France Books

THE LAST TROUBADOUR (Hist/Mys/Susp-Ramon Troubadour-France-1241) - Ex
Armstrong, Derek - 1st in Trilogy
Künati, 2007, US Hardcover - ISBN: 1601640102

First Sentence: The approaching Mayday festival drew larger than normal crowds to the unholy city of Carcassonne.

It's 1241, Pope Gregory is soon to die and the Inquisition is responsible for the torture, murder and burning of those deemed heretics. Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, the High Lady of the Carther Christians has been captured and brought to Carcassone to be tried as a heretic.

Ramon is a Troubadour whose mother had been burned at the stake. With the aid of a scores, a Templer, the Baug Balar entertainers and other friends and allies, Ramon has a plan has a plan to rescue the Lady.

What a remarkable book. Armstrong symbolizes each of the main characters with a card from the Tarot deck, but each character is also taken from history and the events of the time. It is not necessary to have any knowledge of the Tarot to understand or enjoy this story, yet I found it interesting to learn how old it is.

It's hard to say enough about the characters. Many of them develop as the story progresses. There is Ramon, the talented, fair and roguish troubadour; Arnot, the strong and tattered Templar, Nevarra, an albino woman with a white owl who can cast magic; and many others. They become real; you cheer for the heroes and heroines and you despise villains.

The story is set after the Crusades to the Holy Lands and the Cathar Crusade, during the time of Inquisition. Armstrong, through his sense of place and the characters, illustrates the brutality of the period. The descriptions of the battles, torture and deaths are graphic and horrible. These are offset these with scenes of humor, charm, romance and a touch of magic; black and white. The action in the book escalates with each chapter to a wonderful conclusion.

But it's not the end. Book 2 of the trilogy, "The Last Quest," is due out October 1st and I've placed my order.

If you loved the outsized adventures of Gargantua and Pantagruel (Penguin Classics), you will surely be delighted by Armstrong's second novel, The Last Troubador: Song of Montsegur. Set in the turbulent, insecure 12th Century when Christendom set itself against Islam in the east and reforming elements at home, this book has the large stage in which to handle some universal themes.
What sets this apart from most historicals and calls Rabelais to mind is the author's tongue which is so firmly planted in his cheek that even when we are transported by the death-defying action, we're always aware of the multiple levels of meaning. Most historical novels are necessarily short-lived: their view of history is a product of their own moment and so they become dated. The Last Troubador will no doubt be around for a long time because the wink and the nod to the reader is truly timeless.

By the way, I found this book because I'd read Armstrong's The Game, a very different detective novel that shares the same dry inviting humor.

Lynn Hoffman, author of the semi-Rabelaisian bang BANG: A Novel

Yummy characters. Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but it is. Yummy, yummy. From the twisted and dark Diableteur to the golden-haired troubadour, there's isn't a character I didn't fall in love with. The Seigneur who redeems himself through love. The object of his love, the untouchable Dame of the Cathars. I even love the future pope (don't tell anyone!) Cardinal Sinibaldo Fiesco. This is a triumph, everything I love in a historical, from fighting, spunky ladies to romantic men with swords, and other weapons! I have to admit I was a little uncertain at first when the author made this tie-in from characters to Tarot cards. This was how I heard of the book, but I was all ready to hate the idea. I loved it. The Troubadour is the fool. The Magician is a woman, a snowy, white haired pagan sourceress. The Empress was the ever-pregnant mother of the travelling Baug Balar. And the Baug (it's like a circus, with trained horses, magic tricks, acrobats, really nice) is my favorite collection of images. The author throws in a nice dash of humor, but doesn't get carried away, shaking it up with some well-researched historical events and environment. I've been to Carcassonne, and it was so nice to see this beautiful place come to life. Over the top? Not really. Just so much to enjoy! The only thing I'm not happy about is the ending... it's fulfilling, with the main mission achieved, but as it turns out it's the beginning of an even greater quest. Which makes me very impatient for book 2, The Last Quest, which I'm definitely going to order. The Last Quest: Song of Montsegur

You don't have to know anything about the mysteries of tarot to enjoy this engrossing, fun read. It's a well-done combination of sword-and-sorcerer fantasy and historical adventure set in the 13th century. The tone is light, yet layers of period detail give it more depth than you might expect, and the characters are fascinating whether or not you understand their tarot inspirations.

Ramon Troubadour, the hero of the trilogy (yes, this is the first of three volumes), is a Fool extraordinaire on a quest to save the holy Dame of the Cathars from the fires of the Inquisition. The story is full of knights and kings, circus acrobats and animal acts, mysteries and magic, not to mention continuous action and sharp-tongued humor from the Fool as he goes about the business of discovering the secrets of the age.

