Reviews Books

It is so sad that Andres Montoya left this world at such a young age. Aside from the obvious loss suffered by his family and friends (I never had the pleasure of meeting him), we wonder about the poetry and other writing he would have produced in the wake of his beautiful and accomplished collection, "the iceworker sings." Much has been written about Montoya's first book which was the winner of the 1997 Chicano/Latino Literary Prize (University of California at Irvine). Montoya's Fresno is filled with love, lust, hate, suffering and protest sung in a clear Chicano voice. Suffice it to say that the brutal yet eloquent honesty of Montoya's poems has assured that "the iceworker sings" will be read and studied for decades to come.

The Iceworker Sings is an amazing book that reached every sensation that is in my body. Recommended to me by my friend Eva in Fresno I was captivated by the pain, desperation, and corazon in Montoya's words; they spoke to me as if each one had been in the fire itself. Montoya speaks of the Chicano situation in ways that others may not understand. His words are words that describe everything we have been through. As Montoya writes - "i don't have time to be a gypsy or an aztec, i'm just chicano, an indian who sees life swallowed up in a dream and wants to explode."

This book strikes at the core of the authors life as a young man growing up in the central valley of Fresno. He speaks of heartaches, struggles as well as love and hope. I had the great pleasure of knowing this young man who was taken from us far to soon. His insights on life and the meanings of the everyday struggles that we all go through were prophetic. I would encourage all to read and study these rich poems. Andres, your voice is louder and more profound now then when you walked this earth.

andres montoya offers us this gift of a book postumously. andres was my cousin, but first and formost he was a poet nearly without peer. these poems ring with truth and insights beyond the years of this young man taken from us way too soon. this book is an instant collectors item and a must for any serious lover of poetry.

viva andres montoya

richard montoya de culture clash

A little about me: I am an MD now working on my MPH at Johns Hopkins-
I ran across this book when I was browsing through Barnes and Nobles looking for a good study guide for my surgery oral exam....

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!

A must have! It encompasses all the essential points for each surgery in literally a page or two. I wish I had found it when I was starting the rotation! Though you may be skeptical that it is not thorough enough, believe me when I say that it is all you need to know in order to succeed on your written and oral exams... and certainly when you are being 'pimped' in the OR. I say, reduce your level of stress and anxiety when going through those long hours of surgery by having this by your side. It is as though someone poured through all the important texts and outlined the key points of each topic for you. The pages are as easy to read as the notes you would take for yourself.

Overall: Well-written, concise, and to the point. Just what a surgeon needs, actually.

No longer do I need to look up five or six different reference guides to find an answer about a specific type of sickness or disease. In a pragmatic sense, a very useful book with a wealth of information.

These books are so useful to use in rounds and clinics and especially for board review. They have probably been the best review books that I've used yet. I hope they come out with "In a Page" books on each sub-specialty.

This is a fantastic reference for residents and medical students. I especially found it useful in preparing for attending rounds, but it's also great for exam review. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Everyone's heard of "The Forsyte Saga," the BBC family epic of the late Victorian Age. Fewer have read the Galsworthy book, and that's a shame, because it's fascinating on so many levels. "In Chancery" is the story of the divorce of the two main characters, Soames and Irene. But without what came before, you'll lose the significance of what happens.

On the surface it's the story of Soames Forsyte, the quintessential icon of the growth of the upper middle classes and the decline of the nobility during the Victorian era. Descended from a farmer in Dorset in the not-too-distant past, Soames is a lawyer and a man of property. He buys wisely, sells more wisely, and husbands his wealth and that of the family. He is in control of everything that affects him, except one thing--his wife. Desiring to possess the sensitive, beautiful, genteel but poor Irene, and with the help of a callous mother, Soames pressures Irene into becoming his wife. From this single mistake, the one time Soames let passion rule, his life and the lives of his family and their descendants are changed in unpredictable and frightening ways. Galsworthy's theme is the constant tussle in life between property and art, love and possession, freedom and convention. In the fine tradition of family sagas, these themes play themselves out over and over with each generation.

