Literature Books

This story centers on Tamara, a young woman living in rural Mayville, NY in the 1950's. By the age of 15, she's moved more times than she can count. Well, she can count them, but she's not happy about the loose ends she always feels upon relocation. Once she realizes that the other kids in school have histories with their classmates and roots, she feels cheated and wants to settle down.

Her family is somewhat dysfunctional but very loving - her father, a landscape artist and the traveling nature of his job is the reason behind their frequent relocations. Her mother is beautiful and a little wild, but she has a strong bond with Tamara's father and allows his lifestyle to effect their family. Tamara has a younger brother and sister who have their own difficulties leading such a nomadic life and at times, Tamara takes out her frustrations on them and even on herself.

Sarah Willis adds the concept of atheism to the story, as both Tamara's parents practice it. The neighbors across the street are devout Christians and manage to get their permission to take Tamara & her siblings to church, which opens up a whole new world for Tamara and she starts to question her beliefs and make bargains with God to keep her in one place.

Tamara's life gets even more stressful when she learns that her mother has an illness that takes her away from the family, perhaps permanently and Tamara is forced to fill her shoes around the house. This is where Tamara begins to rely more heavily on God and asks him to help heal her mother. She also discovers that her complex feelings for her mother are a foil for the love she feels in her heart and through letters, they grow to understand each other better.

Tamara also finds the stirrings of her first love when she connects with Rusty who also lives next door. Sarah Willis portrays the feelings of wonder, fear and joy that we all feel when we find what we think is love and the other person feels it too. Willis does a fine job of providing excellent, solid characterization, and precisely detailing their neurosis so precisely that we can relate to them and their shifting, complicated connections to each other.

I loved the way she uses words to create pictures in the mind of the reader. I enjoyed the section where she uses colors to stress the importance of the situation comparing them to the colors her father uses in his artwork - a unique way to show the similarities between father and daughter when neither feels they have anything to share - masterful! I thought about this book and its characters for a while after I finished reading it and that is always a sign of an excellent story - I have found a new favorite author in Sarah Willis and look forward to reading more of her novels.

I bought this book because of the price and it looked interesting but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. It was one of those cannot put down type of books and I actually finished it in one day. It was a captivating coming-of-age story and Sarah Willis did a beautiful job of bringing her characters to life. This would be an excellent book club book as there is so much meaty stuff to discuss. I loaned my copy to a friend just so we could talk about it. I highly recommend this book!

This is a really touching coming of age story in the 50's. The mother has to go to a sanitarium with Tuburculosis. The father is stuck in his own world of painting. There are 2 siblings, Robert and Megan, that are coping in their own ways with the abandoment issues that arise from not only the mother's illness, but the father's inability to handle the situation. Tamara is left basically in charge of everyone. Besides the obvious issues that are going on, there is the storyline of the number of moves the family has endured and how much they are wanting a permanent home.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, but it didn't touch me as much as some of the other coming of age stories like, Whistling in the Dark, The Book of Bright Ideas and Cold Rock River. Those stayed with me after I was done and while I really enjoyed this coming of age story, it's not one that will stay with me like some other ones.

Still it is well worth reading and I highly recommend it.

This is a story you were waiting to read, full of life-size characters... the type of book you don't want to finish.

And a first novel? ... wow. I can't wait to read her next one!!!!

I just love Sarah Willis' writing style and felt this book was equally as wonderful as her book: THE SOUND OF US. It didn't take too long for me to be totally drawn into this story of Tamara and I felt myself rather sad at where the story ended. I just wanted to keep knowing about her and her family and how their lives turned out. I highly recommend this book and hope anyone who reads it becomes a Sarah Willis fan. If you haven't yet read THE SOUND OF US, do yourself a favor and read it! It's real good reading. There isn't a single downside to SOME THINGS THAT STAY. I loved Tamara and her view of her world. The characters seemed utterly real and engrossing. The last sentence of the book was the perfect uplifting end to Tamara's story.

