Non-fiction Books

John Gardner wrote many good works, the Sunlight Dialogues being by far the best. In it he captures the range of hope and anxiety that made the 1960s such a thrilling and tormenting time to be alive. Using the small town of Batavia, New York, Gardner plunges the reader into the life of a prodigal son of the most prestigious family in town and that of the dedicated police chief. And do the intellectural sparks fly! The illustrations by John Napper are reminescent of those from the Yellow Book in the 1890s, by Aubrey Beardsley. There is a lot of subtle humor ("take a gun of, say, x caliber...") as well as dead-on observation of what makes people do outrageous things for perfectly logical reasons.
It's a roller coaster of a novel, so hang on and enjoy the ride. You might even want to go back for a second trip. I did.

The Sunlight Dialogues_ is truly John Gardner's magnum opus, equaling and perhaps overshadowing _Grendel_, the book for which he is best known.

Grossly over-simplified, it is about the tide of discontent and change that came about in the 1960s, exemplified in the stories of a handful of people who live in the small New York town of Batavia. All of these characters' stories occur at roughly the same moment, and to a certain degree overlap each other; they all come into contact with one another at some point during the novel, and may even influence each other, but every member of the book's huge cast has his or her own story and denouement.

The primary one of these stories is the one that concerns Police Chief Fred Clumly and a haggard, maniacal drifter known as "the Sunlight Man", and the happenings of this particular storyline are the catalysts for the rest of the stories. "The Sunlight Man", whom we later find out is Taggert Hodge, the black sheep of the wealthy and powerful family the members of whom comprise roughly half the other characters in the novel, is the one who sets all of these denouements into motion with his seminal return to his hometown as a magician, hippie, murderer, and poet. His has been a life of disillusionment, loss, betrayal and unattainable wants, and he returns to Batavia to set into motion a sort of romantically juvenile plot to take revenge on the world and to mewl out his disappointment with the way things are, the latter of which he does through Fred Clumly(thus is the origin of the title.)

Gardner is remarkably adept at character development; Taggert Hodge, Walter Benson and Fred Clumly are among the best painted characters of fiction I know of. The author has a gift for articulating neuroses and flaws of characters, from miniscule ticks in their everyday behavior to major personality faults. And with a cast of roughly eleven major characters, making each and every one entirely unique in their drives and hamartias is no task to be scoffed at. However, the ability of John Gardner's I perhaps envy the most is that of taking a very normal, even pretty environmental setting, and turning it nightmarish and haunting. In the novel, the dense forests and century-old barns of Batavia are made into artifacts and ruins of an almost Lovecraftian caliber of queerness, and yet it does not serve to displace the small New York town from the realm of believable reality, but rather forces you to evaluate your reality on the same dark and weird basis as his authorial voice.

The sheer scope of the novel (that of several stories cycloning around a unifying theme and plot catalyst) at times threatens to tear it apart, however; the reader at times is left wondering why the author has switched point of views when the scenario he was describing previously had yet to be resolved. This is a mere annoyance, however, and is not really something for which I believe the novel should be faulted, for the rewards of its pages are vast ones.

Due perhaps to its relatively young age, it has yet to receive the proper "classic" status it so rightly deserves, and, sadly, it may never, for "Grendel" seems to be John Gardner's only remembered and widely read work, and is perpetually overshadowing the rest of the author's material, most of which are just as powerful and memorable as tale of Beowulf's tragic nemesis. In fact, some may even be better, as I propose The Sunlight Dialogues is, but until the higher-ups at Norton and the like get around to looking at this master of fiction as a master should, I advise any and all of the people reading this to purchase this book from whatever obscure publisher it has currently been tossed to.

Back in the 70s, I became fascinated with John Gardner, starting with The Wreckage of Agathon and Grendel. When The Sunlight Dialogues came out, I was hooked. I picked up a paperback copy and just fell into the story. After that, each new Gardner was purchased in hardcover, which I could ill afford back then.

About 10 years ago, I tracked down a fine condition copy of TSG and re-read it. Bad move, though, donating the paperback to the library.

I welcomed the arrival of a new trade paperback edition of the novel, and of one or two others by Gardner until I actually had the opportunity to hold them. The reprints were done without the original illustrations, which are integral to the books. Unbelievable!

For old times sake, I bought a used Ballantine paperback copy and am re-reading it. I have no intention of buying this new edition.

