Connecticut Books

Brilliant overview of classic timeless style and decorating. The written excerpts are well worth reading, with excellent tips and information.

Although there is indeed a style that could be called Classic Greenwich, this is not it. This book is filled with newly-put-together interiors by a local decorator, no doubt married into money, trying to emulate a style of Established Old Money. While the interiors are not horrible, they are not particularly great either. A hint of what is to come is given in the one paragraph Forward by famed decorator Bunny Williams and her peak-of-chic antiques dealer partner John Roselli; it says nothing. Rather than buy the book, just take a flip-through at the bookstore.

This is one of the most beautiful books I own. This book is filled with gorgeous pictures of rooms that invite you to linger in order to examine every detail. The homes are elegant and classic but they are also very livable. The book provides examples of ways to use color and texture in new ways to highlight classic furnishings and architecture. Even though I have seen several of the images from this book in other publications, the pictures take on a new feel when mixed with images of previously unseen venues. I particularly like the fact that this book provides a mix of classic styles detailing both formal and relaxed settings. In addition, the images depict a freshness that is appealing. Many books on this topic lead one to believe "classic" styles are only for fuddy-duddies. This book clearly demonstrates that classic styles have a timeless charm that appeals to individuals of all ages. I plan to give copies of this book to friends that appreciate a decorating style with staying power. Another book that I highly recommend is Great Traditional Style (published by Meredith Books, Des Moines, Iowa).You can't go wrong with either of these books.

Good book though photos not so great and the printing above all is not good.

The title creates visions' of grandure; however you could probably find a better book at HomeDepot.

I finished reading "Circus Fire" By Stewart O'Nan and I decided to read "A Matter of Degree" as a comparison. "A Matter of Degree" was terrible, it was obviously written by someone who had made up his mind who started the fire long before he ever researched it. Rick Davey clearly got his 15 minutes of fame from the publicity surrounding the previously never identified "Little Miss 1565". If you want a more acurate account of the fire and the aftermath read "Circus Fire". Stewart O'Nan had nothing to prove by investigating the fire and the circumstances surrounding the identity of "Little Miss 1565" Because of this "Circus Fire" is clearly a better story and it is certainly more neutral simply because the author was an outsider who was able to look at the facts and tell it like it was.
The worst part of the whole story was the supposed identitiy of "Little Miss 1565" as Eleanor Emily Cook. It is highly unlikely that Miss 1565 was Eleanor, but Rick Davey set out to prove that she was who he wanted her to be. He did so by ignoring basic rules of identification. Her height was off, her teeth didn't match up with Eleanor's and her hair was not the color or texture of Eleanor's.
Very poorly written, all around a dreadful book filled with multiple inaccuracies.

a very sad yet interesting story about finding the true identity of "little miss 1565" who was a victim of the hartford,conn. circus fire of july 5th 1944.

A mystery in the mystery: the mysterious, terrible fire of Barnum Circus and the sad mystery of a small girl never recognized by avybody. Maybe did she come from another world, another dimension ? . And she just wanted to amuse herself with lions, horses, clowns...
Reveal us your story, Little Miss Nobody !

I haven't opened the plastic covering and read this book because it is destined to be a Christmas gift for someone else but it appears to be in great condition. I am very happy with this hard-to-find purchase.

Don't waste your time on this book. Get "Circus Fire" instead if you want a more fact-based (and well-written) account of the mis-identification associated with the mass casualties of the Hartfrod CT circus fire.

Do you like books about civil war reinactors?...Me either. Do you like books about possession?...Naw, I could do without them too. Huh, who would've thunk I'd have loved this? Not me. I don't know why I even started it. I'm glad I did though.

Yet another book about a corporate lacky learning that we have been tricked into thinking unnecessary things are important. Althewhile, fighting what he thinks is his possession by a dead civil war vet. Ha! try and beat that for weirdosity, though it's written straightforward and serious.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I was intrigued by the combination of civil war history, mid-life crisis, and the supernatural that the book promised. Unfortunately, although it started off well, the book failed to deliver on that promise.

To be fair, the book starts off well. We meet the protagonist, and can sympathize with his feelings of paternal inadequacy, and corporate anonymity. His discovery of re-enactment was very interesting, as was the effect the change in his personality had on his family.

