Garcia Books

Simply put, this is the best book you can buy about Garcia & the Dead.
It is well written, enjoyable and well balanced between the artistical side and the dark side of the man and his friends of the road.
Buy it together with the book from Lesh (more on the music) and the one from Scully (more on the gossip) and you'll have a good picture of the whole history.

I took to this book with a degree of hope given the position of Blair Jackson as a long time fan of the Grateful Dead, hoping that this biography would avoid the sensationalism of other books on the same subject and present the life of Garcia from the position of an informed, yet hardly disinterested, observer.

As I have turned the last few pages of the Epilogue I have to say that after a strong start the last few chapters of the book have left me rather dissatisfied.

This book offers a well researched, and somewhat detailed account of Jerry Garcia predominantly from the viewpoint of a man and his music. As to being a man there is no doubt, a man like the rest of us with his peculiarities and idiosyncracies, his strengths and his weaknesses. What comes across strongly throughout this lengthy account is a man who's love for music took him to great heights of virtuosity but who, in the process, suffered the fate of many in music, to become a celebrity drawing unwanted attention wherever he went whilst longing for the privacy to be that ordinary guy like everyone else.

Jackson's strengths in the book lie in the historical details of family life and upbringing, Garcia's life as a young man and the twists and turns of the musical developments. There is clearly a lot of factual and well documented material from a wide variety of sources from which we can derive some interesting perspectives of the general millieu of the life and times of the Grateful Dead and the larger community.

The people who knew the artist best of course, are those who were closest to him, the wives and the lovers but most importantly, the musicians who spent the most time with him. It is a sad reflection of our crazy corporate world today that we spend most of our lives at work and in the company of our colleagues and in the case of musicians that is probably truer than most. This however, points to, in my mind, the greates deficiency of the work altogether, the lack of insight into the mind of Garcia the man which can only be provided by those closest to him. To be sure the facts are there, especially the broad outlines but the intimate details are sadly lacking. One of the most telling moments in this regard lies in the epilogue where the lawyers for the last Mrs. Garcia argue that the marriage with Mountain Girl should not be considered a true marriage because of the couple living apart, only to fall flat when it is disclosed that this was the situation to with the last marriage. What insight into Jerry's mind can be gathered from those intimates who were close emotionally but separate physically. What is lacking are views from the bandmembers aside from the noticing of his health and well being.

The latter chapters of the book concerning around the last ten years of garcia's life are somwhat lighter than the earlier chapters signalling some loss of interest in the band by the author himself at that point?

The matter of fact treatment of the drug abuse issue is to be welcomed in stark contrast to the approaches of other books on the subject. It is better to be honest than to overlook or sensationalise and the truth of the matter is that many people in our society, for many reasons, have problems with some form of dependency and it is disingenuous for many to disappove without examining their own behaviour.

Overall I think that there is a place on the shelves for this book along with those of McNally and Lesh. It helps give us a broader picture of the life and times of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead but in many ways it raises more questions than answers but it is well written and easy to read and in general the pros outweigh the cons.

Recycled from when I was just a"reader":
For anyone who has been to a Grateful Dead show, the phrase, "there's nothing quite like a Dead concert" was as much a truism as "chances are pretty good that the sun will in fact rise tomorrow." Jackson's biography of the band leader (as this book makes clear, Jerry Garcia was the leader of the Group, as he was the leader of all of his side projects) explains clearly and insightfully the tremendous amount of energy that was put into their shows to ensure the uniqueness of each concert. Jackson also describes (but can't really explain) the almost bipolar nature of Jerry Garcia's personal life that led him to a life of drug abuse and heartless infidelity while at the same time being very lucid about his ideals. He was always clear about what he saw the band doing but was unable to envision a happy life for himself. The historical references are often interesting but there is an exhaustive discussion of his funeral at the end of the book and there's a lot of gossip that perhaps could have been deleted. I suppose there are people that like that kind of stuff.

It turns out that writing books about The Grateful Dead is a lot like writing books about the Beatles; highly speculative, frequently pointless and ultimately frustrating, unless you're somebody like Ken Kesey or Ed McClanahan, writers who were there with the Dead from the start and speak the language. That said, Blair Jackson gets as close as anyone totally caught in the Dead's warp can to writing a definitive book on Garcia. Jackson's Deadhead banter sometimes gets in the way of, you know, communicating about why the rest of us should consider Jerry Garcia one of the greats. Mind you, I think he is, but the proof is ultimately in listening to one of the Dead's many live albums (and some of the studio ones as well) or Garcia's other records and HEARING why, not reading much of what's here. What IS worth the time is the extensive discography Jackson has at the end, which is a reliable signpost for what a non-Deadhead fan or a Dead newbie might find worth the time and money.

In sum, a good book for Deadheads or Dead admirers, not so great if you don't know what the fuss is/was about...but want to.

What a disappointment this book is. For one is very poorly written. Blair Jackson is simply too much of a fanboy and too little of a writer with this particular book. Its presents itself as a biography of Garcia and far too many times it drifts off into a simplistic Deadhead's review of Garcias various tunes. Way too many pretentious references to Hunters lyrics and really his put downs on Weir and other members (thinly veiled but non the less put downs) reek of Garcia worship. He finds no faults in any Garcia tunes and plays up his ballads (which were often low points of Dead shows) like they were the shimmering representation of all that is the Grateful Dead.

