Short Stories Books

Ms. Singleton has penned a beautiful, breathtaking novel that is both poignant and humorous, raw and refreshing. Her style is lyrical yet down-to-earth, comfortable as well as beyond the norm. I loved Myraleen's sass and Lilian's unexpected sophstication. These two women juxtaposed yet completed each other. Their characters were as different as their complexions; even so their love was tried and true. The departure from Nadir, MS into war-torn Europe was accomplished so smoothly that it was not a jarring transition. Despite my extreme dislike of "war stories" I was intrigued. How could I be otherwise? "This Side of the Sky" is absolutely beautiful!

I thought this was an awesome novel. I enjoyed every single page. The writer has a gift with words; some of her descriptions made me laugh aloud. If you like southern novels, you will like this one. This story of friendship is one I won't soon forget. I am definitely recommending it to my best friend.

This was a good book. Both of the protagonists were likable, and contrasted each other well. My only complaint is that the book dragged a bit in some parts... particularly when the author focused on the war (and the historical events in general).

Otherwise, I'd recommend this book!

I love Singleton's style. Being from the South, I can relate on so many levels. The two lead characters remind me of myself and a childhood best friend. It was so well-written. I read it so quickly. I couldn't get enough of it. I know I will read it again and again.

I enjoyed this book very much. As other reviewers commented the characterization could have been stronger but put that aside and this book stands out. It's well written. The little known history of the Black WACs was fascinating. Ms Singleton was able to swiftly take the lives of two little girls all the way through to their 80s with little to no effort at all. The novel breezed along! Myraleen and Lilly's lives spanned decades but never once bogged down. Really, a great book!

Is it "imposter" or "impostor"--that's the question that nagged me while I read The Three Imposters. Which spelling is correct, and which is the imposter/or? The lexicographers need to come down hard on this issue!

That aside, The Three Imposters is a black diamond of a little dark fantasy, told in hypnotic descriptive prose. The book is structured as a series of stories within a frame story, much like the Decameron or Canterbury Tales, only the frame story has its own plot and is the most interesting of all in The Three Imposters. The sub-stories range from the strange to the macabre, to the frankly paranormal, each entertaining in its own right, besides what it contributes to the whole. Moreover, Machen's style glitters with curious flights of thought and characterizations, wellnigh as entertaining as the story itself.

What struck me most of all about The Three Imposters is how panoramically influencial this short book is, as if it were the whole nine muses of twentieth century literature! The Maltese Falcon owes an obvious debt to the Gold Tiberius. I think that the Novel of the Dark Valley is a clear precursor to the Trial, and obviously, Lovecraft derived his entire schtick from the Adventure of the Lost Brother. Machen himself must have been influenced by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, published about 10 years earlier, but Machen amplifies the original, rather than narrowing it.

Altogether, The Three Imposters is well worth the 150 pages or so of reading time. Dyson and Phillipps are my new literary heroes! I would recommend this Chaosium edition, which includes these several other quality Machen works and sells for nearly the same price as other editions.

First of all, a warning; do NOT read the introduction to Machen by S. T. Joshi strangely placed in the front of the book before you read the stories. The otherwise excellent introduction contains spoilers to all the stories, something I thankfully noticed at an early time. Being part of my effort to "branch out" beyond H. P. Lovecraft, I purchased all the three books by Arthur Machen that has been published by Chaosium. The tales within turned out to be excellent, and I quickly saw why HPL praised Machen so highly. Even though parts of the tales no longer appear as "shocking" as they once did, with their horror being centred on "sex and pagans", they still have a mild discomfort to offer, and the final tale of the book is, as we shall see, quite the masterpiece.

The first tale is "The Great God Pan", a very good tale, but as I've said; time has not been kind to this. A naked God in the forest don't exactly scare or shock people these days, at least not in the way that Machen intended. Although, it should be noted that I'm not the type of "conventional Christian" that Machen had in mind as his audience when he wrote it. The tale details an experiment gone "wrong", where a young girl sees and interacts with the ancient heathen god Pan. The result pops out nine months later, and several horrific incidents spawn from this. A fine tale, but a bit dated.

The second tale is much more to my taste, "The Inmost Light" (and for fans of the marvellous English musical group Current 93, I assume this is where Tibet got his title), also a taste centred around an experiment, where an occultist attempt to capture the essence of the body, "The Inmost Light", in a gem. A wonderful tale with an eerie feeling throughout.

