Non-fiction Books

A wonderful chronicle of a Jewish family in Belarus beginning in the early 20 th century and culminating in its destruction in Hitlers holocaust A cast of remarkable characters illuminates this novel The fiery Rachel and soft spoken husband Yacov Ivanovsky,Rachels father the respected and tough Abraham Rakhlenko,the colourful Chaim Yagudin.The Ivanovsky children includin the narrator,Boris and the beautiful Dina to name only a few of the cast of characters We grow to know and love the people in this book And it with a profound sense of horror and tragedy that we see their crule destruction at the hands of the Nazis

It is however through the few survivors such as Boris Ivanovskyand his sister Lyuda and the young Olya that we find hope

What took away from the book was as one previous reviewer points out the ommission of the horror of the Bolshevik Revolution Stalin years but due to censorship in the Soviet Union when the book was written in the 1970's the writer could only hint at these things

Where was THIS book hiding? There are very few books that I truly enjoy, but this is one of them. I first read Mr. Rybakov's "Children of the Arbat" and "Fear", books about young adults in 1930s Moscow, and enjoyed both very much. Because I could not immediately find the third book of his trilogy ("Dust and Ashes"), I read "Heavy Sand", which my library just happened to have.

This book about Jews living in the Ukraine from 1910s to 1940s is a great read. The book is more a story about how forthrightness and integrity meant something in the days of yore, rather than a treatise about Soviet Judaism, therefore, it is totally accessable to the gentile, American reader. "Heavy Sand" also does not have the superfluous, melodramatic verbage that plagues much of Russian/Soviet literature, verbage that often obstructs the point being made and makes much of Russian/Soviet literature unpalatable to most Americans.

The one knock on "Heavy Sand" is that it was obviously tailored to pass the censors in 1970 USSR. It doesn't dwell on Stalinist purges or pervasive anti-Semitism, which were more than prevalent at the time. However, knowing this going in, it is an amazing, warm and inspiring book. Find it, get it, read it. I cannot recommend "Heavy Sand" highly enough.

You know, I say this all the time, but I have really got to learn Russian one of these days. This time the reason I wish I knew the language is because I'd like to see if the original of Heavy Sand has the same plainspoken, conversational tone which makes the English translation so engaging. It doesn't take long to get [wrapped up] into the story of the Rakhlenko family and to fall in love with all the characters, from the noble to the scoundrels, with all shades of messy humanity in between. At times you don't even feel as if you're reading a novel but hearing a good friend masterfully tell his story and those of his parents and grandparents. This is perhaps the most unpretentious great novel I've ever read.

The small events of the novel's first half blend seamlessly into the world events of the war and the destruction of the entire village, and in both times and places you feel utterly transfixed by what is happening to the people of this family and their village. And despite its depressing setting, Heavy Sand ends on a relatively uplifting note. There is plenty of horror in the book, but also plenty of hope.

I didn't want this book to be over. Highly recommended!

A wonderful chronicle of a Jewish family in Belarus beginning in the early 20 th century and culminating in its destruction in Hitlers holocaust A cast of remarkable characters illuminates this novel : The fiery Rachel and her soft spoken husband Yacov Ivanovsky,Rachels father the respected and tough Abraham Rakhlenko,the colourful Khaim Yagudin and The Ivanovsky children includin the narrator,Boris and the beautiful Dina. We grow to know and love the characters And it with a profound sense of horror and tragedy that we see their cruel destruction at the hands of the Nazis

It is however through the few survivors such as Boris Ivanovsky and his sister Lyuda and the young Olya that we find hope . I cannot help however being frustrated by the ommission of the horrors of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalin years even though it is clear that due to censorship in the Soviet Union when the book was written in the 1970's, the writer could only hint at these things

This novel is based on my grandmother's family history. Anatoly Rybakov was my second cousin. He interviewed my grandmotehr several times, taperecorded her stories, baed the novel on our family's history.This book was published in Russia in 1979 (the year I emigrated from the Soviet Union), and it was the first legally available publication to mention the figure 6 million (estimated number of Jews perished in the Holocaust).
The story is not necessarily girm or frightening, there is quite a bit of humor, a very romantic love story and a pretty uplifitng ending despite all tagedies.

One of the best written by Rita Mae Brown. Gives a different perspective on the Civil War. Should be more like it showing the losers side.I highly recommend this book. I have given it as gifts to friends.

This book is very unusual for Rita Mae Brown and I consider it her best work! It's all in one: A love story, a history book (American Civial War & Slavery), a feminist novel, funny, serious, ironic, and critical of society. The reader experiences the war through the eyes of captivating characters you just have to fall in love with!

There were uncounted women who cut their hair, lowered their voices and took up arms on both sides of The Civil War. Rita Mae Brown does a wonderful job crafting a fictional story using this truth as her premise. The characters are richly drawn (I actually preferred the evolution of Geneva's mother, Lutie, to Geneva herself), and the story layered and interesting.

Geneva can't bear to be away from her husband when he enlists as soon as the guns fire on Fort Sumter. She joins him as a soldier, and learns some unpleasant truths about him and about war. She finds that she has a talent for fighting and that she and her husband aren't as compatible as they might have been had they not rejected their "traditional" roles.

