Movies Books

The Red Balloon is a wonderful story with an adorable little boy as the star character. I bought both the book and the DVD to give as a present to younger children (4 yrs old). I think they will enjoy if only for the visuals. The film is produced in French language but there is so little dialogue that not understanding the script doesn't affect the enjoyment of watching the film. Overall, it is a fun story with a good feel to it. There were only a couple of situations in the story that I thought might be a little sensitive or a bit scary to younger kids .. one being a group of boys chasing the little boy trying to take the balloon away from him. The other a very quick scene where a school headmaster is upset with the chaos going on and he puts the little boy in a room and locks the door. These are minor to the overall upbeat feel of the story but parents may want to review first to consider their own fast forward editing or explanations. In my case, the quality of the DVD was not great. It's an old film so perhaps the age is showing a bit in the reproductions.

Great story....grew up watching the short film and checking this same book out from our local library. Now that I'm a mom, I have introduced this video and book to my kids, and they're infatuated with everything about it. Great, well-made books with lively photos and storyline that holds little ones' attentions.

this book was written some decades ago but the excellence of the writing and the very skilful, thoughtful & sensitive photography which integrates very successfully with the story, are such that I believe this book will be deservedly popular with very many generations of children in the future. I believe that it is a masterpiece of children's literature and I strongly recommend it as a gift to be given by any parent - or grandparent.

I must have checked this book out a hundred times when I was in Elementary school as it was such a favorite. What a joy it was to find it still in print and telling it's charming story to future generations. This is a classic, and a book that I would recommend to all children and adults that want to hold a piece of their treasured childhood memories. This story was told in film on the International Children's Film Festival, hosted by Kookla, Fran and Olie, and further helps to bring this story to life.
Treat yourself and your children to the story of a boy and his friend, the red balloon.

The photographs, the text and presentation are remarkable. A piece that makes a good complement of the movie.

I PURCHASED THIS BOOK TO READ WHILE WAITING IN A DOCTORS OFFICE . IT WAS A GREAT READ . I SHARED IT WITH ALL THE GIRLS AT WORK AND THEY HAD TO HAVE ONE.IT IS A GREAT BOOK TO SHARE WITH CLOSE FRIENDS WHEN THEY NEED COMFORTING OR JUST HAVING DAILY LIFE STRUGGLES. I CARRY MINE IN MY PURSE AND ONE IN MY CAR.

Very comforting message, beautifully illustrated. A nice gift book.

This book has so many comforting and inspirational comments by Mr. Lucado. I highly recommend it for anyone.

Safe in the Shepherd's Arms: Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23What a great book. Read also "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller [available at AMAZON]. You will be amazed to learn how much more God loves and takes care of you than you have realized. Both books are great as gifts. There is more to being a Shepherd than one would think.

This easy-to-read book is excellent for people who find themselves in survival mode. The book is very portable, small enough to slip into a handbag. The illustrations display hope, safety, and love, and the words speak comfort and solace. I gave this book as a gift, and I am thoroughly impressed with it. Author, With Great Mercy.

I gleaned a lot of information from this book. There is not a ligting, electrical connection that is not explained to my satisfaction. Take the time to read all then keep this book handy as a reference. Just showing that you have the book, proves that you know what you are talking about.

Great book, lots of detail for any working Lighting tech, or aspiring tech. Great for a indi-film makers library.

A MUST HAVE for the inside scoop into the Industry.

If your planing a career in the motion picture or television business than this book will greatly advance your technical knowledge of the business. If your an old pro at the business the book is great for a quick reference to prepare you for a shoot.

This wonderful book, covering all the major areas in lighting, in enough detail to give a solid grounding. w

While it may appear a little too technical for the absolute beginner, it does offer a solid base in knowledge for those with a little experiance wanting to expand their knowledge, and take away plenty of ideas with which they can put to trial on future set's.

If your looking to become a cinematographer; but feel there are gaps in your knowledge, get this book. I believe it to be a must have.

