Bernard Books

Interesting and inspiring! I loved the stories of the quilters - real people who were extraordinary and humble.

The stories of the women of Gee's Bend, as told by themselves, touch ones heart and should remind us of a time when one used what you had and met the challenge of creating such things of beauty as their quilts. They definitely thought "outside the box" and broke all the rules of quilting to produce some splendid pieces of art. Primative? yes, but their artistic eye as shown in their work, places their work on a level with the great artists of the world. Great photos of the ladies and wonderful color pictures of the quilts. I would recommend the book for artists as well as quilters.

This book is great, and the pictures are wonderful. I'm studying for an upcoming exhibition and I am very satisfied.

If you liked the Gee's Bend Quilt exhibit, then you have to have this book as well as the one before it The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place and the one after it, Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee's Bend Quilts, and Beyond, which focuses upon the work of Mary Lee Bendolph, perhaps the greatest living Gee's Bend Quilter. There are others, too. These women are worth supporting in any way you can. They are truly great artists. Other gems to seek out are The Quilts Of Gee's Bend the video on them made by Vanessa Vadim and and Tim Arnett and the CD collection of Gee's Bend music made both in the 30s, when the FSA became aware of the artistry of Gee's Bend, and at the time of the recent exhibition of Gee's Bend's Quilts which is still touring the world.

I am really enjoying reading and looking at the pictures of the quilts in this book. I have met several of the ladies and decendants of the Gee' Bend Quilters and find their stories so interesting. The quilts definitely do define the quilters, their strengths and weaknesses, their ups and downs. I recomend this book to anyone who holds quilts near and dear to their hearts.

I listened to the Burl Ives song when I was a little girl. Now that I have my own little boy, I was so happy to find the song in a sturdy board book. You can still find Burl Ives singing "Little White Duck" on iTunes. :)

This is probably my 14 month old son's favorite book. We read (sang) it three times in a row today. I think it helps that the illustrations are incredible, and the lyrics flow nicely.

If you're looking for a baby gift, Little White Duck would be a great choice.

I bought this book for my 21/2 yr old daughter after her Kindermusik teacher read it to her class. The children loved all the animals and quickly learned to anticipate with excitement who is coming next. The rhythm of the words is delightful, and I find myself humming it throughout the day. A real classic that every child should read.

This book is great. I sang this book to my babies when they were only 4 months old, and they loved looking at the pictures. They still love the book and song. We always sing it in the car. After months of reading this book, we put it away for a couple of months but brought it back out when we started sign language. It is fun signing with this book with appearances by a little white duck, green frog, black bug, and red snake sitting, swimming, and playing in the water.

Even if you don't know this song, the rhythm of the lyrics, the story, and the illustrations will keep your child's attention to the end.

The fact that it's been pc'd (everybody lives in the end because it was "just a play") is fine. It's less likely to be traumatic (as opposed to, say, Go Tell Aunt Rhody) for a small child.

Another keeper.

(*)>

I have been in medicine for 32 years and this is one of the best books I have ever read in regard to medicine. We get so focused on the problem as a part that we become blinded to the patient as a whole. The more technical we get the further away from the patient we get. And yet I have seen what a difference it makes to "lay on of hands". Remember you should always touch the patient no matter if it is just to shake hands. We are creatures of touch not of electronics and lab results. I would recommend that this be read by everyone in the medical field.

I just recently ran across this book, not having been aware of its existence. It took awhile for me to get through it, because it was filled with so many riveting stories, and each story is such a teaching. I wish I had had such a courageous role model when I was in medical school. Dr. Lown's words empower me even more now, as I practice Mind-Body medicine. Abby Caplin, MD. San Francisco, CA

I was assigned this book in an East/West compartive medical class for College, and everybody loved it not just as a literary work but guide to life. Lown shares an ability with Dr. Andrew Weil in that his compassionate and balanced philosophies on life and medicine are backed up and validated by hisscientific knowledge. This book is just as much official text as it is commentary. Most anyone with an interest or passion in medicine or the healing arts would find enrichment from "The Lost Art of Healing."