Then he gets a love letter. Uggh. Actually, the first one isn't bad. We've already been set up to wonder if our "hero" has been possessed by his character. Then he gets a mysterious letter from the past. All is well and good until it becomes quite clear who the letters are from.

At this point, the supernatural element is dropped from the book. We have read scenes of possession, where John Trow takes over; Steven Armour knows things he shouldn't know, etc., but nothing is ever made of it.

Talk about a let down. What could have been a very interesting read falls apart in the end, becoming little more than a romance novel in the end.

I was disappointed to say the least.

I loved this book! I think this author is very talented and I don't understand some of the other critics. Who cares if you don't know how to pronounce a name?? I can't believe that would stop someone from reading Russian novels or
great story for that matter. Before I get too far off track here - let me say again, I really enjoyed this book and plan to recommend it to one of my books groups and I hope I don't have to wait too long for another book from this fine writer.

Don't let the very lame cover fool you: this is an excellent book. The descriptions were vivid, the characters interesting, likeable and three dimensional. Many times I was *there*, not only smelling the smells and seeing the sights, I was *feeling* the emotions of the protagonist. The prose have an easy, lyrical quality (aside from a few tangential run-on sentences that requires the reader to follow along with the main point the way a novice surfer might cling to an oversized wave).

The dialogue had an easy, realistic quality. Several times I found myself laughing out loud at funny things the characters said and did.

At its best it was like reading a really good Stephen King novel. For those who like a touch of the paranormal without going over the top, this book serves nicely. For the Civil War fan that wonders what it would be like to be a re-enactor, this book answers the questions.

The story is presented in 5 "parts" or acts and it went on about an act too long. I would have given this five stars if it had concluded at the end of Act 4. There, the reader is still feeling the chills of a plot twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan. As it is, it plods on for another 50 pages trying to tie up all loose ends, when in fact having it conclude at the end of Act 4 would have left us with the chills AND the ability to speculate as towhat exactly happened. It would have even left a question mark as to the supernatural nature of what had taken place. In life, not all questions are answered, not all loose ends are tied up, and it would have left a realistic touch if the same had happened here.

I'd recommend this book. If you have the will power, close the book at the end of Part 4 and call it a story.

"Meet John Trow" is an average read. I gave it a go since I wanted to relive the days I spent as Pvt Crapshot Cuddy in the 52nd Tennessee Infantry. The antagonist in this novel (Steven Armour) does a little re-enacting (he assumes the part of the somewhat devilish character John Trow) in order to escape the quotidian boredom of his homelife and the increasing turmoil of his job (something about selling snacks by using wizards). Anyhow, I have several complaints about this novel:

For starters, I don't like reading about characters whose names I can't be sure how to pronounce (one of the reasons I dislike reading Russian authors). Is it John "rhymes with cow" Trow or is it John "rhymes with toe" Trow. The author never says and it bothered me. Secondly, the book drags. Steven Armour/Trow (I decided to pronounce it Trow as in Cow) isn't a very likable character. He makes dubious decisions and makes far too much of his trivial problems. His infatuation with his re-enactment charcter and the belief that he's actually being possessed by him is ridiculous and difficult to buy into. The surrounding cast is no more likable and the mystery aspect is fairly predictable. I would've also preferred a tad more Civil War re-enactment scenes and less moping around reading fabricated love letters.

On the other hand, I did enjoy some of the conversations and dialogue--the author does have talent. And when he gets himself a story he'll really be doing something to stand up and shout about. Also, I liked the interplay between Trow (Cow) and the red-headed vixen who was Trow's chubby commanding officer's very confused wife. Nothing like that ever happend to Cuddy in the 52nd. Overall, an average read. Short on the Civil War, long on fantasy nonsense, good dialogue, decent writing, and a tad slow.

I rate this book highly for it's take on the eternal 'How many children do you have?' question -
It may be reasonable for some to asusme that if you are married and aging, you must have children but it is HIGHLY annoying to some who do not choose to have children.
I spent time in an area in which people assumed that being a female over the age of 18 meant that I must have children.
As a childfree Pagan this question is just as infuriating as its cousin: "What church do you go to?" (Asked of by a person who actually has no basis for forming an idea to what religion you belong).

("Not, 'Do you have children?' but 'How many children do you have?' as if it were inconceivable that I didn't have a fifties, Leave-It-To-Beaver life just like hers.")