The third tale is "The Shining Pyramid", a tale about the well-known "Little people", and one of the two best tales in the book. It unfolds somewhat like a detective novel, where two men find strange clues to uncanny activities in connection to the disappearance of a young woman in the Welsh countryside. The protagonists suspect the hands of the pre-Aryan inhabitants of Europe, and the tale is an effective weird tale, with Machen's wonderful prose really showing its best side.

The final tale, or I should say "tales", is the title story, "The Three Impostors", which is a strange creation of interlocking tales many in number. The tale is about a young man in London, a wannabe writer, who through random encounters with a few people hears several tales that all contain a few common elements; "a young man with large spectacles" and some weird and horrific incidents involving this young man. But alas all is not as it appears to be, and we are brought to several places in the search for this man, and what it all means is not revealed before the final phrases, where the real evil is revealed. This tale is among the best work I've read in the genre, and it really gives you the creeps at various parts, some of it being simply excellent.

Highly recommended!

This review is only about the title story, or rather, short novel. It is a circular story, as it ends where it begins. Characters have multiple identities and strange coincidences abound. It is a macabre joke, a foundational book of the cosmic horror a la Lovecraft and his Ctulhu mysteries. It is also a peak of the late Victorian era and much more. What makes it more than a genre story is the poetic quality of its literature. There are paragraphs that would make little perfect prose poems.

Along several months, or years, Dyson and Phillips meet different persons, who have in common the search for a shy and nervous young man with a little black moustache and big spectacles. Each one of these persons tells his or her story in inserted chilling tales, full of the imagery that would later become cliche. This is no cheap horror: it has a great sense of humor, it is not about axe-grinding nor about phantoms and exorcisms. It is pure cosmic horror, the horror of hidden forces and obscure memories of a remote past. It is a horror of strange gatherings and incognoscible conspiracies. The inserted stories are often compiled independently of their contextual frame: "The novel of the Dark Valley" is an adventure in the loneliness of the Rocky Mountains, with a pre-Kafkian touch that makes you go pale. "The novel of the Black Seal" happens in the Welsh wilderness, with a mad scientist and beings from the past. "The novel of the Iron Maiden" includes a collectionist of instruments of torture. "The novel of the White Powder" is about a substance that transforms humans into something indefinible and horrific. Finally, ""The story of the Spectacled Young Man" closes the circle and "explains" everything.

Like a good Englishman, Machen is a master of the understatement. More than showing, he insinuates to let the readers feel for themselves all the weight of the horror of the world, the mysteries that haunt us, and the strangeness of this life. Little surprise, then, that this was one of Jorge Luis Borges's favorite books, since much of his beloved subjects are here: ancient and undecipherable languages; stories lost in time; mirror games; equivocal identities; implacable gods; and somber mansions. Much recommended.

Other reviews are longer and more in-depth. This is meant as a quickie.

The title story is the heavy-hitter of this collection; it ties several shorter stories together under one title. The other stories are much shorter but have their twists and turns as well.

The language is not as dry as one might expect from stories written a century ago.

Worth four stars out of five.

As the title says, I found this collection so intriguing that I will be buying the next volume (The White People and other Tales). The only work that I had previously known by Arthur Machen was "The Great God Pan", which has shown up in so many anthologies that I am thoroughly sick of it, although it is a good read the first few times through. "The Inmost Light" was quite disturbing to me in terms of plumbing the depravity of the human soul. "The Shining Pyramid" was a good supernatural detective story, in my opinion, although the intuitive leaps made by the protagonist would have made Fox Mulder proud. This clearly inspired quite a few of Robert Howard's stories.

Clearly, the crown jewel of this collection is "The Three Imposters." The deeper I got into this novel, the more engrossed I became. It is made up of 14 short stories, each of which is part of an overarching storyline that involves the protagonist, a golden coin, a man with spectacles, and 3 people who are not who they say they are. Each successive short story drew me in further. Some of the best reading I have done in years!

What would you do if your spouse or significant other, who you believed dead for several years, suddenly reappears on your doorstep -- alive and in living color -- wanting to pick up right where you left off?