The Catholic Church doesn't come off very well in this tale, as you might expect since it's set in a period when red hot pokers were as important to the holy orders as communion wafers. The trilogy itself is driven by a quest to find the world's most important religious relic and the machinations of the Pope and the evil Diableteur, a scythe-carrying devil. Other fun characters include a one-eyed Knight who may or may not be a Templar and a circus fortune-teller who also happens to be a witch.

The story moves along and carries the reader with it. I found it both engaging and entertaining.

Witty, dry, well-paced, this story worked for me on all levels. Original plot and well executed, what else can a reader ask for? I recommend it for everyone to read. The characters are engaging - you are made to feel as if you are there with them, which is what a great story is meant to do. I loved it and will certainly read another novel from this talented author. Derek Armstrong is a keeper for me.

This is a delightful living book. An opportunity to learn a lot about Monet, his work and his life while enjoying a beautifully told story.

Fabulous book about places I have visited and loved -- I actually
know Michelle who owns the Hotel Esmerelda (she will autograph my
copy of book), and have spent many happy hours in the bookstore
around the corner (never go to Paris without visiting it), and
of course, Monet's art and home are the pinnacle. A wonderful
and inspirational book for all!

I absolutely LOVED this book when I was younger. So, if you're having doubts about your child liking it, I wouldn't...I had the doll of Linnea and I carried it around with me everywhere...and I also brought the book everywhere I could as well.

Linnea, a young Swedish girl has developed quite a friendship with the elderly Mr. Bloom, her upstairs neighbor. Mr. Bloom is a retired gardener who is the proud owner of a lovely book about the great French artist, Claude Monet. After hours and hours of studying Monet and his life, the pair begin the ultimate adventure: a trip to Paris, and where it all began! Linnea and Mr. Bloom visit the Marmottan museum to observe the many paintings of Monet. They study his artwork and how the genius painted. They learn about other Impressionist artists--many who were great friends of Monet. Eventually the young child and elderly gentleman make the ultimate trek to Giverny, where Monet lived and painted.
This book could almost be a 'fun' textbook. The artwork, both of the author's and of Monet's is absolutely exquisite. Becoming familiar with Monet's life and his paintings become a marvelous art history lesson. As an adult, I not enjoyed reading this lovely book but I learned a lot. In fact, a few days after reading LINNEA in Monet's Garden I was watching a Sex in the City episode where Charlotte was showing a group of people one of Monet's 'lily' murals. Being familiar with that painting because of this book was an exciting moment for me!

I picked this up at the home of a friend. Her little girl scampered over and, eyeing me with suspicion, said, "That's MY BOOK." Once she gave me permission to look at it if I promised to treat it carefully, I began to wish I really could steal it!
What a treasure. Linnea in Monet's Garden is a way to introduce children (about age 6-10, I'd say) to the appreciation of Impressionist art. The book includes photographs and drawings of Monet's home and family, a story of his life, and full-color reproductions of many of his paintings. Linnea is taken to Giverny by the elderly Mr. Bloom and, as she is entranced by all things Monet, so will you be, too.
Buy two copies: one for yourself and one for a young friend.

Camille Chevalier Karfis has created a unique guide to Paris. Without omitting the best known sights, she also writes persuasively of others that are unknown to many tourists, but which certainly merit a visit. But beyond this, she has also addressed the needs of visitors who want to improve their French before they make the journey, by providing an engaging story in 17 chapters about a French-speaking couple from the U.S. enjoying a week in Paris. The vocabulary, grammar,and delivery begin at a very easy-going level but become progressively more demanding as the story continues; nevertheless, the slope is very gentle, and someone who can only manage Chapter 1 at first should be able to progress before long through the remaining chapters. The complete text and a translation are always available to those who can't grasp everything on a first listening. Those with intermediate skills, who will understand the material more quickly, can gain useful speaking practice by echoing each phrase - the relaxed pace always allows this. Even advanced speakers are likely to find the travel information of interest (and they might want to use the story on friends or family members).

Camille (at learnfrenchinboston.com) is evidently a very talented and inventive teacher, and has managed to break out of the inefficient traditional classroom routines that leave so many students stranded when they arrive in France, no matter how many tests they have passed. I can warmly recommend "Une semaine à Paris" to students and teachers alike.

Perfect for anyone wanting to understand daily French conversations! (and even be able to speak as well). No more quizzical looks when a shop owner asks if you need assistance. No more gesturing wildly to get your point across. This book, and especially listening to Camille's CD's over and over again, will truly enhance your next trip to France. There are so many ways to learn here - try NOT reading the book but rather just LISTEN to the CDs - amazing French education tool! Nothing like it on the market! Superb technical quality!

I bought this CD/book combination just before traveling to Paris, and I've enjoyed listening to and reading it many times. Now that I've 'been there,done that' in Paris, reliving my trip through Thomas and Angela is really fun. Plus I know my French has improved because now I can listen to most of the CD in my car without having to look at the text to figure it out.

