France Books

It really is between joyce and proust....

Where as Joyce's Masterpice takes place in one day proust's Masterpiece Swans Way is only the begining. In the first Part Swans way we have the world of le boheim Part 2 or Guermantes way Opens the world of the bougios. A world of the rich in which image is everything...sex, obssesion, grandmothers...ect ect.. If you are reading this then you are familar with the obsesive beatuty that is proust's writing. Equally great however, personally there is a satifaction after Swans way,(first time with Proust's writing)that make the first volume my favorite.

Volume I of this Vintage series was a little bit overwhelming as a reading experience. Proust is dense, difficult and the diction takes quite a bit of getting used to. It was a relief for me that the reading experience got much easier by the time that I reached this volume. Nothing is going to leaven Remembrance or make it less dense, but if you make it as far as The Guermantes Way then you are bound to have come to some peace with the language.

The Guermantes Way and Cities of the Plain are full of both broad humor and deep sorrow. The treatment of the death of the Grandmother, particularly the way that she slowly retreats in dreams, is one of the most real and affecting sequences of its kind that I can remember in fiction. On the other hand, the comedy of manners at the society parties plays out like a kind of Belle Epoque Sex & the City. Proust skewers the foibles and fables of the relationships of the rich, and often left me chuckling to myself as I read.

The farther I go, the more I find these books to be one of the most memorable reading experiences of my life. Nothing in these books makes me lessen the recommendation that I read after reading Volume I. In fact, I find that my admiration is only increasing as I read.

If you can, try tackling Volume II as quickly as possible after finishing Volume I. It really helps a lot to treat Remembrance as a single book, rather than a series. It also avoids time re-learning the feeling of the Proust prose.

Moncrieff/Kilmartin's translation is still the best. Proust's life-work is the most psychologically acute novel ever written, and a perfect match between form and content. His form is the memoir, conceived as a piece of music, with themes and variations, codas and recapitulations. The content is a list of evolving concerns, from love (in all its forms) to aesthetic creation and appreciation, as well as a sort of living autopsy of the aristocracy of his time. His motives were manifold, but it seems Proust primarily wanted to get in the final word on those people he knew throughout his life, and show he both understood them (better than they themselves) and that they had little inkling of his amazing inner life. For all his encounters with and criticisms of snobs and poseurs throughout the work, and his tendency to fully absorb himself in his experiences, Marcel the narrator risks coming off as a snob himself; but quite the opposite, he denigrates himself constantly with reference to his own writing abilities, up into the very last section of "Time Regained" when the structural idea for the novel we have just read comes to him. He's disappointed many times by his own experiences, when they are is measured and conditioned by the background of his keen aesthetic imagination. His salvation is both the Idea for the novel, and a theory of time/identity which has been "calling out" to him with his famous episodes of "involuntary memory" (the most famous of which is the tea-dipped madeleine). As one reads on, there are times when it seems Proust has suspended all action and narrative in favor of impressions which resonate against one another. It may seem gratuitous or self-indulgent, but he is "performing" his theory at the same time he's telling you about it. They each have a purpose, and it seems he's trying to enact a philosophical theory of identity and experience: as if we the subject are nodes of activity that blend memory and present conscious experience.

"Remembrance of Things Past" can be a difficult work to read, but it is so very much worth it. One needs no guide to read this work; it's not as allusive as "Ulysses" nor esoteric like "Gravity's Rainbow". Proust's style is very reader-friendly (albeit he spins very long sentences). He respects the reader, and wants her to understand exactly where he's coming from, for this novel is like the map Borges once described in one of his "Ficciones": it's a representation so large and subtle and complex that it is as big as what it depicts.

If Proust were alive today, he'd probably be kibbitzing with Hollywood stars or the world's billionaire elites...And not much of this book would change!

Been teaching this book for 3 terms now: one of the few important "war books" both men & women can participate in, respond to. As one student (Karl-Erik Karlsson) responded: "Gajdusek has written a very good book - no, it is a splendid book... it casts you between hope and despair...he uses the contrast between official military records... and the actual happenings...always searching for the right expressions.... a man so in contact with his imperfect language, it feels perfect...he plays with words, turns them around and studies them carefully...I REALLY enjoyed this book. I dare not call it a novel or anything else genre specific, because it is a transcendental text, crossing the borderlines of genre."

Robin Gajdusek's extroadinary account of one soldier, wounded and captured, enduring and prevailing, moving through death to rebirth, is one soldier's story that is powerfully told for all soldiers, on all sides, in all wars. Structurally complex, stylistically elegant, this narrative flows through a richness of forms and modes. The terrain of Gajdusek's World War II is a landscape and inscape as luminous palimpsest, as an intricate and compelling act of narrativity where all is redeemed in knowledge carried to the heart. And Gajdusek makes the reader see and feel and believe the facts, the horror, the magic and the mystery, and the great white bird descending and ascending, soaring over the numinous landscape of this remarkable book.