Posted by Roger Hitts on Jul 22, 2007 - 7:19:00 PM

At a time when the attention span of a celebrity-infatuated America lasts about as long as a ride on a bucking bronco, and snarkiness gets passed off as literary enlightenment, it can seem downright amazing that writers even bother crafting a loving, thoroughly researched and sweat-from-the-keyboard tome about the machinations of the Hollywood star system and the secrets behind the people who made our country swoon decades before Brad Pitt ever graced the cover of a tabloid.

Then again, there's not many Tommy Garretts in the world. A self-described chicken farmer who lives in the hinterlands of deep rural Virginia, Garrett has fashioned an incredibly successful career as a Hollywood publicist, radio and TV personality and foremost, an author, all from the relative comfort of the sticks and some 3,000 miles from Tinseltown. Yet he also returns to Los Angeles long enough to pick up new clients, find new writing material and for awards shows. It just shows to remind one that Hollywood is a state of mind - and in my mind, steering a wide berth around the day-to-day meetings at the Creative Artists Agency and hours-long lunches at the Polo Lounge keeps a romanticism toward the magic of movies alive without getting bogged down in the details.

Take Garrett's latest literary offering, So You Want to Be in Pictures - an exhaustingly researched, meticulously crafted book featuring insights and sidenotes, anecdotes and yes, dishy details on the lives of 55 Hollywood haymakers and what made them tick. The cast populating the book range from Golden Era legends such as John Wayne and Bette Davis, to the likes of Darlene Conley, an actress who didn't cross into big screen fame but maintained a rabid following among daytime soap lovers.

In many ways, Garrett may have crafted the perfect book for these times. Garrett is so obviously a student of the bygone era of Hollywood he likely could have fashioned 55 books from the ranks of thespians detailed in So You Want To Be In Pictures. Instead, the readers are given quick hits and peeks into the lives of stars from the inimitable Lena Horne to the 1950s icon and later John Waters pet Tab Hunter. Even those with the shortest attention span won't have to comb back a few pages to figure out what they had just read! But even more than sparing readers from having to learn what Ann Blyth's favorite color was, Garrett offers up something else that gives today's blogging generation something to sink their teeth into - real dish!

For example, in his own straightforward manner, Garrett offers up this about the marriage of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly:

``What many don't know was that Rainier's first choice for a wife was the blonde bombshell, Marilyn Monroe. What man in the 1950s was not lusting after Monroe -- or that other doomed blonde sexpot, Jayne Mansfield? But between discussions with royal advisors and the Vatican, Rainier figured that Grace Kelly was his best choice. He did, however, fall madly in love with Kelly and probably didn't know that she spent many of the years of her marriage being a serial adulterer. For example, she continued an affair with David Niven until the time of her death."

In the hands of another writer, that paragraph would seem to be provocative for its own sake - but with Garrett, the reader gets the feeling he offers up the marital infidelity in the interest of full disclosure, not simply to be the schoolyard gossip. To be sure, Garrett - whose publicity firm specializes in managing the public lives of the more senior members of the Hollywood community like Clint Walker of TV's Cheyenne fame - has heard and seen more in his life than most, and is uniquely shaped to pass along the lessons he learned and the insights provided from his own, storied career.

What's more, neophyte celeb-watchers will be shocked to learn the exposes of the Hollywood scandal didn't start with Paris Hilton dancing on a tabletop in a Manhattan nightclub. By the very nature of the acting profession, Hollywood has always been a repository for some of the most colorful - and sometimes least judicious - people America has to offer. But many of the stories Garrett offers up in So You Want To Be In Pictures may have been lost to history if Garrett hadn't put in the time and effort to chronicle them.

While dish is plentiful in the book, it never seems ham-handed on Garrett's part - indeed, he throws more bouquets than spitballs at his subjects. Obviously, knowing Garrett's background in show business, he's emotionally invested in the people on which he writes, and it's evident in his turn of the phrase.

It's obvious in this day and age, Garrett could have made a killing knocking out a quickie book rehashing the recent misadventures of Lindsay Lohan. That he decided to take on a meatier subject matter - giving readers a real look inside the people who helped build the film and television industry on the backs of their labor, is certainly to Garrett's credit, even with a lower commercial potential.

