and thrown out of the industry.
Ultimately, Reingold comes to terms with the corrupted, insiders game that was his profession. In the tradition of Liar's Poker, this is a lively, insiders account of how things really work on Wall Street that will teach even Eliot Spitzer a few things. To complete his tale, Reingold even sat through the 2005 trial of one of the most spectacular losers of the 1990s, fallen WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers, who Reingold knew in his heyday.
Customer Reviews:
Good read on the inner workings of Wall Street but..........2007-08-10
..but each time I felt that I liked the author, he kept bringing up instances to support his extreme dislike of Grubman. This really took away from the content and message of the book. I think it would have been enough to state how different he was from Grubman and then let his own example of hard, clean work be benchmark for the reader to compare the 2 analysts. In the end, no one can say Grubman was as honest a man as Reingold.
Interesting read.......2007-07-30
Interesting read for anyone interested in learning more about the stock analyst profession and the conflicts of interest that occurred during the dot com bubble during the late 90s.
Not Since "Den of Thieves...".......2007-07-29
Not Since the book "Den of Thieves" has a Wall Street expose been created that details the lurid "behind the scenes" events and actions affecting a major part of our nation's financial industry.
Author Dan Reingold, a former Wall Street telecom analyst, takes the reader on an intimate journey through the telecom stock "boom" and subsequent "bust" in the 1990's.
I found this book to be very insightful with particular interest to those of us who specialize in "day-trading" and dabbling in trading of stocks and options (at any level). Author Reingold warns:
"Of all the lessons I've learned in my time on the Street, the most difficult one to swallow is that I no longer believe in the transparency of the American financial system. When I came to the Street, I saw it as a place where there were plenty of sharks, but also as a place where American capitalism reigned supreme, a place where everyone has a chance to do well if they were smart, hardworking, and a little bit lucky. It was a game I enjoyed playing--at least until how I realized how corrupted the game had become.
But I also came to realize that for people who don't have access to this inner sanctum, Wall Street is not a game at all. It's deadly serious, and it's rigged against most of its participants--everyone but the few with a seat at Wall Street's special tables. If you take anything away from this book, I hope it is this unfortunate truth (pp 314-15)."
Well done and rated at five stars for taking the uncomfortable position of trying to sound the alarm while uncovering the truth.
JP
Inside scoop on the telecomm industry.......2007-07-15
The author gives all the dirt on what it was like to work on wall street during the telecomm craze of the eary 1990's. all the players are named and the best part that he concludes and proves how slimy it all is with concrete examples. Good book.
Good story about the job of a Research Analyst.......2007-03-09
This is a good description of what research analyst's job entails. However, one has to read this book with a grain of salt as the author may not have been forthcoming about the activities that he has been involved in that are in a gray area. Otherwise, though, it makes for interesting reading. I wonder if it becomes fuel for more regulatory changes on Wall Street.
Also, the salaries spoken about in this book are shocking. Read it to find out what they earn on Wall Street :-).
Book Description
Not yet famous for his Civil War masterpiece,
The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane was unable to find a publisher for his brilliant
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, finally printing it himself in 1893.
Condemned and misunderstood during Crane’s lifetime, this starkly realistic story of a pretty child of the Bowery has since been recognized as a landmark work in American fiction.
Now Crane’s great short novel of life in turn-of-the-century New York is published in its original form, along with four of Crane’s best short stories–The Blue Hotel, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, The Monster, and The Open Boat–stories of such remarkable power and clarity that they stand among the finest short stories ever written by an American.
Customer Reviews:
Heads up...this version is not the complete story.......2007-09-17
Just to let folks know--this version has passages that have been altered, shortened, or entirely removed from the original, and the ending is considerably changed. If you want Crane's work as it was originally published--and the ending that is both heartbreakingly bleak and visually evocative of her descent into the depths, definately buy another version. I recommend the Penguin Classics edition.
What could have been?.......2007-08-06
Let me first state that I do not own this specific edition of Maggie, and that I am only reviewing the actual story of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. I wasn't going to review this book since it is not the one that I own; however, after reading a previous review I decided that I had to review it.