A good nice story, with a lot to learn and a nice kiss at the end. You read and you listen.

Basically my title says it all; Camille should do more of these.
The book & CDs are good learning tools.
I have suggested these products to others.
Felix

The Human Comedy is a saga of 92 novels that Balzac said was written by French society. Legend described him as the night-shirted social recorder working until dawn fueled by liters of coffee. Lost Illusions (1837-1843) is considered to be one of the best of the novels in the series in scope and structure. From the frenetic world of writers and booksellers in Paris to the grueling life of hard work and boredom in villages, Balzac traced the systematic destruction of illusions in his characters. No one could be trusted (friends, foes, or family) when the creative or inventive characters attempted to reach a goal. The flicker of hope and joy related to an artistic or business accomplishment was extinguished within days or hours. The enduring artists and producers were those who lived almost without hope, guided by a strict code of ethics protected only by their ability to keep their accomplishments secret. Ultimately, some of these survivors reached their goals. But by then, they no longer placed high value in them, much of the luster lost with their illusions. Lost Illusions set the standard for many of the wonderful French novels of the subsequent years of the 19th Century. The reader is immersed in French culture in a manner similar to the later writing of Gustav Flaubert.

Lost Illusions by Balzac is one of the most famous novels out of the ninety two he wrote in his lifetime and maybe also among a million his admirers have written in 175 years since his first novel was published.

Balzac choses Lucien as a romantic, good-looking dreamy poet. We are first thrust into his provincial life, with details about his ordinary life and extraordinary ambitions that he has no means of realizing. Except patronage by an older woman! She leads him to Paris, only to abandon him to fight his way into the high society. How Lucien rises and falls in the glamorous, amorous, corrupt and vicious life as a journalist in Paris is picturized through a narrative that is bathed in realism, and yet proceeds through both suspense and wit, in the spirit of the pace at which Balzac could conjure up such novels.

In the provinces, Lucien has a friend, David, who likewise is somewhat lacking in social and economic acumen, and is a hard working inventor. David own father ruins him by extracting an unreasonable price for the printing press that he leaves or sells to his own son. Crafty competitors take advantage of David's credulous character. David endures both provincial small mindedness and economic setbacks suffered to keep Lucien afloat. Balzac displays his knowledge of these disparate characters with remarkable attention to detail. He weaves an undercurrent, of what could have passes as a dissertation, on the art and science of paper making.

Balzac creates in his one book, a saga that unravels friendship, love, jealousy, lust, ambition, vanity, greed and absurdity that lurk in our beings and in our relationships. By using two main pillars, Lucien and David, Balzac erects a bridge into the two worlds of poetry and science. He shuns hint of any romance of either worlds, and shows how much character, how many hardships and set-backs, how much devotion and labor are required for a man to become a known poet or a scientist.

I am quoting an example from this translation (carried out by Katharine Prescott Wormeley):

"No one can be a great man cheaply," said d'Arthez in his gentle voice. "Genius waters her work with tears.Talent is a moral being which, like all other beings, is subject to the maladies of childhood. Society rejects undeveloped talent just as nature removes her feeble or deformed creations. Whoever wishes to rise above his fellows must be prepared to struggle, and not recoil at difficulty. A great writer is a martyr who does not die - that's the whole of it!"

Besides the two pillars, the book has an interesting array of characters. Actresses, society women, editors and publishers, lawyers, struggling writers, dandies - all appear with their human failings and foibles as part of a drama that unfolds with an enrapturing narrative. Be it history, economics, alchemy, or psychology, or any topic under the sun, Balzac ushers in his great knowledge, suspending and supporting the story with able and apt pointers, tresses and metaphors.

Balzac's Lost Illusions is undoubtedly a classic everyone can enjoy and must read at some point in their lives. Highly recommended.

I read this book during my latest visit to my favorite middle east country. I must admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as others. I felt like it was slow to come around and I thought there was too much detail on (seemingly) unimportant things at times. I'm just a regular person, so that said if you are an accomplished reader you may love this, for neophytes such as myself, other titles are more likely to be properly enjoyed (see my reviews)...and keep me updated!

This is one of the best novels by Balzac, which is to say much, since he is still one of the best writers that have ever lived. Here, as in the rest of his work, the reader can appreciate Balzac's knowledge of worldly life, and especially the world of business, so alien to other writers. In this book he elaborates on the printing business as well as on journalism -vastly so-, back when it first began as a mercantilist activity. He contrasts the small life and intrigues of the province with the -no less petty but more gandiose- life and intrigues of the big city, Paris, and in particular of the faubourg Saint-Germain, the paradise of the Parisian jet-set.

