Berg Books

Not bad, I prefer longer books though to really get into the characters etc. Didn't really get the character of the mother, who is so important to the book.

I had to keep checking the cover of this novel to confirm that it was, in fact, a work of fiction rather than a memoir. Berg paints such a vivid, realistic picture of the relationship between Ginny and her sister, Sharla, adding in many blurbs of conversation that you would swear you are overhearing from the pair of children next to you. ("Look at me, I'm pregnant," Sharla says while holding a pillow to her stomach and in the midst of a tiff with Ginny) Berg's portrayal of their mother left me feeling both sympathetic to her feelings about motherhood and her marriage, and angry for abandoning her children so she could "find herself." However, it is my guess that many women feel this dichotomy within themselves at some point or another, and Berg illustrated it beautifully and heartbreakingly. Truly one of the best books I've read in a while. I only wish the novel was longer so we could hear more about the end of the mother's and Jasmine's relationship, as well as Ginny's and Sharla's adult lives. Absolutely amazing.

This book was the first Elizabeth Berg book I read and all I can say is I found myself smiling, laughing, and crying while reading that book. Having grown up in the 50's, I found so much of my childhood in that story. She has become my favorite writer as she seems to always touch my heart through every book of hers. I think I'm going to reread "What We Keep" again this summer!

This was a wonderful story from beginning to end! And yes, this time, the ending was fabulous, happy and complete, but not in a poorly written manner!!! I was glued to this book. As a kid of the 80s and 90s, I enjoyed reading about late 1950s American culture.

But even more enjoyable is the story of Ginny and Sharla, how two young teens overcome the heartache of their mother's big mistake. As I read about Ginny enduring the five hour flight to San Francisco, where she's going to meet her mother for the first time after 35 years, I kept wondering what her mother did. I knew it involved the mysterious Jasmine Johnson. I wondered- did her mother become so jealous of single, sexy Jasmine that she murdered her? Or, maybe there was a sapphic relationship?? Did Jasmine sexually abuse Sharla and Ginny, and mother couldn't cope with the effects?

As I read about young Ginny and Sharla, I looked for clues about the mother's mistake. You'll have to read the book to find out all about this. Trust me, it is sooo worth it!!! ;)

Ginny and Sharla have a very typical sisterly relationship, which I appreciated, not having any sisters. Again, loved the references to the late 50s (Berg has a knack for taking us back in time!). Ginny has a little love relationship with a teenage boy, it's sweet, and it's not caked in hormones, either. (Means this is appropriate reading for older teen girls.)

Highly recommended book! Enjoy!

This is the story of an adult daughter going to visit the mother who left her when she was 12.

The story is good at showing the hurt the child feels when her mother leaves, but when it comes time to resolve the story the author (I've never read her before so I don't know if it's her way) falls into the...I don't know what to call it, PC--feminist story line? the father is at fault, he had an affair with the neighbor--something not at all in the character of this kind, responsible, unimaginative man. And if that's not enough to absolve the mother for her abandonment, well then, she had to find herself. Hey what do children count against that?

Goood grief.

Instead of putting the blame on the mother who leaves, the book justifies her actions because two wounded children said they didn't love her anymore. Who was supposed to be the adult here? Please.

It's not just the "women must follow their stars" garbage that I object to, but the fact that at the end the children feel guilty about driving their mother away.

I think the author just got stuck and couldn't figure out how to end the book. But I think she should have worked out an ending that didn't cheapen her writing and waste my time.

Don't bother with this.

I adored Open House. It was witty and charming. I read a few other titles which impressed me less but had their moments. But after reading The Pull of the Moon I can't think of one reason to recommend it.

I've felt this before, but Im guessing TPOTMoon was a first draft that might have really resonated with much more thoughtfulness and a good editor. If Berg was a newbie, I doubt the book have seen the light of day. As many other disappointed readers mentioned, if this sort of mid-life crisis had been penned by a man, the critics would have gone ballistic.

