Nebraska Books

An excellent first hand narrative with lively and descriptive writing by one of the first pioneers to help settle the untamed Northwest. Alexander Ross joined Astor's Pacific Fur Company expedition in 1810 and this is his story of the day to day struggles which he and the other men had to overcome. He left New York on the soon to be ill-fated, doomed ship the Tonquin, with a pompous and overbearing Captain Thorn. They sailed around the tip of South America, then to Hawaii and finally to the mouth of the Columbia River, all the while prevailing over many hardships during this voyage. Upon landing and without delay, the men began to construct the trading post Astoria. Ross' detailed descriptions of their adventures amidst the forces of Mother Nature, Indian relations, the Northwest Fur Company, geography, etc. makes this book a real page turner. They all had many obstacles to overcome, and as I said, his writing skills are exemplary. He devotes the last few chapters to the culture and customs of one of the local Indian tribes. The man was a keen and acute observer of all his surroundings and this is an energetic effort on his part to put it in writing.

George Meredith's "The Adventures of Harry Richmond" is the most atypical of this dazzling and at times maddening Victorian writer.In it he eschews his usual epigrammatical wit and complex elliptical structure to write a straightforward autobiographical novel in the style of Kingsley's "Alton Locke" and Dickens'"David Copperfield".His best work up to that time-"The Ordeal of Richard Feverel","Evan Harrington" and "Sandra Belloni"-contain some of the most brilliant writing of the period,but they also are uneven-they seem structurally unbalanced and the ambitious prose sometimes falls(as Virginia Woolf pointed out)flat as a pancake.Later works,such as "The Egoist" and "The Tragic Comedians",probably display Meredith's writing at the its height-but their sacrifice of incident for minute but oblique analysis render them like James' last novels,difficult to approach."Harry Richmond",however,has none of the faults endemic to Meredith's work and if there is none of the famous authorial piquancy,it makes for a better overall experience."Harry Richmond" tells the story of a young man,Harry Richmond,torn between the conservative, commonsense rearing of his landowning grandfather and the romantic,fantastical schemes of his dashing,but penniless father.The book reads like a serious comedy of manners with its final struggle of duty and imagination,love and shame culminating in intense poetic tragedy.Richmond Roy,the father,is one of Meredith's most memorable creations,and the love interlude with the Princess Ottilia is one of his most exquisite scenes.The "statue" scene is,I believe,the best thing Meredith ever wrote-its power is amazing.Meredith at the time of his death was one of the most admired writers of his time,but his reputation has since declined because of his unique,lyrical style is not as accessible as other poet novelists-such as Emily Bronte and Thomas Hardy.But anyone who attempts Meredith will be rewarded,despite his undeniable flaws,with an original and fascinating writer,whose work as embodied in "The Adventures of Harry Richmond" still has the power to haunt and challenge. P.S.This was Edith Wharton's favorite Meredith novel.

I found this book enjoyable for a few different reasons:

First, it is a good source for an introduction to the ancient school of Skepticism in western philosophy. Greaves gives a helpful synopsis of the main figures of this school and their methods, especially Sextus Empiricus.

Second, you don't have to know Greek! Of course the book includes the Greek text and references that would profit anyone wishing to read in the original.

Third, the subject matter of music (what it is, its practice, effects on beings, etc.)I think is more interesting and accessable to the experience of the general reader, as opposed to drier topics Sextus wrote on (like grammer).

Fouth, the detail of footnotes in the text would be invaluable to anyone wishing to dig into the study of ancient music.

Fifth, one can read through the text in an evening or leisurely afternoon.

This book would be enjoyed not only by readers of philosophy or classics, but I think musicians would enjoy going through its provocative arguments as a stimulus to clarify their own views on the nature of music.

In this book, Brian Swann has amassed a rich collection --translated from Algonquian literatures of North America -- of stories, fables, interviews, all with accompanying footnotes, references and "additional reading" -- all quite in-depth, interesting, and educational.