Rita Mae Brown's interesting Foreword and endnotes provide context and explanation for her literary choices, and greatly enrich the experience. I give this book four stars instead of five because at the end, there are several characters whose final stories are only alluded to, as in, "this happened, but that's a story for another day." I wanted to know what happened for these folks, and this abrupt ending felt like laziness, as if Miss Brown just didn't feel like writing any further. Unfortunate, as it left a bad taste after the novel had been so interesting up to that point.

One of the BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN!!!! Shared this with my 12 year old son and my spouse, my 8 year old daughter, I would like to introduce,soon an another positive female role model. A great book to even interest( and introduce) HOMOPHOBES who cannot be asked to view another great book, Rubyfruit Jungle.TRy the book... you will LOVE IT!!! Love, war, decision based on love and respect. I wore out 2 copies already. One of my top 5 for a desert island. Enjoy the book.

Well, I read "Rubyfruit Jungle" and loved it, and rated it "5 stars". Now I've read another Rita Mae Brown book, and it's even better, so I suppose it goes without saying that it's also a five star effort.

"Rubyfruit Jungle" was five stars purely on the basis of a fascinating main character; the plot was nothing to get excited about, and the supporting cast was mediocre. This book, while it does not have a character as marvellous as Molly Bolt, (sorry, Geneva) nonetheless is strongly character-driven; it has a dozen characters more interesting and memorable than the second-best character in "Rubyfruit Jungle". More, it has a significantly more interesting plot, and just as much to say about life and how to live it.

A must-read for anyone who has enjoyed anything written by Rita Mae Brown, anyone who enjoys stories about strong female characters, and anyone who enjoys historical novels set during the civil war.

Jay Halpern's writing is excellent! However his subject matter was not the matter I appreciate as much as others. He is an exciting writer and I love how he describes his stories. I rated him 5 stars for the writing not the content.

I remember reading this in 1984 or 1985. My wife worked with Mr. Halpern at a facility for those with some mental and/or physical challenges, in Derby CT. Jay is as unique as his book is. I'd like to get a copy of it as well. I agree with all of the other comments. This would be great on the big screen.

Jay Halpern was my freshman rhetoric teacher during my roughest year of college at Sacred Heart Univ. in Fairfield, CT. He is a great man that tought me how to write and how to handle the hard times that life deals you. Now finishing my junior year, Jay came in to speak to my screenwriting class before finals. For those of you who were saying that this book should be made into a film... good call because it's been optioned and Mark Edwards (another prof. of mine) is currently writing the screenplay. This book nearly scared the life out of me when I first read it. But I can't wait to see it on screen. Keep an eye out for it.

I found the book amonst 1000's in my home had been staring at the cover for years! I think the book choose me instead of me choosing. It is a mind tingling, page gripping story that doesn't let you rest. I have read it over and over and have lent it to numerous friends to read, and they all have the same rating, awesome. The less than perfect characters all coming togther to fight good and evil in a way thats unexpected, and horrid is a wonderful mix. I can't say enough but just read it.

I remember reading this in 1984 or 1985. My wife worked with Mr. Halpern at a facility for those with some mental and/or physical challenges, in Derby CT. Jay is as unique as his book is. I'd like to get a copy of it as well. I agree with all of the other comments. This would be great on the big screen.

This book should always be in print. If I taught history in school or college, I'd make sure it was required reading. I first read the book as a mere lad of 14, always kept my copy around. It did much - in the postwar years, to wash away any bitterness toward former 'enemies.' In all honesty, I have never been able to forget certain things said by Hara - in his book, about human conduct. The other reviews say it all. Hara was a remarkable person. He took his duties seriously, but always remained a conscientious individual - candidly critical of the Japanese high command, when necessary - always ready to pay tribute to the skill of his opponents - peers in the U.S. Navy.I was struck by Hara's integrity - his strength of character, his leadership qualities - his daring, often fighting unequal battles. He realised the importance of learning from experience - of not making the same mistake - twice. I missed the references to the 'Rape of Nanjing' - must check it out. Still, as other reviewers noted, Hara was inclined toward a certain universalism in his thinking, moving toward a kind of pacifism toward the end of his career.He never approved of the senseless brutality frequently doled out to young cadets etc., and maintained a code of honour - worthy of the best Samurai tradition.I liked the goodwill expressed between Hara and his American peers, upon the surrender of Japan.As regards naval history per se, Hara's accounts of battles like Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal/Vella Lavella etc., question Sam Morrison's conclusions or observations in the official study (H.U.S.N.O. WW2).Alas, Hara could be accorded a bit more respect in his native land. An NHK t.v. documentary covering the loss of the Yamato, didn't make a single reference to Captain Hara, or the Yahagi, then escorting the Yamato, lost alongside.Like one of the other reviewers, I've read Hara's book so many times, it has fallen to bits. In the present climate, there is something sobering about Hara's book. That honour matters - in war, that military action always requires clear and attainable objectives, and ought never to become a mindless slaughter of the enemy, or a mindless sacrifice of one's own personneland resources.

