New Jersey Books

I just finished this book and I am totally satisfatied. It's like I had a great meal.

This appealed to me simply because I have an interest in 'vengeance' storylines as opposed to revenge, and although I enjoyed it it didn't move me in particular, not emotionally at least. It was a tremendous odyssey however, winging its way from such unusual places as Vietnam to Canada to Dubai and on to Surinam - among many others. Chief among those others was Bosnia, and I have to admit I welcomed this history lesson about a series of conflicts that I never truly understood as well as I do now, thanks to Fred! Likewise the guerrilla warfare in Vietnam, even the Second World war - how superbly the author entwines fact with fiction and fills us with, if we're honest, a lot of unexpected knowledge on the way through this somewhat long-drawn-out mission of justice. Thanks to fascinating background on the central character of Cal Dexter, in particular his years as a 'tunnel rat' against the tactically superior Viet Cong army, we know that he is more than capable of carrying out the seemingly impossible task of finding and returning the Serbian war-lord to the paymaster who recruited him for his role of avenger. The tale contains more than passing associations with Al Qaeda too, and their 9/11 strikes, leaving the reader to wonder how it might have been avoided, or how Usama Bin Laden could have been found just days later. Not classic Forsyth I guess, but a mightily interesting tale nonetheless, and worth reading more than once.

This is a good story but not up to Forsyth's previous efforts. I found it difficult to connect the sub-plots early on, but everything eventually came together and sped to an exciting conclusion. Some careless editing, however: "Pres." for "President" and "Dir." for "Director."

A taut, clever tale brimming with backstory, 2003's "The Avenger" is a nice return to form for Frederick Forsyth, recalling if not attaining his "Day Of The Jackal" peak and showing there's life in the old boy yet.

Attorney Calvin Dexter lives quietly and alone in Pennsylvania after the deaths of his daughter and his wife. Unknown to everyone else, he leads a second life as self-styled "Avenger" for hire, calling upon skills honed as a tunnel rat in Vietnam to help other grieving families achieve closure by bringing those who have hurt them to justice. He needs all those skills when he takes on ex-Serbian paramilitary boss Zoran Zilic, whose Bond-villain name comes with a coastal fortress Blofeld might call home.

Reading Forsyth of late has been a disappointing experience for me; I picked up this book not knowing what to expect. "Icon" and "Fist Of God," his previous two novels, started strong only to peter out, hobbled by excessive exposition and plots that unfolded too neatly, drained of suspense. "Avenger" has a lot of exposition, and a neat wrap-up, yet it actually works very well this time, in part because Forsyth's writing has tightened and also because he has a real story to tell, one that resonates in the same way as his early classics.

The plot is engaging like "Jackal" because you don't quite know what the protagonist is up to. In "Avenger," like "Jackal," you are given a lead character operating alone and in secret, the differences being that Calvin Dexter is a sympathetic figure and known to you by name. We spend a good deal of time seeing Dexter in the time before his current life began, including a terrific sequence explaining the whole Tunnel Rat idea. A bit more exposition than needed, perhaps, especially when we travel to Dunkirk in 1940, but that's Forsyth's style, something his fans enjoy and others should allow for.

When the book begins to take off, however, it really soars, especially when the CIA gets involved. Zilic, see, is no ordinary exiled baddie, but one who has connections in the global underworld. And there's one man in particular who, as August turns into September of 2001, that CIA counter-terrorism boss Paul Devereaux would like Zilic's help in eliminating.

Devereaux is a complicated figure. He'd be the villain in almost anyone else's book, no question, as he works to keep Zilic safe. But Forsyth is wrestling with the problem of how to fight evil in today's world, and poses the question to the reader in an interesting way. This gives "Avenger" a kind of twist that makes it special in the Forsyth canon. Does the end justify the means? Is it better to leave Zilic to prey on his dozens of innocent victims to stop someone else from preying on hundreds of thousands?

Forsyth doesn't present any easy answers, just a tough story that keeps you reading. Dexter's confrontation with Zilic feels rushed, and it seems Forsyth could have done more with it than he did. Like the whole Avenger identity, you don't exactly buy it, but you enjoy it just the same. It's easy work enjoying Forsyth this time around, and hopefully there's more to come as Forsyth rediscovers the balance between giving history lessons and a ripping good yarn.

Rather than the "normal" thriller plot, Forsyth reveals an event early, and then the rest of the book leads up to that event.

While I agree with other reviewers that this is not "Jackal", the protaganist is a very methodical hero who is quite interesting.

If you like "cat and Mouse" suspense novels, this is a book for you. All the events are credible, and the contemporary setting of the Bosnian war is very interesting.

This book struck me with it's focus on a deep sadness. I couldn't help but feel the heartache and pain that Diana goes through. She has her faults but the journey she goes on is impacting.

This book was recommended to me by a close friend whose taste I normally share, so I picked it up. Diana Moore, has no bigger problems than the fact that she can't get over her ex-boyfriend, nicknamed "The Monster" from three years ago. Even though Aunt Margaret tells her that she's about to have the best three years of her life, something tragic happens. This woman, close to my age (and my name, strangely enough) loses her entire immediate family in a car accident.

Instead of staying where she is and accepting the support from her friends and other family members in New York, she escapes to New Jersey, where her family used to live. She doesn't know where she is going, but her spontaneous trip is stopped short by a car accident of her own. She collides with an older woman (Rosie)on a motorcycle, who is out for a ride with her granddaughter, Louisa.

It is then that Louisa takes in this stranger, and introduces her to her "family of choice," including an on again-off again boyfriend. Louisa and Diana get close very quickly, as well as Diana to Rosie, who is sick. Unfortunately, that's where the rest of the story is a bit muddled for me.

For me, a really good book is one where you empathize with, and care about the characters, but I found myself caring less as the story went on. The writing is generally good, I like the authors use of detail, and as I had said before, the beginning starts out strongly. But, after that, it is just a bit forgettable. Maybe it will do better as a movie.

