Arizona Books

I loved this book! It is always entertaining, at times heartbreakingly poignant, and very difficult to put down.

This book beautifully marries form and content. The book is J.R. Moehringer's autobiographical memoir, spanning from his elementary school years into young adulthood. Much of the book revolves around the hours Moehringer spent in a neighborhood bar on Long Island, trading stories and having friendly but impassioned arguments with the other barroom regulars. As you read the book, you almost feel like you're in the bar listening to the conversation. Each chapter is really a barroom story in itself; you can almost hear Moehringer, lubricated by a few drinks, sharing yet another anecdote from his life history.

Some of the stories Moehringer recounts seem too good to be true. Perhaps, like any good barroom raconteur, Moehringer embellishes a little for dramatic or comic effect. At first I wondered if the stories really were factual. By the end, I decided that I enjoyed the book even more for not being sure.

I don't drink much, have rarely been in bars, and have spent little time on Long Island. Nonetheless, I had no trouble inhabiting Moehringer's world.

I highly recommend this excellent memoir!

The less than 5 star reviewers are not understanding this story. JR's memoir is not about a bar, not about avoiding a life of achoholism, not about whining over misfortune, and not about overcomming childhood challenges. The real story here is sharing boldly and courageously what it is like to grow up fatherless. JR speaks for all of us men who grew up without fathers and his medium is great storytelling. While "growing up" we really were always searching for the right templates for manhood. We would grab ahold of anyone who paid attention! That could be good and that could be bad, but fortunatly for our author, the men at the bar were ultimately a good influence, not all of them as career path role models, but certainly as "man models" and that is what was needed. It is impossible (no criticism) for individuals who grew up with a father to empathize. This is not whining, it is just plain being honest and sharing what it is like. JR's memoir resonates with all of us "fatherless boys" and he must be reviewed from that perspective. For those of you who would like to know what goes through our minds and our orientation to the world, this is great primer/story. BRAVO JR.

I enjoyed reading this book, especially when J.R. talks about the book he wanted to write, especially the chapter in which J.R. includes a number of anecdotes & jokes he meant to include in the book he imagined. I enjoyed the process aspect of this book--the process through which we see Moehringer realize his insecurities and identify his alcoholism, problems with women, and the role the bar plays in his life. It's a little bit like watching someone you care about grow up.

As someone who primarily reads fiction--and much of it adolescent lit due to my career--I found this memoir fascinating to read and thoroughly engaging. The men in JR's life are quite the collection of characters (as are his many family members), and their stories kept me entertained as much as--or even more so--than some of the fiction I've recently read. I cared about JR and his conflicts, and not once was I bored or let down by his storytelling. This was a great book, one that could be put down and picked up again easily, and one that left me thinking about the author and the course his life has taken. I definitely recommend this!

Unbeleivably honest and extremely inspiring. Despite of what he has been through, he is now a successful journalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner. What is ironic is that his book ended up on the NY Times bestseller list. It is as if Moehringer is sticking his tongue out to the senior editors who previously declared him as "non NY Times material". It is a lesson in perseverance and endurance. One should always keep trying and never give up.

An early environmentalist even before the term came into use. Ranks up there with Sand County Almanac and Silent Spring. A must read for those who care about the environment. Abbey predicted some of the water problems that now face the southwest.

This is my favorite book. I consider Abbey to be a hippie environmentalist--a sort of modern day Thoreau. The book will suck you in and you'll be wishing you could run off to Moab and have a beer with Abbey.

This is "classic Abbey" and his best work. What else can be said? This book should be on everyone's reading list whether you agree with Abbey on everything or not. I loved it. You will especially enjoy it if you have an affinity for deserts, the southwest, or Moab country.