He also glosses over many aspects of Garcias personal life, which is silly for a biography. There are more reviews of Hunter and Garcia tunes then there are facts presented about the man the book is about. If its something that can be said without bringing up anything critical then Jackson carries on about it, but if its a low point then he will place a sentence or at most a paragraph. Garcia is a complex man and his biography should have been more complex. I dont want to read another book chiming in with English 101 poetry reviews, I wanted to read a book that chronicled Garcias life in an unobstructed manner. Jackson turned out to be way too much of a fanboy of Garcia to make an effective book.

I picked up this book so I would have somthing to read on the beach, and In that aspect I was not dissaopoinnted. Ms. Garcia is a talented and gifted writer and I enjoyed reading this book, and will continue to read her others. The only problem I found with this book were the constant refrenced to "Cuban Miami" and Miami in general, after the first 20refrences or so, it just got annoying. Also Ms. Garcia tended to talk give long descriptions and backgrounds that were irrelevant to the story and just held up the story line. Other than those issues this is a good read and i recommend it to book lovers everywhere.

This book is a great read and is very true to South Florida's Cuban culture. The Cuban culture is very rich and often misunderstood by the general American public. The author also lists several local areas that is very heart warming to one who loves Miami.

I just finished reading this book. As classic fiction goes--it just doesnt measure up. However, this author does show great promise in her portrayal of the people she knows best...........Cuban-Americans. Her humorous depictions often made me laugh out loud, and her vivid depiction of the area and the ocean was actually intoxicating!

The book is a portrayal of a woman at a crossroads--career as a yuppie attorney vs cuban culture of her family, Cuban spouse vs. nor'eastern WASP college lover from her past, childhood friendships vs complex adult relationships.

In my opinion, the book and her characters merely lacked depth. The author knows how to weave a story. It lacked only the substance found in authors with more experience in this sort of novel.

This is an author to watch in the future.

The cover on this book was unfortunate. Why ? The skimpy bathing suit implies light (airhead) reading to me. Yet this book is not only fun, but surprisingly MEATY, with a lot of serious issues to think about. Don't let the cover put you off.

I picked up the book expecting a continuing saga of the Lupe Solano series (private investigator in Miami), but soon found that the main character was a different woman, a partner in a Miami law firm. Once I got over that initial disappointment, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The book is about a happily married woman whose former boyfriend arrives in town, and the consternation caused when he tries to get her to leave her husband. The main character is pulled into a quagmire. The BEST part is the ABSOLUTELY SATISFYING ENDING with how she gets herself OUT of this quagmire, in a way that leaves you REALLY admiring the heroine.

Suffice it to say that my turn in our bookclub is coming up, and this is the book I will be choosing ! After reading two books by this author, I plan to read every book of hers that I can get my hands on.

I had "One Hot Summer" on my Books to Read list for so long, I bought it ready to enjoy a quick beach read while on vacation. I don't know what I was thinking when I included this book on my list because it wasn't a good beach read. It wasn't a good book for anything.

To summarize, Margarita Solana is a successful lawyer and loving mother that has to decide if she's going back to work after her year of absence ends or if she'll remain a stay-at-home mom to her 3-year-old son. First of all, this woman was rarely at home. She employed a woman that worled as maid, cook and nanny. Margarita drove around Miami in her too-big SUV dining with friends as shallow as her, exploring an affiar with her college boyfriend, and grappling with her overbearing mother and sexist husband. In short, she is a spoiled woman that uses her parents exile from Cuba and her family background as an excuse for every unlikeable quality she has.

The story is supposed to be about Margarita and her life during three months. Instead of sticking to that, the author gets preachy with Cuban American issues, reviews Miami's hot spots, and tries a subplot involving one of Margarita's friends that comes about suddenly, then ends with no explanation.

Summer can't end fast enough.

I didn't hate the book. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. It took me until Vivian, Margarita's friend, broke her news to actually like the book and care how things turned out, but was dissappointed with how the author handled that story. I view it as "poor little rich girl" and had no empathy for anyone except Marti, Margarita's son. He's a little boy that's paid attention to only when his parents feel guilty. How wonderful (typed with great sarcasm).

Thank goodness I got my book from the library and it didn't cost me any money. I got interested in reading the book because I discovered that Harrison and I went to rival high schools, at about the same time. It was nostalgic for me to read about towns and culture that very few others know of. My grandfather had lived and died in the copper mines he writes about in the "U.P.". And I had just finished reading a Faulkner book (Absalom, Absalom) but certainly do NOT compare Harrison to Faulkner, as stated in a review. And I've read Gabriel García Márquez books, in English and Spanish, and would NOT compare the two at all, as has someone else. Harrison just goes on and on (not worthy to be classified magical realism) until he finally ends and then sends it off as a book to get published and collects the money. I hope it doesn't become a movie too. Or perhaps it was an autobiography.