I recently read the Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco. I found the book really easy to read but the story line was a little over the top. Half way through it I was tired of hearing Diana wallow in her seemingly pit of despair. Now I am not discrediting her sorrow for the loss of her family but I thought that it was a bit much.

This book is written with such an original cleanness that I loved it. The thoughts..the words...so neat and compact and heavy.
The heroine, Diana, suffers a tragic loss when her entire family - mother, father, brother - is killed by a drunk driver. How Diana copes and continues filled me with such a deep respect for her and her creator.
The setting is the farmlands of New Jersey where they grow cranberries is bogs. Diana arrives a day before the Cranberry Festival and meets an assortment of characters including Louisa, a woman her age but childish and selfish in comparison; Rosie who is Louisa's grandmother and who is dying from cancer and Jack, Louisa's former lover with whom Diana falls in love. The hope that it represents is everything.
Terrific writing. Loved the pacing.
This book deals with powerful issues but with a deftness of touch that is rare and wonderful.

Once in a while you stumble upon a book that touches something inside you and causes you to dig deep inside yourself and reflect on life.

Cranberry Queen was one such book. I picked it up over a year ago but just got around to reading it. The story centers on a woman re-adjusting her life after a horrible car accident. (She wasn't in it, but her entire family was.) The back of the book just mentions an accident, not what it was, etc, but it's all about recovery, and it had been so long since I'd gotten it, that I completely forgotten the publisher's blurb. The entire family-- her parents and brother, are killed by a drunk driver while driving to a "meet the parents" dinner with his new fiancé's folks.

What it did, while I read along as she re-created her life and her world, was to examine mine...to open up those dark fears in the corner of my mind and let them air out, so that they could be safely tucked away again. Worries have to be examined periodically, or else they become the stuff of nightmares.

Anyhow, this book encouraged some soul seraching on my part, and to my mind, that's one of the marks of a good book.

I've become a huge Tom Perrotta fan and have read everything he's written. Joe College is my favorite of the lot. Perrotta can be funny and touching at the same time, which is no mean feat. Characters are exceedingly well drawn and the dialogue sparkles. By the first ten pages of the book, you don't even care about the plot -- you just want to know these great characters better. Highly recommend!!

"Joe College" is a typically humorous coming-of-age tale, the twist (or, rather, hook) being that the main character, Princeton undergrad Danny, has to spend his spring break driving Dad's lunch wagon in working-class Jersey. The basic themes inherent in this coming-of-age story have been done time and time again, and the characters (to give you an idea of what I mean, Amazon calls some of them "instantly recognizable undergrad eccentrics") are no different. Imagine the secondary characters in Dead Poet's Society/School Ties/Scent of a Woman together in one story, and conspicuously littered with pieces of 80's pop culture.

That being said, Perrotta's numerous witticisms and sharp observations make the book an interesting light read. His prose is easy and fluid, his style personal and funny. The frequent dialogue is skillfully and naturally written. Overall, "Joe College" is a youthful summer romp masquerading as an emotional think-piece, and it would have made a better movie. Perrotta's stories make good movies (good within their own contexts) and it'd be nice to see him do more writing for screen.

If you like this style of novel and story, then perhaps read "Mall" by Eric Bogosian or other books by that author. Bogosian is different in approach and style, but reads just as fast and explores similar contemporary, everyday characters in everyday themes, however darker ones. I'd say that Bogosian's writing along similar lines is far more emotionally impacting and generally more interesting in structure and style than Perrotta, who tries to achieve the same effect but comes off a little too sweet.

Tom Perrotta is a gifted writer. "Joe College" is a pretty good book that centers on a working class youth from New Jersey who attends Yale.

The book focuses primarily on the class struggle of the protagonist Danny, who doesn't quite fit in with the trust fund kids of Yale or his ambitionless, working class friends from his hometown. The book does a good job of highlighting college life from Spring Break to work study jobs to dangling multiple romantic interests at one time. Perrotta's greatest gift is that he can insert a minor character, a line or dialogue, or an image that will remind you of what it was like growing up.

The book has a few flaws--for instance, the Danny character doesn't overcome his obstacles, instead, they solve themselves leaving him off the hook. Also, while it is easy to identify with Danny, he does have a few traits that make him somewhat unlikeable. This may also leave you thinking at the end of the story, "what was the point?"

However, it is still a very good book. Looking at Perrotta's other works, "Bad Haircut" is still his best book. "Election," which isn't as good as the Alexander Payne movie, is funny, structurally brilliant, and a quick read at around 200 pages. "Little Children" is decent but not as good as critics have said. "The Wishbones" is entertaining, but it is, by far, the weakest of his books.

Fans of Perotta won't be disappointed with this novel. Perotta knows his material well (like our main character Danny, Perotta went to Yale, and I suspect he's probably from New Jersey, too), and he creates vivid characters that become a part of the reader's life. Danny is a privileged college student on one hand, but he works his dad's lunch truck and earns his keep in the college cafeteria, too. Readers are in for a glimpse at both ends of the class spectrum as Danny tries to balance his school and his economic background. The plot has been summarized well in other reviews, so there's no need for me to go into it, but suffice it to say that anyone who enjoys good literature will become involved with the characters in this book.

Anyone who enjoyed this book will like Perrotta's other works. The Wishbones is most like this novel, but Little Children is my personal favorite (it deals with people about ten years older than those in Joe College and The Wishbones).

Tom Perrotta has proven that he is a witty and observant wordsmith, crafting tales that are subversive and insightful without seeming to be either all at once. "Joe College" is a purely adolescent romp through college and dorm life, the not-quite-so-real world before you must face reality and become an adult. That is the central concept that the main character Danny must face as we follow him during his junior year at Yale.

Danny is from a working middle-class family who feels obligated to his dad for scrimping and saving so he could attend a college that may be slightly out of his league. The past summer he helped his dad out at his new job, a drive-around lunch truck called the Roach Coach, and will take over at the reigns during spring break while his dad is incapacitated. Danny cannot reconcile his life back home with his life at Yale, feeling that he only fits in with his band of misfit roommates and friends, yearning desperately after the cliche pretty girl who is dating one of their professors. As spring break approaches, Danny fervently tries to avoid his "girlfriend" from back home, an unlikely hookup that may spell certain disaster for all of his future plans.