Little can be added to the reviews below, expect to add that this book really shows how Hara was a leader of men. In spite of IJN policy and militaristic propaganda he trains his crew to a superlative level. He is also brutally honest about himself and his mistakes and foibles. Add to this some invaluable historical eyewitness data and you have a great book. Hara, by rewriting IJN torpedo doctrine in the 30's, can honestly be said to have contributed more to the IJN's battle success than any other person. This book is rich in history and flavor and well worth tracking down. My paperback copy is in three parts with the spine gone, but I still consider it one of the stars of my collection.

This book provides a welcomed view from the other side from Captain Tameichi Hara, Imperial Japanese Navy, who perfected Japanese Naval torpedo doctrine just prior to WWII - enabling the Imperial Japanese Navy to exploit and use to devastating advantage, the Type 93 oxygen fueled torpedo, aka "Long Lance"

Captain Hara injects humor and adds a personal side to his story while providing his views of key naval battles that he fought in against the United States Navy during World War II

This is a must read for any serious naval historian interested in the Imperial Japanese Navy, particularly as it relates to the naval engagements Hara fought in and the destroyers he commanded.

The other reviewers have eloquently stated the case. This is a book you will read and re-read throughout your life. It is first and foremost an incredible eyewitness account of the Pacific War by a ship captain who was intimately involved in many of the key small battles of the war (the major battles were settled by air power, not his area). It is one of the best written war accounts to come out of any nation.

Secondly, it provides an unique insight into the Japanese at the time that has relevance over the entire 19th and 20th centuries, explaining such things as the origin of the Japanese navy in imitation of the American and British navies...which can easily be taken as a model for the industrial imitation leading up to Japanese economic superpower status by the 1980s.

Finally, Hara is a great autobiographist who shares his heart, displays his heroism and intellect, but does not fail to describe his weaknesses. Whenever there is a conflict, war or political or business or social, it is good to remember the other side is human too.

In this book (the correct title is JAPANESE DESTROYER CAPTAIN), Captain Hara (not Harra) discusses how he commanded a Japanese destroyer in all of the major Pacific sea conflicts: Empress Augusta Bay, Coral Sea, the invasion of the Philippines, Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Midway. While on a re-supply mission through Blackett Straight in August 1943, upon noticing a fire-ball explosion near the destroyer "Amagiri" in front of his destroyer "Shigure", he ordered for his ship's crew to shoot at Lt. J.F. Kennedy's sinking PT-109. He provides a most harrowing description -- as commander of cruiser Yahagi -- how he barely survied its sinking alongside the ill-fated battleship Yamato on their suicide mission to attack the U.S. forces invaiding Okinawa. He details his training of the pilots of suicide motorboats (Shinyo: "ocean shaker") that were designed to ram Allied warships approaching Japan. After I wrote to him, he sent me an autographed photograph of himself in 1968 -- a fine keepsake from one of the luckiest Japanese destroyer commanders to have survived so many desperately fought WWII sea battles. His 312-page book was published by Ballantine Books, initially in 1961.

I have yet to encounter one of the Pantheon folklore series that was not a good read. This is no exception. My regret is that they have not published more and that some of their folklore books seem out of print. I enjoyed this book and I am happy to recommend it. I have one other book on the subject (purchased over ten years ago) and this one complements the first.

By using his extensive knowledge in the Japanese literature, Royall Tyler collected and translated Japanese stories into English and into one volume entitled "Japanese Tales." This book drives the readers to experience the enchanting Japanese folklore and ancient short stories of spirits, demons, monsters, gods, monks, heroes, snakes, robbers, foxes, love, and families. There are 220 tales in this book, which are grouped into sets of four to six tales with each having its own theme or heading. In addition to the sets of the book, there is an introduction which describes the history of Japanese lore and mythology; and the culture of Japan including the capital, provinces, the emperor, ministers, houses, the manners of the Japanese people, and the religion during the period of 9th to 13th centuries. Throughout the selected sets of "Japanese Tales," one can understand the Japanese culture from 9th to 13th centuries by looking at the influences of Buddha and Lotus Sutra, the interferences of gods and goddesses, and the stories of snakes and foxes.

"Japanese Tales" explores the influences of Buddha and Lotus Sutra in the medieval Japanese culture as seen in the sets of 'Monk Jokes,' 'Beyond the Rules,' and 'Parent and Child.' Since the religion of Buddhism officially came to Japan in the mid-sixth century, large temples were built and respected monks were scattered across Japan in which people viewed them as saints, frivolous, worldly, and rich (p. xxxvi - xxxvii). However, the tales in the set of 'Monk Jokes' demonstrated as a way of insult to the Buddhist monks because of their sexual behavior, and this set has a twist and humorous end. But the religion of Buddha also had great positive influences on the Japanese people as their view of life and death. The best example of this is a tale of 'The Stinking Hut' in a set of 'Beyond the Rules.'

