Francis Books

Everything you ever wanted to know about French pronunciation is in this little book. The only thing I wish it had was IPA after all the words, especially in the exercises where it doesn't tell you the answers. But other than that, this book is way worth having. I look at it every day and I am learning so much!

I had not heard of this book before, but I bought it anyway, and wow... what a nice way to learn French phonics. I take the book with me everywhere I go. It's nice and small and to the point. And, it teaches you in a very smart way how to pronounce French properly. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a must for anyone having a hard time learning how to pronounce French. I do not have trouble with most French words but the ones I did have trouble with were straightened out with this book. So if you want to learn the proper way to pronounce French......GET THIS BOOK!!

This is a well organized samll booklet. In each category, there is plenty of examples and exercises to practice on. I benefit a lot from having worked through this book. If you care to pronounce individual French words correctly, this is the book.

If you want to gain insight into the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald then seek no further. This amazing compilation of Fitzgerald's correspondences to family, friends, business associates and acquaintances portrays the man and the writer in a way no biographer could imagine. In his letters can be clearly seen Fitzgerald the literary genius, Fitzgerald the loving husband and father as well as Fitzgerald the sycophant and Fitzgerald the tortured and insecure neurotic.The genesis and the demise of one of the most fascinating men of his time eloquently presented in his own words.

F. Scott Fitzgerald scholar Matthew J. Bruccoli offers a discerning sample of Fitzgerald's letters that serve as an informal biography. Fitzgerald suffered many demons. Alcoholism and poor health were the obvious problems. From reading his letters, we learn that protecting his artistic integrity also weighed heavily on him. Money problems forced him to spend time writing lightweight but commercially viable stories for magazines. This took precious time away from his major work of writing serious novels. His afflicted wife, Zelda, was another dilemma. In 1930, Zelda had her first breakdown, and never recovered. Providing for her care and treatment added to his money woes. Although Fitzgerald enjoyed early success in 1920 with "This Side of Paradise," it was short-lived. By 1924, he wrote to Edmund Wilson, "I really worked hard as hell last winter--but it was all trash and it nearly broke my heart." There was critical success in 1925 with "The Great Gatsby," but it was a financial disappointment. Fitzgerald spent the next nine years writing, revising, and agonizing over "Tender Is the Night." Contrary to hope, that book failed to restore his reputation. The letters display deep introspection, opinions on other writers, comments of manners and morals, and daily concerns of money. There are also amusing and chatty letters to his daughter, Scottie. Fitzgerald's letters to Scribner's Maxwell Perkins and his literary agent, Harold Ober, are the most interesting, and reveal much of his concerns and ideas. Letters written to Zelda in the sanitarium are generally tender and loving, but occasionally they are cross and complaining. The book stops with a letter written to Scottie shortly before Fitzgerald's death in December 1940. Recommended reading for F. Scott Fitzgerald fans. ;-)

This is the sort of book that makes one long for the days prior to-email, when people actually wrote letters to one another and correspondence other than bills and junk mail filled one's mailbox. The book is a valuable supplement to Fitzgerald's many biographies; his letters reveal a remarkable clarity and self-awareness. My heart ached after reading some of them. A must read for all Fitzgerald historians.

I do recommend reading one of Fitzgerald's many biographies prior to reading his letters, as it is a fascinating exercise comparing Fitzgerald's interpretation/rationalization of an event with a third party's.

If you want to gain insight into the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald then seek no further. This amazing compilation of Fitzgerald's correspondences to family, friends, business associates and acquaintances portrays the man and the writer in a way no biographer could imagine. In his letters can be clearly seen Fitzgerald the literary genius, Fitzgerald the loving husband and father as well as Fitzgerald the sycophant and Fitzgerald the tortured and insecure neurotic.The genesis and the demise of one of the most fascinating men of his time eloquently presented in his own words.

I first encountered "The Great Gatsby" in 11th grade and its sheer lyric beauty has transfixed me to the point of at least 4 readings per year ever since. Therefore, "Trimalchio" was a joy for me to read and I believe it will bring the same amount of happiness to fellow Fitzgerald fans. The book is a brief read at only 146 pages of actual text,( as opposed to "Gatsby's" 189 in the most recent Scribner paperback edition) but the opportunity to read the rough draft of a genuis like Fitzgerald is an invigorating experience- reading passages from "Trimalchio" and then looking at their equivalent passages in "Gatsby" allows you to enter the mind of Fitzgerald through his revisionary decisions and enchances your appreciation of the sheer amount of work which Fitzgerald devoted to crafting his masterpiece. That being said, do not expect incredible differences between the two texts: the most notable changes are minor details and the chronilogical order of events and revelations. Reading "Trimalchio" is ultimately like watching deleted scenes from a movie on a DVD- they are of comparatively minor significance, but they enhance one's appreciation of the work as a whole. If you loved "The Great Gatsby," take the time to read "Trimalchio."