THE CLUB by Jane Heller
May 1, 2005

Rating 3.5/5 stars

I've read a few books by Jane Heller and I hate to say that this was my least favorite. It wasn't a bad book, but this was the first time one of her books did not have me wanting to read non-stop. There were parts that I felt were boring to me, or maybe I should say I didn't seem as interested in this book as I did with my last read, WHISPERS AND LIES.

Judy is the narrator of this novel - she's almost 40 years old, is married to a very handsome and successful man, Hunter Dean Price III, but she is finding her marriage is growing stale and she is getting rather upset that they rarely have sex. She works for a publishing company and is the editor in charge of cookbooks when she is let go. The company has been bought out by a larger company and they are trying to cut back. It was odd, since the cookbook division was making a lot of money for the company. Arlene, Judy's good friend, also finds she has been let go, and she was the editor in charge of romances, another moneymaker for the company. While Arlene finds a new job relatively quickly, Judy finds herself without a job. Apparently no one is hiring cookbook editors.

In the meantime, she starts going with Hunter to the country club they belong to, THE OAKS. She hates this place, hates the people that belong to it, but Hunter lives and breathes for this place, thinking it is a way for him to move up in his company. The only person she particularly likes is Ducky, whose wife Nedra is one of the top tennis players in the club, spending all her time with the tennis instructor Rob.

When Claire Cox, a famous women's lib advocate, joins the Club, it stirs up a lot of members at the club. Claire's great-grandfather or someone like that was once a member, so she is allowed in by default. Unmarried woman are not normally allowed into the club - woman have to be married to existing members to be let in. Judy on the other hand is ecstatic and decides that she needs to make friends with Claire in order to pitch a cookbook idea to the famous woman and maybe getting her career back on track.

Not soon after, at the 4th of July party, Claire is found dead. Oddly enough, the local police, in particular Detective Tom Cunningham, ask Judy to help spy for them at the club and find out who the killer may be. Thinking she has no real friends at the club, she may have an easier time of spying on the other members.

The novel then turns into a story of intrigue and suspense, and soon Judy finds her life in danger. The book actually takes off from this point, with the killer turning out to be someone I didn't suspect at first. As I said, this was not a favorite of mine by Heller, but it did have the usual witty banter she is famous for. I'm giving this a 3.5.

The Club is perfect for a beach read. It is light and witty with a murder mystery thrown in. Heller's books are always fun.

Heller's strength in this novel is satirizing the country club set. My parents have always belonged to a similar place and Heller has got that aspect of the story down cold. I laughed myself silly. She also puts in a love-romance part of the story and creates two possibilities, her protagonist's rediscovering her life with her country club-golf obsessed husband or taking up with the policeman who recruits her to investigate the club undercover because of the murder of a noted feminist who was a member. The romance aspects are ok but the reason for reading this novel is the LOL hilarity surrounding the cast of characters who belong to the club.

Jane Heller has created a funny and believable heroine in Judy Mills, cookbook editor who has just been fired by a young know-it-all. During Judy's search for a job, her husband suggests she network at his country club. Judy is recruited by the police to help solve a murder at the club, and the resulting investigation will keep you in stitches. The characters you meet will keep you chuckling through the entire book - from Nedra, the who is having a torrid affair with the tennis coach, to Brandon, the chef who can't cook and many more. This book is fun and entertaining and the whodunnit question will keep you guessing right up until the end.

I wont rehash the story here as other reviewers have done a good job. I enjoy Updike and if your're new to him, I recommend starting with his short stories or the Rabbit series rather than with "Marry Me". The good points of the novel were the descriptions of life in Connecticut and DC in the early 1960's, the Updike style (descriptive and introspective),the quick page-turning quality and the insights into happiness and married life. The novel is the story of marital infidelity and its effects on two families. It was probably very insightful when first published in 1970 but this is a field that has been well plowed since then. The stories of John Cheever come to mind. I agree with the reviewers who noted some scenes verged on tediousness. Probably the best drawn aspect in my view was how the relationship between Jerry and Sally was so strongly based on feelings and how evanescent strong feelings can be. Not something you want to base major life changing decisions on. Or do you?

Spolier alert:
I don't really understand the ending. Or rather, I understand it all except the Wyoming part. I gather that part never really happened.