I bought a copy for myself, and now I am trying to give a copy to everybody I know who is involved in patient care. Most of us went into the medical field with noble aspirations to take care of others and in doing so, to grow ourselves as human beings. The process of going through a medical education debases in many respects our initial aspirations. I read this book and found myself recentered. Dr. Lown approaches medicine as an opportunity to glean from the people for whom he cares. The book is filled with anecdotes gathered from decades of doctoring. The stories lead the reader along the same journey that the author has taken in coming to a sense of himself as a healer. The characters whom have filled his life are interesting and the story of Dr. Lown's personal journey from medical student, to researcher to teacher and master clinician, is fascinating. I highly recommend this book. It has changed the way that I approach my work and given me a zest for opportunities to grow in this profession.

In a profession dominated increasingly by science and technology, it is heartening to hear a courageous voice who spoke forcefully and emphatically against the dehumanization of medicine and for the urgent need to return to the traditional ethos of medicine. This coming no less from a physician of Dr Lown's stature and credentials, a technological wizard who had given the world the first cardioverter and DC defribillator. and yet managed to stay aloof and above the lure of medical scientific and technical sophistry which had captured the awe and fantasy of many of today's medical students and doctors alike. Debunking the myth of the omnipotence of clinical medicine, Dr Lown sought to reconcile the divide between the art and science of medicine, advocating a more humane approach towards the management of patients. He is both a philosopher and a healer, equipped with an open mind and divergent mindset extending beyond the normal confines of medical practice. As a young medical student struggling with the heavy workload imposed by an explosion of medical scientific knowledge, Dr Lown's book is thought-provoking and inspiring, a timely reminder that knowledge and academic grades are merely a means to an end and that human qualities such as empathy, compassion and a sound understanding of the human condition is not only crucial in medical practice, but must be reinforced and developed in the impressionable medical student navigating through rigors and constraints of his studies and training.

I don't recall who the publisher is, but this supposed 3-year book used to come out every three years nearly a year after the fact -- meaning the book was good for only two years --and has a handy chart in the back to refer to. I wish an updated version were available. All I can find here is an out of date biorhythm book covering the past 3 years through 1999. I mean, who wants to buy a book to see how they might have been faring a year ago??? Not taking this all too seriously . . . but the logic eludes me.

I like the book it is very helpful I would like to know if there is a more recent version out. If not there should be.

I had one version of this book early on and I would definitly like this book to come out with a up to date version so I can use it like I had before.

This was a great book; however, it is now irrelevant, since the charts ended in 1999. Is a new one going to be coming out? I've been using them for at least 10 or 15 years and feel lost without it!

I loved the 1997-98-99 Edition, so I agree with other readers here. Where IS the latest edition?!! It would be a best seller, and I needed it yesterday.

I have never read the Confessions of St. Agustine. In fact, I found it very difficult to follow both in English and in Spanish the two times I did actually try to read the book.

Since Agustine can easily be considered one of the greatest thinkers in all of Christianity and foundational for Western civilization, I think it to be important to have some understanding of this man.

This CD version of the book made this man come alive to me. It wasn't just hearing how God dealt with an individual person bringing them from darkness to the light of the Gospel that impressed me, but that did impress me greatly. The details of everyday life from that time period I also found fascinating.


So, if you have wanted to read Agustine's spiritual autobiography, but have had trouble understanding it, I highly recommend this audio version. It is beautifully read.

I enjoyed this unabridge audio book. It's one thing to read the book, its another experience to listen to it!

Note: Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

This book is one that should be on every educated person's bookshelf. For a book written by a Christian in the fourth century, I was surprised at some of the details. For example, Augustine accepts autopsies as a matter of medical necessity. More well-known is his opposition to astrology.

Augustine also had surprisingly enlightened views about dress and appearance. Any race or ethnicity can enter the City of God (an argument made in "The City of God").

Augustine says that as a teenager, he and his friends stole some pears and threw them away. Have things really changed? Teenagers up to mischief!

In the "City of God," Augustine also marveled at the human mind.

"In general, the completeness of scientific knowledge is beyond all words and becomes all the more astonishing when one pursues any single aspect of this immense corpus of information. Last, but not least, is the brilliance of talent displayed by both pagan philosophers and Christian heretics in the defense of error and falsehood. In saying this, of course, I am thinking only of the nature of the human mind as a glory of this mortal life, not of faith and the way of truth that leads to eternal life."

Here are some more great lines. A philosopher was abroad a ship captained by a bad man, and after a violent storm, the fearless captain jeered the philosopher for his terror. Said the philosopher, quoting from a similar incident that occurred to the pagan Aristippus, `A rogue need not worry about losing his worthless life, but Aristippus has a duty to care for a life like his."

