Short Stories Books

Joe Scalia's latest book, Brooklyn Family Scenes, touches your heart, evoking memories of your own childhood. It's a brief journey back in time, revisitng carefree days as well as sad ones. The stories and poems reveal
with sensitivity the connection that family and friends have to influence our lives.

I feel privileged to own a signed copy of 'Brooklyn Family Scenes' and to get an insight into the life of this Italian-American family in such fine details.
In many ways it reminds me of my own family in Hungary and brings back memories, especially those of my childhood.
The similarities are rather amusing.

My favourite story is the 'Figs' which is so beautifully written with such precise details that would only usually be seen with a child's eyes.
Other stories like 'The Day I Was Killed in the Car Accident' will forever stay in my memory for its fun factor.

Whether in the form of an essay or a poem, the memories are recorded with so much expertee and combined with the unmistakable wit of the Author, who is also a good friend of mine, it makes you want to read more.

By the time I got to the end of the book I felt like I knew those people mentioned just like my own people.
This is not just about one family, it's about every family.

One warning though. Once you start reading Joe's stories you'll get addicted. Let's hope he'll keep writing. :)

This book is further evidence that I come from a crazy, yet lovable family! Brooklyn family scenes is a look to the past that tells the story of how Italian families grew up and related to each other. Some of Joe Scalia's odes and stories about his children prove that the spirit and heart of the Tucci / Scalia Family are deeply engrained in him -- very touching. At times I thought I was reading my own father's writing. It's a wonderful, eclectic collection of works.

I will treasure "Brooklyn Family Scenes" forever. It's a look into the family that I never knew - A family that I come from, a history that I come from. Thank you, Uncle Cousin Joe for bringing these people closer to my heart. It will also give future generations a closer look into the Scalia/Tucci family. People are touched by these words, it brings us all to a place to be fondly remembered.

I have read and enjoyed Scalia's novels, poems and short stories before. But his collection of memories of his formative years tops everything he has done. Infused in his pages are lingering tastes of nostalgia, rich dollops of fond memory, and piping bowlsful of love. Scalia reminds us on page after page how delicious it is once again to revisit our pasts, to rekindle relationships with people and places long gone, to learn to love, accept and cherish things we have lost. In that respect, everyone is from Scalia's old neighborhood. The names you read are different from the ones you know, but the people who own those names are not. The joys, fears and sorrows he tenderly writes about are not exactly the same as yours, but, in the most important senses of verisimilitude, they are exactly identical. I laughed and wept in Scalia's pages; I smiled reverently and understandingly with him as he gave homage to his loving family and the days that will never be the same again. Scalia's book will make want to love your loved and loving ones more and more, and after all, is that not what Literature of Life is supposed to do? Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

First I should say, I read a LOT of books. I was moved by this book more than I have been by a book in a long time. Bold Stroke Books, the publisher, has done it again by snagging Ali Vali, the author of this wonderful story. In fact, they have published 4 of her books, with more soon to be published.

Poppy, the main character in this book, has lost her partner, Carly to breast cancer. 2 years later she begins the process of slowly pulling herself out of the depths of mourning, and in the process meets Julia and her infant. But how can you move forward when you have lost your soul mate? Is it possible to have more than one great love in your life? Would loving someone else be a betrayal to Carly?

Poppy is the owner of several resort hotels and has high expectations of the staff. Her guests deserve only the best. As she gets ready to open a new resort, Carly's Sound, she meets Julia. It's the 2nd time that they've met. What could have brought about a meeting here, in another country? Is it a coincidence or something else?

The author moves us between the past and the present bringing us to the bittersweet "here and now" where love is in front of Poppy. The question is - does she allow herself to feel it?

Go buy this book. You will love it.

Slow start but you start to like it and then it pulls you in. I even had a tear before it was over.