First, this book is pretty much about what everyone said it is about. It is about a family living in the slums of turn-of-the-century New York. The protagonist of the book is a young girl named Maggie, whom is full of dreams and aspirations, unlike her loser relatives. Her main dream is to meet a good man and fall in love with him and start a family, to live happily ever after. However, the fellow that she chooses to fall in love with is a loser whom ends up leaving Maggie. Her family, not yet satisfied with all the harm that they caused Maggie during her childhood, disowns Maggie and drives her to her doom. I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that it doesn't end well for Maggie. It is extremely sad and disappointing to realize what Maggie could've been so much more. She was a beautiful and moral girl. Instead, she ends in tragedy.
Now, the previous reviewer stated that this book cannot be a classic because it is too short. I wasn't aware that there is a length requirements for classics. Also, the outdated slang and cussing is outdated because the story takes place in turn-of-the-century New York. I personally felt that this slang added greatly to the feel of the story.
You, the reader, should be the judge on the quality of this novel. Do not let poor reviews detract you from picking it up and giving it a good read. I am confident that if you focus on what Maggie could have been, it will make it easier for you to enjoy the story.
Maggie: Beaten From The Start.......2006-08-30
For those who read the full title of MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS, it is forgivable if they assume that Stephen Crane's novel is a sensationalistic tale of a fallen woman. Sensational it may be in parts, but it is far closer to the flood of naturalism that was dominating American literature in 1893. Naturalistic writing was marked by a belief that human beings were at the mercy of a brute and unfeeling nature that rigged the deck against anyone who dared to attempt to rise above his station. The usual result was the crushing defeat or death of that person. Crane had done extensive reading of European authors who led the way with their own naturalistic writings. In MAGGIE, Crane wrote of a good girl who wanted no more than to find the right guy to love, but everyone in her environment, even her own family, worked in tandem not only to stop her from achieving her goal but to demolish her in the process.
Maggie lives in the slum section of New York. Her dreams to better her life are much more modest than the heroines of any novel by Edith Wharton. Lily Bart of Wharton's HOUSE OF MIRTH was poor like Maggie but Lily sought to mingle with money and to marry into it. Maggie's dream was no more than to find love, and when her brother brought home his friend Pete, she thought she found it. Pete was handsome and what today we would call a "player." He dates Maggie for a while, raising her hopes of marriage, but after living with her, he tires of her and dumps her. Maggie's family is outraged, not so much at Pete for being a cad, which he certainly was, but at her for violating the Puritanical rules that forbad such a relation. Her family itself was not a paragon of virtue. Her mother and father drank heavily and alternately abused or ignored Maggie and her brother, who himself had impregnated several women and then dodged them when they showed up at Maggie's apartment demanding that he own up to his responsibilities. Maggie's sin, such as it is, pales into insignificance by comparison. Her family will not accept her back so she is left to wander the streets as a prostitute. The ending is predictable; Maggie jumps into the East River and drowns. In the literary world of naturalism, Crane had to create a hostile universe and people it with uncaring characters whose only function was to show that this universe truly was a hideous place to live. Once readers finish the novel, they are often stunned with the imbalance in the scales of cosmic justice, suggesting that Crane's vision of a brute nature may never go completely out of fashion.
Maggie.......2006-06-20
This was a classic????????
Not that that this book was terrible, but a classic?
Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!
Maggie was this street girl from the 1890's New York. She came from a poverty-stricken home who cussed a lot and beat up their children whenever they had the chance. She grew up an urbane child, and she fell in love with this butt-head, at first the Butthead appeared romantic and caring, yet when he dumped her for some other whore Maggie became insane and craved to become a prostitute. In the end she ended up hooking a man who was probably the most disgusting piece of s*** in all of New York. This book is a true tragedy indeed.
Just because this author wrote a classic book doesn't mean that every book he'd ever wrote was a classic. This book was filled with outdated cussing, outdated slang, and some more outdated cussing. Besides, it was too short to be a classic NOVEL anyway. However, there are some good things about this book. The plot is definitely well-written. It gives us a glance of how miserable some people truly are, and that fate can guide them to a very destructive ending. They have nothing to live for because they do not have futures. And so their hopes often are tied to a string, such meeting a man who you really love, and soon finds out that he doesn't love you. If you were Maggie, what would you have done. Wouldn't you probably end up walking the same path as she did?