Finally, St. Augustine spoke to the modern world and to the "Creationists."

"It very often happens there is some question as to the earth or sky, or other elements of this world...respecting which, one who is not a Christian has knowledge...and it is very disgraceful and mischievous and of all things to be carefully avoided, that a Christian speaking of such matters as being according to the Christian Scriptures, should be heard by an unbeliever talking such nonsense that the unbeliever perceiving him to be as wide from the mark as east from west, can hardly restrain himself from laughing."

St. Augustine's effect on the Christian religion can not be understated. This timeless work should be read by all religious and spiritual persons regardless of their path of preference if only to just understand where so many of Christianity concepts and dogma originate.

Obviously, the Confessions of St. Augustine themselves need no review. However, potential buyers need to know that the reader for this particular recording is absolutely fantastic. I took the time to listen to other recordings before I decided which to buy, and this one is absolutely the best one. It is a pleasure to listen to!

It's fairly well written and the author you can tell has done a lot of research and field work. What throws you off at first is her dying love to Michael Moore to my opinion which is a fact that he doesn't make documentaries. The guy makes blockbuster films. I don't know, anyway, good for the entry level documentary filmaker.

In short, this book is a profoundly useful tool to help you develop your film's narrative structure (even if you don't think you need help in that department, you might be surprised by the useful tips and strategies offered here); it is worth it for that alone. The fact that it also offers in-depth advice on writing effective scripts, proposals, treatments, etc. make it impossible to resist. Clear, concise, and intelligent writing offering real-world examples from wildly diverse filmmaking approaches.

In response to the reader who says the author loves Michael Moore - I disagree. Moore is used a few times as an example but I'm guessing that's because she's guessing most people are familiar with his work. She uses him as a negative example, as well, describing how Roger & Me manipulated the chronology of events it "documented" in a way that was misleading and disingenuous.

This book was great for me as I am very new to documentary filmmaking. It was methodical but without being boring and Ms. Bernard has a very clear and deep understanding of what makes documentaries work and not work. Her experience shows throughout and having actual documentaries as reference points was tremendously helpful. I recommend this book.

This book should be in every screenwriting curriculum in America. Sheila Curran Bernard knows what she's talking about, and, unlike others in this field, she is eminently capable of conveying that knowledge in a clear, unassuming, generous manner. Five BIG stars for this excellent guidebook.

Bernard's professional expertise shines through in this unique book. The book is balanced, insightful, and thorough. Bernard examines a wide range of filmmakers, bringing a critical and perceptive eye to their work. A must read for anyone interested in learning more about storytelling, structure and other essential aspects of documentary filmmaking. A practical and readable guide that is also the perfect text for upper-level college courses. Highly recommended!

Jacqueline Susann is known mostly for her "sex" books--"Valley of the Dolls", "The Love Machine" and "Once Is Not Enough". However before she wrote those she released this hilarious book about her poodle Josephine. It tells how she got a pet poodle and how her and her husband Irving grew to love it. It's a short book but very well-written (unlike most of her other novels) and very funny no matter how many times you read it. Susann missed her calling--judging by this book she could have written some great comedies. I've read it at least seven times over the years and laugh at it every time. Purportedly this was Susann's favorite book out of all the ones she wrote. It's easy to see why! Highly recommended.

My Dad let me buy this book in the 60's at a used book bin ouside the Playboy Club in Boston. I was 11. This was the first book I ever bought and I was thrilled. I got it home and Mom grabbed it out of my hand and gave Dad a "look"...Jacqueline Suzanne?? I will never forget this book. And I'm buying it again because I have no idea where it is now. I think I read it about 5 times in my life. Love it. A funny story that made me want a poodle so badly my parents went nuts. They got a German Shepherd instead and I never forgave them!

Many years ago, I came across "Every Night Josephine" by adult novelist Jacqueline Susann. While I considered myself a "cat person" I couldn't help but get caught up in the lives of this adorable French poodle and her author-owner. The way the author laid out the story and related the experiences of this pampered pet as she hobnobbed with showbiz celebrities was rich in detail and description. I could actually picture the little dog chowing down on Hershey Kisses in a New York City penthouse or upstaging her mistress during a television appearance. THE END.