David Sechard is a young man who inherits, at great cost, his cold and greedy father's printing business. Lucien Chardon (later "de Rubempre", after taking his impoversihed mother's more aristocratic last name) is his best friend. Both of them share a love for poetry, but it is Lucien who comes to shine as the young genius of province, the promise for whom it is worth it to sacrifice it all. Lucien gets the love of one Louise de Bargeton, the "queen of Angouleme", the most cultivated and refined woman in town. Louise promises to take Lucien to Paris, introduce him into the great society, and make him triumph as a poet. His family gives him all they can to get him started, and off he goes to Paris. But he happens to be arrogant, proud, and insecure, and soon he suffers the despise and insolence of aristocrats and other rich people. After what he believes to be an offense from Louise, he rejects her, earning her eternal hatred.

In the meantime, Lucien has been spending time with two very different circles of friends. The first is composed of a group of young intellectuals, hardworking guys sacrificing money and fun for the sake of science, art, and knowledge. They are there for him in times of need, and encourage him to keep up with his writing. The second group is a bunch of journalists, easy going but corrupt people who convince him to achieve quick fame and money. Lucien gets more and more trapped by this seemingly easy life, and after he conquers the love of the prettiest actress in Paris, his fate is decided. He achieves fame and fortune overnight, and so he jumps completely into the world of parties, frivolity and silly competition for status. At this point in the novel, Balzac introduces us to the sordid, decadent, and disgusting world of journalism understood as an unmerciful network of extortion and constant blackmailing. Lucien slides down that road, getting recognition and fame, oblivious to the growing net of envy that closes in around him every day.

What follows is the sad story of an unlikable character. Lucien has very little redeeming qualities about him, as opposed to some of his early friends, his young lover and his family. He is blind as blind can be, since his extreme selfishness builds a cloud in which he lives. He cares for nobody, except perhaps for the little Coralie, and he goes on leaving too many wounded bodies by the side of the road. Nevertheless, this character is the vehicle that allows Balzac to show us the real world out there. This writer never ever gives up to the temptation of sweetening things for the reader, he's brave and persists on his plan. Balzac is never a moralizing preacher, he is just a skillful painter of life as it is.

Here, as in the rest of his work, you will find characters who also appear in other novels, an ingenious device intended to give us a feeling of reality. This book is never boring and builds up tension rapidly, even for its length. It is an encompassing ride through all the fancies of youth gone wrong, as well as an unrelenting depiction of all the falseness and emptiness of high society. Much recommended.

I love Balzac. At his best he soars above the rest of French literature and here he is definitely at his finest. Easy to see why Proust thought him the best, at his best. Vautrin/Collyn is at his most sinister and attractive. If you haven't read Balzac before, this is the best to start with.

this humor in this book is incredibly dry, original and astute. New Yorkers should especially appreciate it but many of the scenes will crack up anyone anywhere...and, to boot, it's all in the interest of a great cause

Cooperative Village is a laugh from cover to cover. Madeson hits the nail on the head, capturing the essence of living in a co-op in New York City, with it's cross section of colorful characters. The adventures she takes you through makes you want to turn the pages as fast as you can, because you won't believe it could get nuttier and it just does...
Can't wait for the next book

Fran Madeson's "Cooperative Village" is a wacky, wonderful, and frequently hysterically funny antidote for whatever George Bush has managed to do to you. I rarely laugh out loud when reading a book and I really did when I read this one. Madeson's imagination and voice are simply unlike other authors out there. It's a story, it's a political commentary, it's a cockeyed look into the world of little old Jewish ladies who rock.

Frances Madeson has a vivid imagination. Working from the real and cultural geography and of an actual New York City housing development, she creates a web of hysterially over-the-top characters whose outrageous behavior seems normal to each other. It is dripping with social and political satire. It is a wonderful, unique and truly funny book.

I enjoyed parts of this book, but it was too scattered (which I think was done by design). I guess this is suppose to be a wacky look at a strange days in the lower east side, with a few negative comments about her old job to make you wonder where she worked and more comments about her mother that makes you wonder about what the mother did.

This is one of Elizabeth David's classic cookery books, bursting with good advice and as always, beautifully written. Her research was excellent and she always added interesting historical asides and information. If you are looking for a typical recipe book with artfully arranged photos, and the latest trendy dishes, then this will not be for you. The book, written in 1960, has some line drawings, but is otherwise pretty much free of frills.
However, if you are a serious cook, either amateur or professional, and enjoy reading about great French country cusine, this this is for you!

The truly remarkable thing about Elizabeth David was not so much that she could write enthralling and compelling cookbooks ("Mediterranean Food", "French Provincial Cooking", "Italian Cooking"), but that she transformed a glum, drab post-war England by the beauty of her prose and her ability to evoke the sunshine and brilliant colours of the mediterranean. And, further north, the simple beauty of cuisine bourgeoise, home cooking french style.

