Faulkner Books

While I didn't like this novel quite as much as Soldier's Pay, Faulkner's first novel, it was consistently entertaining with many superbly crafted moments. A middle-aged, dowdy matron of the arts invites a group of intellectuals/artists (e.g., a writer, a poet, a sculptor) and assorted other hangers-on for a disastrous (at least for the matron) cruise on an inland waterway in the Deep South. Also on the cruise are the matron's highly independent, idiosyncratic niece and nephew, other friends of the matron, various crew members, and a young couple who were just passing by when the boat was leaving port. The intellectuals spend most of their time drinking heavily and engaging in hard-to-follow intellectual banter, while lusting over the two alluring, attractive, very different young women on board. When the boat breaks down because the nephew steals an important part of the engine in order to complete an invention on which he's working, the beautiful, boy-like, ultra-quirky niece and a handsome steward leave the boat without telling anyone and get lost in the swampy, mosquito-infested, steaming lowlands, trying to make their way to a town that is much farther away than they think. This was the most serious and by far the most compelling subplot in the novel to me, and it runs quite a few pages. Extremely atmospheric and very humorous, the book provided me with an enchanting reading experience, albeit most of the characters were not very admirable people and one may wonder exactly what the point of the exercise was after completing it.

This was not a bad not a bad book. I had to say that initially. For some other authors, this book could have been their masterpiece. The problem though, is that this is a Faulkner book. Faulkner reinvented the use of the English language in all the Yoknapatawpha books. The problem is that when you compare something as compicated as a Yoknapatawpha novel to anything else, it has to fall short. The plots of other Faulkner books are so dense and full of sybolism. Mosquitoes is not dense. It has a very mundane story about people on a boat. This, like other Faulkner novels revolves around the nature of human beings and their interactions. This novel is a more dialectical one in comparison to some of he other novels of his. We do not have the dark humor here that there is in a novel such as AsI Lay.... The epilogue redeems the novel with some of the dense writingthat Faulkner is notorious for. Read this after you read several other Faulkner novels.

A deep and continuous source. Reflects the popular misconception of what it means to live the highly creative life of an artist. Title refers to Confucious quote that intellectual mosquitoes get their lives by sucking others ideas.

play for mosquitoes and everyone in between a mosquito my libido

Mosquitoes is not what one would expect of Faulkner, which should not diminish one's enjoyment of the story. It is humorous and satirical. Absent Faulkner's typical familial, historical, and cultural baggage, his characters in Mosquitoes still agonize, which makes them interesting. Let Faulkner surprise you. Enjoy the characters he gives us here and their comedic byplay. Absorb what he has to say about art and writing, in particular. You won't get it anywhere else. Try not to compare Mosquitoes to his other work; it is what it is, a slow boat loaded with pleasure.

Highland Bride was wonderful. I felt as if I was there in Scotland with the heroine. Ms. Faulkner's heroines are always strong and so realistic that I cannot forget them. When I finish a Faulkner romance, I feel as though I'm saying goodbye to a friend. I like the history I learn in her stories, but best of all are her heroes. Where are men like this today? In Highland Bride, the heroine is forced into marriage with a boy much younger than she is. It would have been natural for a woman to resent him, but she didn't. When her heart wakens to another . . . Well, I won't spoil it for you. This is an exciting book, one you won't want to miss. Whenever I read one of Ms Faulkner's historicals I say, 'this is the best'. This one really, truly is. I loved Highland Bride.

Colleen Faulkner is one heck of a story-teller! She's become one of my favorite authors. Highland Bride was a delectable read!

I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get past the adulterous relationship between the heroine, Kara, and her husband's brother, Ian. Granted, her husband Harry was not yet fourteen, but she couldn't have been more than 4-5 years older than that herself, and in a few years, they could have been a reasonable match for each other. Instead, Kara declares to Ian that she can never love Harry in that way, and that she "belongs" to Ian. Huh?

And then when Harry discovers their adultery and cries about it awhile, voila, he's okay with it, even when Kara becomes pregnant and he must claim Ian's child as his heir. This doesn't remotely seem logical, and neither does the happy ever after ending. Even if Harry dies, the fact is that in those days a man would never be allowed to marry his brother's widow. The way this giant obstacle is removed is absolutely incredible!