Edward Abbey's book rings true and honest in ways that most books today can not match. He drives the wooden stake into the plastic heart of modern day America and yet you feel this author's big soul and the desert he loves with the passion some have only for religion or lust. It's my favorite book I have read the past year except for one other: Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Jerry Ellis. It's about his 900 mile walk along the Cherokee Trail of Tears and it's a rare mixture of nature writing, spiritual adventure and social commentary that grabs your heart and soul and pulls you by the hair across 8 states as he sleeps in woods and fields along the way and inspires almost everyone he meets to tell him their deepest secrets. Both books are MUST reads for people who love the earth and live itself as if they were going out of style. They are classics and will stand the test of Time.

Stumbled onto this in my late teens in the early 80s and never looked back. Abbey's extreme love of nature and his well-defended loathing of what we've done to our natural world add up to a real eye-opener for those, like me at 18, who haven't thought much about how great this place must have been before we got here.
Abbey's love of solitude and comfort in being in the middle of "nowhere" inspired me to seek out remote places and my life has been all the better for it. His irascible attitude towards government also strikes a strong chord, but the main joys here lie in Ed's awe and wonder at the magnificence of the canyons and mesas he happily lives with before the bulldozers and mindless tourists inevitably arrive. The bits about people driving in for a few minutes and then leaving after taking pictures are truly classic; Ed can be one of the most hilariously dry nature writers when the mood is upon him.
I've since read most all of Abbey but still think DS is his masterpiece.
This book should be in EVERY high school English curriculum.

Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
Excellent service, great book, well laid out and very informative

I was at the grand canyon when I bought this book-I didnt want to buy it,but a stranger had told me about it,and not wanting to tell a lie in case I ran into this person again (which I did)I picked it up and glanced at the first few chapters-within minutes I was hooked-it is an unbelievable read - to even think about what some of those victims must have gone thru was terrifying-yet it is one of those books that once you start to read it,you can't stop!It made me respect mother nature even more and appreciate the safety rules and regulations the forest service puts up,no matter how trivial it may seem to be.

I don't know why I was attracted to this book...I've never even seen the Grand Canyon. I guess we all are fascinated by fate and death and bizarre stories while we are sitting safe. I enjoyed this book at first and then as the chapters went by, I started to do a bit of skimming. Each chapter has a theme (falling, suicide, murder, etc.) which was intriguing. However once I read a few stories of each, I felt that I could skim the rest and move onto the next chapter. I did like how at the end of each chapter they listed all the stats of the poor people who lost their lives. What are the odds that two large airlines would collide over the Grand Canyon??? What a way to go; poor souls.

I did like the writing and the humor, despite the sad topic. I do know that if I ever go to the Grand Canyon, no one is getting me to back up to take my picture!

I could not put this book down...It is like one dramatic story after another..Most of the tales are just unimagineable..I love the Grand Canyon and this book is an eye opener....You will not believe what you read..The Canyon not only holds awesome beauty its holds many other tales...You have to read this book!

I have been to the Grand Canyon more than once. In fact, I bought this book from one of the stores in the park on the rim. I too, could not put it down. I have told numerous people about the book and recommended it to friends and associates and anyone visiting the canyon for the first time. This book is NOT fiction folks, it is the real deal. It absolutely amazes me some of the ways people have died here. EVERY conceivable way is mentioned. It , in a way seems morbid to some degree, kind of like reading detective magazines or something, like my Grandpa used to do. But once into the first few pages you realize, that it is not just about death , but about living too. People that have come to see the awe of the Grand Canyon and its life and their lives intermingling. What's unfortunate is the complete utter disregard some people have for what is so obvious. Granted, some of the deaths are COMPLETELY accidental, but some are beyond stupid. One that I will mention here is the park WORKER, who had a few drinks , decided to get up on the wall , and fell to their death. The episodes that also got me, are the people who take a bottle of water in the SUMMER in ARIZONA and think they can walk twenty miles of very rough country with no problem...well, many of them found out , or were able to look down from heaven and realize what a bad mistake they made. While shocking , this is also an instructional manual for anyone who goes. Moms, Dads, Kids...please think twice before posing for that picture with your back to the Canyon...and be EXTRA careful where you place your feet! GREAT READ.