The important part of the Buddha religion is its scriptures called the sutras, and Lotus Sutra was the only important sutra in Japan which was a "basic of great many monks" and its powerful spiritual merit was copying the text (p. xxxvii, xliv - xlv). The mention of Lotus Sutra appeared throughout the selected sets as a chant or a benefit for someone in need. A good example of the Lotus Sutra can be seen in a tale of 'Hell in Broad Day' in a set of 'Parent and Child.' The religion of Buddha and the Lotus Sutra made strong impacts upon the rich culture of Japan, as evidenced in the living folklore and tales.

The interferences of gods and goddesses in the tales appeared to be of a great importance for the Japanese people because of hope, prayers being answered, and their roles in the vast universe. The religion of Buddhism has many gods and goddesses which appear or are mentioned in the Japanese Tales as part of the Japanese culture. In a sense, the tales would teach the new Japanese generations about the roles of the gods and goddesses and the lessons from their seen or unseen actions. Like a shocking story of 'Buckets of Marital Bliss,' tales that involved gods or goddesses would seem to have important lessons for the readers or listeners during the period of 9th to 13th centuries. The lessons that were demonstrated to the mortal people in the stories would have included the morals, relationships, virtues, and characters. The interferences of gods and goddesses in the "Japanese Tales" played an important role in a traditional society which formed a moral root of the Japanese culture.

The stories of the "Japanese Tales" consisted of many symbols and hidden meanings as related to the conditions of human beings. There are two major creatures of human conditions that appeared in many of the tales, and these were the snakes and the foxes. The snakes in the tales can "embody sinful" conditions including lust, forbidden desires, and evil while the foxes were tricksters for their own sexual desire, love, family, and they were also messengers of gods (p. xlvix - li.). Like in other foreign stories such as the Genesis story in the Bible, the snakes in the "Japanese Tales" represented evil and the actions of the dark side of all human beings, such as lust and forbidden desires. Foxes, on the other hand, do not represent evil, but they represent something between good and evil. Since they were not viewed as good creatures, the foxes can be tricky in such a way that they can be manipulative in love and family. The fox would change its appearance into a woman to get attention from a man, to feel appreciated and loved. Sometimes, a fox can be a messenger of a god appearing in dreams. These 'messenger' foxes would sometime play a divinity role for Japanese people as they would become important creatures of Japan, while the "manipulative" foxes can be the most annoying yet tricky creatures. While they appeared often in the tales, the snakes and the foxes were important figures for the readers or the listeners as they are the representations of major human conditions in Japan.

In Tyler's "Japanese Tales," one can understand the Japanese culture from 9th to 13th centuries by looking at the influences of Buddha and Lotus Sutra, the interferences of gods and goddesses, and the stories of snakes and foxes from the selected sets. The rich culture of Japan was formed by the impact of the religion of Buddha and the Lotus Sutra which affected Japanese folklore and tales.

A well-written book of tales with an accessible source of traditional Japanese society, Royall Tyler's "Japanese Tales" gave a fascinating picture of the Japanese culture and its people during the period of 9th to 13th centuries. For those who love folklores and legends, this book is most recommended.

"Japanese Tales" is probably the best collection of Japanese folk tales available. Every conceivable piece of folk lore is packed in this book, categorized and deftly translated into English. A host of monsters, ghosts, demons and heroes are packed in tightly, their stories waiting to be discovered.

Of course, with 220 stories in one volume, some of the stories are very short indeed, lasting a half-page at best. Many are just the right size for a child's bedtime story. Some of the stories are longer, but I don't think any of them run over 2 or 3 pages. Some stories have a moral, or tell a cautionary tale, while many are merely there to entertain, frighten or amuse.

As interesting as the book itself is the author's introduction, a 35 page quick course on Japanese folklore and mythology. In it, he outlines some fundamental themes as well as showing the logic behind his categorizing of the stories.

An excellent book, belong on the shelf of anyone with an interest in Japanese folklore.

"Japanese Tales" boasts an incredibly rich assortment of old Japanese stories, most either from or about the Heian period, an early classical golden age of Japanese culture and literature. The stories themselves evoke a great number of moods, and cover topics that run the gamut from vulgar (even the Japanese aristocrats of a thousand years ago enjoyed fart jokes) to austere. Most interesting is the incredible juxtaposition and intertwining of the spirit world with the "real" world. Asking the people of this classical age whether they believed in demons, fox spirits, bodhisattva, and the like would be about as ridiculous as asking people of the modern age whether they believed in puppies and bunnies. It's not a question of belief--these creatures and deities simply "exist".

The translations are excellent, and it is an incredible credit to Royall Tyler that these stories--set in a time a millennium removed and half a world away from the reader--are so accessible and easy to read. Tyler effectively groups the stories by topic, giving the reader a bit of structure to the wonderfully diverse range of tales. The introduction is packed full of information, but perhaps my only (small) complaint is that with the large number of place names mentioned it would have been nice if a map had been included. Overall though, this collection of tales is an excellent addition to the canon of English translations of ancient Japanese literature and provides great insight to the mind and world of Heian Japan. "Japanese Tales" should be a must-read for all people interested in the folklore and literature of Japan.