After my wife read through an advance copy of So You Want To Be In Pictures, she commented to me, ``Why the heck would anyone want to be involved in that industry? Dumb luck supercedes talent, petty jealousies swallow people whole?" Certainly, the carrot of stardom and adulation looms large on the stick. Even Garrett cautions, ``after you read this book and still have yearning for stardom, you'll gain a great respect for me."

Garrett gained my respect for writing it.


Roger Hitts, two-time United Press International columnist of the year, is a veteran celebrity journalist whose by-lines appear in numerous magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and around the world.

Tommy Lightfoot Garrett- "So You Want To Be in Pictures". This book is a must for anybody who wants to be in pictures, or is just fascinated by the whole 'celebrity' culture. The knowledge and first hand account that Tommy has of the celebrities is amazing. Tommy gives very objective and honest accounts of the stars, and with such integity. One really feels like they are stepping into the celebities lives just for a moment. Tommy gives the book an even personlised feel, by displayed autographed pictures of the Stars.
This boot is particularly insightful for the 'younger' person who isn't too familiar with the 'greats' of yesteryear. The book is very easy to read, and a must for anyone interseted in Hollywood.

Esteemed Hollywood publicist and historian par excellence Tommy Garrett has crafted a brilliant and wonderfully balanced look at nearly 60 industry performers, past and present -- from the biggest superstars (Bette Davis, Bob Hope and Joan Crawford) to its slightly lesser-known, but no less talented, or accomplished, artists (Ruta Lee, Rex Reason, Simone Simon, et al). With a benevolent and even-handed approach that mirrors his own gracious and straightforward personality, Tommy relates several rare (and sometimes, heretofore unknown) tales about these people in a highly ethical and non-exploitive way that makes you feel you know both them, and him, personally. Fair and balanced journalism abounds in this project, and yet it is at all times a fun, and sometimes even boisterous, read!

The approach Tommy has taken to dispense the book's fascinating material is unique. He begins each chapter in a traditional, linear fashion -- telling these people's stories more or less in a straight-line, from their births to their deaths -- but then he backtracks and delves into earlier aspects of their lives to take an even closer look. It is a particularly incisive technique that is all Tommy's and it really holds your attention (much like the man himself)!

The book is liberally peppered with photos and the selections run the gamut from scene stills and portraits to obscure and hard-to-find candids. All are gorgeously rendered and captioned on high-quality paper stock. Wasteland Press has done a fine job with the superb material (both textual and photographic) that Tommy has given them, and their continued alliance is one that every true classic movie fan should pray for!

Despite his youth, Tommy Garrett has accomplished a great deal in the entertainment industry and will continue to reap a healthy harvest of accolades and respect. Tommy's lighthearted public persona belies a serious knowledge of all aspects of show business and it is to his credit that the formidable writing skills he displays in this book are commensurate with his talents as one of the industry's most beloved agents and publicists.

Well done, Mr. Garrett! A superb work, and here's to looking forward to many more books from a TRUE "Hollywood Insider"!!

John O'Dowd

"So You Want To Be In Pictures", by Tommy Lightfoot Garrett, is a book every classic movie buff should own! I never read a book the second time, but this is one book I will! I have the pleasure of living in the same small town he mentions in the book, and the pleasure of having him as a dear friend. In knowing him, I can tell you, that reading his book is like talking to him, and having him share his experiences with these stars. He writes like he talks, and what you come away with after you read this book, is an understanding of the lives of the stars, and an understanding of how much this author cares about what he writes! From his late night e-mails, I know the hours and hard work he put into this book and his newly released book, "The Making of Hollywood Stars". Tommy loves what he does, and it's apparent in every aspect of his books. He wanted this book to be as "timeless" as the stars themselves. Twenty, thirty years from now, this book will be just as interesting to people who love classic movies and the stars that made them, as it is today, because it's movie history. I listen to Tommy's Australian Radio Show every week. By listening, I have learned so many things about the old stars and their movies, that makes their "larger than life" images on the screen, come to life on a human level. This is a writer who really cares about the stars as people, and who really cares about the things he writes about them! You will treasure this book, as much as I treasure the Author....

Tommy Garrett did an outstanding job when he wrote this book. Unfortunately, his publishing company apparently has no one on their staff who is capable of editing anything that is written in the English language.