So, five stars for Gardner and the book, with a one-star demerit for this compromised reprint. The new introduction doesn't add much to the book.

I recently met a recent graduate of the State University of New York: Binghamton, an English major. He had never heard of John Gardner, author of the one American post WWII novel that stands comparision in scope and quality, if not import, with Middlemarch.

This novel is unabashedly symbolic, it's many characters each representing the dichotomies of order/chaos, love/hatefulness, light/darkness. But don't think that the work is heavy handed or didactic because of the obviously metaphorical quality. Rather, it is like other great metafiction, the reading of which is akin to entering a complex microcosm, and best of all, having a bird's eye view into the lives and minds of all the many characters. The multiplicity of narratives, some dramatic, others hilariously banal, is nearly perfectly balanced so that when one character might get tiresome, we are transported into another new and fascinating life. Most impressively, all these narratives are eventually woven together in perfect and beautiful harmony. Once you enter this work, you will not want to stop. I don't advice reading this unless you have some free time, otherwise all your other responsibilities will suffer.

10 stars would have been more appropriate. Sean MacNeill was everything I'd expected -- and more -- after reading The Comeback of Conn MacNeill (another winner!)where I first "saw" Sean. This book is romance at its finest, with incredible writing, vivid word pictures, realistic dialogue and a to-die-for hero who is sooo perfectly suited to the ultimately responsible and mature heroine. I couldn't put it down and now I'm really sorry that it's over! For me, it was just the right balance of sizzling sensuality, fast-pacing, and loads of emotion. Perfect!!

I'm anxious for the next Virginia Kantra book! December seems a loooong way off!

Rachel's packed up her two kids and everything she owns, and is heading home to her mother's house where she finds a man sleeping in her bed -- a very naked, sexy man. He's Sean MacNeill, her mother's tenant. He's definitely a piece of eye-candy, and as she grows to know him, Rachel discovers he's even more attractive inside than out. And he makes it clear he's interested in her. But interest or not, Rachel doesn't have time for Sean, not when the mobs on her heels. She has her family to worry about.

Sean knows Rachel's in trouble, but she's keeping him at arm's length. How can he help her if she won't let him come any closer? And Sean wants to be closer . . . much closer. Can he save her from her demons, and better yet, can he save himself from falling head-over heels for her?

Virginia Kantra delivers another powerful story of love and intrigue, of honor and trust. A great read that will tempt you to read it all in one sitting!

This book was fantastic, one I could sink my romance loving teeth into. To put it simply: A good old-fashioned love story. The story had characters I could sympathize with -- and in the heroine, Rachel, I fully identified with her reluctance to confide her problems to anyone, even her mother. Both Rachel and Sean exuded likeability and the author hooked me into their story from the first page. Rachel had good reason to be afraid for her and her children's safety and good reason not get anyone else involved. But through Sean's persuasive kindness and consideration, he earns the trust and love of Rachel and her children. Throw in sweet seduction, sizzling love scenes and moments of panic, mayhem and angst and you'll see why Ms. Kantra has become an auto-buy for future titles, and her back list now is part of my books to be read.

Two scenes that stood out for me were Sean and Rachel, confronting each other in the kitchen and coming to terms with their feelings for the other and later, when Rachel gets her first introduction to the entire MacNeill family.

The Temptation of Sean MacNeill is definitely Two Thumbs Up.

Rachel's packed up her two kids and everything she owns, and is heading home to her mother's house where she finds a man sleeping in her bed -- a very naked, sexy man. He's Sean MacNeill, her mother's tenant. He's definitely a piece of eye-candy, and as she grows to know him, Rachel discovers he's even more attractive inside than out. And he makes it clear he's interested in her. But interest or not, Rachel doesn't have time for Sean, not when the mobs on her heels. She has her family to worry about.

Sean knows Rachel's in trouble, but she's keeping him at arm's length. How can he help her if she won't let him come any closer? And Sean wants to be closer . . . much closer. Can he save her from her demons, and better yet, can he save himself from falling head-over heels for her?

Virginia Kantra delivers another powerful story of love and intrigue, of honor and trust. A great read that will tempt you to read it all in one sitting!

A tightly-written novel that starts with a strange, naked man in the heroine's bed and proceeds at a fair pace. I liked the preceding novel in the trilogy well enough, but this is better. The characters are fleshed out quite well, and though I wanted to strangle the heroine at times, she had extremely good reasons for being such a wimp -- which made her seem so much more courageous when she decided finally to DO something about her situation.