I would love to have seen the author take on the challenge of showing how Kara and Harry grew closer and eventually learned to love each other.

I can appreciate the fact that Ian and Kara were attracted to each other, but the magnitude of their sin never seems to strike them. If Ian were a true gentleman, would he allow himself to make Kara an adulteress and put her in the position of having to explain her pregnancy to her virgin husband, who then claims the child as his own? And this in the days when adulterous women frequently suffered horrific penalties!!!

I really enjoyed this book. Its about a girl name Kara. She is forced to marry and 13yr old boy named Harry. But Kara falls in love with his half brother Ian. The story of these three people touched my heart. As you read this book you want Ian and Kara to be together but you dont want Harry to be hurt. This book dose capture the greed of the seventeenth century Scotland. There is some one who wants to hurt Harry. Ian and Kara will do anything to stop that form happening. Ian turly loves Kara with a love that we all look for in a mate. I dont want to tell you the ending you need to find tnat out for yourself,but if you love all things scottish then as I always say you will love this book. It is a page turner.

When her sister, Roslyn, is kidnapped by members of the neighboring Forrest clan of Rancoff Castle, Lady Elen Burnard of Dunblane races to her rescue. As luck would have it, she and her men come across the Laird of Rancoff returning with his men from a hunting party. With the element of surprise on their side, the Dunblanes capture the Rancoffs. Lady Elen will use the laird as a bartering tool for her sister's release.

Munro Forrest, Laird of Rancoff, is at first amused by his capture and the tenacity and cleverness of his old adversary's daughter. His amusement quickly turns to frustration when he realizes Elen is serious about this prisoner business and keeps him locked up below ground in the castle's oubliette. He knows nothing of Roslyn's disappearance and is confused when Elen informs him that her people saw the kidnappers wearing the colors of the Forrest
clan.

Days pass and messages sent to Rancoff castle go ignored. Munro and Elen develop a fragile relationship as they try to discover the truth behind the kidnapping. Betrayal and greed from an unexpected quarter flummox the two. Additionally, conflict over land stolen from the Burnards by the Forrests many years ago heightens this tense, fast paced story.

Ms. Faulkner is a master storyteller and creator of intriguing, real life characters. Munro retains his unusual sense of humor despite his precarious position and Elen is a strong, yet flexible heroine trying to uphold her father's dying wish that she continue in his place as laird. Sexual tension runs high between these two class equals. The bond of friendship they first develop is refreshing and believable.

A compelling page turner, HIGHLAND LADY is the first of Colleen Faulkner's works that I've read. It won't be the last. This one's a keeper!

Elen was sworn by her dying father to regain the lands stolen by the neighboring Forrests a hundred years ago. As he passes his castle, clansmen, vassals and families into Elen's inexperienced hands, she endeavors to uphold her father's example. Disdaining the customs of her sex, Elen dresses as a man and acts as lord to her people. When her sister Roslyn is reported kidnapped, Elen suspects the kidnapping to be retribution for not yielding her claim to the disputed land.

Opportunity is with Elen when she takes Munro, the Lord of Rancoff, hostage. She intends to barter Munro for her sister, but the fiery attraction she feels in Munro's presence threatens Elen's careful control. Despite the attraction, Elen dares not marry any man for fear of loosing possession of Dunblane and not being able to keep her vow to her father. Munro refuses to take no for an answer, and soon they will have to work together to uncover the greedy plots that threaten them both.

Once again Colleen Faulkner creates a memorable novel that uniquely captures the indomitable spirit of the Highlands. The fierce warrior woman who cares little for clean floors, yet is tempered by her passionate nature, presents a powerful character. Likewise, the hero's determination to win her heart, even while held prisoner, presents a fun, almost playful image -- who wouldn't want such a sexy hero at one's beck and call! Additionally, the ferocious plot, complete with traitorous motives and evil conspiracies, juxtaposed against the medieval background, creates a fabulous tale too absorbing to put down. HIGHLAND LADY is very highly recommended.