I rate this book to be Pretty Killer. It is extremely well, written, with translator Royall Tyler keeping up his usual excellence. if you are new to Japanese literature, i reccomend The Tale of Genji (Tyler), The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, and As I Crossed A Bridge of Dreams- Sarashina Nikki (Morris). Even if you hold little interest in Japan or the literature of such, this book is engaging, amusing, thoughtful, and supplies you with stories you can retell. Read the darn thing.

This book and it's sequal (Return to Yesterday) were originally my mother's books. When I was very young (around 6) I heard my mother telling my aunt about these two books and I never forgot them. When I was 18 or so I asked my mother who had written the books where the girl went into the swimming pool and traveled through time... I was amazed when she went into her room and produced the books. I read them the first time when I was 18 and have probably re-read them annually since then. It is truly a story that you will not soon forget (yet given how hard they are to find, will be reluctant to share)!

I have read this book on several occasions and I just love it. It is about love found, love lost and a womans aching desire to reclaim the love that is 100 years away from her.

This book holds your attention and you can't put it down until you are finished and looking for the sequel. Too bad it is out of print. Please reprint it. My copies have been handed down to so many and they are truly worn. Great writing for the female reader.

Diving into a swimming pool and coming up in a pond in the woods. How many beginnings of novels can you remember, from at least 15 years ago? I have my set again. I recommend both the first and the sequel. I got into many more romantic time travel books after reading these two. There are NO reprints to be found. Got my used ones at Patty's Paperbacks in Greensburg, PA

What a fantastic book to read. I have probably read it over 20 times. From page 1 it will consume your every minute until you have finished it. It makes you want to experience something like it...very romantic!! About 12 years ago I loaned my copy to someone and never got it back. I went to Amazon looking for one and there were none but was told they would look for a copy for me. Two years later I get an email that they had found one for me! I was elated and so very thankful to Amazon for their diligence in finding it. And now it is so easy to find one!!! The sequel is also well worth reading....."Return to Yesterday".

I remember reading this as a little girl and LOVING it. I searched forever for this book -- I couldn't remember the title, and had to email lots of used booksellers asking for help. I finally found a used copy and purchased it a few years ago, and immediately fell in love all over again. I love the story of the sad little witch who is homesick, and who takes her feelings out on the Doon family through anger and disobedience. The Doons treat her lovingly anyway and soon she becomes recognizable as a real human little girl. A beautiful story!!

I, too, found this book when I was about 7 years old, at Hudlow Elementary in Tucson, AZ. I read it over and over, delighting in the tale of Little Felina. Imagine my surprise when I found in the author's biography that SHE LIVED IN TUCSON, TOO!

My mother suggested that I write to her and tell her how much I enjoyed her book. I did, and she wrote me back! I wrote her again and again -- and she wrote me back, always interested in my stories about school, my family, my pets and my desire to be a writer like her some day.

Fast forward 35 years... I haven't become a writer (at least not yet!), but I have led a very blessed life, made all the richer by people like Ms. Laughlin - who made me believe that anything was possible.

When I was 7 years old, I found the Little Leftover Witch at my local public library. I took it out so many times that the librarians began to hide it from me so that others could take it out. As I got older, I always looked for it on the shelf to make sure it was still there and to check the signature card with my name on it over and over again. When I became a mother, I went back to the library to see if it was still there. I was flooded with memories when I found it. I asked if I could purchase the book (there wasn't an Amazon.com yet)but was told that it could not be sold. I was sad but knew I would be able to find it when my daughter became old enough to read. A few years later I received a call from that library asking me if I was still interested in owning the book. They were planning to discard it because it was very worn (all the more better since I was the one who caused the wear). My daughter loves the Little Leftover Witch and we read it together every fall even though she is now 13. This is a wonderful book about love and family and the beauty of the book lies in its simplicity.

There's something truly magical about this book, which is what makes it so special to the people who read it when they were children. I'm now reading it to my 5-year-old daughter, and it's a great bribery tool to get her to clean her room, put up the dishes, etc., because all I have to say is, "We can read an extra chapter of Little Leftover Witch tonight..." and she's all over it! If you haven't read this book, find a copy and join the (huge) club of people who are willing to search high and low to track down a copy of something they read 30 years ago!

Sometimes when you revisit a childhood favorite you discover that much of what made it wonderful is "between the lines" and not there at all, just images you invested in it. But The Little Leftover Witch is really just as wonderful, funny, vivid and haunting as I thought at the time.

This was my FAVORITE book when I was seven, and took it just as a literal fairytale about what would happen if a little witch girl got left on a tree outside a human family's window on Halloween. At the time I much preferred mischievous Felina to sweet Lucinda. It's surprisng to read it again at this distance and see just how perfectly Laughlin captured the behavior of small girls without either fudging on their maturity or condescending to them!

I also found myself entirely in love with the world of the Doons. In fact, I reread the book as soon as I finished. This family is nice-- and yet, still believable. Mrs. Doon loses her temper (well, only after severe provocation when Felina brings the cat to the supermarket!)... and there are family traditions and little bits of individuality everywhere.