That situation is a tense one, very well constructed and scary, and the addition of some realistic-sounding kids complicates matters even further. Hero and heroine showed a very warm chemistry. Sean is definitely someone I wouldn't mind having live in my garage... or finding naked in my bed. The sex scenes arose organically from the plot, unlike the slightly uncomfortable ones in the previous novel. Well done and enjoyed!

Cover: quite eyecatching!

Reviewed by AJ Cooper for Reader Views (1/07)

"Things Invisible to See" is about a number of different families and people. It is also about spirits and death. The main focus revolves around Ben and Clare. Ben is on a golf course with his friends goofing off and they decide to hit baseballs towards the river. The ball is pitched to Ben and he hits it so hard it goes across the river and strikes someone. All of the boys hear the scream and take off without determining who they hit. Ben searches the local paper in the hopes of discovering who he hit. A number of days later he does locate a small article about the girl his baseball hit. He is wrought with guilt and works his way into her life and the life of her family. Clare is unable to walk due to the accident and it cannot be determined why she cannot walk. Clare has a spirit that visits her and takes her to see different images and people away from her body. There are also others in the book who are able to see and communicate with the spirit world.

The book goes on and on with each chapter describing different families. It is very disjointed to me and not really that interesting. It is as if parts from this book are taken from many other stories and then added together at the last minute. I found this book very hard to read. I felt I had been reading this book all of my life and could never get to or find the ending. There are small parts of the book that I found interesting. But over all I would not read this book again and I am not sure who might enjoy it. I am sure there must be a group of people who may enjoy "Things Invisible to See," but I could not take a guess as to who that might be.

This book turned my teenaged niece from a non-reader to an avid reader. Can there be a better tribute to any book?

Admittedly, I'm from Ann Arbor. But Willard is quite magical in capturing the feel of (what was then, before WWII) a smallish Michigan city, from an utterly unexpected angle. The book is one of the most successful examples of magical realism I have ever encountered, and Willard's prose itself is enchanting. I've read this book (and its successor, Sister Water, now out of print) many times, always with fondness, and I recommend it to anyone else who wants a thoroughly good read.

I just ordered a hardback copy of this book, because my paperback is falling apart from so many readings! I was not surprised to see so many other reviews for a book so old; because this is a wonderful, magical book. I picked it up at a used book-store, even though it looked to be a "fantasy", which I don't read. But this novel cannot be wedged into any genre. If you love baseball, are interested in (or lived through) WWII, grew up in S. Michigan, went to U. of Michigan, or believe in miracles, this book WILL resonate with you. And you may love it without any of those points of resonance! It also has those subtle references that make re-reading worthwhile. Example: a scene set in early December 1941, where Death-a little man who is a main character in the book-attends a seance several days early, because "he has important business on Sunday". It was my third reading before I followed the book's timeline well enough to realize Death had to be at Pearl Harbor that Sunday.

This book leaves you with not just a good feeling, but a tingle of wonder--like maybe there are always little miracles afoot in the world???? If Nancy Willard only had one "big novel" in her, I'm glad its this one; but I'd love to see more from her.

This is a wonderful book. I teach it in a class on "Baseball, Literature, and American Culture." Like all good baseball books, it's not really about baseball. It's really about love, war, families, race, and other universals. Willard is a gifted writer who understands that adults like stories with spirits and ghosts and magic and whimsy as much as kids. The baseball in it is well-rendered. Willard is a sophisticated fan (Tigers): she knows whereof she speaks. It's a shame it's not in print as there are so few works of baseball fiction by women. This the best I know of. I photocopy 50 copies for my class (with permission). It works. Students like it, especially the more literary types.

This book was wonderfully writen by C.B. I could tell of her love for big cats as she was extreamly descriptive in her protrayal of these animals. The story is all set in the past, however there are two time periods that she bounces between in this story. Also there are some elements of the future written in as well, but the setting described is still in a time that we all have long lived through. I wont go into details about the storyline of this book as others before me already have, but I will say that this is an excellent book for young adults who love sci-fi elements as well as eygptian mythology and stories, ans espicially for the young adult who loves big cats being the protagonist of stories.

I fuond this rare gem of a book when I was much younger and not too long ago I remembred this book and also the fact that I hadn't finished it.(It was a library book). That is what led me to buy it again and re-read it. Although I enjoyed finishing this book finally, as an adult I wouldn't reccomend this book for older audiences. Certain parts of the plot would leave older readers wanting if a past relationship wasn't already developed with this book. That being said. Young readers... Enjoy! This is a rarity.