"Highland Lady" is a terrific Scottish romance. I love strong heroines and unique stories. "Highland Lady" qualifies on both counts. This heroine is unforgetable. I laughed and cried. I couldn't put the book down. Talk about your steamy love scenes. Wow! Great going, Ms. Faulkner. I can't wait for your next book.

This book has one of the strongest heroines I've come across in a long while. Elen, is as much a warrior as her hero Munro, who is also her prisoner. Her sister is kidnapped by Munro's brother and to get her back safely she takes Munro prisoner. She treats him fairly and during her visits to him to get info on why her sister has been kidnapped and if she's ok, Elen falls for Munro and he for her. He is clueless as to why his brother has done what he did but starts to actually enjoy being Elen's prisoner. After the kidnapping is resolved and he is released he tries to woo her with gifts but she is not impressed or at least she appears that way. He finally enlists the help of the scottish king, his friend, to make him marry her. The whole thing almost blows up in his face but in the end she she is as happy as he is. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

The world today is so cluttered with tragedy - one tragedy being the death of marriages...of long,enduring forever love.

And then I read Valerie Anne Faulkner's true inspirational love story, "I Must Be in Heaven...A Promise Kept" and realized that in certain corners of the world, real love exists - the kind that's built on faith and commitment and that lasts through life's tragedies.

What I loved the most about Faulkner's story is her connection to her faith; it's so easy to have a tragedy befall you and you not be able to withstand it because your faith is being tested. Faulkner, with her faith and her love for her husband, was able to make it through a dark and scary journey. She was able to endure of heartache of her husband's medical trauma and persevere despite it. I also enjoyed Faulkner's down-to-earth tone. I could hear her voice through every story, every experience. I felt connected with her and her family as they connected and plowed through life's circumstances.

Faulkner's story, as I think all inspirational stories should do, made me reflect on my life, appreciate what I have, and rededicate myself to keeping God in my life and keeping my faith strong so that I can withstand the obstacles that I know I will face.

I picked up this book, devoured it, and fell in love. I feel as if I personally know Val, Bill, and the predicament they were in. I am not one for a sappy romance, but this was not a sappy romance. This was a modern day romance, filled with the stress and problems found in every day life. Now, being fourteen and knowing the divorce rate in this country is about 50%, it's nice to know that there are couples who get the happily ever after, who beat the odds, who are still together after forty years and as much in love as they were when they met. I Must Be In Heaven earns the five stars.

Bill and Valerie met in 1962, and promptly fell into puppy love. That was natural enough; Valerie, after all, was only 12 years old. That was their beginning, just the same. They married when she was 18, just before Bill left for Vietnam. After he came home safely, they raised three children and founded an electrical contracting business. With over 30 years of marriage behind them and their family grown, they scaled that business back in preparation for retirement. They worked together, no longer employing anyone else, and they both loved it that way. What could be better than spending every day of your life - at work as well as at home - with your best friend? Who also happens to be your spouse?

That's how it was on the morning when an aneurysm burst inside Bill's brain. In minutes, Valerie's life went from near perfection to waking nightmare. Would her husband survive? If so, would he be the Bill she'd known and loved for so long; or would she find herself transferring a shell from hospital to nursing home, after the long fight to save his life? And not incidentally, how was she going to stay afloat financially without a source of income - let alone pay for Bill's care without medical insurance?

In this novel based on a true story, God answers Valerie's prayers and questions one step at time. The faith she and Bill have shared and nurtured for so many years bears her up when she needs it most. The publishing world offers plenty of other true stories about Christians forced to deal with a loved one's catastrophic illness, but trust me when I tell you that this story is unique and well worth reading. It's a tale told simply yet vividly, and above all it's a love story. Its gritty realism pulled me right in, and it never once committed the sin of turning saccharine. Which is why I found it so difficult to put down!

Sirens scream, and Valerie watches helplessly as her husband, Bill, is swept away from their home by emergency medical technicians to the hospital, where she finds out that he has experienced a brain aneurysm. This is Valerie's story of that mad ride that begins with an ambulance, dragging them suddenly out of their quite blissful everyday.

No matter that these two have been married well over three decades; they are still, indeed, more in love than ever. Best friends, lovers, business partners. Along with their shared romance, their bond is much strengthened by their mutual faith, and this is the theme running through the entire account.