There are many redundancies, many misspelled words and paragraphs that seem to be transposed making it difficult to read some chapters. I'm not certain that Mr. Garrett had/has the ability to take issue with the publisher with regard to this egregious practice but I think if I were him, I would look for another publisher.

So far, I have found the Stargate Atlantis books to be far superior to the Stargate SG-1 books. Many of the SG-1 novels are obviously written by inexperienced authors, and are little more than legitimized fan-fiction. Mind you, I have only read two Atlantis novels thus far ("Rising" and "Reliquary"), but both of them have been of higher-than-average quality, while out of the eight-or-so SG-1 novels I've read, only one or two have been of equal quality. Regarding "Reliquary", I was completely unsurprised to find out that the author (Martha Wells) is an already-established writer with many published novels. It shows in this book.

She does an excellent job of creating atmosphere. The first half of the book reads like a suspense novel, with the tension growing as the team explores an abandoned Atlantean outpost. When they find an unexpected survivor, things seem to be explained . . . until everything starts to go wrong. It isn't a very long novel, but the plot is so well-paced that you don't notice the length, or lack thereof.

The characterizations are quite good. The dialogue, the actions and interactions of the characters, all of it is true to the show. She also does a good job with descriptions (lending to the atmosphere). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If given the chance, I will certainly read all of this author's Stargate novels, and I intend to look into her other books as well.

As a writer, it is extremely difficult to turn off my inner critic when reading a series tie-in like this. Historically, such books are an experiment in mental torture with their inaccuracies, poor style/construction, sophomoric plots, cardboard original characters, et al. Honestly, I can't even walk by the Star Trek section of any bookstore without physically cringing. Knowing the process of tie-in publication, you would think the license owners of these shows would be FAR more selective when choosing who expands their universes upon the page.

Ms. Wells, on the other hand, stands out from the pack with this work. Talk about a blast of welcomed fresh air! The characterization was scarily accurate, the plot/storyline well conceived and laid out, and the dialog had me literally guffawing out loud (John's thought of group therapy with sock puppets completely slayed me!).

Several reviewers mention the SGA episode, "Conversion," which shares a similar plot contrivance with "Reliquary," though in the latter, Shepp has the misfortune of becoming a gray-skinned werewolf creature psychically in tune with Ancient technology--as opposed to becoming a two-legged eratus bug that likes to combine kissing with stick fighting. Long story to short, considering the length of time the publication process takes (2-3 years ordinarily), Ms. Wells likely wrote her first draft while Season 1 was still on the air.

Thanks to her amazing way of bringing the SGA characters to life, such things are irrelevant.

If I had one bone to pick, it would be the POV-shifting in so many scenes. That's one of those writing Ten Commandments that should never be broken. POV-shift is annoying, even jarring to the reader, and it screams amateur. But in this case, it's a small point when the strength of the story is taken as a whole.

Looking forward to seeing what "Entanglement" has to offer!

I'm a huge fan of the show Stargate:Atlantis for many different reasons, most of them have to do with character growth and interaction. I usually shy away from books based on favorite tv or movie themes since most cannot stand up to the reasons I like them to begin with, but I bought a couple of the Atlantis novels in order to have something to read when bored at my third shift job. The first time I picked up Reliquary to fill in some time was the moment I was lost to it. I couldn't put it down and had the book finished within 48 hours of picking it up. This book is a must for any Atlantis fan who loves the characters and their interaction. Ms. Wells KNOWS these characters and all I kept thinking while reading the story is "this author has to be a fan of the show". What a fantastic adventure with our favorite characters. I'm not sure I totally understand the entire plot with the bad guy's motives, but it honestly doesn't matter since the adventure alongside the characters was entertaining and fulfilling in itself. I hope to see more of Stargate:Atlantis titles from Martha Wells. Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up!!

I found the books really good, but the entire time they were messing with the months and moments in every single story. For example this one takes place about four months after the issue with the teams biggest human enemy the Genii and after they did battle with a crazed wraith on another planet a couple of weeks later. I mean if they want to make the books they should do them in the order that the tv series played in rather then going back and forth and tossing certain details that they never mentioned in the show. But all in all this was a really good story, I especially got a kick when they mentioned the details of sheppards first conversion before he went through it a second time in season 2. I recommend this to any who like the tv show.