Tomorrow's Sphinx is an extremely imaginative and thought provoking read. With wonderful characters and beautiful descriptions, Clare Bell has created an exquisite world like no other.
Kichebo, a cheetah who's lucky to have survived past year one, is not like the rest of her kin. She is unique in the sense that she is black with gold tear lines, gold ear tips, and a gold tail tip, and that she is mentally different from her brethren. Shunned because of her differences, Kichebo is destined to find out that she is different in a way that she could never have fathomed. Through the guidance of Asu-Kheknemt, a long dead cheetah who protected and befriended Tutankhamen, a wise, grayed cheetah named Gray Cape, and the affectionate human child, Menk, Kichebo will soon discover what her place in the world is, and find herself.
I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants a fresh original fantasy read, you will not be dissapointed!!

I love this book! I found it in my school library a few months ago, and since then have read it at least four times. The story involes a type of cats and Egypt, both things I like. Now if only I could get my friend to read it.....But really, anyone who loves books in different times and/or cats will(or should) like this book!

This is my favorite book. I could read it over and over again and never get tired of it. It has an excellent point of view from the animal and great scifi entertainment. If you love wild cats especially cheetahs and you like Egypt and it's history and you're into scifi I suggest you read Tomorrow's Sphinx.

Kichebo is a black cheetah, born in a far-flung future. Unlike the gold-coated, black spotted cheetahs around her, her coat is sable with gold markings. Everywhere she goes, she is hunted by strange creatures in sky vehicles that try to capture her. Unable to find acceptance or safety among her kind, she makes contact with another--amazingly like herself. Kehknemt lived thousands of years ago, the companion of an Egyptian Prince. Through these shared memories across time, and the strange friendship Kichebo strikes up with small two-legged creature, the black cheetah hopes to find the answers to the questions of why she is so different, and what her future might hold.

Clare Bell has a real love of the big cats, and provides an insightful look into the lives of these large hunters. Her depiction of the cheetah society does not try to over-anthropomorphize the cats into human beings. Although they communicate in a sentient manner and are provided with personality and purpose, their behaviors and lifestyles remain those of powerful semi-solitary predators. It makes for an interesting glimpse into how an intelligent society of cats might develop. Beyond this, Kichebo's story is one coming of age and discovery of self. The questions Kichebo most seeks an answer to are: "Why am I so different?" and "What is the meaning of my life?" Questions that are universal and easy to understand, if not easy to answer. Kichebo is destined to take her people in a new direction, one she never imagined. The time travel aspect of this book gives us a fascinating look into what might have been in the days of King Tutankhamen, and the reasons behind the young King's early death.

This book is written with young readers in mind, much of Kichebo's search for self and struggle to become who she is will echo with adolescents who are going through the same struggle. I read this book in my teens and have reread it several times since. I think adult readers will find the story lacks the kind of mature sophistication they might be used to in adult science fiction, but it fits the intended readership well. For those who enjoy this book, see if you can find Ratha's Creature, also by Clare Bell.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

allright, i havent read this book, but reading other reviews guarantee its a good book. my question is i can't seem to find this book anywhere; amazon doesnt carry it, nor do any other bookstores i've checked. i've gone online and looked hard for it, but all i come across is the original spanish version, whereas i dont speak spanish. the review states that this book has been translated into most languages, but where are the english translations. if you have information where i can purchase this book please email me at josecruz@sfsu.edu, thanks.

Mind's labyrinth has reached very few times such level of anxiety, desperation, loneliness, introspection and madness as you will experience with this story.

Ernesto Sabato wrote one of his three masterpieces with such eloquence and conviction that you will wonder after having read it why this monumental work is not better known.

This notable writer and thinker, not only paid his personal debt to Poe, but all a gallery of inquisitions, observations and statements about the human nature, will integrate this colossal portrait of Castel and Maria.

E.S.belongs to that dynasty of major Latin American novelists with admirable figures such Borges, Cabrera Infante, Cortazar, Quiroga, Asturias. He has been a man of sharp intelligence, astonishing erudiction and refined culture. I really hope you to read this book and from the first page you will be struggled by an invisible arm that will envolve you in this passionate and extraordinary portrait.