I rarely write negative reviews, or feel compelled to, but this novel seems to have inspired me to do so. I find the plot structure boring. Reading how each member of each couple battles out their mid-life insufficiences by wrecking each others' marriages and friendships, while hearing vapid ramblings and thought-processes of middle-aged rich white people, often put me to sleep.

There are better ways to write about the intricasies of infidelity and complexity of relationships than found in this book. It's like Updike became afraid of really going deeper into each character, into their histories, their surroundings, their connections, their true motives. Yes, the dialog is often clever, but there is no real connection to the larger societal picture in which the characters live. No spiritual strivings beyond Jerry's religious fanaticism. No attempt to figure out what a good relationship really means, or takes, or is worth.

Trying to do much, Updike has left me with almost no last emotion, and feeling like I've wasted my time.

*** spoiler ***

What really disturbs me is how the title, "Marry Me", makes readers think this is some kind of grand romance, when it is really anything but. It should be called "Divorce Me, Ruin Our Family". That would have been much more honest.

I'm not sure if "Couples" or "Marry Me" came out first, but I'd already read Updike's "Couples" and so "Marry Me" seemed like almost the exact same story except with fewer couples. One of my complaints with "Couples" was that there were so many characters it required a scorecard to keep track, so at least Updike simplifies it in "Marry Me" with only two couples.

The plot of the story is that Jerry and Sally are having an affair on their respective spouses, who have had an affair with each other previously that no one else knows about. When Jerry reveals the affair, his wife asks him to stay with her for the summer, which makes a miserable time for all. I won't say how it ends, although the last chapter kind of confused me as to how it ended anyway.

At any rate, this book as I've mentioned above is similar to "Couples" in that it takes place in the early '60s in a small eastern town, features couples cheating, and does not have a particularly happy view of humanity. It features Updike's great writing, but it doesn't cover any new ground. The reason I give it three stars is because while the writing may be terrific, it isn't saying anything that's NEW. If you decide to purchase and read this book, understand that you're getting a well-written book, but not one that is much different than "Couples" or John Irving's "158-Pound Marriage" or a host of other books about people cheating on each other.

That is all.

This book is remindful of the author's earlier "Couples," which too involved adulterous relations among suburban couples. However, the focus of this book is far more narrow involving only two families and is much more dialog intensive giving a clearer window into the full range of emotions experienced by these people.

Jerry and Ruth Conant and Richard and Sally Mathias are thirty-something's with three children in each family. The focus of the book is the affair of Jerry and Sally. At times they seem certain of their love and eventual marriage. Yet others are involved for whom genuine affections exist and doubts continually arise, not only as to practicalities but also as to understanding their true and long-term feelings. Some of the scenes are lengthy and it is fair to say can be tedious. The dialog seems endless and repetitious, constantly reviewing the same points and feelings - and it all seems very realistic. The dialog really draws the reader into their dilemma.

The book is really quite insightful concerning marriage in so far as it goes, but it is inconclusive. What to do when a seemingly better marital fit arises after many years is a subject far larger than one novel can solve.

In the Updike oeuvre, MARRY ME is not unlike Couples and even Villages, as it explores infidelity and the search for happiness in Northeastern commuter towns. Like COUPLES, MARRY Me features thirty-somethings with young children who gather for weekend drinks and weirdly ecstatic volleyball. Like VILLAGES, it has a selfish and unfaithful male protagonist and even a wife in car accident. These books, like the RABBIT novels, share a lot--in this case, a sensibility, a suburban setting, and an underlying social vocabulary. They are somewhat different looks at the same jewel.

In MARRY ME, there are many fine sections. For example, in the second chapter, "The Wait", Updike perfectly captures the frantic helplessness of trying to get on successive planes as a standby. Likewise, in the third chapter, "The Reacting of Ruth", there is an absolutely pitch-perfect picture of a family in crisis.

But within these two chapters, there is also what I experienced as two mediocre plays. In "The Wait", this is the snippet conversations between the lovers Jerry and Sally. These alternate between confusion (deliberate by Updike) and empty rhetoric about love and fate (also deliberate). Likewise, in "The Reacting of Ruth" there is brilliant dispute between Jerry and Ruth, his wife, with Jerry often making exactly the perfect point to further or justify his position. But for me, these conversations were unreal in their hair-splitting precision.