I've heard of "gentle readers" but this author is a "gentle writer". She has taken a subject that could be horrifying for kids and made it a "spooky adventure". When I was a little girl I had a metal dollhouse with little rubber people and hard plastic furniture. To me it was a mansion with soft contours and real life. As an adult I love the giant dollhouse at the Smithsonian and reading about Tasha Tudor's dollhouse. I used to pretend that when I was watching them they were watching me and how strange that would be. I never imagined a mystery in my play - but this author did and she accomplished it in an entertaining and imaginative way. This is a wonderful book - now on my children's shelf - and recommended to all.

I read this book for the first time when I was in middle school (about 13 years ago) and I was hooked. I read it a million times throughout the next couple of years and enjoyed it each time. I was drawn in to the point that I thought I was living the book. Recently, I wanted to read this book that I loved long ago and searched for it on Amazon. I am so happy to see that many people love this book and feel the same way that I do. I just became a mom to a little baby girl, and I can't wait for her to enjoy this book as much as I did.

This is the most amazing book!!!! I don't even know how many times I've read it! It's my favorite book ever and I've read alot of books!!! Strongly recommend!!!

My book, Time Windows, by Kathryn Reiss was mysterious and full of suspense. It was so great it kept me up for hours after my bed time. The main character, Miranda, moved to an old house in the middle of nowhere from New York City. At first she doesn't like the house. Then she entered the attic and found a dollhouse that can reveal a secret about her house's past. This book made you feel like you were sitting in the attic with Miranda peering into the windows of the doll house. By Nicole

I AM ONLY ON PAGE 100 AND ALREADY I LOVE THIS BOOK. I LOVED IT FROM THE FIRST WORD THE END IS EXCITING! [I ALWAYS SPOIL IT BY READING THE END FIRST BUT I WILL NOT TELL YOU ABOUT IT!] I AM 25 AND THE GIRL IN THE BOOK IS THIRTEEN SO I COULD TELL THIS IS FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE BUT I STILL LIKE IT COME AND READ THIS BOOK... IT TAKES YOU FOR A RIDE AND A RIDE OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE IT IS SO IF YOU LIKE MYSTERYS AS WELL AS SUPER NATURAL STUFF LIKE I DO COME READ THIS! I JUST WANTED THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK TO KNOW THAT SHE DID AN AWESOME JOB!!

This book is so different than the average children stories! My 4year old loves it, mostly for the illustrations, I love it for the language used. The descriptions are wonderful, if only I could speak or write this way. It exposes us both to great timeless stories.

This was a great find for my grandchildren that we have temporary custody of. I love sitting in the rocking chair with my 2 1/2 - year old Sarah and cuddling up with these wonderful stories! This is a great quality book, and the illustrations are wonderful! It will get a lot of use, and look beautiful for years to come. Don't pass this one up. It's great for creating memories with your children and grandchildren.

I got this for a baby shower gift for someone. I wanted to give something that could last. I ended up buying one for myself. It's a trip down memory lane reading the sweet stories and looking at the beautiful pictures. I hope my friend's baby has great memories growing up with these stories as I did.

This is a lovely book that comes in a sturdy, decorative, open-eneded box to protect the volume. Besides containing all of Beatrix Potter's wonderful children's stories, it has all of the original illustrations in one volume. This is the perfect "bedtime story" book, and it sits on the nightstand next to my 11-old-granddaughter's bed. She reads the stories to her 3-year-old sister every night, and is planning on continuing the tradition with her 1-year-old brother. She told me that she is enjoying the stories as much as her little sister!

I purchased this book as a gift for their family, and, as a proud grandmother, I can't think of anything that costs so little and yet gives so much. I would recommend this book for anyone! I am going to purchase another copy for my own house, just in case I have guests who show up with little ones. It's a perfect addition to anyone's library, and I highly recommend it.

This book is beautifully presented and a true gem for any library or child's collection. All of the stories are presented in the order in which they were written and published. All of the original illustrations are there as well.

I highly recommend this book....it is reasonably priced and complete.