"Joe College" is a lighthearted, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny read, but it falls flat towards the end. Readers will find themselves vacillating between liking Danny (like when he stands up to certain mafioso-type thugs who want to push his dad out of business) and just wishing he would grow up already. His dilemma is that of a man choosing to grow up or remain immature, but by the end of the novel, no decision seems to have been made in a narrative that just seems to ... stop with no resolution. Perrotta is a gifted writer, vividly bringing to life certain early eighties' sentiments and frustrations without it seeming like mere nostalgia. If only his main character were a little more well-combined, "Joe College" might be an Ivy League read.

This is one of the few books that have made me laugh hysterically and then caused me to cry twice - first after the revelation of the meaning of the mysterious "Live Ash Circle" and then at the end. This book is hard to explain - in the "retelling" of the story of Charles and Diana it makes you sad for the fairy tale that should have been but wasn't - not only in their lives but maybe in our own.

If you read Helprin in the past and enjoyed him, be warned that this book is entirely different and that might be why others who are familiar with him don't like this book. Since reading F&F I have read "Tales from an Antproof Case" and have tried to read "Winter's Tale." Antproof was OK if you like reading short stories told out of order that eventually resolve into a story, after four starts I still have not been able to get through Tale - F&F was a much more easy read for me than both. Also, if you don't like British humor along the lines of Monty Python, this won't be for you. I, for one, was sorry to see the hardcover edition in the BN value section this year.

This superb satire is seriously funny and charming. I found myself just driving around to complete a chapter -- even with the price of gas!

Terribly funny, charming and delightful and ultimately moving. My favorite part is when our hero and heroine go Jamaican. A series of absurd adventures. Not for those who require a believable story.

Alright. Yes, it's long. And yes, a lot of it could have been cut. And yeah, a lot of it doesn't seem to fit together too well--Freddy and Fredericka go from washing dishes to running a presidential campaign to fighting forest fires. And it did get annoying, when Freddy kept giving enormous monologues about how gorgeous Fredericka was.

But this book is also absolutely worth it.

You probably already know the basic plot. Freddy and Fredericka, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are pretty much a disgrace to their country. In light of this, a very old man claiming to be a worker in a sex-toy factory sends them off to America to reconquer the colonies. In the process, the spoiled little monarchs learn about dignity and love.

There are bits of this book that made me absolutely hysterical with laughter. Most of them were to do with Freddy's ridiculous antics, which ranged from chasing tennis balls through the streets absolutely naked to running aroung England chasing down his wife's dog, Fuh-Kyu. Yeah. A lot of the humor revolves around verbal misunderstandings, such as when "who's sane," is mistaken for "Hussein." If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I'd skip it; the book doesn't have too much to offer besides humor.

For a book about the British monarchy I was also surprised at how much the book seemed like one giant love song to America. Before their trip to the states, Freddy and Fredericka are one big, spoiled, pampered, isolated mess. In the US, they learn about hard work, respecting "the peasants," and the beauty of nature. There are actually fairly large sections dedicated to describing the natural beauty of the US.

But maybe that's because there were large sections of the book describing absolutely *everything*. This book could definitely have used a better editor. At times, I had to push myself to keep reading. But I'm glad I did, because there was always another fun part at the end of all the dullness.

If you're a fan of the monarchy, need a laugh, and can manage to plow through parts that don't interest you, you'll love this book. Otherwise, you may want to think twice. I enjoyed it, but it was a long haul.

This was a good book due to Helprin's obvious intelligence in constructing a fierce and humorous political and class satire. This novel skewers western politics and society. Freddy & Fredericka was laugh out loud funny in many parts. While not one who minds lengthy tomes, this one could have been a tad bit shorter for my liking. By the end of the 500+ pages I was a bit tired of Freddy & Fredericka, despite their charm and humorous exploits. Overall, a smart and extremely funny novel.

l have to make a confession, l loved this book! Jim McGreevey is proof that with hard work and dedication, any boy can grow up to be Queen of New Jersey. This gets my vote.

A "confession" is an admission of wrongdoing, or, a statement of beliefs. Was his secret ("a gay American") known to insiders? Only the public was kept ignorant by the corporate media (else it would have surfaced in election time). JEM was adept in living his secret life, so this book has his self-serving statements. Politicians, like actors, live to fool the public to get their votes and money (p.5). JEM's early life was training to be "a perfect child" (p.23). Did he read too much (p.24)? Was he a fastidious dresser (p.25). Why didn't he fit in (p.28)? Was he precocious (p.36)? Were people secretly spying on him (p.38)? JEM knew his future (p.42). JEM backed Nixon (p.52)! JEM's admission of homosexuality could not have been a shocking surprise to those who knew him. Aren't party bosses and patronage a continuation of the feudal system (p.84)? Isn't that how corporations operate? The purpose of any government is to control the economy. Political power leads to wealth (p.85). Is a "strong governorship" a symptom of corruption that leads to high taxes (p.92)? JEM doesn't tell how the Kean campaign smeared Shapiro because he married a divorced woman (p.111). Did Merck buy him a seat in the NJ Assembly (p.112)? Chapters 8 and 9 give JEM's views about local politics. Florio's tax increase was "a bitter pill" because it extended and raised the sales tax.