For all the talk about the many differences with The Great Gatsby, Trimalchio is still essentially a rough draft of the classic it became rather than a separate and distinct novel. Only the final two chapters are appreciably different beyond the point of reading both novels side by side a page at a time (and as much as I admire Fitzgerald, I'll leave that task to someone else!). Nonetheless, there are enough slight changes in character development and imagery throughout the book to make it interesting.

In one sense - especially in the little-changed early chapters - this version of the story is interesting mostly in that it demonstrates the improvement brought about by the relatively few changes that were still to come. For example, Jordan Baker's climactic recollection of seeing Daisy and Gatsby together during the war is quite a bit less scandalous here than in the final version, so that the plot still advances but much of the tension of the scene is lacking. Some of the party scenes are also less detailed than they would become. None of this is to say these parts of the book aren't still enjoyable, especially if you haven't read Gatsby recently; it's just that the changes Fitzgerald made really did improve the story in small but noticeable ways.

Although the end of the story is largely the same, the last two chapters do hold several surprises for those who are already familiar with the final version. Gatsby is portrayed at least slightly more sympathetically, Nick is less of a shadow, and the past events leading up to the currently unfolding plot are both different and somewhat less vague. This takes away some of the mystique of several of the characters, but it's not necessarily better or worse; in any case, it's fascinating to see Fitzgerald's original approach and how it changed. One thing he arguably didn't change enough is Nick's bleak outlook in the closing pages; life doesn't end at 30 just because of a lousy summer! I've always considered that the weakest point of the novel, but this version at least offers a slightly different context and narration of the ending.

Imperfections and all, it's still brilliant. Recommended for all Gatsby fans.

"The Great Gatsby" is my favorite book. This early version is absoultutely fascinating to me. I've read much about the history of the manuscript and the changes made to it, and with "Trimalchio" we get to read for ourselves one version. I was thrilled to have this unusual opportunity; I felt privileged. (Only one complaint in this review is in my last paragraph.)

Aside from the sheer thrill of witnessing at least part of the transition and revision, the book itself is a wonder--to one end--to be viewed along with "The Great Gatsby." Things I've been bothered by in "Gatsby" are different in this book, and it's interesting to read that they had indeed been altered - most notably, the mid-section in "Gatsby" when Nick tells the reader in a near omnicient narration Gatsby's true story; this happens entirely differently in "Trimalchio" and in my opinion does not break the narrative flow the way it does in the final "Great Gatsby."

Some unanswered questions, some debated items become clearer after reading this. Is Gatsby a good guy or a bad guy? Is Nick? Who is Jordan Baker really? Is Nick the agent of the action or an observant/removed narrator? "Trimalchio" presents the answers to some of these questions differently than does "The Great Gatsby," or in a more straightforward and clear fashion. In a sense, this could be a truer-to-Fitzgerald's-soul account, as many of the changes were suggested to him from the outside. Many of the characters underwent changes from this version to "The Great Gatsby," though some changes more major than others.

I'm trying, in this review, not to write what would be a book's worth of my opinion about which is a superior book. Gatsby is such a part of me I could write forever. I will mention that typos and other necessary changes were made from this to the final, as well. And although some things I've questioned and have bothered me simply because I do love the book so much are different in this early version, I don't know how I'd feel if this were the *only* version of the book, as what we have here is an early version of a book I'd always thought brilliant.

The language is beautiful; the characters amazing, sad, complex. I'm infinitely impressed by this book, whichever level of "completion."

I've got one complaint about this edition of "Trimalchio": at the back of the book, there is a list of changes made - galley version, holograph, 1st edition, etc. They are laid out in such a way that they are hard to follow and hard to study. I nearly know "The Great Gatsby" by heart. While reading "Trimalchio" I noticed tiny, tiny differences. But, after I finished, I wanted to truly study the changes at each stage of Fitzgerald's writing, and the lay-out and lack of explanation made it oppressively uninviting. It's too bad, too, because I am ceaselessly (as FSF might say) interested in this - this book, the revision process, its history, everything Gatsby.