I have to agree with the one and two star reviews. I had really hoped to love this novel given the reviews and the subject matter of a life examined, but the characters fell flat. I simply did not care about them or often found them unlikeable. Much of the story is inate ramblings about taking a walk, cooking dinner, having sex and it is all told in a "well whatever" fashion. I would not wast my time on this novel.

...because the characters and their digressions didn't capture me. I stopped reading after 125 pages.

This is the first novel I have read by this author. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first to the last page. The narrative, in my opinion, was captivating and it was written well; it truly captured the consciousness of a dying man's thoughts. What I loved especially was the main character's narrative about his past, his culture and his ability to hold on to all of it in such a hectic world. His and other character's way of lives are in such contrast to the daily maze of madness 95% of us go through. At times during this novel, I almost wished I was one of the 5% who could have my days filled with walks in the woods and a general slowed down pace of life just enough to stop and see the bears or smell the roses.
I liked the other three main characters in the novel all equally as they each had a different perspective on what the main character's death did to them and how it affected the view they hold of the world.
At points, it was witty and made me laugh here and there because of the true nature of the tone and realistic sometimes blunt; though necessary for characterization, language.
Death isn't easy for anyone to deal with and most people can handle their own better than the one's they are close with, and in this novel I think Jim Harrison hits that aspect out of the park.
Could there have been more in depth discussion about Donald's culture or the history of his family? Maybe. But, in the end I really enjoyed the narrative and already miss the characters. They were all individuals but closely tied to one another with the common thread of having had Donald, the main character, as a part of their lives.

Jim Harrison is, quite simply, American's finest contemporary author. Few writers can craft a sequel that stands alone as a fine work of literature, but for Harrison it's a regular exercise. Harrison's characters are so well developed and completely compelling in their humanity, and the quality of his prose and the inventiveness he employs is remarkable. Harrison proves that we are a nation of interesting mortals whose lives are worthy of review and reflection and not fantastic superheroes doing the ridiculously impossible. At some point in the future historians and others interested in late 20th century Americana will turn to Harrison in general and "Returning to Earth" in particular to see how it really was. Excellent read.

This much studied novel offers the reader mysteries wrappped inside enigmas throughout the second half of the book. This could be a frustrating book to any reader who wishes to finish a book totally understanding all that they have read and feeling that all the pieces came together into a whole complete wrap-up at the end.

Coetzee takes Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Cruso, and deconstructs it to the extreme by offering an alternative tale that preceeds the writing of the novel. Coetzee tells the story of Susan Barton, a brave and handsome woman who leaves England to find her abducted daughter in Brazil. After two years of fruitless searching and poverty she tries to return to England , however Portuguese mutineers take over the ship and put her adrift in the Caribbean/Western Atlanta, where she eventually lands on an island inhabited by a Robinson Cruso and a mute slave, Friday.

The first half of the book is a wonderful straight forward narrative, written in letter form from Susan Barton to the novelist Daniel DeFoe. However it is the second half of the book that may be more challenging as Coetzee explores the gulf between reality and the perception of reality as expressed by a single observer. Then this perception of reality, which may become a narrative, is contrasted with that story as it is developed by a storyteller or as it is contrasted with alternative views of the same events.

This leads folks to identify this novel as a prime example of post-modern literature. We are offered the opportunity to explore a story that was not heard, in other words - the experiences of Susan Barton are completely written out of the story of Robinson Cruso. But before we feel too sorry for Ms. Barton, we are given example after example of how she fails to understand the African slave man, Friday. Who's story is the right story? We side originally with Susan Barton, a most appealing character. Yet in part 2 of the novel we soon see that she is less and less a reliable narrator and we soon find that she is talking in metaphore.

Daniel DeFoe, probably the best known novelist of his time, was constantly in debt. Susan Barton hides in his home while DeFoe hides elsewhere. During this time a girl begins to follow and haunt Suan Barton. She says she is also Susan Barton and she is the daughter of Susan Barton. The adult Susan Barton tells her that she is 'father born' and that she is really not her adult missing daugher in Brazil. We come to realize that the young Susan Barton is the narrative DeFoe is writing about Susan's life and the young girl goes not match Susan's perception of reality. We come to realize that DeFoe is learning that Susan will be his 'foe' in trying to develop the story and therefore distance from her is required for his creative process.

In the end this novel combines a range of narrative styles, including converstaional and letter styles. We are sometimes not sure of the narrator, especially in the final pages. Issues around power and race, power and gender, colonialism, and the creative process all twist together. Coetzee honors the creative process and the necessity to edit out those voices that will not enhance the final work of art - yet here he offers a fine creative product in which at least one edited voice is allowed to speak for herself, at least in the Coetzee novel.

Susan Barton is not the only unheard voice. Friday is said to be mute but we are unsure of this through much of the book. We are unsure of his past, his loss of voice, and the range of actions he takes - many of which are ritual and not clear to Susan or the reader. The passage where Friday opens his mouth and the ocean winds and surf are heard would appear to be a comment on the fact that words, despite their power, have limitations, they approximate reality, they are not perfect mirrors of reality.

Read this book with a friend since you will want to discuss the ambiguities with someone.

J.M. Coetzee is clearly an enigma of a man as well as a hell of a writer. I read this book for a college lit. class and ended up extracting a great topic that I based my thesis on. Definitely a great (and short) book, but far from "light" reading. Also, I would highly recommend re-reading the orginial Robinson Crusoe to fully appreciate this book.