As mayor of Woodbridge JEM borrowed $42 million from politically connected underwriters (p.134). The Florio gun ban violated the "ex post facto" clause in the Constitution (p.142). JEM seems confused about politics, business, and self-interest (p.143)! Did Woodbridge really have "six, seven feet of snow" "month after month" (p.145)? The solution for high electricity prices is municipal-owned utilities (p.151). Big insurance companies drove up costs (p.158). Did Whitman loot NJ and cause high property taxes (p.161)? JEM's "punishing" schedule implies a lack of delegation (p.172). Does his meeting with Golan Cipel sound funny (p.209)? That detailed knowledge sounds like a set-up by an intelligence service to acquire an asset. Politics is business (pp.205-206). The job of governor is "very rewarding" (p.207). Who double-crossed JEM (p.208)? "The biggest hypocrite in the world"? Pages 209-211 provides news that is censored by the Media. Are voters that naive (p.213)? Was Golan an adventurer (p.214)? JEM named his biggest contributor to the Port Authority (p.224), but that was not a payback.

"Cooking the books" to create a budget shortfall for the new governor isn't new (p.242). The result of a "strong governor"? Reduced corporate taxes? Personalities affect politics (p.244). "It was a big error in judgment" (p.248). Can any governor have a "secret life" (p.250)? JEM blames his faults on his security detail (p.252)! Was JEM "a bad judge of character" (p.270) or a "machine politician off the assembly line" (p.269)? Did people love JEM like he loved himself (p.270)? Chapter 14 is most revealing about the intrigues of the ruling class. JEM tries to explain away his use of the code word "Machiavelli" (p.280). Did a fixer procure women for JEM? NJ politicians hug each other to check for a hidden recording device (p.292)! What did JEM do about "auto insurance" (p.295)? New developments lead to rising taxes (p.296). Charles Kushner paid NY spooks for that sex blackmail (p.300). Were Federal laws broken? JEM's final crisis was a suit for sexual harassment (p.304). Why did he have to resign (p.322)? Why does JEM need punishment (p.324)? Do other politicians resign over a sex scandal when no laws were broken (p.327)? JEM's sins are also pride and vanity (p.336). JEM's "reform" made the political bosses more powerful (p.337)! Awarding contracts to political supporters is how government works by nature. JEM's skills could make him a talk show host. It worked for Jerry Springer and other lawyers.

What's the Big Deal?


McGreevy, James. "The Confession". Regan Books, 2006

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

I don't know how any of you feel about James McGreevy, the former governor of New Jersey who will be remembered for time immortal by making that famous statement, "My truth is that I am a gay American." I, personally, do not think much of him but I wanted to read his book to see what he had to say.
In August, 2004 McGreevy made history when he made that public statement and then immediately resigned from public office. The story was big news and the statement he made was heard around the world. Yet his statement merely opened the door a tad to a very complex and international human and public political drama. In "My Confession" McGreevy attempts to set the record "straight" about his life of "ambition, money, compromise and redemption. Truthfully I was not impressed. Sure, I read the book just as all of us do. But a book is just printed words upon a page. No matter how erudite McGreevy is I found the book not to be an answer for a life gone astray.
As a child, McGreevy never knew the word "want". Although he was the son of working class parents, he was a striver and a doer. He considered the priesthood but decided upon politics as a life goal. By the time he was 36 years old he had won 3 elections and then became the governor of New Jersey at a young age. Yet there was something here that was not quite honest. During his adult life he had been forced to suppress an aspect of his life that prevented him from being complete. Worst than that was the fact that he lied to himself. The fact that he knew he was gay caused him to live a life in the closet since living as a straight man was the only option a politician could have. (Really, McGreevy, you can't be so naïve as to believe that). What happened was that he split himself in two--living as a straight man on one hand and as a tormented gay man on the other. Politicians supposedly demand ethical behavior (right George W?) and that ethical behavior involved cut -throat political tactics and shady backroom deals. He says, "Political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned to keep myself innocent of them". (At least until he got caught). The political triumphs of his term as governor did not last and he was haunted by the sins of his staff. It took a disgruntled lover to threaten to expose him to bring him to his senses. It was only then that he could accept himself for who he was.
Some call the book a memoir of coming out. I am not sure I agree that this is a coming out story. In fact, I am not quite sure what this book is. It is extremely readable but it is not as exciting as we were wont to expect. As McGreevy tries to forge the rift between his public persona and his private life in the shadows, he comes out and does so with a great deal of support.
The book is written with style and grace---would we expect less from a "gay American"? It supposedly honest and it does give insight on being a political figure. What he does tell in this book that we did not know before was that he did not tell the federal government of a $50 million extortion plot against him because he was afraid that it would expose his secret life. It seems as if this plot was hatched by a former male lover. The book also goes into great details of his inner battles with his gayness, his double life as a twice married man with children and his political rise. He gives his side to the story of how we had sex with the man whom he alleges blackmailed him and this sexual liaison took place while his second wife was in the hospital delivering their new daughter.
His account of how he and his blackmailer had sex on the day after Christmas 2001 is hot and heavy. "We undressed and he kissed me. It was the first time in my life that a kiss meant what it was supposed to mean---it sent me through the roof...I pulled him to the bed and we made love like I'd always dreamed: a boastful, passionate, masculine kind of love." And then this guy whom he made love with, this Golan Cipel was appointed to be in charge of New Jersey's counter terrorism efforts even though he had no experience and has claimed over and over that he is not gay. The lover and his non gay friend continued their affair and McGreevy's wife even confronted him about his sexuality and he decided to say nothing about it. Two years later Cipel told McGreevy that he had told his parents that they had had an affair and demanded to see him. McGreevy said no and Cipel told him, "If I don't see you I am going to begin to take action." McGreevy decided at that point that he had to go public and when telling his wife, her response was, "Where are you going to live?" His father simply said, "You make a choice Jim--Coke or Pepsi...why don't you make your choice?" McGreevy answered, "Dad, I've known my whole life. This is who I am."
Today, after all of this dirty laundry has been done so publicly, McGreevy has accepted himself and is working as an educational consultant and lives in New Jersey with his millionaire partner, Mark O'Donnell.
Now it is my turn to do a little laundry. I do not begrudge McGreevy a good life but what I want to know is why he needs all the hoopla and attention from the national media. I am sure that there are many other stories like his that need to be told and would better serve the needs of the gay community. He, after all, has a very good job and has a millionaire for a lover. Some in the gay community are lauding McGreevy for his honesty and courage and there are those that are calling him a role model. Likewise there are many of us who are just reveling in his gossip and having a really good sneer about the whole affair. McGreevy was forced to accept himself and come out because of blackmail and scandal. When he did come out, he did not do so nobly and he should not be regarded as a hero. It made me ill to see Oprah, a strong champion of gay rights, hug him and her audience show him love. Did his coming out made it any better for anyone than he himself? Did he pay a price for coming out? Sure, he lost his job but was he punished in any way for betraying the oath of office which he had committed himself to? Did he not risk the safety of the people of New Jersey buy giving an important security post to an unqualified "trick" in exchange for sexual favors? Today he is living with a multi millionaire financier in a million dollar mansion of 17 rooms in New Jersey and is becoming a celebrity. Let him have a good life--we all deserve that, but let us not forget how he got there.
Is he good for the gay community? What we see now when we look at his life story is incompetence, corruption, blackmail, adultery, arrogance, exploitation and promiscuity. Are these the qualities our role models should have? Others see his pain and suffering, his sad life in the closet and the courage to come out and deal with the past. These are the things that make books sell. The Oprah show and the hype about the book will increase sales and we, the gay community are dragged yet again though another dirty, sleazy, shabby, shady, disgusting soap opera.. I think that we, as a community, have a responsibility and an obligation to not just question McGreevy's book, "The Confession" but to do so aggressively. Is it indeed a coming out story? I think it is just a self serving apology from another corrupt politician who is banking on the fact that he is "a gay American."
In closing, I must state that the book is good--well written, easy to read and extremely interesting. However, the subject matter leaves a great deal to be desired and I am just amazed at those of us who can't call an elephant an elephant. My inner self tells me that as corrupt as he appears in the book, he has not really cleaned up his act. The fact that he wrote this book tells me that. What makes it so hard to review is that it is a good book but then the Brothers Grimm also wrote a good book--one of fairy tales.

