Awards Books

I picked this book up at a local book store because I was going on vacation. I read a lot of complex books and such, in my profession so I was looking for something simple, easy to read, but very fun and enjoyable. WEll, this book accomplished all of the above.

The book is a great introductory book to a young person who is a pre-teen making a transition into chapter books. Ms. Konigsburg develops the characters well, especially the children, and I promise there are surprises around every corner.

My favorite character in the book has to be Mrs. Frankweiler. She is so mysterious only because she wants to be. I remember many times growing up wishing I had some all-important secret that I could keep to make me important. Then I wondered could I actually keep the secret? Mrs. Frankweiler doesn't just have one important secret she has file cabinets full.

I went to the national Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL right after reading this book, and found myself asking where would I hide in here.

I love this book, and would reccomend it to the young and the young at heart. Just when you think you know everything, trust me you know nothing in this book. Even at the end you understand that Mrs. Frankweiler is the master keeper of secrets.

Does anyone know what the title of the movie was that is based on this book?

I love this book. I saw it one day in the bookstore with my 7 year old who is a good reader. I bought it for her as a gift and re-read it first. I enjoyed it again as an adult and she has enjoyed it too. A good read with enough excitement and mystery to keep you turning the pages (but nothing scary).

One of my childhood favorites! I recently went to the Met and just had to purchase and re-read the book!

I think this is one of the best books I read growing up. I can't say enough good things about it. It is a must read!

Upon finishing Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War", the author's text stayed with me for quite a while, but perhaps not in the way he had intended. While I was impressed by the story's insights into the pointlessness of war, what stayed with me the most was it pervasive homophobia. Rather than coming away from the book thinking about the nature of humanity and admiration for Mr. Haldeman for writing such a wise and compelling story, I simply came away feeling sad. Sad for Mr. Haldeman for detracting this reader from the wisdom of his insights into the Vietnam war by his inability to see beyond his own prejudice and sad that friends and reviews would recommend such a homophobic book. With all of its insights, the book's greatest irony is how it could so movingly point out one form of human stupidity while pervasively supporting another.

I feel much the same after reading Forever War as I did when I finished reading Haldeman's companion book, Forever Peace, but worse. I liked Forever Peace better. I was underwhelmed by the ending of Forever War, hoping for something a little more exciting. The ending to Forever Peace stayed with me for a while and I grew to like it better as time went by. That definitely won't be the case here. I did like the ending in Forever War, especially the way things turned out with Mandella's girlfriend Marygay, but I felt it needed a little more of a twist. Earths's population morphing into a cloned master race was interesting and unexpected but I would have enjoyed learning more about how that development came about. I assume Haldeman fleshes out that transformation more in the sequel to Forever War, Forever Free. Additionally, I really liked tracking how the human race socially evolved from one century to the next as well as the evolution of the tools of war, but I wasn't so crazy about the portrayal of earth during the short period of Mandella's return. I thought Heinlein's Earth in Starship Troopers was more compelling. Still, I enjoyed the book. I think my expectations were set too high due to the fact that it was a Hugo and Nebula award winning novel, just as they were set too high when I finished reading Forever Peace for the same reason. That tells me that both books must have made more of an impact when they first came out than they do many years later. Forever War seemed a little dated in some areas and Forever Peace isn't as cutting edge after the release of the Matrix movies with whom it shares some key concepts.

It's a good thing Forever War was not a long book. I think Joe Halderman's writing style is much more appropriate to a short book rather than a 500+ page novel or an epic trilogy, as opposed to someone like Walter John Williams who can pull off military science fiction in a much longer format as illustrated in his excellent Dread Empire's Fall saga. Had Forever War gone on much longer it would have quickly become boring and repetitive, something it barely avoided as it is. Overall, the book was well worth reading and would be enjoyed by any fan of military science fiction.

This novel tells a story that sends the message: "Until you turn into communists, you won't understand that the enemy isn't your enemy." Or, stated in more conventional language: To those who understand, no explanation is necessary; to those who don't, none is possible.

It projects a "failed pacifist" as its hero and the plot is driven by a colossal and willful misjudgment made by war-loving men.

I suppose the story holds some small value inasmuch as it creatively presents FTL travel and the effects of time-dilation. But that is scant redemption.

Don't read this novel. Instead, try Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_.

Beyond a great story ,this novel is a true inspiration and a thoroughly captivating. An innovative , unpretentious, masterful work of art. The author convincingly predicts how a future of advanced technologies combined with mankind's still primitive basic self serving and self indulgent instincts could look. A vision of our future which 30 years later still looks all too possible. Anyone who gives this work a rating of less than 5 stars is a complete idiot totally ignorant of visionary and creative writing.

I finally read the classic 1974 sci-fi novel by Joe Haldeman called The Forever War which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1975 and 1976, respectively. These are pretty significant achievements and it would be difficult for a book to live up to them.

This one does.

The central premise is about a war between humans and aliens that is occurring way out in space so that even though faster-than-light is possible via wormholes, the trips ends up taking decades of Earth-time. The author uses this relativistic effect as a time-machine that allows the characters to experience huge time shifts and allows the author to speculate on Earth's future in exciting, engrossing and particularly amusing ways.