On another level, this is the story of an age, the story of the British Empire at its peak. Galsworthy packs his book with allusions to the great crises of the time, the Boer War and WWI, the rise of Labour, the death of the Queen, the spread of "democracy." The Forsyte homes are meticulously detailed, from the French reproduction furniture to the dusty sofas to the heavy drapes, to the fireplace grate, to the electric lights in the old chandeliers. Soames collects art, and Galsworthy showers us with the opinions of a British gentleman of the great and not so great art of the day.

The saga was written over a period of many years, and on yet another level I found the the changes in Galsworthy's style from the rather clipped, detailed recitations of events and commentary typical of the 19th century to the more expressive style of the 20th. Especially in the first volume of the three, family relationships are painstakingly laid out, the rounds of dinners and family gatherings carefully chronicled. By the third volume, To Let, Galsworthy reveals the love of the countryside and the pain of repressed emotions that the family members a generation ago would have hidden. The writing is very beautiful--as in this sentence: "Fleur raised her eyelids--the restless glint of those clear whites remained on Holly's vision as might the flutter of a caged bird's wings."

It took me a good six weeks to plow through The Forsyte Saga, but it was worth it.

In the second installment of "The Forsyte Saga", writer John Galsworthy reassumes the life of the Forsyte family. "In Chancery" is situated a few years after the events told in "The Man of Property", in a few pages recaps some of the most important facts of the first book and their aftermath. After that he is able to move on.

And on he moves -- but the narrative still concerns on young Jolyon, Soames and Irene that forms a love triangle. While the remaining Jolyon become a close friend to Irene, her ex-husband --from whom she hasn't divorced in all those years -- fells jealous and considers claiming his wife back.

Needless to say that this is not the only plot in the novel. Galsworthy develops more family plots. It is impossible not to have the feeling that while he is sometimes depicting the shallowness of the elite from his time, at the same time he has an indulgent look upon the rich and wealthy -- which is not a bad thing as a matter of fact.

Those who like "The Man of Property" will certainly find more pleasure in "In Chancery". He finishes the book with the perfect hook what will come next.

_In Chancery_ is the second of the novels in the first Forsyte Saga trilogy. A delightful and pointed look at the rising upper middle class in England, this book picks up where the interlude "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" left off and continues the story of Young Jolyon and the man of property himself, Soames.

This installation continues the theme of musing on the nature of possession and freedom as they relate to love and marriage as Soames wishes to remarry so that he can have a son who can help keep the family property intact. Usually bound together with "Awakening", the interlude that binds this book generationally to _To Let_.

Discovering the world of the Forsytes has been one of my delights of the year. I have no idea why these books have been forgiven, but they're really wonderful. Discover them yourself!

The second volume of the Forsyte Saga; this time primarily the story of Jolyon (Young Jolyon), Soames (who might be called Young James), and Irene ~ Soames' wife who becomes Jolyon's lover. Galsworthy is really the forerunner of Joyce, with at least as much understanding of how men think, and close to (if not as much) the ability to portray it ~ in a more readable fashion. There is real affection in the portrayal of his characters, as much because Galsworthy was by birth a member of the rising upper middle class in England during the time of which he wrote as for any intrinsic value in those characters. As he shows them, though, they are close to loveable, certainly Jolyon is admirable, and Soames is, by his lights, decent ~ even if he does have an unrequitable passion for his wife. Though this is by no means an action-packed plot ~ i knew the essence of the action before i read it, from having read the Introduction ~ it nevertheless compelled me to read, read closely, read quickly. I shall be hard pressed to wait the few weeks i've promised myself before i borrow this volume from the library again and read "To Let," the third novel in the Saga.

My very first buy on Amazon and, still, one of my best purchases ever. If you love the show, this book should be part of your collection 'cause it's the ultimate guide to Weeds characters. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved the series, but this book really just confirms it. This is the first day I got it and I already read half. I'm very impressed. I was reading in front of my boyfriend and his friend and they heard me laughing. My response was "this is halarious." (reading shanes botwins part) Hmmm. My boyfriends friends response was "I didn't know reading was fun." LOSER! In the Weeds is fun!

The interviews are awesome--you really feel like you're getting behind the scenes of one of the best shows on TV. And the character breakdowns make you want to watch the first 2 seasons all over again! If you love the show, you have to get this book. And if you've ever wanted to start watching the show, this book is a good primer.