In Daniel Defoe's classic novel "Robinson Crusoe," the island is a boys' playhouse with no girls allowed. Solitude is a relentless adventure. And the servant Friday is a slaveholder's pipe dream, a black man with no past who becomes European thanks to the civilizing influence of the white title character. J.M. Coetzee dares to ask: what if all of that is wrong?

This book is divided into four parts. First, the heroine, Susan Barton, is cast adrift and finds herself on the island of Robinson Cruso [sic] and Friday. The beginning is very abrupt, as it must be for the character, and it demands that you as the reader put effort into understanding what has happened and what land mines live under the unfolding events. Susan lives with Cruso for a year, always being treated as an unwanted guest, until the chance comes for her to get them back to England. Cruso dies within sight of England, in despair of his enforced return to society.

Part two is an epistolatory narrative of how Susan tries to set Friday free while also trying to persuade writer Daniel Foe to write her story. (This was Daniel Defoe's birth name, before he decided the prefix on his last name sounded more dignified and businesslike.) In part three, she finally tracks the elusive Foe down and sets about explaining to him why her story is important enough to tell as is -- unsuccessfully, it seems, since he wrote her out of his final draft.

Part four leaves all the narrative behind to allow an unnamed first-person narrator into the ruins of the story. Who is he (she?) and what is the purpose for this intrusion? The most explicitly postmodern portion of the book, this chapter forces you to close the book with more questions than answers when you get to the final page. And this, perhaps, is Coetzee's intent with this substantially inscrutible novel.

This novel is not difficult -- I read it in one evening. But then I had to go back and read it again the next evening, because of the number of questions which plagued me. This is the sort of book that leaves you unsettled just to be in the room. That's why many readers may not like it, and that's where its real magic lives.

Taking on themes of imperialism, the fallacy of civilization, race and sex, and metanarrative, this book takes one of the world's most complex stories, puts it in a new and thought-provoking package, and throws it back in your face. It refuses to let you read passively; to gain from this book, you must talk to it, ask it questions, and mull over the questions it gives you. Perhaps this is why it's popular in reading groups and university courses.

This is not a simple book, not a book to read in bed, not beach reading. It is very vexing and inctricate. And the very qualities that make it so much worth reading may alienate readers who like to be comforted and put to rest by art. But for readers willing to take a chance and make themselves vulnerable to a book, this is a rewarding reading experience from one of the most highly regarded writers in post-colonial English today.

This remarkable short novel has two interlinked levels: the relation fiction (art / writing) - reality and the `meaning / message' of a particular work of art, in our case `Foe'.

J.M. Coetzee uses the Robinson Crusoe story as well as the name of the author (Daniel Defoe, originally Foe) to delve deeply into the real nature of art and the real (hi)story of man (`the heart of man is a dark forest').
A work of fiction is part of reality. It is reality: `We [the novel and its characters] are all alive, part of the world.' But, if fiction (art) is part of the world, what is its function? `By art we have a means of giving voice', for instance to the speechless, who cannot tell the `real' story.
What is the truth in `Foe'? `Since we speak in figures', the truth is that slavers (the North) cut Friday's (the South's) tongue to make him speechless. The slavers continue, however, `to use words to subject their slaves to their will.' Friday underwent also a more atrocious mutilation: he is `unmanned'.
`Foe' states that `there are not two kinds of man, Englishman [pars pro toto] and savage.' Like for anyone else, Friday's desire is freedom: `How unnatural a lot is for any creature to be kept from its kind. Love perishes outside one's kind.' But, `as he is dumb we can tell ourselves his desires are dark to us.'
However, we must speak the unspoken, `we must give reckoning of ourselves to the world to hold our place.'
At the end, Friday's mouth is forced open and his message, `a slow stream, flows up to the end of the earth, like the roar of a seashell held to the ear.'

In `Foe', J.M. Coetzee dresses a sharp and clear mirror for artists and for the South.
He has written a work of genius, a formidable masterpiece.

Foe "establishes itself as a prior, more original text" (Krupat 1992:9) to Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe. The primary difference is that, in Coetzee's "prior" text, a young woman, Susan Barton, is washed ashore on Crusoe's island following a mutiny. She becomes the real narrator of the story -- and the story she tells is radically different to that which the original Robinson Crusoe narrates. Not only that, but her man of Letters, Foe, finally takes her story and writes her out of it, giving it shape as the present Robinson Crusoe. I shall offer my own, original interpretation of the book.

The first section may be autobiographical -- perhaps charting the author's inner journey from modernism to postmodernism. It describes the island, windswept and desolate -- unlike Defoe's original rich setting. Barton is a "livewire" who is concerned that Cruso has "narrowed his horizon". She is concerned about his "indifference to salvation". However, Cruso is quite content to lose himself "in the contemplation of the wastes of water and sky" -- rather than constructing doubtful meanings for the past, present, or future.

