Reviews Books

Tangled Web UK Review December 2005


File Updated: 21/12/2005

Dreams of Justice: Mysteries as Social Documents by Dick Adler
pbk out December 05 (Poisoned Pen Press) at £8.59

Dick Adler is a highly regarded crime fiction reviewer for 'The Chicago Tribune' and this book gathers together an eclectic selection of his insightful critiques, with the emphasis on relatively recent books. In his introduction, Tom Nolan notes that the book can serve 'as reader's/buyer's guide' and applauds Adler for his ability to convey the special flavour of such a diverse range of titles. He compares Adler to the late and legendary reviewer Anthony Boucher - and this is not over-praise. After a couple of introductory chapters, one of which describes Boucher as 'the man who invented mystery reviewing' (in the US, perhaps, but Dorothy L. Sayers and others made an impression much earlier), Adler collects reviews in a series of themed chapters: 'black mysteries', 'history as mystery', 'Brits behaving badly' and so on. A notable feature is that, like Boucher, he is admirably keen to pick out rising stars: an example is Jim Kelly, two of whose books are acclaimed. Reviewers as perceptive as Adler are uncommon; collections of reviews such as this are even rarer. This is a book to relish, not only as a guide to unfamiliar yet excellent novels, but also for Adler's sympathetic, intelligent analyses of a very varied group of writers, from Arsenault to Zafon.


( Martin Edwards - author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)

Dick Adler, the longtime Chicago Tribune mystery columnist, has published his first collection of reviews and essays. "Dreams of Justice: Mysteries as Social Documents" includes some of his favorite pieces on mystery books and authors, most focused on developing the title's theme.

The strongest examples of Adler's writing are the longer columns, especially those devoted to the careers of authors Chester Himes and Ross Macdonald, and the books of Walter Mosley and George Pelecanos.

Also particularly fine is his essay on pioneering critic Anthony Boucher ("the man who invented mystery reviewing" as Adler calls him), who once plied his trade in the pages of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Through his longevity, keen writing and near faultless taste, Adler has become the dean of American mystery reviewers, and "Dreams of Justice" is a fine tribute to his career.

Dick Adler is a highly regarded crime fiction reviewer for 'The Chicago Tribune' and this book gathers together an eclectic selection of his insightful critiques, with the emphasis on relatively recent books. In his introduction, Tom Nolan notes that the book can serve 'as reader's/buyer's guide' and applauds Adler for his ability to convey the special flavour of such a diverse range of titles. He compares Adler to the late and legendary reviewer Anthony Boucher - and this is not over-praise. After a couple of introductory chapters, one of which describes Boucher as 'the man who invented mystery reviewing' (in the US, perhaps, but Dorothy L. Sayers and others made an impression much earlier), Adler collects reviews in a series of themed chapters: 'black mysteries', 'history as mystery', 'Brits behaving badly' and so on. A notable feature is that, like Boucher, he is admirably keen to pick out rising stars: an example is Jim Kelly, two of whose books are acclaimed. Reviewers as perceptive as Adler are uncommon; collections of reviews such as this are even rarer. This is a book to relish, not only as a guide to unfamiliar yet excellent novels, but also for Adler's sympathetic, intelligent analyses of a very varied group of writers, from Arsenault to Zafon. An indispensable book for mystery lovers.

The third volume in this great set is just as indespencible as the other two. The details given are very important to someone like me (in the horror film industry). I can not wait for the fourth.

Tony Bernardini
Horror Theater Video (dot com)

This series is up to four volumes, each of which is packed with details of hundreds of movies. For each flick, there's a listing of major cast and crew members, a plot summary and review, and loads of information about various DVD releases. The contributors will tell you all about the assorted aspect ratios, soundtrack options, subtitles, commentaries, extras, Easter eggs, and picture quality, and they'll advise you which DVD version is the most awesome. They often comment on how the DVDs stack up to the original prints--whether the color has remained true, how grainy the picture is, what kind of damage has crept into the transfer, what scenes were deleted or added, and so forth. Sometimes the amount of data they provide is daunting, especially when they begin to hold forth on the virtues of obscure Burmese DVD releases of Euro art films from the Soviet bloc in the Sixties and such-like.

Be advised that virtually none of the films covered are mainstream films, at least by American tastes. It's a lot of genre stuff (science fiction, fantasy, horror, grindhouse/exploitation, and so forth), plus oodles of foreign material, mostly Italian, French, and Japanese. It seems as if virtually every giallo and Italo-Spanish zombie movie ever created is listed in one of these volumes, along with the more surrealistic stuff from Japan. The editors also have an amazing obsession with Chabrol and basically go through everything he's ever done, although it's not quite clear why.

These books are one of the best film resources I've encountered and you can spend days going through them. Very much worth the price and highly recommended.

