Abbey Books
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Cadfael at his bestReview Date: 2002-11-18
First-rate Mediaeval thriller and murder mysteryReview Date: 2001-11-19
Whilst in Ludlow, Cadfael also finds himself embroiled in the hunt for a party of three young persons missing after the attacks on Worcester and known to be heading for Shrewsbury, at which destination they have failed to arrive. With a bitter freeze and the winter's first snows on hand, there are grave concerns for their safety and well-being. One of the three is subsequently found dead - obviously killed and dumped in a watery (now icy) grave on the very night that the good monk's patient was attacked.
Unlike many another Cadfael tale, this one moves along with a gripping sense of urgency and with a fair amount of tension and excitement building gradually as things proceed. It contains Ellis Peters' usual meticulous attention to both historical and narrative detail and constitutes as riveting - and entertaining - a story as you are likely to find. As always, Cadfael is aware of details overlooked by others and never once loses sight of the smaller issues that are wont to become subsumed into the larger, weightier ones. He (and the regular reader) is provided with an unlooked-for reward in this volume, too.
This book has to be one of the very best of the Cadfael Chronicles and is unreservedly recommended for lovers of the genre. Its story line stands somewhat apart from others in the series, making it fairly unimportant where it is read in the sequence.
The Virgin in the IceReview Date: 2006-11-10
This is my favorite of the Brother Cadfael series, but more, reading these novels is a twenty-lesson tutorial in writing superbly to formula. There is always murder most foul, young lovers in peril, repulsive villains, confounded authorities, and Cadfael triumphant, and it all works, every time.
Cold comfortsReview Date: 2006-02-05
The Hawk vs the Lion--a Secret kept even from Hugh!Review Date: 2003-01-29
All Ellis Peters' movels in this fabulous series offer excellent mysteries per se; indeed, many offer overlapping crimes by multiple malefactors. Yet to my medievally-inclined mind, the most satisfying are those novels which reveal more fascinating details or penetrating insight into the psyche and active past of our favorite monk-turned-sleuth. For Cadfael has been a soldier, sailor, sinner and Crusader--in his own unabashed words--in late 12th century Wales, England and the Holy Land. After 40 years of lusty living in the World, he willingly gave up arms forever, to take up the cowl and honor the cross.
But the cream of Peters' novels are those in which we meet the special characters do dear to Cadfael: his Saint, his best friend, Hugh, his lost amours and now...? What a joy for readers who have grown to love and respect this dedicated monk, as he gradually reveals his personal journey into a past not so dead after all! Peters makes a great case for mixed marriage in VIRGIN, as she does for the role of a faithful mistress in LEPER. Guilty men believe they see the ghosts of their victims here, as in BONES. The murderer thinks he can slip in an extra crime amid the general carnage, as in ONE CORPSE, but luckily for justice, Brother Cadfael does not permit these foul deeds to remain unnoticed on go unpunished. Vengeance may belong to the Lord, but Cadfael hovers nearby to provide a helping hand when necessary. Don't keep your curiosity frozen in a shroud of ice along with the unnamed virgin; read this wonderful mystery and be enlightened--not to mention--superbly entertained!
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Saint Ed, or Saint Jack Loeffler? An uneven bio of an uneven man from near the throneReview Date: 2008-09-27
First, while I don't go to the Church of Ed, nonetheless, I read a fairly large amount of, and wide variety of, environmentalist, natural history and other writings of the American West. And, I had never heard of Loeffler as an author.
Considering the claim that Ed "wanted him" to write this book, I don't know why. I'll take Loeffler at his word, while saying if Abbey wanted an inside baseball/personal memoir in the third person, I think Peacock would have been a better choice.
Beyond the "Saint Ed" angle, Loeffler wanders a lot, especially in the early part of the book. And, he never tells us WHY Abbey became an anarchist. Nor, from a personal rather than a professional viewpoint, does he ponder the question of how an anarchist could be celebrated so much as a naturalist and even an environmentalist. Also, he doesn't look at how a man with a lot of conservative or libertarian opinions could be so celebrated by a fair number of liberal types.