i have never actually responded to what the reviewer's are saying about a book, but i am now. how the hell did this piece of crap get a high rating. are people that off base that a clear right and wrong is that hard to see.
this guy is a dirtbag. he lied to just about everyone, used his office to get a job for his lover, and only fessed up when he was caught. it's assinine to excuse this behavior because he was conflicted about being gay. regardless of your race, sexual orientation, religion, or environment, unless you have a gun pointed to your head, you have free will. this guy did have a choice to be honest, and he DIDN'T.
also, he not only put his life in danger but the life of his unborn child. condoms are NOT a 100% gaurantee against STDs and HIV. I know there are some that buy into that myth, but it's the truth. Many STDs are are now showing up that are resistant to antibiotics. STDs can cause blindness and mental retardation in babies. HIV is still mutating and advancing through our population. The drugs out their prolong the life, but that's a far cry from a cure.
anyone who endorses this kind of behavior is just stupid. this guy is scum. being gay does not excuse that. safety, honesty, and some kind of moral compass trump that. right is STILL right. i could care less who you are. all human beings should be held to the same standard. ALL. NO EXCEPTIONS.

It took me a long time to buy both of the books, I'm glad I did...
Bravo Jim McGreevy & Forbidden Love with a Married Man: E-mail Diaries by Dennis Schleicher, you both are brave men by telling us all your stories. Memoir's like this and other's like "Forbidden Love with a Married Man; E-mail Diaries" by Dennis J. Schleicher, "The Other Man," show men remaining closeted that heterosexually marrying will continue until society hears from these individuals. As you both experience an emotional time all who read your stories will understand the circumstances you both face as Gay American's. I would love to see more press on you this and will buy any sequel's you both do. Thank you Dennis for you support in my own Coming-Out and helping me to read "The Confession."

Best of luck,

Craig Davis
Boston, MA.

Richard Price may not be a household name, but you probably know him for his screenplays: Clockers, The Color of Money, Sea of Love, Mad Dog and Glory, and the recent redo of Shaft. The Bronx-born author has also written numerous novels, most of them about working-class life in hard-bitten urban locales: housing projects, subway stations, inner-city high schools.
His latest novel, "Samaritan," is about a man who has skyrocketed out of the projects to success, but can't seem keep himself from going back. Ray Mitchell, now a wealthy screenwriter, has returned from Los Angeles to New Jersey, in part to be nearer to his adolescent daughter, Judy, in part to escape his cocaine habit. But he's also come back to excavate something from his own background in the dismal, crime-infested Hopewell housing projects. And upon his return, how is he welcomed? He wakes up in a hospital bed after having his head smashed in by an unknown assailant. He insists that he remembers nothing of what happened.
The novel's other half concerns Nerese Ammons, a black cop about to retire. She would like to leave her job with a bang by solving a case that's meaningful to her. And Ray Mitchell's assault turns out to be meaningful because, as she discovers through a happy coincidence, she grew up with Ray in Hopewell. "Samaritan's" plot proceeds with Nerese's work at solving the crime by patiently interviewing the people in Mitchell's life, starting with his casual acquaintances, and then narrowing down to his intimate friends and lovers, like a hawk circling on its prey.
As with most mystery stories, Nerese's most likely suspects (and the reader's) shift from character to character, from disadvantaged but likeable high school kids, to a group of unusual houseguests noticed by Richard's neighbor, to the husband of Ray's illicit lover, Danielle.
The story's somewhat complex plot structure is worth mentioning. Not only do the chapters alternate, switching from Ray's story to that of Nerese, but we also alternate between the present narrative and a series of flashbacks that gradually fill us in on how things managed to get where they are. Toward the end, the result is sort of like watching as a blurry digitized picture gradually comes into sharp, clean focus.
But more than plot, it is the characters who gradually become precise and clear. As the novelist E.M. Forster once remarked, with rueful irony, about the public's demand for a novel to have a plot: "Yes--oh, yes--the novel tells a story." The fact is that Samaritan, despite its plot's clever machinations, is ultimately about characters and how they evolve--or in some cases don't.
Ray's surface motivation, we discover, is to prove to those people who are still stuck in the ghetto that he "got out". And he proves this through philanthropy, hence the novel's title. He lends money to people in need, or gives it to them right out, and he knows they won't pay him back.
And by engaging in this process, he manages to sink back into the very same ghetto, entangling himself into the lives of the project-dwellers. Through his generosity, Ray becomes a martyr, in the negative sense of the word. A doormat. If he can't be loved by the people who he lends money to, then he can at least feel morally superior to them, which is the martyr's deeper motivation.
Finally, the novel's purpose seems to be the exposé of a type, the Samaritan who hopes to gain something in return for his generosity, whether it is respect, dependency, sex or love.
And if "Samaritan" is a novel about character, Richard Price delivers these characters to the reader through his strongest suit: realistic dialogue. He captures masterfully the spoken language of inner city characters no matter their age or ethnicity, whether poor black teenagers, privileged white teenagers, or world-weary cops. As the rappers would put it, he "makes it real."
On the other hand, during moments of run of the mill narrative, which any novel requires, sometimes Price's writing is downright lazy. When he's working to get a character from one place to another, or to depict a characters thoughts and feelings, the sentences are often written summarily, with no attention to rhythm, precision, variety, sound, or even intelligibility. Take this whopper, for example: "But, overcome by an embarrassed surliness as he found himself recalling the semi-euphoric flush of altruism that he had experienced in lessening degrees on each of the kid's previous cash-themed visits, Ray refused to bite." Did you have to read it twice? There's a difference between complexity and perplexity. A good editor might have cleaned up some of these train wrecks.
Whoppers aside, "Samaritan" is a compelling novel. It paints an unsentimental but humane portrait of life in the housing projects, draws us into a complex and interesting plot, and adeptly explores the theme of being addicted to performing charitable good deeds in order to win love. Perhaps most significantly, "Samaritan" introduces us to a couple of well-drawn and memorable characters. Don't be surprised if Richard Price's name shows up again in the credits when it's made into a movie.
See more writings of a literary nature at www.maninquotes@blogspot.com