Ali Vali has written another wonderful story. Her characters are thought provoking, well scripted and easily identified with. Her story line is intriguing, entertaining and heartfelt. It is easy to be swept up in her story telling. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Carly's Sound is a sensitive story about loss and renewal. Ali Vali shows a masterful use of the language in the way she deals with Poppy's feelings. There are no long tortuous passages about how much she misses Carly. Instead, Vali uses her words and actions to show how much Carly meant to Poppy and what a devastation her loss was. Vali doesn't bludgeon the reader with sadness, but the feeling is still there. One of the best devices used in the book is to have Carly's ghost appear in the story. Whenever Poppy's misery threatens to become too strong, Carly pops in and provides some comic relief. The great affection between the two characters is obvious, but so is the fact that Carly is ready for Poppy to move on. The reader can also feel Poppy's confusion as her feelings for Julia begin to develop and she feels that she is somehow betraying the relationship she had with Carly. Julia provides a perfect character study as the woman who wants to love Poppy, but is afraid she will never be able to live up to what Poppy had before. Vali shows herself to be a talented writer in how she tells her story and presents her characters. Whether or not the reader has ever experienced such a loss, you will feel empathy with the characters and know that you've read a good book.

Carly's Sound is a wonderful book! You feel for all of the characters that lost part of themselves the day Carly died. I can't imagine loosing the love of my life, let alone through suffering and pain. Ali Vali paints a very real picture of the pain and sorrow that a person would go through.
I loved all of these characters... The love that is shared between Poppy and Carly is wonderful but the friendship that builds and becomes love between Poppy and Julia is a love that everyone wishes for themselves. I love the strength these two women showed throughout the book. And Lizzie, Carly's daughter, is great. A step-parents dream! Lizzie is a part of Poppy's life forever and that is exactly the way Poppy wants it!
Along with the loss of a great love, this book containes hope, humor, and the finding of an even greater love! I cried and laughed out loud throughout this amazing journey to find happiness again.
Ali Vali is an amazing writer. She really makes you feel what the characters are feeling. This booked flowed and I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read more from this great writer! Thanks for sharing your talent and story with the rest of us!!

A voracious reader I thought I finished the Russian classics when I completed Cancer Ward and the First Circle having devoured Crime and Punishment and War and Peace years before. Not so . Victor Serge has it all :the prose of Tolstoy, the impending doom of Dosteyesky and the currency of the Stalin era. Don't miss this one. FPB Ann Arbor

A repressive shadow looms over the destiny of these men of all age, beliefs, and ranks ... insidious terror creeps into those innocent minds and their lives ends before they know it or before their hearts stopped beating. Some vainly fight back, some don't, but all are hopeless.
The implacable and revengeful wave of the Soviet rotten bureaucracy destroys the life of innocent men. When tyranny and deception shutters the greatest hope of and for humanity, one ought to question if it had to be that way.

This book is amazing for its ability to communicate the intimate thoughts of the characters and employ beautiful prose to describe the physical settings in which the action takes place, without abandoning the larger narrative. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Soviet history or literature. I read it after reading several other books on the period, and felt that they were an excellent preparation for this one (The Unquiet Ghost - Hochschild, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar - Montefiore, The Gulage Archipeligo), but even without the background this is a fantastic read.

in time the mind will make chains snap." Victor Serge.

Victor Serge's novel "The Case of Comrade Tulayev" is set in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s, long before "the chains wore out." It is a classic and haunting look at Soviet society during an era of party purges, show trials, and executions that deserves a place of honor on any reading list that also includes Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon", George Orwell's "1984" and Vasily Grossman's "Forever Flowing" .

Serge, born in Brussels in 1890 to Russian emigre parents, returned to Russia early in 1919 in order to support the newly created Soviet Union. He served as both a writer and journalist. However, Serge was one of the first of the old-line revolutionaries to oppose Stalin's concentration of power. He was arrested, expelled from the party, released, and arrested again. Finally, in 1936 after a public campaign by leading European political and literary figures, Serge was released and deported to France. He eventually found his way to Mexico where he died, penniless, in 1947.

The Case of Comrade Tulayev mirrors in some respects the murder of Sergei Kirov that set off Stalin's first great purge beginning in 1934. The story begins with the almost accidental murder of a leading member of the Central Committee, Comrade Tulayev by a disaffected clerk. The Chief (Serge's allusion to Stalin) immediately commences a round of purges, investigations, show trials and executions. The rest of the book takes us on a chapter-by-chapter account of a group of individuals caught up in the aftermath of the murder. Each individual represents a different component of Soviet society, from the lowly clerk to the high-ranking party functionary to the `oppositionist' already living in exile in Siberia.

