Realism Books

As an art history student, I found this book very helpful in writing a paper on realism in art and literature in late nineteenth century Paris. Professor Brooks writes in a beautiful, concise way; my understanding of a fascinating subject and time period has been greatly increased.

This is an excellent analysis of realism in the 19th century European painting and novel. The author shows a wide knowledge in several fields, allowing him to give a cult and wide overview of the topics covered. His several analysis of specific paintings and novels adds to the depth and leaves aside any fear that the reader may have of general and repeated ideas, so common in other books. It is refreshing to see an English-speaking author dealing with books in an idiom other than English (French in this case). Nevertheless, some references to other national realist oeuvres (Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Scandinavian...) would further enrich the book.
The only flaw of the book - its loose structure, without helpful overview of the subject and a clear conclusion - may also be seen as an advantage of allowing the author a more wandering and enriching reflexion than one can find in a lot of academic-burocratic studies.
The book includes 36 figures. I plan to quote this book in my academic research and recommend it to students in university.
Eduardo Cintra Torres

Reflection of Realism consists of inspirational poems of love that are from the heart of author and poetess Marcia "Denrique" Preudhomme. These poems feature many emotions that Ms. Preudhomme has felt and wanted to reflect on that have happen throughout her life. These poems are inspirational, emotional, and erotically motivated.

This is a wonderful collection of different poetry, some that left me speechless. So much emotion has been spilled into this collection, which reflects feelings of love that will leave the reader in awe. Reflection of Realism is sure to please readers especially those like myself that are in love with authors that portray a great poetic side.


Review by Jen Murphy:
A SistaGirl Book Club Reviewer

Love has EVERYTHING to do with it in Marcia's collection of poems that strikes us individuals who respect love and it's magical moments. "Fatal Love 1" is a must-read for all of those who have experienced being in love. The words used in the poem are nothing less than "exact" when capturing the POWER of love. "Let's Make Amends" is a wonderful hallmark moment for "poetry". One must forgive and forget after reading this entry. While reading "Only You", a teenage sweetheart came to mind with this falling-for-you poem. It almost make you say , "awhhh" after reading it. And lastly, "You Appeal To My Senses" is mild to uncontrollable lust, expressed in neat nice words. This poem speaks out for those shy people that have been thinking about taking a walk on the WILD SIDE.

There's a lot in this fairly short book, but the upshot is that it's a wonderful revivification of the common-sense approach to epistemology. The arguments are lucid and well presented, and they all hang together very well to paint a picture of Huemer's thinking. I have no postgraduate education in philosophy but I found it accessible and understandable, although it will still be somewhat technical for people with no prior experience.

I first encountered Michael Huemer's philosophy on his web site, and I found it clear, intelligent, and accessible. So when SatVoP was published I immediately purchased a copy. This book is well organized and presents what I found to be some fresh ideas in the field of epistemology. In particular, his notion of Phenomenal Convervatism is interesting and compelling.

However, I was a little less impressed with his arguments against indirect realism. He focuses on the property of position (i.e. location) and asks where is the object that I am perceiving. For indirect realism, the object perceived is not the real object but a representation of it. He dismisses the answer "in my brain" and laughs off the idea of a tiny table nestling in amongst the gray matter.

Well, clearly, there is a representation of a table in your brain provided you have a concept of a table. Huemer claims that perception is direct and that the mechanism of perception is irrelevant. This leaves open the question of perception through the means of electronic and/or mechanical enhancement. Are you directly perceiving a table viewed on television?

While I agree that indirect realism leaves us open to the skeptical arguments such as "brain-in-a-vat", I'm not nearly so uncomfortable with that result as is Huemer. I can't rule out the BIV hypothesis, but that is really not so troubling. There are lots of absurd hypotheses that I can't rule out (Black Helicopters, etc.).

I found it interesting that Huemer is very comfortable with the idea that "knowledge" is equal to "it seems to me that ..." in the absence of defeaters. Yet he rules out indirect realism on the basis that it leaves us exposed to skepticism even though "it seems" that the skeptic's view is wrong.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a clear understanding of epistemology and the various approaches to explaining and defining human knowledge. It may not win you over to the direct realist's camp, but you will almost certainly find yourself re-evaluating your philosophical beliefs.