I read a story from Josephine to my babies, Kier Royale and Mimosa, everynight for their bedtime story. Their rapt attention never waivers as I unravel the tales of a penthouse poodles escapades in the big city. To two glamour gals from Hollywood, Josephine represents the sophisticated chic that is New York society. Sweet Dreams.

what can you say about this book? jackie escaped from her novels of sex, seconals, and scandal twice, and the results were in my opinion, her best efforts: YARGO and EVERY NIGHT JOSEPHINE! this book was funny, easy to read, and reread, and just plain entertainment. ms susann never aspired to be a shakespeare or hemingway, and her delightful books should be appreciated for what they are. personally, i think its sad that her life was cut short, i would love to have seen my collection of her books growing every year as my stephen king collection currently does.

This is the most spectacular cook book I have ever seen, splashed with the colours of Monet's house and gardens, garnished with photos of the foods served therein. I wish I had his kitchen stove - it looks as though it provides 24 square feet of cooking surface. Biographical notes put it all into historical and human perspective; and to top it all off ... the recipes. Ah, the recipes, all placed before us in modern terms that make these wondrous foods perfectly doable. After reading 'Monet's Table' and trying out the mussels in herbs, I bought three more copies to send to my closest foodie friends.

This is one of my favorite books in the whole world, not because of any one thing, but because of how its different parts hinge together to stand you right in the middle of a completely creative spirit. You can get lost in the pages and sense Monet's life. His gardens, the notes on food, the kitchen. It is a large book, perfect for a lap. Sit with it and list-making tools. Think of a kitchen in another time, when food was beautiful and flavors strong and true. I have made the green cake (vert-vert) and it was pretty good, amazingly pretty. The recipes chew at the back of your mind and then you find yourself making something from it on a rainy day when you have also bought flowers at the grocery. If you get this book you will probably buy flowers at the grocery from then on, and that will make you happy.

Overall, this is a nice book to add to a collection and a great gift. For those interested in art, particulalry Impressionism, it's a unique look at the everyday life of Claude Monet. There are some great pictures of Giverney, as well. As an "everyday" french cookbook, it has a very limited, but interesting selection of dishes. It's old style french country cooking (heavy on the butter and duck fat) that has some very easy selections (Chicken in White Wine Sauce) and some that require some real effort and time. You might think of it as a book you'd reference when you had some time to prepare something different for a Sunday dinner.

If you purely want a french cookbook, buy something else. For those that want something unique and broader in terms of French culture/history, this might be a good choice.

I asked for this book for Christmas after glancing through it at the Bostom Museum of Fine Arts. Monet's one of my favorites, and the biographical stuff (about a third of the book) is fine.

But the recipes are remarkable! Monet was a fanatic in the kitchen, swiping recipes from everybody he knew -- there are reproductions of some of his notebook pages, and they're interesting even if your French (like mine) is weak.

I've done six of the recipes, pork and fish and potatoes and what-all -- and every one was remarkable. This was a period in French cooking where haute cuisine was starting to materialize out of the various regional traditions, and Monet was a careful and discriminating observer of the process.

If you love painting and eating, you have to have this book!

As a lover of the Impressionist movement, I felt compelled to make the pilgrimage to the house of Claude Monet located a few miles north of Paris in the small town of Giverny, Normandy. Monet's refuge is a shrine of the art world renowned for its beautiful and expansive garden filled with flowers, trees, a lake and its famous bridge.

When I entered Monet's home, the dining room made a strong impression upon me: large, very inviting and splashed in yellow as if Monet had tried to capture the strong summer sun to overcome the cloudy winter days of Normandy. The table for twelve was tastefully set with blue and white china with a centerpiece of dazzling fresh flowers, as if beckoning its guests to prepare for a savory adventure to be accompanied by lively discussion. As I passed through the dining room into the kitchen, I noticed that the old, black oven fitted with brass trim and graced with copper pots and pans was still capable of generating warmth, even if the fire went out of it long ago. It was at that moment that I decided to purchase "Monet's Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet", and I have reaped far more from this book than the French francs I had traded in return.