The protagonist of the book is an Everyman: William Mandella, a (presumably) straight white American male who is conscripted to fight the aliens despite a 50% casualty rate and somehow manages to survive multiple missions in what becomes known as "The Forever War."

GRADE: A.

I somehow tragically managed to make my way to adulthood with never reading anything but the kiddie version of this book. When I found this book for super-cheap in the teachers' lounge book sale and I figured "hey, why not?" And thus I picked it up and immediately fell in love with the sheer Old-South charm that only Twain can deliver. Really, people, it is no wonder that this book is such a classic! It may not have the soulful human reflections of "Huckleberry Finn", but in the solemn concern for the pleasures of boyhood it certainly makes its own mark.

Mark Twain tells the story purely from a storyteller's view. No deep analysis of character that takes you right inside of Tom Sawyer's psyche, nothing blatantly philosophical. It is as if Mr. Twain lives to simply tells us into what trouble Tom is getting. He does not go out of his way to give lengthy, dull descriptions or even fully flesh out the details of just what Tom and his friends are doing. It gives it a charming, folksy style that allows for plenty of plot and action. Even, so the writing is unparalleled.

And it truly is a great story. It's fun! I don't know how many poor students have been tricked into believing it is not. It has all the great elements of a good boy story, what with the murders and buried treasure and faked deaths and hoodoo--not to mention the delight taken away by discovery of bacteria.

I'm also a huge fan of this Whole Story edition. It's beautiful, easy to carry around, and I guess I'm a sucker for the documentary feature.

Fantastic, fun story. Everyone should read it.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

To understand America in the nineteenth century, you must understand Tom Sawyer. His life, so full of adventure set amidst the bustle of a changing nation, is in many ways the dream of nearly all male children. To spend your time swimming in the creek, gathering "treasures" and eating goodies is truly the good life. Tom's romance with Becky is also the way it is with most boys. Girls are universally considered to have some kind of contagious disease, when I was young, they had cooties, until you see that one perfect girl that you will share everything with.
The wonder and mischief of Tom and Huck are captured in this book, superbly illustrated by Michael Ploog. Tom is wide-eyed, freckled and has bulbous cheeks. Huck has a pointed nose, bright eyes and a suitably scruffy demeanor. With the exception of Sundays, the boy's clothes consist of a series of patches sewn over rags. This book is an excellent introduction to what is the tale of American youth of the nineteenth century, very appropriate for classes in English. Of course, after covering this book, the students should be required to read the original.

This book is a great example of what makes Twain one of America's most belvoed writers. Twain's unique sense of humor and his keen insights into human nature shine through in this book. Twain's style is wonderful, the characters are dynamic and the plot never hits a snag. Twain has created a novel here that is light enough on the surface to entertain young readers yet contatins enough substance to speak volumes to an adult audience. You are sure to love this one is you have read any of Twain's other works. If you haven't read Twain, delay no further--this book is the perfect starting point.

Ever since my dad first read this timeless classic to my sister & me as kids, while camping in our trailer during the summer, it has left its indelible impression upon my imagination. How I too wanted to shove off from shore on my "skiff" and have my own adventures down the Mississippi! I know of no other book that so wonderfully captures the essence and joy of carefree boyhood.

When I say "carefree", however, I am not forgetting the grim and serious elements of the novel. But these work just as well as the sunnier and funnier parts. In fact, just when the narrative needs it, a murder comes along which boosts the plot most effectively, giving it a shot in the arm. And speaking of the darker aspects, does not Injun Joe have to rank highly on the list of greatest villains in the history of literature? I can assure you that as a boy listening to the cave chapters, his menace was palpable and unforgettable.

Unfortunately, literary snobs have often found it fashionable to belittle Tom Sawyer as inconsequential and a 'lightweight' seen against the towering greatness of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". I couldn't disagree more. (I love Huckleberry Finn dearly and plan to review it soon as well). I read a quote in a foreword that I thought was very insightful: "Huckleberry Finn is a greater book, but not a better one." I think this is exactly so. Extol the greatness of HF by all means, but don't make the mistake of downgrading Twain's other masterpiece, just because its theme is not so weighty and grave. In fact, the episodic nature of the telling of Tom Sawyer fit Twain's particular brand of genius perfectly (whereas there were some sub par stretches in Huck Finn).

Loved it as a boy, love it no less as a man. Thank you, dad, for imparting such an enduring gift.

FALLEN ANGELS takes place among the rice fields and swamps of Vietnam.

Teenager Richie Perry is sent to Vietnam when he enlists in the war. For the first time in his life, he is far away from his mom and younger brother, who are back in Harlem, New York. Perry meets many friends along the way, such as Lieutenant Carroll, Peewee, and Monaco. Perry has to not only survive the war, but also the effects of the war -- both physical and emotional.

Walter Dean Myers writes a touching story of a seventeen-year-old boy fighting in a very controversial war. This book gives readers a personal viewpoint of the infamous war that no history book can. Myers creates relatable characters that all readers are sure to love. This real-life, action-packed tale is one to please all readers, regardless of age.