As a die hard Fitzgerald fan, Trimalchio has enhanced my love and understanding of The Great Gatsby. I really loved the signifance of the name Trimalchio, once I understood it. (For those of you who haven't read the 2nd century AD play by Titus Petronius in which Trimalchio is orignially referenced, Trimalchio is a slave who throws an extragavent feast that everyone laughs behind his back at.) Knowing the reference gave such new depth to my understanding of Gatsby's character, for who was he really if not an updated Trimalchio?

Something else that seemed rather interesting to me were some of the white supremecy illusions that Fitzgerald sprinkled lightly throughout the novel, notably in conversations with Tom and Daisy about the "Master Race". I also noticed a Swastika Holding Company noted in one of Nick's outings to NYC. That alone, the Swastika Holding Company within an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, is worthy of a dissertation.

This early draft seems far darker than The Great Gatsby, yet far clearer in character definition. I understood Gatsby and Daisy's characters far more clearly in this draft. This is an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous preview of what would become "The Great Gatsby" and I highly recommend it.

I want to concur with the previous reviewers: reading this book is to experience an avalanche of awe!
Each page is teeming with so many stunning and wonder-inducing insights that one has to remind oneself to breath.

Keller has here unshackled theology from the sterile mis-reading of the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis:
one that has blinded generations upon generations to the maternal dimension of the creation dance.

May this lucidity incite us all to plunge deep into baptizing waters that are at once chaotic and life-giving,
and thus, the matrix of all becoming.

Catherine Keller is one of the most powerful theologians to write in our time. Her thorough, creative, brilliant and intensely attentive reexamination of the most common and traditional assumptions and dogmatic formations regarding creation is one of the most important contributions to contemporary theology.
She has read widely and deeply to bring into deep and effective conversation with theology recent developments in chaos and complexity science, literary theory, race and gender studies as well as issues concerning ecology and economy. For anybody who is interested in how science and religion might communicate today around issues of the universe as creation, this is one of the important books to consider. Keller effectively makes the case that what most of 'orthodox' theology has assumed as 'fact', a 'creaton out of nothing,' is in fact a later development and not supported in the biblical text. Rather, the biblical text, as well as a fair number of theologians in early Christianity and Judaism knew of a different account, where God's spirit hovers over the watery, resonant, responsive Deep. Keller argues further that a theology that must affirm a 'creation out of nothing' where God is the only, unilateral agent, whether found in conservative or liberal/liberationist circles ends up reinscribing a unilaterally acting God, a macho bully, perhaps even, that in the end does not allow creation to respond and interact in a way that affirms God's profound, inviting love to all creation.
Keller argues that this erection of the masculine God is performed over the dismembered body of a female goddess, as well as the suppression of women and femininity in the deep, the sea that was inscribed as squishy, wet, squirmy, hiding abominable monsters. Futhermore, Keller describes how racism as in the case of 'light supremacism' of Christianity often has linked light and dark with skincolor, moral valor, and goodness. Keller encourages us to 'face the deep' in our own selves, so we can repent of forms of racism and sexism, internalized and externalized, and embrace, more deeply our own and others' multifaceted selves. This, she suggests, will allow us to more fully hear, respond and engage God's consistent lure, God's complex invitation to live and love our lives to the fullest, and to heal and be healed in the process.

No one writing in contemporary theology writes like Catherine Keller writes. Her often dense prose always rewards the careful reader with creative insights lodged in clever puns, subtle humor and deft literary, philosophical and psychological references.

Having tackled the "end of the world" in her previous book, Apocalypse Now and Then, Keller has in this volume shifted her acute attention to the story and mythology of beginnings as narrated in Genesis 1, and as richly, diversely interpreted in both the Jewish and Christian traditions.

I know of no one who can read (and write) a text with more wit, theological acumen and love of language than Catherine Keller. You must be willing to read carefully, slowly, allowing her dense imagery to soak into your head. But if you do, you will emerge from the swirling chaos a better, more profound human being.