The premise isn't problematic, it's the superficiality of the journey. Nan, rather than question the female role of mother and housewife she feels stifled by, relies on romanticizing and infering cosmic meaning to everything she feels she's missed out on. The profundity of rocks. Waiters. Albino squirrels (of all things). Trailer parks. Cheesburgers. White chenile bedspreads. Loaves of fresh bread.... If common objects ARE magical (not saying they're not), then surely Berg needs to peel back the layers and prove that these objects are more than "womanish" 19th century sentiments, or in other words, trite.

Beyond the romanticism of otherwise inane objects/posessions, a remembrance on page 33 made me put the book down and sigh. Nan makes a wistful comparison between housewives giving a tea-party (the pressure to live up to the impossible example set by Martha Stewart) versus little girls giving a tea party with mistmatched china and whatever "pretty" objects little girls have available. She admires the latter because "They pulled ideas from their hearts" because they had "loving intent". Whoa! How do you trust a narrator who can't fathom that these little girls are victims of the same gender-roles society has dictated for Nan? That these little girls are imitating their mothers, who are, in turn, imitating Martha Stewart?

I can almost forgive the cinematic stereotypes who naively invite Nan into their homes and lives and share their secrets. But I can't forgive Nan's penchant to turn everyone and everything into a Norman Rockwell painting. I also can't forgive her imagining the perfect house where the handpicked shabby chic decor will fulfill what's wrong in her life. Can't speak for everyone, but I haven't had a serious problem yet that new drapes or a new sofa would solve. Were it that easy.

Not saying that any seeker's first inclination isn't to change their environment/geography, but any SERIOUS change in the journey of life cannot be solved by our inner interior decorator.

This is one of my all time favorite books, if you're a woman over 40 it's an absolute MUST read... it is also a wonderful anthology of American characters...it made me want to jump in my car and run out to meet these folks...what a great story... it will make you feel not quite so crazy when you feel like jumping out of your skin...pure enjoyment... throw the kids out, get a nice glass of wine, sit down and enjoy this book...

I have read most of Berg's books, but have waited to read this one. Maybe because it's like a long running monologue with the thoughts of one person, Nan. For some reason, she finds herself leaving her husband with just a note, and experiencing a one woman road trip around the country. I suppose that I have avoided it for this long, because I usually don't like reading this kind of format, back and forth writing in her journal and letters to her husband. But, the more I read, the more I was pulled into it.

The question about why she did it, becomes more clear as she travels. She lived her life through her husband and daughter, which seems to happen a lot to those that are reaching middle age wondering, "Is this all that there is?" When she first started writing letters to her husband, she was very detailed about what was going on, I ate here...I did this...etc. She stayed on the surface. While in her journal, she was more honest about how she felt about her life. The longer that she stayed away, her letters to her husband became similiar to her journal entries. She told the truth, no matter how ugly it was.

Although I have always loved Berg's books, she has a tendency to write scenes that are a little bit far fetched and not very realistic. But, I stayed with the book because, like all of her books, she has an eye for detail, simplicity, and beauty. She is the kind of author that all aspiring writers should read.

In the end, I would have enjoyed reading about how Nan's husband viewed the situation, but it was all about her. It was similar to Ladder of Years, by Anne Tyler, but I liked that one a bit better. I would still recommend this book, especially if you are in a quiet mood, and need some solitude.

I've read every book by Elizabeth Berg and I've loved every one...this didn't disappoint. She beautifully captures the human experience in well-crafted language and plot...I eagerly anticipate her new work.

"The Pull of the Moon" is Berg's ultimate delight; it is her diamond in the rough; it is every women's journey into lightness and darkness and her deepest secrets; it is an almanac of what a woman is and where she is going.

Nan is 50 years old and undecided about her life. Although she loves her husband, she still makes the decision to take a road trip to nowhere--anywhere, and the reader is fortunate enough to travel with her. The people she meets along the way are wonderful, insightful, life changing, and strange. But the person she gets to know the most about is
Herself.