Reviewed by: Steph

This book is brilliant. While in my local library, being bored as hell like always, I picked it up and started reading it. After reading the first five pages, I couldn't put it down so I ended up borrowing it and paying a late fee for holding onto it for much too long.
Parents:
This book is great. It brings your kids into the real world, informs them about what actually happened, and I'm sure you'll like them reading this over watching T.V. Yes, this book does contain lots of swear words and there are somewhat graphic scenes in it. But honestly, kids will start swearing at around 6 or 7th grade (speaking as a teen I know this)in school and obviously not around you guys. There's nothing you can do about this unless you follow them around school and they'll find out eventually anyways. However, I would not recommend this book to ANYONE below 6th grade.
Kids:
Just read the book. 'nuff said

Excellent story, but parents of younger kids may want to know that it is realisticly profane. My nine year old son read it AFTER I previewed it for him and had to cross out all of the profanity in it with a black sharpie. Lots of "F" words and various other colorful language was used, as well as some talk of losing virginity.(Had to cross that out too.)
That being said, my son absolutely loved this story. He couldn't put it down. I also enjoyed it. Excellent account of a soldier's journey in Vietnam.

Walter Dean Myers' Fallen Angels is a heart-stopping thriller that takes place deep within the boonies of Vietnam. Perry, Myers' main character, decides to join the Army just after graduating from high school to try and find his place in society. Being shipped out to Vietnam, Perry thinks his trip will be a chance to see the world; however, he is not aware of the lurking dangers that await him in the shadows of the jungle. When Perry's friend Jenkins is destroyed by a mine on their first patrol, Perry realizes that being in Vietnam will not be a walk in the park. Throughout the entire time Perry is fighting in the war, he has a strong dread of patrols and firefights. From his first patrol to his last, Perry never conquers his fears. As the squad begins to run into more firefights, there are many instances when Perry's fear almost gets him killed.

Throughout the entire story, Myers does on excellent job of making the reader feel as if he or she is in Perry's shoes. By making the reader feel as if he or she is in the book, Myers keeps him or her on the edge of his or her seat throughout the entire story. Fallen Angels is the most suspenseful book I have ever read, and I would recommend this book to all readers who love intense, vomit-inducing, and heart-splitting books.

"Get Down!!!" is the cry that rings through Perry's ears as a napalm bomb bursts near by sending a wave of roaring heat all around him. Fallen Angels is a sensational tale about Richie Perry's time in Southern Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Richie leaves his hometown to join the war because he figures it will be much better than his grim life style in the slums of New York City. When he reaches Nam and begins his patrols he finds that his home back in NYC is wondrous compared to the firefights and ambushes of Nam.
I would recommend Fallen Angels for ages 14-17 and for those who like the Jeff Shaara books. Shaara and Myers use not only the same genre, but the same writing style, only Walter Dean Myers is for a younger group of readers.

I first read Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun in 1971 when I was 16. The memory of that reading experience remains seared in my consciousness. Trumbo was a gifted and inspired writer; his accomplishments as a Hollywood movie script writer are a testament to his immense talent.

However, anyone who picks up this novel, especially teachers who present this powerful piece of fiction to young readers, need to be aware that Trumbo was a Communist. The base-ulterior motive for writing Johnny Got His Gun was to support the insidious and despicable non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and Stalin's USSR. The Communist Party line (scripted by Stalin) was to support the alliance with Nazi Germany. It is ironic that this much esteemed novel was in fact written to manipulate American public opinion against U.S. intervention in WWII even as Nazi bombs were raining down on England. Only after Hitler's surprise invasion of the the Soviet Union did Communists, and that includes Trumbo, suddenly change their collective 'pacifist' tune. Suddenly the war against Hitler was a righteous cause.

Now I realize Trumbo remains a popular figure and perhaps he was a highminded idealist but his political ideals led him to support one of the 20th Century's most sinister villians: Stalin. I was an impressible teenager when I first read this novel in 1971. But the novel is not only didactic and manipulative, it is also simplistic in its attitude towards war. As George Orwell (who not only witnessed firsthand, but managed to survive Stalin's purges in Spain)stated in 1941, "The choice before human beings is not between good and evil but between two evils. You can let the Nazis rule the world; that is evil; or you can overthrow them by war, which is also evil . . ."

Tolstoy's War and Peace, Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, the Civil War stories of Ambrose Bierce, Orwell's Homeage to Catalonia,and Joe Heller's Catch-22 are so much more credible in their depiction of the human experience with war.

A book has never instilled such a hopeless atmosphere in me. This is a book that is full of raw emotion that I couldn't get enough of. A book that has so much feeling runs the risk of being a melodrama work as it falls in traditional pot-holes. This book is able to circumnavigate this problem by creating original and unique feelings that are unlike anything that I have experienced. This isn't a book that caused the traditional feelings of sadness or depression; it was deeper than that. It was as if I had been able to absorb a continuous, subliminal feeling of frustration and hopelessness. Every page there after carried that tone until I became consistently angrier.

These feelings permeate this book as it shows the scope of Johnny's life. This fuels the anti-war messages of the book. Johnny Got His Gun uses these emotions and translates it almost directly to his theme. Not to mention that this book has a good story with gripping narrative. Add this to his empowered emotions and this becomes one of the most engrossing, thought-provoking reads of my life.