Serge paints an intimate, vivid picture of each individual as they meet their fate. Like a storm at seas these people can see the storm on the horizon but they all seem powerless to either flea. They are swept up and prepared for show trials. The only option available to each is their ability to fight the omnipotent forces that want them to admit to crimes they did not commit and to implicate others in these same acts. The power of Serge's writing lies in his examination of the inner lives of his protagonists and their reasons for either accepting this fate or fighting to retain some shred of inner dignity. The outcome of each protagonist's story provides a cross section of human responses ranging from cringing supplication to death-defying resistance. The story of Ryzshik, the exiled oppositionist is particularly haunting. As with the others, he knows what is expected of him but he chooses to starve himself to death rather than confess to some non-existent crime.

The Case of Comrade Tulayev is most often compared to Koestler's Darkness at Noon. Although the comparison is very apt there are some critical differences in approach that bear mentioning. Darkness at Noon focuses on the self-reflection of one key player in the creation of the Soviet state, Rubashov. Koestler took one life, Rubashov's, and reflected on his own role (or guilt) in creating the state that was about to murder him. The emotional heart of Darkness at Noon (for me) is whether and why Rubashov would perform one last act for `The State". Serge, takes a broader look at the questions of individual guilt and collective responsibility. I think that by taking this broader look both Serge and the reader begin to think about, if not find a rational explanation for, how a society based on egalitarian ideals can allow itself to be transformed into a compliant, totalitarian state in less than a generation.

Victor Serge's Case of Comrade Tulayev is an excellent piece of writing. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

Most of the other reviews of this book are right on the money and more articulate than I could be, so I won't try to repeat them. But I will say that I found this book to be a compelling piece of work; a classic. I never quite appreciated the depth of dysfunction, even depravity, of the Soviet system. It bewilders me that such an abomination took place in my lifetime. It frightens me that it could happen again. I just finished reading about the Spanish Inquisition, where the same terrible mechanics were perpetrated on the Spanish. Whether the motivating spark is political ideology or religious orthodoxy, demented societies like this can spring up like mushrooms. Communism was a massive crime upon the Russian people. And it provides little satisfaction that the criminals were often the victims of their own crimes. A devastating but outstanding book!

Author Lisa Borders' novel, CLOUD CUCKOO LAND, the winner of the prestigious Fred Bonnie Memorial Award for Best First Novel, will introduce its readers to a talented writer with a gift for portraying the depth of emotions stored in Miri's tumultuous journey through life. Miri,the protagonist,who s abandoned by her mother, makes her way from childhood through adolescence using her amazing singing voice as her tool for survival. Miri is a paradox in the roles she plays; sometimes passionately in love with Juan and making out on the beach, sometimes a mistress for Ian a fading Rock star, and finally sharing a life with Jamie, a Gay musician. CLOUD CUCKOO LAND will take you on an emotional Roller Coaster ride. I heartily recommend this book as a must read . . . it is in fact a "page turner."

Lisa Borders debut will be remembered for generations as a paradigm shift in the art of writing. As I read this incredibly seductive novel, I recognized a wave of comfort not felt since reading McMurty and Cormac McCarthy. Ms. Borders managed this feat while drawing me in, and spitting me out into the hyper-urban music scene. I am at a loss for words in describing this transition. The novel is a gem, and I take extreme pleasure in knowing that Ms. Borders has many years of writing ahead, which will fill out her literary tiara! Bravo!!!

This book made me laugh and cry. I loved the references to the underground music scene of the 80s. I loved the realistic treatment of these complex characters, straight and gay alike. Miri, the main character of this richly detailed novel, will stay with you long after you've finished the book. She's handed some of life's worse misfortunes and a gorgeous singing voice and must somehow make the best of it. The most refreshing aspect of the book? It does not succumb to the tell-all mentality of much of today's fiction and memoir. Its portrayal of teens who trade home violence and dysfunction for the dangers of the street is real more so because of details the author chooses to leave out. With this finely written debut, the author has proven herself to be a wonderful, talented storyteller. Read this book and keep your eye on Lisa Borders. She'll be back.