That's exactly what happens to Madeline Stone. When her cheating husband Russell's plane crashed, it was good riddance to bad rubbish as far as Madeline was concerned. Russell's brother however, refuses to give up hope. And after six years, the impossible happens...Russell is alive, a little worse for the wear, but alive nonetheless.

Needless to say, Madeline is skeptical that he is who they say he is. She's not happy at all to see the man who caused her so much heartache. But, it's been said that tragedy has a way of changing a person, and Russell is one changed brother! He's loving, caring, the perfect father and husband, and he's very determined to tear down the walls Madeline has built around her heart.

I absolutely loved this storyline! The unexpected twists throughout the story really threw me for a loop, and really enhanced the book.

Whenever I pick up an Adrianne Byrd novel, I know I'm in for a treat. Her characters are always endearing. And even though romance novels are formulaic with regards to the fact that the couple at the beginning of the story will be together by the end of the story, Byrd consistently manages to throw in little surprises that make for an engaging read.

Renee Williams, All the Buzz

This book is a breath of fresh air. The plot was really intriguing and kept me on my toes. Maddie, Russell, and the kids were such a cute family. He was perfect with the kids and perfect with Maddie. The twist and turns in this book were really good. I could not put this book down because I wanted to know if that was really Russell. I could tell that Christopher really loved his brother and his death really changed him. The scene in the book when everybody first met Russell and his eyes immediately went to Maddie was creepy but good (lol). In reading the last few chapters of this book, my mouth was wide open in shock the whole time. You will not believe.

I bought this book when it was first released because well it was written by Adrainne Byrd and I love all of her books. I read this book in one snowy afternoon! It was great, it moved fast and she had some unexpected twists. I loved it. A lot of contempoary romance novels follow a predictable script, this did not. Do yourself a favor pick up a copy. You wont be disappointed

Okay, so this one is going down as one of my new all time favorite romance novels. I wasn't so sure about this one because I've been stuck on reading either Brenda Jackson or Beverly Jenkins. But I decided to put them aside and read one of the many Kimani Romances that I haven't read yet. I'm glad I picked this one. The story line was so well written, and just the way "Russell" and Madeline meshed was so beautiful. Adrianne Byrd did an excellent job with this one. Hopefully she'll continue to write this way. Good job Adrianne

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. i thought he was sooooooo sweet going into her room at nights while she sleeps to give her a kiss (sighing). Great read, didn't think i would like it but a keeper this one.

Marcia Davenpot, a music critic, often chose musical themes as subjects for her novels. That's not the case here in this huge (over 600 pages), ambitious, and vividly written novel that is concerned with a Pittsburgh industrial family over the course of about 70 years. Mary, the "Irish peasant girl from Shantytown" is the main character, and she's wonderfully drawn by Davenport. Her goal in life is to hold the Scott family together: "she was hellbent that nothing should ever happen to reflect on this family," says Paul, the head of the family and the man she's loved (and who has loved her back) but wouldn't marry, feeling his real love was his steel mill. The book spans a very large canvas from Pittsburgh to Eastern Europe and a large cast of characters; Davenport's skill at manipulating events and people is on full display in this novel, and despite its length the book is interesting from cover to cover.

I have a copy of The Valley of Decision dated from the early 40's with a notice that the book was printed in accordance with the laws of rationing of paper during the war. The book originally belonged to my mother and I discovered it when I was in my early teens. If anything, this book teaches that duty comes before self indulgence, a concept foreign to many in this day of instant gratification. That one could deny oneself for the good of all is the main theme of this novel. The descriptions of the family in Eastern Europe was especially interesting to me, as my grandmother had immigrated from that area herself. My family lived in a steel town much like Pgh., in fact, about 90 miles north, so the descriptions of the boarding houses and the changing shifts of the millworkers were very familiar. This is one of the best novels I have read and it is re-read every year. The book has lost it's outer spine, but is in excellent condition considering it was printed over 65 years ago. Too sad that the ideals expressed in the novel have lost some of their outer spines, but life goes on.

I DON'T GO INTO A SYNOPSIS OF A BOOK THAT I HAVE READ IF THERE ARE ALREADY OTHERS WHO HAVE GIVEN ONE. HOWEVER, I MUST SAY THAT IN THIS CASE, I MUST CHALLENGE THE COMMENT THAT THE SON REFUSED TO MARRY THE MAIN CHARACTER BECAUSE HE LOVED THE STEEL MILL MORE. MARY RAFFERTY REFUSED TO MARRY HIM BECAUSE SHE LOVED HIM SO MUCH THAT SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED FOR HIS FAMILY AND CAREER THAN SHE WAS FOR HERSELF.