The Face of the Deep is not a book to be grasped only with the head, so much as it is one to engage
with all one's faculties, of spirit, heart, and passion as well:

With the delicate precision
of a spider web,
Catherine Keller

cuts through the ancient
barriers between poet & theologian
academe, studio & mystic
ancient texts & post-modern physics

to build with & invite
into conversation
those who would,
in her words,
"be at home within uncertainty"

I have finally been blessed with receiving a copy of Francis Ray's out of print book, "Fallen Angel." I first read Ms. Ray's book, "The Bargain" and later Ms. Ray's books about the Taggart/Falcon saga, when I discovered she had also written "Fallen Angel." As an avid fan of Francis Ray's, it became a must to read.

Now, for the review of "Fallen Angel." I devoured this book in less than a day's time span. Reading it was a breeze. Brad Jamison was tall, dark, handsome, and Michelle Grant considered Brad her 'fallen angel.' Michelle fell under Brad's wings years earlier and although their meeting was brief at that time, the memory had a lasting effect for Michelle, who was in dire need of an angel at that time. To Michelle, it seemed as if Brad had truly fallen angelically from the sky and come to her aid.

Brad is a tough businessman, who had some difficult childhood experiences despite having wealthy parents. On the other hand, Michelle had worked herself from a teenager into a mature, sophisticated adult and a shrewed real estate agent, who also views herself as her brother's Nick's protector. Nick was an athlete with a promising future and career, until a freak motorcycle accident changed his life. Now Michelle feels obligated to Nick, a paraplegic, who had previously stood by and been there for Michelle. However, Michelle's, Brad's and Nick's futures are now intertwined when Michelle and Brad fall in love. Michelle, who wants to do something that would benefit Nick's life and career, could also have a devastating effect on Brad's life and on Michelle's and Brad's lives together. Ms. Ray has combined the story to where the readers will wonder if Michelle will make the right decision and if so, will it be a timely decision?

"Fallen Angel" is about love, trust, and commitment. It is a beautiful love story.

I think this book was excellent.The way Francis Ray sets the book up is just beautiful.If you want to read a good love story that you can relate to just pick up this book you won't be sorry.

For an authors' first book, this book was excellent! The story line was great right along with all the characters. "Fallen Angel" is really a great product of a good authors' excellent work! To all of Ms. Ray's fans, I think Daniel Falcon has some competition as every women's dream man and he comes by the name of Brad Jamison! Much love to Ms. Ray, and keep up all your good work!

Fallen Angel was one of the best books to date that I have ever read and I have read hundreds. What I found so poignant about the character of Michelle was her fierce loyalty, determination and her awesome love for the men in her life. Ms. Ray has earned a loyal and appreciative fan and I encourage everyone to read her books.

One would anticipate a discourse on climatic change to be a dry, scientific presentation relatively weighty for lay readers: not so with compiled and editor Jim Montavalli's Feeling the Heat: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Climate Change, which provides articles written by articulate contributors drawn from the front lines of the world's 'hot spots' where serious climate shifts are already in progress. From a 2003 European heatwave which killed 10,000 in France alone to the rising of the sea level in California, Feeling The Heat provides a set of thought-provoking, chilling facts.

Editor Jim Motavalli has done an outstanding job of putting together a keleidoscopic picture of Global Climate Change by presenting a coherent and incisive selection of captivating essays, from a variety of scientific and jouranlistic perspectives. Even the most hardened skeptic could not help but be convinced that unless we act swiftly to wean ourselves from our obsessive addiction to Fossel Fuels, clean up our act in terms of Environmental Pollution, and shift our present Ways of Living and Thinking into a Sustainable Framework, the present and future inhabitants of Spaceship Earth are in for a rude awakening! If there were a New York Times Bestseller List for Ecological Books, this book would most certainly be included. For anyone interested in keeping abrest of the latest scientific evidence for Global Warming, buy this book and read it...from cover to cover! Elliott Maynard, Ph.D., President, Arcos Cielos Research Center, Sedona, Arizona.

It is usually easier to understand multifaceted issues through specific case studies and illustrations. Climate Change and Global Warming are very complex concerns indeed. Many people do not want to see the realities confronting us. Many skeptics argue that climate change is a phenomenon of nature and/or something delayed to the future. Indications from far away places need not concern us. Raising temperatures by 0.6 degrees C is hardly worth thinking about. If it means that we have warmer weather for a few weeks longer, that can only be comfortable for people living in northern climes.

Not so, argue Jim Motavalli and his colleagues. The intricacies of climate change and recent warming trends in remote places such as Alaska and the Antarctic reveal that the warming of the planet impacts us all already. In a selection of "dispatches" compiled by the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine, a distinguished group of environmental reporters traveled the world - from Australia to the Pacific Northwest, from China to Europe, to record scientific assessments and human experiences. What can we learn from their observations?