Cloud Cuckoo Land begins life as an engaging coming of age story, told in a fresh and authentic adolescent voice. It's impossible not to be drawn into young Miri's world as she describes her chaotic childhood, nonexistent father, irresponsible mother, and frequent moves. We're there with Miri as she finds a sane refuge with her grandmother in Texas, and there with her as that refuge is taken away. Unlike some coming of age novels, however, Cloud Cuckoo Land doesn't run out of steam as its heroine grows up. As Miri moves from child to homeless teenager to young woman finding her way as a musician, her voice stays strong and her journeys and struggles are painted just as vividly.

Some books seem to evoke their own soundtrack, and this is one of them, from an old Patsy Cline song heard from a passing Cadillac on a flat Texas highway to early REM drifting out of a diner at 5 a.m. on a grey, haunted Philadelphia morning.

Cloud Cuckoo Land is realistic fiction that isn't mundane. Like the mythical place recalled by its title, this beautifully written novel has a strange magic that can't really be defined; it's hard to categorize and just as hard to forget.

Remember when you were young and first discovered a favorite author or book? I remember I was nine and it was Agatha Christie. I read every single installment, and then I longed for the time when I hadn't discovered her, just to have that first-time pleasure all over again. I recall actually feeling a gritted-stomach jealousy of people who still had the chance to uncork the bottle and have that first delicious taste.

I feel that way again now about those of you who have yet to read Lisa Borders' Cloud Cuckoo Land. Miri (short for Miriam) Ortiz has everything you'd ever want in a protagonist. She's lovable, smart, flawed, authentic, and layered as an onion. Experiencing the twisting road she traverses, starting with her less-than- perfect childhood in Prairie Rose, Texas, means not only the discovery of unknown and resonant worlds (foster homes of varying degrees of heartbreak; street life, at turns shadowy and joyful; the Philadelphia music scene in the 1980s) but also an opportunity to know these worlds through Miri's compelling and wholly original viewpoint.

And then there's Borders' language. Oh. So often we read books that feel affected, too self-aware, "workshopped" to death. Borders' prose, on the other hand, is at turns skippingly light and hauntingly fragile. There are turns of phrase in these pages that make you have to run and tell somebody.

Maybe I should stop being jealous, though, because the best thing about Cloud Cuckoo Land might be the feeling the author leaves you with after the book is done. Even in the face of Miri's upheavals, Borders manages to uplift with a non-saccharine kind of hope. In scenes that hover and drift back into the mind long after the cover is closed, Borders restores one's faith in in the power of human connections -- wherever and however one finds them.

I've been an avid CAS reader for over 30 years. I happened on the Ballantine Books "Fantasy Series" paperback edition ZOTHIQUE when it was first released in the 70s, and have long wished for a compendium of his work.

CAS's style is very dense, and reflects very careful construction of prose as well as plot. His style is as evolved as Lord Dunsany, Morris, and Tolkien, and is entertaining in it's own right. Don't let this scare you off - his stories are all eminently accessible to casual readers, and numerous wry turns of phrase indicate a well-honed (but bone dry) sense of humor.

When compared to his better-known contemporaries, H.P. Lovecraft (Cthulu) and Robert E. Howard (Conan) I find CAS to be more a "readers writer." CAS is a master of phrasing surpassing HPL - his stories are less eerie than HPL, and don't slather on the dread as heavily. CAS is (usually) less swash-buckling blood-and-gore than REH, but doesn't shrink from characters hacking each other to bits when the story requires.

The only fault I can find with this series is that stories are ordered by date of publication. (Perhaps this was required by the copyrights issued to the three Ballantine collections assembled by Lin Carter.) My preference, though less academic, would be to collect the tales by story cycle to facilitate READING rather than STUDYING. Nevertheless, these volumes are without question well worth the investment - like a collection of Poe, you will find yourself returning to them many times.

I love the writings of Clark Ashton Smith. He was the quintessenstial poet. BOW DOWN, I AM THE EMPEROR OF DREAMS. I Crown me with the million-colored suns of secret worlds incredible and take their trailing skies
for vestment. His fiction is also clothed in words that are poetry. His only peer is Lord Dunsany.I corresponded a little with Smith and owned one of his strange sculptures. I welcome this renaissance of interest in Smith (if that is what it is).I wrote a short story influenced by his writings which he critiqued and added one sentence. I lost it, if you ever come across it, the title is THE COMING OF THE BLACK NEBULA.