I wasn't sure what this book was truly about when I purchased it, but it sounded interesting. Interesting doesn't even begin to describe it! I have learned soooooooooooo much already, and I'm only 1/2 way through the book! I would love to meet this woman. I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows there is more to a horse than meets the eye...

I picked this one up, based upon the mostly favorable reviews. I enjoy reading accounts of people who have been able to connect with their spiritual natures, whatever the medium.

And there is some interesting material -- maybe 50 pages of interesting information. The other 300 pages are extremely repetitive, and sadly, just like many other new-age books, preachy. This could have been a wonderful book, had the author simple recounted her experiences with horses. But, unfortunately, she launches into tirades. It's just not worth sorting out the gems from the weeds.

I have been riding and training horses for 60 years, and while reading this book, I had my memories come back, and she spoke for me. Any women who loves horses, and has felt their power, would feel inspired while reading this book. Beth Morris

One of the best books I have ever read. And I've read a lot. Exquisitely written. Profound in it's simplicity, and simply profound. Get it. Read it. Experience it. Love it.

I have been interested in this topic for a while now but as I start working toward my dissertation, I know that I need more factual and scientific information for anyone to take me seriously. This book is packed with anecdotal portions to keep you interested and tons of "scientific" information to back it up. I'm not finished with it yet but there is a ton of information for me to use. I'll be reading it again for sure!

So it's a cookbook, along with many others. It does have easily found common ingredients and the recipes are fairly easy to follow. Not a bad buy.

This is the first of Paula Deen's cookbooks I have owned, and wow! Recipes are so easy, and most ingredients are already in my pantry (really amazing for me!!) Tonight I made her gooey butter cakes, and what a hit! So far, haven't found a recipe we haven't liked! I love cookbooks, but normally only find a couple recipes I actually like in the entire book. Not this one!! My favorite!!!

Paula Deen delivers in this book full of fantastic recipes. So far everything I have tried in this book has turned out great. I always get praises from the desserts I have made from this book. If you like to bake, I'd highly suggest purchasing this book. You won't be disappointed!

I have many Paula Deen books. I just love her. Every recipe I've tried has that great old fashioned southern taste. This is one of my "go to" cookbooks. I know that whatever I make from it, will be fabulous.

I was very disappointed by this book. There were very few photos (16 pages of photos for 120+ recipes). I expected higher class recipes from a restaurant (less use of canned Pillsbury biscuits, brownie and cake mixes, jarred ice cream topping, frozen whipped topping, and saltines). And way too many recipes call for coconut (with no note of possible substitutions or omissions).

I bought this book for my mom. I hope she likes it more than I did.

This book is ok, but it's too long and wordy for what it's saying. The message is great, but it could be presented on a 3x5 card instead. I much preferred his book, "Character Is Destiny." That book profiles courageous people throughout history in small distinct biographies. It's aimed at a young audience. During the summer, I had my sons read one each day and then we would talk about that person at the dinner table. We all enjoyed it and it kept them polished on their reading and their history through the summer. Recommend that you skip this book and get "Character Is Destiny" instead.

This book provides portraits of people of extraordinary courage in a variety of life circumstances ranging from combat and suffering to racial and gender discrimination in various times and settings.

This book was both enlightening and enjoyable, but was not of the same caliber as his book Character is Destiny. The writing is clear and concise. I enjoyed it and think you will too.

I recommend it to people of all cultures, backgrounds and ages.

When I first learned that U.S. Senator John McCain, former Vietnam prisoner-of-war with a great patriotic reputation, wrote a book about courage, I thought it would be an instant favorite of mine. I am not exactly sure what I expected before I read it, but I am certain that I was disappointed after reading it. I believe McCain took a very difficult subject and gave it his best efforts, but his well-intentioned efforts fell short of their mark.

Overall, I thought the book was a non-cohesive collection of choppy and, at times, difficult to read narrative around some excellent stories and examples of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences who demonstrated courage in their lives. Scattered throughout the book were some very insightful and inspiring passages, such as, "...the standard for courage...acts that risk life or limb or other very serious personal injuries for the sake of others or to uphold a virtue...." and "Fear is the opportunity for courage, not proof of cowardice." I also respect, and was impressed by McCain's honesty and humility in readily admitting to, and, in more than a few instances, describing what he considered to be some of his failures in courage opportunities.