A wonderful story, and the extra stories are just bonuses to a great package........2006-05-05
I read Maggie: A Girl of the Streets in about an hour and a half, but it didn't seem nearly that long, and I was sad when it was over. It's a very tragic story, and the reader feels real sympathy and pity for Maggie, making the end of the story even more sad. While I haven't read all of the other stories, the two that I have read were excellent. The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky was absolutely wonderful, and it's a testament to what love can do for someone. I read The Open Boat the other day, and I was impressed with that one as well. The camaraderie of the men in the boat was unparalled, and it really made me feel for them. As for the other stories, I haven't read them yet, but I will shortly. Highly recommended.
Book Description
The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.
This concise supplement to Cisneros' The House on Mango Street & Woman Hollering Creek & Other Stories helps students delve into both story collections, highlighting the wide, encompassing and vibrant lives of Latinas of all ages, from Mexican villas to the barrios of Chicago, and places in between.
This user-friendly guide makes studying a snap with visual icons flagging key themes, literary devices, and more. You'll come to understand the overall structure of the works, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author. Features that help you study include
- A character map, with brief descriptions, and that identifies relationships
- Summaries and commentaries
- A survey of the author's life that offers insight into her writing style
- Descriptive character analyses
- Critical essays on themes, form, and language
- A review section that tests your knowledge
Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure â you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.
Book Description
When the head of Columbia Pictures, David Begelman, got caught forging Cliff Robertson's name on a $10,000 check, it seemed, at first, like a simple case of embezzlement. It wasn't. The incident was the tip of the iceberg, the first hint of a scandal that shook Hollywood and rattled Wall Street. Soon powerful studio executives were engulfed in controversy; careers derailed; reputations died; and a ruthless, take-no-prisoners corporate power struggle for the world-famous Hollywood dream factory began.
First published in 1982, this now classic story of greed and lies in Tinseltown appears here with a stunning final chapter on Begelman's post-Columbia career as he continued to dazzle and defraud . . . until his last hours in a Hollywood hotel room, where his story dramatically and poignantly would end.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Study in Greed and Hubris.......2007-04-05
I bought this book when it first came out and have reread it every year or so. Tends to be a bit long and sometimes slow, but it's great. Buy a used copy, or check at the library.
Being from the Washington D.C. area I kept constantly asking why someone didn't leak this to the press and blow the whole compiristy.
The only comparable book is "The Great Salad Oil Swindle"
Domino Effect.......2004-04-08
David Begelman, powerful head of a studio thinks he is above the law, until an actor by the name of Cliff Robertson exposes him. This book is a well written tale of immorality in a town known for it's lack of scruples. Hollywood insiders should not be surprised at this tale, but I was. The check Begelman forged was for a small amount. The man made more than that in a month. The book exposes the reasons why a man who had it all, would choose to commit such a crime and fall from grace. I was quite disappointed by Robertson's treatment by Hollywood's hierarchy when he was the victim, not Begelman. But it proves just how far studios will go to protect the bottom line. I read this book when it was first published years ago and I'm reading it again. The list of books I will read more than once is a short one. I highly recommend it.
Good Coverage of Major Scandal!.......2003-11-30
This book gives details of David Begelman the head man at
Columbia Pictures getting caught forging Cliff Robertson's name
on a check. Robertson had won an Oscar for his role in Charly.
As a result of Begelman getting caught Roberetson would suffer
mightily at the hands of the powerful in Hollywood.Cliff Robertson wound up being blacklisted as a result of this scandal.This scandal would send shockwaves from Hollywood to
Wall Street.You are given a complete coverage of this event in
this excellent book.You are given good coverage of some of the
individuals who were involved in this scandal.David Begelman's demise is also given coverage in this book.This is an excellent book on this event. Read it. You will not be dissapointed.
Cliff Robertson is the true star of this story........1998-06-06
David Begelman would never have been exposed as the crook he was without the dogged, principled determination of Cliff Robertson to get to the bottom of corruption at the top levels of Hollywood. This excellent book documents Robertson's heroic efforts to get at the truth -- for which he was blackballed by the Hollywood establishment for years. Cliff once said to me: "Of all the things in my life I'm proud of -- if I'm proud at all -- it's not winning the best actor Oscar or Emmy; it's my part in bringing down that crook Begelman."
But perhaps the book is most valuable for its exposure of the top echelon of Hollywood -- people with lots of money and no taste; people who know nothing whatever about movies. And could care less. I hope this book is reprinted soon. It is timeless.