In reading this novel about a severely disabled war veteran, I began to ask myself how plausible it would have been for Joe Bonham to actually survive his injuries in that time before helicopters and much modern medicine. Granted, Trumbo claimed that he based his story on an actual case - but I still wonder. Given the horrific amount of blood loss, the shock, perhaps even the fact that he would have looked less like an injured soldier and more like a loose collection of dead parts - I have my doubts. Could it happen in today's world? I really think there's a better chance of war creating a Joe Bonham in our technologically advanced era. We could not only make him, we could sustain him indefinitely. Whether or not a blast that could basically rip off the front half of your skull could leave your brain perfectly intact is another question entirely.

The first 1/3 to 1/2 of the novel works best, as Trumbo takes us through Joe's clouded mind as he gradually realises the extent of his injuries. After that, memory gets lost in delirium, and then the story begins to pick up again. As goofy as it sounds, the scene in which the nurse finally communicates with Joe is like a scene out of "The Miracle Worker." However, the joy of the moment is short-lived. Trumbo has an agenda, after all.

Having been around my share of horrifically sick people, I don't buy the response that Trumbo wrote for Joe. After fighting to the surface, fighting to communicate, all Joe has are a series of bizarre demands and anti-war tirades. When asked who he is, he tells them nothing. None of this rang true, unless we're meant to understand that Joe is completely off his rocker at this point. No, more common questions would have been, "Where am I? What year is it? How is my family?" Questions that would help a person like Joe orient himself after being lost for so long. None of that happens, of course. After being told his demands can't be met, Joe instantly gives up and sinks inside of himself, continuing to rage. Even if the end was inevitable (chances were slim that we'd get a "happy" ending), I can't believe that such a tremendous survivor would just give up so quickly after finally achieving some success.

Whether you are for or against wars, this book has it's place in the way we should view them. It's as relevant now with the war going on as it was when it was written. I wonder if any member of Congress has ever read it, Democrat or Republican? If not they should, matter of fact it should be required reading for any individual or group with the power to send our soldiers to war. This may be just one guys opinion but he presents some powerful arguments. Just read it and form you're own opinion, even if you hate it, there is no way you could honestly deny some of it's brutal honesty.

When I was a boy, like most boys my age, we were exposed to movies about the glory of war. Our toys were army men or guns from all different eras.

Poems like The Charge Of The Light Brigade, and stories like King Aurthur and the Knights of the Round Table were the types of literature on our summer reading lists and our movies glorified war heroes.

Like many young boys at that age, I was enthralled with the idea that war was indeed glorious. Why wouldn't I? The society and times I lived in told me so. Sure, I knew I could die, but that was also portrayed as glorious. I was ready to do battle at the first chance that came my way.

When I entered into a independent reading class, I saw a book on the list titled Johnny Got His Gun. The title of course drew me as did the shortness of the book in comparison to many others on the list. So I grabbed it.

Well, Johnny Got His Gun, opened my eyes to a part of war I hadn't really thought through. Sure, I knew people got wounded, but in the movies, they got a purple heart, got better or died.

I had never imagined the kind of experiences the subject of this book did. That certainly did not sound like a glorious ending that I'd wish upon myself. Additionally, I couldn't imagine being the cause of someone else experiencing this either.

If you haven't read the book, I'll not be a spoiler, for it's not just the ending but the entire experience that makes the book so valuable.

If someone you love or cares about, or even just know well, wants to join the military, for the "Glory", please have them read this book.

I'm not anti military, or military personnel. It's not my intent to undermine someone's desire to serve their country, including my country. I just want those who go off to defend us to have a greater understanding of what can happen to them or to those in the war zones.

This book is fantastic. Irving deftly mixes humor with tragedy. His skill in undeniable. It is evident in every sentence. He possesses the ablility to make the reader laugh and cry within the same scene. Superbly written and universally meaningful, you cannot go wrong with The World According to Garp.

This is a serious effort by a skilled and hard This is a serious effort by a skilled and hard working writer. It will be immediately appealing to many readers, especially young men turning around 17 or 18 who have a smattering of education. It is definitely a page-turner, so it is only when one has time to reflect on it one realizes that there are some serious problems with this as a work and as a philosophy.

First, many of the most wonderful elements are clearly "found elements." Nothing wrong with this--most novelists steal shamelessly from the lives of everyone around them. And there is a real skill in storing away something like "the under toad" which presumably one of his younger relatives came up with and putting it in your book. But we then want to ask what is the key focus that Irving adds?

Two things are obviously gratuitous sex and violence. You can imagine that there is a philosophy or a point to this, but I think that falls apart when you see that this dude has some serious obsession with this stuff and a real hostility to women that comes out not in the wife's infidelity leading to the maiming and death of his children while at the same time satisfying Irving's desire for revenge over the cuckolding rival, but more in the bizarre world of psychopathic sex-negative feminists that he creates to battle and, masochistically and self-righteously, to be defeated by. That's pretty sophomoric--to imagine a world in which good guys get blown away by nasty crazy women.