The second section enters into many of the problems of narrative and history. It takes place after Barton's rescue and return to England. Cruso, unable to bear the loss of his island, dies on the return journey. Barton seeks a publisher for her story (Foe), and corresponds with him. But Barton's mind is beset with problems as to how, or even whether, her story should be told. Is the story important after all? Whose story should be told? Is she distorting its content? What should she do with Friday, who is unable to speak? In fact, even when she gets into his clothes, she is unable to understand him.

The third section apparently contemplates theories of truth. Bearing in mind J.M. Coetzee's training as a computer scientist and linguist, I shall draw on the structure of computer languages. "The trick I have learned," says Foe, "is to plant a sign or marker in the ground" (this might refer to the main program). "I shall have something to return to" (one returns to the main program after a subroutine). "The more often I come back to the mark . . . the more I am heartened." The implication is, perhaps, that a life ultimately becomes its own meaning.

The fourth and final part of the novel is a short one, and may represent an attempt to paint reality beyond words and reason. There is a confusion of dream-like imagery. Barton says that God "wrote a Word so long that we have yet to come to the end of it." That is, it would seem impossible to confine truth to words or narrative, or to any enclosed system of meaning. In the closing scene, "a slow stream" comes from the mute Friday. "It runs northward and southward, to the ends of the earth" -- perhaps implying that the inflence of truth is inevitable, regardless of what narration may do to it.

The novel has been described as "an archetypal postmodern novel". In fact it takes one to the "coalface" of postmodernism. It leads one carefully through each of the many deconstructing questions about meaning. This is no textbook on postmodernism, nor even a representation of the same. This is to observe a postmodernist at work, and this makes the book unique.

Krupat, Arnold. Ethnocriticism: Ethnography, History, Literature, 1992. Berkeley: University of California Press.

FRankie and Roy are out to con anyone they can. They start out with conning college kids with a card trick. Roy and Frankie are partners. Roy is the head man. Roy also has a serious case of obsessive compulsive disorder. His doctor that gives him pills for this left the state. Frankie takes Roy to a new doctor to receive pills for his disorder. The doctor wants to know about Roy's wife, Heather. Roy tells the doc she left him when she was pregnant. The doctor finds Heather for Roy and find out she has a 14 year old daughter. The doctor sets up a meeting with them and they start seeing each other. Roy tells Angela he's a antique seller. Roy is doing a con painting game with Frankie. Angela soon finds out Roy is a con man and wants to learn some cons. He finally lets in and teaches her one. Frankie and Roy are doing a currency exchange scam with a man named Chuck. Angela becomes a distraction for the con and Chuck notices her even though they escaped safely. Roy and Frankie suddenly learn Angela has a police record and they become scared Chuck is going to find them. To find out what happens next read the book. I though this book was very exciting and gave you an inside look of a con mans life. It was very suspensful and gave a good twist towards the end. I'd reccomend this book more towards older people because of some profanity and the whole crime scene.

Are you kidding me? Who are these customers that reviewed this book? spectacular, Taken by surprise, and Best book ever. This book was so predictable Helen Keller could see it coming from a mile away. It is not even worth my time to write a review.

Maybe i will see the movie; it can't be worse than the book.

Definatly the best book I have read thus far in my life. This book will leave you crying in the end, not because it is depressing, but because the book is over and there is no more story to read.

It is amazing with a suprize dat will blow u away. Worth reading.

OK in my make believe world everything has the perfect ending so I had already put an ending to this book but then reality hit me hard in the face. What a surprise! This book is one of the best books I've read this year so far. It reminded me of the last Grisham book I read - again expecting a different ending and just taken by surprise. At times I could not contain my laughter at Roy's "weirdness" especially his deal with the carpet. Sadly I can relate to the fact that we sometimes get so caught up in the absurd. I love a book that won't let me sleep because it's so darn good. Now I'm hesitant in viewing the movie - will I be disappointed? I wonder. . . .

The ending of this book was disappointing because it left too much unexplained.

The author uses Lucumi to weave her tale. However, if a person is not versed in the religion she or he may miss the symbolism of Reina being an electrician and struck by lightening, or Constancia being in the beauty products line, going to a Santero of Ochun, and the bees surrounding the ranch of her maternal family.

Reina is interesting, but once in a while it would be refreshing to see a strong women who doesn't have to be a sleep with everyone to prove her independence.

Constancia would probably be more interesting if flashblacks of her relationship with Gonzalo was told. It would have been nice to see her passionate.

I gave the book only 3 stars because Blanca's story is untold. Her actions are too crucial to the story line to go untold. Did something happen to her on the ranch? Did she suffer from post-partum depression? What happened to her in when she left her husband and Constancia?

Also, what purpose did Reina's and Constancia's children serve?

I had to search to see if there was a Part Two of this book because the ending was anti-climatic.

Book is O.K., although a bit strange at the end. Dreaming in Cuban is a better book.

Not as good as Sonando en Cubano and takes a little time to be drawn into it, but it ends up being OK. It's a story of two sisters from Cuba and the divergent paths their lives take.

The Aguero Sisters is my first book by Cristina Garcia, but I can say with confidence it won't be my last. This novel was a truly mesmerizing feat; each page a veritable feast for the senses with beautiful, rich imagery and lush details of the Cuban landscape. This book sat on my bookshelf for over two years -- and now I'm wondering what took me so long.