It was this book that got me started on a lifetime of home cooking. Like all great cookbooks, it can be read and savored without cooking at all. Her ability to evoke time and place is startling -- for example, her recipe for little courgette souffles is wrapped in the story of how she first enjoyed them. Of course, this was in a small country restaurant where the proprietor used his own recipe to make them for her.

She talks vividly about La Mere Poulard and her Mont St. Michel omelettes, for which she offers the original recipe. Roughly translated from the french, it reads: "Monsieur, I get some good eggs, I put them in a bowl and beat vigorously. Then I put them into a pan with good butter and stir constantly. I will be very happy if this recipe gives you pleasure".

I remember, over 30 years ago, the first time I made her recipe for pork chops "to taste like wild boar". They do indeed, and very good they are. Her recipes for classics like Cassoulet, and Bouillabaisse are vivid and provide the cultural context as well as precise directions. Her description of a bouillabaisse on the beach makes you want to catch the next plane there.

She explains the environment of her recipes, their milieu, and their progenitors so that you get right inside the whole theory and practice of french cooking. This is not haute cuisine, though it is not always simple to execute. But her sympathy for the process of cooking and her ability to describe it precisely prefigured writers like Richard Olney and Alice Waters, who owe her, as do we all, a great debt.

In any case, she is directly responsible for the appalling culinary assaults I have perpetrated on family and friends for longer than I care to remember. I still use the book, though most of its pages are now stored directly in my memory.

This book assumes that you know something about cooking and working in a kitchen. Many times amounts of ingredients are not specified, but easily guessed at. The recipies are relatively easily prepared and well worth any effort. I have never prepared a poor meal using this book. Ms. David was a leader in Britain in bring continental cooking to the British Kitchen. This is not a new book but still one of the best, and a favorite. I have used it since 1972 and am still finding things to make. Compared to Alice Waters, the preparations are less fussy but equally satisfying. I would recommend this book to a cook who has experience, it is most likely not a good wedding present, but entirely appropriate for the 5th anniversary.

Elizabeth David is one of foremost writers on food in the latter half of the 20th century and this book has her most celebrated writing. For this reason, I was inspired to write this modest review when I saw Amazon feature the volume as an offering, 43 years after it's first publication in England.

It is a coincidence of no small meaning that this book appeared within two years before the publication of Julia Child et al's landmark `Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. Child was even worried, when David's book appeared, that it may steal a lot of the thunder from Child and her colleague's effort. The fact is, the two books are very much like the Wittgensteinian `duck rabbit' optical illusion in that they deal with the same subject but from different points of view.

One distinction is that while Child's book is simply a cookbook of French recipes, David's book is a long essay on French cuisine, offering the sketches of recipes more as exercizes to be completed by the reader than as true recipes. In fact, it is one of the most enduring legacies of Child's book that it redefined the detail to which a recipe writer should go in order to adequately communicate the process of preparing a dish.

A second distinction between the two is that they deal with two different facets of French cuisine. As David recites from work by Curnonsky, there is haute cuisine, la cuisine Bourgeoise, la cuisine Regionale, and la cuisine Improvisee. David discourses on the third while Child, et al present the second.

For many, including such luminaries as Jeremiah Tower and Alice Waters, Elizabeth David is the fountainhead of thinking on the French notion of `la cuisine terroir', sometimes interpreted by the notion `what grows together goes together'. For David, this is the heart of regional cooking, and the thing which most distinguishes it from cooking at restaurants where clientele arrive at any time of the year or the day and expect to be able to order virtually any well known French speciality.

One of the passages which best characterizes David's approach to a lot of cooking is her opening statement on the perfect omelette: `As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect onelette: you own.' I'm sure this would not work for Daniel Boulud, but it works just fine for me, after having seen about five (5) different, contrary techniques on how to make the perfect omelette.

It's interesting to constantly encounter reminders that the book was written before the widespread distribution of Teflon coated cookware, as there is no mention of it, even for egg cookery. I believe the book is all the more valuable for this fact, in that it paints a picture of a cooking style which has irrevokably been changed by technology. A second technological change brought upon the world by the French themselves is the 'robot-coupe' or food processor. It's noteworthy that the device is only mentioned in Notes to the 1985 edition where it is pointed out that the device was a major contribution to both the good and the bad aspects of nouvelle cuisine.

As stated above, the recipes are not as much presented as a blueprint to reproduce every dish cited, but rather to illuminate the discourse. One of my favorites is the entry for Salade Nicoise, where not one but four (4) different variations are given, including the variation of Escoffier.