And really, negative judgments are the heart of the novel. The key turning point for Garp (Irving) as a writer is the discovery of a writer he can without fear look down on. Trashing the mediocre is the way to greatness.

Now I'm not a writer, but I am a reviewer. And I have to say, any reviewer should know not to try to boost your own ego by tearing something down. Do you remember how God said to Job who was complaining and wishing he were dead, "Art thou so greatly aggrieved?" What's the big problem, buddy? Well, I wanted to say the same thing to Irving: were you so greatly aggrieved by Franz Grillparzer that you needed to try to make him an object of ridicule for all your readers? Did you also find it necessary to tease awkward children to be a hero on the playground? Or invent evil women to feel like a man?

The appeal of a corrupt philosophy is that it gives us the feeling of learning something while preventing us from actually making moral progress. I wish it weren't the case for this book -- it doesn't make me feel better about myself to say that this is a seriously flawed book; I recognize my own shortcomings! But that's the way it is. [51]

The thing about this novel that really struck me was that it seemed to have so much substance. I don't know how else to describe what I mean. It was funny and serious and trivial and kind and mean and messed up and perfect and weird all rolled into one - kind of like real life. And I loved the stories within the story. This is the first book by John Irving that I've read, but you can bet I'll be reading more.

The accomplished fantasist Gene Wolfe has been quoted as saying that his definition of good literature is "that which can be read with pleasure by an educated reader, and re-read with increased pleasure." By that standard, The World According to Garp, at least in my mind, is good literature, one of the best books of the last half century, capturing post war America through the seventies in all its glory and absurdity.

Garp is one of those magical books that I reread every three or four years or so, a novel that affects me differently each and every time I have read it (eight times, as of this writing). Reading the paperback at age 19 in 1979 (remember those great multiple covers?) I saw it as a classic coming of age story, identifying strongly with the young Garp. Nearing age 48, I've come to see it as a cautionary tale about how important it is to cling to those you love, because life can get scary pretty quickly; now, I identify more with Jenny Fields and the older Garp in their roles as terrified parents. No matter how many times I read it, however, I find new things to marvel at, and nuances to appreciate.

I'd like to take the opportunity on this, the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of this worthy, award winning bestseller, to celebrate the novel's complexities and charm, by mentioning some of its themes, settings, and, more importantly, its huge supporting cast. The three main characters, Jenny Fields, Helen Holm, and Garp himself have been rightly celebrated elsewhere. Vivid and memorable and eccentric and oh so human, they are fascinating, their triumphs and travails and quirks making for riveting reading. But, it's the problems they face, and the people they interact with, through which Irving reveals their character, making for a book that's by turns whimsical, poignant, sad, and laugh out loud funny, a book full of sorrow and lunacy, but also grace and hope.

For those of you who've read the book, I merely have to mention subject matter like lust, writing, bears, wrestling, fame, intolerance, and feminism to evoke the book for you. Let me add The Steering Academy, Vienna, and Dog's Head Harbor, just to widen the smile doubtlessly growing on your face. What about Garp's stories and novels, such as "The Pension Grillparzer," Procrastination, Second Wind of the Cuckold, and The World According to Bensenhaver? Now, to top everything off, let me list, in no particular order, a portion of the immense and varied supporting cast to send you deep into a fond reverie: Technical Sergeant Garp, Dean Bodger, Fat Stew Percy, Midge Steering Percy, Cushie Percy, Pooh Percy, Bonkers the dog, Ernie Holm, Ellen James, the Ellen Jamesians, Roberta Muldoon, Mrs. Ralph, Walt, Duncan, John Wolf, Jillsy Sloper, Harrison and Alice Fletcher, Charlotte the whore, Michael Milton, Mrs. Truckenmiller, and last, but certainly not least, the Under Toad.

To those who haven't yet experienced this dark Dickensian wonder, I hope these words and the lists above intrigue you, and lead you to pick up a copy of this ultimately uplifting and, dare I say, inspirational novel. If, as according to the book's final sentence, we are, in the end, "all terminal cases," thank goodness that there are books like this to ease our burdens for a moment or two as we march on towards our inevitable fates.

It's hard to say how I felt about this book, mostly because I liked the beginning and loved the end, but hated the middle. From the start it's clear that the story is only loosely tethered to reality; in some ways that's what makes it enjoyable, but in other ways it can be hard to swallow at times. On the negative side of the ledger, the entire middle of the book is built around a series of tangential and unconvincing sexual encounters of one kind or another, which I thought detracted from the flow and credibility of the story (some of it was essential, but it would have been easy to cut 100 pages without losing anything). On the other hand, I loved the Pension Grillparzer, the Under Toad, and the account of the Garp family's recovery with Jenny Fields at Dog's Head Harbor. I also happen to share Garp's fear of seeing something terrible happen to loved ones in a world that seems "unnecessarily dangerous," so that element of the story resonated deeply with me. And it was fun to spend time with this cast of characters, even if they weren't always entirely credible. All told, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first Irving book I read (A Prayer for Owen Meany), but it was still a worthwhile reading experience thanks to a somewhat haunting ending.