In last instance there was only a dark and lonely tunnel: mine!

juan pablo castel is the mind of men who strive to find a meaning to their existence. juan pablo's mind is a world of fanatasies that puts him on the verge of reality. here we have to examine the labyrinth of his mind and find that all he was searching for is merely the return to his infancy. we shouldnt be surprised that every men with an extraordinary intelligence, finds himself trapped in this purposeless universe. when men discover that they're left alone responsible for their actions, they seek nourishment from an idealized concept. in this case, this concept is maria iribarne. knowing that god doesn't exist (at least in the way we wish to beleive) juan pablo travels backwards in time to the origin with the hope of understanding his chaotic existence. this is where juan pablo becomes an existentialistic individual who simply wishes to be non-existential. the tunnel here refers simply to his mind. castel finds himself in the middle of nowhere, with no purpose at all. the paint refers to the door that will open his mind to maria that represents an illogical mind. though from the surface, we might think that it is castel's mind that's twisted, unpredictable and perhaps deviant, i must say that there exist order, pattern, and lucidity. it is maria's mind that is illogical with a lack of sense of the world that surrounds her. castel is the only victim of a cruel and insensible game that leads him to the deepest state of mind that could be nearly impossible to recover from.

Juan Pablo Castel is a tormented and insane painter who falls for Maria, a woman he meets at an art exhibition. She is married to a blind man -the subject of Sabato and Saramago's obsession- and has a house in the countryside. She is also the mistress of her own cousin. Castel discovers this and goes mad with jealousy. We have no way to know the truth, because everything in the novel happens inside Castel's mind.

When I first read the novel, in 1989, I thought it was a great psychological thriller, a true gem of existentialism. My praise for it has diminished, though, as I have come to dislike the guy. On a superficial level, it's just about the mad obsession of a lonely and depressive loser who is unable to cope with his passion and that leads him to commit a crime. If you find it profound and revealing, then enjoy it.

Ernesto Sabato is best known for the second of his three novels, ''On Heroes and Tombs,'' a massive, intricate chronicle of murder and passion set in the Argentina of the 1950's. In his 1948 debut novel, ''The Tunnel,'' these themes are already on display, but in a simplified, almost fabulistic form. Mr. Sabato's narrator introduces himself, his crime and the object of his passion in the very first sentence: ''It should be sufficient to say that I am Juan Pablo Castel, the painter who killed Maria Iribarne.'' He then launches into an account of his affair with Maria, a married woman who first draws his attention at an art exhibit. Once their affair begins, however, her elusiveness provokes his jealousy, plunging him into a ''personal hell of analyzing and imagining.'' Does she see other men? Does she actually love her frail, blind husband? Does she love Castel himself? His attempts to answer these questions grow increasingly contorted and obsessive; finally, his crazed solipsism displaces romantic passion as the real subject of the novel. While Castel crouches, knife in hand, in the shrubbery outside Maria's weekend retreat, he makes his condition explicit: ''After all there was only one tunnel, dark and solitary: mine, the tunnel in which I had spent my childhood, my youth, my entire life.'' When it was first published in Spanish, ''The Tunnel'' won the applause of Thomas Mann and Albert Camus and was described as an existentialist classic. Still, in this fine new translation by Margaret Sayers Peden, Mr. Sabato's novel retains a chilling, memorable power.

I used this book for a recent Special Needs training I facilitated at South Carolina University in Sumter, SC. The Preschool teachers loved it because it got over and sealed the point I was trying to make. "Don't change the child, change the environment in which the child is in." It gave them a more open mind of how to adapt their classrooms for the children in which they serve.

We have had this book for years and I just purchased it for my daughter's Kindergarten classroom, it is such a fun book, I love the illustrations and it is one that I can read again and again and still enjoy it.

The book was received in good condition and in a timely manner. I would recommend this site to others.

We simply adore Winnie the Witch at our house... by we I mean me (38), my husband (44), and our 2 and a half year old daughter. The humor appeals to every age, as do the fantastic illustrations. I recently ordered the three story collection and was not disappointed. Take a chance on Winnie.

This is, I think very much more for a child from 2-4 than anything else. The language is simple as are the concepts. It is very good humoured and beautifully illustrated. This is a book my 2 and 4 year old love to look at.

There are quite complicated illustrations of Winnies house which is a large castle - it is all in black. The problem is that Winnie's cat is also black, she can see the cat when its eyes are open, but when they are closed she keeps tripping over it - so she changes the colour of the cat.