My father had this on his bookshelf when I was growing up in Pittsburgh. I read it as a teenager in the mid-60s and was bowled over by its storyline and history of my town. When I graduated from college in California in the '70s, I bought my own copy. I still read it from time and time, and the magic of the book hasn't faded; the romance, the immigrants' stories, the underlying power of the mills over the lives of every character, they all still enchant.

I first read this book during final exam week in college over twenty years ago; I've read it about ten times since then. As a history teacher that was reared in a steel mill family just outside Pittsburgh, I find the account of the industry and people who populate the area where I grew up to be accurate and interesting. However, what really captures me each time I read it is the humanity and reality of the characters throughout the chapters. I read it again whenever I need to be reminded of home, whenever I want a good "cry" over a book, or whenever I need to be reminded that there is a bigger purpose to life than just what I want; mostly, I read it just because I consider it to be one of the top five books I've ever read.

I really enjoy the way Chenowth writes. He has a distinctive voice which carries his stories along. All nine revolve around various members of the Goodpasture family, starting in the mid sixties, and moving along through to present-day.

Each story focuses on a different member, although some are more represented than others. Most of the stories have a different location, ranging from Cape Cod to Jacksonville, FL. In each we read of the inner hopes and fears of a character, and explore their lives as they live these out.

If you enjoy books with wit and humor, depth and exploration of the relationships between family members, you'll be pleased with this collection.

These stories gently drew me in: to a world of dwindling privilege; to a family losing its way as a family yet still finding something to love in one another; through writing that is charming, heartfelt, and evocative. These stories profoundly affected me.

It's a treat to feel a story is shared rather than told and a credit to the author who can bring you fully into his world. Old world charm, contemporary prose, patience for detail and a candid, genuine voice make this collection well worth owning.

I was pretty sure that I liked this book when I finished it a few weeks ago. I realized the other morning that I've continued to think about the characters during my morning commute, considering the main character's situation closely. Most books leave my head the moment that I close them; this has held on for many days.

The main character in this collection is believable and bold in revealing himself, even when his behavior and motives are less than admirable. The style reminded me of Peter Taylor. The stories are humorous ones, about a dysfunctional and divided family, with love and pain which show through the humour.

This is an intense, psychological drama, and a page-turner to boot! What's so great is the wonderful language, the "lofty" writing. I just loved every page, and our poor, tortured hero.

It's a fabulously written book about love instigated by pitty, which can be very dangerous. Worth reading as this kind of thing still happens every day.

...no, not the book by Dave Eggers, but this masterpiece by Stefan Zweig. I came upon this by accident, and bought it, intrigued by the story outline and the reviews below. Only very, very rarely does a book have the power to draw me into the lives of the characters, probably because they're usually just that - characters. Not so here. Here we have flesh and blood and all that entails. I'm still amazed at Zweig's story telling. He's the kind of writer who could make a shopping list fascinating. I lived and breathed every single word in this incredibly beautiful book, and, as has been said elsewhere, the tension becomes almost unendurable. I can hardly do justice to it in a few words. Weirdly, I often found myself smiling, not because it's a funny book, far from it, but just through an appreciation of Zweig's supreme mastery of his art. This is one of those books appearing only a few times in your life that wring emotion out of you whether you like it or not. A heart-breaking, unforgettable and life-enriching experience.

I'd also like to praise the translation, by Trevor and Phyllis Blewitt. At no time is there even a hint that you're reading a translation - something that occurred to me only after finishing the book. On the contrary, it seems to me that the elegance of the language and all the magnificent virtues that contribute to Zweig's humanity and genius have been faithfully rendered. The proof is in my twin disappointments; coming to the end, and learning that there are no further full-length novels by Zweig. I'll definitely be reading all his other works, though.