Even though most people seem to know the outcome. (I didn't) it was a great summer read. There is still some question as to how the sub got there but who cares? This book is not about the US Navy doing an archeology study, it's about a couple of guys who love to dive who get a hold of a story and go have a look. Then spend several years figuring out what it is that they are looking at. Plus people die in this tale, so obviously what they are doing gives them enough of an adrenaline rush to make it worth doing. For the rest of us, it's a page burner summer read.

And heck if you want, you can hire a boat and a dive master and go look yourself. I'll be running a submersible with a camera from the boat though.

This is a wonderfully written tale that not only brings you face to face with deep sea diving and exploration and the dangers that go with it but also the perils faced by WW2 submariners.

If you like a good adventure then give Shadow Divers a read, after a few pages you won't be able to put it down until you finally know who U-Who really is.

Yes they identified the U-Who. But they so embellished the rest of the story that another author needed to come out and expose it.

Lots of history and excitement! Amazing true story. You will not be disappointed with this book.

Short on air, I'll be brief. I took this book to Blackbird Caye Resort, Belize, on a SCUBA vacation. Once started, it hooked me in, to the point I only put it down for meals and to prep for my next dive. There are 248 other reviews to inform you of the story content. Let me just add, if you buy this book, read this book, and don't like this book, you have my permission to flame this review and spit in my dive mask.

Invisible Man / 0-679-73276-4

Ellison's master work is breathtaking, indescribable, and completely unique. This long and careful allegory of the young black man making his way through the white world is filled with passages so crammed with myth and meaning that the closest comparison I can make is to Rushdie's carefully disjointed Satanic Verses.

Simple incidents, such as Mr. Norton's introduction to Jim Trueblood are complex and fascinating. Trueblood has accidentally (or so he claims, - can we believe his impossible dream?) impregnated his own daughter, and now his daughter and wife are both pregnant at once. The lurid incident has resulted in Trueblood becoming a cause celebre for the white community - they hang on the lurid details, lap up the story again and again with prurient interest, and hold him up as justification for the doctrine of black inferiority.

Yet Mr. Norton's reaction to all this is a sort of disbelieving panic. He begs Trueblood to know why he is celebrated for this terrible thing, when others would be shunned. He takes great pity on the man, giving him monetary compensation for the horrible 'ordeal' he has been through. But something does not sit right, and Mr. Norton's interest seems very personal. He has mentioned that he had a daughter, and that something terrible had occurred to her. And we know that child molestation is not confined to the poor. Is it possible that...? And is Ellison suggesting that what a rich white man may hide, a poor black man cannot? Can we consider that what a rich white woman may chose to overlook, a poor black woman may not (as she has less money and social standing to 'lose' over the scandal)? Dare we wonder that a rich white girl can be sent away for private 'school' to bear a child in secret or get an abortion, when a poor black girl has only the option to shoulder on through the pregnancy?

It is the power of Invisible Man that these, and many other questions, are never answered - indeed, they are never even explicitly raised. But the nuanced narrative nudges them into our minds and, once there, we cannot let go of them.

This is book is far to good to be filed in one category, and unfortunately categorization is probably hurting the range of it's audience. What we have here is a great tome of African American literature to be sure, but the work far transends ethnicities in the importance of it's message and the social commentary found within. Granted it is about a young African American male trying to gain recognician as a man, if nothing else, in a society where identity [...] merely a fascade for social and professional purposes. This book is as well written and more developed than many of the existentialist literature spoon fed to us in school. I have to admit I felt a bit cheated that I stumbled on this book accidentally in the Black History section of a book store, sandwiched between Douglas and King.
Anyone who has opted to form their own opinions and maintain the integrity of their own values will find this a very satisfying read.

This is an important book in the sense it sheds light on the trials and tribulations of an educated black man in the mid 1900s. Not my favorite piece of literature, but it was well worth my time and was easy to read.

This novel seems to be just one big blurb that is trying to be expressed by as many words as possible. Things that could be summed up in a few words can take pages and pages to dictate. This makes the presentation awfully muddy and hard to follow.

At one point he's boxing , part of an explosion at a paint factory, has a lobotomy performed on himself, and so on and so forth to more ridiculous events that build on one another. This book just lacked any flow or pace since the events became even more outrageous, jumped around from one thing to the next, then used 10 pages too many to describe each event.

These flaws prevented me from realizing the themes the author was trying to cultivate. It seems that he wanted to make a book that encapsulated every walk of African-American life during this time period: college educated, field workers, those still under control of slavery, those under command of the whites, those in unions, those who work, those in Harlem, those in cities, those who are homeless, those who are crazy, those in organizations, those in the South. No wonder such a mountainous project did not come out coherently; the scope of it was too large to dictate successfully.

This novel, a model of creative writing, describes what it is like to land in a big city and then be sucked up into the black hole of urban life in America. It is a story told by a black man coming of age in the mid-1940s, and thus is about black anonymity in a white world. But one of the primary strengths of the novel is that its "meta-messages" are all about anonymity and thus makes it universal and applicable equally to any race and even to any urban culture.