This first volume in what promises to be the definitive collection of short fiction by Clark Ashton Smith is nothing short of a literary treasure. For those who have previously had to satisfy their craving for Klarkashtonia by seeking it out in scattered and hard-to-obtain tomes, The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith is a blessing nonpareil. Do yourself a favor and get it while it lasts.

`The End of the Story' is the first of five volumes of Clark Ashton Smith's short stories. The stories are arranged chronologically by composition. The stories in this volume were written between 1925 and 1930. The stories are:

The Abomination of Yondo
Sadastor
The Ninth Skeleton
The Last Incantation
The End of the Story
The Phantoms of the Fire
A Night in Malneant
The Resurrection of the Rattlesnake
Thirteen Phantasms
The Venus of Azombeii
The Tale of Satampra Zeiros
The Monster of the Prophecy
The Metamorphosis of the World
The Epiphany of Death
A Murder in the Fourth Dimension
The Devotee of Evil
The Satyr
The Planet of the Dead
The Uncharted Isle
Marooned in Andromeda
The Root of Ampoi
The Necromatic Tale
The Immeasurable Horror
A Voyage to Sfanomoe

Most of the stories are of the `weird tale' sort, but some veer to straight Horror and some can be classified as Science Fiction (although always with a horror angle). Smith was a very flowery writer, and some of the stories can be tough going, but that's the beauty of short stories, they're short.

As established here and reinforced by the second volume, all five books in this series are essential to anyone interested in Smith's work and literate fantasy as a whole. Connors and Hilger have followed earlier textual studies by Donald Sidney-Fryer, Steve Behrends, and others with extensive studies of their own to restore as much of the glory to Smith's texts as is currently possible - and what glory! Smith is one of the few fantasists capable not only of creating multiple fantasy cultures, but with investing each of those worlds with its own distinct atmosphere, tone, and use of language. Many earlier versions of these texts toned down the richness, eroticism, and grotesquerie of these stories in order to appeal to what Smith's editors deemed was acceptable to the lowest-common-denominator among its readership. Scores of deletions, simplifications, bowdlerizations, and other alterations which have served to remove the sheen from these works have here been corrected through painstaking attention to all available manuscripts and correpondence. Here, at long last, is Smith in all his mordant, coruscating splendor. If one considers all of this, along with intelligent introductory material; alternate endings; unpedantic notes to each story detailing its composition, publication history, and its place within the larger context of Smith's work; as well as Jason Van Hollander's inspired integration of Smith and his sculptures into the macabre and affectionate cover art; Night Shade and these editors have presented to all lovers of fantasy an edition of the master's prose fiction which will serve as the benchmark for many years to come.

I found this book around the house, no idea who bought it or when, and read it over the last week in bits before falling asleep, or waiting in the car, then finishing the last 100 pages this afternoon.

Sam Shepard tells the kind of stories we all wish we had experienced - acting in movies, serious action, funny exploits, deep emotions. Lots of surprising twists, the narrator often detaches himself from the callow preoccupations of lesser mortals.

The brevity of some of the tales and the lack of continuity are offset by the continuing exposure of novel incidents and thoughts. It reminded me of sitting in front of a TV and flipping through the channels.

It was good enough that I ordered more Shepard writing from Amazon.

Through Cruising Paradise the voice of Sam Shepard kept me company during a week or two. I read his fragmented stories before falling asleep and felt at ease. I think it's the way he uses the language; lucid, clear, to the point, intense. The language flows and takes you to the images of endless roads, wide open spaces and the people who live there or just drive through it . You can feel the heat, you can hear the conversations, while all the time, in the back of your head Shepards voice leads you. He doesn't describe the situations in very much detail, he just lets the people talk, or think and that's enough. Wonderful experience. I believe it is the art of leaving out, to show what's there, in language and in imagery. Hope to find this again.

What can I say! This is simply the best book I've ever read! Shepard's short stories strike you right in the hart in a way other authors only can dream about. Who can for example ever forget about the boy with his drunken father in the desert, or the actor who travels by car from L.A. down to the djungles of Mexico? No other author I have read have so completly spellbound me before, and I have read all of the so called great authors. One can only hope that the Nobel foundation discovers the greatness in Shepard.