It is a simple story, just a couple of plot elements, a little bit of problem solving and a happy ending (as you would expect) It is a nice book for discussing how to solve problems with children - (for instance what would you do if you kept tripping over the cat? what colour would you like best here? and so on) Its a nice book for opening up dialogue, and also for leading into art and creativity.

It is also a nice book just to read - and it is a favourite with my two at bed time right now. I think the cat is the most appealing thing in it, which is well drawn and a bit leggy, the illustrations remind a lot of Ronald Searle/Quentin Blake style.

I see there are more books in this series and I am keen to get hold of them for the girls before they grow out of them

I found a copy of "The Winthrop Woman" in a box of old books my neighbor gave me -- at first glance, I dismissed it as a cheesy bodice-ripper. Then one day in a fit of boredom I cracked it open -- and was immediately transfixed. This is a fictionalized account of a real woman, Elizabeth Fones, niece of Mass. Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop, and a perpetual embarrassment to the Winthrop family. By virtue of circumstance and her own volatile nature, Elizabeth found herself a beautiful young widow with a child and embarked on a rather unfortunate second marriage, accusations of witchcraft, run-ins with Indians, and along the way bore seven children and finally found true love. She certainly experienced more in her forty-five years than most of us moderns will in ninety. This book is currently out of print, but well worth the effort to seek out a used copy.

This is a dazzling work of historical fiction that I first read as a young adult. Now, over thirty years after first reading it, I find that time has not diminished the power and passion of this exquisitely written work of historical fiction. At the heart of this fine novel, is Elizabeth Fones, an Englishwoman who would marry her first cousin, Harry Winthrop, and would go on to lead a life of which few of us would dream.

As a member of the austerely Puritan Winthrop family, Elizabeth would chafe under its restrictive influences. When the family fortunes abated in England due to the religious beliefs of the family patriarch, John Winthrop, Elizabeth's uncle and father-in-law, the entire family sets off for the New World to become founding members of the Massachusetts Bay colony, a theocracy under which Elizabeth was to know much heartache.

A passionate and vibrant woman, Elizabeth would have a number of personal situations that would cause her to become notorious amongst the Puritan colonists. She would be both reviled and admired for her actions, which were singular for those times. This is an absorbing, page turner of a book that takes a look at sixteenth century England during the tumultuous time that preceded the civil war that would see an act of regicide and the rise of Puritan Oliver Cromwell. It also relates the turmoil that underlay the government of the nascent Massachusetts Bay colony with all its factionalism, restrictive practices, and bigotry.

The novel, set against a historical backdrop filled with well known personages of the time, both English and Dutch, lovingly chronicles and explores Elizabeth's passage in life as a member of the illustrious Winthrop family, her troubled marriages, her relationship with the Siwanot Indians, and the trials and tribulations that she underwent as a compassionate, independent woman in a time when to be such was to destine oneself to become a pariah within the larger community.

This is a historical novel that is epic in its telling, beautifully written, and one to be savored until the very last page is turned. Bravo!

It is fun to remember books that made an impression on you as a young adult. An aunt gave this book to me when I turned thirteen and it is still in my top ten.

I recently re-read it again after reading Tracy Chevalier's, "Girl With a Pearl Earring." Both books are set during the 1600's -- although one in Delft and the other in England and early America.

I have recommended this book to several people over the years and not one has been disappointed. It is such a fabulous story (and you learn lots to boot!). Unfortunately, it is out of print -- but do not despair, it is easily found in used book stores.

This is a dazzling work of historical fiction that I first read as a young adult. Now, over thirty years after first reading it, I find that time has not diminished the power and passion of this exquisitely written work of historical fiction. At the heart of this fine novel, is Elizabeth Fones, an Englishwoman who would marry her first cousin, Harry Winthrop, and would go on to lead a life of which few of us would dream.

As a member of the austerely Puritan Winthrop family, Elizabeth would chafe under its restrictive influences. When the family fortunes abated in England due to the religious beliefs of the family patriarch, John Winthrop, Elizabeth's uncle and father-in-law, the entire family sets off for the New World to become founding members of the Massachusetts Bay colony, a theocracy under which Elizabeth was to know much heartache.