It is existential in the sense that it is as much about cultural alienation in a modern world as it is about how to confront the barbaric social rules of a racist American culture. However, race is only one of the many themes in a subtext rich and textured with many sub-themes. Fear, distrust, betrayal, treachery, coming of age, and being invisible in plan sight, are just some of the other themes that run on parallel tracks in the subtext.

The story itself is a rather complex, if not altogether tortuous and improbable plot, betraying an otherwise cleanly written and logical structure. It seems to have been "jerry-rigged" to assist in the convergence of, and the resolution of, the many disparate threads and themes. That he pulled them all together in the end is itself no small technical feat, and probably accounts for the books inordinate length.

The author speaks in the (invisible) voice of the first person, leaving as few emotional clues as possible -- under the set of literary and emotional rules that he operates under and exploits. Other reviewers have compared his use of these devices to those used by Dostoyevski in his "Notes From the Underground," which is one of my favorite novels, and although I cannot disagree with these reviewers interpretations, I prefer to compare them with those used in Kafka's "The Trial." I believe the tensions created, and the way the novel is finally resolved, as well as the way he exploits the idea of being constantly controlled by larger forces, are equally palpable in both novels.

As for the issue of race, the highest marks must be given to Ellison both for his craft and for his artistic temperament, for not succumbing to a direct attack on American racism, using instead an oblique attack. Not that a direct attack was not a requirement of the times, but that it would have been viewed as being too angry, or too bitter. Quiet, sublimated rage worked much better, and as an unintended bonus, successfully linked all of the sub-themes up into another orbit of humanity. This was all to the good.

Among other things, this novel proves that good writing calls on all of one's inner strengths resources, as well as on ones talents.

Five stars.

Rarely -perhaps a for times in a generation - does a book come to be which explores the bedrock philosophy of economics & the nature of an economy, the arbitrary yet inevitable evolution of societal norms, the paths that humanity faces in our collective future, and so on... all in the format of a gripping and vastly creative novel.

Heinlein's now-famous concept "TANSTAAFL" -"there 'aint no such thing as a free lunch," (a word that has entered the english language and penetrated the American psyche) is particularly evident on the moon, where even air most be paid for. The truths of objectivism that were pioneered by Ayn Rand become very clear on Heinlein's moon - where death by suffocation is always only a few inches of steel away and every resource must be painstakingly worked for and no amount of self-pity or crying will help you stay alive. Hard work, action, creativity and thus creation are the most valuable ocommodities.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. It will entertain you immensely and provide food for thought for a long time after you finish reading it.

The story of exiled people being able to wield power over those who sent them away is a common dream among the downtrodden in the real world. Heinlein takes this idea, adds a supercomputer named Mike and tells an entertaining tale. I found Mike to be a little too much "deus ex machina" for my tastes but that is likely because the "supercomputer" thing has been done to death in Sci-Fi that has come after this book.

The story of political revolt is predictable and not the most entertaining aspect of the book. I found the society and customs of the lunar residents to be an interesting twist that made an otherwise bland plot worth reading. The language in the book is written in the semi-broken english of a lunar resident which takes a bit to adapt to but overall is not terribly distracting.

I gave it a 3 out of 5 because it feels more dated than some of Heinlein's other work and the plot is nothing special. It is worth reading , without question, because it is a classic work of Sci-Fi but do not approach it with an unrealistic expectation of greatness that I found lacking.

Heinlein is notorious for his lack of character development, so I wasn't expecting Dostoyevskyan psychologies explored in great detail. The pronounless Russian tinged English was incredible to read (though that's because I've lived in Brooklyn my whole life), though I see how it could be annoying for some. It's a boat for ideas and a great story. I devoured this book, and it has taken its place near the very top of my heart's list.

Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a story of revolution that could have really been set anywhere, but it just happens to be set on the moon. That is the best part of Heinlein's earlier works- while they are science fiction they are still grounded in reality and character driven tales. A little slow at the beginning, this book was a great read.

Assuming you have, this book is worthless. Much less sci fi than even his teen-oriented early work. Much more political talk, with less political ideas, than any of his other work that I've read. Next to no actual action.

The Heinlein cliches of made up words and alt-family arrangements and "oh you might be offended by that? here its completely normal" by-play, not to mention the constant stopping of the story so the main character can ask you rhetorical questions designed to "really make you think" about points that are already abuntantly clear... all of that is here in triple servings. The only one missing is the seeminly obligatory 20 page essay on why cats are so great

I've read maybe 25 Rober A Heinlein novels, and this was by far the worst. I wanted to give up halfway through but kept at it because its supposedly SO great, but it never got any better. Nothing ever actually happened. 90% of the characters, including all the women, are just cardboard cut-outs, with no details or personality of their own. All 3 or 4 of the main male characters act, talk, think and expect the exact same things all the time. There is never an argument between any of them over anything, ever.