This book is the literary equivalent of Spielberg's cinemagraphic "Saving Private Ryan". Mr. Gajdusek takes you with him on the battlefield with a realism that is frighteningly palpable, yet simply and honestly described. It is a compelling story of the extraordinary mental and physical hardships of the footsoldier in combat. Most valuable, perhaps, is Mr. Gajdusek's treatment of the bizarre emotional conundrums faced by a wounded prisoner. Every soldier and marine should read this book. I dare you to put it down.

Gajdusek's Resurrection astoundingly re-creates his wounding and survival of the World War II battle of Metz. What begins as a garnish of genres--memoir, short story, narrative essay, war history, becomes a smoothly transitioned psychological shocker. What Gajdusek postponed for fifty years to write gives the reader the real thing--war emotions and war imagery. Within a beautifully crafted style, several nights in a shell-hole with frozen and broken legs, an incredible piggy-back ride on a Wehrmacht sergeant's back, and a German operating table in a school hospital under bombardment come alive. The ironies of war and a 19 year old GI's gutsy unwillingness to die become rare and compelling gifts indeed for the reader of these wonderful pages.

The Ripening Sun is a restful trip into the charming life of rural France.
The author's detailing of the everyday running of a vinyard is complete and gives you a good understanding of how much work is involved with this age old process of winemaking. It is a soft book to read anytime of the day and leaves you with just a little peaceful smile.

This is a "must read" for anyone dreaming of owning a vineyard or wishing for a winery! It is the story of Patricia's journey from a novice to a wine expert in 15 short years. She has an ability to tell her story in a way that won't allow you to put the book down until you have read it through. Her characters are fascinating and the best part is that they are real people. You will want to visit Patricia in France and tour her vineyard and winery after reading this book. Book 2 promises to be even better!

This was such a wonderfully spellbinding book that I couldn't put it down but at the same time did not want it to end. I really felt like the author was sitting down with me telling the story of her life. Unlike other books of this genre, there is some real life stuff going on, some of it truly heartbreaking. I would highly recommend this book over some of the others like "Bon Courage." I hope Patricia Atkinson is writing a sequel between all her other busy moments in life.

Faced with a formidable challenge of single-handedly turning an overgrown vineyard into a economically viable operation, the heroine of this real-life story has the tenacity to beat the odds and go well beyond what most of us would consider an acceptable workload. Of course, the village setting and the many neighbors whose friendship shines through are the real stars of this wonderful book.

Some years ago I rented this book from my local library - and it was good enough that when I saw it here on Amazon, I decided right away I should own it! For anyone wanting to know more about the fascinating life of Empress Josephine - born Marie-Josephe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie - this is the book. It's engaging and informative - and a wonderful read. The imagery of Martinique is lush and the descriptions of life in France are abundantly detailed. You won't regret purchasing this book!

Even after visiting the birthplace and burial site of 'Josephine', I realized I knew next to nothing about her that was favorable. Most biographies focus on Napoleon. This biography offered some more insite into the world she lived in and how it shaped her. I found one superficial innacuracy of the decscription of Martinique and the book did not really mention much about the re-institution of slavery in the French colonies after the Revolution message of 'egalitie', which is usually blamed on the Creole Josephine. All in all, this is a superb piece of history and I am glad to add it to my library.