I first read Richard Price's "The Wanderers" in the 70's several years before Philip Kaufman's excellent film adaptation. It remains one of my favorite all time books, and none of his works since then have compared to that early novel."The Wanderers" differs from his later work in that the characterizations are less drawn out, but no less interesting, and it is perhaps his most humorous work. Where Price excells is his mastery of creating urban street people . I believe he is a far better writer than George Pellacanos who has a similar reputation with his work. I am planning to read the highly praised "Lush Life" very soon, but decided to catch up on Price by reading this novel first. Other than the aforementioned "Lush Life" and "Freedomland", I have read all his other published work. I am not sure I will ever read "Freedomland" having wasted 2 hours of my life sitting through what had to be one of the 20 worst films adapted from a novel that I have ever seen.

Samaritan is a decent mystery that is enhanced by Price's deep characterizations and gritty dialogue. I personally solved the mystery rather early on, but at the same time I found some of the characters less than totally believable. The protaginist Ray Mitchell was richly drawn, but at the end of the day,I just did not believe in the guy. He was overall a bit too weird. The other main character, a detective named Nerese was far more believable if for no other reason that she embraced a lot more of the typical big city detective close to retirement features that we as readers and film watchers have come to expect. The novel is a bit of a page turner and I read it very quickly. You would not be making a bad choice if you decide to curl up with "Samaritan" for a couple of days, but Price has done better.

- - that I picked up. The first was excellent, the second even better. And, now, I'm only on page 28.... that's all.... and this, I can tell already, is another amazing piece'o'work! So damned BELIEVABLE.... Richard Price is an extraordinary talent.
And, now, if you'll pardon me, Ray and Tweetie are there, in the hospital - - - -

For my taste, Richard Price writes the best dialogue today. It's his ear, his phrasing, the way he must listen to real people talking. I ask many other writer friends too and we all just shrug our shoulders and say "go figure" because nobody else does it like he does. The dialogue resonates so well that everything else springboards from there -- and the idea of Samaritan, so well described in the other reviews posted here, is terrific. When you stop and think of the instances and times within the book where somebody tries to help somebody else, well, this would be a delicious book group discussion. I loved the ending, too. I thought the structure of the book was brilliant, switching back and forth between the Nerese and Ray. I liked the setting, the way Price works in background and context for the characters, and the interesting question the book poses, right from the get-go.

Poorly written book that had me tripping over grammatical errors and awkward transitions. Not worth it.

I found this book very jarring. It skips around from story to story, sometimes getting deeply involved in a person only to utterly dismiss them. The author constantly builds tension and then disappoints. (He actually has a wordy story of a woman who went to the beach and then came home with a sunburn.)

A bigger problem is how fast and loose he plays with facts. Besides anthropomorphizing "the shark" a little too much, he gets an increasing number of "facts" wrong (the most hilarious of which is that the nostrils are below the mouth--did the guy even look at a picture of a great white?) He also makes the very weird assumption that all the attacks are a single shark. Based on what? Why even assume they were all shark attacks? Even if they all were a single shark, why a great white shark when other explanations make a whole lot more sense?

Toward the end, the author clearly made so much stuff up, I stopped believing any of it and begin to question the veracity of the entire book. I strongly suspect that were I to do a modicum of research, many "facts" early in the book would quickly fall apart.

In the end, this book is a mess. I still gave it two stars since it wasn't absolutely horrible as a work of fiction. And, oddly, it probably could have worked extremely well as a book of fiction--at the very least he could have stuck with a smaller set of characters.

Teriffic book for teens. I bought it for my son but I could not put it down.

I bought this book for my teenage son as a summer read. He threw out the book after reading 70 pages without coming to a shark attack. After this I started reading the book and was hugely disappointed. The author seems to have just cut-and-pasted a lot of 1916 era trivia from archives of local newspapers and then threw in a couple paragraphs about shark attacks to make the book sell. On the other hand, if you want to learn 1916 era trivia this is a good book.