In the introduction to this book Joan Acocella tells Zweig's story as a writer. One of her claims is that despite his enormous popularity as biographer, essayist, writer of great novellas and stories, this novel is his masterpience. The novel is in essence the story of a feeling, of 'pity' of how it becoming the obsession and duty of the main character turns self- serving and destructive. Briefly , the book revolves around the relationship between a poor Austrian officer Hoffstein and a crippled seventeen year old daughter of a wealthy family Edith Kekesfalvas. After he has inadvertently insulted her by having asked her to dance he becomes bound into a relationship with her, in which she falls deeply in love with him without his truly reciprocating. This is how Acocella reads the protagonist's reasoning and its result after her doctor informs him that it would be disastrous for him to abandon her.

"So he descends ever deeper into hypocrisy. In the process, Zweig gives us a piercing analysis of the motives underlying pity. Gradually Hofmiller realizes how much he enjoys the courtesies paid to him for his emotional services, how it pleases him that when he arrives at the Schloss his favorite cigarettes--and also the novel (its pages already cut) that he had said in passing that he wanted to read--are laid out on the tea table. Nor is it lost on him that his own sense of strength is magnified by Edith's weakness and, above all, by his growing power over the Kekesfalvas, the fact that if he, a poor soldier, does not present himself at teatime, this great, rich household is thrown into a panic, and the chauffeur is dispatched to town to spy him out and see what he is doing in preference to waiting on Edith. Beyond the matter of power, however, Hofmiller finds that the emotion of pity is a pleasure just in itself. It exalts him, takes him to a new place. Before, as an officer, he was required only to obey orders and be a good fellow. Now he is a moral being, a soul."

This end in destruction is somehow a foreshadowing of what would happen to Zweig.Having been betrayed with the rise of the Nazis by the Europe he loves, tried to make a new home and life with his second wife in Brazil. But it does not work out and the both of them are found after having taken fatal overdoes of drugs hands intertwined.

An Austrian lieutenant becomes the victim of the strong emotions of a crippled young girl from a wealthy family, who takes his pity for love: 'the outcasts, the branded, the ugly, the withered, the despised and rejected love with a fanatical, a baleful, a black love.'

The lieutenant doesn't have the strength to cut the links with the girl and her family, partially because he is impressed by their wealth. He continues to give her hope, although he feels that 'anyone who identifies himself with the fate of another is robbed to some extent of his own freedom.'
He is warned against the poison of pity: 'if they were all to give way to their pity, the world would stand still ... You take on yourself a confounded amount of responsibility when you make a fool of another person with your pity ... for the weak, sentimental kind (of pity) is really no more than the heart's impatience to be rid of the painful emotion by the sight of another's unhappiness.'
His undecidedness creates a disaster, also for himself: 'No guilt is forgotten so long as the conscience still knows of it.'

Stefan Zweig is the master of the unexpected U-turns, the eye opening revelations, the surprising upheavals, the passionate endgames, the arousing question marks. While he used his strengths in short novels and historical evocations, he shows here that he also was capable of using them in a longer work.
His insight in the basics of human nature is outstanding: 'Have you ever heard of logic prevailing against passion?'

This story is perhaps partially influenced by Theodor Fontane's 'Irrungen, Wirrungen'.

Not to be missed.

It's been some time since I read a book this well written. I was hooked into the story from from the very first page. The comlexity of the characters make for a great story of deceit and lies.

The ending left me with several questions, so I re-read the first two chapters for answers. This is when I realized the genius of the way the story was told. I loved it!

If you liked Cane River (Lolita Tademy) and In Search of Satisfaction (J. California Cooper), you'll find that the characters in Bliss might have sprung from the same line in this saga of African-American women doing their best to survive and ensure success for future generations. It's a shorter read, but I appreciate the fact that Gabrielle made every word count - excluding all of the extra plot-dragging stuff that I usually just skim through anyway (excessive description, irrelevant sub-plots, etc). As a writer, I studied this work and was intrigued with how she crafted each chapter to lead into the next almost seamlessly. You won't be disappointed!
Encore, Ms. Pina!

I was so engrossed in the this tale of love, lies and revenge that I read it cover to cover in one night.

The author expertly balances drama and tragedy with healthy doses of wit and humor.

The characters are very clearly defined and their actions always serve to move the story forward. This is one of the best first novels I have read.

Although the story is, for the most part, tied up in the end, a few very minor questions remain unanswered.

Pick up this little gem today. You will not be disappointed.