A case of severe human impact on the environment is vividly explored in "The Cost of Coal" in Mark Heertsgard's report from China. Rapid economic development comes at a very high price. For the time being, the prime energy source there remains fossil fuels, resulting in extreme air pollution. Thick smog covers the cities and people suffer from respiratory and other health problems. Yet, if the alternative is to freeze in unheated houses or slowing down the industrial advances, Chinese see no choice. Aware of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions almost rivaling those of the (highest emitter) USA, Chinese politicians and technocrats showed little sympathy for the global impact. They dismiss it as "the cost of progress". At the same time, Chinese authorities regulate industry towards high level of energy efficiency.

Closer to home for many readers is a wake-up call on raising sea levels. Motavalli and Barnes paint a devastating picture of what is in store for Greater New York from the underappreciated impact of global warming. Not only the tourist industries as the beaches of Florida or Fiji will suffer destruction, island states in the Pacific Ocean are already preparing for the exodus of hundreds of thousands of environmental refugees. The trends are unmistakable. On the other hand, examples from Europe provide a glimmer of hope. No longer waiting or sitting on the fence, Europeans have taken the lead in "planning ahead", proving that increasing use renewable energy and economic growth can be combined successfully.

Writing about insects and other creatures appearing in ecosystems where they don't belong, several articles demonstrate that the ecosystem balance is under threat. Warming ocean water results in fish and other sea animals moving out of their traditional habitats. Their food sources may not have done the same and new dangers may loom in the new environment. The food chain starting with the smallest critters is already interrupted with impacts on animals further up the chain only a question of a short time. While the field scientists interviewed for the articles remain cautious, stating that not all global warming should be blamed of human impact, the indications of increasing danger cannot be overlooked.

FEELING THE HEAT, while written by several authors, depicts a cohesive and coherent picture from some of the hotspots of global warming. Although at times depressing and exasperating, the underlying message is that of early warnings. The call on us has to be to do whatever we can to reduce human impact on the environment and climate. [Friederike Knabe]

The human aspect of climate change is finally emerging into general view. Long dominated by measurements and struggles to pinpoint sources, this book describes how people are affected when weather becomes chaotic. As a collection of "dispatches from the frontlines" it chronicles what our neighbours [and ourselves] are experiencing. How are people coping with rising sea levels, shifting landforms and waning resources? This outstanding anthology of essays may be rightly equated with "war reporting" since it covers the battles for survival we are now engaged in. The only missing elements are generals to lead the fight and strategies to apply. Both are sadly lacking.

In but ten essays, the various authors portray changing local environments around the planet. Asian, European, North American and Pacific conditions are reported and comparisons offered. In Europe, Denmark stands as a bastion against polluting energy sources while enjoying continued prosperity. There, wind energy is being utilised to curb fossil fuel power station emissions. The turbines are finding markets in other EU nations, particularly Spain and Germany - each of which have greater windpower capacity than that of the United States - a telling statistic.

North Americans are slow to see the reality of conditions elsewhere. Asia, with its still burgeoning population, relies heavily on polluting fuels. Wood, pressed coal, even dung, all remain major fuels for heating and cooking - fundamentals in daily life. Such fuels produce soot and dust, which have produced a cloud over the Indian Ocean covering 10 million square miles. More than just an irritant - "you get used to it", one author relates - the cloud interrupts the food chain at sea. High altitude winds bring the particles to North America's West Coast. The dust bears micro-organisms as cargo, leading to "unexplained outbreaks" of viral infections. From the other direction, one-inch grasshoppers from Africa have appeared in the Caribbean. Clearly, the scenario is global.

Above the Caribbean, New York is already seeing the impact of rising sea levels. Wetlands are "developed" or flooded by salt water. "Exiled" species have nowhere to move, thus die out for lack of habitat. In the West, glaciers are shrinking, depleting the available water supplies for growing cities and struggling farms. Fish stocks are declining with the water loss. Warming oceanic water leads to species moving into new habitats. While this may be of temporary benefit, major foodstock species are losing ground, cascading the impact throughout the ecosystem.