I was so excited to see that there's a book about my favorite TV show, and even more excited to see that it's as smart, thoughtful and funny as the show itself. Companion guides can sometimes be formulaic and boring, but this one brings a fresh and intelligent perspective to one of the best written (directed and acted) shows on cable today. If you aren't already a fan of the show (what's wrong with you???), this book will draw you in for sure!

Theodore Colville, a 40-year-old retired newspaperman from Des Vaches, Indiana, disenchanted with American politics, has returned to Florence, the scene of a failed youthful romance. Here he re-encounters Mrs. Lina Bowen, an enchanting American hostess and her beautiful young protégé Miss Imogene Graham. Miss Graham is 20 years old, beautiful, fascinated by literature and the arts, and considered a bit of an intellectual by the mindless young men who pursue her. Colville finds her utterly charming but extremely naïve, and not nearly as bright as she imagines herself to be. For her part, she is fascinated by the older man's knowledge and experience, and is greatly moved by his romantic history. Colville's behavior is scrupulously correct, even refined, but Imogene's fondness for him breaks through his reserve and they reach an understanding, after which things begin to unravel. Having had his heart broken in Italy decades earlier, will Colville allow history to repeat itself?

Howells is very fine writer, perhaps admired more than he is actually appreciated. He has Henry James' knack for intimate character study, without the run-on interior monologues that frustrate some of James' readers. Howells himself even makes the comparison, and wittily points out through one of his characters that if this were a Howells novel, "nothing would have happened". Certainly little enough actually happens considering just how long this novel is, and the dearth of action will not set well with many. Further, any book of the 19th century has an other-worldly quality to it that makes it challenging to relate to on a personal level. Still, Howells' characters are pleasant and engaging people to spend some time with, and the exquisite descriptions of Italy are an added bonus. But if you don't feel you can identify with the plight of a middle-aged man entranced by a much younger woman, this book probably isn't for you.

This excellent novel by Howells is a May-December love story. Middle-aged Theodore Colville falls in love with young and pretty Imogene Graham. The relationship borders on the ridiculous, but it's only when Imogene falls for a younger man that Colville calls it all off. One wonders what took him so long. The dialogue, especially when Colville is involved, crackles with wit. This is Howells's own favorite of his novels. It is extremely entertaining, one of Howells's very best books, and one of the best novels on the American bookshelf, regardless of time period.

When you think of chroniclers of love, life and American society during the Gilded Age, you automatically think of Henry James and Edith Wharton.

But while W.D. Howells never quite reached their levels of prominence, his similar works are full of quiet introspection and evocative, vivid prose reminiscent of Wharton at her best. And "Indian Summer" is one of his better works -- a lush, colorful exploration of 19th-century Florence, and a love triangle of Americans who are taking a prolonged vacation there.

After a disastrous career loss, Theodore Colville is vacationing in Florence, and promptly begins a massive midlife crisis. But he perks up after encountering Lina Bowen, a widowed ex-flame of his who is also staying in Florence with her young daughter Effie. And at a party that evening, Lina introduces him to the young, vivacious Imogene Graham.

Soon Colville is squiring Effie and Imogene around Florence, and even taking all three women out to the carnival. Naturally, Imogene develops a crush on the kind, cynical Colville -- but her innocent liking alarms Lina, who still is carrying a flame for him, and Imogene's well-intentioned errors tie her in society's web. Noow Colville must decide what he wants most, and which woman truly loves him.

At heart, "Indian Summer" is basically an exploration of a love triangle between an older man, a slightly younger woman, and a girl young enough to be his daughter. That's a delicate situation at the best of times, but this was also the Gilded Age -- codes of conduct were strict, and feelings were expressed in a dance of words and gestures rather than outward displays.

But to frame the story, Howells creates an elaborate portrait of how wealthy Americans lived and saw Europe. In between parties and meditative conversations, there are vivid looks at the Florence of the time -- he fills it with dusty chapels, quiet hostels, walks in the rain, meditations in cafes, gorgeous old buildings and a wildly indulgent carnival full of masked flirtations.