A delightful little book, Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate is almost a modern-day fairy tale. Told in monthly installments, the novel is simultaneously story and cookbook, filled with both recipes and home remedies and as well as the story of Tita, our heroine, who was born, raised and taught in the kitchen, and who has the amazing ability to cook her emotions into her marvelous recipes. Tita's story is one of longing, love and the need to be her own person; to escape the tyrannical presence of her mother and create her own life with the man she loves. It's a relatively fast read, but enjoyable all the same.

If you enjoyed Allende's The House of the Spirits, then this is the right book for you! Much like Allende's novel, Like Water for Chocolate combines the ordinary and the supernatural in the portrayal of two young, Latino lovers living in the midst of civil war. However, Esquivel's work remains unique though her use of food in not only emphasizing her pride in the Mexican culture, but also in expressing the strong conflicting emotions that are deep within the hearts of the characters. Through the use of magical realism and the motif of food, Esquivel depicts a love story that explores the classic theme of what happens to a dream deterred.
Every chapter of the novel begins with a recipe, which serves to accentuate how the life of a traditional Mexican family is centered on the kitchen. Thus it is no surprise that the main character is no other than the youngest daughter and head chef, Tita, who is characterized as a talented young girl whose spirit is constantly broken by her mother's incessant upbraiding. Tita's lifelong pain is symbolized through the motif of onions, which appear throughout the novel during times of deep sorrow and heavy weeping. Esquivel's use of food as a motif is further evidenced by Tita's culinary masterpieces--such as the rose dish that causes its consumers to be afflicted with erotic obsession. Overall, Esquivel's originality is derived from her ability to mix the elements of cooking, erotica, and the magical realism in creating a novel that demonstrates the consequences of emotional repression. I personally recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a love story chock-full of Hispanic culture, garnished with elements of the supernatural.

Get ready to be engulfed in the mouth-watering aroma of delicious Mexican dishes and a tale of romance, mystique, and an all-consuming passion. Laura Esquivel's beautiful novel, Like Water for Chocolate, is a combination of simple prose and the charm of magic realism that makes it a delightful and fascinating read.
The novel encompasses the life of Tita de la Garza, the third daughter of Elena, from her unusual birth to the spectacular event of her death. Intertwining with Tita's story are monthly recipes that are served during the course of her life and have had significant impacts on Tita and the people around her. The dominance of food throughout the novel is further embellished by Esquivel's use of magical realism. Taking a role itself, the appearance of food or the ingredients that are used to prepare food instigate a myriad of events in the story. Tita's birth is explained as being triggered by her cries within Elena's womb due to chopped onion, and the dishes that Tita prepares carry a magical power that could induce tears or passion once consumed, such as the "Chabela Wedding Cake" and "Quail in Rose Petal Sauce."
Thwarted of the chance to marry her only love, Pedro Muzquiz, Tita transfers her emotions into food and allows her cooking to express the concealed feelings she has for him. Just as strong as her passion is for food, Tita's and Pedro's ardor for each other surpasses all boundaries of time and familial obligations. The fierce passion of their love is so powerful that it magically ignites them at the final climactic moment of their joining, causing a great fire and ultimately concluding Tita's life.
Overall, Like Water for Chocolate is a sumptuous and sensual tale that will evoke a sense of longing in the reader's heart and appetite.

Chocolate in the tummy, title or story improves the experience.
This book is on my stack of all time favorites-some of the dramatic images will amuse you and stay with you-for years.

"Like Water for Chocolate" was a romantic food novel that I was required to read for my college English class. The book was very realistic at times but would have certain elements playfully exaggerated with a fantasy twist. It was unique how the Laura Esquivel incorporated recipes to go with chapters of the book. This novel was written beautifully and will leave you in a half fantasy world of love surrounded in a deep aura of Spanish foods. It truly transports you to another world. Recommended for the romantic. :)

After 4 years, 2 readings, a wasted week of my life, and feeling like a moron who sees glass while everyone else sees diamonds, I finally understand One Hundred Years of Solitude. In an interview, Marquez stated essentially that most reviewers don't realise the book is an inside joke. Bingo. If I interpret this waste of paper and ink as a parody of the Seven Deadly Sins then I can understand why Marquez wrote it. I hated this book but now, just like the dinner host who pours Costco champagne into a Dom Perignon bottle knowing his guests won't know the difference, I can at least get a laugh out of it.