I certainly applaud McCain's willingness to share his personal perspectives on a topic that is so universally recognized, but so difficult to describe, predict, and demonstrate. I know I learned some things about courage and about myself from reading this book, but I wanted and expected more from a man of McCain's background and stature.

In WHY COURAGE MATTERS by John McCain with Mark Salter, the
author points out that "we are taught to understand that courage is not
the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears" . . . he
then presents a series of real-life stories that vividly depict just why this
is true.

They ranged from the tale of 1960s civil rights leader John Lewis, who
said, "When I care about something, I'm prepared to take the long,
hard road" (and he did) to Hannah Senesh, who in protecting her
comrades in the Hungarian resistance against Hitler's SS, chose
a martyr's death over a despot's mercy . . . I liked the wide diversity
of other individuals who were profiled, including Nobel Peace Prize
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Sgt. Roy Benavidez and Navajo leaders
Manuelito and Barboncito.

McCain uses these tales to intertwine his theories as to their
significance . . . as he so eloquently points out, "'If you do the things
you think you cannot do, you'll feel your resistance, your hope, your
dignity, and your courage grow stronger every time you prove it.
You will someday face harder choices that very well might require
more courage. You're getting ready for them. You're getting ready
to have courage. And when those moments come, unbidden
but certain, and you choose well, your courage will be recognized
by those who matter most to you. When your children see
you choose, without hesitating, without remark, to value virtue
more than security, to love more than you fear, they will learn
what courage looks like and what love it serves, and they will
dread its absence."

Adding to my enjoyment of WHY COURAGE MATTERS was
that McCain also did the narration . . . I only wish that the book
had been longer; it was that interesting . . . perhaps McCain
will write a follow-up volume; i.e., if he's not too busy running for
and then becoming our next president. (A reviewer can hope,
can't he?)

In a day and age when words are often misused or overused, their meaning can get lost in translation. Too often we ascribe definitions or actions to words and leach away their power and potency. Such a word is courage, and Senator John McCain sets out to right that wrong, to bring back a definition and actions that can truly be described as courageous and not just masquerade in its disguise.

Whom better to write a book on courage than a man who survived a severe and torturous imprisonment during the Vietnam War? But ever the humble man that he is, McCain downplays his own past and instead relates how he drew strength from the examples of courage shown by those imprisoned with him, not from his own courage that faltered him too many times. This book is part essay, part admonition, and part brief biography of a variety of characters, all real people who have shown remarkable courage in the face of impossible odds and overwhelming dangers. From tales of unbelievable bravery on battlefields in WWII and the Korean war, to resistance efforts during WWII and against the oppresive Burmese government, to a steadfast nonviolent civil rights agitator, McCain uses remarkable stories to show how remarkable courage can be and how it should rightly be defined.

"Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life" is a quick read, with profound examinations of what it takes to desire courage within our lives and how to live in pursuit of it everyday. The brief biographical sketches are well-written and concise, offering insight into the ways situation can shape bravery in ordinary people, and relishing some perhaps little or unknown people to hold up as exemplars of this ideal. It leaves one examining their own life to see if they hold that spark to desire courage and the ideals that promote it, to honor those who have shown courage so that we can continue to be free, and to overcome the fears that threaten to hold us back.

Wasted enough time reading this. So, this will short. Pretentious. Boring. Two things a good book isn't. Thank you.

I'm no critic. Just know what I like when I read it, and this is a lovely novel. What a cool movie it could be. (Sounding like a teenager is cool, too.) I hope Poirier publishes another novel soon.

I have been reading all the previous reviews of this book and I don't want to be redundant, so I will simply say that this is one of the most enjoyable, easy and fun to read books of its type. Its a real shame that it is not more well known as people are missing out on a good thing. If you havent already done so, read it now. You wont be disappointed!!