And all this is painted with a lush, detailed style that walks the fine line between sensuality and propriety. Like Imogene, it's full of passion and beauty, but not enough to get swept away. But also through the book is a sense of autumnal regret about youth's passage and the question of what happens after that.

Most of that midlife crisis angst comes from Colville, who has just suffered a public humiliation and had to sell the paper he once ran. So unsurprisingly he's a bit depressed, and ends up being inadvertently torn between the affections of two women -- one is his equal in every way, and the other makes him feel old, yet he likes her youthful vibrancy. Lina is a fairly solid character, but Imogene's naive delight in Florence and in an older man's friendship is excellent.

"Indian Summer" in Florence is apparently a pretty nice time to be there, unless you are locked in a love triangle of manners and hidden feelings. A lushly-written look back to a much more complicated time.

An American middle-aged man returns to Florence, Italy - the scene of a heartbreaking romance twenty years earlier. There he meets an old friend from those days, her daughter, and her twenty year old female protege. Slowly a surprising romantic relationship develops; but is it really what both people want? Great dialogue, wonderful character development, and a happy ending.

Or maybe a Sharon Stone (she is not spared in these pages). Quite simply, this book is impossible to put down. James Ulmer's clever rating system is interesting enough in itself -- but the best part of the book is his personal stamp. He makes no bones about being star-struck, yet his mission is the demystification of the gods, and he does it with gimlet-eyed clarity and intelligence. A dirt-filled riff will turn on a phrase into a sharp insight into the celebrity cult and our fascination with it. Some of his observations of actors are priceless. My image of Marlon Brando struggling up the Brooklyn waterfront ramp will now forever be juxtaposed with him struggling up the aisle of an L.A. supermarket, dressed in a muumuu and eating from an as-yet-unbought gallon of Breyers ice cream. This is a great summer (or winter) read, but don't take it to anyplace where you're self-conscious about laughing out loud. Because you will.

For anyone who enjoys following the cult of celebrity -- go backstage with James Ulmer and find all of the behind-the-scenes gossip (ok really thruths) about today's biggest stars. Ulmer has been compiling this list for industry insiders for years and this is the first time he's published his info for the general public -- can't wait for the next installment!

It's fun and funny to see how the industry perceives itself, this book is a hoot. The information they based the ratings on is already outdated, (Russell Crowe's career trajectory arrow is going sideways? Hello?) but it's still worth the $$ for the essays, especially the one on star perks, (you will not believe the story about a certain actress and a baby opposum) and the "inside dirt" remarks.

The title only tells half the story. The lists are fun to browse (the 200 top stars), especially the inside dirt on each star. But the essays are really hilarious: weird twisted perks, gossip and insecurity, naughty inside references - a pretty amazing picture of business and culture in Hollywood, where Ulmer says nothing binds people together like money, tribal membership "and the desire to see your best friend fail." Yikes. This book definitely goes on my holiday gift list.

Accurately depicts our fallen and beloved hero! A testamount to his accomplishments!

This is a must have for Barbaro fans. It is all about him. If you are looking for pictures and info on the other horses in the 2006 Derby you won't get it. But the pictures are beautiful and the comments are nice. The book is well made and worth the price.

This book is full of amazing pictures that capture not only the tradition of the Kentucky Derby but the Spirit of Barbaro. A beloved way to remember the Derby winner, flying on all fours. Some of the pictures make it seem as if you could reach out and touch this courageous horse. Having Barbaro first in this new series of books from Churchill couldn't have been more fitting for this Champion who truely did capture America's heart.

The photograghy in this book is fantastic and gives you the complete scenerio in pitures. You feel like you are right there at this moment and it will definitely bring many tears to your eyes as you watch Barbaro race thru the pictures. My personal favorite was the picture of him in complete suspension. Great momento of an big hearted horse.

Henty is amazing at capturing your interest and at the same time giving you a history lesson. Knight of the White Cross is so far my favorite of his books. There are pirates, battles, adventures, and young maidens to protect. I highly recommend this book, especially to junior high or high school boys.