This book was good, but at some times it was hard to follow. This novel was difficult to keep straight. It run the gauntlet from comedy to tragedy and love to death to war and everything in between witch made it very emotional. This book was also a kind of history textbook witch is ok if history is in your blood but it is not in mine. Irregardless it was emotionally satisfing. But it could have been improved if it could have been simplified. When you finish the book, don't be surprised to find yourself stepping out of a dream and back into the real world. Only in the mind of the master can a wounded arm turn into a field of butterfiles. If you like this book, you might want to try Marquez's new autobiography.

Absolutely loved it. Vivid and full of creativity, if anyone wants to read a good book I definetly recommend it. Actually not a hard book to read, but it should not be read in a hurry either.

It's so disappointing, not to mention depressing, to read the negative reviews of this book on line here. We are speaking of one of the dozen finest books of the twentieth century. The failure is not the book's. I encourage all of you to try again--let the book lift you.

When reading is a chore and makes absolutely no sense at all, what is the point? I could not have made it through this book at all without the family tree in the front since so many of the characters have the same or similar names. I read on and on thinking it was going to all start making some sense or there would be a big ending, but in the end I put it down and felt like it was a huge waste of my valuable reading time. I re-sold the book as fast as I could unload it. It is really interesting and amazing to me how so many people love this book....I'm a reader in general but this one I just don't quite grasp. It is a nightmare of a read.

I picked this up after reading "Freddy and Fredericka," hoping that it would be as good. It is now three years later. I have re-read F&F three times, "Memoirs From an Antproof Case" once, and have started this book four times and can't get past the first two sections.

So why am I reviewing this and giving it three stars before I finish it? Well, I may never finish it. The writing is superb. At first the story is compelling. But if you look at the spine of my paperback copy, you'll note that somewhere around page 250 I just stop caring. Why? Let me use this analogy. There is a bakery in my hometown that sells the most wonderful birthday cakes with sinfully delicious buttercream frosting. Knowing that I love the frosting more than I love the actual cake part, my parents would get me one of these every year and have the bakery cover it top to bottom with frosting roses. But as much as I loved the icing roses the richness would eventually get to me and I would be literally sick of them by the time half of them are gone and the rest of the cake would be thrown away. There was nothing wrong with the cake - who knows, maybe the uneaten part is even better than the first - but it was impossible to enjoy the rest of the cake once the sweetness of the icing has overwhelmed everything else. The bakery is still open and I have to re-learn this lesson every September 28th. Maybe it's time to learn that lesson with this book.

A very enjoyable read, a little Gangs of New York, Pegasus, a touch of Twilight Zone, time travel, passionate love interest, mystery, thrills, and history. A terrific writer who kept me engaged. Also read his terribly funny Memoirs from an Antproof case, a tall and very entertaining tale.

I have been an enormous fan of Mark Helprin ever since I first picked up A Soldier of the Great War and got immediately sucked in. This was the third of Helprin's novels that I read, and I remember when I was reading both loving it, and then being somewhat baffled and let down by the crazed ending. However, I can safely that no novel has ever stuck with me the way Winter's Tale has. I can still vividly recall scenes from the book, scenes that are so perfect and beautiful that you wont want to leave the world that Helprin describes. If you love Helprin, if you love New York, or if you love reading, then this book is for you.

This audio-book version was a gift for my fiancee, but I first received this book as a gift in the mid-1980s. "Winter's Tale" was my first introduction to Mark Helprin. I laughed, cried, was amazed, and surprised. Sometimes I re-read this book just because it has been awhile since I last read this fantastic book. Sometimes I re-read it because I need a laugh, and sometimes I re-read "Winter's Tale" because I need to be reminded that a larger perspective can change how I feel about what is happening around me.

I have been a voracious reader of all genres since childhood and this story is one of my favorites. Mark Helprin uses language with beauty and power. Each word a diamond that is precisely cut and placed.