The novel started out strong. I immediatley became immersed in the life of Ellis, Wendy, Goat man and Barney. I wanted so much for Ellis just to keep his cool composure and not sell out to the stuffy persona that his prep school embodied. I did want him to become more responsible than his parents, but I feel like he never really got to have a child hood and then he started becoming a jerk and I was never really sure why. I thought that the novel ended abruptly and didn't give proper explanation of certain details. Like Why was Wendy so crazy? Why did Frank really leave? Did she always love him? Why did Ellis start acting like a spoiled brat? Was Goat man really doing anything with the goats?@! It might have been more of a coming of age novel for Wendy than it really was for Ellis

Goats is an off the wall coming of age story, that brings with it the emotion and depth of a classic novel. The writing style of Mark Jude Porrier entrances the reader and creates an excitment that makes this book impossible to put down. Some of the subject matter may be extreme, but it suits its purpose of being a down to earth coming of age story. The goats that are so vividly described are so personified you begin to associate with them as much as you do the main characters. This book is a great example of a lazy summer read, and will bring a smile and possibly a tear to anyone who reads it.

My granddaughter, who just had her 8th birthday, enjoyed the book I sent her very much. She began reading it just as soon as she got it as a present for her birthday.

This is one of the few Goosebumps books that we've seen a recording of the television show that was made...and I have to say, in this case, the television episode was actually better than the book version. This The Haunted Mask is the story of Carly Beth just fed up with being wimpy, wimpy, wimpy...tired of constantly being teased, pranked, and scared by her friends Carly Beth is determined to get the scariest Halloween mask ever and show her friends that she's not such a wimp after all. As with all things in the R.L Stine universe, Carly Beth's quest to teach her tormenters a lesson comes with a hefty price.

On the night of Halloween, she just can't bring herself to put on the not-so-scary costume her mother's made for her, instead she runs out to a shop and finds "the perfect mask" in the back room of the store, unfortunately the owner is hesitant to part with it...ultimately she gets the mask and embarks on what she thinks will be the best get even Halloween scare ever...until she realizes that the mask much more than an ugly face to care her friends with and that she may become trapped inside as it begins to change her personality as well. Will Carly Beth get the mask off? You'll have to read to find out!

Not as enjoyable as I'd have liked...The Haunted Mask isn't a "bad" book, for me it boils down to feeling no connection to any of the characters...we don't get to know Carly Beth before we see her pranked, teased and scared constantly and the picture the reader gets is that if these are her friends, she sure doesn't need any enemies...they're downright mean, the goal seems to be to embarrass her more than anything else. I think young readers would enjoy The Haunted Mask, as a whole it is one of the scarier premises of the series but for me personally, this was a flop. I didn't think the interaction between the friends was indicative of "friend" behavior, it felt mean spirited perhaps if the build up to Halloween had been longer and we'd gotten to know the four friends just a bit more, this would have been a better read. Overall, I felt a bit let down, I rate this at three stars because the idea behind it is good, but the execution and character development was really lacking.

Sixth grader Steve Boswell has a problem, a very serious problem. He has been sentenced to coach a 1st grade soccer team as punishment for a prank gone wrong. As if losing every afternoon after school was not enough the team of 6 year olds seem determined to destroy him with their antics. Steve has decided to extract revenge by scaring them with a Halloween prank. His plans call for a particularly frightening costume, like the one a classmate scared him with the previous year. When he asked about the mask, however, his classmate was very reluctant to tell where she had gotten the mask. After Steve did manage to get the information she pleaded with him not to get a mask. Before Halloween was over Steve wished he had listened to her.

This is part of the popular GOOSEBUMPS series targeted to 9 to 12 year olds (Reading level 4th grade). As with the rest of the series this one is rather scary and very gross, totally appealing to it's pre-teen audience. Also attractive to this group is the organization of the story into short cliff-hanger chapters urging the reader to continue. The book itself is quite short, only 124 pages - most adults would be able to finish it in less than an hour - making it likely to hold the interest of even a reluctant reader until the end.