As a writer it is a pleasure to have someone read your stories and receive some type of emotions from them. This book is a story that was enjoyable, right to the point of the telling and a writer who is now on my favarite author's list. Great story about believeable characters. Word of mouth whether it's about a book, movie or music,is how you know it's a good book etc.
Yo don't sleep on this book or this author she was readable.

Bliss is a beguiling story of love, protection, hatred, sacrifice and some of the selfish agendas of three generations of women. The story is primarily centered on two of the women but the cycle of pain is explained and understood through the first generation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel because it is so well written and the characters are so well developed. The author craftily keeps you guessing and anxious to know what's going to happen next. I also enjoyed the fact that the author didn't keep you guessing that you lost interest nor leaving loose ends untied too long. The story line is refreshing as a different dynamic in relationships is explored.

My only criticism is that the ending is abrupt and disturbed the wonderful pacing of the story established early on.

Geoff Dyer's But Beautiful: A Book about Jazz is much more than an extended critical essay on a still-evolving, vital musical genre and a great deal more than fictional portrayals of Jazz legends. Here, Dyer focuses his considerable talents on creating a kind of Jazz-in-print, seeking to emulate the frenzied riffing, explosive spontaneity and creative interplay, which has given Jazz music so much more vitality than many other genres' created in the 20th century. Without question, one would have to agree that he has succeeded, totally to the readers' enrichment.

But Beautiful hits the reader on several levels; we are taken on a series of journeys into the lives, thoughts, conversations and seminal events of eight Jazz musicians. Between each chapter is inserted a fictional, road-tripping almost ghostly presence of Duke Ellington, a father figure of modern Jazz who may well have known, recorded and very likely influenced all eight men whom Dyer chose to write/riff about. What's real about the eight musicians are the bare-bones facts known to many Jazz fans; Lester Young court-martialed by the Army because of an inability to cope with a racist Drill Sergeant, Chet Baker's teeth knocked out by an angry drug dealer in a seedy, San Francisco diner, Art Pepper sentenced to five years in prison on a Heroin possession conviction and so on. What's possible, and perhaps no less real to the reader are the details of their lives, their anguish and the self-destructive passions which attend the day to day living of so many creative people. Dyer draws these details in part through listening to the music and inspiration gained by looking at photographs of some of the musicians. 'Not as they were but as they appear to me....' Dyer asks the reader to see the musicians as he sees them, to believe in the memory of what these photos inspired. The men and their lives are portrayed, much like Jazz itself, with a kind of heart-stopping intensity and a poignant, empathetic acknowledgement of lives spent creating and being swallowed whole by the gift that makes creation possible. On Thelonious Monk; "Whatever it was inside him was very delicate, he had to keep it very still, slow himself right down so that nothing affected it." On Ben Webster; "He carried his loneliness around with him like an instrument case. It never left his side."

Very little, insightful criticism or critical essays have been produced regarding Jazz and the people who play it and live it. Dyer has done more than write mere history or criticism in But Beautiful, he has written (and played) a genre-exploding, lyrical meditation on Jazz and on the terrifying, exhilarating possibilities of the music itself and what ought to be recognized as a new form of fictional riffing.

If you ever loved a jazz tune, you will love these pages. Not for anything else but for beauty in the art itself. Sobering, BUT BEAUTIFUL.

This book captures the essence of jazz. Every nuance from languid to livid, sad to sublime is etched out by Dyer's poetic and harmonious flow of prose. If you are familiar with these artists, his stories encourage you to say, put on your favorite album by Monk while you read about him -- or after you read about him, so you can reflect on how the writer has connected with the soul of the music. If you aren't familiar with the artists, this work will definitely urge you to acquire some of their music. This book is simply an extended poem, traced so delicately that it allows the experienced and the novice alike, the opportunity to peer through a window and into the soul of Jazz.

Picture this: "Onstage at Birdland, eyes shut, one arm hanging at his side....trumpet raised to his lips like a brandy bottle--not playing the horn but swigging from it, sipping it."

Geoff Dyer's employs his exquisite imagery as a starting point for his "imaginative criticism" of the celebrated and tragic lives of several iconic jazz musicians (including figures such as Chet Baker, Lester Young, Thelonious Monk, Ben Webster, Charles Mingus, and Bud Powell). While photographs are the inspiration, Dyer's writing is so precise and sensual that he need only describe the photographs (the book has only one small photo). And this is just right for a book about music, his writing is so lyrical that we almost hear the sounds while reading. (In fact. the least effective aspect of the book is the Duke Ellington "road trip" that introduces each chapter, perhaps because the narrative is not connected to any particular Ellington sound.)