Cruising Paradise is a lean muscular book. The writing is sometimes brutal and always powerful. His writing is reminiscent of Hemingway and Jim Harrison, but with a Southwestern flair and a stronger sense of immediacy. It is not the plots or so much the characters in the story that drive the book, but the sense of movement and restlessness in the stories peppered with stoicism that make his stories so interesting. His stories seem to be autobiographical, even those he clearly passes off as fiction. Recommended stories in the book are Nuevo Mundo, A Small Company of Friends, and Cruising Paradise. If you are sick of reading books that seemed contrived or cliche' give this one a look.

While reading this book, I had to stop more than a few times either to catch my breath or close my eyes and let what I just read sink in. I grew up down on the Mexican border, and Shepard's descriptions of events in that part of the world rang true, and were written in a terse manner, as is appropriate for the setting and characters. Brilliant.

I was captured by characters that inspire, questions that are timely if we are to create the future we want, and a land and culture that is timeless. A masterful work.

The Kresny's have combined scientific and spiritual knowledge, with a strong dash of imagination and common sense, to craft a novel that is as enlightening as it is exciting.

Darkness of Dawn is an absorbing fiction set in the locale of Albuquerque and the beautiful mountain areas of New Mexico. The authors have woven the plot on a pioneering theme of the sudden collapse of civilized life of the entire world from its zenith to a primitive low caused by a natural phenomenon. The story is the saga of struggle and sacrifice of a group of motivated intellectuals led by an Asian Indian and an American Indian in back-starting the process of recovery of civilized life from the abyss. The authors have concocted an ingenious blend of a science fiction and a thriller. The title of the book is apt as it depicts a journey in pursuit of light and hope in a condition of darkenss and despair. The characters are vivid, as if drawn from real life. The language is lucid from beginning to the climactic situation. A recommended reading for all book lovers.

Hans and Ann Kresny bring new meaning to "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" with their excellent word crafting of "Darkness of Dawn". They skillfully position you to experience a future where, in a fraction of an instant, life as we know it suddenly stops - the power plug is yanked out on the whole world and nothing works. The stoppage doesn't come from outer space invaders, or from an overheated greenhouse effect, or from some monster computer running wild - in fact, every computer has stopped and won't reboot ever again. Those fancy do everything smart chips are nothing more than cubes of worthless sand - and to make matters worse, humankind has brains that have turned mostly to cold mush. The majority of society has surrenered their individual abilities to do creative thinking, because all those collective computers apply the logic of sound reasoning to do almost all the thinking about things that need to be thought about and done. There's no need for mind control when the simple act of thinking through a problem can quickly be done for you - of course that was before the darkness came like a modern day black plague. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and the Kresny's depict people living in a future where their minds have gone barren of basic knowledge - knowledge is seen as being old fashioned, because anything you want to know is waiting in your computer. However, vast parts of basic knowledge are missing - like primary survival skills. Even in this dark mindless future, there are sparks of thoughts that come together to light anew the torch of learning as the olden ways of doing life become the dawn of a hopeful tomorrow. This futuristic page-turner is set in the beautiful Land of Enchantment that the reader can see with word pictures, and all the highly techno stuff is based on technologies presently in the early stages of development. The Kresny's have created a unique blend of spiritual myths that help to restore the balance which thoughtlessness has taken away. Their cast of players becomes real in this unreal world that's warped back in time -to a time when time is once again told by the sun and the moon.

The book allowed me to become a participant in a world brought to a complete technological halt. I was there through experiences of panic, tragedy, and every kind of personal loss. I observed selfless giving of time, talent, possessions, and I rejoiced in the acknowledgement of the wisdom of an old soul. Perhaps the greatest gift I received from this volume was the reminder that 'BALANCE" is of major importance in our lives, never to be neglected. Yes, "Darkness of Dawn" is timely, sensitive and often beautiful. The authors allowed me to be an active participant.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

"The Demon Plague" By Joreid McFate is a well written story with some unexpected twists that keep you turning pages till the end. I could not put it down! It was such a treat to find this book and I highly recommend it!