In an interview published on November 26, 1900, in "Le Temps", Claude Monet declared "I am a Parisian of Paris. I was born there in 1840, ... I was born incapable of being disciplined. No one was ever able to make me stick to the rules, not even in my youngest days." Despite this boastful protestation, I am of the personal opinion after having studied his art, visited his home and read books and journals about the artist, that he was, if not disciplined, then certainly dedicated and devoted to the creation of the sensory arts of painting and fine dining in their truest form. These qualities are beautifully illustrated in this beautiful cookbook featuring 160 recipes of Monet's best-loved dishes such as Cezanne's bouillabaisse, Coquilles Saint-Jacques a la Florentine, Lobster Newburg, duck pate', chestnut soufflé, crepes made with Cognac, orange and almond cake and even banana ice cream. The book is comfortably divided into sections including soups, egg dishes, entrees, poultry, meat, game, seafood, desserts and conserves. I personally appreciate the range of simplicity to complexity offered by these recipes that enable me to select from those that are easy and fast to prepare and those that require more time and ingredients, depending upon the time I wish to allot. What I most enjoy sharing with my family and friends is the old world taste and richness of the dishes offered by this book that you do not readily find in most cookbooks. As an added and unexpected bonus, I am transported to a beautiful part of our world, rich in its history and creative in its many art forms that live on in my memory through this book.

The Preface was written in the form of a dedication to Claude Monet in May 1989 by Joel Robuchon, the Jamin Restaurant Chef de Cuisine. He researched the notebook of recipes kept and used by the Monet family for their family meals as well as those prepared for such noteworthy guests as Clemenceau, Renoir, Pissaro, Durand-Ruel and others. Mr. Robuchon adapted these turn of the 19th century recipes to accommodate modern day kitchen equipment that was unavailable at that time. His Preface ends with his grateful appreciation to Mr. Monet for all of his discovery, his generosity, his artistically beautiful and excellent tasting recipes which were a testament to authentic cuisine of the period, and lastly, for Mr. Monet's legacy to us of living art of every day life. The photography by Jean-Bernard Naudin is excellent. He was assisted by the stylist Nanou Billault in recreating the meals served at Monet's home; however, the subjects of his photography in this book exceed the replication of beautiful recipes such as foie gras truffe' en croute (foie gras encased in a crust) and oignons blancs farcis de Charlotte Lyses (stuffed white onions incorporating Gruyere cheese, fresh herbs, and roast pork or chicken). There are photographs of hand-written recipes on paper yellowed with age, framed by broken edges and stained by life's usage; "la sorbietiere" or the "ice pail" to make the traditional banana ice cream on Christmas Day; Monet's famed kitchen, dining room and studio; baskets filled with wild mushrooms; a picnic table on the grass under an apple tree; and, of course, photos of many of Monet's paintings, such as Le Petit Dejeuner painted in 1868, Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe painted in 1865, and Les Galettes. For devotees of the artist as well as history buffs, there are also some wonderful original photographs of Monet, including photos of the painter in his car leaving for his weekly trip to the market, in his garden with family members as they greeted the first American painters to his home, and in the company of Georges Clemenceau, former French prime minister, mayor of Mont Martre, author and teacher, in June 1921 on the Japanese bridge surrounded by wisteria.

The photography of Monet's garden is nothing short of breathtaking. I found myself lulled into daydreaming especially while browsing through the photos of the winter scenes of Monet's garden. One picture displaying the hues of green, blue and icy gray features Monet's lake surrounded by trees, bushes and tall blades of grass laced with frost. By the landing, there is a lonely rowboat on this mirrored lake with two paddles beckoning you as a passerby to come closer and fill the emptiness created by the chill of winter. As you turn the page to another beautiful winter scene, you can see the renown pink and white house with its vine-covered trellis in the background, and the forefront dominated by the landscaping filled with trees and their green leaves, shrubs, arches and even pink roses, all of which seem to be completely taken by surprise with the early frost clinging to the pink flowers and green leaves as though they were dusted with sugar crystals. I treasure this book as much for the memories of my visit to Monet's house and garden as for its insight into the realm of Monet including his time honored recipes.

I searched and searched for this book. My search was almost more difficult than finding a real mystery animal; but at last I found a decent copy and spent too much on it.
It was worth it, though. This book is a classic for a reason. The author presents the material in a thorough and engaging way. And he is skeptical at the right moments.
I have no regrets about buying this rare book. If you're into cryptozoology, yet also have a brain (a rare combo), this is a book that needs to be in your collection.