A fascinating study of the real powers of Tinseltown........1997-11-27
First things first. This book only gets an "8" becuase I realize some people could care less about studio executives in Hollywood(unless their name is Julia Phillips or Steven Speilberg, both of whom make appearences in the book) but it truly is a ten. It is truly an amazing tale: what starts out as a theft of less then a $100, 000 becomes a battle for corporate power. David Begelman, the man behind the scandal, isn't even the main character of the book. It's Alan Hirschfield trying, desperately, to do the responible business decisions he was hired to do and is one of only a few major players in this detailed history to remain a completely sympathetic person by story's end. Indecent Exposure is truly is one of great true life American Dramas I have ever read. (Review by Michael Goodman)
Average customer rating:
- Sonny Tabor and Kid Wolf ride again
- Hey Pards...Saddle Up For A Great Ride Through The World Of The Pulp Western
- Pulpwriter
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Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street
Paul S. Powers
Manufacturer: Bison Books
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Desert Justice (Leisure Western)
ASIN: 0803259840 |
Book Description
He wrote under at least eight pseudonyms, published hundreds of short stories and novellas in pulp magazines, and lived a life at times as outrageous as his fiction. Pulp Writer tells of Paul S. Powers’s travels from serious literary ambitions to the pages of Wild West Weekly, of his seeking his fortune (or material, at any rate) in the ghost towns and mining camps of Colorado, and of his life in Arizona and California as he reaped the rewards of his wildly successful Wild West Weekly characters such as Sonny Tabor and Kid Wolf.
Extending from the Great Depression to the golden age of the pulps, Powers’s career, chronicled here in often laugh-out-loud style, is an American success story of true grit and commercial savvy and of a larger-than-life character with questionable but endlessly entertaining Western lore to spare. In the process, he provides a valuable and rarely-chronicled look at the business of writing and publishing pulp fiction during its golden years.
Powers’s granddaughter Laurie never knew her grandfather and lost touch with his side of the family. In her biographical essays, she finds her lost family and discovers the Pulp Writer manuscript. Her essays also provide a valuable historical context for pulp publications such as Wild West Weekly and their importance during the Great Depression.
Customer Reviews:
Sonny Tabor and Kid Wolf ride again.......2007-06-30
"Toward the bottom of the container I found a manila envelope ... I opened it. PULP WRITER: TWENTY YEARS IN THE AMERICAN GRUB STREET. I looked through it quickly ... I clutched it, disbelieving ... I'd found the lost life of my grandfather." - Laurie Powers
PULP WRITER is, above all, a journal of discovery - discovery by Laurie Powers that her dimly and ill-remembered paternal grandfather, Paul Powers, had a successful career as a western pulp fiction author during the 1930s and early 1940s, and the discovery by Paul himself of that uncertain road that sometimes leads writers to a hard-won success.
The core of the text, page 55 to 221, is Paul's reminiscences, written around 1943, of his evolution as a writer, first as a contributor of jokes to newspapers and national magazines, then, as his skills matured, as a creator of short stories and novelettes for pulp magazines dedicated to stories of the Old West, principally "Wild West Weekly" (WWW) published by Street & Smith, until demand for such fizzled out at the end of World War II and teenagers switched to comic books. Indeed, the quality of Paul's professional and personal life deteriorated after 1943. He died an alcoholic in 1971, disappointed and financially strapped.
Paul's narrative is buttressed at both ends by granddaughter Laurie. Up front, she gives a brief history of pulp magazines as a genre, her grandfather's place within it, and her investigations into his writing career, which produced not only the single novel of which she'd previously been aware, Doc Dillahay (subsequently re-issued with the title Six-gun doctor; (A Bantam book), but more than 440 stories for WWW alone comprising an output of an estimated 10 million words. The key to this amazing discovery was the realization that Paul had written under several pen names, and his cowboy heroes included the likes of Sonny Tabor, Kid Wolf, and Johnny Forty-five. She ends the volume with the chapter "Life after the Pulps", in which she summarizes Paul's relatively unhappy existence after the demise of the pulps until his own death.