And so, as Bill sinks into a comma, Val remains by his side, striving to keep her faith strong - in God and in her husband. Her family gathers around her, her adult children, her sister, and her friends. Val shares here her personal story of the difficult and seemingly endless waiting, the frustration of dealing with hospitalization and not always attentive (or even competent) staff, the many faces that quite randomly seem to float in and out of one's life when dealing with a medical crisis. Some bring relief, others bring another test to be endured.

It is an honest, if not always literary account (like all but the rarest of self-published books, this one, too, cries out for an editor's defining touch)of an enduring love and an equally enduring faith. Most all of us have been through one or another experience of having a loved one hospitalized and of dealing with medical emergencies, and so we find ourselves caring for Valerie's emotional ride and occasional frustrations, because in some way we've all been there. We cheer with her when progress is made, feel her sadness when there is a regression again. We relate: the uncomfortable nights by a loved one's bedside, the anxious dealing with ever changing shifts of caregivers, the rollercoaster ride of rising hopes and deflating disappointments, the blessing of a much needed night of sleep after the first hot shower in several days. It is what we do for those we love. We feel, too, for Val as her husband wakes and is not quite what he used to be, because by then - Val has become a friend.

Recovery is a slow and clumsy process. Those closest to us become people we can hardly recognize. But again and again, just when Val's strength begins to fade, she is blessed by some human angel, some parting of the waves of traffic to get her to the hospital on time, some random kindness of a stranger, that restores her once again.

I Must Be in Heaven is the kind of story you share over a pot of coffee with a favorite neighbor or a good friend. Reading it is that kind of encounter: not so much a great book, but a great chat with someone who has become another warm and very human heart you're glad to have known for a while. There are many satisfying morals to this true story, and we can close the cover when the story is done, happy there are such good marriages in the world, still.

~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet, Fall 2008

From the back cover:

Julia Thomas faces her wedding day with dread. Twice her age, Simeon, the earl of St. Martin, has an appetite for cruelty, yet Julia is bound by duty to marry him. Now, alone among the disturbing occupants of Simeon's home and terrified of his viciousness, the red-haired beauty turns for companionship to his cousin, Griffen St. Martin, the one man who seems to be everything she's ever dreamed of, but who man not be anything he seems...

Devotion to king and country has forced Griffen St. Martin to live a lie, agreeing to a loveless marriage and years of secret service safeguarding the royal heir. Now, his only aim is to root out a lethal plot against the new king--one that Simeon himself may be hatching. Simeon's young bride is an unexpected complication, and one that becomes an irresistible temptation. As Griffen attempts to unravel both the deadly scheme and his own undeniable longings, Julia finds herself tangled in a desire that threatens all she loves--as well as her own life...

And my review:

It's obvious that this author did her research. Her history is well drawn and vivid. However, I often felt that the history was a main focus of the novel, and not the romance. Which is fine, if you like historical fiction with a bit of romance for added "spice". Not so satisfying if you like history as a backdrop for a blossoming relationship.

One complaint I had with this book was that the hero felt very distant. Most of the book is written from the heroine's point of view. In fact, it isn't until several chapters have passed that we get to get inside the hero's head. As a result, I never really got a handle on who he was. Also, if the hero was dressing as a dandy was all a cover, why didn't the author make that clearer in the beginning of the book? He's supposed to be a romance hero, yet the reader is left seeing him as dressed foppishly, and rumored to be having a homosexual relationship with his slave? If I'm supposed to cheer for Julia to end up with Griffen, the author should make it very clear right away that he is not homosexual, and that he is only dressing effeminiately because he's an undercover agent. Yet if I hadn't read the back cover, I would have had no idea for the longest time that it was all just a cover. Sorry, but this came across as a glaring mistake for a romance novel. I found the secondary romance much more satisfying than the one between the hero and heroine. Pity there was much less time spent developing it.

However, the author gives a good inside look into life during the time period, and also what it would have been like to struggle with what looked like obsessive-compulsive disorder in the villian of the story. For historical fiction, ONCE MORE delivers; this author obviously has talent. As a romance novel, though, it falls a little short. It all depends on what you're looking for in a book.