Andrea Stuart's new biography on the life of Napoleon's most famous mistress, Josephine, is a complete and captivating story of one of France most powerful women at a time of social and political upheaval as France sought to reestablish its identity at the heart of Europe and the New World. It is a rich biography, expanding to discuss in depth the political and social reality of the time and the nature and actions of those personages that influenced Josephine the greatest.
The story commences with the birth of Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinque, After delving into her childhood, Rose's life truly commenced with her enagagement and subsequent marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais - often pointed to as the galant, de Valmont, of Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses. After a rocky marriage as her overly florid and highly unsuited to marriage husband took a multitude of lovers, charmed his way through Parisien society and ended up accusing the innocent Rose of adultery whilst he on a trip back to Martinque and she in Paris, Rose found herself with two children, separated and in a the convent of Panthemont. It was to prove a turning point as, just before the French Revolution ignited she returned from new new home at Fontainbleu to Martinque. Whilst there she did not escape the violence of it as Martinque was one of the first colonies to follow the mainland and she was forced to flee the island of her birth forever.
She returned to a Paris where republicanism was the new `word' . In the meantime her husband, Alexandre, had risen to prominence amongst the new wave of political power and was actually President of the National Assembly the month Rose returned. As a result of her husband's fame, so Rose grew in recognition by association. As Alexandre presided over the capture of the fleeing King the event polarized the camps into the Feuillant party against the Girondists and Jacobins and Alexandre, for a time became the de facto ruler of France.
It was a fortunate time for Rose as her husband's position enabled her to make friendships with France's new elite and to find time for amorous pursuits. However, come Louis XVI's execution and England's declaration of war, Alexandre's ineptitude in his new position as commander of the Rhine armies and his libertine nature led to his downfall under the Law of Suspects and Rose's subsequent arrest. After several months of imprisonment at Les Carmes Alexandre died at the guillotine days before Robespierre and days after Rose was released.
By 1795 she had come to meet the man who would eclipse her - Napoleon.
At his point Stuart digresses onto a quick recount of Napoleon's life and career before Rose engaged on her relationship. Napoleon was smitted and proposed, Rose only accepting after realising Hoche was no longer available to her. It was at this point Napoleon renamed her Josephine. What follows is a period as Napoleon swept all before him in Italy whilst all the time writing letter upon letter to her in fits of passion alternating between over-eloquent expressions of love and frustration at her seeming coldness. It was a reversal of roles from Josephine's first marriage, but as Napoleon's fame and power grew, so did hers. Stuart does well here to interpose love letter text with historical action and emotional frenzy, sweeping the reader along on the tides created by the future emperor.
As Napoleon aged and his power increased there came the inevitable shift in power each held in their personal relationship forced along by Josephine's relationship with Hippolyte Charles eventually culminating in the very public knowledge of the problematic state of their marriage while Napoleon was in Eygpt and the now somewhat embellished episode at the house at rue de la Victoire.
What follows is a recount of Napoleon's rise to fame, Josephine's active participation in the conspiracy that secured his position within the Consulate and her transformation from `decadent Directoire godess into virtuous, restrained statesman's wife" (p270). Josephine's social skills soon translated into the highest political weapon as she presided from her Yellow Salon providing support for the emigres but not yet extending to the exiled Louis XVIII. However, she retained a loving family atmosphere with her two children and Napoleon despite their lack of children together.
Eventually, Napoleon acclaimed himself Emperor of France in 1894 and Stuart treats us to a lengthy discourse on Josephine's battle with Napoleon's family, her final spiritual marriage to him and their coronation.
As Empress of the French the rest of her life was played against the tumult of several legendary European battles with conquests of great nations, yet done in a manner that meant she retained her regality. As Empress her life was rigorously dictated, protocol dominating her every move, her life peripatetic. Stuart illustrates this with a detailed look at a typical day following with how she influenced French society, patronaging the arts and acting as the gentle foil to Napoloeon's rudeness.
However, it all fell apart when Napoleon divorced her on Dec 15, 1809 and she spent the rest of her life either touring France or at Malmaison. Acclaimed as a generous host she spent four years playing this part as Napoleon's Grnad Empire began to fall apart and it all ended suddenly in 1813 with Napoleon's exile on Elba and Josephine succumbing, aged 51, to her final moments.
Andrea Stuart's biography of France's most celebrated Empress is effortlessly written, evoking an emotional reponse full of admiration for this woman who transformed from the rose of Martinque to one of the most powerful and loved women of the time. Whilst popular history may relegate her to the boudoir with the infamous phrase of `Not tonight, Josephine' from Napoleon, what this effort has done is draw attention to a woman who place in history is very much assured.

Highly recommended.

Andrea Stuart's telling of the life of the Empress Josephine is wonderfully entertaining and very telling. I have been fascinated by the story of Napoleon and Josephine since I was 13 years old am always looking for new information on the subjects and their lives. As a history major at UK I very much appreciated the research that Ms. Stuart obviously did on the times and circumstances in which Josephine lived. Especially in regards to the issue of slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. She obviously cares deeply for the memory of the Empress and has done Her Majesty a superb honor with this work.

This book is a collection of 33 essays written by rosarians, writers, artists, nurserymen, etc. on their personal favorite rose. It is delightful reading and the book comes at a good time, when most gardeners are settling in for the winter months to dream about next year's gardening.

The majority of the writers here prefer the old roses although there are a few modern ones as well. Graham Stuart Thomas, the great rosarian who died in April 2003, writes about his favorite rose "Souevenir de St. Anne's," Peter Beales recalls "Great Maiden's Blush" which brings back his childhood memories and Christopher Lloyd writes about his love/hate relationship with roses in his garden at Great Dixter. Other writers included are:

Jamaica Kincaid (Alchymist)
Anne Raver (Roseraie de l'Hay)
Allen Lacy (Ginny)
Michael Pollan (Mmd. Hardy and Cuisse de Nymphe)
Lauren Springer (Mr. Lincoln and Harrison's Yellow)
David Austin (Eglantyne)
Thomas Fischer (Mrs. Oakley Fisher, Golden Wings, Darlow's Enigma)
Lloyd Brace (Astrid Lindgren)
Anthony Noel (Variegata di Bologna)
Peter Schneider (Corylus)
Rory Dusoir (Mutabilis)
David Wheeler (Graham Thomas)
Mirabel Osler (Rosa sancta)
Page Dickey (Rosa pimpinellifolia Double White)
Mac Griswold (Veilchenblau)
Thomas Cooper (Betty Prior)
Wayne Winterrowd (Comtesse du Cayla)
Julie Moir Messervy (Learning to like Roses)
Jane Garmey (New Dawn)
Rosie Atkins (Bengal Crimson)
Cynthia Woodyard (Kiftsgate)
Ken Druse (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea')
Thomas Christopher (Old Blush)
Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd (Rosa glauca at North Hill)
Tovah Martin (Logee's 'Rosette')
Michele Lamontagne (La Rose de la Paix)
Dan Hinkley (Rosa rugosa)
Fergus Garrett (The Turkish Rose)
Pamela Stagg (Konigin von Danemark)
Joe Eck (Rose Hips)

"Why is this rose that enslaves gardeners? . . . Why, in short, does everyone love a rose, and what has it to offer that other flowers lack?" ~ Graham Stuart Thomas ~

Author Wayne Winterrowd asked thirty-two of his fellow rose aficionados and renowned contemporary garden writers the above question and came up with this wonderful book, "Roses, A Celebration" a collection of personal essays from the contributors. Winterrowd started gardening at the early age of four. He now devotes his time to gardening and writing about gardens after a long-time teaching career in English literature.