Mystery and mythical religion is the backdrop for Cristina Garcia's haunting and descriptive tale of The Aguero Sisters. The story opens with drama and mystery surrounding the death of Constancia and Reina's mother, Blanca. What follows are chapters told in each sister's voice -- Constancia, a successful cosmetics entrepreneur, who lives in Miami with her husband Heberto -- and Reina, an electrician, whose skills are in high demand all over Cuba. Each sister gives details of their lives, their feelings about their mother's unexpected death, and the background of their estrangement from each other. Also in the mix are chapters from Constancia and Reina's children as well as the family history told by the sisters' deceased father, Ignacio. And as the months pass by, each sister gets closer and closer to each other and learning the truth about their mother.

The Aguero Sisters is a beautiful and haunting tale about growing up in Cuba in the midst of political upheaval, their struggles in trying to escape, and their need for reconciliation of the past. I was captivated by the writing style and eloquent language as well as the mysterious storyline and descriptions of a country I will never get to see. Highly recommended read.

I read books for many reasons, but above all, to be transported out of my present life to different dimensions and fresh possibilities. However, sometimes, rarely, the language a writer uses is enough to cause rapture, and this truly is the case with Cristina Garcia, author of The Aguero Sisters. This is a novel in which the plot is almost incidental to the rich tapestry of characterizations, dissection of the human psyche, and descriptions of superstitions which take the reader's breath away. In fact, the long-awaited climax, when it finally comes, does not provide any resolution at all, which is a disappointment, but by no means a disaster because before getting to this point, the reader is transported back and forth between Cuba and the United States, communism and capitalism, family rifts and reconciliations, and most importantly, to a discovery of what happens to people who are separated from each other in a familial, political, and geographical sense. Above and beyond this, the writer's incredibly poetic manipulation of the English language, her second language, "peels back raw regions of misery" and uses "an explosive lexicon of hardship and bitter jokes." Oh, to come from a culture as rich as this and through suffering to find my true self rather than simply wallow in the grief of it all. I covet Garcia's relationship with words and understanding of human nature and all its strengths and frailties. If there were a guarantee that every book would be as engrossing as this one, then I would be sure to set aside time to read more regularly because the replenishment that comes from the pages of novels such as this is incalculable.

Disguise really is good, people.


Although Casual Rex is not quite as good as its predecessor, Anonymous Rex, it is still a fun book. A cult satire, if you like, as a particular group decides that it would be good if dinosaurs could walk around au naturel, rather than keep their true selves hidden from the monkey boys and girls around them.

Our hero is tasked to do something about this group of lizard nutters.

Entertaining.


3.5 out of 5

I bought this book because I absolutely loved Anonymous Rex. For those who don't know, this detective series is about a private investigator named Vincent Rubio, who also happens to be a dinosaur. It turns out that dinosaurs never became extinct. They just decided to disguise themselves to look like humans. Not all dinosaurs agree, however, and have formed a back-to-nature cult.

As with Anonymous Rex, Garcia's writing is crisp and witty and fits the genre with tongue-in-cheek. I found this book as funny and entertaining as the original and I highly recommend it.

I know that Garcia already has another dinosaur private eye book out called Hot and Sweaty Rex, but I doubt I will read it. It was a great idea, but I am glad to hear that Garcia is letting the dinosaurs go after that. Three dinosaur PI books is plenty.

I know I continue to rant about series books and how they are draining the life out of publishing, but I shall continue to do so while books like this come out.

The prequel to "Anonymous Rex", which was mildly engaging, this story doesn't really go anywhere. Garcia has already thoroughly explored the world of these dinos-in-disguise. This novel doesn't cover any new territory. And being a follow up, it can't surprise you with its originality either. The publishers throw this sort of uninspired material out there because they know readers will snatch it up because it's familiar. New ideas are out there, folks, so why do we, as readers, have to become so obsessed with one writer and one story?

But that's beside the point. This book just isn't very interesting, and the story takes forever to go anywhere. Plus, it's never really clear what's at stake through most of it. Dinos and humans living together. So what? It's just a convenient fantasy element stacked atop a formulaic plot. And Garcia's writing, which showed promise in "Anonymous Rex", just takes a nosedive. Even he doesn't really seem to know or care what the story is about.

Eh, whatever. If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this one. But take a moment and ask yourself that question: "Do I like it because it's good, or because it's familiar?"

This novel has gotten a fair amount of hype - and, I would argue, deservedly so because it really is unusual, memorable, and well-written. I must admit I didn't find the book as funny as I expected it to be, however. Certainly, there is a lot of humor in these pages, but this is a much deeper story than the quirky farce I expected it to be - and that is actually a good thing. There is one scene in the book, for example, that really captures the heartrending pain of a father who has lost his only son to suicide - and the comical bits surrounding it only make it that much more touching and poignant.

Casual Rex is, first and foremost, a mystery - told in the classic first person, film noir-ish, hard-boiled private eye perspective. The kicker, though, is the fact that Vincent Rubio is a dinosaur - a Velociraptor, to be exact. It seems that dinosaurs survived the great cataclysm 65 million years ago, after all; they witnessed the rise of homo sapiens and now dwell among them (in much smaller bodies than their ancestors), their true identities hidden by elaborate guises involving lots of straps, buckles, and epoxy. No human knows that dinosaurs live among them, but the dinosaurs themselves can easily identify one another by smell. They can be found in every profession, so whenever one of their kind kicks the bucket, needs some dental work, or goes out looking for entertainment, they're taken care of outside the prying eyes of humans.