A book full of adventure, excitement and romance! Don't miss this one!

Julia Thomas must care for her "slow" sister, Elizabeth. Therefore, she honors the agreement made between her father and Simeon, the earl of St. Martin, when she was a child. They wed. Julia knew how cruel the earl was and at one point tried to get out of the wedding. The earl told Julia he would have Elizabeth taken away if she ever so much as disagreed with him. She was trapped.

Griffin St. Martin was the earl's cousin. Devotion to the king and country has made him live several lies. Griffin was wed to an elderly lady he loved as a mother, was considered to prefer men, and dressed outrageously!

Julia and Griffin fell in love. However, by wedding the earl, Julia has now put her life, as well as, her sister's and Griffin's in danger.

***WONDERFUL! Much treason is afoot! You will hold your breath as each one unfolds. I laughed myself silly at times and sat on the edge of my seat others!***

Colleen Faulkner's new book is fantastic. It kept me awake reading until the middle of the night when I had to be at work in the morning. The mix of gritty historical reality mixed with deep romance is rare in historical romance novels. She made me feel as if I was in the room with the evil husband. He made my skin crawl. The caring and sacrifice of a sister for her mentally challenged sister touched my heart. No one who loves English romances should miss this new Faulkner novel. Angel In My Arms was my favorite Colleen Faulkner keeper until Once More. This writer is not afraid to tackle difficult moral subjects within the bounds of traditional, sensual romance. A definite winner.

In a world full of special effects and senseless humour on tv and movies, it's great that I discovered this book that not just holds my daughter's attention, but gets her interested that much more into reading. She has her own library practically, and no book has held her total intertest, save "Tarzan:Me and You". Her daycare teacher was reading this to her and I had to get it, she demanded it every day and night. Before eating, before bath, before bed, when she woke up...She loves it! And the artwork is just great! It teaches her about different animals a bit in a not so ordinary way. A wonderful book!

This book is very cute!!! Now, I must say it isn't much in the way of a story... it is extremely simple, so I don't recommend it for someone over say 4 years old, but for someone under four, it is just perfect... it has beautiful VIBRANT contrasting colors and teaches the differences in small to big... this is a must have for a toddler!!!

THE BIG YAWN is a winning combination of a short, easy and clever story line coupled with captivating illustrations - a Keith Faulkner specialty. I used this book in preschool storytime and it received the highest honor bestowed upon children's books at this library by three and four year olds - 'big clapping'. A must-have for both personal and professional collections.

Duncan Roderick, the 10 year old son of the Earl of Cleaves, becomes prisoner of the Iroquois in Maryland after he witnesses the massacre of his family. He escapes in 1646 at the age of eighteen embittered and haunted.
Around 1661 he returns to England to take over his title of the Earl of Cleaves and to take the bride Beatrice that was promised to him when he was still a child. But he finds he is drawn to her sister Jillian, so he contracts for Jillian instead.

They stay for awhile in England and then leave for America. Someone makes attempts to kill Duncan in England and the evil plot follows them to America. Meanwhile they are also struggling to find love and trust with each other.

I would have liked this book more except for all the little things. I did not like how Jillian and Roderick treated the servants! I didn't think Jillian really had any love for her family, even her sister Beatrice she only seemed to use. I found I just did not like Jillian as a person and Roderick was like loose cannon most of the time. I didn't like that they found Bear baiting an enjoyable sport to attend.
The jealousy scenes were rather contrived, you knew where it was headed before it even got there. Atar, Duncan's retainer, never had believable reasons for the things he did. All and all this book just fell flat for me.

I did not feel any real empathy for this pair at all. I liked Will, Duncan's best friend the most, even when he revealed his secret and that was about it. There was a few good places in the book but not enough to hold it together.

Colleen Faulkner has done it again! This book will keep you reading until 3:00 am. Her characters are skillfully drawn, and her historical research fantastic. I read vast numbers of historical romances; this book by Colleen Faulkner is fantastic. One of my all time favorites

This is a new twist to the beauty and the beast theme and a totally wonderful story. One learns that Duncan Roderick isn't hiding scars behind his veil, but something else entirely. In this book an embittered man finds love in a woman determined to keep him. If you like beauty and the beast and wish for a new slant on the old tale then, Destined To Be Mine by Colleen Faulkner is the story to read.