A passionate and vibrant woman, Elizabeth would have a number of personal situations that would cause her to become notorious amongst the Puritan colonists. She would be both reviled and admired for her actions, which were singular for those times. This is an absorbing, page turner of a book that takes a look at sixteenth century England during the tumultuous time that preceded the civil war that would see an act of regicide and the rise of Puritan Oliver Cromwell. It also relates the turmoil that underlay the government of the nascent Massachusetts Bay colony with all its factionalism, restrictive practices, and bigotry.

The novel, set against a historical backdrop filled with well known personages of the time, both English and Dutch, lovingly chronicles and explores Elizabeth's passage in life as a member of the illustrious Winthrop family, her troubled marriages, her relationship with the Siwanot Indians, and the trials and tribulations that she underwent as a compassionate, independent woman in a time when to be such was to destine oneself to become a pariah within the larger community.

This is a historical novel that is epic in its telling, beautifully written, and one to be savored until the very last page is turned. Bravo!

This is not my favorite of Anya Seton's novels (that would be Katherine), but it is worthwhile and fairly engrossing to read.

I wonder why some enterprising publisher doesn't re-issue her books? It is so sad that they're all out of print.

I loved it. I'm sure I didn't understand all Vollmann wanted me to. The writing style, while difficult, is extraordinary.

I do not have the literary background to do justice to any deep analysis, so I'll just give you a reader's appraisal. The closest comparison I can make is to David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest". The method of writing and the characters reminded me of "IJ" within a very few pages. I feel safe in saying that if you do not care for DFW, you will not care for this book.

We are taken on a journey in an unrecognizable USA (and world). There is a bare bones description of what is happening to people and places other than that necessary for us to follow the characters through their travails. The list of characters at the beginning is of benefit so you can remind yourself of who is on what team.

The other reviewers have done an excellent job of describing the story and the other literary devices. I read this at about a third of my regular reading speed, and at times had to go back to reread a page or two because I had lost the thread.

To put it in a nutshell - I had fun reading this, which is my goal with any book I read.

Great book, much overlooked and underestimated by the reading public. Actually, I like it as much or better than the later work by Vollman and the comparison to Pynchon by the earlier reviewer here is apt.

This novel seemed to me at first so weird and different from all of Vollmann's other novels that I was almost ready to declare it juvenilia and move on to Seven Dreams. I'm glad I didn't because You Bright and Risen Angels is a surprisingly valuable peek into the author's imagination and I think it goes far in preparing the Vollmann-neophyte for what's to come. In an interview WTV spoke about how most of his fiction is scrupulously researched, but this first book was his excercise in giving his imagination free rein. And what an imagination! These 650+ pages are propelled solely by an unrestrained writerly virtuosity that makes no concessions to the reader in terms of unity of setting or narrator-perspective and pulls fascinating characters out of the air one after another. The book reads like it was written on the fly, especially the last hundred pages or so, when Vollmann's interest in the San Francisco Tenderloin starts to make itself apparent and the story begins to get a little more journalistic.

Another unmistakable Vollmann characteristic in this book is, of course, its length. But considering the second half of the table of contents goes unaccounted for in the main text is reason to be thankful that YBRA is as short as it is (by Vollmann standards).

I've been a Vollmann fan for years, but his first novel had always given me fits. I have what I refer to as the 'permanently unfinishable' shelf (4 attempts to read over the course of a couple of years), and I was on the last attempt for this novel. Finally finishing Coover's The Public Burning definately helped me relax into the quasi-cartoony world that YBARA offers. If you like the parody and allegory of this novel, then I think you would also like The Public Burning.

It is overwhelming in its scope and pathos. It takes on history and politics and love--all the bad forms of it anyway--with a very dark sense of humor and with a lush (sometimes too lush) use of language. It is a fantastic adventure that requires a total suspension of disbelief, and that is where I think I failed early on. The novel is part science (or at least computer) fiction; what I mean specifically is that the world he creates has its own scope and honesty though it takes place 'here.' If something, like a praying mantis bartender that no one really seems to mind except Wayne, really doesn't make sense, just mark it in your head and move on. In the end, it will either make sense or drop off like the molting shell of certain beetles.

I did have 2 problems with the novel. The first is the language. Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, DF Wallace and Vollmann are heroes of sorts for me because they don't fear complex language if using it makes the story more enjoyable. YBARA commits the first novel sin of going just a little too far in that arena. But it is an astounding first novel regardless.