What I missed, reading this as a child, was the metaphor for adoption-- and the metaphor of how love can truly change a person. In the world of the Doon's, Felina's witchiness is a fact-- not a delusion-- and everyone in the town buys into it. But in the hands of the adult reader, Felina's witchiness is every lonely child's feeling of not belonging. No wonder all kinds of children love this book! It has everything-- terrific writing (brief enough for early-ish readers), memorable characters, humor, adventure-- and a terrific depiction of the power of love.

This is my favorite storyteller and her short stories are wonderful. They transport you to another time and place. The thing I love best about this book is the little life lessons she puts in it not preachy just real things you can relate to and learn from.

I have heard for years what a great writer J. California Cooper is and how people love just about anything she produces. Despite hearing all of the accolades and praises for this author, life happened and I never got around to reading one of her works. I could slap myself for all of the years I missed out on the tales from this adroit storyteller. Her dialogue brings Hurston to mind, and her characters in THE MATTER IS LIFE are just as strong as any of the greats. In fact, I am adding Cooper to my list of greats after reading this collection of beautifully human stories about how people can get in their own ways and how life is life.

My favorite story in this collection happened to be the longest. Could it be that I was able to savor even more of Cooper's wisdom in "The Doras?" It's possible, but more than that, this was a story that had me hanging on to every word about a woman with a dream for her daughters. The narrators in all the stories seem to be sages of sorts; the narrator isn't always a central character in the piece, but she seems to know all the goings on of the people of whom she speaks. This was refreshing and different, and I felt as though she and I were having an all-out gossip session. Don't get me wrong; the stories in this compilation are deep and to the point. There is a lesson to be learned within each tale's contributory pages.

I just can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this reading journey. My only complaint is that it was over too soon. Luckily for me, there are numerous other Cooper releases for me to enjoy.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

J. California Cooper has a way of crafting a story that makes you feel as if you are sitting in the room with the characters as they go about their daily lives.

These stories make you actually FEEL what the characters are going through, and when the stories end, you feel like a friend has walked away.

I definitely recommend this book and any others by this author.

I need more stars.

J. California Cooper is one of the best authors of our time who doesn't receive the praise due to her. Her short stories are filled with colorful characters that keep you turning the pages. I'll read anything she releases. Ms. Cooper is in a class by herself. Much love and support to you. I can't wait for your next release.

This book is a wonderful mosaic of characters, perspectives, and lifestyles. I've always seen Cooper's books in the store, but didn't pick one up until "The Matter is Life." I haven't been able to put the book down and am looking forward to picking up more of her short story collections.

After solving the mystery of a nearby haunted castle, the Three Investigators have their second case. It's not as exciting, finding a missing parrot, except that the parrot stutters. But the case quickly goes from mundane to interesting, as they find that this case involves 7 birds, all taught to repeat a part of a riddle. And it soon becomes dangerous when they realize that others are interested in the whereabouts of the parrots, and will stop at nothing to get them, including kidnapping. The Three Investigators will need all their smarts and some luck to solve this mystery.

The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot has all the frights of The Secret of Terror Castle, but with a truly puzzling mystery to solve added in. The plot is extremely clever, and draws the reader in expertly with the riddle of the parrots. New investigative methods are introduced, sometimes with good results and sometimes not, but the genius of this series is apparent in this book. I loved it 30 years ago when I read it as a kid, and my son and I loved reading it now. Exciting and interesting enough to keep even reluctant readers coming back for more. And as others have commented, I definitely think there's potential for a movie here. (We managed to find the old Alfred Hitchcock version).

In this second book about the Three Investigators, Robert Arthur has exceeded the achievements of the first. Whereas The Secret of Terror Castle detailed the boys' attempt to prove their investigative powers, The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot relates the story of the boys' first real case. Having been charged with finding a missing parrot, they soon find themselves intimately involved in a search for a valuable work of art. The story is much fuller and more satisfying than that of the first book. Here we see the case evolve from a seemingly simple, far from dangerous search for a missing pet to an expanded search for seven mysterious parrots (the significance of which are not at first apparent) and finally to a race against an international art thief to acquire a lost masterpiece. Along the way, they face mysterious foreigners working against them, make sense of an enigmatic coded message, and ultimately triumph (albeit somewhat by accident). Admirably, they also go out of their way to generously help a young Mexican immigrant and his uncle establish a more comfortable life for themselves.

This is the Three Investigators at their finest. The mental acumen of Jupiter Jones is put to the test, and once again his mental prowess proves up to the task. For an adult such as myself, some of the obvious clues are not picked up on in as timely a fashion as I would expect, but one must remember that even Jupiter Jones, genius that he is, is only a lad. This book is an unqualified success, eminently enjoyable to both young and old alike. I feel just as I felt twenty years ago upon first reading these books--anxious to read about the boys' next case.

Even though this is only book # 2 of the 3I series, this is far and away the best book. I re-read it several years ago and I remember getting this adrenaline rush surging through me as the story progressed. It was one of the best young adult books I've ever read. I would re-read it, but I've since moved from my parents' house, where it's under lock and key.