This is the deeply personal story of how Love changed one man's life. Scholars have tended to over-analyze the simple passion of the small book, which tells how from the age of nine (when he first saw her) Dante worshipped the beatific Beatrice. The force that the power of Love held over him caused him to adore her even after her death, and her name has been immortalized by his devotion.

Genuine romance and passion is missing from most books, either in fiction or nonfiction. So it's a rare experience to come across both in such quantity as there is in "La Vita Nuova" ("The New Life"), the unsung masterpiece of poet Dante Alighieri, author of the classic Divina Comedia. This is, simply put, an ode to his muse and love.

"La Vita Nuova" is a series of poems and anecdotes centering around the life-changing love of Dante for a young woman named Beatrice. The two first met when they were young children, of about eight. Dante instantly fell in love with her, but didn't really interact with her for several years. The two married others, but those spouses are paid no attention.

Over the years, Dante's almost supernatural love only increased in intensity, and he poured out his feelings -- grief, adoration, fear -- into several poems and sonnets. During an illness, he has a vision about mortality, himself, and his beloved Beatrice ("One day, inevitably, even your most gracious Beatrice must die"). Beatrice died at the age of twenty-four, and Dante committed himself to the memory of his muse.

It would be a hard task to find another book overflowing with such incredible love and passion as "La Vita Nuova". It's probably the most romantic book I have ever seen. It's brief and only includes one part of Dante's life overall, but it's a truly unique love story -- especially as Dante and Beatrice were never romantically involved. In fact, both of them married other people.

But Dante's love for Beatrice shows itself to be more than infatuation or crush, because it never wanes -- in fact, it grows even stronger, including Love manifested as a nobleman in one of Dante's dreams. There is no element of physicality to the passion in "La Vita Nuova" -- Dante talks about how beautiful Beatrice is, but that's only a sidenote. And Dante's grief-stricken state when Beatrice dies (of what, we're never told) leads him to deep changes in his soul, and eventually peace. And though Beatrice died, because of Dante's love for her and her placement in the "Comedia," she has achieved a kind of immortality.

One of the noticeable things about this book is that whenever something significant happens to Dante (good, bad, or neither), he immediately writes a poem about it. Apparently that was his way of dealing with his emotions. Some readers may be tempted to skip over the carefully constructed poems, but they shouldn't. Even if these intrude on the story, they show what Dante was feeling more clearly than his prose.

It's virtually impossible to read this book and come out of it jaded about love or true passion. Not the sort of stuff in pulp romance novels, but love and passion that come straight from the heart and soul, in a unique and unusual love story. Every true romantic should read this book.

Dante Alighieri's La Vita Nouva is a set of poems that is a mathematical wonder that foreshadows the coming of La Divina Commedia and is itself a work that is pattern after the FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS.

Scholars have previously looked at La Vita Nouva as a set of poems written in honor of a woman named Beatrice. Such scholarship dishonors Dante Alighieri memory because he himself was married and never a poem written in honor of his own wife. Yet, we are to believe he is said to have written of a woman he bearly ever spoke to. The New Testament warning is that if you covet with your eyes you have already sin. Scholars say Dante while submitting to the embrace of marriage he loved yet another woman. This is gross and the vilest kind of love. It not only debases him but is a continuous lie to his wife. Are we to declare that Dante is in constant sin during this time that he is writing La Vita Nouva and La Divina Commedia? Nay, I say that Beatrice represented the high ideal of the Church or even to declare that Beatrice was symbolically a representation of Dante's own soul. The love he speaks of is not carnal it is divine. Love of this kind never has to be passionate to be the deepest kind of love.

The mathematics in La Vita Nouva is rightly called The Vital Life because knowing is infinitely greater than believing.

There are 31 poems with 23 of them with only 14 lines and 8 of them have more than 14 lines. The #23 is reduced to 5 giving off a play on the numbers 8 & 5. In La Divina Commedia Dante has 13 base numbers ranging from 115-160. The central 5 numbers 136-148 have 13 or 16 cantos collectively totaling to 71 cantos leaving the other 8 base numbers to divide up the other 29 cantos. So we see that Dante uses this device in both La Vita Nouva & La Divina Commedia.