There was a seeming dual purpose motivating the author to write this book. Remen is a medical doctor who basically tells the stories about how her professional experiences moved her closer to, rather than away from, emotional involvement with her clients particularly as it pertained to the connection between one's spirituality and recovery,amongst other things.
Remen also shares some very deep and moving stories that were shared with her by her clients once she became a therapist.
It's a wonderful read and will be helpful to anyone seeking spiritual enlightenment and motivation.

Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit.

I recently had the privilege of hearing the author speak. she is an amazing woman.

Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.

In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.

Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.

Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."

No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."

The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.

"Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.

by Duffie Bart
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I am presurgery and this book helps to calm me and encourage me to think positively.

For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".

It just gets better and better as it goes. The characters are very real and you can quickly get a feel for who they are. I had a very good sense of what life must have been like in a small town in the late 60's. Can wait to read more!

It has been a very enjoyable read thus far. I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Bischane in the future.

I was captivated from the very start. The writing style is rich in descriptiveness, yet not at all tedious. I feel intimate with the characters already, and am totally drawn-in to wanting to follow them on their journey. The magnetic attraction of nostalgia notwithstanding, i find the obvious groundwork being laid in the first pages to be quite compelling. A great read, and thought provoking at the same time -- right up my alley!

Nice, literary title. Derived, I believe, from a poem by Tennyson. Am I right, Mr. Bischane? And as an epigraph lover and published novelist, I like the Joyce quote as well (though there is no apostrophe in Finnegans Wake). All in all, a splendid effort: nerve, verve, edginess, and entertaining asides ('What's IT all about, Reverend?'). The characters force themselves noisily, ironically, and sarcastically into life. I haven't seen Proust here yet but Kerouac and Balzac and even a bit of Henderson the Rain King come to mind. Not a bad mix for anyone at any time. Myron makes it look easy but it ain't. Five stars.

There cannot possibly be a grimmer beginning than locking a bunch of thugs in a diner, unless it's burying your father in his own backyard, (which is probably illegal) . The stage is set, and I'm looking forward to following this extraordinary crew of kids as they move up and out. The language is vivid and the attention to detail remarkable. Clearly this book will take the reader around the world once or twice and in the company of richly drawn characeters who will have a great deal to say about their changing times.

Ratha's creature opens up a whole new world of cats. Long before the Warrior cat series, lived Ratha and her tribe. This book is full of adventure and suspense for any age. I couldn't put it down. Make sure to buy this one first and while you are at it, order the other three so you won't have to stop in the middle of this great adventure. If you love the Warrior Series you will love Ratha's Creature!

The Named Series is a collection that has survived in the hearts of readers for decades, inspiring fanart, fanfiction, and more. Here is the book that started it all - Ratha's Creature, an epic, memorable tale of strife, forgiveness, and triumph. This novel resurrects an ancient world and delivers in full detail, the savage brutality endured by those of arcane laws, a code of claws and fangs - while thrusting into harsh, honest light, what it means to question and discover the meaning of 'Self Awareness'.
Lion King worshipers, Warriors devotees, Animal enthusiasts - you have not stalked the feline path, until you have unearthed these treasures.

For more information, copy and paste the following links:

Clare Bell's official domain:
www.rathascourage.com
For an exclusive look including fanart, fanfiction, and more visit Trails Of Conquest:
www.trailsofconquest.webs.com
For Named (Ratha) Series Cat Role Play (rp) stop by Into The Mist:
www.intothemistrp.webs.com

I am a huge cat fan and I can't believe that this book has existed for so long without my knowledge! I loved it from the very beginning and the story drew me in. I quickly ordered the other books to read. Any adventure or cat fan should read this book. If you do not love cats or do not have a fasination with animals you will soon. The book, while fictional is very realisitic and the characters are very wild and "animal-like." I cannot wait to read more. I genuinely feel the loss of one character in particular...sigh. Read this book! It is a great escape. Welcome to Ratha's world.

I never write reviews, but Ratha's Creature is the exception. I came upon this book as a 7th grader back in the early 90's and it was out of print even then. This book is fantastic, with it's prehistoric world and it's memorable characters. I am thrilled to see it released again so children can have the same experience that I had at their age in reading this wonderful story. This is a must read! In a world where the Harry Potter series is over and kids are left wondering what to read next, this one is a fun series and you will not regret your time in reading it, only regret that there is not more. Read it, you won't be sorry.