It is rare that I am unable to finish a book. I read alot. But, I cannot finish this one. I find myself dreading picking this book up. There are pleasureable bits and pieces, and the wording is beautiful.Georgous in fact...and maybe, just maybe, the story will get somewhere, but I am on page 393, and although I get the plot and the theory of this book, I find that it means nothing to me. I quit! I am not much of a fantasy reader, and maybe that is my mistake in picking this one. It has an element of reality and history mixed in with sheer fantasy which mixed together really frustrate me. As Charlie Brown would say......AGHHHHHHHHHH! My advice: give it a try. Maybe you will like it...but if you get 150 pages into this book and it doesn't grab you, then don't waste your reading time. Good luck :)

I've heard and read of this mythic Haruki Murakami fellow before reading this book. I thought it would be a nice, summer read when I picked it up at a used bookstore in my neighborhood. At the end of the book, I was a little annoyed and regretful of finally discovering Murakami for myself. I was annoyed because the story was so absorbing and bizzare that I couldn't stop reading it. I just read it and read it for two straight days during the weekend, thus distracting me from graduate school-mandated reading that I really should've been doing.

But anyway, the book was fascinating and extremely engaging. The only other Japanese writer I've read previously was Banana Yoshimoto. I found Murakami's and Yoshimoto's styles similar yet distinct. Both have a simple (but not simplistic) narrative style and is enchanting and not excessively difficult to follow. In this book, Murakami's use of imagery and symbolism is complex, but not so complex to the point of being inexplicable. Even though there are two parallel and separate stories/characters that we are following, the book's flow is smooth and not choppy at all. Although it felt like Murakami himself didn't even know where the story was leading us to for most of the book, it was so addicting that I was just strung along willingly through the maze-like journeys of both protagonists.

All the characters in the book are charmingly flawed and human. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, some of which border on being fantastical and science fiction-y, it is very easy to like and empathize with the characters. There are many loose ends at the end of the story, but somehow, I found that it is still satisfying and did not disappoint. Besides being hooked on to Murakami, my only other regret is that I didn't start reading Murakami earlier.

Upon first delving into "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami, I found myself dreading another coming of age story. However, it proved to be so much more than this in a variety of ways. Of course, there is still the classic runaway story present, but how many coming of age tales feature talking crows and cats, in addition to raining leeches? Despite my preconceived notions, "Kafka on the Shore" opened up an entirely new realm of thinking for me, which is what I appreciate most in a text.

I truly loved the alternating storylines of Kafka and Nakata with each chapter. Not only were the two incredibly interesting on their own, but I also craved to learn how they would intersect and finally converge. I feel that above all else, such suspense truly kept me engaged and connected at all times, even during rants about World War II.

Moreover, it seems that the overall strangeness of the text cannot be ignored when attempting to uncover what draws the reader in to the point of entranced connection. The bizarre Oedipal complex prophecy, the children passing out during a break from school, Johnny Walker, and the sexual dreams transformed the story into something much larger, something much more powerful. These details removed any suspicions that this was another attempt at a Huckleberry Finn, and introduced the text as its own entity. Additionally, I feel that each of these details, in spite of how strange they may or may not be, allowed the story to transcend to an utterly spiritual level in my mind. They blended the line between reality and imagination, so much so that I found myself barely questioning the dialogue of a cat. Also, the ethereal and poetic writing maintained this blend and instilled a dream-like quality to the text. I believe that this really transformed the story, for with each line, the fantasy becomes a bit more real and the reader is no longer distracted by an over analysis of nightly visits from Miss Saeki's fifteen-year-old spirit with some sort of physics talk.

I find it incredibly fascinating that time has such a large role in the end, because throughout the majority of the story, it has no significance at all. As Hoshimo must kill the stone's nemesis when it is dark, he therefore must battle with time by napping during the day. Similarly, Kafka must compete with time, for if he doesn't, he risks the chance of the entrance closing before he has escaped. Perhaps the fact that time actually possesses significance in the last few chapters is no coincidence at all, but instead, illustrates that normality has been restored. With the entrance now closed and Kafka's prophecy behind him in the past, it seems that he can officially move forward. He no longer has to cope with the blend of the past, present and future, but can now embrace the present in the manner he decides is proper. Time is ultimately set into place with the image of Kafka's watch beginning to function again, and it paves the way for the clear outlook on life that Kafka seems to have in the end.