The First Chapter of Genesis has 31 verses as does La Vita Nouva have 31 poems. The First Four Days of Creation have 17 (8) verses and the rest of the First Chapter of Genesis has 14 (5) verses. The First Four Days of Creation are separated from the remainder of the First Chapter of Genesis because the 1st Day of Creation has 31 Hebrew words and the 2nd Day of Creation has 38. Both Days combined has 69 Hebrew words. The 3rd & 4th Days of Creation both have 69 Hebrew Words. This pattern of 3 x 69 breaks off at the 4th Day of Creation. The 207 words in the First Four Days of Creation has the same value as the word LIGHT does in gemetria in the 1st Day of Creation: "Let there be light."

The point being made here is that those that study La Vita Nouva will grasp that there is a greater love here than carnal love and that that love has to do with spirituality and the salvation of the soul.

There is of course a great deal more mathematics in Genesis, La Vita Nouva, and La Divina Commedia that correspond but this review was merely to point out that there is more to the 31 poems and their commentaries in La Vita Nouva than the agony of unrequited love. This is so perfectly clear to those that study the book rather than reading it at the speed of summer lightning.

This book covers the history of the liturgy and Christianity from the first century to the present day. Although this is a large time span, Foley breaks down each chapter into several concentrations. Some examples include architecture, music, vessels, and books used in worship. Each catergory is then broken down into sub-catergories that focus on specific objects, clothing, structures, and other aspects specific to the liturgies. Through the format of this book, it is easy for one (especially one who is not at all familiar with the history of the liturgy or Catholic Church) to follow it through the centruries. This is a good starting point for those that want to learn about the geographical setting, the major religious figures, and the evolution of the liturgy. For others, this book will allow one to look more deeply at the role and evolution of specific liturgical practices through the descriptive details and numerous pictures--including maps, architectural layouts, and music from each century. This is a great book for all!

First, this is an interesting book on an interesting subject--how the Eucharist was celebrated throughout history. It's easy to read and with tons of illustrations. The pictures alone make this book worthwhile to anyone interested in history.

That said, I was surprised by the lack of discussion on the Eucharist itself and how it was regarded in the church. Apparently the author was more interested in a discussion of the vessels, the music, and the architecture.

In the chapter on the first century, the author can only say, "In this time, it is not the things--not even the bread and wine--that are important, but the community. The believers more than any single food are the body of Christ" (p 21).

Yet Paul said that those who ate the Eucharist unworthily brought death upon themselves. And here is 1 Cor "the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"

Foley walks you through the history of Christian liturgy in several different ages, from the beginnings of Christian worship, to the height of Gothic Christianity, to the practices of today. Beginning each era with a dramatization/story from the perspective of the worshiper, Foley makes clear the point of Christian liturgy - to personally engage the worshiper in the liturgy. Each era also includes a discussion or art, architecture and music. While the book is scholarly in nature, it is certainly not only for academics and can be approached by all.

I used this book for a space planning class at a popular college. It is well laid out and easy to read. It has some inspiring photos and really utilizes some key points of interior design.

The book covers information on the elements of design and really delves in detail information for specific types of spaces. Such as Private spaces and bedrooms, kitchens with multiple functions and more. It also explains ergonomics and anthropometrics.

If you are into this book one that I find even better, and highly recommend is "Interiors, An Introduction" by Nielson Taylor

My only negative remark is about the build of the book itself. I bought what was referred to as "Like New" from one of the used vendors that had just launched. The spine of the book is falling apart and I'll be surprised if it makes it a year on me. So I suggest spending the extra few bucks and buying new on this one. (For reference though, I buy many used books from Amazon and this has never happened from any other sellers before.)

I used the text for a space planning class. It was well organized and there were tables for referencing anthopometric data quickly. I kept it on hand while drawing floor plans for easy reference.

I have used this book as a reference for many years. It is a great book. Anyone who is remodeling their kitchen or building a new home should read this book. Ms. Nissen has explored many areas of the field and written a terrific book.