I'm not a professor. But it's my impression that in the mid-seventies, when MARRY ME was published, Updike, Roth, and other literary authors employed such dialogue. Here, these authors would create realistic social settings with believable dynamics between the characters. This was real. But then, their characters were mouthpieces, not for ideological purposes but so that the author could identify the subtleties in their actions and beliefs. Even now, some of Philip Roth reads this way, with Roth, basically, holding your face to his conclusions. What I'm saying is that this is a literary style that, in retrospect, doesn't look too successful.

Similarly, the fourth chapter of this book, "The Reacting of Richard", also has the elements of a bad play, but for different reasons. In this case, Updike unwinds an affair, showing its angry consequences. Here, his story and interaction seem absolutely true. But this chapter is also only about this unwinding, with Richard, the cuckold, ranting, and others adjusting to his fury. In this case, the chapter has all the qualities of real life--that is, a situation dominated by a loud bore. After a while, it gets tiresome.

Nonetheless, MARRY ME is an engaging book. This is because narrative is an art and Updike is definitely a master at involving his readers and getting them to turn pages. Actually, this is an attribute of Updike's work that I depend on. You see, whenever my reading is stalled, I pull a Flashman novel or something by Updike off the shelf. Somehow, Fraser and Updike renew my pleasure in reading and I'm ready for more.

Admittedly, MARRY ME is not Updike at his best. But it's as good, if not better, than most of the highly hyped new novels that publishers say show the promise of greatness. With Updike, even in his lesser work, greatness is always apparent. For example:

"Beyond the green railing of the promenade a beach curved into a distance where what appeared to be a fort of a fragile pink overhung the glistening steel of the sea; the beach was entirely of pebbles, loose washed pebbles in whose minuscule caves and crevices the ocean musically sighed as through the gills of an organ."

Or...

"The clouds materialized earlier than usual; little upright puffs at first, like puffs of smoke from a locomotive starting its run around the horizon, then clouds increasingly structural and opaque, castles, continents that, overhead, grew as they moved, keeping the sun behind them..."

Updike has faults. But, how can you not like the guy?

This travel guide is heavily weighted toward Massachussetts and very thin on New Hampshire, and somewhat thin on Maine. In hindsight consider reviewing some of the other New England Guides such as Fodor's and Lonely Planet before considering this one. A bit of a disappointment.

I was disappointed that there wasn't much said for Connecticut in this book and almost half of the book was on MA. There are other states in New England other than MA!!

My husband and I did a New England driving tour based on this book. I'd liked Frommer books before so basically used this book and the web (including the digital version of this book) to plan the trip. Not such a good idea.

There are lots of errors/difficulties with the book...just a few examples:
*Listings of lunch places that have NEVER served lunch (and you show up and the guy yells at you and has never heard of Frommers and oh by the way you're 20 minutes from the next location...and in all honesty, no one wants to be yelled at when they're on vacation).
*Dinner places that have closed down
*Maps that show roads that don't exist or that don't show key roads that you need
*Out of date info on hotels (including phone numbers)

I started keeping track and realized it wasn't my job to edit this book. But it was disappointing. It was still a great vacation and I would heartily recommend the vacation...but not the book.

Let's face it; most travel books are a glance-and-go proposition. Most of them do a passable job providing key information, but they aren't exactly a pleasure to read. Frommer's New England 2003 changes all that. Not only are the cititations clear, correct, and complete, many of them are laugh-out-loud funny or wickedly sly. At the end of a busy day on the road, I actually found myself reading the guide for fun (while happily settled in one of the recommended accommodations).A literate guide obviously written by folks in the know.

We bought the Mobile book, the "Everything" book and this book. Of the three, this had the most detailed information. The maps are not great but the rest of the book makes up for that. The regional grouping was a great help.

I was not impressed with this book at all. I have many travel guides and was hoping to learn something new from this one. We travel extensively through New England in the summer and am particularly found of the Maine Coast. This was just a poor example of one writers view. There are much better, informative and better written guides available.

Why in the world would you eat fried turkey gonads and then admit to it as the author Elizabeth does on the back cover ??

This book was so bad I actually returned it.