Next, Loeffler, while noting Abbey claimed on the surface that he had guilt over wrecking his marriages, at the same time, until his last marriage to Clarke, repeatedly defended male philandering as all in the genes. Loeffler doesn't go below the surface as much as he could.
Third, while chiding Abbey about his opinion of certain cultures and groups at times, Loeffler still gives him a partial pass. Do I think Abbey was a racist? No. Was he some level or kind of bigot? Yes.
Above all, contra Loeffler, alcoholic-level drinking is about the only cause of varices; I'm betting he, and Peacock, not only don't want to look at Abbey having a drinking problem, but don't want to look at themselves in this regard, too. Abbey drank more than once in the last couple of years after claiming he had quit, knowing it just made the problem worse.
And, Loeffler doesn't tie this with the other threads above. Marital cheating and numerous extra marriages is about the No. 1 sociological marker for alcoholism, for example.
An anarchism that comes off as the public outbursts of an arrested childhood, if not the No. 2 marker for alcoholism, would probably be in the Top 5.
And, contrary those who DO worship at the Church of Saint Ed, Edward Cahalan's "academic" bio is a better book overall, even though he misses the alcoholism angle; I give it a solid four-star rating overall. Plus, if you're not so familiar with Abbey, or the Church of Saint Ed, it's a much better starting point.
That said, there's a better bio waiting to be written than both Calahan's detached -- and Western-unfamiliar -- effort on the one hand and Loeffler's on the other.
Western poet Gary Snyder, somewhat an anarchist himself and an acquaintance, though not a close personal friend, of Abbey's, would be the type of person to fit the bill.
Excellent Look Into the Life of a Great AuthorReview Date: 2006-06-12
"An antidote to dispair." The books and essays written by this uncommonly brave and honest fellow have been that and more to me since I discovered Ed's writings back in the seventies.
Jack Loeffler was one of Ed Abbey's closest friends. I knew of him, and I had seen him on some of the short movies about Ed. I had no idea, however, that he could write so well.
Jack's book about his good friend shares insights into Abbey, the man and the author, that are unavailable even in Ed's own writings. Adventures is one of the best books about Ed that I have read. It is, in fact, one of the best books about anything that I have read.
Undeniably Written by a FriendReview Date: 2005-07-08
The first part serves as a solid biography of Abbey's childhood, short tour in the military during WWII, academic wanderings, and general carousing around for women. Loeffler does his homework and provides key points along the way that help the reader understand how Abbey's early searching shaped his philosophy. Abbey's strong embrace of anarchism, for instance, rooted early and grew stronger during his UNM days.
The last half of the book, or the post-meeting-Jack Loeffler period is an intimate look at Abbey the writer and friend. Loeffler's fondness for Abbey is strong and comes through on these pages. The reader gets to tag around with Jack and Ed on a number of extended outings into the high-desert wilderness.
Overall, Loeffler provides a unique, insider's portrayal of one of the most out-spoken and influential writers on protecting and embracing the wild characteristics of our nature world.
Good reading for the Abbey fan, but not greatReview Date: 2006-03-19
I think that the best parts of the book are in the second half. The first half is a badly organized lesson in anarchy, and a poorly veiled attempt to establish Loeffler as a legitimate anarchist philosopher. The second half provides insights into Abbey's persona, and Loeffler does a pretty good job at painting a believable picture of Abbey, one that I hadn't seen before. I really liked the story of the death and burial, and the road trip along the river in Texas where Ed wanted to "go for a swim."
Overall, I'd give it a 2.5 star rating, but rounded up to a three because it does provide some good insights into a person I find increasingly fascinating. Sorry Loeffler, it's Ed, not you.
First Hand View of AbbeyReview Date: 2005-07-15
This is an intimate portrait of Ed Abbey, in all his guises, with all the warts on, from a very close friend who knew him from about age 30 until his deathbed. It's clear from the book that they were very close friends. Abbey even relied on Loeffler to ensure that he didn't die in a hospital, which is something Abbey feared and loathed. So, Loeffler was in a position to know.