Paul's memories are almost exclusively of his development as a writer and his relationship with his distant editors. The other major events of his life are barely mentioned. Indeed, his first marriage is given short shrift on page 116 - "So I got married and brought a wife back with me to Kansas" - as well as his divorce from the woman, on page 156 - "I had domestic troubles that quickly ended in divorce" - and his subsequent second marriage, on page 170, mentioned somewhat more romantically:
"In Arizona I had found some romance of my own, and that summer I married a Tucson girl, the one who will still be with me, I hope, when the last story is written and the dust cover is dropped over the old typewriter." (She was.)
In a sense, PULP WRITER is rather esoteric. It's most likely to be relished, perhaps, by lovers of literary fiction, and especially anyone who enjoys the art of stringing written words together for whatever reason, be it business or pleasure. The illiterate will be bored to tears. But for those who read this engaging volume, there are observational nuggets to be found.
Paul relates a letter to WWW by a reader from Ohio, who remonstrates, "Keep the gals out of your magazine - they only spoil things." Well said!
I grew up with comic books, and my generation now bewails young people's preoccupation with computer games and social networking websites. But, in 1943, Powers writes, "The 'comic books'... have made inroads, especially among the youngsters of teen age who used to have enough mental energy to read, at least."
And finally:
"Writers simply don't like to be told of (their) brainchild's faults. When they say they do, they lie ... Not for nothing are critics despised people!" (After nearly 1000 reviews, I'm most certainly despicable.)
Laurie Powers is responsible for bringing PULP WRITER to print. It was a labor of love, and honor is due.
Hey Pards...Saddle Up For A Great Ride Through The World Of The Pulp Western.......2007-06-29
Laurie Powers, editor of "Pulp Writer: Twenty Years In The American Grub Street", had for many years lost contact with the Powers side of her family. What she found upon reuniting with them while researching a thesis she was working on is a gold mine of Americana. A true treasure in the memoir of her grandfather Paul Powers, a writer of pulp westerns way back in the 1920's, 30's and 40's.
Bookended by two wonderful and interesting essays by Ms. Powers describing the family history she learned and her course of researching and a follow up on Paul Powers after the writing ceased to exist, you will find Paul Powers' memoir of his work and the times of the real pulp fiction writer. It is one of the most interesting and exciting memoirs I have ever read.
Although the son of a prominent Doctor, Paul Powers had writing in his blood. He could knock off an entertaining and adventurous 12,000 word read for fans of his popular characters like "Sonny Tabor" and "Kid Wolf" in a week.
He writes of trying to break into the business, writing 2 line jokes for various magazines, all the rejection slips on his stories and then finally breaking into the pulp business. He touches on his very nomadic personal life a bit- giving us the feel of the western towns of the early 20th century - but mostly, the reader will get a real feel for the life led by those of wrote for the pulp magazines, riding the highs and lows from pauper to king of the wild west stories, and back again. Power's tales are enthralling as they are funny, often told in a much self-deprecating manor.Also, between, Paul's memoirs and Laurie's research the business of pulp back in the days is a very detailed eye opener as well.
"Pulp Writer" will appeal to and entertain fans of the pulp western genre,is an educational read for history buffs, as well as writers researching their own family history and would certainly be an inspiration to anyone writing their own memoir. How fortunate we are that Mr. Powers wrote down for us this very important part of history that he was such a big part of, one that was so popular that even during the depression, fans still plunked down their precious pennies to read all the adventures. And we are fortunate as well, that Laurie Powers had it published for us to savor.
A highly recommended read. One that will not only keep your interest throughout, but may peak your curiosity so much that you may start looking up some of those old stories. So maybe we can hope for a companion piece to this book with some reprinted stories by Mr. Powers!
Happy Trails and Enjoy the Read....Laurie Shirley
Pulpwriter.......2007-06-08
An excellent book. The true background of a man who made big bucks writing for pulp magazines when they were a favorite form of reading for millions of people. This man had published over 450 stories in the 15 years from 1928 through 1943. His wanderings and commentary are exceptional reading for anyone who is interested in this time period.
Customer Reviews:
Brahms and Sesame street.......2007-03-26
"The sun had set on Sesame Street, and the stars were starting to shine. It was time for all good little boys, girls and monsters to go to bed."
This is a nice board book that contains 4 good night stories, with various rewrites of the traditional Brahms lullaby to sing along with your child. The pictures are nice and bright, my daughter loves this book.
Average customer rating:
- The underbelly of New York at the turn of the century
- A bleak uncompromising novel of New York's "lower depths".
- Brilliant Writing!