The Komura Memorial Library was an idyllic Eden for me, and Oshima's cabin in the woods reintroduced Thoreau-inspired concepts. Oshima was a mentor for me, a teacher above all else, and I craved eel after almost every reading. It was exceedingly easy for me to immerse myself in the world of text, reading close to 100 pages each day. And as I imagined myself submerged in the serenity of the woods, the fresh and detailed writing engaged all of my senses and made me feel that, as a reader, I really was a part of the story. I closed the book with a feeling of completeness, but more importantly, one that I could understand. And I truly feel that ultimately, that is what every great book aims to instill in its reader.

The brilliance in Kafka on the Shore is the author Haruki Murakami's ability to fully expound by story's end his answer to the question he poses at the start of the book: is life pure coincidence, or is there a greater force that causes lives to, sometimes unknowingly, parallel each other? The answer to this lies in the double-meanings and irony scattered throughout the novel, but I believe that Murakami's answer is not definite. By the conclusion, I feel Murakami wants to convey that although fate can sometimes determine the course of one's path in life, a human has the capacity to be able to distinguish when his/her life has fallen into the hands of fate, and when he/she can choose their direction in life individually. Furthermore, this philosophy is flexible and malleable enough to connect to readers, allowing each one to take from the story an even more personal meaning from this idea of parallelism and coincidence.

For the most part, I never read fantasy novels, and although the preternatural elements of this book, mostly found in parts of the story concerning the character of the elderly Nakata, were a pleasant shift from the realistic storylines in the novels I habitually read, I felt that the meanings of fate and choice behind them were significantly more powerful. However, these supernatural occurrences supplement the book precisely enough that they never seem too unreal to be acceptable in conjunction with the storyline of the novel, another great accomplishment on the author's part.

My only issue with this novel was the character of Kafka Tamura, the protagonist of the book. I felt that he acted too old for his age, passing the point of maturity, more towards the point of possessing unrealistic qualities of a boy that is only fifteen-years-old. Regardless, I was able to, upon finishing the book, appreciate the bildungsroman aspects of Kafka's story. I loved that Kafka's journey was more than just trying to find his place in the world, as is the journey of many protagonists of coming-of-age novels. Kafka also came to his own understanding of the concepts of coincidence and choice, a journey that people of all ages participate in, and a journey that the reader also takes with him, simply by reading the novel.

I ended Kafka on the Shore with a feeling of overall satisfaction, most likely attributed to having had all the double-meanings explained and parallel storylines of Kafka and Nakata finally converge. This story has a delicate balance of the imaginary and the real, and if you are not one for the chimerical novels of this world, then I suggest you give fantasy a second chance with this book.

Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore" goes beyond a typical coming of age story. Kafka Tamura is a young adult struggling to escape his father's oedipal prophecy and his mother's abandonment. His journey is paved by hardships, both internal and external, and his triumphs and failures are extremely powerful. In the five hundred pages of "Kafka" it is impossible not to develop an emotional connection with the protagonist. Although his life is hardly relatable, (having a father that eats cat hearts, falling in love with his mother) his intensity and raw emotion make his struggles feel like your own. Murakami crafts his characters with a delicacy that makes them feel real despite the book's unrealistic plot. The characters of "Kafka on the Shore" make the book extremely gripping, and Kafka's eventual success is deeply moving.
The only qualm I had about "Kafka on the Shore" was the style in which it is written. I am not too familiar with Japanese writing, or translations from Japanese to English, but the language felt a little too basic. The sentences often felt slightly empty, and the word choice felt too simplistic. I felt that there was a disconnect between the complex plot and characters, and the unsophisticated language. The simplistic prose of "Kafka on the Shore" seemed to muddy the intricacy of the story.

