Shadow The Books

Leena Lander's Cast a Long Shadow is a freudian historical novel. The main character is jugde Psilander, who burns witches in 17th century Sweden. He knows that he is doing the wrong thing, but he goes along with the maniac law. The book is a strong allegory of the holocaust and other madnesses in the world. It explores man's guilt. The main theme is: You must always think with your own brains. Lander writes very lyrically. This book is a very strong reading experience.

Motivational piece of American history. Well written. By standing for the principles he believed in, David Calvert stood tall...casting a long shadow. Calvert becomes a mentor for the main character, Matt Keenan, with Matt seeing flaws even in his own father, Pat Keenan. Interesting twists in the paperback, even down to the last few pages. Well developed characterization. Recommended reading for any age group, young or old.

Ronnie Maasz's "A Cast of Shadows" is a thoroughly good read and refreshingingly different from other film industry biographies. Rather than the usual litany of big film productions and name-dropping, "A Cast of Shadows" gives an illuminating insight into the blood, sweat and absurdities rarely found in "The Making of...." genre of documentaries. Spanning the surreal (a Flipper rip-off starring a stuffed seal) to the down-right terrifying (being runover by a plane!), this book is highly reminiscent of John Simpson's style of writing. It's also a good primer for the ever-evolving nature of both the film business and its technology. From his humble beginnings as a black & white film loader at Ealing Studios during the Second World War to his involvement in classic films such as Guns of Navarone, Living Free and the odd Bond movie to the advent of video, Ronnie Maasz beautifully captures the essence of the globe-trotting freelance life in a single, easy-to-read tome.

If you're a fan of what goes on behind the camera, "A Cast of Shadows" is well worth your time.

Rangjung Yeshe

This book accompanies the current exhibit at the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University highlighting Hitchcock's collaborative achievements. While I fully expect the book to be delightful, I have not yet read it. Instead, this review addresses the Block exhibit while it is still open.

Some decades ago, the auteur theory proposed that some movies possessed a signature visual style that acted as their artistic backbone. The theory identified the director as prime mover for these films and saw Hitchcock, Welles, Ray et al as the auteurs of the films they directed. This theory is now accepted wisdom, much to the chagrin of screenwriters and actors everywhere. The Block exhibit advances the curious notion that the success of many of Hitchcock's films was the result of collaborative efforts, not a single defining vision.

The exhibit, while small, contains some interesting items. First and foremost is Hitch's four-page hand-written outline for the crow sequence (Melanie smokes while birds congregate) in the Birds. Evidently, this scene sprung to his mind almost fully formed. Fantastic.

Other attractions of the exhibit for the Hitchcock buff are a fascinating sequence of written exchanges between Hitch and Darryl Zanuck over Lifeboat. Catch Hitch's wild use of the noun "mental". His exchange with Evan Hunter as the Birds script developed is also interesting. Here, Hitch cautions Hunter about avoiding "non-scene scenes". There are some very nice storyboards that capture the evolving creative process of a number of films (Saboteur, NxNW).

The exhibit seems well-attended and its producers and promoters have done a good job. However, the museum-goer must walk out far from convinced that the excellence of these films was a result of collaborative efforts. In actuality, the exhibit soldifies our view that Hitchcock masterminded most (all?) of his films from stem to stern. If every major creative decision was ultimately made by Hitch, as this exhibit evidences, how can the "collaborative" proposition be upheld?

That Hitchcock's influence over modern-day cinema is larger than ever is demonstrated by this exhibit. It includes the famous list of about 60 possible titles, some quite humorous, for what eventually became Vertigo. (Thankfully Hitch made the right choice.) But notice how many of the possible titles have subsequently been commandeered by other directors over the years for their own films.

Exceptional poetry interspersed with inspirational writings. I absolutely love and recommend this book and the poetry within it. This is a mixed work that will leave you feeling fulfilled.

Negotiating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through the United Nations was not the only post-FDR contribution of Eleanor Roosevelt. This extraordinary woman was a powerful force within the Democratic Party and America until the day she died and left a legacy in her own right on issues of civil rights and civil liberties that finds voice even today.

Black's book focuses on Roosevelt's post-White House years and brings ER's domestic front activities and contributions to light--showing the long-term and deep nature of Eleanor Roosevelt's convictions. The book traces ER's growth in understanding of issues and underscores the courage it took to live her life in the forefront of debate and controversy.

This book should be read by anyone interested in Eleanor Roosevelt for the insight it brings and the truly interesting stories it tells. I particularly found the chapter on ER's relationship with John F. Kennedy fascinating and learned that ER withheld her support for his candidacy until he promised her action on civil rights. Ever the consumate tactition, she even rearranged the chairs at the famous meeting between them at Val Kil so she would be sitting higher than him.

"Casting" is pain-stakingly researched and well documented. Allida Black's interpretation of ER is founded on years of work with Roosevelt's papers and other sources.

I really like this book and I would like other people to find this item and order it, because it's totally worth it.
This book consists of three stories-'The Catch', 'The Trap', and 'Sticks and Stones'. Each story has suspense and keeps you glued to the book and guessing until the very end.

This book is a treasure, particularly for those of us who are related to him, those who knew him as a man, a rabbi, a voice on the radio, and those who never even heard of him until this moment (you missed out on something) - it brings back to life the voice of the sorely-missed Hugo Gryn, but it is his voice as a young man, and it tells his story as he remembered it all back then, just a very few years after the events took place. Edited lovingly by his daughter, Naomi,it is truly the story of a vanished world and of a time that must be remembered, told by a man who won't be forgotten. And it's wicked that it's now out of print - so you who are reading this - quick!! buy a copy whilst you still can. And try to find the video, also called Chasing Shadows, made by Naomi while her father was still very much alive, when they made the journey back to his childhood home. I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to go too, but I had a young baby at the time, who is now approaching twenty - and is so very much like his grandfather.

Sorry about that editorial review above! This was a lot of fun and a book that I am buying for my son ten years after I first read it. How many books do you remember after ten years? Other books in my all time great list (of which this is one) include Stones for Ibarra, Red Sky at Morning, The Shipping News, PrairyErth, and anything by Wallace Stegner.

I came across this intriguing book while browsing the Buddhist selections in my local library. Mishi Saran quickly draws you into the story of her quest to retrace the steps of this renowned 7th century Chinese Buddhist master as he embarks upon his quest to retrieve sacred Mahayana Buddhist texts for the benefit of his homeland, China. Xuangchang was so meticulous in detail regarding the locations he traveled to, that modern day archeologists have relied upon his record to locate historical kingdoms and cities in their research. To my surprise, I recently found him mentioned by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book, "Transformation at the Base: Fifty Verses on the Nature of Consciousness" where he details the work of Xuangchang in bringing the teachings of the Mahayana expounder of the "Mind Only" school of Buddhishm, Vasubhandu.

In retracing the steps of this famous Chinese monk, Mishi Sharan details the artifacts he mentioned that she was also able to locate, frequently with the help and good wishes of the locals and various scientists in the areas she visited. She also relates details of her personal life and experience which bring her journey to life. The changes that have occurred over the past 1400 years are also discussed, and much of the histoy of Buddhism, its rise and fall in India, are thoughtfully explored. I have enjoyed reading this mindful travelogue very much, finding myself reading it slowly and carefully, and expanding my knowledge and understanding of the history of Buddhism by tying it to the land and its inhabitants, both past and present. Highly recommended.

Robin Billings
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