This book is overflowing with wisdom and details--beautiful, stunning details about the changes we all go through whether we want to or not; the transformations, internally and externally, we all must endure.

In the first chapter Nan walks into a super market and sees tampons. "I cried for 1 hour," she says.

Every woman will resonate with "Pull of the Moon." It is deliciously sweet and bitter at the same time; it is like a chocolate sundae you want to last forever; the words will spill over the reader like a cascade of truth and love and immaculate realizations.

If you are a Berg lover or a woman or searching for truth--this book will burn beautifully inside your inner chickness. I can't believe Oprah hasn't picked up on it yet.

A revelation and highly reccomended !!!!

The item was exactly as described in the advertisement. The delivery time was very reasonable.
DS

I was not impressed to find that this is an abridgement, especially considering that I found it by reading the reviews and could not discern it from the book cover at all. For this reason I have marked it down to three stars. Smith is necessary reading for anyone interested in the history of Western thought, the Enlightenment or economics, but it must be said that it is dry, if admirably clear, reading and difficult to chew and swallow. For that reason, it is disappointing to get so far in and then find that one is not getting the complete work.

There can be few books that have had such lasting influence on the cultural milieu. Unlike Marx, Smith's ideas seem to have stood up to the tide of history without being washed away, although I write at a time when the finance system appears to have just collapsed, so who knows how a little more history will judge it. At any rate, the correctness of Smith's ideas is perhaps of less import for the student of Western thought than its place in the emergence of a rationalist, secular culture. For Smith was part of the conscious project of the Enlightenment to introduce naturalistic models of our world in place of the magical thinking, in the form of divine providence, which preceded it. Smith was building a model of economy which did not rely on an external, disembodied agency but which emerged deterministically and reached equilibrium through the rule-based interactions of its component parts. His "invisible hand" replaced another.

At the same time, he was making a case for personal autonomy and the right of economic self-determination. As such, Smith combines the two most salient threads of the Enlightenment project - liberation from authority and liberation from magic. More than perhaps any other Enlightenment figure, Smith has shaped the way we think as a political culture today. As such, one must read this book to understand the legacy of the Enlightenment. It is hard going, as he was a very thorough worker and this is economics, the most dismal of sciences, but indispensable.

There is one misconception that this reading corrected for me which I ought to share, and that concerns Smith's alleged scepticism about "corporations". For Smith, and presumably for his contemporaries, this did not, as I thought, indicate opposition to public companies and multinationals in the way we would currently understand it. Rather, he referred to, and condemned, the system of closed trades and apprenticeships by which the market for certain trades was until recently widely protected from competition. I demur from taking sides in this, but it is important to mention the misunderstanding which arises out of the word "corporation", incautiously read.

Not even Miami Beach could make me enjoy reading this book.

This book is over 200 years old and the economic system has changed a lot since then. So why should you read it then? Because most economic fundamentals are being described in this book and give you great insight in understanding the current market more. Let's just hope they don't connect Wall Street to the price of grain anymore.

It's a classic. It's a must read for economic studies. But it's a burden for the common man with his feet in the sand.

It's a big book, but not in any way complicated. In a nutshell, it details the mechanisms by which personal liberty -- accompanied by personal responsibility and a just system of government -- make nations, and the individuals who live in them, wealthy. I had a Marxist professor who did not like Adam Smith because Marxist theory prefers to emphasize class warfare, while Smith is saying that everyone is capable of providing for themselves and the less the government interferes, the better off we all are. Many conservatives, meanwhile, like Adam Smith because they seem to perceive a "survival of the fittest" philosophy in his works. They are both wrong.

Really, The Wealth of Nations ought to be read along with Smith's other classic, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Together, the message in them is that government should leave people alone as much as possible, but people ought to exercise that liberty without greed.