The brilliance of Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore appears to me more in what is unexplained than what is evident in the literal text. Although I am initially drawn to books that contain a rich and unique plot, a quality that Kafka displayed throughout the entire novel, I was actually more fascinated by the ever present notion that the story would ultimately reach a definite climax yet without truly knowing how it would attain this goal. The story is driven by surreal events, intentionally left unexplained such as the true cause behind the school children fainting or two characters ability to converse with cats. What compelled me to continue to read the book was Murakami's capacity to mislead the reader and never allow him to see how the story would conclude; yet despite the constant supply of metaphors, symbols, and stories I never lost sight of the plot nor misread the characters thoughts and feelings, a rare instance in a book such as this. Another aspect that drew me in was the author's occasional remarks directly to the reader through his characters. There are times when I was literally told over and over that the character Colonel Sanders was a concept, a narrative device of Murakami's that could address the reader himself. Most important to me as a reader however, is a story's ability to bring together all the details from throughout the novel and gave each a purpose in the conclusion, very much like how the "shot" in A Prayer for Owen Meany is ultimately the action that saves the children in Owen's dream. Kafka succeeds so well in this area that I feel compelled to read it again just to see how each piece fits into the conclusion.
Kafka in the Shore surpassed all my expectations and changed the way I read surreal books such as this; the characters were all unique and enjoyable to analyze and connect with, while the bizarre occurrences throughout the story made for a spectacular plot and leave plenty of room for interpretation. I look forward to an opportunity to discuss it with anyone I can and explore the deeper meanings and metaphors in this incredible story.

I read this book in 9Th grade, recommended to me by my older sister. I completely connected with the character of Claire as well as violet. Violet, so unsure of who she is, trying to control the one thing she can in her life, Directing. Claire, quiet, innocent and naive, wearing Fairy wings at school just because she wanted to. I did that at my school after I read the book, not for attention but because I had always wanted to, and reading what Claire did gave me the courage to try it too, to be me even though I was different. That is what this book is all about, finding who you are and who you want to be, what you want to do with yourself and your life and not yielding to others orders.I highly recommend reading this book if you're young and need to know you're not the only one growing uncomfortably in society today.

The brevity bothered me a bit, and a bit of the predictability, but it was engaging in the difference of the way it was written. Based on two girls, the first section is written by Violet, in first person, but with camera cues. The second section is written by Claire, in the form of a journal, again in first person, while the story concludes with a third-person look at Violet & Claire. It explores friendship, ambitions, attaining dreams and falling from them and relationships, though I suppose I would have wished a bit more development. Claire's fascination with the faerie and how she relates to them (ostracized from the developing human world) is a nice touch of fantasy and ethereal thinking, whereas Violet sees the world as a story.

This dealt with a couple of mu fascinations. First off, butterflies are mentioned. I have a bit of a butterfly obsession lately, so I was pulled in easily by that. Second, I have always loved the image of dark meets light. Blonde beauty plus raven haired beauty. And, I am always partial to the dark-haired girl. I have no idea why (LOL!). The imagery in this book was brilliant. I loved the picture of the girls' friendship winning out over sex and teen love, over success and money and power. Beautifully written. Downright poetic. I would love to read any poetry that Ms Block ever writes.

it was a good book, and did keep me captivated.... but, it doesn't compare to the others by block at all..those are amazing, and this is mediocre.

This is a great book. Francesca Lia Block's writing style feels fresh, although her way of narrating is slightly confusing at times. The themes and events in the story are, mostly, nothing new to the female young adult category; it's its original, out-of-the-ordinary characters and Block's style that make Violet and Claire a compelling read. I only wish I had discovered Block's books sooner.

Can the tale of murder and cowardice and fatal pride be enjoyable? No. Can it be telling, instructive, and artful? Yes.
There are times--when guts are spilled and meanness revealed--this chronicle is difficult to read. But, human nature is sometimes difficult to stomach.
Thanks to Marquez's artistry, I have felt a local, visited a time, and experienced a culture foreign to me. And, at that local and time, I have seen my universal brothers act shamefully.

Cold blooded murder as Spanish honor... by twins with butcher knives.
A transplanted Arab who took a maiden's virtue, so that her husband took her back to her mother's house on their wedding night.
This novel is very well written so that you feel like you have been transported to a past time.
The Spanish male has two sets of morals: one for the public image
and the other for private life.
In a way the young Arab man met an end of his own making?
Death sentence for consenting sex is just not a very modern American attitude.