Gervaise's father wishes that his son will grow up to be a Knight of the White Cross, and so Gervaise leaves his dying mother and travels to Rhodes. When he arrives at Rhodes he never dreams of all the adventures he will be undertaking, and the excitement he will be involved in. First comes the rescuing of Ricord and Santoval, after which the Grand Prior knights Gervaise and his comrade, Ralph, which is a great privilege for the boys. Some time later, after visiting the house of Signor Vsados, Gervaise mentions to Ralph that he did not like the looks of the Greek who had also been at the Vsados household. Ralph laughs at him, but Gervaise's suspicions are aroused even more when he sees the man talking to a slave of the Order. After reporting to Sir John Kendall Gervaise suggests he disguise himself and go among the slaves, to try to find out if a plot is being arranged. What will he find? Gervaise has many more adventures, and also a little romance, for Claudia De Forli bestows her colours on him. Gervaise also sets an example by the boy-galley that he was put in command of. It is the only galley ever to have only young knights appointed to it. In the end Gervaise takes part in the Siege of Rhodes, which was a bloody affair. Don't miss reading this story of a gallant Knight of the White Cross!

This is an awesome book. One will feel that they are there, fighting the corsairs or seeing the great fortresses at Rhodes. The scenes are vividly described, and the whole story is incredibly exciting. Gervaise is the ideal knight - strong, brave, loyal, and willing to give his life for Christendom. One feels like they know him in real life, so vividly is he described. The Turks can be pictured ad well, with their huge cannons and keen scimitars. The adventures of Gervaise are very perilous, and sometimes it seems there is no way out. Yet, there is a way, and he always finds it somehow or other. His exploits are phenomenal. He does everything from defending the fort of Rhodes to impersonating a Turkish prisoner, all in the name of the order. There are a few words in the story that most middle school students wouldn't know, but these don't interfere much with understanding the story as a whole. There is some violence in this book, but nothing else that would be considered repulsive. This book is a great read for anyone who likes action, adventure, history, or the Middle Ages. I give it an A.

England is embroiled in the War of the Roses. Young Gervaise Tresham is sent from his war torn homeland by his father to join the Knights of St. John. Initially, this order was a semi-religious organization with its members taking vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty for the purpose of ministering to pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. With more incidents of pilgrims being attacked, robbed, and enslaved by the Moslems, the Hospitallers quickly changed, out of necessity, to a great military organization.

Proceeding to the stronghold of Rhodes, Gervaise is eventually appointed commander of a war galley. The war galleys of the Knights of St. John patrolled the Mediterranean which was infested by Moorish corsair pirates.

Tons of adventure, fast paced story tellign and great attention to historical detal make this yet another great Henty read.

After having traveled in the Caribbean as a tourist for years, I always wanted to read a good analysis of tourism in the Caribbean. This book is the best. It explains how very little of the economic benefits of the money we spend in as a tourist reaches the local people. Pattullo explains how deep this exploitation goes and has tons of data to support her conclusions.

Last Resorts: The Cost Of Tourism In The Caribbean, second edition, updated and revised by Polly Pattullo is an in-depth study of the economic and general effects of tourism upon the Caribbean area. Knowledgeably written, Last Resorts covers the overall economic effects of employment, history, government, social impact, culture, as well as an informative prediction of future probabilities for the Caribbean. Highly recommended for the vast coverage it provides, as well as its highly acute and accurate analytical content, Last Resorts is an excellent read for economics advisors, Caribbean trade executives, and non-specialist general readers, local citizens and vacationers with an interest in the Caribbean.

"Last Resorts" by Polly Pattullo is an excellent history and analysis of the Caribbean tourist industry. Ms. Pattullo examines the myriad social, environmental, economic and cultural changes that tourism has produced in the region. Along the way, the reader gains insight into how the promotion of the Carribean as a place of carfree escapism may be endangering the region's future unless vast inequities both within and without the Carribean are addressed in a meaningful way.

Ms. Pattullo explains that mass tourism emerged as an economic development strategy that was defined by the Caribbean's dependent relationship with the colonial powers of the 20th century and especially the United States. When air travel opened tourism to the middle classes in the 1960s, post-colonial governments turned to Western corporations to develop destinations that might attract foreign capital and thereby prop up local economies. However, the islands have gradually become ever more dependent on outside forces as airlines, cruise ship operators, and hotel chains have come to exercise near-monopolistic control over tourist itineraries. In order to maintain their privileged positions in the struggle for market share, most Carribean governments have found it necessary to concede the majority of tourist revenues to the procurement of foreign goods and services.