- Well written book about 1890's slum life
- What Are You People Thinking?
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Maggie: A Girl of the Streets: and Other Tales of New York (Penguin Classics)
Stephen Crane , and
Larzer Ziff
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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ASIN: 0140437975
Release Date: 2000-08-01 |
Book Description
With its unflinching portrayal of the squalor and brutality of turn-of-the-century New York, Maggie: A Girl of the Streetsproduced a scandal when it was first published in 1893. Crane's novel chronicles the life of Maggie Johnson, the daughter of a cruel father and drunken mother, who finds work in a collar factor and is seduced by her brother's menacing friend, Pete. Disowned by her mother, Maggie becomes a prostitute and, ultimately, a victim of despair. But more than the tale of a young woman's tragic fall, the novel is also a powerful exploration of the destructive forces that underlie urban society and human nature.
This volume also includes "George's Mother" and eleven other tales and sketches of New York written between 1892 and 1896. Together in their poised realism these tales confirm Crane's place as the first modern American writer.
"A powerful, severe, and harshly comic portrayal of Irish immigrant life in lower New York exactly a century ago."--Alfred Kazin
Customer Reviews:
The underbelly of New York at the turn of the century.......2007-01-31
If Edith Wharton captures the snobbery, superficiality, hypocrisy, materialism, and coldness of New York City's turn-of-the-century elite, Stephen Crane reveals the toughness, callousness, brutality, and violence of New York's working class. Ironically, Wharton's Lily Bart and Crane's Maggie Johnson, both romantics moving in anti-romantic spheres, share a similar fate--abandoned by their respective societies.
Unlike Wharton, Crane wrote from a primarily journalistic, dispassionate point of view. The settings, the situations, the speech, and the similes reveal the underbelly of life among the working poor. Maggie opens with "a very little boy," her brother Jim, serving as "champion" of Rum Alley, an aptly named area where life is centered on working, drinking, and fighting.
Maggie and Jim's father can't keep him from fighting because that's all the boy knows, and the torn clothes that his drunken mother bemoans cannot compare to the furniture and crockery damage that occur during their violent marital spats. The father, a drunken brute like his wife, does not understand the irony of his demand when he says, ". . . Yer allus pounding 'im . . . I can't get no rest 'cause yer allus poundin' a kid. Let up, d'yeh hear? Don't be allus poundin' a kid." The infuriated mother responds with increased savagery. "At last she tossed him to a corner where he limply lay cursing and weeping." Jim, Maggie, and even the baby Tommie seem to be as disposable as the rest of the household goods.
Life in the city is lived outwardly, and the strong do not question themselves. While "Jimmie had an idea it wasn't common courtesy for a friend to come to one's home and ruin one's sister," his contemplations of his own actions toward women are cut off by self-absolution before such introspection can lead to self-incrimination. Later, Pete will share this attitude when Maggie attempts, in his mind, "to give him some responsibility in a matter that did not concern him."
Maggie and Jimmie's parents represent an extreme. Everyone knows their family's business, from the residents who share their tenement with its "gruesome doorway" to the group of urchins who waylay the mother as she is ejected from a saloon for "disturbance." The Johnsons' troubles delight the neighbors; the old woman downstairs tells Jim that "deh funnies' t'ing I ever saw" was Maggie "a-cryin' as if her heart would break, she was. It was deh funnies' t'ing I ever saw."
In the midst of this squalor, Maggie does have an inner life. Combined with her romanticism and naïveté, it convinces her that Pete is the height of urbane sophistication as he bullies waiters, telling them to "git off deh eart'." Interestingly, as she toils over "eternal collars and cuffs," Maggie has a daydream that foreshadows Pete's final chapter in the novel; she imagines him with a half dozen women "and thought he must lean dangerously toward an indefinite one, whom she pictured with great charms of person, but with an altogether contemptible disposition."
In Maggie's final appearance, Crane does not use her name, which perhaps answers her question from the preceding chapter: "Who?" She begins her anonymous journey near a theater district, where the affluent emerge from "a place of forgetfulness." Her wanderings on this one night reflect her life over the previous several months, as she leaves behind the bright light and glamor on a trail of rejection that leads ever downward, until she meets a wreck of a human, who follows "the girl of the crimson legions." No longer Maggie, she represents those whose naivete, hopes, and foolish romantic dreams are crushed by the code of toughness that Jimmie fights for at the beginning and the hypocrisy that her lamenting mother exhibits at her fall.