I purchased the first two volumes of this series at a local store here in Vancouver for $45.00 each and thought I had a bargain with the quality I found in them. But when I found that there was a third volume available from Amazon for one third of the local price, I jumped at the chance to buy. The first volume has been revised (and if you have the unrevised first edition, the second edition contains `120 pages of new material), but if you are into the type of films covered in these books, they are worth their weight in gold. Each film begins with a look at the disc's technical specs: color, year, running time, director, stars and finally dvd manufacturer and region availability. Then follows a synopsis of the plot, followed by a discussion of each disc's technical merits. These include aspect ratios, color, sound and what king of extras can be found on each disc. For example, I wanted to buy the film "Cube", but I couldn't find a copy in Vancouver, so I drove to Seattle and found a copy there. Having looked the film up in these books, I'm glad I had to drive south. It seems the Canadian disc is a bare bones affair: no extras except the trailer. The American disc on the other hand has tons of extras. This kind of information is hard to find anywhere else. These books will also stand up to constant use as they are very well bound. The only drawback that I have found is that they list films that I very much want, but aren't available in my region. Oh well, at least I know they're out there somewhere. These are excellent guides and at the price Amazon is asking, worth every penny.

I feel as if I have known Dave Parsons for most of my life. His poignant and moving revelations of his life stories paint an intimate and revealing portrait of a poet who is grounded in the real world. Parsons creates an ambience that invites the reader into the poets living room to share the triumphs and tragedies of lifes moments that most of us neglect. Parsons has defined poetry for us through his revelations. The world awaits the next installment of wonderment.

I found many of Mr. Parson's poems very moving. "They" is one of my favorites.

Editing Sky is a poignant collection of intimate poems that also seem universal in their appeal. They describe powerful experiences of an Austin childhood, handball, conoeing, marriage, alzheimers, the marines, historic houses, and much more. The poems draw you in and move you with their straightforward, vivid style. When you combine the intimate images, the direct style, and the pleasing eloquence and ease of the words and their arrangement, it makes for a truly satisfying poetry reading experience! I enjoy reading the book over and over and I would highly recommend it.

It's great to see Wilson get this recognition for his brilliant insights and fine writing. For many of us the writers and characters of the Twenties and Thirties hold a special fascination. Wilson who knew most or all of this celebrated cast of characters during this period is a splendid witness to these decades. It's book for dipping and browsing.

This first volume of an LoA edition of E.Wilson collects reviews and literary essays on and from the 20s and 30s.
I think they should be required reading for all Amazonian amateur reviewers. Not that I always agree with everything that he had to say. He was a snob, no doubt, and proud of it, it seems. (Look at the delightful text called Muses out of Work from the 20s, where he pontificates on poets and poetry; then he adds an afterthought when the collection of reviews was published in book form in the 50s: he includes Hart Crane's letter attacking him for being a sort of social parasite, and another letter that attacks his general poetic theory, but admits that his judgments are still good, because he manages to ignore his own theories. That's where my headline is taken from.) As time progresses, his essays become more mature and his subjects more relevant. Must be a function of age, I guess.
The collection is full of interesting thoughts on subjects like Poe, Henry James, Upton Sinclair, Dos Passos, Wilder, D.H.Lawrence, Americans and Russians in exile, American and English English, etc... The man was rather vain, as expected. He took pleasure in bashing the early Scott Fitzgerald, he was exceedingly proud in taking a small part in launching Hemingway...
Why do I read him? 2 main reasons: 1st because of LoA, 2nd because Wilson was a great help to Nabokov when he came to the US as a refugee during WW2. Good deeds must be rewarded. Never mind that they fell out later over Lolita and Nab's Pushkin translations.
Apart from his snobbery, the man had sound principles: one of the first rules for a civilization should be freedom of artist and scientist.
And he was a good polemicist: the influence of T.S.Eliot is making young men prematurely senile...
This volume 1 of the LoA edition contains mainly two essay collections: The Shores of Light, which takes about 3/4 of the space and doesn't seem to be available in print separately any more, and Axel's Castle, a collection of essays published in 1931, which I will review separately.

Re-reading these essays and reviews has simply increased my respect for Wilson. I can only say that reading Wilson has helped give me a framework for evrything I read.

I agree with you on the Elsah Landing restaurant. I drove hundreds of miles to go there for lunch and was never disappointed. Try the California Strawberry Pie with peaches and blueberries (together) if is to die for. I have the first cookbook (although tattered and torn from use) but I would love to find the second cookbook that they published. Can anyone help me on this one? This is another part of my past that I miss so much and wish they were still in business.