I have read many feline fantasies,but none of them touch this one.It is better than the Warriors books,and I think that older Warriors fans will love this book.The harsh landscape and the complicated,realistic characters are wonderful!A word of warning,though:this is not a cutsey kitty book.Ratha's Creature is a very deep,allegorical,and thought provoking book.Some of the raw,savage images(mating,wounding a cub,death by fire)may be too much for younger,sensitive readers.I would reccomend this book for mature teens who will be able to understand and enjoy this magnificent,powerful book.Well done,Clare Bell!!

***************This review contains spoilers********************

Summary:

Les Miserables is a post-French Revolution novel by Victor Hugo that takes place in 1800s in the slums of France. It follows the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who has sworn to live a life of honesty and goodness, and a group of student revolutionaries who are organizing an attack against the French army.

The story begins with the main character being released from prison. After being turned away from all the inns in the area because of his past as a convict, the local bishop took pity on Valjean. That night Valjean stole the bishop's silverware and was arrested. The bishop forgave him and also gave him his silver candlesticks. "Jean Valjean, my brother: you no longer belong to evil, but to good," the bishop said to him as he was leaving. "It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from the dark thoughts and spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!"

A few years later, a young woman, Fantine, unable to take care of her daughter, left her with an innkeeper and his wife. After promising to send money, Fantine went to find work in the city of Montruil-sur-mer. Coincidentally; Valjean was mayor of the town, having started a new life for himself after selling the bishop's silverware. He also owned a factory where many of the poor worked. Fantine got a job there, but she was fired because her overseer found out that she had an illegitimate child. Still needing money, Fantine sold her hair and teeth, and became a prostitute. Valjean saved her from living on the street and placed her in a hospital because exposure to the elements had made her ill. He visited her often and they became good friends. During this time, she made Valjean promise to bring her her daughter, but his true identity as a fugitive who had broken parole had been discovered by a police inspector, Javert. He had told Valjean himself about his suspicions, but quickly apologized because he had allegedly found the real Valjean. Jean Valjean didn't want an innocent man to suffer through what he did, so he went to the courthouse and confessed to his crimes. This admission was at the cost of his own life, however, as Javert was waiting for him when he got back. When Javert told Fantine that Valjean had not gone for her daughter, Fantine lost the will to live and died.

Valjean was arrested again, but after a year, he faked his own death by jumping off the ship he was working on. He then went to retrieve Fantine's daughter, Cosette, from the innkeepers, the Thenardier's. They were reluctant to give her up, as they were greedy, and she acted as a servant they didn't have to pay, but after Valjean gave them a large sum of money, they relented. Valjean and Cosette went to live in a small apartment. Their happiness didn't last long, because Javert pursued him again. Cosette and Valjean took refuge in a convent, where a man who Valjean once saved worked as a gardener. After nine years of living there, Valjean deemed it safe to leave.

At the time, Marius, a student, had been kicked out of his grandfather's house for switching political parties. He was very poor, and lived in the slums. His neighbors were the Jondrette's, who were really the Thenardier's, living under a different name.

One day, Marius saw Cossette and Valjean while he was on a walk. He fell in love with Cossette and started pursuing her. She returned his love, but they didn't actually speak to one another until later. Also during this time, Marius was recruited by the Friends of the ABC, a group of revolutionaries; he went to one of the meetings and decided he didn't want to be involved. Meanwhile, the "Jondrettes" captured Valjean, whose identity they now knew. Valjean escaped, and Thenardier and his wife were arrested, and their two daughters were sent to an orphanage. Their third child, Gavroche, who they didn't care about, helped his father's gang break his father out of prison. Afterwards, they went to Valjean's house where they attempted to break in. This failed when Thenardier's daughter, Eponine who was in love with Marius, stopped them, not wanting Marius to lose his girlfriend. Valjean mistaking the noises in his garden for Javert, decided to leave. Marius decided to rejoin the friends of the ABC, and they started to prepare for the revolution. They set up a barricade in a wine shop, and got a lot of other impoverished people to join them. Javert tried to join them as well, but he was quickly exposed as a double agent by Gavroche. Valjean also joined them, not knowing whether he wanted to help or kill Marius, who he discovered when he mistakenly saw a letter that Cossette wrote him. During the battle, he was given the opportunity to kill Javert, who was a hostage, and instead set him free.