The Wealth of Nations is one of the most important books ever written. In some respects the Wealth of Nations was a tract for the times. Smith penned a crippling critique of the mercantilist `Policy of Europe'. Smith, along with David Hume and David Ricardo, refuted the mercantilist case for protectionism. Much of what we read in this book is still taught in modern economics classes. Modern day protectionists still have no answer to the principles of absolute and comparative advantage, and for the basic logic of Hume's specie flow mechanism.

Smith was more than an ordinary economist. He was a visionary who saw some of the potential for progress through Globalization. Perhaps the most important concept of this book is the dynamics between division of labor, labor productivity, and the extent of markets. Smith conceived of Globalization as a process that would raise productivity as local markets expanded to national and then international scope. His example of division of labor in a pin factory is simple, but illustrative.

The most widely known part of this book is that part of the `invisible hand of markets'. Invisible hand reasoning still pervades modern economic theory, though there are some variations in how economists interpret this concept. Smith does differ from Modern economists on certain issues. Smith thought of competition as a process and of monopoly as a government grant of privilege. In these areas Smith was ahead of many modern economists. Smith also explained market prices in terms of labor content. Here is Smith's great error. Labor value theory set economics on the wrong course. Labor value theory served as the basis for Marxism. This, of course, indicates the great influence of The Wealth of Nations on world history. Without labor value theory the Marxist idea of exploitation falls apart. Smith therefore played a posthumous role in twentieth century history, especially from 1918 to 1991. Of course, we cannot blame Smith for the misuse of his ideas. Smith would have surely opposed Marxism, had he been alive to do so.

What we have in this book is a tremendous effort at discovering the proper limits between private and public institutions. Better still, Smith thought about society and institutions in evolutionary terms. This is another reason why the Wealth of Nations is preferable to modern economics texts. Smith understood the dynamics of capitalism better than many modern economists- who focus on static math models. Smith also influenced Charles Darwin with his ideas of social evolution. There is much evidence indicating that Darwin got the idea for the evolution of species by reading The Wealth of Nations. Smith therefore had great influence on the biological sciences.

Modern economists reject Smith labor value theory (ever since Menger refuted it in 1870). However, there is no denying the influence of The Wealth of Nations. All members of the educated public should read at least part of this book. The question then in which edition should you buy? The Liberty Classics edition is unabridged. The Modern Library Classics edition has margin notes that could be helpful. Given the affordability of these editions, you might consider have both on your bookshelf (I do). I would avoid the Great Mind Series altogether. The Wealth of Nations should be read because it is both a book of great historical importance and a good source for understanding modern Globalization. The labor value theory part precludes a five star rating, but anything less than four stars would be absurd.

Katie's life is one of loss. Katie not only loses her mother, but also her faith in Jesus Christ. She tells us that she used to talk to Him as the Communion wafer melted in her mouth. Then, her mother is gone, along with her faith. (If Katie is Roman Catholic, then we know her mother died after Katie's seventh birthday; Catholic children make their first Holy Communion during the seventh year of life.) Katie, however, maintains a spiritual connection- she has visions of her mother at the Blessed Virgin Mary. Katie communicates with her mother's spirit, too.

Katie is pushed around by her sister, Diane and best friend, Cherylanne. Both have rocky relationships with the protagonist. (I think Katie deserved a better confidant than Cherylanne. In fact, there is a brief meeting of Katie and her "in-school" best friend.) It makes sense that Katie admires Diane and Cherylanne- she is being physically abused by an unpredictable father. Katie is slapped around, or witnessing her sister's beatings.

Their father creeped me out. I was hoping that Katie would get far enough away from him. Does she? Well, you'll have to read to find out.

Katie will grow on you. You'll want to help her better her life. You'll want to help her find good friends, get away from her abusive father. I did not like the way Diane always treated Katie- but I agree with Diane that the father should have been forced to stop the abuse.

Bridgette is adorable!