Many of the scenes and dialogue (especially the inner dialogue) are necessarily fictions, "assume that what's here has been invented or altered rather than quoted." But Dyer's explains that while his version may veer from the truth, "it keeps faith with the improvisational prerogatives of the form." He mixes truth and fiction into portraits that illuminate what strictly factual history cannot always convey. (Think of Robert Graves' in his WWI memoir/fiction "Goodbye to All That."). Dyer explains that while a photo depicts only a "split second," its "felt duration" may include the unseen moments before and after that split second. "But Beautiful" invites us to improvise (as Dyer does) into that unseen time, and discover our own subjective relationship to the music.

Listen to this: "Chet put nothing of himself into his music and that's what lent his playing its pathos...Every time he played a note he waved it goodbye. Sometimes he didn't even wave."

The evocative word pictures are unusually perceptive and sensitive. Although personal and often imagined, it's really like an improvised solo that either feels "right" or not. I think "But Beautiful" hits the right notes and rhythms: his words evoke the music, and, after reading it, the music will evoke the words. Not without its flaws, it is still an astonishing feat.

This work, along with James Baldwin's short story, "Sonny's Blues," is as good as any I've read about the jazz life, its creators and innovators, and the high cost of such terrible beauty. I had the advantage of being present while Lester was lost on stage in an alcoholic stupor; Monk was dancing around the piano, knocking over cymbals, rather than playing the instrument; Chet Baker, unable to stand, was expending his last breaths on "The Thrill Is Gone"; and Duke was waiting for Harry Carney to swing by with the car to chauffeur him through the wintry night from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Kansas City. But how a young writer like Dyer managed to capture these moments before his time, freezing them unforgettably in a literary living moment, I can't imagine.

Dyer knows that the foremost responsibility of a music critic is not to critique but to verbalize his non-verbal subject, bringing it to life for the reader. He does so admirably, creating believable, recognizable, fascinating portraits in unlabored, unpretentious prose.

His portraits of the artist ring completely true to the ears of this fellow observer--penetrating glimpses of the creative child trapped in a man's body now reduced to fighting a losing battle against physical and mental entropy. Yet his faith in the living tradition of jazz is refreshing, as is his characterization of the jazz musician's struggle as a valiant contest with the precursor, not unlike that of the strong poet's.

Though there's an elegaic tone throughout the book, it's never ponderous or depressing. In fact, its human portraits are more likely to interest newcomers than the many text books that catalog styles and names.

This is not to say the book is without shortcomings. The author is much better at capturing the musicians for us than their music. And his appreciation and understanding of Duke Ellington's music seems somewhat limited. Too bad he didn't give at least as much attention to the colorful cast of characters on the band bus as to the private conveyance preferred by Duke.

Yet any listener who has the slightest interest in jazz and its makers simply cannot afford to pass this one up. And it goes a long way toward fleshing out some of the caricatures served up on the Ken Burns' television series.

I read this book a few years ago but still recall its images vividly. The interwoven stories, foreshadowing, and imagery are quite masterful and overall present a great narrative.

Es un libro un tanto complicado, pero muy interesante. Tiene todos los elementos para vivir un poco de risas, muchos escalofríos, un buen absurdo y mucho del ser humano. Una novela que leí hace varios años y que aún recuerdo como cuando la estaba leyendo. Muy pocos libros logran eso.

Poniéndome en plan exigente, me hubiera gustado un poco mas de claridad en el ritmo de la historia, pero aún con eso, es un libro que cualquier amante de la novela debe leer.

(va sin acentos)
Este libro me parecio interesante pero no lo suficientemente bueno para darle 5 estrellas. Tuve un problema con el "ritmo" de libro en especial al principio (digamos a "grosso modo" la primera mitad), ya que me parecio dificil de leer. El autor no parecia tener la fluidez suficiente para llevar la historia, rica en personajes altos en color. En la segunda mitad, cuando se desencadenan las acciones que guiaran al lector al final del libro, se nota una fluidez en la pluma que le da al libro un impulso definitivo. En suma, me parece un buen libro, un poco desigual para ser sincera, con un cierto abuso de adjetivos y una puntuacion un poco marcada que me irritaron en un cierto momento: los que lean el libro quizas comprenderan lo que digo. No merece un 3 en la clasificacion, mas no merece un 5. Puede ser que el prologo, en el que se habla de la admiracion del autor por Garcia Marquez y su amistad con el escritor colombiano hizo crecer una expectativa que no fue completamente satisfecha y esto es quizas, tambien, un error personal.