I am a die-hard fan of Ed Abbey and I own all his books except Jonathan Troy (the price of which collectors have pushed through the roof and which Abbey himself didn't like.) Abbey, for how autobiographical most of his writing was, really revealed little about his personal life in his books. I was hoping for a much closer look at Abbey. I got it in this book. And, I emerged wondering whether I would have really liked to have been close friends with him, as I thought I did. Probably I would have in my 20's (wild mountain-man years.) But now, I think I would find him too prickly. And too irresponsible. You find out just how bad a husband and father he was, until very late in life. No wonder he didn't want to say too much about his personal life. You also learn how much he regretted not being there for his children. Like I said, all the warts. Or at least all the warts Loeffler knew about.
A previous review that I read before buying this book complained that Loeffler couldn't have remembered all the conversations with Abbey in such detail. I can remember important moments with my friends to that level of detail. If I had to write them out, sure, some quotes wouldn't be 100% accurate; but they would convey the gist and feeling and most of the best bits exactly. The same review complained of less than 100% accuracy in the biographical section at the beginning of the book. Seems like picking academic nits to me. I'm not doing research. If Loeffler says he was born in a different Appalachian town a few miles away from the correct one, so what? Does that really affect anything important?
[Seriously, I wonder if Mr. (zero-stars) Rubio actually read Abbey's books or knew anything about him. Abbey laid out his beliefs (if not his personal life) and his prejudices clearly in his published writing. To say that you liked and respected him, "Before reading this book I held a deep respect for Abbey's work and admired his beliefs and all of what he stood for," and then write the littany of hate against him in the review below just amazes me. That review sounds like someone with an ax to grind against Abbey. Abbey: an imperfect man, like so many great artists. Does that devalue his work or his arguments? I think not. Written like a 12-year-old? Don't believe a word of that. He doesn't get the jokes and word-play in the dialogue?]
As a big Abbey fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I actually got choked up a few times. Loeffler and Abbey were clearly great good friends and knew how to enjoy life together, in spite of Abbey's basically dark temperament. This tells the story of their friendship and of Abbey's life before they met. Detailed, heartfelt, warm memories of a friend. Once I got into the personal stories of their times together, I couldn't put the book down.
Highly recommended to any fan of Abbey.
Peters plays fairReview Date: 2001-05-24
Disagree With A Review PostedReview Date: 2002-07-17
I am currently reading The Crusades by Zoe Oldenbourg. From this book and others, the type of action taken by this young woman is very believable *FOR THE TIME*. Women worshipped heroic men and marriage was not a match for love, but for property. To put it in a more modern perspective, what if a young girl was told that in 10 years time she would be the wife of Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or Kid Rock.
Certainly, she would spend much of her growing years yearning for every scrap of information and growing into a bond with the legend of him.
Peters' Most Excellent MysteryReview Date: 2006-03-25
The overall theme of this installment could be briefly summarized as "things are not what they seem". While this is true in most mystery novels it is true in spades here. A young women is mugged and murdered--or is she? A monk has a homosexual crush on another monk--or does he? Sorry, I've probably already said too much.
As usual, there are several romantic plot threads, always a nice touch in the midst of a mystery story. Brother Cadfael, in this installment, does not use his deductive powers so much to solve the mystery as to analyze it as it unfolds. This heightens the suspense because we don't get let in on the inner workings of Cadfael's mind.
Another reason why this novel rises a notch above the others is the role that the 12th century English history plays in the story. In previous installments the history, while interesting and informative, sometimes makes the book hard to get into. Here, the history plays a central role in the story, as the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud provides both the impetus for several new characters to show up in Shrewsbury, as well as making it more difficult to track down the information necessary to solve the mystery.
In addition to being a good read, I think this would make a great movie. I see from another review that the series has been dramatized, presumably for British TV. It's too bad this series is not more widely circulated, perhaps if more people knew about it a movie would be more likely. Or, alternatively, maybe somebody should make a movie anyway, so that people who would not normally read the books can enjoy these excellent mysteries.
A greater loveReview Date: 2006-02-28
A Very Good MysteryReview Date: 2001-04-28
Peters books are a pleasure to read. She exhibits an elegant turn of phrase that. As someone else here has already remarked, she makes the "grim and gritty middle ages" sound like someplace you might actually want to live. And this is one of her better plots. I figured out what was going on about halfway through, but only because I got an unintentional hint from someone who had already read the book. Even so, it was a pleasure to watch the story unfold.