Eventually, everyone at the barricades died except for Valjean and a wounded Marius. They escaped through the sewers, but were found by Thenardier, who was searching the bodies of the dead at the barricade for valuables. Valjean was caught by Javert, who allowed Valjean to take Marius's body to his grandfather's house. Valjean came back to face his fate, but did not find Javert. After 25 years of dogged pursuit, Javert had to face the fact that he had spent his life hunting down a man who has done nothing but good in the world, and that everything he thought about life was a lie. He couldn't stand that reality, so he drowned himself in the Seine River.

When Valjean couldn't find Javert, he brought Cossette to Marius's grandfather's house, where they were married. Valjean decided to leave them, since he couldn't face the fact that he was lying to his daughter about being a convict. However, after a run-in with Thenardier, who had changed identities yet again, Marius discovered that Valjean was the man who saved his life. He and Cossette found Valjean on his deathbed, where he had left his life story and instructions on how he ran his factory (which was how he made his fortune). Then, surrounded by his family, he died at the age of 80.

Commentary:

5/5 stars.

I, personally, loved it.

This was a really captivating book that brings history to life and deserves its reputation as a classic work of literature. It blends the turmoil of the times with vivid characters. The conflicts are intriguing as Valjean tries to do what is right and atone for his past. This would be a good book for anyone who likes realistic and historical fiction.

I have enjoyed my varied attempts at reading this book. I enjoyed the various presentations on Stage (except Anthony Perkins replaying another bad guy doesn't work for me) My major problem lies in obtaining a large print copy (even in several volumes). Amazon has almost two pages of books, number, etc. Doesn't someone take mercy on us poor souls that don't qualify as visually impaired legally.

... but this was the most popular book, read by soldiers, North and South, during our Civil War. We should be better for hearing democracy in Beethoven, piety in Bach, compassion in Mozart -- and perhaps we do, one person at a time, but I fear we are always running out of time.

I read this book thirty years ago, over two winters, setting it down midway in March 1977 I believe. I had heard a near-complete reading on NPR, spread over at least a month of Saturday afternoons. I always made sure I was home for that; I was a single parent, then, father of a seven year old boy. To use a cheap term of the day, I could 'relate' to Jean Valjean, and I was thrilled by the music that opened each episode: the March to the Scaffold from Berlioz' "Symphony Fantastique." After the final episode, I went out and bought the Modern Library Giant, and began to read.

The radio production was not complete! While I found the details surrounding the Battle of Waterloo truly informative -- the description of the battlefield as a captial A was a vivid model of simplicity -- the long section on the history of the nuns' order where Valjean and his young ward take refuge, and where she is educated, invited a lot of skimming.

Skim where you will, but try to read the complete book. At some later time you can return to those pages you skimmed, and discover what you missed.

Les Miserable, The Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, Moby-Dick, Joseph and His Brothers, Remembrance Of Things Past (okay, In Search Of Lost Time), Ulysses -- all of these demand much of us, particularly our time. That is a good thing, considering the many ways modern life invites us to waste time, and I could not begin to choose the best among these. Fortunately I don't have to; I might run to "As I Lay Dying" or "Lord Jim" instead.

Meanwhile, I'm glad I devoted a chunk of my life to this book. I do know I emerged a better man for that, and how sad I was when I read the final page, and closed the book.

This is an excellent translation of the classic Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The section on the Battle of Waterloo makes the reader feel as if he were actually present. This is only one of the memorable parts of this wonderful book. My advise-don't waste your time on an abridged version of this book!