I bought this book to read it in the airport while on a trip, It was a great book, kept me very entertained.
Love how well the author got the characters, got a few laughs on Rodneys comments and Sheppard's attitude.
I recommend it, is a short book, good jepardy.


Andrea

I am actually looking for a new one to read on the trip back.

This was both informative and useful. Cynthia's use of examples are few, but powerful and relevant. I have read both this book and Michael Chase Walker's Power Screenwriting: The 12 Stages of Story Development, and if you have to choose one, buy this one.

I'd like to say more, but I'd be repeating myself. Highly recommended.

This book is practical, easy, and very encouraging. Cynthia knows you can do it, and she wants you to try. She gives really solid advice, along with some insightful anecdotes. I've read a lot of screenwriting books and I highly recommend this one. It'll get you going!

I'm writing my first screenplay and found this book to be invaluable. Worth its weight in gold.

I've read other screenplay books, watched videos and this book is the best! Not just telling you what to do but with real world suggestions. She rewrites movie endings for you so you can see how a good movie could have been a great movie. She shows you mediocre dialogue and rewrites it so it's great movie dialogue.
It's a great book for novelists too. Creating crisp believable dialogue, creating conflicted characters, pacing. It's all here.
She is direct and like a great movie, gets to the real issues fast.

Top of the line. Easy to read and pleasant-toned in layman's terms. Organized and simple. Demonstrates the usefulness of 3x5 index cards for story-plotting. Tells you how to make good characters, scenes, dialogue, plot, etc. by demonstrating good and bad examples in movies that we are very familiar with. Simplifies the Three Act Movie formula by telling you how many minutes in the movie you should be starting your act and the significance of each act.

Additionally, the book demonstrates correct formatting for a screenplay, explains screenwriting terminology, explains the "& vs and" in writing credits. Explains certain dos and dont's with your script when presenting to a agent/producer. Whitcomb also tells how she started off as a preacher's daughter who was not allowed to watch TV and ended up becoming a successful screenwriter. She's a prime example of starting from square zero and proves you don't need to know someone in hollywood in order to make it big.

For all beginners--read this book first!

I just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.

This book pretty much focuses on the era when Tony Spilotro "King of the Strip" ran the strip with his alleged criminal activities and ties to the mob.

There is also a lot of information on Frank Cullotta and his subsequent role as informant.
The secondary focus of the book is the term of Sheriff John McCarthy and his team and their war on organized crime.

I found this book to be very detailed and informative, containing interviews with those, who, either lived or worked on the strip during the relevant period.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this factual, well-written book.

What a great read. Couldn't put the book down. If you read this book then you HAVE TO buy Culotta. "The Battle for Las Vegas" cuts right to the bone how Vegas used to be before all of the fake glitter it is today. A best buy book!!

This book is a good read. It's worth the time for any fans of the true crime genre, or the city of Las Vegas.

If you love all those movies dedicated to Vegas, you will love this book too!! If you have ever visited the city and enjoyed the excitement it brings, you will enjoy reading the history behind how it became what it is today!!

Billy Wannyn

This is the book that explains in wonderful detail, how the Mob came to control Las Vegas and what they did to lose it so quickly.

it also tells the tale of the Law Enforcement coming of age at the same time. Its growth problems and going from a small town to being a big city and dealing with the big city problems it had caused.

No real telling of Las vegas history would ever be complete without this book.

Denny writes in a unique style that grabs your attention and tells you what it was like. Not boring, yet filled with details and stories from the FBI, Metro and the Mob.

4.5 stars and that's about as good as it gets for 99% of literature. Book was better than the movie, and the movie was very good. Unfortunately, after seeing the movie first, albeit years ago, I couldn't divorce the movie imagery, diluting the novel's characterizations. Lesson learned: don't see the movie before reading the book. COOL HAND LUKE speaks to the past as driver of destiny, that no matter how much talent and luck, and even as master of one's own fate, past incidents and episodes can twist one onto a journey of self-destruction.

I wonder how Mr. Pearce's work had gone overlooked by the critics and scholars for so long. This is the second book I have read by him and so far I his best. If you liked the movie, read the book it is by far better.