Elegant style and clever plotting aside, however, the story is a bit over-romanticized. For example, at one point Nicholas rides non-stop from Winchester to Shrewsbury, through both day and night and, finally, through a storm. He "must get his tale at once to the ears of authority" and he "dared not stop hating, or the remaining grief became more than he could stand." All this intense feeling over a girl he had only met once, three years earlier. Sorry if this makes me a chauvinist, but clearly this is a woman writing about how women wish men felt about them. This is the mystical ideal of chivalrous love. It isn't how a young man would really feel under such circumstances. This is typical of Peters and it doesn't really hurt the story, but it is a bit gushy and you can tell a woman wrote it. For a male reader, it's just a little over the top.
Peters is a charming writer. She paints a vivid, if somewhat romanticized, picture of life in the 1100's. Cadfael and the rest of her characters are congenial and her stories are light, but entertaining. The mysteries are sometimes a bit transparent, but not this one. This is one of her better ones. Cadfael fans will definitely enjoy it. Others should keep in mind that this is definitely a romantic mystery. Also, if you haven't read a Cadfael mystery before, you should consider starting at the beginning of the series. That said, I recommend "An Excellent Mystery" to those who like this type of story. It's better than most.
Collectible price: $300.00
The genesis of the "Monkeywrench Gang"Review Date: 2008-06-02
The way I read Abbey, it's clear he inserts himself into his fictional characters. Fire on the Mountain is no exception and you can see Abbey in all three of the heroes of the book. The book itself is about an aging, but very spirited and independent small rancher, John Vogelin, who's ranch property in New Mexico unfortunately butts up against the White Sands Missile Range, which for purposes of "national security," is being expanded in area. Vogelin's ranch will become part of the WSMR and Vogelin won't have a choice in the matter. Vogelin then fights back.
The other heroes are Vogelin's junior-high age grandson, Billy Starr (Billy's from the East and he's on summer vacation -- he visits his grandpa every summer) and his onetime ranch hand-turned-real estate entrepeneur (and idol of young Billy), Lee Mackie.
The story is about Vogelin's bitter struggle with the US government and the bureaucrats working for the "G" in charge of getting Vogelin to accept the government's terms (generous for those days) and get Vogelin "resettled." Vogelin won't leave his ranch and indicates he'll shoot and kill "the first man that touches my ranch house" and that he'll have to be killed by the US Marshals in order to leave. Billy loves the land as much as his grandpa and would stay to the death with him if he could. Mackie is torn between sticking with the old man and persuading him to accept the reality -- and inevitability -- of the situation and leave peacefully with his life and a fattened bank account. Vogelin won't take the government's money and he refuses to leave.
Abbey's utter contempt for a governmental institution that would take away our personal liberty while destroying wilderness is expressed in the resolute John Vogelin as he struggles against all odds to keep his ranch and his land. The impersonal, yet slick bureaucrats in charge of trying to get him off his land and their less-than-bright operatives providing the muscle are both treated with equal disdain by Abbey in the book.
Vogelin's ranch land is part of a wild, rugged, spectacular high desert landscape and with Abbey describing Vogelin's, Billy's and Lee's various sojourns into the surrounding land and mountains, it's clear he's traveled those roads and trails on horseback as did his heroes. In my opinion, Abbey is almost peerless in his ability to describe the often overlooked subtleties in a wilderness landscape -- especially of a desert wilderness. Sometimes, it's those little points of observation by Abbey that helps us to see even more in what is already stunning beyond imagination. I digress, but the fun part is to walk those same trails, ride those same rivers and trails and put one's own powers of observation to work....
There are a number of twists and turns in the plot, but in general, it's a pretty straightforward and credible story. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it's a good one and one I think an Abbey reader would like. I think Ed saw himself in all three of his main characters at that point (and throughout the book -- even in the conflicted Lee Mackie) and in some way, it was a bit prophetic too, as he faced his own mortality in the late 80s.
I'll give it 5 stars, with the caveat that while it's probably not his best work -- it's still really good.