As close to flawless as you could come, no other author can match the storytelling and characterisation. Describes a turbulent period in France, with incredible political and social commentary. Hugo's monumental work explores many themes i.e. why the Restoration was a backward step, the difference between a revolution and a riot; he describes many life's experiences and emotions: the myriad ways people can fall between the cracks into destitution (Fantine, Montepercy); one of the greatest descriptions of falling in love (Marius and Cosette) and how it feels to be in love, the greatest description of a battle (Waterloo), the desperation of a convict (reminds of Henry Charrier -Papillon), the making of men (Marius), unbounding heroism and selflessness(Eponine, Jean Valjean); explores patience, loss, asceticism, rebellion, fulfillment, nationalism, the administation of justice and the overriding theme is CONSCIENCE. I read this and then discovered that Hugo's own daughter lived in Barbados for a number of years living 'on the edge' of destitution. Small world.

The story is really epic and introduces you to a new world. However I felt that some of the characters were more symbols than characters.

With the exception of Bulgakov I don't care much for Soviet literature. I could never finish Dr. Zhivago or Quiet Flows the Don. This book I did enjoy. Particularly the parts that dealt with the jewish physicist (I forgot his name) and his family. The letter he receives from his mother before she's deported is probably the most memorable part of the novel. Some people compare it to War and Peace. I wouldn't go that far but it is good enough that you might want to read it again as I plan to some day.

One of the most relevant, startling and magnificent novels never read. Awe-inspiring from start to finish: for the characters themselves, their historical counterparts, the author's world and the world at large. Evokes the Greek idea of "necessity;" no understanding, truth without any value, no solid principles, no foundation. You don't read the story: you tumble through it, terrified, grasping blindly for something to stabilize the free fall.

Read it. Completely compelling. If you think the Russians are a mystical and unknowable depth, this book will not disabuse you. Best war novel I ever read.

This masterpiece published by New York Review of Books Classics enters my Top 5 among novels by James Joyce (Ulysses), Proust (La Recherche du Temps Perdu), Tolstoy (War and Peace) and Gaddis (JR): it is pure genius in its epic scope. Inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace and the siege of Russia by Napoleon, Grossman depicts the siege of Stalingrad by Hitler. Grossman narrates the epic from the perspectives of diverse players into whose lives the reader becomes immersed. The cast is vast and the Russian names are daunting to track but Grossman enables us to understand what it was like to experience the fate of Russians in World War II. The catastrophe was overwhelming as millions of people's lives were adversely impacted by the power of two great warring states on the front lines of Stalingrad. Yet somehow the resourcefulness, courage, strength, faith and every virtue of her people, tested under the worst human conditions, Russia was able to withstand the siege of Hitler only to suffer subsequently the immense cruelty of Stalin. The writing in this novel is nothing short of magnificent: it is great literature and profound philosophy by a novelist who knew his subject thoroughly. It's no wonder that Stalin wanted not only the manuscript but its carbon copies because the truth evident in this novel was certainly starkly and baldly critical of the State. At the end of the novel an old woman, Alexandra Vladmirovna, who to me symbolized Mother Russia, returns to the ruins of her home in Stalingrad and admires the spring sky wondering: "why the future of those she loved was so obscure and the past so full of mistakes, not realizing that this very obscurity and unhappiness concealed a strange hope and clarity, not realizing that in the depths of her soul she already knew the meaning of both her life and the lives of her nearest and dearest, not realizing that even though neither she herself nor any of them could tell what was in store, even though they all knew too well that at times like these no man can forge his own happiness and that fate alone has the power to pardon and chastise, to raise up to glory and to plunge into need, to reduce a man to labour camp dust, nevertheless neither fate, nor history, nor the anger of the State, nor the glory or infamy of battle has any power to affect those who call themselves human beings. No, whatever life holds in store -- hard won glory, poverty and despair, or death in a labour camp --they live as human beings and die as human beings, the same as those who have already perished: and in this alone lies man's eternal and bitter victory over all the grandiose and inhuman forces that ever have been or ever will be..." The translation by Robert Chandler was as masterful as the original writing itself: Chandler was articulate, true to the text and humble in bringing to light without affectation or coyness or ego the profundity of this master work. I wish there had been maps of the front lines, which I found on the Internet to help me gain my bearings with unfamiliar geography at http://users.pandora.be/stalingrad/maps/stanlingrad map 7.htm. Having read War and Peace, Grossman gives the master, Tolstoy, a real run for his money in this epic: don't let this masterpiece pass you by! It's a novel fated to change your life.