For example, Ms. Pattullo discusses how top jobs in the tourism sector tend to go to foreigners while locals get mostly dead-end jobs; many are resentful about earning poor wages despite working in a highly profitable industry. As street vendors and other freelancers seek to aggressively sell drugs and their bodies to tourists, more destinations have chosen to offer all-inclusive experiences that shut the dangers of the outside world away. Yet the coccoon-like world of the all-inclusives only serves to reinforce privilege, depriving locals of their own beaches and insulating visitors from the discomfort of viewing the socio-economic deprivation that often surrounds them.

Ms. Pattullo addresses that most pernicious of all tourism, the cruise ship industry which largely treats the Caribbean as a parking lot and waste dump for its 20 million annual passengers and where island culture is experienced in its most sanitized and commodified form. Most passengers spend little time onshore but frequently purchase goods at duty-free shops that are aligned with the ships, providing little revenues for the islands -- who, for their part, have found it impossible to impose reasonable rates of taxation on the industry for fear of being dropped from itineraries.

Whereas the path of corporate-controlled mass tourism is leading towards the Disneyification of island culture and the degradation of its environment, Ms. Pattullo believes that the Caribbean can secure a better future by embracing the principle of sustainability. The author contends that the region must begin to celebrate and preserve its unique history, culture and natural environment by implementing sustainable development strategies that are designed to empower local governments, businesses and people. To that end, she cites many examples of successful alternatives to the typical mass tourism model of sand and sun, including: eco-tourism, health spas, music festivals, living history, art and architectural appreciation, and other alternative vacation experiences. Indeed, it seems that the ideas advocated by the author might go a long way towards helping this remarkable part of the world both retain its uniqueness and gain a measure of the long-overdue success that it so richly deserves.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

- Everyone's tropical paradaise might be a victim of its own success. This book reviews the tourism industry and explores how to bring greater benefits to the region. Excellent! Ron Mader / El Planeta Platica

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is one of my favorite movies. Since first watching it in the early 1980s I've watched two to three dozen times. I am working to indoctrinate my daughters. My oldest says she has seen it five time!

In the late 1980s I saw the play in London. They did a great job. I burst out laughing when they went in to rescue the prince and a game of rugby broke out.

Recently while reading at the Percival Blakeney Academy blog I realized that I had never read any of Baroness Orczy's books. In doing a bit of research I found there were a whole series of books on "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Emma Orczy.

I decided to start at the beginning, with "The Laughing Cavalier." This is the story of one of Sir Percy Blakeney's ancestors. Diogenes, our hero, is an Englishman in Holland in 1623. He is asked to kidnap a young woman, who you soon realize will be his future wife.

There is a lot of intrigue against the Prince of Orange. The villain is planning an uprising. The woman's brother has been taken in by the villian. The brother is the one who hired the cavalier. It was kind of funny, later the father offers to pay Diogenes to find his daughter. And at one point the woman tries to pay Diogenes to warn the Prince of Orange. Diogenes declines the offer but still manages to warn the prince.

I enjoyed the story. It was pleasant, fast moving, and interesting. I enjoyed the historical background. The book was very descriptive in how people lived.

If you have enjoyed any of Baroness Orczy's stories, I'm sure you will enjoy "The Laughing Cavalier."

It is probably about time to watch the movie again!

Strange how the literary mind works; if I can be so conceited as to call my mind "literary." While reading The Laughing Cavalier I continually chastised myself for thinking snobbish thoughts. To be specific, "This book is so enjoyable, it cannot have been a critical success." Baroness Orczy's books did manage to buy her an estate in Monte Carlo, but what did the critics say? My research never turned up a pro or con on this issue, but I wondered just the same.

Not without just cause. Anyone who has been to high school knows that "the classics" can get really boring. More recently, I pondered the phenomenon of "Critical Acclaim" again when I read The Workshop: Seven Decades of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The stories presented in this book were intriguing until the timeline progressed to the `60's, at which time the stories became progressively pointless and uniformly depressing. When I finished Gail Godwin's "A Sorrowful Woman," I closed the book and forgot about reading any more "critically acclaimed" works. To Ms. Godwin's credit, hers was a well-written story, but the only inspiration one gets from this story might be to buy razor blades.