The picture is grim, but not hopeless. Mechanisms exist to reduce the growing problem, but they must be more fully adopted. Motavalli is unequivocal in his denunciation of the current US administration. Compounded by media withdrawal of criticism, he argues that a "Manhattan Project" level of action is required. Motavalli argues that the Bush administration has declared "we must simply adapt to climate change" is foolish and shortsighted. A declared intent to build up to 1900 new power plants in the US "is a prescription for climate chaos". Existing technologies, such as Denmark's wind power example, would provide non-atmospheric warming energy. Failure to adopt the Kyoto Protocols was a major step backward in preventing worsening climate impact.

If the articles aren't descriptive enough, the book includes a superb photo essay by Gary Braash. This vivid series of images depict the shrinking glaciers, melting Antarcic ice pack - the greatest source of water raising sea levels, and increasing severe weather events. Emaciated polar bears, parched landscapes and homeless penguins may seem like distant, unrelated circumstances, but they reflect a growing global reality. Motavalli stresses that the world's most powerful, and most polluting, nation must be the one to take the most significant steps in curbing these degrading conditions. Readers will find this book challenging and disturbing -just its purpose. Learn what's happening on our globe - and react.
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This book is essential for IR students and organizes the thinkers based on their school of thought. Very helpful.

I am a student at the university where Mr Griffith works as a senior lecture. He is a good lecturer and his teaching style is so cool. He is a good writer, as well. He has many publications of his works related to the international politics. It proves that he is active in writing. So, I recommned you to buy his books.

Griffiths' volume provides a welcome introduction to the field of international relations precisely because its focus is on the individual and collective contributions of the men and women who are responsible for its development throughout the 20th century. In order to understand the ways in which various "analytical perspectives" or schools of thought relate, it is particularly helpful to have cross-references at the end of each thinker's profile, i.e., Aron- Hoffmann, Morgenthau, Waltz. The organization of the volume is particularly strong because Griffiths wisely avoids trying to categorize thinkers strictly in established categories. Instead the reader is free to explore the ways in which each thinker has been influenced by his predecessors or contemporaries across the realist-liberalist spectrum or to ponder the differences that may well distinguish institutionalism from the liberal perspective in an era dominated by intra-state conflict. The Theory of International Society and International Organisation sections are particularly instructive to me in thinking and teaching about "cosmopolitan values" and the challenges to regional integration. As an educator engaged in "Internet pedagogy" on several continents, this volume is useful to assign as complementary reading to familiarize students from very different national educational backgrounds about the English-language literature that establishes the fundamentals of thought in the field.

This is a very good introduction to the field of international relations. As an undergraduate student unfamiliar with the scope of the subject, I highly recommend this book as a guide to the range of debates in contemporary international relations. In addition to the usual 'isms' in the field, Martin Griffiths provides excellent summaries of key thinkers in historical sociology and nationalism. The book is comprehensively cross-referenced, with a handy guide to further reading on each key thinker that he writes about. Highly recommended!

It's fair to say more books have been written about F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway than either man wrote, and arguably the most fascinating topic concerns their rocky friendship.

Matthew J. Bruccoli is considered the expert on Fitzgerald, having written and edited more than two dozen books on the writer. His classic, 'Fitzgerald and Hemingway: A Dangerous Friendship' is the result of 15 years' research which includes a fascinating and careful analysis of a newly-released batch of Hemingway's letters to and about Fitzgerald.

The book covers the length and breadth of the writers' friendship, from when they met in 1925 in Paris following publication of Fitzgerald's third and best-known novel, 'The Great Gatsby', and a year before Hemingway published his first, 'The Sun Also Rises' (thanks partly to Fitzgerald for introducing Hemingway to his publisher, Scribner's).

Bruccoli covers enormous ground and in great detail, exploding many myths regarding the writers' stormy friendship up until Fitzgerald's death in 1940. He shows that while Fitzgerald was the older and more successful of the two authors at the time they met, from the beginning to the end, he assumed a subordinate role to the gregarious Hemingway.

Bruccoli sums up the writers' relationship this way:

"On the evidence of their correspondence, Hemingway emerges as a better friend than his self-portrait in 'A Movable Feast' shows ~ until 1936. Both men were savers and preserved most of their letters to each other. Fifty-seven letters or telegrams have been located; 28 from Fitzgerald, and 29 from Hemingway.

"Fitzgerald and Hemingway functioned differently as letter writers. Fiztgerald's letters are carefully written and have his characteristic warmth of expression; they have no direct connection with his literary work. Hemingway's letters are informal and discursive. In addition to imparting information, his letters document the Hemingway image. They had a literary function: Hemingway was an almost compulsive letter writer and used correspondence as warm-up or cooling-off exercises for his literary work."