For the stunning artwork, Winterrowd collaborated with a fine artist and botanical painter, Pamela Stagg, who won the 1991 Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal, the world's top prize for botanical painting. Stagg did an arty job in painting thirty-two varieties of roses in eye-catching and vibrant watercolors that readers would find utterly beautiful at first sight. Some of the varieties of roses to behold include "Mr. Lincoln," "The Fairy," "Variegata di Bologna," "Graham Thomas," "Bonica," "New Dawn," "Peace," "Old Blush," "Rosette" and "Richardii."

"A rose is a rose is a rose." ~ Gertrude Stein ~

Each essay is interestingly presented with a fascinating historical information and a personal account from each contributor as they celebrate their love, passion and admiration for a rose, a flower which Winterrowd described as one that has been "treasured since prehistory and that is reinvented in every generation."

"Oh, no man knows
Through what wild centuries
Roves back the rose." ~ Walter De La Mare ~

I highly recommend this book to all passionate rosarians for all its informational contents and not to mention the charming works of art. It is a gorgeous addition to your bookshelves and also a perfect gift to someone who loves roses, who will forever be grateful to the giver.

"Roses are steeped in nostalgia and sentiment." ~ Christopher Lloyd ~

As a new rosarian, I have been seeking books about roses and rose gardening. This book is a series of essays accompanied by beautifully detailed colored illustrations that I am tempted to clip out and frame for my walls. The book arrived in perfect condition. The essays are thoughtful, poignant, intelligent and witty. Highly recommended.

What attraction do roses have that other flowers lack? Editor Wayne Winterrowd posed this question to over thirty eminent fellow gardeners, gathering their insights and responses in Roses: A Celebration, an impressive and informative collection of essays which tell of special roses and the horticultural decisions which went into the special enjoyment of roses over other flowers. The perfect gift for that rose enthusiast who already has all the basic gardening guides.

I am halway throught brousing the main sections of the book. It is easy to dip in and out of the various sections, because the heart of the matter is simple but profound - staying close to the heart of Jesus- forgivness, repentence, salvation. Easy to read because it is down to earth yet mystical because as with all truth that is about the ultimate reality - GOD, it expands outward to infinity, beyond simple logic. Just as Jesus can both be our judge and our savior, thus forgivness and justice, redemption and conversion exist together in a unity. An amazing story of how an ordinary woman becomes extraordinary while following the message of Jesus of how to live our lives by seeking truth, in her case studying as much as she can in order to be READY when it comes time to witness truth to those who need the intelectual approach, by following the way - in terms of ministering to those in need, and by living the LIFE, forgiving her atheist husband and seeking every opportunity to BE a Christian to him. very very inspiring.

I especially like the organization of the book, which follows the author's own approach. So the subject is approached as a journal, as a series of tasks to do, and other goal oriented processes.

recommend very highly. appeals to the both the mystic and the modern mind, in my humble opinion.

The joy and hope that many evidently find in atheism is a puzzle to believers. For such, the In Memoriam written by Elisabeth Leseur's husband is worth the price of this book. He was a militant atheist for most of their 25-year marriage, while she grew in her faith and from love for him kept her prayers for him secret. Both were highly educated; Felix had lost his faith in studying medicine, was later a journalist and an insurance executive. They were childless, due probably to Elisabeth's many health problems. However, she was able to travel and to entertain until stricken with cancer and dying at the age of 53. The Elisabeth Leseurs of the world are usually unsung. But this diary, rescued by her sister from the burnpile, converted her husband Felix not only to Christianity but to the priesthood. It is a true love story.

'My Spirit Rejoices'& 'Light in the Darkness'
or 'The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur' - Sophia Institute Press

It is not often that one finds a book of such vital import that it changes one's life. But the journal kept by Elisabeth Leseur is surely one of the most compelling books I have read in many years. It ranks with the great works of the Carmelite Saints: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese of Lisieux.

For many years now I have kept Elisabeth as my companion during Lent; a great Spiritual Director in an age of darkness. She holds the light of Eternal Truth and points out the way with calm assurance.

Elisabeth experienced an extreme degree of spiritual isolation owing to the timbre of her times in Paris high society. Her husband was aggressively atheist, as were many of his friends and associates. She kept the love of God deep in her heart, and it was to the Heart of Jesus to whom she turned for daily solace.