Only recently, I read in the Wall Street Journal that Daphne Du Maurier died a wealthy but sorrowful woman because her works never received the critical acclaim she craved. I thought maybe she should take it as a compliment. In my plebeian opinion Rebecca is one of the finest novels ever written, and as intriguing as The Last of the Mohicans is boring.

So tell me again, what this has to do with The Laughing Cavalier? No, I don't think the critics liked TLC. Yes, I do recommend it. TLC is an engaging and even educational novel. You learn some European history. You learn some art history, and you learn a lot of words from the Dutch language. The words, even the swear words, can create a learning curve that may take a while to overcome.

The story takes place in Holland, where a plot to kill the Stadtholder (one of those Dutch words for a ruler) was in the planning in a Cathedral on New Years' Eve, 1624. As luck would have it, the sister of one of the plotters overheard the plans. The plotters found it necessary to remove the young woman until the deed was done, and since they could not find it in their hearts to kill her, they arranged to have her kidnapped. When they happened upon the "laughing cavalier", Diogenes, they knew they had found the perfect man for the job. The Cavalier is very good at what he does, and the kidnapping is accomplished without a hitch, except that Diogenes must return to finish posing for his friend, Franz Hals, who needs to finish his painting called The Laughing Cavalier, in order to sell the painting and feed his family. After the painting is finished, Diogenes and Hals mosey over to the local tavern to quench their thirst. There they meet a local nobleman who is overcome with grief because his daughter has been kidnapped. Hals, unaware of Diogenes' previous deed, encourages the nobleman to hire his friend to rescue her. Although Diogenes tries to demure, Hals will not take "no" for an answer, and the nobleman, convinced, offers Diogenes half his fortune to bring his daughter home.

Unlike The Scarlet Pimpernel, his ancestor, Diogenes, has not yet established himself as a man of sterling character or irreproachable moral integrity. Some of the fun of TLC is that one is uncertain whether he will wind up in jail or on the scaffold, and whether he just might deserve such a fate.

An interesting historical note is that Baroness Orczy was a painter as well as a writer, although she was not successful as a painter, a likely reason why she included a real-life painter in her novel. Franz Hals was actually a painter of this historical period. His painting of The Laughing Cavalier appears as the cover for this ebook download.

Even more romping in the face of those dastardly Frenchie anti-royalist
cranium removers. Fun adventure. Lots of information on the beginnings
and early adventures of the group that leads up to the Scarlet
Pimpernel. Much capturing of the good guys by evil bad guys, threats,
dramatic posturing, attempts to take away the women, desperate
horseback rides and war.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is one of my favorite movies. Since first watching it in the early 1980s I've watched two to three dozen times. I am working to indoctrinate my daughters. My oldest says she has seen it five time!

In the late 1980s I saw the play in London. They did a great job. I burst out laughing when they went in to rescue the prince and a game of rugby broke out.

Recently while reading at the Percival Blakeney Academy blog I realized that I had never read any of Baroness Orczy's books. In doing a bit of research I found there were a whole series of books on "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Emma Orczy.

I decided to start at the beginning, with "The Laughing Cavalier." This is the story of one of Sir Percy Blakeney's ancestors. Diogenes, our hero, is an Englishman in Holland in 1623. He is asked to kidnap a young woman, who you soon realize will be his future wife.

There is a lot of intrigue against the Prince of Orange. The villain is planning an uprising. The woman's brother has been taken in by the villian. The brother is the one who hired the cavalier. It was kind of funny, later the father offers to pay Diogenes to find his daughter. And at one point the woman tries to pay Diogenes to warn the Prince of Orange. Diogenes declines the offer but still manages to warn the prince.

I enjoyed the story. It was pleasant, fast moving, and interesting. I enjoyed the historical background. The book was very descriptive in how people lived.

If you have enjoyed any of Baroness Orczy's stories, I'm sure you will enjoy "The Laughing Cavalier."

It is probably about time to watch the movie again!