If you like seafood and are heading for the East Coast, don't leave home without a copy of New England's Favorite Seafood Shacks in hand: it reviews the best-loved eateries along the coast, offering over seventy profiles on seafood shacks and specialties of the house. Some are as brief as a few sentences, while others command a page or two of historical reference and description. Add in black and white photos and notes on hours, address, web sites and specialties and you have a winning reference indeed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

An outstanding seafood reference manual which I highy recommend! I am a Boston transplant to Ohio who re-visits the Boston/New England areas 4 to 5 times each year ... my favorite food is seafood and this book is my seafood "bible!" I have yet to visit a "shack" previewed in this book where the food has been anything but excellent! The book is all encompassing, addressing everything from restaurant descriptions, menus, locations, operating hours, etc. GOOD JOB ELIZABETH!!!

We're originally from the Boston area, and this book took me back to my childhood summers at the beach. I ordered this b/c the family's having a reunion in Maine this summer -- we will definitely be trying some of these places! I really like that the author flags up tourist traps vs. hidden gems, and the book is written in a fun style. Lots of great photos too.

Was really suspicious, because this book covers some of the big touristy places (Woodman's, in Essex, for instance) but was pleasantly surprised. We spend 2 weeks on the Cape every year, and this book has some suggestions that we didn't know about, along with coverage of some of our favorite places. Lots of seafood trivia, too -- was expecting a straightforward guidebook but it's really more of a coffee table book. All in all, a really good purchase.

This is the sequel to "Fresh Air," taking place about three years after Katanya, a lonely little girl visiting from New York City, first made her accidental friendship with the reclusive Lucinda. After initially bonding with the girl, her mother and grandmother, Lucinda has retained a strong friendship with all three women, as well as Renee, the troubled neighbor who had initially invited Katanya to Connecticut.

In this story, Katanya's mother, who has struggled to improve her life for years, finally finishes her degree and gets a job at the World Trade Center...just before 9/11.

The aftermath leaves the teenaged Katanya full of anger and confusion at the world around her, often misplaced toward those who love her most.

While the general premise sounds promising, and Allen's writing is like visiting with old friends, the sad truth is that this isn't any more plausible than the first book. It's hard to imagine that a woman who's been a recluse for the better part of her adult life would suddenly "snap out of it," simply because she was inspired by a lively child. Likewise, it's also hard to believe that Lucinda's attentions - both tangible and not - wouldn't be at least a tiny bit resented by the girl's mother and grandmother, who've been struggling to raise her own their own.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the venture into this little world, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read. Just don't set too much by the reality, or lack thereof...

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It makes you forget you are reading a book and makes you become one of the characters in the book. Makes you laugh out loud and cry all on the same page. Lucinda is so loving and caring, it makes you wish she would take you in her arms and never let you go. While reading the book you find yourself actually feeling the hugs, the laughter, the tears. Lucinda loves you no matter what and no matter who you are. Boy wouldn't it be great if everyone had a Lucinda in their lives. I can't say enough great things about this book. A must read. Great job.

After a miraculous recovery from agoraphobia, Lucinda Hunter goes in search of her family. She knew who her mother was, a famous actress. It was the noteriety of Lily's life that had the opposite effect of driving her child to isolation. Her father was someone unknown except for a photo. In the days of her late parents' love, a mixed race marriage was a shocking thing, unheard of, so the love was hidden. The pictures of the white beauty with her handsome, black husband were a rare treasure for their daughter. Now, Lucinda goes in search of her father's people.

At first, they meet her with suspicion and distrust, but when they realize she is not out for any gain but love, Lucinda gets past the barriers to their hearts. The years between 1997 and 2002 have their ups and downs; she creates a unique move review column co written with a child. She finds new friends, new challenges. All that changes in a moment, when fear and uncertainty literally explode. September 11 brings out the worst emotions, fear, anger, pain, grief. We watch Lucinda's family cope as they wait to hear who survived, try to remember where people are supposed to have been when the world stopped. The shock you thought you had gotten over will be brought back in the final chapters of this book, so well does the author paint it.

*** Not all books are easy to categorize, and this is one of that type. At times, it is folksy and warm. There is humor, a hint of intrigue, and yes, grief. It is realistic, and despite the sorrow, able to end on a high note. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore of Huntress Reviews.

This is, arguably, the finest yet of Allen's books. The characters are beautifully drawn, very real. The setting is now familiar after our introduction to the cast in Fresh Air. And the writing is deceptively simple but lyrical and powerfully effective. It is a joy to see Lucinda coming back into the world, her humor and her scrappy integrity intact. Soupboy has grown into an entirely believable boy and his interaction with Lucinda has great authenticity. 9/11 is documented, moment by moment, so that it not only revives our recall of that day but it also personalizes the event as few pieces of writing could. This is a wonderful book, a must-read book. If you haven't read Fresh Air, get it and begin with it, then follow up with this rare thing: a genuinely riveting sequel.