"Cool Hand Luke" is an outstanding novel and one that any movie buff would find of interest after seeing the movie. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read the story that the movie is "loosely" based upon. You will get a lot more out of the movie when you watch it again.

Cool Hand Luke is one of those books that has a lot to say but is hard to understand. Its a novel about crime and punishmnet, risk and rewards and ultimately good and evil. Cool Hand Luke has been compared to a Christ figure (which I do not see at all) and the story to Jesus' walk and journey. I'll let you figure that one out after you read the book.

With all that put aside, the book is relatively good. I found myself disliking the character of Cool Hand Luke more than finding a hero status in him. He is basically a con man, a rapist, a murderer and a thief. He prides himself on being a glutton and at one point eats 50 hard boiled eggs within an hour. The story does have the aspect of brotherhood and the importance this can play when a man's freedom is lost.

The story utlimately revolves around the search for freedom and the forces that strive to take that away. It seems to be considered a classic novel, but that may be more because of the movie starring Paul Newman than for the book. A good, fast read but don't beat yourself up if you skip over this one.

By now "Cool Hand Luke," is of course, a legend. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to the novel, but rather, to the well known Paul Newman film (referred to in the sitcom Cheers' inaugural episode as "the sweatiest movie ever made,").

However, I digress, back to the novel. This was Donn Pearce's first novel. I initially had no interest in reading it. Rather, I came to it in a backdoor sort of way. Being a World War II buff, I heard the good reviews of Pearce's latest effort, "Nobody Comes Back," a novel about the Battle of the Bulge. I bought it and read it. It was an excellent novel and since "Cool Hand Luke," is without a doubt his most famous book, it was inevitable that I would eventually want to read it.
It took a while, but I found a copy and I read it in a few days.

"Cool Hand Luke" is an excellent novel. The story is told in the form of flashbacks. In fact, the novel's structure is very close to Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." A mute witness narrator who records the events of a naturally tempestuous and outgoing personality in a strictly structured environment (in Kesey's book, it's an insane asylum, in Pearce's, it's a chain gang prison) and the incidents that flow from it. The one difference between Kesey's book and Pearce's is that Kesey worked at a mental hospital, but Pearce (who also has a very colorful resume in addition to being a novelist) did do time on a chain gang. So there's a definite real life experience in "Cool Hand Luke."

It's a great book. First time readers might be off put by the lack of quotes, but it's a small adjustment to make. For lovers of the movie, they will be surprised at how closely the movie follows the book. Of course, there is more characterization in the novel than the movie can give (this should be no surprise since Donn Pearce himself co-authored the script).

Still, it's a wonderful novel and is a quick read.

Not soemthing I would read cover to cover, but the individual "Hacks" that I have read are pretty good. I have lots of books along this line and this is one of the bet. I put it up there with Stu's "DV Rebels Guide" which is also incredible. If you like the Rebel guide, you will probably like this as well. Lots of good stuff. Enjoy!

Great book with great content I recommend it to anyone who want to take there film making a step forward and is to busy or lazy to download the information from the internet becaue it is all there. Spread around of course but you will find every piece of information even most of the pictures used in this book so. If you have time and dedication you can save yourself the money by looking it up on the internet.

This book covers many aspects of video. Labeling tapes, making excel spreadsheets for saving information, time code on tapes, how to achieve certain effects, lighting, and green screen effects just name a few. The book is general to most all video software and is a very usefull tool I'm glad I purchased. Don't let the term "HACKS' fool you it 's only refering to tips or tricks.

I found the book to be very practical and have the
kind of "nuts-and-bolts" pointers that I like. You
don't have to read it cover to cover (I didn't) but
can pick it up and go to the points that interest you
or where you are currently in need of help. It refers
to various "commerical products" that the author has
used to get the job done. I found this helpful. With so
many competing products to chose from it's nice to
hear, "If you get product X you'll be able to do Z,"
rather than buying and hoping (or not buying and
wondering). Kuddos to the author.

I learned so much from this book. In fact, I've already implemented several of the ideas and have had great results. If you're semi-professional (video has been added to your responsibilities but you have no experience with this medium) BUY THIS BOOK.