Reviewed by Sondra Fowler for Reader Views (5/06)

Salem Massachusetts 1692, Patience Gladstone stands before the town magistrate accused of witchcraft - Salem Massachusetts 1992, Crystal Patience Gladstone Donovan stands at her great-grandmother's funeral. "The Demon Plague" starts as a traditional tale of the Salem Witch Trials and ends quite another way. We follow the path of a crystal amulet bearing a star shaped flaw as it weaves its way through time. At the heart of this journey is a plot by a future race of people borne of a distant disaster. Crystal finds herself the heir of this amulet but no sooner than she gets it, the amulet is gone. Soon after Crystal finds the amulet missing, a charming teenager named Ba Tuti claiming to be the Moon to Crystals star. Ba Tuti reminds Crystal of a poem learned as a child:

Flesh that bears the ancient star,
Passed from womb to womb;
May crystal right
The demon blight,
While guarded by the moon.

The two begin a close friendship forged by trials and adventure. To say more would spoil the story for others.

The author weaves a fanciful tale - a mix of sci-fi, history and mystery. You grow to care for these women and join in their fight. McFate did a lovely job weaving one time into another. There was no jarring of the mind and the times and methods were believable.

There were twists and turns and you never knew what to expect around the next corner. It was an enjoyable and quick read that I had to fight to put down, finding that I missed the characters when it was over.

Salem, 1692.

At the Magistrate's House, a young red-headed woman named Patience Gladstone is in trial for witchcraft. Among the present is a mysterious tall blond stranger whose gaze seems keenly fixed on an amulet which rests on the table of evidence-an exceptional-looking crystal that holds the "blemish" of a perfectly five-pointed star within it... the same star which, to the people's horror, marks the skin of Patience Gladstone behind her ear.

The atmosphere of tension rises at the trial when another figure appears, at least seven feet tall and as broad as two men standing abreast, his face as hideous as that of a demon from hell. As the demon lunges himself against the tall blond stranger, panic spreads among the crowd, the sheriff raises his flintlock, and a thunderous explosion is heard.

Immediately after this scene the reader is transported to the old town cemetery, year 1992.

Crystal Donovan, a young journalist for the Salem Gazette, is at a turning point in her life. At her grandmother's burial, she is given a strange crystal amulet which she is told she must guard with her life. She is also urged to remember and recite an old poem her grandmother taught year years ago.

Crystal's mind is plagued with haunting, troubling questions. What does the poem mean? Why is the star on the amulet so similar to her own birthmark? Does her full name-Crystal Patience Gladstone Donovan, have something to do with it? What, in fact, is her mission, and why does it seem so imminent?

As Crystal searches for these answers, an exciting series of events follow-a horrible murder, running from demons, being transported back in time and then forward into the future. A different array of interesting characters-including Crystal's dog, an adorable Doberman who maintains his important role throughout the book-non-stop action and plot twists will keep readers turning those pages late into the night.

Witch hunters, demons, malfunctioning time machines, evil scientists and bloodthirsty creatures from the future... In the midst of so much adversity, will Crystal fulfil her destiny?

The Demon Plague combines horror, time travel and science fiction to create a thrilling ride that will leave demanding readers satisfied and even breathless. The author has interwoven the past, present and future beautifully. The characters are engaging and believable and the dialogue sparkles with genuineness. Scenes are kept short and the writing focuses on narrative and dialogue, keeping descriptions to a minimum to ad to the fast-pace, thrilling effect. Yet the author manages to create a fully imaginable world, one which is vividly visualised. For those who have always found the Salem's witch trials fascinating, this book certainly ads a new original twist to the story. An exciting, entertaining, well-worth read.

The Demon Plague - Review

"The Demon Plague by Joreid McFate is a fantastic paranormal suspense science-fiction novel, involving time-travel and mysticism. This 424 page book is also available in e-book format.

Due to the volume of books I review, most are donated to our local library when the assignment is complete. However, this is one book that I just cannot part with. I felt this comment is important to mention, because only .04% of the books I review find their way to my personal bookshelves.

This exciting tale begins when a demon plague sweeps over mankind, wrought when some scientists developed a technology that mastered time travel. There are factions who radically search for a way towards racial and genetic purity - while others strive to cure the plague and fight for basic human rights. Crystal Patience Gladstone Donovan is caught up in this war when, at her grandmother's deathbed, she is given a family heirloom and told that she is the `Star' and to await her `Moon'.