Varying in intensity from highly interesting, to amusing, to solemn, they capture the multifaceted personalities of the Algonquians as they relate animal stories, hero stories, ceremonial songs (some with musical notation), legends, dances. And although the Algonquian way of life was forever changed by the arrival of the whites, these narratives, written or told by Native storytellers, contemporary or long-gone, show how the strong backbone and tradition of the Algonquian culture has thrived, even as their numbers were diminished.

The addition of commentary and explanatory text do a great deal to introduce to as well as immerse the reader in the Algonquian spirit as well as philosophy.

Standing along or as a reference, or a classroom text, this book is a worthy addition to Native American studies.

Dryden's reworking of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" is a great read, especially if you didn't fully comprehend Shakespeare's work. Dryden's language is concise, and his portrayal of historical characters is excellent; especially considering that he had to follow Shakespeare's lead.

This is an amazing book. It is hard to write about one's own family and make it interesting. To go further and make it not only interesting, but relevant to others, takes a writer of rare talent. Penn is clearly such a writer, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the creative and original approach taken in this work. The author draws thought-provoking parallels and connections between his own mixblood Indian family's dreams, visions, failures and successes, and those of other families, in particular other native and mixed-blood families, including exploration of the writing of many historical native American figures. This is a creative and very original book, highly recommended.

Starley Talbott's Along the Grapevine Trail is a delightful and informative book. As a northern California transplant now living in northern Colorado, I had no idea that there were vineyards and wineries in the Northern Great Plains. How is this possible? This is a very harsh climate. I learned that the most popular cold-weather grape, the Frontenac, was introduced in 1996 and it is hardy to -30° Fahrenheit!

No less than twenty-five vineyards and wineries are profiled. Each profile includes unique information about the operation. Talbott has certainly done her homework. In addition to viticultural and vinicultural details, readers are treated to local history, geography, and even geology. There is a lot of history because many of the locations fall along the Pony Express, Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. The author provides lovely color photographs for each location.

Along the Grapevine Trail includes maps, an appendix that lists contact information for 85 vineyards and wineries in the three states, a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and a very helpful index. The book is printed on coated paper and the photographs are in color. It will easily fit in the glove compartment of your car.

All in all, this book provides a fascinating perspective on a new wine region. The Napa Valley has its Silverado Trial, the Spey Valley in Scotland has its Whisky Trail, now the Northern Plains has its Grapevine Trail. I look forward to exploring the Grapevine Trail with this book in hand.

A very enjoyable and well written book about a 19th century cyclo-journalist riding across the continent. The journey was a harbinger of events such as Race Across America. The book is extraordinarily well written by a professor of English and captures the sense of adventure Mr. Nellis must have had to launch such an undertaking. Highly recommended for cyclists, fans of travel writing, and those with an interest in American history.

Ralph Moody's books always contain unique pictures of early 20th century American rural life. AH is an excellent resource for the history of several horse breeds in America. Our children own and train some of these breeds, and were thrilled to learn more of their history.

In his astute introduction to this volume Gerald Shapiro points to a previous anthology of Jewish stories edited close to thirty years before by Irving Howe. Howe saw his anthology as as the swan- song of American- Jewish literature, the movement of a moment which had had its moment in the 50's and 60's and now was gone. Shapiro writing three decades later says that the report of the demise of American Jewish writing was premature.
He offers as evidence the work of a bevy of young writers for whom Jewishness is a central theme of their work. He argues that this question of Jewish identity, along with the question of religious faith and skepticism are two central themes of American- Jewish Literature throughout.
Shapiro does not rely on contemporaries alone. This fine anthology goes back with Cahan and Yezeirska to the Yiddish background beginnigs of American- Jewish Literature. It includes a long list of important American - Jewish writers, and concludes with a group of contemporaries, Michelle Herman, Melvin Bukiet, Allegra Goodman, Helen Schulman.
It of course contains works by Bellow, Roth, Malamud, Ozick, and the finest of all Jewish storytellers, I.B. Singer.
Shapiro says that he sees 'literature' as an ongoing conversation and makes connection between various works which speak to each other.
Perhaps not all, but I am sure many of these works will speak to the reader in a persuasive and moving way.