I really enjoyed this book, the story is the classical tragic love story, but set up in Japan, and written through a Japanese point of view. So the surroundings or the landscapes became part of the story, the description of the moods of the characters are beautifully portrayed in the nature that surrounds them.... I thought it was lovely.

A lot of people wrote on these reviews that the translated version misses out a lot of things, but this always happens when translating, and as I can't read Japanese, I was happy with being able to read it in English!

Japan. 1912. Japanese society is divided, or at least complex. Still with most of it's body and soul in the ancient tradition of the East, but with ever increasing impulses towards the "Western culture" (In the unsemitically correct reality, we of the "West" have infinitely more in common with the traditional culture of the East than we do the current world-wide Weimar Republic, but oh well). Mishima, the author, was more or less a Japanese representative of the "conservative revolution", and appears to have been quite well read. His life reminds me in many ways of Corneliu Codreanu and Julius Evola. His well-known dramatic ritual suicide as a protest against the betrayal of tradition in Japan, and the Japanese submission to American rule, followed him and his radical "right wing" organization's (The Shield Society) failure to arouse the Japanese Defence Force into rebelling.

The book is the first in a tetralogy, and follows Kiyoaki Matsugae, a young student from a family of the lower nobility in his relationship with Satoko Ayakura, the daughter of one of the 28 families of the higher nobility, her being the daughter of a count. The book in many ways actually reminded me of the excellent "Victoria" by Knut Hamsun, with the constant back and forth in the interaction between the characters, sometimes they love each other dearly, and at other times torment each other. Such is the nature of difficult relationships, I guess! The book paints a very vivid picture of the end of a noble era, and the translation I read was excellently done. The moral teaching of this period, and it's sometimes less noble effects is excellently portrayed.

Through certain misunderstandings, Satoko ends up being future wife of one of the royal princes, and Kiyoaki is driven to despair. Long story short, as all the books in the series, there is no happy ending, but that is basically the ending of all our lives. This is a book I highly recommend, and apart from a few minor flaws, it is all in all an excellent tale, and I look very much forward to reading the rest of the series. 4,5 stars.

(I read a different edition)

Maybe it was a bad transalation. Maybe I could not relate as a westerner to an old Japanese story, but I really did not enjoy this book. It was maudlin and unbelievable. Story was boring. Character development was terrible and it was poorly written/transalated. I recommend Murakami's Norwegian Wood for those who want to read books by Japanese authors.

Yukio Mishima (The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea) is the fascinating subject of two recent DVD releases Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - Criterion Collection and Patriotism - Criterion Collection. His 1966 novel, Spring Snow (Haru no Yuki), is the first in his "Sea of Fertility tetralogy," which also includes Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971). (Mishima committed ritual suicide on the day he completed the final book in his tetralogy, November 25, 1970.) Considered to be his masteriece, Mishima's tetralogy follows the successive reincarnations of Kiyoaki Matsugae (1895-1914). Set in the early years of the Taishô period (1912 to 1926), Spring Snow tells the story of a two-year relationship involving forbidden love between Kiyoaki, the 18-year-old son of an aristocratic family, and Satoko Ayakura, the 20-year-old daughter of an aristocratic family. Kiyoaki's friend, Shigekuni Honda, a law student, observes the events set forth in the novel. After Kiyoaki and Satoko meet under a bad omen: a dead black dog at the top of a high waterfall, Satoko asks Kiyoaki, "Kiyo, what would you do if all of a sudden I weren't here any more?"--a question which vexes Kiyoaki throughout much of the novel. Satoko is under instruction that she should not lose her virginity before being touched by any bridegroom chosen for her. After experiencing their first kiss together on a rickshaw ride in the snow, Satoko and Kiyoaki exchange love letters and eventually make love, before Satoko accepts the marriage proposal of another man, Prince Harunori. Meanwhile, Kiyoaki has a series of prophetic dreams before he dies at the age of 20. The novel was adapted into a 2005 film of the same name starring Satoshi Tsumabuki as Kiyoaki, Yûko Takeuchi as Satoko, and Sosuke Takaoka as Shigekuni Honda. Spring Snow attests to the rare genius of Yukio Mishima.