The second problem is one that I also have with Wallace's Infinite Jest. It seems to assume that there will be a second part. YBARA refers to dozens of events that will eventually occur, but then it stops far short of getting to those events. I understand that this is a mode of storytelling (not unlike the epics and eddas that Vollmann takes up after his first novel), but the structures of the two are different. YBARA didn't read like those epics, it read more like a serial. This is both somewhat exciting and somewhat daunting. I mean . . . What if he does write a sequel?

It's only about America. And Capitalism. And History. And Violence. And what draws people to Fascism. And how fighting Fascism can make you a fascist yourself. The writing will be difficult to read, at first--then it will get into your head. You will hear Vollman's voice talking to you at odd moments, gently, quietly telling you things you don't want to know, but must. Sometimes it will break into song or fire a gun. Remember the Republican congressional aides rioting at the doors of Florida's election committee in 2000? They're in this book. So are the blue globes that ran Enron. And the insects? They are the rest of us. So don't, under any circumstances, read this book. It's dangerous. It's not worth it. Vollman is our 21st century Melville. Why not try Franzen, or Wallace instead?

Carrington is a genius in making and then teaching us to make, really ALIVE dollhouse dolls full of character. His instructions on those faces are incredible and you'll find yourself looking in the mirror checking out your own cheekbones, or frown marks, or whether or not your nose is straight. With this book, you can make dollhouse dolls with real personalities, from sweet young things to floozies, from old farmers to babies. Excellent book. Highly recommended.

Very funny and wonderfully written. I would recommend this book to people who do any thing in art or sculpting. Mr. Carrington, makes you look at people in a new light. And you learn a lot at getting the "perfect character" face for your small people. The only thing I could have wished for in this book, was a few more real pictures of the model in progress. Other than that, I couldn't have asked for a better book.

I have tried to get into Jamie's classes on a couple of occasions only to have them fill up before I could sign up...I was thrilled when he came out with this book. I also just purchased his videos to accompany the book. He has updated some of his techniques--but not drastically. You will not be disappointed in anything you learn from this book.

A clear, beautifully illustrated-(both photos and drawings) how-to-book on the fascinating subject of making character figures to people your doll-house,diorama,room setting,etc..Extremely well written by the charmingly wry and witty(as only the English can be) James Carrington

1/12 Scale Character Figures for the Dolls' House
by James Carrington exceeded my expectations. It has everything! I'm inspired to try Carrington's methods.
The illustrations are great and the photos are beautiful. I recommend this book to anyone interested in making their oun art dolls, or even those who are just curious as to how these beautiful dolls are created.

This book is so cool, i recommend this book for readers who enjoy farm life and animals who lives on the farm, If I would rate this book on a 5-point scale, I would say it would be a 4..because the pictures could have been colourful instead of black and white, but overall I liked this book. Bye!

This book is very exciting I learned about how ACE the pig can communicate with his owner. He has alot of adventures. I would reccommend this book to any age I think it would brighten anyone`s day to hear about a big fat pig that made me laugh. It`s a book that you can`t put down but sometimes you have to . I would give it five golden stars. ACE the pig, Nanny the lamb and Megan,are all the people that live on Ted Tubbs Farm. ACE isn`t an ordinary pig If you want to find out why, you should read this book.

This is an excellent book by an excellent author. I've never been disappointed in one of his books and this is one of his best! I wish it could have been longer or that there were a sequel to it. The main characters are Farmer Tubbs and a lot of animals that live on his farm. I recomment this book for anyone who likes pigs, animals, or humorous stories. It's probably more of a child's book, but I think everyone would enjoy it.

This book is very exciting I learned about how ACE the pig can communicate with his owner. He has alot of adventures. I would reccommend this book to any age I think it would brighten anyone`s day to hear about a big fat pig that made me laugh. It`s a book that you can`t put down but sometimes you have to . I would give it five golden stars. ACE the pig, Nanny the lamb and Megan,are all the people that live on Ted Tubbs Farm. ACE isn`t an ordinary pig If you want to find out why, you should read this book.

This is another Dick King-Smith favorite of many people. This author has a way with words..............especially with Ace; he can understand HUMAN WORDS! He and his owner share a bond somehow; they can "understand" each other. Named Ace after the Ace of clubs (because he has a club-shaped birthmark), he doesn't want to go where his brothers and sisters are going, and he's prepared to do anything as long as he doesn't have to......he doesn't really have to do anything, though because of his talent, although he DOES makes peace with the farmer's pets, Megan & Clarence. Ace, along with lots of other King-Smith's pigs, is better than E.B. White's Wilbur.