At Elisabeth's death her husband, Felix, found her secret journal; and as he read the pages of the journal, his heart turning to remorse, the last vestige of his hatred for the Catholic Church was swept away in the tide of his beloved wife's counsel. Reconciling to the Church, Felix Leseur entered a seminary and became a Catholic priest. Elisabeth's cause for Canonization is now open at the Vatican.

There are many excellent books written about Catholic Christian spirituality by saints who were priests, monks or religious sisters. "The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur" is unique because it is the spiritual diary writings of a married woman. There are many married women today seeking holiness in their lives as wives and mothers. This is a book for them! They will find profound and useful spiritual direction in the words of Elisabeth Leseur, whose love for God gave her a steadfast, faithful and fruitful love for her husband. I can't recommend this book highly enough to women who are seeking holiness in their vocation of marriage.

I found this book to be very interesting, provocative and well written. If you are interested in Jules Verne, Kabala or the Masons, you will want to read this book.

As well as providing an insight into Verne's mind as it changed throughout his life, it provides some useful source information for those of us who are fascinated by the multiple complexity of the Rennes-le-Chateau enigma.

"I've a whale of a tale to tell you, lads," sings Kirk Douglas in the Walt Disney film adaptation of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Most of us, reading Verne's novels for the first time, adored them and thought these whales of tales were simply fabulous adventure stories. Now French researcher/journalist Michel Lamy has come along to tell us that the late 19th century French author carefully structured his novels according to the stages of Masonic and Rosicrucian initiation and action-quest ritual---that, and much more, all of an occult nature. In Michael Strogoff, for example, the hero fights a bear, is tortured, is blinded, then recovers his sight; Mr. Lamy shows us that these acts are strangely consistent with vows made by higher-ranked Freemasons.

In general, Mr. Lamy's thesis is persuasive; but this reader would have liked to learn more about what kind of a queer duck Jules Verne was that he took the trouble of structuring his novels in this way in the first place. Verne doesn't really seem to be proselytizing; it's more like it's all something of a gigantic lark for him. But there surely is no simple answer, and Mr. Lamy introduces a somber note at the beginning of his book, stating that toward the end of his life Verne was "haunted by some incomprehensible mystery that he refused to share with anyone and which sometimes appeared to be suffocating him."

All in all, this beautifully translated book is quite a treat for all lovers of great literature, and especially for those fascinated by the rarer and more occult forms of expression that literature in all of its endless variations can take.

_The Secret Message of Jules Verne: Decoding His Masonic, Rosicrucian, and Occult Writings_ is the first English translation by Destiny Books of the French book _Jules Verne, Initie et initiateur_ by French writer on the occult and esoterism Michel Lamy. This book which attempts to uncover a hidden occult agenda behind the writings of the famous French father of science-fiction Jules Verne is certain to appeal to those who are fans of such books as the novel _Foucault's Pendulum_ of Umberto Eco or the occult writings of Joscelyn Godwin. The French edition of this book has been mentioned in many sources of the occult literature and thus this English edition provides an important work for English readers and students of the occult and the esoteric. Jules Verne (1828 - 1905) was a French author who played an important role in the development of the science-fiction novel. However, according to author Michel Lamy, Verne had another side to him and his stories were frequently meant to be works of initiation. Lamy contends that Verne was a student of the occult as were many of the French literary during his time and that he played an important part in the French occult scene at the turn of the century. This book provides a fascinating account of the freemasonic and Rosicrucian aspects of Verne's work as well as discussing such obscure topics as the Rennes-le-chateau mystery, vampirism, the Bavarian Illuminati, and esoteric Nazism, favored by occultists. This book is certainly a fascinating look into the deeper and hidden aspects of a favorite novelist whose works remain a source of interest, fascination, and entertainment to this day.