G. Merritt

Mishima's Spring Snow is a coming-of-age tale for nouveau riche Kiyoaki, whose naive childhood crush on the more mature Satoko grows into something much more powerful, beautiful and, ultimately, destructive. Kiyoaki's failings are human and familiar; acting on rash impulses, immaturity, a failure to realise what he wants till he has lost it. Mishima's characterisation is finely drawn and accurate. The scheming Tadeshina turns out to have her own secret heartbreak, enervated Ayakura lacks guile but not luck, the ancient loyalties of the Abessess make her a formidable eminence grice. The characters are at once individually drawn and representative of a unique and fascinating era of flux and change in Japan, as ancient modes of behaviour gave way to modernising forces. Mishima's novel is both of its time and timeless. A true masterpiece.

The World of Wheel of Time is the most complex one I have ever read in a fantasy series.Jordan analyzes it's culture of his world,making it to come alive in our eyes as we turn the pages.His work is perhaps the best ever written in fantasy.

In terms of plot complexity, this series is astounding. Thousands of plots combine to form the pattern of the age which in turn forms the age lace: the pattern of ages. A thousand pages pass without a single significant event. Of course, many would consider this a flaw, though personally I see it as the novels' best characteristic. I hope Robert Jordan never finishes the series. The only flaw is that it lacks a true ethos to present to the reader; I wholly disaprove of the simple good v. evil aspect of the work. Nonetheless, Jordan does understand that are not inherently good or evil, demonstrating this with the humanity of many of the forsaken (I suppose I should call them the Chosen). Twisted humanity in many, but humanity nonetheless. The best aspect of the novels is the complexity and personality description of the characters, especially women. Jordan vividly portrays the characters' thoughts, often angering the reader with their ignorance, while creating a true sense of reality in a fantasy world. In short, there are few flaws and many strong points, well worthy of a five star rating. Anyone know who Tel Janin is :)

All I have to say is incredible. The races are excellent. I used to run many a campaign in D&D when I was a kid.. and I tell you what.. I have only to wish to have developed such a fantasy world. I became engulfed and whisked away to the world of Amerylin ..Prophecy and a Dragon reborn..

I can only tell you that if you do not beware Aiel.. you are certain to meet death ...

And that the color of a robe means nothing as to if their loyal to the side of good... and then how do you determine good?

Should the Dragon Reborn be stilled..?

SO much so many ..

Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series is a compelling selection of stories to read. Never before in fantasy have I found myself beginning to think, talk, and act like the characters in the stories, and now I find myself melding reality with WOT. There are many round characters, all changing, making new discoveries, and being very human. Anyone who doesn't read this amazing series is missing out on a lot.

I was involved in a motor cycle accident that put me in a bed for 2 months, and all I had to do was read. I have never been a fan of fantasy, because the stories were all simple and were not REAL enough. A friend of mine gave me the first book and at first I hesitated, but it would have been the worst mistake in my life if I had not read it. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series astonished me. I never thought I could find any book so captivating, and I have read a lot of books. He has brought the fantasy world a book that to my belief will never be surpassed. In the book several characters are pulled from their everyday live and thrown into the worst possible senario, in which they find out who they really are while trying to stay alive and seal the prison of the dark one. This story has so many twists and turns that it is almost impossible to believe. I found myself thinking that I was Rand and when that book was over wondering were his world ended and reality began. I feel as though I have been through all the hardships with them and they are all my friends. I do not want this story to end. After book 9 and 10 I hope that atleast he takes on another series, with the same characters so I don't have to loose all that I already have with Rand, Perrin, Matt, Egwenn, ect. Words cannot even begin to describe this wonderful story that you must read.