Compre este libro hace 4 años y acabo de leerlo, no se como pude esperar tanto. Si de mi dependiera no le daria un premio sino dos. El mejor libro que he leido en este año.

El manejo del absurdo en la novela es un arte bastante delicado pues se puede convertir en ridículo o tonto con solo pequeños errores. Estos están completamente ausentes en esta novela, en la cual la locura se explica a si misma a través de millones de pequeños sub cuentos que el autor logra enlazar una historia coherente, donde un cubano ex-veterano de la guerra de Angola en su desespero por escapar de un tigre alado imaginario ( o tal vez no) que lo persigue secuestra un grupo de muchachos que lo único que querían era un poco de sexo en su noche de graduación del colegio. Sin embargo esta trama es solo incidental para que el autor nos pueda presentar como en un mundo incoherente la "locura" es un medio tal válido para darle sentido como cualquier otro.

La novela es simplemente genial.

"Celebrating Time Alone" is about the search and discovery of the truth. Being flawed is a lie. We don't need another person to be perfect and complete. From birth we are trained in the art of fitting within the dictates of society which eventually comes at a high price. From personal interviews with people across the country, Lionel Fisher weaves a golden thread of truth to capture the essence of connecting with the self. From these connections come inspiring stories of healing and deep personal satisfaction.

I strongly recommend "Celebrating Time Alone" first to read, then to do.

Being alone doesn't necessarily mean being a hermit: it can also be about escaping life's pressures and re-discovering one's self and strengths. The author spent six years living by himself on a remote beach: his experience, this personal experience, plus that of others who have lived alone, makes Celebrating Time Alone an intriguing book filled with insights.

Just when I was beginning to think that maybe something was wrong with me mentally for loving my privacy and solitude so much, here comes a book that shows me I'm not alone in my need for the solitary life! The joys that I glean from simple things around me, things I wouldn't even begin to notice because of outside pressures and people needing me and using my time, are all part of what makes up "me". The people I met in Lionel Fisher's book all seem like relatives. We all share the same familial trait, like the shape of some aunt's lips, or grandma Freida's cowlick....we all crave our independance and are successful in living our lives alone. How happy I am to know that rather than having something wrong with me because I'd rather pass on a party or work in a crowded office, I can find solace and worth in living by myself and accomplishing things that others might never attempt! And it's thanks to Lionel Fisher...who, rather than preach to me about how "right" my lifestyle is for me, shows me by introducing me to the people he has met and telling me their stories. For those of you who live alone and love the life you've chosen, read this book. If for nothing else, then to see that we're really not so alone afterall!

I have just finished reading this remarkably human and compassionate book by Lionel L. Fisher. I read it in two days, and I heard myself saying out loud. "My God this is so true." This is an extremely valuable book that should be read by many people who question their own self-worth. It should be read by the young adults who are rushing around, and who never take the time to realize what is truly important. Everyone is just doing, doing and doing. No one seems to know how to just be, and to take the time to really value what is so important in life. Please do not wait until you're old to realize this, do it now and enjoy your life to the fullest, by being in the now. I applaud the author who had the courage to be by himself, walking that long stretch of beach and facing all the demons of his past. I applaud all the brave and intriguing characters that he interviewed for this book. But, most of all, I am so grateful for this book, because it has been so remarkably helpful to me in my own personal life. I have just ordered five more copies. Why? I wish to give a truly wonderful gift to the people that I hold most dear in my life. I know that they will benefit both spiritually and emotionally by reading this book. Thank you Lionel L. Fisher for giving us the opportunity to read such a wonderful down to earth book that is both witty and poignant at the same time.

My goodness this was a very special book. It allowed me to justify in my mind that its okay to want to be alone. Yes, other people can enhance your life, but its not necessary! Living alone has been a very sacred journey for me. And I can honestly say that if I were to live alone for the rest of my life, I would probably still be deliriously happy! Thank you Lionel Fisher.
Georgianne