In the Introduction to this book, Lamy begins by setting the stage for his esoteric understanding of author Jules Verne, noting the influence of the Rennes-le-chateau mystery on Verne. Lamy next turns to Part 1, "Jules Verne, Initiate and Initiator: An Opus in Service of Freemasonry", where he explains the freemasonic background of Verne. Lamy contends that Verne made use of a secret language, emphasizing the so-called mysterious "language of the birds" of the troubadours, and the secret slang argot used in Verne's novels. Lamy also explains the role of cryptography in Verne's novels, the role of the ouroboros, and the secret message of the circle in Verne's work. Lamy maintains that "the treasure is in the circle", noting the role of the island symbolism and maintaining that this reveals a hidden message behind Verne's work. Following this, Lamy turns to Jules Verne as a freemason. Lamy notes the freemasonic influence on Jules Verne, emphasizing the role of masonic and initiatory symbolism in _The Journey to the Center of the Earth_ and comparing Verne's novel _The Underground City_ to Mozart's masonic _The Magic Flute_. Part 2 of this book is entitled "Jules Verne and the Royal Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau" and discusses the role of the bizarre Rennes-le-chateau mystery on nineteenth century French occultists and Jules Verne. Lamy begins by discussing the treasure of Father Berenger Saunier and the church of St. Mary Magdelene at Rennes-le-chateau. Lamy explains the bizarre happenings at Rennes-le-chateau and the strange situation concerning Father Saunier and his relationship to the occult as well as the role of the Merovingian kings, the painter Poussin ("ET IN ARCADIA EGO"), and the alleged treasure at Rennes-le-chateau and links to the treasure of Solomon (complete with infiltration by the Israeli secret service in an attempt to uncover this treasure). Lamy then explains how this mystery relates to Verne's novel _Clovis Dardentur_, relating this to the treasure, the Holy Grail, and such heretical groups as the medieval Cathars. Lamy next explains how Jules Verne relates to the mysterious Father Boudet, author of the bizarre _The True Celtic Language and the Cromlech of Rennes-les-Bains_. Lamy relates the writings of Verne to Boudet, the Hapsburgs and the Austrians, and the Rose Cross. Part 3 of this book is entitled "Jules Verne and the Secrets of the Rosicrucians", which explains the relationship of Verne to the mysterious sect of Rosicrucians. Lamy first mentions Verne's relationship to the Rosicrucians, emphasizing the role of the writings of Anatole France, the characters of Robur and Phileas Fogg, the quest for the Holy Grail of Otto Rahn, and other indications of Rosicrucian influence on the writings of Verne. Lamy next turns to Jules Verne and the secrets of Arsene Lupin, emphasizing the role of the countess of Cagliostro, Rennes-le-chateau, and the Merovingians. Following this, Lamy turns to the influence of the Golden Dawn on Jules Verne. Although Verne was likely himself not a member of the Golden Dawn, Lamy maintains that this secret society may have had some influence on Verne. In particular, Lamy traces the influence of Bram Stoker (famous author of the vampire novels featuring Dracula as well as a member of the Golden Dawn) on Verne, emphasizing the role of Verne's own vampire stories in _The Castle in the Carpathians_. Lamy maintains that vampires constitute a secret society based on a blood cult and comes to note the role of vampirism in the stories of Verne. Following this, Lamy turns to a discussion of Jules Verne and the hollow earth. Lamy notes the influence of such authors as Bulwer-Lytton (influenced by Rosicrucianism) and Edgar Allen Poe (who wrote of the hollow earth himself) on Jules Verne, emphasizing the role of Verne's story _The Journey to the Center of the Earth_. Lamy also maintains that Rennes-le-chateau serves as an entrance to the hollow earth. Part 4 of this book is entitled "Once Was a King of Thule", which discusses the esoteric political context of Verne's work. Lamy begins by discussing the role of the Bavarian Illuminati in the categorization of Verne's political beliefs. Lamy notes the contradictory aspect of much of Verne's political beliefs and ultimately concludes that Verne was aristocratic in outlook but also radical and anarchist. He notes the role of his stories and characters in maintaining such an anarchistic outlook though tinged with aristocratic viewpoints. Lamy also discusses "The Chalice in the Fog", noting the role of the Angelic Society, a literary society also called "the Fog", in promoting Verne's anarchistic views. Lamy notes the role of such authors as George Sand and Alexander Dumas as well as such works as the _Hypnerotomachia Poliphilia_ and the writings of H. P. Lovecraft (and his _Necronomicon_) and their relationship to Verne. Following this, Lamy turns to a discussion of "Night and Fog", where he discusses the role of Rudolf von Sebottendorf and his "Thule Society" as well as the influences of esoterism on Nazism and Communism and their relationship to Jules Verne. Lamy also mentions such traditionalist esoteric writers as Rene Guenon and Julius Evola in relation to Verne. Part 5 of this book is entitled "From Sable to the Golden N". Lamy begins by discussing the secrets of Captain Nemo (a name meaning "no one"), revealing the aristocratic anarchism of this character. Lamy finds an image of Verne's political outlook in the figure of Nemo. Lamy ends this book with a discussion of Jules Verne facing God. Here, the author notes the devastating role of the attempted murder of Jules Verne by his deranged nephew Gaston on Verne. Lamy also notes Verne's ensuing melancholy and his eventual turning away from esoterism and towards Catholicism towards the end of his life, where he finally embraced God again. In a brief Epilogue, Lamy once again explains the signifance of Verne's work and its esoteric aspects.

This book offers a fascinating account of the esoteric side to the writer Jules Verne, as well as an interesting history of the various occult movements of the Nineteenth Century. It is certain to interest those who are fascinated by such topics and thus offers an important contribution to the occult literature. As such it comes highly recommended.

Michael Lamy's THE SECRET MESSAGE OF JULES VERNE: DECODING HIS MASONIC, ROSICRUCIAN AND OCCULT WRITINGS reveals the science fiction writer's active participation in the occult community of his times in France - and how esoteric secrets can be found in his writings, from Rosicrucian secrets of immortality to Masonic initiation rites. An exact discussion and analysis of Verne's language choices reveals his wordplay, anagrams and even numerical combinations in a guide perfect for any interested in Verne's connections with the occult, and recommended for any library strong in Verne literary analysis as well as new age collections.