The sections on French kitchen equipment and French techniques appear to be quite complete and absolutely essential if you embark on reading a cookbook written in French. The book has a short essay on each of the major culinary regions of France, starting. Almost obviously with Provence which is blessed not so much with great culinary talent as a great source of produce, similar, perhaps to the situation in California where the `la cuisine terroir' could take root much more easily than in Toledo or Albany. The largest portion of the book is chapters on cuisine by type of foodstuf or type of preparation such as:

Sauces
Hors-D'oeuvres and Salads
Soups
Eggs and Cheese
Pates and Terrines
Vegetables
Fish
Shellfish
Meat
Composite Meat Dishes
Poultry and Game
Left-overs
Sweet dishes

The book ends with a bibliography which alone is worth the price of the paperback volume.

This book begs to be read from cover to cover. The only other writers who come to mind of a similar caliber are John Thorne, M.F.K. Fisher, and Harold McGee. Elizabeth David's books belong in the library of anyone who loves to read and prepare food and this is her best.

This book is unequaled, engrossing, superlative. It remains, despite the four decades since its publication, the finest book on authentic French cooking in the English language. To that extent, it is uncompromising - a quality not likely to endear it to the timid or fadish american cook - but never daunting. The sheer sensuous beauty of the food evoked in these pages is a loving, prolonged essay on one of the glories of western civilization.

At school my whole class read this book for read aloud! It was a very good book. Frida was very good at art. She had five sisters but it seamed like they didn't pay attention to her! She was always lonely and she was bored.But atleast she had Imaginary friends to comfort her. One day she got in a horrible bus accident! Read this book to find out how Frida turned out after her pain. Reccomended for people who may want to learn how to turn pain into beauty.

I own the Spanish version of this book, and I love it. So do all my students - I teach Preschool Spanish (ages 3-6). My 5 year old daughter is an artist and she loves the vivid colors and imaginative characters that follow Frida through her life. The children I teach do not know Spanish, but they are able to look at the pictures and understand the story. They regularly request this book and enjoy looking for the 'spooky' characters.

My son and daughter could really relate to another person's life thanks to this well-written and cleverly illustrated book. Frida was, as they are now, someone who wasn't always able to have her mother's attention. She lived out fantasies in her mind, just as they do. She used her imagination even when she was unable to move her body, just like they do before they fall asleep at night. Frida's quotidian and extraordinary experiences spring to life thanks to the inventive illustrations and sympathetic writing.

More than once, creating art saved Frida Kahlo's life. Even though she had five sisters, she was almost always lonely and sad. When she was infected with polio and she was very sick, even her imaginary friends couldn't cheer her up, but painting and drawing rescued her. Most of her life, she was in heart-breaking pain after being in a horrible bus accident. Read this book to find out how art saved her once more. Recommended for people who want to learn how Frida Kahlo turned terrible pain into beautiful masterpieces.

My mom read me this book and I saw that art is important and special, it can save you and allow you to express your imagination even when times are tough

This book has already made a difference in my life. I purchased it because of a loss of faith in politics as usual. Lappe's idea of living democracy, as opposed to "thin democracy" (where you vote for a politician and hand off all responsibility for another four years) really hit home. I have joined an amateur radio emergency service group and attended my first neighborhood community meeting as I try to participate in rather than whine about our living democracy.

I was fortunate enough to meet Frances Moore Lappe recently. Hearing her speak, I was reminded of the source of true leadership. If you ever get the chance to hear her in person. Go! If not, get this book.

Frances is able to express her vision clearly and logically, without any of the brohaha and self-importance so many thinkers possess (and foist on the rest of us). Being a life coach, I love her focus on taking action, but more than that, on helping us to understand how our thinking is so manipulated by our culture. Just today, I was speaking to a client about fear. I told her about this book and directed her to the matrix on "Seven Ways to Rethink Fear." Being a visual person myself, I appreciate the way she's laid this out as well as "Toward a Language of Democracy." Interestingly to me, one of my favorite psychology book, "Escape From Babel, Toward a Unifying Language for Psychotherapy Practice" points out how there are only a few things that make psychology work and that all therapists need to understand and "speak the same language" or they cannot help others. In the same way, Moore Lappe's "Language of Democracy" shows that "truth" remains elusive and it is how we look at things that matters. We can CHOOSE to view words and the people who utter them as antithetical to our own beliefs or we can choose to look deeper and open ourselves to the alternatives.

Fast service from the source.
Intriguing book which will affect your outlook on America.

It feels like now is the time in history for the People to stand up and shake off the fear and loss of control and believe that they can and will change things for the better. Frances Moore Lappe in this book helps us out of our chairs and pushes us out the door with a feeling of hope and excitement. Read it, get a grip and smile again while planning one small step that will make a difference.

This book is the key to keeping it real. I find myself more productive after reading it.