Victor and his partner Ernie are your basic PI's - snooping on roving spouses, hunting down prostitutes with sticky hands (wait a minute there - I'm talking about stealing), etc. That humdrum state of existence changes when Ernie's ex-wife asks them to find her brother and bring him home (forcibly, if necessary). It seems the poor kid has gotten all caught up in a dino cult called the Progressives. Most dinosaurs have accepted the fact that they have to go to great pains to pass themselves off as humans, but some yearn for the old lifestyle, free of their human guises and able to kick back and do the kinds of things the dinosaur ancestors used to do (much of which involves the free use of a lot of very sharp teeth). Vic and Ernie infiltrate the cult and get their man - but that's just the beginning of the story. There's something really sinister going on here, and our detective heroes are determined to find out just what the Progressives are up to. Their mission eventually leads them to a back-to-nature retreat in the islands of Hawaii, where they learn even more than they bargained for about the cult.

The fact that Casual Rex wasn't quite as funny as I expected it to be is certainly not a bad thing - I didn't really expect much of a plot, so I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of meat to this story. It does, after all, deal with such serious issues as drug abuse (ah, sweet basil), cults, murder, and your proverbial world domination and genocide - as well as friendship, honor, and humanity (or whatever the dinosaur equivalent of that would be). The writing style is delightfully quirky, the absurdist setting is effectively presented (with explanations of dinosaur culture over the millennia enriched by rich and numerous off-the-cuff remarks), the action is well-paced, the tragedies that take place over the course of the novel are surprisingly poignant, and a rising level of suspense (not to mention curiosity) definitely draws the reader in and carries him/her all the way to the end. Be forewarned, though: if you read one of Eric Garcia's novels, you will very likely want to read them all.

Picked this up on eBay recently, and was astounded at what an absolutely fantastic reader Jim Hanks (brother of Tom - Yes, THAT Tom Hanks) was. This guy understands that audiobooks are a separate medium that require specific skills, particularly in the humor genre. It's not enough to know how to read, you must be able to perform and bring the words on the page to life. The reader must also be matched to the material in the same way animated chracters are in films. Jim Hanks is a PERFECT match. It's a shame he didn't get the job for the other 'Rex' novels.

Five stars, Jim! You do the Hanks name proud.

I got this book because I really am having to redo my wardrobe from scratch. This book is entertaining to a certain extent, and the drawings are cute but at the very least I would have liked actual pictures of the items the author is talking about. The items are mostly beyond my non-Prada pocketbook, but that's my problem, not the book's. I think using the alphabet to organize the book was limiting in this instance, as some items looked as if they were fitted in because of it. It was fun to read about items that the glitterati love. But it's depressing to think that you have to be rich to be stylish...

This book covers the basics of what you need and why, but doesn't completely cover the topics. Although a fairly okay read, Nina Garcia's previous book, The Little Black Book of Style, is more helpful.

However, my opinion may be biased as I am extremely into fashion and style, so I have high standards for these kinds of things. It should be mroe helpful for those that aren't as style-conscious, because people like me already have everything there plus other things that are more handy and look better on certain body types.
For example, the little black dress it certainly stylish, but my skin tone and hair color do not complement black, for some odd reason. In that case, my perfect dress is the little red dress, or the little chocolate dress.
I agree completely with Nina Garcia on shoes, though, and jeans and nail polish, so this book can be helpful.
My rating: 3.7

Nina Garcia's follow up book to The Little Black Book of Style is much more comprehensive discussion of the classic pieces that elevate one's wardrobe and lifestyle from run of the mill to luxurious. In the One Hundred, Ms. Garcia begins by explaining her philosophy towards life and what The One Hundred hopes to exemplify- that one should never settle for second best, and that one should always strive to feel as confident and comfortable as possible. The book then moves on to her list, which names things as simple and inexpensive as the LL Bean tote, to the most extravagant iconic handbags. But don't be fooled! This isn't just a list of classic and chic items. Ms. Garcia also strives to talk about the history and meaning behind many of her choices, as well as providing examples of each item she feels is essential to a woman's wardrobe. For instance, returning to handbags, she lists an extravagant but classic bag as a must, here she gives examples- the Hermes Birkin or Chanel 2.55. She then explains their history and how they turned into iconic pieces that transcended the "it bag" title. In doing so she provides the reader not only with a list of items that will help elevate their wardrobe from ho-hum to fabulous, but she provides the context in which to wear and use them. I would recommend this book to all fashion followers who feel stuck in a "disposable fashion" rut, and would like to add classic pieces to their wardrobe but don't know where to begin. Ms. Garcia has compiled a list of quality pieces that will last a lifetime.

I really enjoyed this. The bits of fashion history about the different pieces were entertaining. Ruben Toledo's drawings are fantastic - worth the price of the book alone. Let's be honest, this book isn't going to change the entire world, but it's enjoyable, educational, and sometimes that's just what you need. And I am so glad to have it!