These stories can be hard to read, partly because most of the relationships seem detached or distant at best and bitterly heartless at worst. Maggie's father talks about pounding "a kid" as though they are not his own and have nothing to do with him. Pete is "stuck" on Maggie's shape only until she gets in the way of greater desires. George of George's Mother is happiest when he has made his old mother miserable. At the same time his "friends," whose habits and exhortations have led to his downfall, abandon him, just as he turned on his mother.
Love is a rare visitor to Crane's pages, apparent mostly in the maternal indulgences of George's Mother and the rediscovered affection of Mr. and Mrs. Binks in "Mr. Binks' Day Off." It is only in the countryside of New Jersey that the battling Binkses find a moment in which to express genuine affection: "Mrs. Binks had stolen forth her arm and linked it with his. Her head leaned softly against his shoulder."
Notably, the other loving relationship, between a child and "A Dark-Brown Dog," is marked by the brutality of the one and the submissiveness of the other. Their friendship begins when "the child lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head"; the dog "sank down in despair at the child's feet." In the world both know, the more powerful must domineer, and the weaker must submit. Living by this simple rule, however, does not guarantee survival.
Crane self-published Maggie, and it is sometimes clear that his work could have benefited from an editor's counsel. For example, similes such as, "The little boy ran to the halls, shrieking like a monk in an earthquake," are ineffective and draw too much attention to themselves. Yet these stories are an amazing accomplishment of observation and writing that make Crane's premature death at age 28 even more tragic.
A bleak uncompromising novel of New York's "lower depths"........2004-11-16
This is a great book,I love this book,though it is almost unbearably sad.The novel's uncompromising realism in its portrayl of stunted,wasted and degraded lives in the New York tenements of the 1890's,horrified many of Stephen Crane's contemporaries,and he initially had to pay to have it privately published(it was his first novel).Only when he became famous as the author of "The Red Badge of Courage",was there a proper edition.Crane railed at "sentimentality",which he saw as an artistic curse.There is no sentimentality in this book,and Crane proved that a good writer could still move the reader to tears without purple prose.
Brilliant Writing!.......2004-04-07
I am amazed at the fact that Stephen Crane was only twenty-one when he wrote this story "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets". I found it to be a genuine effort to tell a story from the inside-out instead of the usual outside-in.
I also found Crane's style very addictive. When I moved on to my next novel, I truly missed Cran's writing style. If you haven't read any of Crane's works, I suggest you start off with Maggie to see how you like him.
See ya next review:
www.therunninggirl.com
Well written book about 1890's slum life.......2003-12-31
This book was well written. The naturalistic setting and expressive use of slang transport you back to the nasty means streets of New York at the turn of the century. Some of their values seem kind of quaint and rustic as compared to 100 years later, however the realism is staggering. One can feel the despair of a terrible life that never gets better. Death and disease are the only fates that await and there is no release.
This is not just a book to be read as an assignment, read it for the realistic view of history as a slice of life to understand what New Yorker's were going through then, and as a parable to ghetto life today. Some things have changed but some still stay the same......plus ca change.......
What Are You People Thinking?.......2001-02-02
I'm sorry, but real life is not as pleasurable as you and I would like it to be. Stephen Crane was one of the first authors to write about life and war as an unpleasant, realistic thing. I think his writing is like a wakeup call for people like the writers of previous entries, because life is full of sad, depressing things, such as pain and rejection. As for the vocabulary and writing style, I assume that the writers of previous entries are not in second grade anymore, so they should be able to follow, understand, and appreciate the works of some of the greatest American novelists, such as Stephen Crane.
Book Description
"Not so long ago and not so far away, people with guns could take a family, burn a house and disappear, leaving a small child alone in the world." So begins the true story of Selavi, a small boy who finds himself on the streets of Haiti. Selavi finds other street children who share their food and a place to sleep with him. Together they proclaim a message of hope through murals and radio programs.