This book in not nearly as good as the first Haunted Mask by the same author. It never tied up the ending of the first book by explaining what happened to Karlie's brother. The rest of the story was too predicteble.

I JUST LOVED THE BOOK. IT ALMOST SUCKED ME INSIDE IT.

A wonderful and genuine book that provides great imagery and a window into the real and raw Southwest. The book is less about Justice O'Connor and more about our magnificant Southwest. Environmental issues, farming, education, and family relationships are all discussed in an authentic and beautifully descriptive way. It's not a page turner but it's a lovely book if you want a picture about growing up in the Southwest when cowboys roamed and cattle were plentiful.

I loved reading this memoir about growing up on a huge cattle ranch in the American southwest. Sandra Day O'Connor and her brother H. Alan Day write from the heart in an easy to read book with lots of pictures. This is a tribute to their parents, a portrait of a colorful childhood in a remote setting on the Arizona border. The Day family raised cattle for a living; real cowboys worked the ranch, broke wild horses, built and mended fences, rounded up cattle, drilled wells, and built windmills. The children participated in all aspects of ranch life.

The story is about three generations of a family surviving on an arid and strange land - what the land taught them and how they coped with extremes of drought and distance. Individual stories of the cowboys, their love of horses and cattle and other animals are portrayed in a warm and loving way, as if the authors are smiling as they remember those happy days and their parents who taught and encouraged Sandra, Alan, and their sister Ann; the fun times, hard work, windmills and wells, rodeos, the first train thru the area, school, and so much more.

Short chapters, wonderful pictures, and a pleasure to read about a part of America where it truly was "home on the range", and where the cattle industry flourished over a span of a century. Thank you authors for sharing. The quotations are priceless. Here is one of them: When Time, who steals our years away, Shall steal our pleasure, too. The Memory of the past will stay, And half our joys renew. (Thomas Moore, "song")

"Lazy B," like the title implies, is the story of Sandra Day O'Connor and her younger brother growing up on a ranch in south-eastern Arizona. They grew up in an isolated environment that mandated self-reliance and initiative. Sandra received much of her formal education through riding the train to El Paso to stay with her maternal grandparents while attending a local girls' school. Her father had wanted to attend Stanford but the responsibilities of taking over the family ranch prevented that. Sandra O'Connor was able to achieve that for him, where she excelled academically, was then inspired by one of her instructors to study law (also at Stanford), met her husband (and also dated classmate William Rehnquist), and then struggled to begin a law career at a time that women had almost no such opportunity. (Despite Sandra graduating from Stanford Law #2 in her class, her early job searches were at best met with "Can you type?")

Then it was on to Phoenix where she started a law partnership, then moved to the Attorney General's office, became elected to the State Senate, became a Superior Court Judge, was promoted to the Arizona Court of Appeals by Governor Babbitt (D), and then selected by President Reagan to the Supreme Court.

Personal Note: In the late 1970s I appeared in Judge O'Connor's court as a witness and was astounded at her astute (and polite) questioning of one of the attorney's. Later, I witnessed the buzz as those who knew her stopped to congratulate her Supreme Court appointment. And most recently I had the opportunity to hear her and her brother give a presentation on this book - very insightful, witty, and again - polite. (She autographed my copy!)

An inspiring person!

This book meant a lot to me on many levels, a special tale for this transplanted Southwesterner. I was attracted first because of the co-author, who is one of Our Country's great ladies. She and her brother have put together an inside look at life in the Southwest, the cattle ranch family life, that is no more. A whole chapter on rain and what it means in an arid land. Their loving but reserved father and how he made a living off the land. It reminded me of my own stern but loving father - when dads were supposed to be that way. The ranch life, the family and characters that inhabited it are fascinating. Wonderful story of a different place and time.

This book is a colorful portrait of the world O'Connor grew up in. It is simple and lovely - very little mention of her later life in the law.