When it comes to relationships, writers generally have a poor score card, as Bruccoli concedes:

"The mortality rate of literary friendships is high. Writers tend to be bad risks as friends ~ probably for much the same reasons that they are bad matrimonial risks. They expend the best parts of themselves in their work. Moreover, literary ambition has a way of turning into literary competition; if fame is the spur, envy may be a concomitant."

In addition to analyzing anecdotes and the writers' correspondence, the book also includes a number of photos, a timeline of events covering both of their lives as well as an appendix of Fitzgerald's 'Notebooks' references to Hemingway which were printed in 'The Crack Up'.

'Fitzgerald and Hemingway: A Dangerous Friendship' is a detailed and exhaustive examination of the friendship of two great American writers. It offers a fresh insight into their working lives and creative rivalries.

-- Michael Meanwell, author of the critically-acclaimed 'The Enterprising Writer' and 'Writers on Writing'. For more book reviews and prescriptive articles for writers, visit www.enterprisingwriter.com

And thus we are presented with the personal letters of the two roots of modern literature, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, the former's influence to be found in every Grisham book that tops the charts, the latter in his most diluted form in the paperback romance read by the housewife in Des Moines. It was inevitable that, on what starts as a fairly even friendly competition, we see Hemingway become the unreachable success and celebrity, and the communal feeling of the 20's letters gives way to silence through much of the thirties, Fitzgerald a troubled alcoholic who no one wanted much of. But Bruccoli winds us through the dead spaces, keeps us updated as to their whereabouts and gives us revelations through their letters to others (i.e. Fitz's review of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' as a tiresome boy's adventure, Hem's betrayal of Scott in 'Snows of Kilimanjaro). He does a fine, unhysterical job of setting the record straight, as the ying and yang of 20th century writing descend from friendship into the petty bitchery that plagues all us mere mortals.

This has new stuff that wasn't in Brucolli's previous book on the two authors SCOTT AND ERNEST. I read that one, and when starting FITZGERALD AND HEMINGWAY, thought I'd read the same book, but with a few added facts. Well, there are tons of new facts in F & H that are EXTREMELY interesting to the Fitzgerald and Hemingway fan. I recommend this book highly. I've read much of it more than once.

This book is a gem and should be on the reading list of any fan of Fitzgerald or Hemingway. Much of the contents are anecdotal recollections of Hemingway regarding Fitzgerald who he regarded as immensely talented but weak and dominated (by Zelda and the bottle). A variety of letters between the two help to bring to life the closeness that was in evidence in the early friendship before Fitzgerald's decline and Hemingway's enormous success (followed by his growing intolerance of the waning and less successful like FSF). This book also does not attempt to hide the sometimes incomprehensible mean -spiritedness of Hemingway when despite all his success (largely aided by the early support of others he later cast aside) still felt enough threatened to throw his drowning friends an anchor.

I grew up reading the Famous Five in Denmark. My classmates and I would fight over them in the library. I used to hole up in my room with the Famous Five and wishing I was part of their adventures! I had every one of the books but unfortunately they were given away when I left home. I'm now in the process of collecting them all again.

I read all of Enid Blyton's books as an American child living in Pakiston in the late 1960's. I loved every one of them. I am now trying to find another children's series by Blyton called, "Mallory Towers" a schoolgirl series. There were six books in the series. END

I am german and have read probably all Enid Blyton Books around, they are very popular in germany. My favorite serises of hers was the five friends, it is about friendship, it is mystery, it is catching and it makes you want to read..like all of her books this one is a great present for any occassion and a TUMBS UP! I wish more of her works were available in the United States.

I have read most all of Enid Blyton's books, esply her adventure series of Famous Five, The Five Find-Outers and dog, and also her three boarding school series. Most children outside the US read a lot of her work. Her work is not only creative, thus appealing to children, but it establishes fundmental concepts of right and wrong, and a simple code of ethics. Some would call it old-fasioned, maybe. But in this world of violence, Ms Blytons books are a breath of fresh air. Wish they were available in the US!