Heuvelmans has written an absorbing work that falls just short of masterpiece stature. The scope of the coverage is breathtaking, revealing the author's encyclopedic command of the field and unmistakably belying his tremendous enthusiasm for the material. From the outset, I would argue that the opus is more "archaeozoological" than "cryptozoological," as the author tends to devote nearly all of his attention to the details and history of collection of evidence for this cryptid or that, and upon the associated sociological phenomena (e.g., folktales, taboos, sculptures), than he does to ecological analysis of the theorized creatures' ontogenies within their respective biomes. The work reads almost like a compendium of forensic dossiers: for each cryptid he treats, Heuvelmans carefully narrates the historical accretion of man's evidentiary knowledge base-even to the details of each relevant archaeological expedition, whether splendidly fructiferous or gut-wrenchingly frustrating. Of particular note, Heuvelmans turns unsuccessful hunts into positive experiences, arguing how even failure to find this or achieve that adds monotonically to scientists' knowledge bases. Other aspects that are equally indicative of the author's love for his material include the proliferation of hand-drawn illustrations: while clearly no artist, he has striven to provide visual aids-even as minor as a small piece of skin or a vague scrimshaw on narwhal tusk-wherever they might prove edifying.

On the critical side, I may level two accusations that do not go very far toward pejorating the work. Firstly, taken from a continent-by-continent perspective, the coverage is not balanced. Although cryptozoological mysteries-and the oral and/or literary traditions that are often associated therewith-besprinkle the entire globe, the author devotes precious little attention to the boreal zones and none whatsoever to North America! Secondly-and, indeed, this is intertwined with the sparsity of North American coverage-Heuvelmans says next to nothing about sasquatch or some of his cryptohominid cousins, e.g., the central Asian almas and the Australian yay-ho and lo-an (although he most thoroughly dissects the evidence for and against the yeti). But, just perhaps, this second omission can be blamed upon prevailing undertones in the academic community: specifically, it was not until the 1958 incidents in logging camps in rural northern California that the "bigfoot" phenomenon began to attract serious attention.

My 5th grade son asked for a book about cryptozoology for Christmas, so I recently bought this book after being pointed to it by various reviewers (of other books) on Amazon. It seemed bizarrly expensive--and I felt obnoxiously indulgent buying it--but I can now report it is worth every penny. My son has been glued to the book for a week now and is on his way to memorizing the whole thing. The reading level is adult but a smart kid, fasinated with the subject, will rise to the challenge and chew through all 4 inches in no time.

When it comes to Cryptozoology, there still is no better source than Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans, the man who penned the phrase, literally. I never considered the existence of the Yeti as anything more than a mythological cartoon character, until my discovery of this book in my High School library, some 36 years ago. And there still is no other work that approaches anywhere near it, for pure captivating reading, over-and-over again. I'd recommend this book to anyone, even the staunchest skeptics. From the Yeti to Orang Pendeks, Marsupial Tigers to Nandi Bears, the volumes of research will astound. Better than reading any novel about Lost Worlds and experiments with DNA. These represent real worlds, and possibly tens-of-thousands of creatures just waiting for serious scientific attention. Will make a believer of many for certain. One drawback though, no mention of Bigfoot, or any other American cryptids for that matter. Not even in the more recent revisions. But still worthy of the highest rating.

For those of you who do not know Mr. Brenard Heuvelmans (1916-2001) was one of the true pioneers in Cryptozoology (study of hidden animals) "On the Track of Unknown Animals" is certainly a must for those who find this topic interesting.
In 2003 Jerry D. Coleman released his book continuing on the work of Heuvelmans in "Strange Highways", also found here at Amazon.com. It was "Strange Highways" open, logical, fresh story's that peeked my interest in this subject.
You couldn't go wrong reading them both.

A bowl of apples or a sedate lady on a square of canvas in a frame on your wall. Perfect. That's art for you ? So, you don't like Jackson Pollock. That dash, that depth, that mark of insanity deep down inside the frantic motion and cry-motion for understanding. No, it's not for you then ? Can you dig Charlie Parker ? Or maybe Lawrence Whelk was just the ticket. Well, in that case a fog is going to blot out this book. Will you read a phantom? Are you afraid of the light ? If linearity, plot, clear characters and action are what you need, then A SPY IN THE RUINS is not for you. You'll be better off frying another book in the old oil of successful past recipes. This one is complex, it is hard won, it is beautiful and poetic, it unfolds in due time, but it is not a novel as we all used to know novels. Amazon others have reviewed the stories that you will uncover within, that you will peel off like layers of onion skin. Perhaps in future, generations will mark Christopher Bernard as one of the great early 21st century novelists, a man who dared. He wrote something different, sending off sometimes cryptic messages like a spy in the ruins of twentieth century literature. Perhaps they will forget him completely because the love of reading will be lost in a vast dirty assemblage of utter trash. The Paris Hiltonization of this world. We don't know. But I do know that he is a great writer, a poet whose head must be filled with a million words, only a few of which have burst out onto these 500-odd pages. A Tibetan pilgrim staggering over high passes and across frozen plains with only simple barley tea for sustenance--that must be you, the reader as you move through the landscape of this strange but beautiful book. Read it if you can, but always know that he said more than you could absorb.