New Mexico, Edward Abbey styleReview Date: 2006-03-13
The Truth as we're toldReview Date: 2005-11-10
A story of strength and simplicityReview Date: 2003-09-17
Abbey is known as the father of the environmental movement, a label he didn't much like. He preferred to call himself 'an agrarian anarchist.' If you like his other books and his exquisite writing style, don't miss this one.
The desert between coversReview Date: 2006-03-31
And it wasn't the last.
It was my last year of college though, and I have to blame, at least in part, this book's author. Edward Abbey loved the desert. He loved the West, with a jealous, protective, sincere love, a love that spills from every page of his books, and that seeps into his readers. Read one Abbey novel, and the odds are, you'll read more. Read more, and the odds are, you'll start to listen to what he has to say about the desert, and about the outdoors. Somehow I went from going to classes, to reading books like this, to living out of a canoe in southern Utah. It's that kind of a read. Abbey's writing is just good enough to motivate a person to get out into he desert himself--but it can't replace the experience of the desrt itself (like Cormac McCarthy sometimes almost does)--and maybe he was never going for that anyway.
In this book, Abbey's terse, playful, anarchistic style and philosophy is still emerging, not yet crystalized into the clearer sentiments of "Desert Solitaire," but--on the positive side--not yet twisted into the cranky diatribes and caricatures of "Hayduke Lives."
The book is the story of a boy visiting his grandfather in New Mexico, at the same time that his grandfather is about to be evicted from his property so that the government can turn the family ranch into additional acreage for White Sands Missile Range. The characters are convincing, the natural descriptions are minimal yet evocative, and the gentle desert tone--with the exception of a few rough spots where Abbey's strident rants overwhelm the voice of the story's supposedly innocent, supposedly naive, child narrator--is spot on.
This is a book I would be proud to have written. It's a chance to see Edward Abbey's voice and style in its earliest stages, and a lovely portrayal of west Texas and southern New Mexico. At times, it's also very funny.
Read this. Take it with you camping. If you like the desert and distrust the government, you'll probably like this book. If you only read one Abbey novel in your life, read...something else. But if you love Abbey's writing, or would like to, then really, pick up this one. Give it a shot.
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Collectible price: $10.00
Key to Forever (Draycott Abbey Series)Review Date: 2006-11-10
Love is Forever - That IS the KeyReview Date: 2002-08-15
Joanna Russell, a beautiful tour guide at the wonderous Draycott Abbey along with being an expert on ancient weaponry, had known the man five years prior, but he went under the name of Alexei Turov and he was an artist who made incredible swords. He also made incredible love, but Joanna could not trust him nor herself then, or now. He was a fever in her blood now as he was then and she had too many secrets that could not be shared, and much too much to lose should her secrets come out.
This is an exciting story, with plenty of sensual delights, mystery and secrets galore, with treachery and betrayals and non-stop excitement. It is a story that begs to have a happy ending as you see two people so scarred and hurt that trust was a foreign word to them.
Key to Forever is so very hard to put down. Gypsies, palm reading, and a mystery concerning Mary Queen of Scots - what an exciting adventure!! AND let us not forget our wonderful resident ghosts, Adrian, Gray, and Gideon. A rare book that makes you feel great during and after the read. I really loved these two - Alexei and Joanna - the chemistry between them was really hot and their love scenes sizzling. An EXCELLENT read and really worth buying.
Forever in my heart!Review Date: 2000-04-12
A tour guide at beautiful Draycott Abbey and an expert on ancient weaponry, Joanna Russel had good reasons for abandoning Alex after their unforgettable night of passion. But she must forget her haunted past to solve the puzzle of the lost Cameron sword - confronting dark secrets and an enemy who knows too muc.
To find their treasure, Alex and Joanna must fulfill thier destiny, set centuries before. For the key to an ancient mystery lies in a passion reborn ...and in a hautning love too long denied. (text taken from Book's cover)
Another great romance from the Queen of Romances Chirtina Skye. Whenever I buy her books I am always sure that I will love reading them even more than three times and Key to Forever certainly does not disappoint me. The story is full of action, love, passion , intrigue and so much more. The characters are very likeable as all Ms Skye's characters are and they are both tortured and in need of rescue. There is really no need for me to add much more other than that this books,as all other Christina Skye's books, is perfect for all of those who like their romances spiced up with an element of danger, and full of action blended perfectly with romance. A MUST READ!