Even if you're a Hardy Boys fan, give this book a whirl. Help yourself to the first book, too (Terror Castle). The rest of the series isn't nearly as charming as this one.

This book is the second in the series, following our introduction to the Three Investigators in "The Secret of Terror Castle." As we learned in the first book, the Three Investigators are Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews. Jupiter is the intelligent, sometimes inadvertently arrogant member of the group who has a tendency to be condescending. Pete Crenshaw is typically the muscle of the group. Pete is usually quite fearless. Bob Andrews, who begins the series with a broken leg, works at the library and handles records and research for the group.

In this story, the boys are investigating the case of a missing parrot at the request of Alfred Hitchcock. A friend of Mr. Hitchcock had recently purchased a parrot that stutters, and shortly after the purchase the parrot disappeared. The Three Investigators are on the case!

Initially, the boys, and perhaps the reader, might wonder whether this mystery is going to be interesting. Never fear. The boys soon encounter a renowned art thief and a suspicious fat man who threatens the boys. The three boys also discover that there are more parrots missing and that their mystery has compounded. The mystery deepens as the boys learn that a mysterious man trained the parrots and the parrots may be speaking a riddle that could lead to a treasure. This story has enough twists that many adults might find it entertaining.

Quite a few children's mystery book series have become classics. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift. Even the Boxcar Children are relatively well-known. However, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were well-written books that offered an intelligent, interesting and more contemporary alternative to many of the earlier classic series. Many people recall the earlier series well, but the Three Investigators series, which Robert Arthur wrote and debuted in 1964, has, for now, largely been overshadowed by the other series and generally forgotten. Fortunately, all of these books are available either from Amazon or from other internet sources.

If you are looking for mystery books for children and you are looking for an alternative to the Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift, I highly recommend the Three Investigator series.

Enjoy!

The Three Investigators series is MUST reading for all kids. As a teacher I encourage all of my students to delve into the adventures of Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews. None of my young readers has ever been disappointed!

This (the second book in the series) mystery is one of the best. It's a fast moving story that gives readers a lot of mystery and action. All the familiar Investigators charms are here: bad guys galore, red herrings, riddles and clues, chases, and the fun of the revelations in the last pages.

I strongly encourage anyone who reads (no matter their age) to pick up this series. It'll put a smile on your face and make you glad that you shut off the TV and dove into a book.

Written long after *Journey to the End of Night* and *Death on the Installment Plan* made him famous, and his alleged activities during World War II turned him into something of a pariah, *North* is a lesser known and less widely read novel, but, to my mind, in many respects, a vastly superior work to both *Journey* and *Death.* What makes it so? Precisely Celine's recounting of the questionable wartime `activities' that have turned him into one of the true black sheep of 20th century literature. What Celine has to say about the inferno of WW2 wasn't politically correct long before that term was invented to describe a particular form of lying. Is it possible that the seeds of political correctness were sown in the ashes of postwar Europe? Maybe. In any event, Celine stands firmly opposed to any form of lying or hypocrisy and he found plenty of both to rage against in the chaos of war. The problem is that Celine finds the hypocrisy, the lying, the betrayal and rot on *both* sides, in human nature itself, and this is an unacceptable position to take in the last--if not only--war that is still considered to have had a clear Good Guy and an indisputable Bad Guy.

*North* chronicles a stage in Celine's flight `north' during the last days of an imploding Third Reich. As Berlin is bombed into pebbles, and then re-bombed into dust, Celine, his wife Lili, a temperamental actor friend, and his cat, take refuge in a village along with other refugees--prisoners, traitors, SS officers, gypsies, German nobility, and assorted riff-raff on the move--and all of them scheming and jockeying for the best position to ensure their own survival. Hunger and fear bring out the worst in all of them, except, perhaps, the cat.

What Celine has the effrontery to point out is that human evil is pervasive--the rottenness is at the core, and extends from the bottom up. The guys at the top are only the biggest stinkers, the Chief Thugs, different only in their capacity to commit atrocities of all sorts, but, otherwise, identical to the rest of us in the latent human potential for unbounded cruelty. Celine take on WW2 is one where principled stands were virtually without exception conditional on one's place in the raging chaos. Can the Nazis keep me fed, alive, relatively safe? Okay, then, "Heil Hitler!" Can the Russians? "Welcome Comrade!" Maybe the English? Then "God Save the Queen!" Celine fought with the "Good Guys" during WW1 and so the edge of his ultra-cynicism was somewhat blunted, his political amorality obscured, his misanthropy still a bit of a joke, fogged over and softened by the fact that, after all, he fought on the `right' side. But his essential attitude is there even in *Journey to the End of Night.* Celine doesn't believe in *anything*--nothing, at least, larger than the survival of himself and his immediate friends. His is an ant's-eye view of the world and like all the rest of us little guys, he's just trying to keep from getting stamped on by the big boots from above. And if you think of the war itself as the shadow cast by a great big boot coming down, you can understand better the mindless, unprincipled scramble for survival that Celine dares to record in the pages of *North.* Are there no atheists in a foxhole? Well, Celine argues, there are no idealists there, either. When the bombs are screaming down, there's just a lot of desperate and terrified people looking for a rock to hide under. Justification comes later; survival is first. After all, there's nothing without survival. And wherever the Wheel of Fortune stops, that's where you stand, Nazi or Allied, collaborative or Resistance. You place your best bet: to survive is to win. Well, you might say, that Celine agrees wholeheartedly with Ecclesiastes: "A living dog is better than a dead lion."