Maybe it's because I enjoyed "Fresh Air" very much, but I found this sequel to be very disappointing. The characters, with the exception of Lucinda, were largely static. Renee's change of character was completely unbelievable, and the plot device involved with her was lifted wholesale from one of Ms. Allen's other books. Gin hasn't changed at all, Katanya and her family appeared as "walk-ons." Although I did enjoy seeing Lucinda's transformation and budding romance, she is ALWAYS right and the people she disagrees with are ALWAYS wrong. It's really annoying. Eli also seemed to be too good to be true. Jason (Soupboy) was a lot of fun, but, again, his character seemed recycled from other books, especially Dream Train and Claudia's Shadow. Since I am complaining about recycling characters, I also noticed that this is the third time Ms. Allen has named the mother in her story "Lily."

Maybe it's just because I've read so many of her other books, but this one seemed formulaic and repetitive to me. The moving attempt to integrate 9/11 into the plot raised it from one to two stars.

This book is false advertising and the name should be changed. Prosek is capitalizing on the name recognition of a classic. Walton's book is about fishing, respect for nature, and ultimately about how these parallel Christianity and Christian virtues. Prosek's book is about a privileged college student fishing in highly restricted areas in England, on someone else's nickel. Worst of all, Prosek makes it very clear that he does not believe in an afterlife, that he is not a Christian at all, and that fishing is his religion. Not a mention of ethics or conservation. Even if you are not a Christian (like Walton) it is clear that this book is an agnostic's attempt at flowery language, baseless earth worship, and self-fulfillment at other's expense. Walton would consider this book absolute bologna and consider Prosek a spoiled, self absorbed, pseudo-intellectual heretic. While reading Prosek I continually wondered how he could completely miss the point of the original. Walton's book is about fishing and how it parallels Christianity, Prosek's book is about fishing and how he does a lot of it at other's expense.

I give this book two stars for two reasons. First, it elaborates to the reader the current state of the classic waters in Walton's book. Unfortunately they are in a sad state of being enjoyed only by the super rich. Second, by reading this book maybe some will be encouraged to read the real item.

James, I love you man but please stick to painting.

I enjoyed this book. I was one the people who had heard (quite a bit, actually) of Izaak Walton's "Angler", but had not read it. Prozek's work was the motivation for me to dive into the 17th century for a few hours and read the book. So, if for no other reason, I'm grateful to Prosek. There is a lot here to remind the reader that this is an effort made at the beginning of a literary career; some undisciplined gushing here; a bit of bragging there. But it's hard to deny that there was real effort involved. Prosek has worked on understanding both his subject and himself enough to win me over, even though I'm jealous that he (at least by his account) catches way more fish than I do.

Having read Prosek's other two books (and having thoroughly enjoyed them, and given copies as gifts), I really look forward to reading this one - long anticipated. This young man has unusual talents, and (at least as of a couple of years ago) possesses another rare quality today - humility and politeness.

Let's face it, this is not a very good book. There is a tendency among those who fly fish to readily accept any ink put to paper as elegaic, contemplative and downright superior. Young Mr. Prosek is a fortunate lad, having pulled the wool over the eyes of the academic sachems at Yale to bless his fly fishing vacation in England as the subject of his thesis. He wraps the proposal in the esteemed pages of Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, the most purchased and least read book in the history of print. Prosek forces us to wade through a number of English rivers and some tedious prose, and in this respect he does resemble Walton. His constant comparisons of himself to Walton tend to bog down his writing. He ruminates on how he is standing in the same water that Walton once stood, the worst kind of conceit. You don't even stand in the same river yourself when you happen to be standing in one! The only redeeming feature of this volume is that it is beautiful book, with Prosek's watercolors generously peppered throughout. He is a gifted painter and his first book is one of my favorites. This volume, however, has more of the red herring about it than the noble trout. I admire a good con job, I just hate it when it's pulled on me.

This book tries very hard to be "deep" and insightful; it is neither. This is not a book about the human condition; it is a book about a privileged young man fishing with privileged old people.