This was the second time I'd enjoyed this groundbreaking book-length photo essay by one of the pioneer French photojournalists. I'd first seen many of the very famous historic pictures when I was a student working on my BFA in the mid-1960's. I came across the book itself in the early 1970's but I don't think I read the text at the time because I seem to recall it was in French.
Having just finished actually reading this 1976 English translation I purchased, I'm even more impressed than I was long ago when I examined an earlier foreign version. Not only have the pictures themselves remained some of the best photographs of the era, but also they are still fresh and as relevant as they were at the time. The author-photographer liked to stroll through the dark alleys and byways of Paris with the likes of Man Ray, KiKi and Henry Miller among others. What impressed me most about this book at this time in my own life is that the photographer was either very, very brave or had a "death wish." Taking the pictures in this book was a very dangerous undertaking. The major players in the pictures included drug dealers, thugs, prostitutes and other unsavory characters of the shadowy Paris underbelly. Brassai was lucky not to have been robbed of more than his money and film holders during his continuing documentation of the Paris underworld. Simply being out in some of the dangerous streets where he set up his camera and tripod was taking his life in his hands. Obviously, photographing known criminals in their element made him and his valuable camera equipment a really tempting target for a mugging. Since the local criminals also hated "stool pigeons" or police informers, he was a convenient target of their fear of betrayal. Having a crime magazine editor add a caption to one of his gangster portraits that said "This murderer who..." brought that murderer crashing through Brassai's bedroom door in the middle of the night mad as Hell and brandishing his switchblade and yelling "So I'm a murder, am I...Then I'm going to kill you!" Fortunately, he settled for just robbing him of all his money.
This was the 1930's and Brassai was taking a bulky camera, tripod and the necessary flash equipment into Opium Dens for the wealthy and famous, illegal gambling dens, brothels, houses of illusion, the hidden club world of gay men and women, and dangerous bars where the crooks, pimps and thugs relaxed and conducted business or took revenge on (rubbed out) their competitors. There was no way he could hide the fact he was taking pictures--especially when his flash lit up the entire scene. He was a brave photographer who risked his life to show the insides of the officially unacknowledged flesh-peddling world of Paris life.
Even though the pictures in the book are all from the 1930's and sometimes have a dated and quaint look to them, something else becomes obvious to every viewer and reader of the pictures. It's obvious that nothing much has really changed since those legendary times in Paris. Even Brassai points out that the things he photographed had been going on in the same areas of Paris for centuries. They still do as any tourist to Paris can confirm. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Brassai's world still exists relatively unchanged and not just in Paris, but in almost every major city in the world. That fact makes this a timeless book and that's really something worth knowing.

Divided into 19 sections, each including a short essay on one subject (ex.: The Street Fair) with accompanying illustrations. Photographs include full-page printed to the edge of the paper (unfortunately also to the spine of the book), full-page with border, half and quarter page. Copyrights on most of the the photographs, listed in an appendix, range from 1931-33, a few are 1934.

Most of the 150 photographs are very good duotone reproductions, a few are less than great. My copy is a softcover, publ. by Thames & Hudson, 2001, labeled Printed in Italy on the back cover.

The subjects range from public toilets and their various uses, through petty underworld figures, gay nightclubs, prostitutes and brothels, bums, to backstage at the Folie-Bergere and an upper-class opium den. One interesting section deals with the annual "Balls" (read orgies) organized by the Schools of Medicine and the Arts on the Left Bank for their students. All get a sympathetic and nonjudgemental treatment. Overall an fascinating, but fragmented glimpse of Paris night life in the early 30's.

The photographs and stories in this book are truly remarkable. The underground world Brassai allows the reader to navigate is one that will leave a mark on your heart and tear at your soul. From lonely streetwalkers to the many faces of Parisian nightclubs, this amazing photographic journey gives a modern audience a true glimpse of what life was like in the 30s.

Don't let the title put you off, there is very little in this book that would shock a modern audience. Times certainly ain't what they used to be. Brassai's photos and writings of a time now long gone however will slowly infuse in you a strange and somewhat uncomfortable nostalgia for a time long before you were born and places you wouldn't visit had you been born. Removed so far in time, it's all very safe - perhaps.

This was a fantastic book and a long one (I like that). I took it on a ski vacation and was tempted to take it to the slopes with me. I finally realized that was not a great idea but I could hardly wait to get back to my room, get comfortable, and begin reading again.

"The Shuttle* was written in the early 1900's, but it shows the brutality of spousal abuse--mental and physical--with no holds barred. Gentle Rosalie undergoes years of cruel emotional battering which is described with absolute psychological accuracy. It turns out that her sister Bettina is strong and determined enough to save both of them. Sir Nigel's end is satisfying, although it might have been even better if he'd fallen into the pigpen and been devoured by swine. This is a very early and powerful feminist novel as well as a skillfully written, entertaining page-turner.