It's this kind of radical moral complexity that I think makes *North* richer and ultimately superior to Celine's earlier work--it also fuels an even more virulent disgust with "humanity," so called, and amps up his characteristic misanthropy to the max. Everyone gets it in the neck. The black comedy is here, the antic absurdity, this is Celine after all, cracking jokes even up to his eyeballs in blood and worms. That he can turn the experiences recounted in *North* into a picaresque romp through the Apocalypse is amazing in itself--in many another author's hand, the events of *North* would be the material for a gloomy tragedy of the epic sort well-known by now among chroniclers of the WW2 horror. That Celine is able to turn this uncompromising tale of war, famine, and exile into a loony brimstone romp is a backhand tribute to the human spirit. Well, a tribute to Celine's spirit, in any event--a spirit more fully and honestly "human" than most.

Louis Ferdinand Celine was an anti-Semite and thoroughly unpleasant character (unless you were counted among his small, close circle of friends). He also happens to be one of the 20th Century's greatest writers, someone admired by the likes of Samuel Beckett (not a man known to offer unworthy praise). JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT, DEATH ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN and NORTH are ample evidence of Celine's enormous talent. Unflinching, vicious and literate, his prose depicts individuals living on the margins--he also is a writer of great wit and there are passages which will provoke peals of laughter from readers with the intelligence to appreciate his dry, bitter,caustic humour. Highly recommended...though not for the faint of heart and small of brain.

This is possibly Celine's most abstract and difficult novel, but well worth the effort. If you persist, you will be rewarded with a tragic story that rivals the bards of ancient greece in its beauty and chaotic symmetry.

Celine never really bothers to make grand pronouncements about the future, about civilization, about humanity, about the future. If he makes them, they are predicated on madness and miscommunication, and often meant merely as a foil for his real ideas. Yet I'm convinced that behind the rants, raves, and scattered events in this novel is a grand metaphor for the fall of the Enlightenment ideas that defined the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century. Gone is any real perception of right or wrong, of good or bad, of the necessary past and the rational future...all we have left is the self and the other, struggling through a bombed-out landscape as Western Continental Europe finally crashes headlong into the ground. Humanity has returned to its irrational origins, and not even an 80 year old Prussian Junker in his underpants can get on his horse, draw his saber, and make everything all right again...

A vital description of the effects of World War II on the ideas, formulations, and traditions of Western European society, and a fantastic read to boot.

This one will stay with us for a long time.

In this partly autobiographical novel, we find Celine on the run through Baden Baden, a bombed out Berlin, and finally a small village at the outskirts of the remains of the Third Reich capital, on his way to what he hesitantly calls a refuge, during the chaos and total insanity of the final stages of the second world war.

Celine does not really complain the misery of his fate. In his cynical manner, he merely records his incredible encounters with seemingly all the renegades and twised characters of a scorched Europe and willing or not he witnesses the atrophies and deformities of human mind. Ironically, the author somehow manages to turn his characters into hillarious and amiable, even entertaining figures.

Celine writes like no other writer you have read. His truncated sentences, in bits and pieces all over the place, remind of a rather maniac mind spinning thoughts at the speed of light in an incohomprensive, bordering to delirious babble. That's Celine all right throughout North. In poignant remarks, making fun, laughing at himself, expressing same anxiety, bitternes, and cynical observations as in his other writings, Celine moves on, weary but undefeated. Life goes on.

I love all of Louis-Ferdinand Celine's novels, from "Journey to the End of the Night" to "Rigadoon", but I have to say that "North" is my favorite. It's hard to say why exactly, because his novels are mostly simlar in tone and style, except for "Journey", his first, which is his most accessible, ellipses-free novel...Bukowski (who turned me on to Celine in the first place) said that Celine went insane after his first book and didn't write much of consequence after that.
I would have to respectfully disagree. "North" certainly does read like an ultra-cynical, off-the-cuff, unruly beast, the rantings of a madman...Celine opens complaining about society, his publisher, the reading public, and his fellow authors, and seems to careen between his present-tense problems and his flight from both the Allies and the Nazis during World War 2, twenty years before, with no rhyme or reason...but I think there IS a reason: the experience. Probably a multiple-degreed Literature Professor (if he read Celine at all) could point out all sorts of latent themes and ironic stylistic touches, but I don't go in for all that...I just love running along behind Celine, trying to keep up. "North" is a whirlwind, a blast of vituperation and self-pity, the missing link between Surrealism and Punk Rock, and possibly the highest expression of what it means to be French and why so many people hate the French: if YOU were a little country crowded on all sides by beasts and fops, and everyone loved your wines and cheeses but squawked with hatred whenever you gave your opinion on something, how do you think YOU'D behave?