Zola's The Ladies Paradise is a fine translation from the French original. The author is right on target when it comes to consumer culture in nineteenth century France. He predicted well, how big businesses would swallow up the mom-and-pop shops, and create a need for material possessions. The character of Denise was one of strong ambition in a time when women had less than half a chance of leading an independent life outside of an andro-centric culture. Denise is a young heroine in her own right, rising up from poverty to become a strong voice in the world of the department stores. She has to fight vicious rumours and unwanted affections to make it to the top with out sacrificing her own beliefs. I highly recommend Zola's The Ladies Paradise.

any one who has started a business or has worked in a business should read this book. It clearly outlines all marketing principles, sales psychology and the benefits of being in distribution rather then production. Amazing. Grow your mind and read.

THE LADIES' PARADISE is a sequel to POT LUCK (POT-BUILLE), which I read last year. Both have Octave Mouret as a central character. In the earlier novel, he was a young salesman on the make, both in his profession and with the young women in his apartment building. At the end of POT LUCK, he marries the owner of a successful drapery establishment. At the start of PARADISE, his wife has died; and Octave has entered on an expansion program from drapery into a department store named the Ladies' Paradise that threatens all the other shopkeepers selling clothing and accessories in the area.

Enter Denise Baudu, a country girl from Normandy, who moves to Paris with her two brothers after one of them has gotten in trouble back home. Her uncle runs a store called Au Vieil Elbeuf, selling drapery and flannels, but is unable to give her room or a job because business is threatened by the presence of the Ladies' Paradise across the street. Denise finds a job at the Paradise at the risk of angering her relatives.

Salesgirls at the Paradise live in a dormitory on the top floor of the department store. Room and board is part of the job, plus a token wage and commissions on sales over quota. Little does Denise know she had entered into a whirlwind of gossip and backbiting. She is made fun of by her fellow workers, but Mouret resists getting rid of her because he is drawn to her. At one point, however, two of Mouret's "spies" in management come upon Denise and a young salesman from her region who has sheepishly fallen in love with her and kisses her hand as head axe-wielder Bourdoncle watches. Denise is promptly dismissed.

As Denise finds another position in a less profitable store than the Paradise, the focus turns more to Mouret, who did not know of her dismissal. Mouret plans a large-scale expansion of the store and calls upon Baron Hartman (in real life, Baron Haussmann) to allow him frontage on the new boulevard being cut through the neighborhood.

One day, Mouret runs into Denise on the street and asks her to consider returning to the Paradise, which is just as well as the store where Denise had started to work was going under. To sweeten the offer, Mouret makes her an assistant buyer in the new children's wear department. With her enhanced status, Denise is now winning admiration from her co-workers, though some backbiters remain. In the meantime, Mouret's passion for her is growing -- despite Denise not encouraging it in any way.

There are several set pieces in the novel which are a feature of Zola's fiction. They come under the heading of giant mechanisms that grind people down. In GERMINAL, it was a coal mine; in POT LUCK, an apartment building; in HUMAN BEAST, railroads; and in THE BELLY OF PARIS, the food market at Les Halles. In every Zola novel, there are scenes showing off some giant mechanism at work crushing people under it like the wheels of a Juggernaut. In PARADISE, these scenes are highly successful sales which show a crush of frenetically spending customers and overwhelmed sales clerks as Mouret keeps "pushing the envelope" of what is possible in the apparel business. Even wealthy shoppers who came "just to look" are caught up in the frenzy and leave the store having committed themselves to buy more than what they could afford.

The owners of neighboring shops feel that the Paradise is like a hungry beast that strives to devour their businesses and put them out in the street. Which is exactly what happens. Denise's cousin Genevieve dies of consumption after her lover Colomban -- the main hope of Au Vieil Elbeuf -- runs away to chase a slutty Paradise shopgirl who is one of Mouret's cast-offs, and who doesn't even want him. Aunt Baudu follows her daughter soon after. When as the result of a series of sharp moves, Mouret buys their properties, the shopkeepers are evicted; and Uncle Baudu goes to a nursing home, completely dazed and broken.

Eventually, Denise and Mouret do hook up, but on Denise's terms. The novel ends as they announce their upcoming marriage.

I have found that the ten or so Zola novels I have read have been of a uniform high quality, such that I have difficulty recommending one over the other (though I have a particular fondness for NANA). THE LADIES' PARADISE is an excellent read and paints a fascinating picture of life in the emerging Paris department stores of the late 19th century.

The Ladies Paradise written in the nineteenth century rings true of today's consumerism. Emile Zola examines in this socialistic novel the effects of consumerism on customers and employees. The customers who are women are drawn to the items that are displayed on the tables. Octave Mouret, the storeowner, knows what women desire and sets forth to use it to bring in profits. The lace, stockings, velvet are feminine fabrics that entice women to spend money, even if they don't have it.