I have read all "Draycott Abbey" series and am hooked.Review Date: 1999-03-09
Draycott Abbey SeriesReview Date: 2000-12-19
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The Abbey PsalterReview Date: 2008-06-18
fantasticReview Date: 2008-05-25
Abbey PsalterReview Date: 2008-03-03
Anyone familiar with the Psalms will delight in this Book. It's written to be used daily not just for occasional reference.
I finally found it!Review Date: 2007-12-05
this is worth buyingReview Date: 2004-07-11
It is the 1963 translation of the Grail Psalter.
Great way to pray.
Used price: $6.92
Jane Austen anti-Modern Library consipiracy??Review Date: 2005-11-09
Clearly, they didn't read the title past "Complete Novels" to the "Volume I" part which specified pretty precisely which of the six complete novels were part of this volume.
I'm mystified. Surely anyone who's willing and eager (let alone able) to read Austen could understand it would take two volumes to publish the complete works? Come on, they average 300 pages apiece!
So I think the two correspondents are agents of Penguin or Oxford World's Classics or somebody who has an interest in turning people away from the Modern Library editions.
Oh yeah, a review: the Modern Library editions are excellent. They're complete (so you have to buy TWO books!), they're affordable, and they're durable.
Transcends TimeReview Date: 2006-09-26
Volume I Review:
I originally read Volume I years ago after having first seen the television and movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I recently decided to re-read this volume and was even more enraptured with it than I was during the first read. The plight of the Dashwood sisters and the malleability of their step-brother by his cold wife in Sense and Sensibility is made so vivid by Jane Austen's flawless writing. What girl or woman reading Pride and Prejudice doesn't imagine she is Elizabeth Bennet, with both her beauty and intelligence, inadvertantly making Mr. Darcy fall in love with her? My heart positively ached for Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, and I wondered how she could put up with the neglect of her rich, fancy relatives and the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and maintain such a pure heart. I am awed by the timelessness and reality of these novels. In my mind, it simply does not get any better than Jane Austen.
Volume II Review:
I also recently finished re-reading Volume II. Jane Austen's novels certainly do transcend time. Whenever I read them I am struck by some new truth applicable either to my life or life today in general. What was true about human nature approximately 200 years ago remains true today, which makes relating to and understanding Jane Austen so easy as well as gratifying.
Like the heroine in Emma, who hasn't known a spoiled brat whose natural vanity is the result of being blessed in everything? Emma's superior attitude is a bit galling at times, and I positively cringed at some of her blunders, but Emma has a good heart. She makes mistakes, like we all do, but eventually she begins to understand her errors through the help of her good friend Mr. Knightly. Thank goodness for friends who love us in spite of our imperfections!
In Northanger Abbey, I am tickled to death not only by Catherine's naivete but also by Jane Austen herself. The first half of this novel is filled with the most hilarious observations which seem to come directly from Austen, and the second half is filled with the overactive imagination of Catherine Morland, who has read perhaps too many novels. In this parody of Gothic fiction, Austen pokes fun at both herself and her audience. It is truly a delight.
When I first read Jane Austen in my mid-twenties, Persuasion was my favorite novel. It gave me hope. I felt so strongly for Anne Elliot, who at nineteen was convinced by her family to reject the man she loved because of his lack of rank and fortune. Seven years later, after he has acheived his fortune, she is thrown into this same man's company. She must watch, agonizingly, while he courts two other young ladies. Anne's courage and fortitude are inspiring.
Strong EditionReview Date: 2006-03-19
Jane's prose is perfectReview Date: 1998-04-14
Jane Austen is still where she belongs, between book covers. We know the stories are good, but what isn't immediately obvious is the many recent adaptations is what an impeccable writer of English prose she is - no posturing word-dropper, no purveyer of hoary terminology, but a fine, simple, straightforward narrator.
She is brief but telling, using tilt and tone to make us smile. She doesn't bore with tedious flashbacks or podding descriptions of a new character's background. And she tells us what we wanted to know, just when we want to know it. As I am wondering what became of Mr. Bingley, he turns up; as I am trying to remember what the party is doing in Bath, it becomes clear. She's always ahead, dropping just the right number of crumbs.