Now, for the false advertising- my hardback copy from the library says that, "Katie spends the lazy days of her summer waiting.... waiting for Dickie Mack to fall in love with her" and "until Katie's admiration for her strong-willed sister leads her on an adventure that transforms her life". First, there isn't much in the way of "love" for Dickie, just that Katie remarks she can get Dickie to fall in love with her. And, the adventure is not much of an adventure, nor is it very transforming. You'll see what I mean at the end of the book.

Yes, read this. But keep in mind Katie has a long way to go!

At 12, Katie faces many of the typical adolescent-girl concerns -- stressing over her looks, over keeping up with her sophisticated best friend Cherylanne, over boys. But in other ways, Katie is carrying burdens far too heavy for a girl her age.

She and her older sister Diane are living on an Army base in Texas with their physically and emotionally abusive father following the death of their mother. While Katie gets her share of it -- the book opens with Katie's accidentally causing the toilet to overflow, and being so afraid of her father that she hides under her bed -- her father seems to center the brunt of his fury upon Diane. At 18, she's not holding anything back, and certainly letting her father know she's had enough.

One terrible night, Katie runs into Diane, quietly packing for Mexico, where she plans to live with her boyfriend Dickie. She offers Katie the chance to come along. And while both sisters share the same traumas and heartache, they don't share the same ideas about family and loyalty -- misplaced or not.

This is Elizabeth Berg's first book, and while I personally felt it wasn't as strong as the subsequent ones, I still enjoyed her work. Both Katie and Diane were extremely sympathetic characters, and although some may have written the father as a one-dimensional man, Berg managed to show glimpses of other aspects within him.

If you want to follow the family's story over the course of another year, a sequel called "Joy School" is also available.

Elizabeth Berg is a great writer, this one just didn't resonate with me.
In this book Katie struggles with an all to often distant and violent father. She spends most of her time with the neighbor girl, and trying to get closer to her older sister Diane.
Eventually the sisters runaway- only to have Katie return home to her father, right before they move away.
I love how Berg always knows her character so well. This one moved a little slow, but not too much.
The issue is that - for me- there is no real character growth, and the story is not very deep, or moving, or anything really.
Diane moves away and that is that, they move to Missouri. Her father is still the same person, and Katie is still an adolescent girl with a lot to learn that still walks on eggshells around her father, and still feels guilty when he becomes upset or angered. Katie's dad does finally tell her how she died, how it happened, or rather what finally caused it- but in no way was there suspense leading to this, or adequate drama to make you feel any pain for Katie.

While Katie is an interesting character, her story is nothing unique, and not spellbounding in any way. Instead, the read imagines Katie will go on to live much the same life, and in the sequel you find she does.

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favourite authors, but this book was definitely not written with a mature reader in mind and I did not realize this until after I had purchased the book. For a mature reader, it is a quick easy read but beware, it has an elementary writing style.

Katie has an abusive father and your heart aches for her. Her older sister, Diane, runs away with her boyfriend to Mexico. Katie starts out on the journey with them but has a change of heart. Although the book is a work of fiction, pieces of the author's throught process left me wondering if some of the events were not taken from her own life as a child. If you are in your late teens, the book will likely appeal to you and is definitely worth reading. For anyone older, the writing style will appear to have a child-like quality. Mature readers will find some of Berg's other books, such as "Open House," "Talk Before Sleep" and "Say When" more appealing than this one. All Berg's books are well written but take note that some are written with different age levels in mind.

i was disappointed after this book was suggested to me. nothing ever happens. there are a lot of long winded descriptions and background and very little story.

Upon first reading this wonderful story of Medical care, Psychology & Beauty I became saddened. I wondered how it could become more compelling? As got the teenager Dianna who had been born in her mother's Iron Lung, I noted she came to be the narrator. Her Mother, Paige could only move her head requiring the continual respirator and personal care day and night.

Her care-givers were Peacie a loving black woman during the day. Mrs Gruder at night along with Diana, who always awakened during the early hours to her Mother's voice. Every few weeks the Social Worker Susan, came by to check on Peacie, Paige & Diana. It was during those times that Peacie & Diana lied about who was taking care of Paige during the night.