Prosek does lovely paintings, but the bottom line is that his writing lacks maturity. He violates many rules that should have been drilled into his head during "freshman comp" class. He doesn't show, he tells. He overuses flowery adjectives. And he can be melodramatic to the extreme.

There is no shortage of books about flyfishing that are filled with overblown prose, books that try to make flyfishing something it is not. This book is one of them.

Comparisons to Izaak Walton abound. This gets old after a while. So do the many "characters" Prosek fishes with, who we are told are very interesting and "quite delightful," but most seemed to be pompous, bland individuals.

For some reason, the trip itself bothered me. He got to fish many rivers only because he was a young man of privilege. Everyone he meets is awed by him, mainly because he is an Ivy Leaguer with the right connections. He then makes sure we know that the class-obsessed people he meet complimented him on his "class" and "character." He seems to revel in this, never examining his privilege. Many times I wanted him to quit rhapsodizing over trout and start examining his own life.

I was very disappointed in Prosek as a writer. It lacks the depth of a good travel book (like Fen Montaigne's "Reeling in Russia"). And he can't compare to sporting writers like McGuane, Bodio, Tom McIntyre and Robert F. Jones, all writers whose books reflect fierce joy, love, pain, conflict, and ambiguity.

I understand Prosek is now writing about love. Be very afraid.

Everyone knows that "Josh" obviously works for one of the following competitors to College Prowler:

1. Princeton Review
2. US News
3. The Fiske Guide

These corporate giants can't handle students taking over the college guidebook industry.

At first, I hesitated, because I'm a bargain shopper. This book is priced a couple of dollars more than the Princeton Review and Fiske Guide. Could it be that much better?

Well, let me tell you this, if I was comparing it to the Princeton Review or Fiske Guide, I would have paid hundreds of dollars for this book.

Simply put, my daughter was not excited about the college selection process. When I brought home the Fiske and PR guides ... I found them in a closet with our old phone books.

I then heard about College Prowler from the NY Times, and immediately bought the guide to New England, as well as some of their single-school guides ... I'm in love with the single-school ones, but this guide to New England was the perfect book for my daughter to begin the college selection process.

When she flipped open to the middle of the book, and read a student testimonial about how attractive guys are on campus at Northeastern, but to watch out for players ... she was hooked.

The book sits at our dining table, and she blurts out random student reviews from different schools ... we get quite a laugh. Not only is the book tremendously funny, but it dissects the campus culture at each school. You get a feel what students are actually like, and where you'll fit in best. The new way to choose a college, is to choose one that's right for you, eventually, these College Prowler guides will be the industry standard, if they aren't already.

Sadatay.

I would like to recommend College Prowler's New England Colleges book to all sr. high school students. I'm from the Pacific Northwest, but was accepted into 4 elite schools, 3 of which are on the East Coast (Brown, Wesleyan, and BC). Fortunately for me, I ran across this guide in a local bookstore, and just a quick glance though its pages gave me the impression that this was no ordinary college resource, pamphlet, or biased review that I've been encountering in my extremely difficult task of evaluating which school is right for me. The most impressive aspect of this book is that it lets the students-from each individual college-tell their stories about what they really think about their school. There are a ton of student quotes on each school on just about every factor that a student like myself would be interested in: safety of campus, campus facilities, campus parties and organizations, local bars and restaurants, and more.

When I met with my academic advisor to discuss the college guide books I had been reading, she warned me that College Prowler is considered a reputable source of information by neither her nor any of her colleagues in academe.

Sure enough, when I came to Amazon just now to sell my two used College Prowler books, I noticed that shortly after each book had been published, a single person had submitted a five-star review for both books. In one review, he stated he's "from the East Coast," and in the other review he stated he's "from the Pacific Northwest."

It looks like my academic advisor was correct about College Prowler.

Let me start by saying that other reviewers seem to be in the process of choosing a college, so they do not realize how inaccurate these guides are. I am a junior in college, and when I saw my little brother reading this guide I decided to see what it said about my school. Not a single one of the categories was even close to the truth. And I'm not just complaining that my school got too many poor remarks, it got graded high in areas it shouldn't have and vice versa. Being from the New England area, I have friends that go to many of the colleges listed, and most of them say that their school is wrongly represented as well. There are a lot of other (cheaper) guides out there that are way better and that list more schools.