If you've ever wanted to have fail-safe recipes for home-made soup, bread, and pies, this is the cookbook to own. The banana chocolate chip bread is requested by my daughter in college for care packages as "the taste I can never forget." It makes a wonderful wedding present or gift to a cook who thinks she already has everything

I remember going to "The Landing" for Sunday suppers while in college just up the hill in Elsah. I can't put into words how good the food was! Imagine how excited I was to be able to bring the desserts, breads and meals home to California with this cookbook. I make the desserts and breads constantly, both for home and gifts. People can never get enough of the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread or the California Strawberry Pie. Sometimes the ingredients are hard to find, but the results are worth any effort you have to make. This is a staple for any good cook's kitchen.

The Enchanted April. I love this book. About ladies way ahead of their time - before women's lib had come on the scene. Takes place in a rented villa in Italy for one idyllic month in April - ladies vacationing without their husbands and finding themselves.

While waiting for this to come to dvd in the US, I purchased the book with high hopes. I fell in love with the movie and the book only enhanced that love. Elizabeth Von Arnim brings the beauty of this Italian castle to life in a way that only words can do. The charm and enchantment are palpable. It is easy to get lost in their world so that you can experience it as though you are there with the four women.

This is one of the most delightful, readable books I've ever encountered. The movie is terrific -- but the book is even better. An afternoon in a comfortable chair with "The Enchanted April" is one of the best gifts to myself that I can imagine. It's a good gift to share with a friend, too.

For a book that covers so many disparate types of daytime programs (game shows, soap operas, sports, cartoons and kids' shows, and so on), the volume is remarkably accurate, well-written and heavily researched. You'd think the author was an expert on every genre. Maybe he is, but more likely, he just cared enough to get everything right. How refreshing.

found the book to be very thorough, reads well. Loved reading about the creation of these great daytime tv shows there casts and from the time they aired to the time they were cancelled

This is the must have reference for all you TV buffs. Very interesting reading, not just a boring refernce guide. I read it cover to cover.

A great book for the medical student. Easy to find desired information, tends to focus on the fundamentals. The book addresses topics that seem to come up in questions asked of the medical student. Used copies are easy to find therefore it's a more affordable resource than some of the alternatives.

This book is written very well and is totally up to date. Only useful if you want to go into ENT. Way too detailed otherwise. I've seen lots of 3rd year students who want to go into otolaryngology carrying it around in their pockets on ENT rotations. It is not the place to review anatomy. You will need a separate source for anatomy.

Excellent review of otolaryngology, many quick read chapters with tons of facts!

Awesome book that's great for medical students for a great overview of the different surgical specialities. Also includes chapters on anesthesiology. I used it many times throughout my clerkships just to brush up on the procedures and indications for specific surgeries for the different medical problems seen in pediatrics and internal medicine.

Although Essentials of General Surgery is excellent of it's own merit. It is just that "GENERAL". It has limited info about specifics related to procedures. However this book, "Essentials of Surgical Specialties" is much more detail oriented.

This is a great book for third year clerkships and board prep. Covers a perfect amount of detail with simple (not layman) terms. Great corresponding imaging pictures and explanations (Xray, CT, MRI etc). This book assumes a basic knowledge of USMLE step 1 material with pertinant reviews of clinically relavent basic science things. Covers Peds surg, anesthesia, Plastics, optho, ENT, CT, ortho, neuro and urology.

Franz Kafka wrote "A book ought to be an ice pick to break up the frozen sea within us." Indeed, Hurka's journey to honor his father, learn of his father's heroism and suffering, and to learn about himself, was a journey into the interior chambers of the human heart that possesses vulnerability and passion. It is a book that is capable of thawing the frozen parts of us. I learned about the valor and pride of the people of the Czech Republic during the Communist reign, as well as the story of one man's heroism. The author wrote so beautifully, I am enticed to someday visit this part of the world.

Joseph Hurka has written a very touching memoir of his father's valiant fight against fascism in his home country. This rings especially poignant in the troubled times now facing America. I purchased this book the Saturday before the vile terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. I began reading it, thinking it was a wonderful memoir of a bygone era. Now, post-attacks, upon my finishing this book I have a renewed sense of just how precious freedom is and what so many other people have been willing to do to secure it. Bravo to Hurka Senior, for all the proud fighting he did to do his part to keep the hope of freedom alive; we owe him and all those like him a great debt of honor. And also bravo to his son, this book's author, for writing such a powerful story of real heroism so well and so vividly. Truly, a joy to read, and in times such as these a must-read. I highly recommend this book.

Mr. Hurka tells the story of his father, a hero, with the rhythm of a poet. Unlike many sons who have written about their fathers, this isn't about that author. Mr. Hurka allows his father's amazing life to shine through his own talent as a writer and lets the reader get to know a true patriot hero. With his lyrical tones, the reader can only hope they will be allowed to know more of Mr. Hurka himself in a future book.