Each person expressed their feelings of love and cocer for each other. I noted the author's use of psychology in the relationships of Diana & her friend, Suralee. They created plays about their neighbors, enemies and shop owners related to their parents.

Iris Johanson created a sub-plot of Civil Rights' marches which LaRue & Li'l Bit joined for voters' rights! Crucial times were all contrasted with the peacefulness of Paige, Peacie & Diana. Not long after this the family was forced to find new care-takers.

When I came to the surprise ending, Paige is able to enter College and graduate. There are hopeful scenes of "redemptive beauty" as Paige comes to "see the light everywhere!" In spite of all her obstacles she succeeds in seeing the inner beauty of life! With gratitude,
Retired Chaplan Fred W Hood

I picked this up off the discount table at the bookstore, was headed out for summer vacation and it looked like an interesting read for the beach. I have to say I don't normally read this author but the premise for this book sounded interesting to me. I was not dissappointed, really enjoyed the story and when I realized it was based loosely on a women's real past history, that just made it even more interesting. It was a quick read, which will leave you somewhat sad, and wondering how would I have dealt with something like this.

I love this book - and I haven't been a particular fan of Elizabeth Berg. Great on detail, but not a particularly good storyteller. However, someone gave this to me and I read it in two sittings. Absolutely riveting and (the best part)- the greatest ending ever (Don't peek!!!) Totally out of the blue and perfect. The character of the girl (the narrator) is the most "true to life" since Frankie in Carson McCuller's "Member of the Wedding." Wonderful, the best.

Wow - this book is just too sad. Not that I dislike sad books because there are many that are so beautifully tragic, but this story was so hard to endure because it was very dark and depressing. I felt so badly for the characters, especially knowing that they were loosely based on true people. Still, anytime I read an Elizabeth Berg book, I marvel at how very well-written they are, and this one is no exception. Attention to detail is inpeccible, as always, and the characters are drawn so well that the reader feels as though they are friends/neighbors.

Although fiction, the book was based on a real situation as suggested by a reader. I think knowing that lends credibility to the amazing strength of Paige's character. For me, the various relationships between the central characters made the book especially interesting because they exhibited such different types of love and commitment. For example, it was fairly obvious that Diana loved her mother and vice versa, yet the strong affection that Peacie and Diana had for each other was less obvious as they always appeared to be at odds. Also enjoyable were the escapades of Diana and her girlfriend Suralee as they put on plays for the community and experienced an evening with some local boys. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

what a great writer. I hate when her books end. Strong characters that you really like. The story evokes such emotions that you feel you are in the room with them, or at least want to be.
moving, serious, good humor. what more could you want, other than another book by her!

As usual, Elizabeth Berg's tender writing style carried me away with her characters. The touching caring feelings that come from reading this book was worth many times the cost of the book. It's a perfect book to escape to on a lazy summer day.

I have read just about everything Elizabeth Berg has written & am always looking forward to her next book. This is a beautifully written book that brings you into the lives of such real, believeable people....people you want to reach out & hug, to drive to the hospital, watch their kids, bring them over a casserole. Elizabeth draws you slowly into their lives, making you care about them, cry with them & laugh out loud with them. The book's title is as much about the book characters themselves as it is about the author's growth as a writer. She only gets better with each book!

I have enjoyed reading books by Elizabeth Berg. I couldn't wait to find out the ending of this book. This writer has a unique talent with words on paper. She describes things in a way that allows the reader to see things a little different. I find myself absorbed not only in the story but the way she tells it. This was a unique plot. It isn't just the story of a woman whose husband is in a coma. It is a story of the things in her life that help her cope. From the next door neighbor who is losing her husband to another, to the apparition who distracts her enough to help take her mind off her troubles. This is another great read by Berg! Highly recommend

Once again Elizabeth Berg delivers a heartwarming tale of true friendship - I love her characters, the way they relate, the believable (and enviable) bond between her female friends. I have read several of Berg's books and have loved them all - this one made me both laugh and cry. I would definitely recommend it.