What I liked the best is the descriptions of the shark attacks were detailed, but not graphic.

My son is into sharks at the moment, so this book was perfect. While it retells the story of the Great White Shark on our East Coast with lots os sequential details, there are enough "shark attacks" described to keep the kids interested.

We skipped around.

Pictures are boring, but we bought it for the shark attack retellings.

The author's detail in his research makes this book easy to follow. From describing the presidential vacation homes (Seven US Presidents are known to have vacationed on the Jersey Shore), the dress fashions of 1916, the pre-World War I fervor, the behaviors of the great white shark, and the overall ignorance of sharks we had back then gives this book a great backdrop. Beach goers were just then "taking it off" and strolling through the waters, and the author described the long, skin-fitting suits the men work resembling the blubbery outlines of the shark's favorite meal: the sea lion.

The book doesn't go into great detail of each attack, but of the reactions from the towns and mediafolk to each attack. "Sea Monsters" was still a commonality as we knew so little about sharks, proper first aid, and back in 1916 we didn't understand the true powers of the shark.

The author doesn't waste time describing people in this book who do not play a role in the shark attacks. After reading a few chapters one quickly knows that each victim is meticulously profiled; we then know that person will be the shark's next intended meal. This takes away from the suspense. The most gripping parts are the paragraphs describing the shark's tactics as it closes in on its prey.

I was living in New Jersey when this book was released and it was a sensation all across the state and in particular along the beautiful Jersey Shore. The towns described still stand--only Asbury Park is in ruins now--but the others like Spring Creek, Beach Haven, Sea Girt, Deal, Ocean Grove still profit from their beaches.

I do no recommend this as beach-side reading though. You just never know what lingers in those ocean waters!

Provided the tool I needed to use to write my paper and that was the purpose of the purchase.

You can set your own standard and demand respect when you follow this style of writing. It will make you shine at any university.

The book was recommended by a professor at my university. I found it to be a nice addition to my collection of background for doctoral style writing. It is in a nice format like an index or outline and easy to follow as a reference when writing.

While excellent in its own right, the 15th Edition Chicago Manual contains all this work's information and then some. Indeed, the Chicago Manual is more extensive, detailed, and useful in general. Don't bother with this one if you have any heavy writing to do.

Very helpful, clear, concise, and easy to use.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved the movie. For me it was one more step to tracking down the man, the legend. This is a wonderful book for anyone to read, from juveniles through senior citizens. The justice that eventually prevailed is of the feel good sort. It was such an incredible coming together of so many elements. I think that it should be included on recommended booklists in middle and elementary schools.

I have read both this and Rubin Carter's own The 16th Round. There are some things that I believe on both sides of the story. I do believe that Rubin did have a violent juvenile past, and was an angry man. Yet, if a person who is facing oppression on a daily basis i'm sure you would tend to have violent tendancies as well; it's easy to make statements about a man's life when we are in a prosperous 21st century and not in the 1940 - 1950's. I do agree that the film does cut out the large part of Rubin's transformation from a violent individual to a more spiritual one.

I am a young Australian who is not of the age to be around when Rubin Carter was set free. This case was so badly stuck together it provides a good look at the judicial system considering it kept an innocent man in jail for 19 years.

And one of the most insulting facts of the case was that when Rubin was set free from jail in 1985, he was set free because of the biased and racial case that was built before him. NOT because he didn't do the crime. Makes me aggrovated.

If you want a book that will open your mind and make you think independently, then buy this and the 16th Round straight away.

I read this book and then saw the movie. This is a familiar formula for disappointment. The book is much better and richer than the movie. The movie portrays Carter as some kind of saint, deeply-principled, who is railroaded by the justice system. As the book reveals, Carter was a deeply troubled individual during the 1960's. Carter was a very angry person who seemed to antagonize authority. He was also an alcoholic and had selfish, chauvanistic attitudes towards women. These traits are overlooked in the film. In fact, the movie shows Carter a suave, kind person. The filmmakers probably skipped these aspects of Carter because they wanted the viewers to like Carter and root for him. In reality, Carter didn't seem a likeable person.
HOWEVER, the fact that Carter was a troubled, angry person doesn't mean he's guilty of murder. Some people seem to invest their dislike of "hollywood justice" and the "cause celeb" aura surrounding this case, into convicting Carter for the murders. Don't confuse the issues. Carter was not a saint but he's still entitled to justice. Part of this book is the story of the unraveling of the prosecutor's case. As a federal district court found, the prosecutors withheld vital evidence from the defense - evidence which the defense was legally entitled to. The prosecutors also resorted to prejudice during the trial to persuade the jury of Carter's guilt. This is the so-called racial revenge theory advanced by the prosecution.
The other important and most fascinating part of the book is the transformation of the man. During his prison sentence, Carter transforms himself, with the help of others, from an angry, troubled individual to a much kinder and complete human being. The movie, by overlooking Carter's bad traits, robs the viewer of this incredible growth of one person.
My advice is to skip the movie and read this excellent book.

The life of Rubin Carter is certainly worth reading about regardless of what side of the debate you are on. Many people feel passionate about both his innocence and guilt. This book may help the reader decide for himself or herself, but it obviously has an innocent slant to it which the author makes known and makes no apologies.

The story as many of you know involved the conviction of Rubin Carter and John Artis for a triple murder that took place at a bar in Patterson, NJ. The men always maintained their innocence much to the chagrin of prosecutors. Whether Rubin did this crime or not is besides the question considering he got released from a Federal Court over a writ of habeas corpus issue. The court did not rule on whether he was guilty or innocent even though he had been convicted twice before for the triple murders. The Supreme Court judge that decided to overturn the convictions cited a "racial revenge" motive and prosecutorial withhlding of information as reasons to overturn the case. Therefore, after many intense struggles with personal demons and many years in prison Rubin Carter was released a free man. The book recounts his troubled life as a juvenile, his violent temper, his prize-fighting boxing days, and his many years spent in different prison institutions. Apparently while in prison Carter transformed these former attributes by personal study and reflection. He found some people from a Canadian commune to help go to battle for him and eventually won his freedom. It's a powerful story with a few problem areas. One problem area is that there are so many legal meanderings throughout the book that you begin to feel as if you are undertaking a tedious chore sorting through all of it. You lose the zest and earnest interest you first had when you started the book. The other problem area is it's obviously a very opinionated book meant to portray Carter as an innocent man wronged by the system. However, after reading about Carter's past, his media provoking of local authorities, and his temper, I came away feeling very ambivalent. Whereas, I expected to become totally convinced of his innocence I began to feel I wasn't for sure. Nevertheless, it's a compelling story if you can get past the legal "John Grisham" feel of the book.