Who would have thought of parchment paper and clothes pins to diffuse light and create a softer, more natural light over the subject? That's just one of the great tips I've already started using.

I've bought several digital video books while trying to learn this medium, and this has been by far the most useful.

I just like Brink's stories! It is mostly difficult to have a break once you have started to read his book.

Ben Du Toit teaches history and geography in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the period of the height of the youth riots in the township of Soweto. At Ben's school, Gordon Ngubene, a native, is a cleaner and he occasionally does little chores for Ben. When Ben sees that Jonathan, Gordon's son, is showing signs of intelligence and diligence, he decides to partly finance his education. One day however, Jonathan takes part in a demonstration which ends up in a violent riot and is arrested by the police. A few weeks later, after a harrowing quest through countless offices, Ben and Gordon are informed that Jonathan died "of natural causes" while in detention.
Due to the mystery surrounding his son's death, Gordon gives up his job in order to devote himself entirely to the enquiries which have become an obsession with him. Both the Special Branch and the Security Police are annoyed about Gordon's insistence and soon enough Gordon is arrested. After numerous attempts to try to trace Gordon and speak to him, Ben and Gordon's wife Emily are told by the spokesman of the Security Police that Gordon apparently committed suicide by hanging himself with strips torn from his blanket.
But Ben Du Toit senses that the official explanations for both Jonathan's and Gordon's deaths are just a pretext for poorly disguised murders and so he decides to take matters in his own hands and starts investigating.
Mr Brink's novel is a harrowing account of a solitary man's fight against all the atrocities of the Apartheid. During this dark period in the history of South Africa, a white man had to be a real hero to fight for the right of the Afrikaners. The author beautifully captures the fact that Ben has to fight not only the resentment of the people of the other race, but also that of the people belonging to his own race - his family for a start. The descriptions of the townships of Johannesburg, particularly that of Soweto, are breathtaking in their accuracy and poignancy.

Brinks sketches the life of a idealistic man - Ben du Toit that lives his life in Apartheid South Africa on the brink of normalcy until the mysterious death of a black American friend and his son points to government involvement. As du Toit becomes obsessed with discovering the truth he becomes the symbol of Afrikaner conscience struggling to cope with the conflict and alienation that this crusade against Apartheid causes. With Apartheid being woven into the Afrikaner concept of nationhood and religion Ben finds himself not only in conflict with his family or the government but with his own history and ultimately with his own identity and even his soul. du Toit becomes a classical Afrikaner in his stubborn steadfast refusal to sway from his course , irrespective of the consequences, that he believes to be the only just and morally acceptable one.

He painfully exposes the moral vacuum of Apartheid and how it alienates not just du Toit from himself and his family but ultimately the Afrikaner from their fellow South Africans, as well as their own ideas of justice and morality.

The original Afrikaans language edition packs a powerful punch and is beautiful to read. English translation loses a bit of impact and fails to capture the finesse of the master writer in his mother tongue but is never the less worth burning the midnight oil for. It should however be noted that the story is dated and not a balanced portrayal of South Africa, Afrikaners or Apartheid.

Good fiction but not a historical treatise of Apartheid as some reviewers seem to think.

During the 1970's in South Africa, several protests were happening against the apartheid acts and the education of African natives to speak Afrikaans, instead of their chosen language. In Andre Brink's brilliant novel, A Dry White Season, he presents the brutality of the African struggle for freedom from the white leaders by telling the story of one man's effort to clear his black friend's name. When Gordon Ngubene, a janitor at the local school in Johannesburg, finds his son dead without a clue of what happened, he asks his colleague Ben Dutoit for financial help and support. After certain inquiries were developed on Gordon's behalf for his son, Jonathan, he is arrested by the police and is marked by his own "suicide". However once Ben begins to unfold the evidence that leads to what truly happened, he is caught in a jungle of lies, danger, and an atrocious form of racism.