I delved into this book expecting the typical mob story: lots of violence, vendettas and brotherhood. That isn't what it is. Its certainly more of a character study, focusing on Billy and the boss, Dutch Schultz. I was disappointed at first, but next thing I knew I was done with the book and I think I enjoyed it. If it had been longer I think I wouldv'e lost interest though. Good length.

I had read "The March" and "Ragtime," so I figured "Billy Bathgate" would be excellent, and it was. On the surface, it's a simple story of the last few months of gangster Dutch Schultz's life. But Doctorow tells the story through the eyes of Billy Bathgate, a teenager who gets in with Schultz's gang as a go-fer. Doctorow's writing is, as always, superb, and more than just a recitation of facts, going deeply into the gangsters' world and their behaviors, and how they operated within society.

I'm still not sure if Billy Bathgate was based on a real person or if he is entirely fictional, but telling the story through his experiences as a lesser member of the gang allowed an inside look at Schultz without disturbing the facts.

A very readable and fascinating look into the New York crime scene of the 1930's.

We've all read scores of stories in which a young, spunky kid makes his way up the criminal ladder with his wit and little tricks...but this is by Doctorow, so it's done better than most. The book contains some of the standard themes inherent in the drama -- the thugs, the incredibly sexy woman that no one can resist, betrayal, and death. However, it often defies expectations and leads the reader to really share with Billy's emotions. All the scenes, whether they be about torture, sex, familial love, or childish musings, connect to universal emotions.

The only problem I had with this book was the ending. I was thoroughly enjoying it and unable to focus on my work until I finished but towards the very end it just got...unimpressive. While everything did wrap up well, it seemed more like an easy or expected conclusion than one that was original and fitting to the characters themselves. But overall, it's a great read.

EL Doctrow's talent with language is a step or two or three or four beyond that of the average scrivener. And even of the somewhat above average scrivener. Most of us aspire to prose as good as his without ever quite achieving it. But sometimes in this book he is a bit undisciplined in the application of his talent, and gets himself in trouble as a result. It's evident right from the first chapter, when passages like this:

"He had to have planned it because when we drove onto the dock the boat was there and the engine was running and you could see the water churning up phosphorescence in the river, which was the only light there was because there was no moon, nor no electric light either in the shack where the dockmaster should have been sitting, nor on the boat itself, and certainly not from the car, yet everyone knew where everything was...."

...and this:

"But anyway I wasn't thinking of any of this at the time, it was just something I had in me I could use if I had to, not even an idea but an instinct waiting in my brain in case I ever needed it, or else why would I have leapt lightly over the rail..."

...establish his protagonist Billy Bathgate as a capable, savvy, and colloquially eloquent street urchin. Then, a few pages later, we get this:

"I think now that the key to grace or elegance in any body, male or female, is the length of the neck, that when the neck is long several conclusions follow, such as a proper proportion of weight to height, a natural pride of posture, a gift for eye contact, a certain nimbleness of the spine and length of stride, all in all a kind of physical gladness in movement leading to athletic competence or a love for dancing. Whereas the short neck predicts a host of metaphysical afflictions, any one of which brings about the ineptitude for life that creates art, invention, great fortunes, and the murderous rages of the disordered spirit."

Those of you familiar with Mark Twain's hilarious evisceration of James Fenimore Cooper's literary offenses in "The Deerslayer" will recognize the problem. For those who aren't, think specifically of Twain's Rule #7:

"They require that when a personage talks like an illustrated, gilt-edged, tree-calf, hand-tooled, seven- dollar Friendship's Offering in the beginning of a paragraph, he shall not talk like a negro minstrel in the end of it. But this rule is flung down and danced upon in the 'Deerslayer' tale."

Doctrow violates this rule too. Not as egregiously as Cooper, and not within one paragraph, and from the bottom up rather than the top down, but he still violates it. I'd have given Billy Bathgate a four or even five star rating if he'd been more consistent in his management of character voice.

Billy Bathgate sucks you into a world of a down and out street wise kid who is seduced by a low level seedy mobster into being his protoge. The writting is crisp and the story sharp. Very entertaining and probably Doctorows best work.