This is an incredible book. It worked for me on the very first day. Its really about the power of thoughts plus expectancy. I believe the power is the spirit within you. The Names are a point of concentration. The ritual or visualization helps with expectancy. I saw only two problems with the book. One, the size of the Names should have been larger and two, the writer has major problems with the ego. He is from the traditon of the ego being a bad thing. This constant ego bashing puts a drain on the energy of the book. It throws the writer into complaining mode. Instead he should accept the ego as part of the human experience and not judge it as good or bad. People come and go in life, most with an ego. Its just not worth disecting. I really don't think any human is without an ego. It just varies in size.

This is a great book to read. It is very heartwarming and interesting at the same time. A very enjoyable read.

Was skeptical about the book when it was recommended. However, upon using it - amazing things have been happening to me. I tell all my friends to use it and amazing things happen for them too.

This book is really wonderful. So thankful I found it!!!

It is a very nice book and written well. It gives you a clear view of the names and what you need to do with the names. I started to study Kabbala and this is a very good help with it.

I was really disappointed in this book. It does name Hebrew names for God, but I was unhappy to see that this is more of a self-actualization book than a book about God himself. I would have preferred to read the names of God themselves without the writer's personal slant on them. I absolutely wasn't looking for mysticism in this book.

This book was excellent! Can't say enough good things about it. Characters, world and story line were wonderful. I enjoyed it immensely!

3.5 stars. ***Spoilers.*** This is my first book by Ms. Berg and I have to say that I was expecting a whole lot more than I got. Though I like flashbacks occasionally, I have to agree with most reviewers that in this case, it more than a little annoying and jarring-however it is important to the story. IMHO, the book should have been written in acts. Act 1-Seri and Karon whole love story thing and then Act 2- Seri living in exile. It would have been a lot smoother transition. I do like that this fantasy book stayed away from the common theme of rape or nearly rape situations that usually come up when dealing with a female protagonist, but I still found Seri a bit too self righteous for my taste.
Karon was just annoying-like most perfect written characters are. There are parts of the story that I feel cheated out of. Rowan and Kellea, everything that they were going through were just dumped in large chunks through conversation. I'm not sure why Jacopo did what he did- or since the Zhid could sense Aeron/D'Natheil/Karon every time he did magic why they even bothered with Jacopo. A lot of the plot seemed like matters of convenience. The whole sending someone to do something without telling what to do was just stretching every realm of believability-and it fails. She hates King Evard, but REALLY he went easy on her and then he accepts that wild story in the end...I don't know. I don't understand how Karon was able to open the gates if he wasn't heir of the D'Arnath. Out of all the exiles, he wasn't the only one with a strong will to...do what again-be cut and barbequed?
None of this means I wasn't entertained but the whole collapsing of the bridge and what not just didn't make any sense. Plus, who doesn't know who's going to open the door at her brother's place? It's just one more thing for her to be wrong about. I'll probably read book two, but I'm not in any hurry.

It took me a long time to get through the first few chapters, but once I did I was so happy that I didn't give up on it. I really enjoyed the story and felt for all the characters once I got into it. I think that it has a little something for everyone in it... adventure, good vs. evil, flashbacks, magic and more. This book is really worth the slow beginning! A good start to the series.

This is a pretty good story but... I quickly grew tired of the first person narative style. I love when a character examines herself, but all the "I did, I saw, I said" just wore on me and really slowed down the story, but to be fair, it would probably be very good as a book on CD that way.

Other than that, it is a pretty moving love story with pretty discriptive imagery, so you may like it, it just isn't one I'm dying to read the sequel to.

The only thing I don't like is that the same character is jumping around to 3 stories.I understand this won't bother everybody, but to me it's a little annoying. But it is well written. A little slow for the first 3/4 of the book, but I expect it to pick up pretty soon. If it doesn't I'll review the other books in the series.