Ben Dutoit was a simple man content with his mediocre life based on his wife, two daughters, and his teaching. Although the Special Branch had become more involved in the town where he lived, he purely continued throughout his basic routine day in and day out. Once Gordon is told by the Security Police that his son has died of "natural causes" while in a severe detention for publicly protesting, it seems that he will stop at nothing to figure out what had occurred the night of Jonathan's death. "If it was me, all right. But he is my child and I must know. God is my witness today: I cannot stop before I know what happened to him and where they buried him. His body belongs to me. It is my son's body."(Pg.49 A Dry White Season). Throughout this time period, whites naturally assumed themselves superior to that of the African race, and ruthless acts were brought upon the blacks daily. Brink vividly described the numerous cruelties aimed at the "inferior race" due to such instinctive racism. The author conjures the understanding of the reader to see how simple it would be for Ben to turn a blind eye on Gordon's tragedy. Yet after Gordon is accused of strangling himself by tying bits of torn blanket together, Ben is convinced that it was torture that killed the prisoner, and Ben just cannot let the case go with injustice. One can sense just how stubborn Ben truly is regarding the truth of his friend's alleged murder, mainly because of the emotions depicted by Brink that the reader can pick up on. Assembling as much evidence against the Special Branch's summary of Gordon's arrest, with the help of taxi driver and informational guide Stanley, Ben attempts to prove that the police are sadistic liars that have crossed the line of racism and have entered a territory of the highest form of hatred. Publicity of his "Negro loving" efforts have provoked such racists to seek ways to harm Ben and his family, such as sending bombs in the mail and shooting through his windows at night. I simply cannot comprehend the motive of someone to physically or mentally abuse another for their own views. However nothing could frighten him from completing what he had started in the first place, not even the terrifying Captain Stolz who had threatened him many times during the case. The thorough detail Brink constructed to picture the startling police officer was amazing, admitting a very clear idea of just how alarming this character must have been. Aware of his immense caution in his own case, he presented one of his old college friends with pieces of information in order to write a biography of Ben Dutoit. Two weeks later, Ben was killed in a hit and run car accident, but fortunately for him, his story would not be left untold. I personally found myself having to read certain paragraphs repeatedly in order to really grasp what was happening in all of the excitement, which I appreciated from the author. The plot was persistently heart pumping, giving off the effect that South Africa's horrifying and unfair history was not given the deliberate attention it deserved.

Before this misfortune had happened, Ben had been conceived as having a rather introverted personality, spending most of his time alone playing chess in his den. However the demand for real facts about what had definitely taken place seemed to have changed his behavior. Suddenly Ben was actually offering his true opinions back to those that he would not dare before, such as Captain Stolz, no matter how harsh or unsettling. After this unexpected alteration, Ben began to become more aware of his surroundings, more observant of his daily routines that he had developed into over the years. The author made sure to explain Ben's strange emotions in noticing things in his life that seemed unfit to him. "All at once this is what seemed foreign to him: not what he had seen in the course of the long bewildering afternoon, but this. His garden, with the sprinkler on the lawn. His house, with white walls, and orange tiled roof, and windows and rounded stoop. His wife appearing in the front door. As if he'd never seen it before in his life."(Pg.99 A Dry White Season). If you take a considerable amount of time to glance at your own life, as I have done from the direction of this book, you perceive things that might belong to you, though they might seem impossible to be yours. The process is difficult to explain, until you try to complete it yourself. Brink wrote the character as if his own qualities were shifting along to the varied events of Gordon's death case. The author seemed to have used Ben's life as symbolism of how one moment could alter anyone's life as they know it. A calamity such as this could happen to anyone, even I, and this thought makes me wonder. How would the way I act now be changed?

The Soweto protests of the 1970's in South Africa led to many empty lots filled with tear-gas, public shootings, and violent massacres of black citizens. In the novel A Dry White Season, Andre Brink tells the tale of one honorable man that knew too much information for his own good at a time era like his generation, which guided him into a vast land of moral corruption. Ben Dutoit's story has captivated my imagination, gripped my heart, crossed my frustrations, and stirred my tears. This book has taught me, as well as numerous other readers as well, to follow your instincts and never let justice go unserved. "Perhaps all one can really hope for, all I am entitled to, is no more than this: to write it down. To report what I know. So that it will not be possible for any man ever to say again: I knew nothing about it. (Pg.316 A Dry White Season).

i read this while i was a high school student and i can honestly say it has been one of the few books that have made an impact on the way i view society. read it! you'll love it!