Soon she is involved in a journey into the past where she meets her ancestor Patience Gladstone Talbot, another `Star'. Crystal learns that her middle names are common throughout time as they are given to the gifted child who is known by a birthmark. Chase scenes, deceit, battles, flashing back and forth into the past and into the future are all stepping-stones for Crystal and her friends in their attempts to do the right thing.

This story line could be used as an excellent reminder of the dangers and grand possibilities advanced technology could reap. It was refreshing to experience realistic female hero characters in this novel. I was absolutely astounded when I read that not only is Joreid McFate actually two separate authors, but that despite many other collaborative projects they have never met and never spoken on the telephone!

Without hesitation, I recommend The Demon Plague with the highest of ratings."

ISBN#: 1554102235
Author: Joreid McFate
Publisher: Zumaya Otherworlds

~ Lillian Brummet - Book Reviewer - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment - Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Demon Plague is the story of a special connection between two families. Though the bonding of these two families had been foretold many generations before, the action of this story begins in Salem during the witch trials of 1692. Patience Gladstone, an indentured servant to Reverend Parris, and Tituba, a slave to Reverend Parris, realize that they have a strange mystical connection. This connection between the two women and their respective families becomes solidified when Tituba gives Patience an ancient relic. This ancient relic along with special star and moon birthmarks is inherited through the female forever connecting the descendants of these two women as special sisters.

The story of this special family connection continues through to 1992. In 1992, Crystal Patience Gladstone Donovan, a reporter from Salem, attends her grandmother's funeral. However, this sad event turns strange when her grandmother's best friend Ubitta starts talking about prophecies, sisters, birthmarks, and special magical powers. Little does Crystal know that her life is going to become a whole lot stranger.

Demon Plague is an active science fiction that connects generations of characters seamlessly through time. That the story takes place in Salem, immediately reinforces in the reader's mind the well known political, social, and spiritual norms and conflicts at the time. The author then uses the present and the future to show the distinct differences and changes in these political, social, and spiritual norms and conflicts during later time periods. This creates a nice solid foundation for the story. Furthermore, the personality and character traits of each set of female characters match her specific time period while still illustrating specific inherited character and personality traits shared by the generations of sisters.

I enjoyed reading this book, and learned a lot of things. What I learned the most is how to be strong and never give up.

Angel Brown

Destiny Unlimited is truly a life changing novel. The main character is placed in a position were she (Amethyst) has a journey to take. The story starts off with Amethyst going over one of her friends home to play and finds out that her friend really wasn't her friend, but someone who wanted to show off all the material things they had. Amethyst was somewhat upset and wanted to go home. Well, instead of her going home, she wanted to be dropped off in the park. The park was not far from her home and she felt safe in the park. As she was walking home she ran into a man in the park who she wanted to know why he looked the way that he did. (Like a bum).

Well that bum turned out to be one of the most interested people she met along her journey. Some of the other characters also gave her good directions that would eventually help her get through her journey in one piece and return back home with her mother. Some of the things I have learn throughout this whole novel is... having faith and beliefs in what you do will get you through. Then keep your expectations obtainable and make commiments you can keep. Once the seed is planted,imagine it's strengh and proclaim I - AM - A - Genie! (IMAGINE)

Thank you Vanessa Davis Griggs for writing such a novel. My tongue is the pen of a Ready Writer! Keep writing these powerful novels for they will make a mark on today's society one way or another!

I was happy to have corresponded with the author a while back and have read the book. This is a type of book like The Dream Merchant in that respect. In this book, you have a young girl who goes into a coma and meets some unique people who encourage,challenge, and sometimes emphasize the importance of having a dream and never giving up. It seems as though it is a book for children, but I, as an adult has also been drawn to it as well and have recommended it to others. My daughters saw the book and now they want a copy of their own.

Destiny Unlimited takes you on a journey with Amethyst Destiny Price. On this journey Amethyst learns very important lessons of life. She learns the power of words, the power of thoughts, how to plant seeds of knowledge, and so much more. Vanessa Griggs tells a very powerful, inspirational story. I became totally engrossed in this book and could not put it down. I found myself trying to figure out the lesson before the story told it. This is a fabulous book - a must read!

Destiny Unlimited is a novel centered around a young Black female whose name is Amethyst. She goes on a very interesting journey that will help us all to get focused on what really matters in our lives. The novel was inspiring and motivating and truly has made a difference in my life.