I was first drawn into the book "The Education of Henry Adams" when Henry Adams wrote how he was led to "... more than once to sit at sunset on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria di Ara Coeli..." (page 91) Adams wanted to teach people how we can teach ourselves. He wanted to say that knowledge devoid of feeling is of little use and meaning. He said, towards the end of the book and towards the end of his life, "All the teacher could hope was to teach it reaction." Despite his willful, self-imposed criticism of his own inadequacies and failures, he succeeded brilliantly in teaching us how to achieve our own personal Annunciation, as he obviously experienced his, at sunset on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria di Ara Coeli.

Note that this review is for the audio book narrated by David Colacci. I have been on a kick the last year or so of listening to the `classics' on my daily commute. This book has been on several lists of great books and I decided to give it a try. I started out wondering why this book would be considered so good, but after a few hours of listening I learned to appreciate the unique writing style and personality of the author.

The narrator was perfect for the part. His voice and manner of speaking fit the style of the book very well. He sounded just like I imagined Adams himself would have sounded if he had read this book.

I have always been a fan of history, and his perspective as a minor participant in several great events was fascinating. From the Civil War to the Teddy Roosevelt administration, he provided several interesting insights into those events. He knew many of the key players. His overriding theme of obtaining an `education' was also interesting and he looked at it much more broadly than most people would. He lived at a time of great technological change, especially from a perspective of power and seemed concerned that society was not ready to handle that much power. He saw the source of power switching from Christianity (The Virgin Mary) to the dynamo.

I initially didn't like him. He seemed almost too humble and didn't seem to have a strong opinion of right and wrong because he wasn't sure which was which. In the end I appreciated his perspective and thought he would have been an interesting person to know, though I wouldn't consider him as a great leader. I also would have liked to have him talk more of his personal life; note that this book omits the years 1872-1891, which would have included his marriage.

Overall I recommend this book for anyone interested in history and a unique literary style. He was clearly an intellectual and it gives a good snapshot of the intellectual views of that era.

The main problem I had with this book was the format. The 7-1/2X9-15/16" and the very narrow margins made reading difficult for me. I had to bend the binding back to read the end of a the very long line of text on the left page and the beginning of a line of text on the right. I also often had to use my finger to return the to the correct start of the next lenghty line. The truly made reading less enjoyable than it should have been. I suspect I would rate it higher in a more standard format book.
This will be one of my book club's readings this academic year and I can review it after the meeting within 12 months. I suspect many of us in the club will give it higher than 3 stars - which as I have indicated is marred by the difficulty in the physical (visual) reading.




a

It took me a few months to grind my way through this, and I must conclude that unless you are a serious student of history--a professor or grad student, or highly-motivated undergrad--you are not going to get much out of this book.

I've got undergraduate and masters degrees (in computer science), am fairly widely read, and have a pretty good knowledge of history. Nevertheless, I usually could not figure out what Adams was getting at in his overly poetic abstractions. As other reviewers have pointed out, Adams can never simply describe concretely what he sees, but instead has to formulate some sort of generalization, as when the "dynamo"--a machine he sees at a World's Fair--becomes a symbol for the sweeping forces of mechanization and industrialization. That sounds insightful, but did he really need an entire chapter to describe how it upheaved his soul?

Adams wrote this book for his close circle of friends, not the general public. This manifests when he casually tosses around the names of obscure people without explaining who they are, as if we are just supposed to know. I often kept Wikipedia open as I read.

Unless you are already an expert on 19th-century U.S. history, be prepared for a hard slog and, I regret to predict, a lack of fulfillment.

I bought this version and started reading it, but ended up buying another version. This version is poorly printed - the pages are overlarge for a paperback, and the margins at the spine are too narrow. Because of the width of the page it wasn't possible to read one line without moving my head, and since the book didn't lie flat I would have to peer into the spine area to get the last word on any line on the left hand page. Pick another version that's easier to read.