The book reads almost like free verse poetry or prose ... I am not sure how well that added to the readng experience but it made for an enjoyable journey through the pages.

First and foremost, before any other introduction, it is important to know that Christopher Bernard's monstrous, sprawling, magnificent epic novel, A Spy in the Ruins, is difficult in the extreme. There are no free passes given, no easy routes allowed. The earliest parts of the novel are among the hardest, with harsh penalties handed out to those foolish readers who dare allow their attention to stray. For the diligent reader the rewards are great, for the scope of Bernard's work is as large as his talent with words. As with many difficult endeavours, the benefits are there for those who wish to plumb A Spy in the Ruins's depths. Walk with trepidation, yes - but please, walk! This is a novel to be savoured.

The work is split into ten parts, with the first two parts showing the mind of a child simmering in the culture and history and information of the world of the adults, where everything is said but nothing is known - at least, not by the child. Parts three and four coalesce into a narrative as though because the child is becoming a teenager - with the requisite sexual urges, supreme arrogance and incessant curiosity - it is not enough merely for sense impressions but sentences and stories are now required to make sense of the world. After these birthing sections of the work, A Spy in the Ruins settles into a more formal structure, allowing the breathing space of consistent and coherent scenes, and extended examinations of character and situations.

The concept of the outsider is one explored heavily throughout the text. Bernard has weaved together a number of mini-stories that serve to highlight the different ways in which loneliness has become the de facto standard of life in America's post-WWII. The inability to be understood by others is no longer just for the strange or timid, or for the faint of heart - no, it has become an aspect of existence for those who are simply unfortunate enough to possess a heart, those stalwart few who are willing to say no! to prevailing conditions, and suffer because of it. Expectations are fostered in children and teenagers as the grandeur of an endless age of prosperity instills a sense that some day, some how, the future that you wish will be the one you achieve. Bernard is relentless, and relentlessly sympathetic, in highlighting the tale of sadness that occurs when, as an adult, you realise that life does not, in fact, play by your rules. Happiness is not a given, and achievement is not always much of an achievement at all.

The writing style is challenging, though not without its beauty. A random sample of text, taken from page 33, when the novel itself has been chaotically exploded: 'Words clustered according to structures of grammar over which the speaker had no ultimate control. Association was free only to a point. Which was as frustrating as it was reassuring. Or will be. The roses on the trellis near the birdbath in the forgotten corner of the garden. Night light. I played a game of stones on a sort of frame of random parallels. We bared our bleeding wrists to the moon and the long sleep of the bees.' Bernard's style is dense, both in the layers of meaning he applies to his scenes, as well as the construct of his sentences and the usage of grammar. Such a technique requires an acceptance of risk, which means that some parts of the text often feel flatter than the rest. And yet who can argue with a sentence like, 'Paper napkins in an origami of crushed animals'?

Throughout the novel metaphors sprout legs and take over the story, running along with the text: 'A book ducked in a puddle bloating obscenely its pages open like a whore from her inner elbow a needle slips into the gutter near her hand. Tiny cake of blood. Oil on the surface of the water. Tangled hair and cigarette butts in the sewer drain.' Ideas birth ideas, which in turn create avenues of exploration for the author.

At times it seems as though the story of post-WWII American life itself is what is being dissected on the page. Disaffection permeates the text in almost every aspect, with each of the character possessing a certain level of disgruntled indignation toward the government, their parents, their girlfriends, themselves. Authority is questioned partly because it is authority, but also because it sometimes seems as if all the high-flown promises have turned into nothing but floating balloons, drifting away in the sky to we know not where, but certainly not here. What happened to the promise of the nation? What happened to the promise of intellect, study, hard-work, love, grace, charm, vigor? Bernard's view is not wholly bleak, though he certainly respects (with an admittedly ironic wink) those who remain on the fringe despite all that is arrayed against them. And he does, emphatically, love books: 'To read was...to live through the dream of another to multiple one's life into a host of shadowy figures on a perpetually shifting stage to become everything one saw looking back at one like an audience in a theatre divided in half for each half the other was the stage for each half the other half was the audience they were forever fluctuating back and for between the dramatic pose and applause.'