Youme is an artist and activist who has worked with communities in Kenya, Japan, Haiti and Cuba to make art which honors personal and cultural wisdom. Edwidge Danticat, Haitian author, adds an essay to Selavi.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful children reading........2007-05-28
Very well written. Great service and fast shipping. Thank you
This is a powerful and moving book..........2007-01-06
The story, as you can read in the descriptions above, is an amazing and powerful one. The book itself could be filled with negativity, but it seems to barely flitter over the negative spots... what, exactly happened to Selavi's family? The upheaval and chaos of revolution and political instability is not mentioned directly, though a knowledgeable (not a young) reader would be able to recognize it. The young reader is able to recognize the central theme: We are all drops of water, but together we can create a mighty river. Teamwork and community are powerful forces against evil. The illustrations are beautiful and meaningful. I enjoyed reading the endnotes by Danticat, which helped fill in some of the gaps of the story.
A true story with a positive message.......2004-11-06
Selavi: A Haitian Story of Hope is the story of a homeless child befriended by other street children living in Haiti, who all look out for one another sharing food and companionship. Together they find a caring community and a voice to create a radio station run by and for children. A true story with a positive message, that vividly presents the poignant difficulties street children face in daily life.
All the colors of life..........2004-06-02
This is a gracefully written, beautifully illustrated book that introduces young readers to a complex true story of hardship and resourcefulness, persecution and triumph. As a former teacher, I think it would also make a strong teaching tool to introduce the concept of human rights to young readers.
While the story has painful moments, the pages also contain joy, humor, and levity. The book does not condescend or oversimplify. It trains a keen child's eye, perceptive to all the colors of life, on the people and politics of Haiti.
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Sherlock Holmes By Gas Lamp: Highlights from the First Four Decades of the Baker Street Journal
Philip Shreffler
Manufacturer: Fordham University Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0823212211
Release Date: 1989-01-01 |
Book Description
Sherlock Holmes was still an undergraduate when Squire Trevor pointed out the direction of his future life's work, telling him that "all the detectives of fact and of fancy would be children in your hands." His prediction was right on the mark: so it was then, and so it remains more than a century later. Never mind that Trevor's name wasn't really Trevor, or that Holmes hid the name of his university. Or perhaps you do mind, as so many have before you. It was such a like-minded group of people who got together in 1934 to found the world's first Sherlockian organization, The Baker Street Irregulars. With the end of the Second World War came the opportunity to found a means of publishing their studies in Sherlock Holmes and the Sherlockian world, The Baker Street Journal. Long the first place the inquirer should look for answers to Sherlockian puzzles or the posing of new ones, The Baker Street Journal still flourishes, both as a journal of record of Sherlockian activities in America and throughout the world, and as the premier publication devoted to "the writings about the Writings" and to keeping green the memory of the world's first consulting detective. The practitioners of the game have at their best offered learned works that they have written with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks. Their tone has ranged from mock-heroic through the archly chiding to the playful, in prose and verse or in combinations of the two. Sherlock Holmes by Gas-Lamp is the first time that the best of these writings has been gathered in one place. Some of the prominent players of the game have included such luminaries in various walks of life as Christopher Morley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, T. S. Eliot, Vincent Starrett, Elmer Davis, Harry S. Truman, Franklin P. Adams, and Ellery Queen.
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Maniac Monkeys on Magnolia Street (Knopf Books)
Angela Johnson
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0375802088
Release Date: 2000-12-12 |
Book Description
"When Charlene (aka Charlie) first moves to Magnolia Street, she is apprehensive. There seem to be no kids around, and her brother claims they have all been stolen by the maniac monkeys that inhabit the willow trees on the street. But Charlie, full of spunk, immediately finds a kindred spirit on the block named Billy. Together they discover the secrets and treasures of the neighborhood. . . . In a series of connected stories, Johnson brings Magnolia Street to life through the ever-curious Charlie, who is always open to the small wonders around her. Newly independent readers will enjoy Charlie's escapades as she makes herself at home on her new street."--Booklist
Books:
- Dear Mr. President
- Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by You? (Second Edition)
- Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
- Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You
- Etiquette and Vitriol: The Food Chain and Other Plays
- Ex Machina, Vol. 2: Tag
- Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
- Foop!
- Frommer's Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island (Frommer's Complete)
Books Index
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- Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
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Hedgehogging
The Accidental Investment Banker: Inside the Decade That Transformed Wall Street
Blood on the Street: The Sensational Inside Story of How Wall Street Analysts Duped a Generation of Investors
Inside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in the Global Markets
Wall Street Versus America: The Rampant Greed and Dishonesty That Imperil Your Investments