Jane's world moved slowly, and reading her takes time. Her cncerns are universal - how to fill the hours of the day, the pairing of single young men and women, the effects of money, household matters. Her ethical domain is dominated by consideration - of others' feelings, needs, requirements. The occasional rebellious spirit is not admired, concepts such as fulfillment and freedom never enter her head. As for "needs" beyond basic physical ones - an idea that would have astonished her - she would have substituted "obligations."
But there is something about all this that keeps us going back, and back and back.
Caveat Emptor - DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM BEFORE READING THISReview Date: 2000-08-16
Much to my surprise, after I ordered "The Complete Novels of Jane Austen (Modern Library Series)" ISBN 0679600264, only one book arrived. As pictured above, Vol I contains S&S, P&P, and MP.
The other three novels must be in Vol II, you surmise? Wrong! THAT IS ALL YOU GET !
Apparently, "complete" is a relative term, meaning "half of". At best, this listing shows ignorance. At worst, this listing is fraud.
Used price: $2.75
A ClassicReview Date: 2007-08-08
Read to Perfection ! ! !Review Date: 2007-11-29
(the Our Father).No one in my opinion wrote more clearly on the subject than she.What's amazing about the "Way of Perfection" is that she wrote it straight through unedited (taken out of her autobiography)on the floor
of one of her convents by a sunlit window.It attests to her amazing skill
as a writer!
What makes the audiobook so good though is the reader,Julie Clapp.I've listened to a lot of audiobooks and she's as good as I've heard! You get
the feeling that you were hearing Teresa speak herself.Few readers can do that.
The price is high,(I'd like to see a 30% discount Amazon) but worth it
to fans of Saint Teresa of Avila/Jesus (the greatest woman mystic writer
IMO) and authentic audiobook readers!
Saintly Holiness & Its Application to UsReview Date: 2002-04-16
Accordingly, much of what is written applies strictly to the setting of the convent. However, the spiritual values expressed are timeless. The Saint extols ascetical poverty. While we in the world cannot, or do not, practice ascetical poverty we can derive the spirit behind the vow - that of detachment from things that do not lead us to Christ.
The hallmark of this work, however, is the several chapters written on the Our Father. St. Teresa explains the perfection in Our Lord's Prayer and its message to, and demands upon, all of us Christians.
There is immeasurable value in this. This book fills up the soul.
Mr. Carrigan, Leave it Alone, Please.Review Date: 2004-01-30
My suggestion: If you want to read the great Carmelite mystics, give Mr. Carrigan's versions wide berth.
Good introduction to this Doctor of the ChurchReview Date: 2002-11-01
Then this is the place to start. Yes, Teresa was writing 400 and more years ago, and her audience was cloistered contemplative nuns. But this was written almost like a letter. The personal tone gives it great charm and readability. Very little of it is hard to understand, and almost all of it can be applied to our lives here and now.
My only difficulty with Peers' translation is the huge number of footnotes. They would be invaluable to a scholar, but I can never keep myself from looking at them, and they are not really necessary or even helpful when your desire is to learn the spiritual wisdom of one of our greatest saints. I love her and love this book, and highly recommend it.
review by Janet Knori, author of Awakening in God
Abbey the Cavi in Miami BeachReview Date: 2007-05-13
Uncomplicated,easy to follow and great pictures.
Very Characteristic Description of this Fun-Loving BreedReview Date: 2007-01-31
2 1/2 Love's Labor LostReview Date: 2006-10-29
We follow Abbey (a Cavalier Spaniel) as she leaves the Balaam's condo, and makes her way around Miami Beach. First, we have some apparent biographical information about either Abbey or the Balaam family. Unfortunately, the result is a couplet whose meter is way off: Sitting with Percy the Pelican on the balcony, Abbey says, "We sit on the rooftop and look at the sea, Percy thinks of fish, while I think of England and the family." A bit later, Abbey encounters some rough, bling-wearing cats; we encounter an inverted sentence constructed to fit the rhyme:
"I like to go out and walk the Boardwalk,
But that is the place the Boardwalk Boys do stalk."