Great w/ imput from hottest designers, illustrations, and reasoning behind styles and choices. A must!

An easy to follow, step-by-step instruction on realistic drawing that includes a variety of mediums. As the title states this book is a intended for the raw beginner. Other books such as Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of Brain" contain similar lessons, but this one "clicked" with me. No drawing book will be all things to all people, but this volume is certainly a good place to start. I can also recommend "Drawing for Older Children & Teens" by Mona Brooks, these titles compliment each other nicely.

I like this book because it is very friendly, images are very good and I've noticed it has helped me a LOT in my drawing skills. Quality of the paper is excellent and I think it will help a lot of people like me.

I can't say I was blown away with this book, nor can I say I was disappointed, this the rating of 3 stars. It has great text to tell you "why" each part is important which a lot of books seem to lack any decent text at all. So for that I give it 5 stars.

I was "expecting" at least some technique tips and pointers, like, here's a good way to draw texture on a leaf, or more concrete examples, like maybe some "tips" in the margins or something. A little cheat to keep you saying "oh cool" or something. At some point it seems to drown in text, which I suppose is probably what a beginner needs, but I'm more of a lets get to it kind of person. I want to see at least something fun at the end of my first lesson, not a squiggly line, so I would suggest complementing this book with a tips and technique book to get a well rounded beginners experience to keep it fun and keep you motivated.

Obviously my expectations were not met, and that may be my own fault. I would say if you are a beginner, this will give you the start and the "classroom" portion, but add a book that will add the FUN and instant success to it too. It's a decent book, give it a shot.

Recently I decided to get back into drawing. I purchased this book after reading some good reviews about it on a number of art sites. It tackles not only the technical aspect of drawing, but the mental process behind it as well. I found this important as I was having trouble coming to the realisation of how your mind can hinder you greatly. All in all, the layout of the book is great, the comments and diagrams by students is encouraging and I have certainly found more success in my drawing and sketching results.

This is a fabulous book for the beginning artist. I have just started an art class, and when I found this book I was estatic. It is a great lesson by lesson drawing tool. It is very easy to follow and like the title says it is for the absolute and utter beginner. I also feel like those who ARE more advanced will also benefit from the book. I like how there are examples from her students of all levels.

Delivery was quick and easy! The product was exactly as the seller described it - I'm very happy with my order. I would definitely do business with them again!

This book present the life and destinies of a CUban family divided by its political beliefs. It presents the life of the half of the family that stayed in Cuba and pledge its allgiance to the Revolution and the life of the ones that left Cuba for the United States. The exaggeration presented in the individual characters with their tendencies, fetishes, and political views opens a window into the reality of the Cuban families that have been divided by the Revolution. Cristina García writes with a powerful voice that entices your attention.

Be warned, if you though a book with this title, and from an author with such a Latino name, had to be originally written in Spanish, you are wrong. The Spanish version is a translation, with a Spanish-from-Spain spin, rather than a Cuban touch. If you want to read the original version, you are better of with the English original "Deaming in Cuban". Even the author herself agrees, that the book looses a bit in the translation.

¿Por qué se llama el libro 'Soñar en Cubano'? Bueno, en el capitulo "El animo necesario" Lourdes, una de las protagonistas de la novela, llega a la conclusión de que no tenga "paciencia para los soñadores, para la gente que vive entre negros y blancos."

Para mi este libro también "vive" entre negro y blanco. Por un lado es una historia interesante, escrita de forma desusada pero al otro lado creo que faltan las grandes sorpresas en la narración. El relato es bastante previsible.

¿Cuales son los temas que aborda "Soñar en Cubano"? Pienso que la vida tan diferente de los cubanos que viven en los EEUU y de los que viven en la isla de Fidel Castro es la temática mas ostentativa en este libro. En uno de los últimos capítulos llamado "Seis días de abril" Pilar (la hija rebelde de Lourdes criado en los EEUU con la música de Lou Reed) debe admitir que la vida en Cuba es más dura de lo que pensaba, "pero al menos todos parecen tener cubiertas sus primeras necesidades." ¡Gracias a Dios!

Pero hay otros temas en esta cuenta de Cristina García. Por ejemplo la religión y la santería, enfermedades de la civilización como el sobrepeso (Lourdes pesa 99 kilos con sus 1,52 metros de altura pero más tarde pierde 51 kilos), el concepto de la familia (especialmente las relaciones entre las madres y sus hijas), el poder de las mujeres, la identidad de una persona etc.

La página mas importante de este libro para mi fue el árbol genealógico que se encuentra ya ante el capitulo uno. Sin este me parece difícil entender la historia, la primera novela de García.

En verdad inicié la lectura con muchas expectativas y reconozco que soy una lectora muy exigente , no sólo en cuanto al relato en sí, sino también al uso del leguaje, la construccion en fin me gusta disfrutar de una buena historia bien contada. Esta historia, no se sostiene,no logró mantener mi atención, es cierto que son varias historia juntas, pero hubo momentos en que no entendía bien la relacion entre una historia y la otra, además de la relación de parentezco entre los personajes.
Le doy dos estrellas porque tiene chispazos que le hacen a uno creer que la historia arrancará.