A deep intelligence runs through A Spy in the Ruins. The effort a reader is willing to put in to the text is exactly matched by the rewards dispensed by the author. Many parts come across as chaotic and ill-formed, similar to a Surrealist painting - which means, of course, that there is form for those who look. Other sections are written in the style of a collection of film shots, and there are sections that are composed entirely of dialogue between disembodied characters. Plot, in an overall sense, is made coherent through the character of the reader, not the characters themselves. The last paragraph of Bernard's work is an exhortation to the reader that it is time for them to pick up the torch and actively engage themselves in what they hold dear. It is a cry for assistance, yes, but also for independence, for freedom, for the willingness to say no to what has gone before and yes to what can come in the future if only we'd let it. So: Your turn.

With the Top 50 and 10 Reviewers excellent reviews spotlighted here, it is doubtful many people will get to my thoughts. However, here goes anyway. I found this book to be one of the most original pieces of literary excursions I have ever embarked upon. In the beginning, I wondered what exactly was I reading? Was I smart enough? Did I have the intellectual endurance? I started slowly but soon gobbled it up, craving more each sitting. The unveiling of the prose before my eyes sent me across various levels of questioning, recollection and ultimately understanding. The structure of writing was one that was sharper than the chards of glass "amongst the ruins," the light revealed through the prisms were transparent glimpses into the past, present and future. Reading this book was a trip, sometimes smooth, at times with controlled turbulence but always soaring to heights known unknown. Read it. It demands your attention, your mind will recoil from the unfamiliarity, it will rejoice in the refreshing literary massage, be stimulated to the extreme and feel enlightened by the challenge of finding meaning amongst the beauty of words strung together like a lovely pearl necklace. I began my review by conceding to the efforts of the Top 50 and 10 Reviewers because they convey the essence of this delightful, challenging and unique piece of literary genius that is "A Spy in the Ruins." Mad props and kudos to Christopher Bernard. The style of writing is innnovative, maybe unlike anything you have ever read. The book ends with a two word sentence, "Your turn." Upon finishing, I wrote down some thoughts influenced by the style of the book (and this review in general) and the final two words, "Your turn." He slowly poured the elixr into the crystal glass, watching the golden brown liquid splash on the ice cubes. Peering in through the etched Waterford, he imagined the subliminal messages, a transparent dream in Ireland, unlike reality but more real. It was the images imagined that reminded him of the nights when he would lie awake late at night, hooking up his two-tone plastic, satellite radio with alligator clips to the cold metal arm of the window crank, reaching out to space, inner space, peace of mind, a piece of your mind, shutout of reality, a new reality, better than reality. The small satellite was a hookup to the outside world. An escape. Outside the represenatives of nations plotted causing fear in their alliance during the coldest of wars that never heated up beyond the Bay of Pigs. Kennedy was charismatic while Kruschev was menacing banging his shoes at the U.N. Twin Towers fall. See Dick. See Jane. See Spot. See OBL run. CIA, MIA. Will we ever learn? We lived on our knees in class, duck and cover, say your prayers. This is just a test. How he longed to be at her command, exerting his control over her as she hoovered over him in full control. Making him feel unlike any other feeling he had ever witnessed. Are you still there? Witnessing the pages unfold before his eyes, seeing in the mirror part of his life, their common life, the life unknown, the place unknown, the beckoning for the light, revealed with each page, unfolds her story, their story, the schism, your story, the future, the other, turn another page, read between the lines, the lines run parallel to another story in another universe, our universe, out times, that was then, this is now, the future is yours. Read. The anti-novel is novel. Are you literate? Your turn.

The debut novel of Christopher Bernard, A Spy In The Ruins is an impressively modern work of creative fiction, vividly, presenting the perspective of a retrospective aging man in a great American city which has been destroyed under mysterious circumstances and devastated by explosions and fire.. As memories of his youth flood his immobile body, questions of a different path and a different life, questions of compromise and loss are all described with the emotional impact of a kind of lyrical prose poetry. A Spy In The Ruins is a remarkable metaphor for modern society that it is, with the endless and painful turmoil of war, and the lack of purity and life which drives so many, very highly recommended as a compelling work of literate and imaginative fiction.