Rubin Carter continues to fight to this day to overcome the hardness and emotional devastation he had thrust upon him while in prison. We learn that while he is thankful to be out he still has a long way to go to live the life he yearns for. To put to rest the demons bothering him (such as alcohol) and to be able to trust people is one of the great challenges he faces. One can only hope that justice was served in this instance and that he picks up what he has left of his life and makes the most of it.

Before I read this bio my only knowledge of the Hurricane case was from what other's had told me. Based on that I always felt the guy was probably framed. After reading this bio, I feel he was probably guilty.

By the first third of this book I found myself not liking Carter. It seemed obvious to me that this was a very angry and violent man who was also very dishonest. This book attempts to make a martyr of a man who seemed like trouble even before he was convicted of the alleged murder. It also attempts to explain away every bad thing this man did (and there were many) by trying to make him look like the victim.

The author nor Carter never once admit to any wrong doing on Carter's part regardless of what it may be. If just ONCE Carter had taken responsibility for some of his nasty behavior and poor dealings with other folk, I may have had a more open mind. But this is a blatant attempt at reaching for excuses for every thing that went wrong in his life. Carter and the author want everybody to believe that Carter was the victim of frame-ups, conspiracies, and racism at every turn in his life. I was not convinced.

The pattern that I found apparent in Carter's personality is that he only opened up to folks who could give him something he wanted and once he got it, he changed his personable and trusting come-on and threw them on the scrap heap. Often rationalizing his using of those who helped him by twisting it into some delusional offense against him. The best I can say for Carter is that he struck me as a very cunning con-man who ultimatley beat the system by using people for his own needs until he was portrayed in the main stream media as a martyr and a victim. I no longer buy into that portyrayel after reading this book.

Mr. Kreidler opens his book with a six page description of a home run. This is worthy of comment in itself. Anyone can describe a home run in one page, or even a single sentence, but to be able to devote six pages to it is an accomplishment to be admired. Unfortunately, the rest of the book does not live up to this early promise. Problems are apparent from the beginning. The sentence structure is difficult at times. Some are almost magical but others leave you reading and re-reading, trying to make out who is the subject of the sentence, or what, exactly, is taking place on the field. Who is doing what to whom?

Baseball is an easy thing to love. It is in our blood from the time we are little. If Major League Baseball has become jaded and bloated on its riches, and shown disdain for what is sacred, Little League Baseball is untarnished, without taint and innocent of the sins of its bigger brother. But Mr. Kreidler somehow manages to make the game uninteresting and the youngsters who accomplished so much, unsympathetic. I found it hard to care, as I read, what happened. There is no magic in this account, and there should be.

I suppose my expectations were unrealistic. I looked for the poetry of Bull Durham or The Natural. If you look for the same, you will not find it here. This is more of a wordy newspaper article than the work of near-poetry the subject deserves. I hope you will get more out of it than I did.

Six Good Innings is an average book, and unfortunately for the author, it's about an average baseball team. The book was doomed from the start because of its subject matter, the 2007 Toms River Little League All-Star team.

Books like this succeed when one of two elements is present: (1) the team is outrageously successful and wins a championship; or (2) the team is made up of compelling personalities that drive the narrative. Six Good Innings features neither of these elements.

Without spoiling the plot, there isn't a whole lot to get excited about here.

And the personalities are either exceptionally bland, or the author has buried the personalities for the sake of his story.

Most significantly, what is missing, and what could make this a compelling book, is a discussion of at what price these teams seek success. Is this level of commitment, pressure, tension, and demand appropriate for a group of seventh-graders? Frankly, if the book questioned the role ESPN has played in this development, treating seventh-graders like another piece of content to fill airtime, that would have been interesting. Given the author's employment by ESPN, such a discussion seemed unlikely from the start.

The author also glossed over the role the parents played, and the lessons that were taught to these young athletes in this "win-at-all-costs" endeavor.

All in all, the book was an average read about an average team. Nothing more, nothing less.

I live north of Toms River, so when this book was offered for review, I couldn't wait to review it. Kreidler is obviously going for a "Friday Night Lights" feel for his book, but one reason that book is such a classic is that you feel the effect of the sport on the town and how the people basically live their lives through the fortunes of the team. But Mark Kridler pretty much sticks to the various games themselves here, and the fact that he tends to jump back and forth through the years is distancing to the reader. But if you have a kid who enjoys/plays baseball, this is a good addition to their baseball shelf.

Six Good Innings is a fantastic book that sheds new insight into the Toms River baseball dynasty. The backgrounds, pressures and blunt opinions of former coaches, current players and Toms River residents blends wonderfully to showcase how athletic success can lead to unrealistic expectations. A must read for any parent looking to get into athletics.

The book traces the story of a little league all star team that is gunning for the world series. I won't give away the ending. The setup is that several teams from this town in NJ have gone to the world series in the past and one even won it all. So its as credible a program as any for having a shot.

About 2/3 of the book is the setup -- background of the past teams that have made it, stories of their insane practice schedule and about little league. The last 1/3 is the post season play.

Although the book rambles in a couple places, it's a lot of fun for anyone who has had some experience with the lunacy of little league intensity. The stories and examples will surely resonate with stories of any local league. The writing isn't brilliant -- the "characters" aren't as developed as they could be for instance. But overall its a fun read about a national pasttime and institution.