This book was good on so many different levels. First of all, I loved the flavor of Key West that runs all through it. Many times I felt as though I were there--even though I have never seen the Keys for myself. Knowing that the author spends several months a year there, tells me that most of these places actually exist. Secondly, the characters were so vivid. I loved Keely, Punt, Jass, Gram, and Beau, and I'd love to read a sequel to find out more about them. I found myself deeply involved in their adventures, and I was often rooting and frightened for them. Last, a great deal of suspense ran throughout the novel. It might have been the pervasive, malevolent presence of Jude; the fire; the body; or perhaps the suspicions of the police. All of these things kept me reading frantically. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a well-written, compelling novel.

In this latest novel from author Dorothy Francis, readers are returned to Key West to consider a different heroine and supporting cast than in "Conch Shell Murder." This time it is Keely Moreno, foot reflexologist, who faces death, romance, and the daily stress of living in paradise. Despite the fact that her abusive ex husband lives on Kew West as well these days and could be ignoring the restraining order against him, Kelly has made a new life for herself and is doing rather well.

That is until on a visit to a patient's home for a scheduled appointment, she finds Margaux Ashford dead from a gunshot wound. While the list of suspects for killing the wealthy woman is long, no one else's gun was used to fire the fatal shot. That fact, as well as the fact that she found the body make Keely the number one suspect in the eyes of the police. Knowing how the local police operate and being not at all impressed, Keely, with a little pushing from her friends, decides to investigate the case herself by asking the suspects, many of whom are her patients, where they were at the estimated time of death. As everyone knows, asking questions can get one into trouble fast, which is exactly what happens for Kelly.

Written in the same style as her cozy, "Conch Shell Murder," Dorothy Francis shows her love of Key West. Lush descriptions of the area abound, as do the characters that populate her novel. Many of them are amusingly eccentric and one gets the feeling they are based on real people the author has known. The list of suspects is long and often entertaining as their various eccentricities are covered. At the same time, underneath it all is a tight mystery that provides a rich and enjoyable read for adults of any age.


Book Facts:

Pier Pressure
By Dorothy Francis
Five Star Publishing
http://www.galegroup.com/fivestar/
2005
ISBN # 1-59414-271-8
Hardback
$24.95 US
ARC-Scheduled Release Date 01/21/05


This entire review previously appeared online at the Blue Iris Journal Blog.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2004

Keely Moreno, now free from an abusive ex-husband, is living in Key West and building up her foot reflexology business. Things seem to be going fairly well until she arrives for an appointment at her wealthy patient Margaux Ashford's house to find her dead of a gunshot.

The police are very interested in Keely because she found the victim. They question her quite often, but there are plenty of suspects to go around.

She and her friends decide to try to solve the murder, because they aren't convinced the police will look at all the possible suspects. Other things begin to happen, including a fire and another death. Each of these events is in some way related to Keely. This doesn't help direct the police to other suspects.

Keely finds herself in some sticky situations. Can she and her friends find the murderer without her becoming the next victim?

This is the first book by this author that I have read. It definitely won't be the last. I really enjoyed Keely, and the Key West location was very refreshing. I felt like I was on vacation while reading this book.

Keely and her friends and family are such fun characters. You never know what might happen next. I can't wait to read another book in this series. I highly recommend this book.

In Key West, Keely Moreno is the only foot reflexologist on the island; she takes patients in her office but for special clients she makes house calls. When Keely arrives at Margaux Ashford's house, she finds her client dead from a bullet, a gun in her hand. The police question Keely extensively but won't say if the rich civic minded woman was murdered or committed suicide. Keely is friendly with the children of Margaux's husband, Jess and Punt; the trio agrees to look for suspects.

The matter becomes urgent for the reflexologist because ballistics show Margaux was shot with Keely's gun and the alibi of Margaux's husband fails to check out. Keely believes her abusive ex-husband is the guilty party because she and her grandmother saw him following her despite a restraining order. When a fire burns down the house she is living in Keely thinks her former spouse has something to do with it because she spotted him in the crowd and he left evidence behind. Punt isn't at all certain he's the perpetrator and insists they keep investigating, a move that almost costs Keely her life.

PIER PRESSURE is a fantastic amateur sleuth tale with equal attention given to characterizations and the investigation. Keely is a vulnerable yet courageous woman trying to start life over after being beaten continuously by her ex-husband. Although he is stalking her, there is no direct evidence linking him to the murder so readers will wonder who the perpetrator really is and keep reading to find out. Dorothy Francis is a talented writer and this reviewer will be on the lookout for her next mystery.

Harriet Klausner