As a retail employee, I have dealt with customers who don't have the money to buy the items but want to get it. I am a customer who buys what is displayed because I think it is going to be an investment. I can relate to small stores like Uncle Baudu's. Businesses like his struggle to stay afloat amongst corporate expansion. They entice clients with their sales and bargains--things that I look for when I shop. Small stores can provide what the big stores don't have. One way or the other, the consumer can get some sort of balance. Working at both a community store and a corporate store, one thing that matters most to customers is service. Customers want to be treated with respect and they expect sales associate to be enthused and answer their questions; even if it is trivial.

Denise Baudu, a simple country girl, arrives in Paris to get a job at her uncle's drapery shop. To her disappointment he doesn't have a job for her because his store is losing customers to the Ladies Paradise. The mall provides goods that are cheaper than the small shops and have a selection of fabrics not only from the mother country, but imported from Asia. He suggests to his niece that she get a job there.

The store fascinates her but she does feel some betrayal towards her uncle. Her uncle's business, along with the small stores, are struggling to stay afloat. With the expansion of the mall, these stores are forced to close because they can't compete with them. Uncle Baudu's hopes of his business staying for the long haul are shattered.

Denise is at first, shy and awkward. She is the target of cruel and malicious slander from the employees including assistant buyer Madame Aurelie. Zola unfolds the lives of the sales employees. The money they make in retail isn't sufficient to support them. The women take to prostitution. Claire has three men supporting her material needs. Pauline befriends Denise and suggests that she get herself a lover to support her financially. Denise doesn't take that advice because it is not in her interest to be a prostitute. She is determined to keep herself and her family together without falling apart which makes the women envious of her.

The novel is centered around an actual person Aristide Boucicaut who founded Le Bon Marche which remains today at the center of Parisian culture. Denise is believed to be the model of his wife Marguerite. Zola puts into a social perspective that exists til this day.

After reading the book for an art class I was suprized to find out that I actually enjoyed the book, it had quite a twist to the department store/love story. I think Zola's description of the scenes were wonderful and helped me use my inmagination better. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes learning about Paris bourgeous life and the mechanical system of the department stores. Definitly a good read.

Stephen Mitchell's translation is a great intro to the Tao. Simple, a little convoluted at times and yet somehow straight to the point. I bought this illustrated hardcopy as a gift and keep a text version as my guide.

I have come to have a fondness and deep appreciation for Mitchell's work and choices of subjects. I bought this translation because of high praise for it hidden in one of Jim Harrison's poems. This version is, perhaps, the most readable of all I have encountered. Many people find it inspiring and that must be why it is such an acclaimed translation. Having dealt with a dozen or so translations and the texts behind them, I do note that Mitchell takes some liberties. His is a very idiomatic translation, which often reads better than word-for-word literalness, the latter often proving too wooden to be enjoyable or clear. And Mitchell might even omit a few phrases or add one here or there. But the spirit is all Lao Tzu. Also, the volume is full of the most exquisite ancient Chinese illustrations, making it the most beautiful of any of my Tao Te Chings.

Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way) has long been referenced by those who seek to understand the Eastern philosophy of the harmony of the universe. In simple, eloquent verse this collection of poems (though there are those who would object to the 'poem' label) the secrets to shedding the self with its attendant judgment, desire, and critique provide the guide for finding oneness with the cosmos.

Steven Mitchell is the translator of these ancient texts and his sensitivity to the poetic flow of the concepts and instructions enhance this version of the TAO TE CHING. And as if that weren't sufficient reason to make this your access to these ageless meditations, this book is an 'illustrated version', tastefully combined with old Chinese drawings and paintings that allow the eye to roam while digesting the moments of beauty of the words.

This book becomes a constant companion for those who look to make sense of the world and its chaos. If ever there were the perfect gift for the friends in your life, this elegant little book is surely one of the best. Grady Harp, March 05.

In this version, Peg Streep edits James Legge's 19th century translation. The editing is a major bonus, as it adds something
to the overall flow of the work. Here is an example of the poetry of the words: "Abstinence from speech marks him who obeys the spontaneity of his nature." Whereas countless other translations are well worth the read, the text in this edition offers something every bit as beautiful as the artwork that accompanies it.

If every philosophy or religion had a book like this, it would be much easier to appreciate and perhaps even enjoy the diversity of belief among humankind. Mitchell captures the simplicity and straightforwardness of the text, and what we get is a incredibly beautiful book of verse. Some scriptures and cornerstone philosophy texts try to argue their way into your head; the Tao, especially as translated by Mitchell and coupled with stunning artwork, effortlessly works to seduce its way into the core of your being.

When you put the book down, you may disagree with many components of the Tao's underlying philosphy. But during the short time you live between the book's covers, it is a joy to enter the rhythmic flow of the Tao and put skepticism on hold.