Any person who is even halfway nice to the main characters eventually just marries all of them. Makes you wonder why their marriage doesn't include 400 people at the time the story starts, if they're that free with admission. Or it would make you wonder that, if this book was worth wasting a moment's reflection on once you'd finished it

And to top it all off, a story that could have been told in 100 pages ends up taking 400

If you're looking for classic sci-fi, or classic Heinlein, or just something good to read, or any combination of the those, do not read this book. You could literally, at random, pick any other book by this author and get a better example of all 3. Try Starship Troopers or The Cat Who Walked Through Walls or To Sail Beyond the Sunset, any of those are far superior. Hard to believe this actually won awards, but there's no accounting for taste, i guess

I had seen the film, I liked it very much. A horror masterpiece. But soomething in me always told me I wasn't sattisfied with the film, I wished to see more intense parts. Few weeks ago I came to know about the book, I dont know what came in my mind but I thought the book might have the whole story more in detail.. and I was right. The book unlike the film scared me even more... since its much more in detail, dont get me wrong.. the film is good, but the book is even better. It scared me a lot, and there were certain parts not mentioned in the film at all, just certain minor details. If you love horror novels, this is a book just for you. Dont miss it.

I'm spinning around, spewing my way, and I like it like that.

One place where your learned religious type can come in handy is dealing with your basic demonic possession. They earn their funny outfits then, that is for sure. Particularly if a rather canny denizen of the nether regions decides your youngish virgin girl is a good vessel to choose for maximum disturbing effect.

The Angel Hunter
Human suffering caused to the loved ones of the addicted. That is the archetype of Regan McNeil. It could be drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, whatever. The demon simply makes the story more demonstrative. For in the end, Regan remembers nothing. The lives of two dedicated priests are gone and Chris McNeil and countless others have been forever scared by what they lived through. For any of us who have loved an addict, you'll know what I mean. Read the book. It is NOT like the movie. The Exorcist is a master piece of modern literature in my opinion that paints a clear picture of how the people who love the problemed, the afflicted, and the addicted members of our society suffer more than the addicts themselves. Read the book and then ask yourself, how farfetched is this novel really? Look at the world around you and you'll agree with me....not very farfetched at all.

Hey folks,

Welp, we've all seen the movie. Most of us agree that the movie is one of the scariest films ever created. The book, contains all of those scenes. The vomiting, shrieking of obscenities, "Dimmy, please!", etc...And a whole lot more.

With this book you receive the horror and suspense. You receive the gross-out moments, and subtle dark humor. You receive the cunning grotesqueries of the demon inside Regan, you receive the angst and the drama, as well as some funny situations, all extremely well written. You also receive a basic education in psychology, ethics, philosophical ideology, demonology, and Christianity. The book concentrates not quite on proving that Regan is possessed, but more so to disprove the possibility that she's not. It is a battle of faith in the era of modern medicine and psychoanalysis and the power of believing - Pulled to the limits and breaking point of desperation and sanity, when all hope in modern science leaves questions but no answers. An atheist mother turns to God's servants, 2 priests to help her fight for her daughter's life. The angst that Regan and her actress mother are put through, by the end yields positive results. Their own doubts are put to rest, as former atheists.

Regan, an innocent victim, is anted on the table in a struggle between the forces of good and evil. It is both heart-wrenching and compelling. The doctors constantly suggest theories, finding themselves dumbfounded, etc. You begin to ask the questions "Is she really possessed?" "Does she have split personality disorder"? "How much more can she possibly take?" And possibly questioning your own ethics on how far you would go to save this poor girl? It's a lesson learned that even in the grip of overwhelmingly impossible circumstances, perhaps God will not give you more than you can bear.

You'll find the horrors of the movie in the book, if that's all you're looking for. You'll also find the subtle and not so subtle wisdom of 2 priests - One who while struggling with his own faith issues, has a basic idea of what he's fighting against. Another with a more profound understanding, who personifies faith and humanity, if only for the short time he appears with us. Moreover, you receive substance.

The movie is 2 hours. 2 hours and you're done. What isn't explained or expounded upon is left up to the watcher to come to his/her own conclusions. The book gives us insight into Regan, her mother, the situation around which they find themselves, those involved, the minds of the priests, and the mind of the demon himself. The movie doesn't really do that. The movie is a horror-fest, lacking the subtleties and substance contained within the book. To me, the book is really for any horror fan, but most specifically, a good read for Christians who've lost their faith. It's a study of good versus evil, of faith, of the frailties of the human condition, and acts of love, acceptance, and finally belief.

In conclusion - A fantastic read with some misconceptions, 400 pages, I finished it in one sitting, quite memorable. I'm proud to have this book amongst my growing home library.

I came to THE EXORCIST as a book long after seeing the movie, and the first thing I want to say is this: to me, neither is "better" than the other. They're completely different, of course; but then, we're talking about totally different media here, and what works in a book doesn't always translate well to screen.

You'll enjoy the novel as much as I did if you like detective work and mysteries in your reading. Those hoping for an expanded script with pictures from the movie jammed into the middle of the binding may find themselves disappointed and their patience tested early in the reading.

William Peter Blatty's novel has most of what was great about the movie (which was almost everything), along with some bits that were included in the recent dvd of the film (the notorious "stairwalk" among them--but in the novel, it's much scarier). There's quite a bit more material on the peripheral characters, especially the cop, and I liked that.

The movie was terrifying, as should go without saying, and secondly, it was interesting. The book was fascinating first, terrifying second. A great novel!

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire novel "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")