Next, Abbey goes to "Le Cafe de Paris," where she gets some French bread and we get some more convoluted (e.g., "does say," "is the food") sentences: "I go to the French Cafe for a baguette each day/'Bonjour Abbey' is what Marie Clair does say..." and "I thank Marie-Clair and walk out the door,/A French baguette is the food I adore."
One gets the feeling that there is a "Le Cafe de Paris" in Ms. Balaam's neighborhood, and that she included this episode as a tribute to a friend. The book is very self-referential that way, with several pictures of the author and her husband with their very cute dog. In any event, the French Cafe seems like a gratuitous addition, just as there is a brief reference to a hot dog stand seemingly mentioned only because it rhymes with sand.
Abbey finds a balloon with the initials of the author's husband and wants to give it to him. In what I suppose is the "Values" section of the book, a dolphin and a crab cooperate to get the balloon for Abbey, when it pops the crab finds a replacement gift--"a beautiful shell." (I differ with another reviewer on another point, generally, a B.S. in Psychology does not make one a "Psychologist.") The dramatic climax occurs when a storm hits the beach, but for those who appreciate good language, the writing disappoints: "Danny told me to run and off Carlos swam,/So I took his advice and off I did scram." Abbey arrives home safely, dreaming of the day's adventures and Mr. and Mrs. B.
A young audience is not that likely to notice the quality of the writing, and they'll like the big, bright pictures by Joe Palmisano. However, gift-givers may feel disappointed given the high praise in other reviews. (I wasn't even going to review this, partly because of my prefernce to review books that I've really enjoyed, but it seemed that some balance was missing.) The author put lots of labor and love into the book; she even introduces all the characters in rhymed paragraphs before the story begins. There's obviously a great deal of affection for Abbey, for the book, and for the author's spouse, and a follow-up book is available for pre-ordering. However, in my obviously minority opinion, the awkwardly phrased poetry reads like a first effort, and there is much room for improvement--perhaps the second book offers that. I wish the author well.
Wondrous tale of discoveries through a puppy's eyes.Review Date: 2006-10-07
A wonderful book for kids and parents alike to enjoy!Review Date: 2006-10-06
Used price: $3.00
The Journey HomeReview Date: 2006-07-08
Abbey for President - Ed come back we need you now!Review Date: 2002-02-06
Arguably Abbey's bestReview Date: 2000-10-27
A good collection of essays to follow "Desert Solitaire"Review Date: 2005-09-30
If you've read his works, I'll bet you know what I mean. He's the kind of guy you want to take camping with you. He's the first one you call when you get an itch to shoulder a pack and head out.
Even if you don't agree with everything he says (or how he says it)--and I know I don't--you just have to like him.
"The Journey Home" is Abbey at his most articulate, at his most candid. He takes on the issues of Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, and the Navajo Generating Station, though much of his information on the Navajo Generating Station is now extremely out of date.
He examines everything from the desert to walking to why people bother doing anything, always with his trademark sense of bitter humor.
On walking he says, "The iron tug of gravitation should be all the reminder we need that in walking uphill we are violating a basic law of nature."
On reasons for climbing mountains he says, "George H. Leigh-Mallory's asinine rationale for climbing a mountain--"because it's there"--could easily be refuted with a few well-placed hydrogen bombs."
Edward Abbey is a classic, and these essays are some of his finest, and his most fun.
He had a great sense of adventure.Review Date: 2005-07-24
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As is her usual style Ellis Peters makes quick work of capturing the readers interest and deftly furnishes the setting with appropriate details of twelfth century life. In this chronicle especially we learn of the dangers and uncertainties created by the great civil war between Maude and Stephen.
With each book I grow fonder of Brother Cadfael, the former warrior who has become a monk. Cadfael, because of his early life experiences has a great understanding of human nature and is slow to condemn those who fail to achieve perfection. He is constantly nurturing and makes an effort to safeguard those younger and weaker than he. In The Virgin in the Ice, Cadfael truly excels and comes into his own. We see him as both an active participant in the events and one who is able to analyze and understand human nature and thus is able to unwind the mystery.
For anyone who is fond of Medieval Mystery the Brother Cadfael Chronicles shouldn't be missed and this is one of the better.