I have a 1907 edition of this book that I love.. I've read it several times and each time I savour the language and the world that Frances Hodgeson Burnett described before the First World War: a world of English village streets with sound of carts clattering past hawthorn hedges and brash young American boys bicyling in buttonup boots and celluloid collars up the pleached alleys of country estates.
I think that the previous reviewer has unfortunetely missed much of the subtlety of the story, painting it in almost comicbook colours. It's "comfort reading" for adults who grew up making friends with Little Lord Fauntleroy and a Secret Garden. This is a novel that celebrates the goodness of people and cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in tender and funny ways that remind me of Lousia May Alcott's books and in the end, metes out justice in very satisfying ways. You might also want to see if you can find F H Burnett's "T. Tembarom" --which is, as her characters themselves might put it, a "bang-up" book as well.

The book is set in the 19th century, but the heroine, Bettina Vanderpoel of the filthy rich New York Vanderpoels, is no shrinking violet. That role is left to her older sister, sweet and not overly bright Rosalie. The story starts out with Rosalie being courted by and married to Sir Nigel Anstruthers, an impoverished English aristocrat on the make for a rich wife. Although she is only eight at the time, Betty hates Sir Nigel. Her instincts are on the money. Sir Nigel is a rotter, a blackguard, a cad, and a bounder. He is utterly infuriated that he did not automatically gain control of Rosalie's money when he married her. He and his equally appalling mother start a loathsome campaign of emotional abuse that gentle Rosalie is not equal to. Luckily, by chapter five it is 12 years later and Bettina has grown into a fine, strong-minded woman who has all the business sense that made the Vanderpoel fortune. The rest of the book tells us how she rescues her sister, her nephew, and the Anstruthers estate from Sir Nigel. The hero of the book is another impoverished aristocrat, but cut from genuinely noble cloth, even if most of his ancestors were of the Sir Nigel type.
Before the book is over, Bettina will be trapped, injured, and at the mercy of Sir Nigel, who has Perfectly Awful plans for the lovely lady. Will Bettina wring her hands helplessly and beg?
Don't be silly. Read and see how love, virtue, and justice triumph and Sir Nigel gets his.

A few of us inaugurated a book club for 3rd grade girls with this story and it was a great start for us.

This story is beautifully written and has many layers, it was great for the adults and interesting enough for the girls, despite the backdrop of a war and subject matter that is difficult for young people to relate to: should you stay and fight in a war that has depleted you and made you question why you are there and hurt your psyche badly or go home to your family?


There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of our discussion. Who did the donkey represent? Did Lieutenant get home? Was John real or made up? What significance was the beetle in the end?

Even though we didn't have clear answers, the girls were satisfied with the questions and were inspired to keep reading. All in all, a very good story to read with and explain to a child under 12. 13 and older can probably understand the subject matter and get more depth from it without a parent's input.

This book is beautifully written, whimsical, as well as touching and folorn. Children and adults will love to read this one aloud together. The author does a masterful job of creating a poignant and believable story told in a fable- or fairytale-like style. I highly recommend this book, and I would also recommend the hard-cover edition with the embossed silver donkey on the cover. It is lovely, well-crafted, and a joy to hold and read. I believe this edition best matches the style of the book. I am convinced you will want to read this one again and again. Happy Reading!

A very well written tale, I was first attracted to this book by is very classic looking cover. It has its own little built in ribbon bookmark, so it already is a very attractive book. The story, two little french girls find a blind english soilder who has had to leave the war. He is blind and trying to get home. At first he is just a fun secret for the little girls to have to themselves, though they are always trying to help him (their father's second best razor, alot of food from the pantry, etc)

He has one posession that, Coco, the younger of the two finds especially appealing, a very small silver donkey. Each day as the girls help him he tells them a story that involves a donkey essentially as the hero, each of them has a sort of bitter sweet twist to them (there are four total).

Its a very well written story, Hartnett's prose has a lyricalness to it and the illustrations on the inside are very fitting, they appear to be rendered in charcoal, so they are black and white, very sketchy looking. One is amazing, it is of the two sisters and their brother walking along the edge of a dock, all of them balancing with their arms out. The image is perfectly in time with the text.

This would be a good holiday gift to a child (no younger than 3rd grade I'd say, probably 5th)--as it does have some war time issues in it (WW2) I can see this as a Hallmark Holiday movie if they were so inclined, it has that sort of mood to it.

Two sisters from a French seaside town find a drifting soldier during World War I. Marcelle and Coco are fascinated with the blind Englishman and his good luck charm, a little silver donkey. Lieutenant Shepard has wonderful stories to tell about heroic donkeys, and the girls hang on every tale. Soon, their brother finds out, and he gets a friend to help plan the soldier's way home across the Channel.

Knowing that the adults can never learn of the soldier's presence, the children take care of "their" soldier until he can leave. In return, they learn about courage and loyalty--lessons that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Sonya Hartnett has woven a charming story in the tradition of classic children's literature. Using gentle language, she relates the soldier's experience in ways that will leave no doubt that war is horrible, without scarring her young readers. The children are portrayed with a very real sense of wonderment, curiosity, and innocent sense of right and wrong.

Reading THE SILVER DONKEY evokes a feeling reminiscent of THE SECRET GARDEN and other such children's stories from the early 1900s. As time passes, Hartnett is sure to be as recognized as Burnett.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
11/08/2006