This was the first Marquez book I read when I was in my teens and it made me a fan. It also started a literary love affair with the South American writers. Having been raised with English, American, & Russina literature, magic realism opened my eyes to a new and different way of seeing/imagining the "underpinnings" of events. This is not Marquez's finest book, but it is certainly a great story and worth a read. Some of the other reviews mentioned that something was lost in translation, I don't remember what version I read, but it certainly captured my attention from the opening "death" until the inevitable conclusion/pay-off to the story. It is short enough to be read in an evening, so if you want a taste of Marquez this is a good place to start.

I fear the heart of this novel was lost in translation. Nothing in the book made me care about the characters, some of whom seemed less than believable. Motives were not entirely clear for actions taken. If I had not needed to read it for my book club, I would not have finished it.

I think this is an excellent book to start reading Marquez. The book is short enough to allow a hesitant reader to finish it and see the full effect of his work.

I think I want to marry her. Ok, so really I just want to go out for coffee and share our writing. I want to incorporate some of her magic into my writings. I love it.I posted about reading Necklace of Kisses a while back. Well, when I finished that, I checked out some more Block books from the public library. First, I read Weetzie Bat. I wasn't quite as impressed with it. The beginning felt too quick. No story development. But, gradually, that improved, and I found myself loving Weetzie. I do not, however, see this as a young adult novel. It is very adult. As all of Block's books have been, so far. I love them, and they may be written on the reading level of a teenager, but they are not what I would call teen material. A little too heavy on sex and drugs, etc...

My opinion is really divided on Block. On the one hand, I love her ultra-modern, dreamily yet manically poetic retelling of fairy tales (here is the genie with the three wishes, and the "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" moral). On the other hand, her characters are flat and rather obnoxious (teenagers that try too hard to be weird, one of my biggest pet peeves as I was a naturally wierd kid), and I often feel like I'm drowning in urban, commercialistic images. Her prose and style is so manic that it just flies from one plot point to another (they get their wishes, they get their men, they get pregnant, the cry about the possibility of AIDs, they live happily ever after) that it feels like a teenager or child is telling the story wistfully. That's probably on purpose, but it just doesn't feel deep or meaningful or even worthwhile. She can modernize fairy tales into beautiful poetry, but I'm just not feeling it. Grade: B

This book is not for everyone - it's quirky and "alternative", containing some hip, punk elements from the late '80s. Some teens' parents might not approve of some of the subject matter. But if taken in the context of its genre (fantasy/magical realism), its all okay. Weetzie Bat tells the story of a girl named Weetzie, her best friend Dirk, his boyfriend, Duck, and Weetzie's boyfriend, My Secret Agent Lover Man. Together they live in a magical cottage in L.A. and create a loving family with strong bonds.

It's my understanding that the Weetzie Bat books have quite a following, and I can understand their cult status, as Block herself has a bit of a cult angle to her fan base. I however, entered into the world of Weetzie Bat, the title character, completely unaware of what to expect.

The book is quite short, quite fluffy, and quite quick to get through - under an hour or two easily. Although it's probably meant for younger readers, the poetic prose (which I'll get to later) makes it enjoyable for more artistically inclined older readers as well.

The story is Cinderella-esque in nature, or at least a pastiche of fairy tale motifs. Weetzie Bat is a cool LA chick that befriends a gay guy and makes 3 wishes on a magical lamp. The wishes come true but not without their challenges - mostly challenges to the standards we are accustomed to in the modern world including extended families, multiple fathers, and the realities of diseases like AIDS.

The book is not exactly coherent- meaning it reads more like a long form poem than an actual plot based story with the typical climaxes and denouments. However it is beautifully written and challenges the reader to question the status quo if they are willing to analyze the enchanting words laid out by Block.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book but I didn't really get a lot out of it...it was sweet and frothy, but altogether, left me feeling empty.

I got this book as a gift from a boyfriend who loved it, and it took me forever to actually get around to reading it, even though it is very short. I finished reading it sitting on a bench in a park in Manhattan, an appropriately precious setting for a book like this. At times, and especially at the start, I found that the book was trying too hard to be different and charming, but by the end I found it did create a unique world for itself and succeeded in what it set out to do. It is certainly an important book, given the time it was written and the social situations it presents, and it serves as an excellent young adult book for those who want to read about actual aspects of life and not sugarcoated teen romances.