Lopez Books

I have a 15 month old son, who has fallen in love with Shamu thanks in part to reading this book. The illustrations are wonderful. In short they are not only colorful but capture the attention of a very active child. The story is simple yet exposes a child to new words and the creatures that inhabit the sea. To add icing to the cake, this book is a lift-the-flap book that helps curious fingers explore and set off an adventure of their own. This has easily become one of my son's favorite books and must be read at least three times daily. I would definitely recommend this to any parent and child.

Regardless of your views, whether you call this man a crackpot or a hero, there is no question that Reies Lopez Tijerina is a passionate advocate of his cause. He believes firmly in the land grant issue that affecting those people living in northern New Mexico that descended from the original recipients of the land grants in the 1848 treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

There are times when Tijerina is accusatory towards the anglos and the people that he sees as thieves - those that he believes stole the land from the Hispanices. There are other times when Tijerina's statements are perfectly logical, and make a good argument for why the land should be held by the descendants of the original grantees.

This book is a truncation of Tijerina's full autobiography, which was written in Spanish; this translation was completed by Jose Gutierrez, who is another leader of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, but was selective about what was included in this work.

There is no question that this is an important work - it gives the reader tremendous insight into the mind of Tijerina and his cause. It also allows the reader to see why Tijerina is so passionate about the movement and his efforts to ensure that heirs of the original grantees become the rightful owners of the land.

Twilight is a three issue, prestige-format mini-series by Howard "American Flagg" Chaykin and illustrated (with fantastic cover art) by Jose Luise Garcia-Lopez.

Published in the early 1990s, it is ostensibly a retelling of the old 1950's-style 'space adventure' comics, but a knowledge of those dusty old heroes isn't essential to understanding or appreciating the series. (In fact, if you're just looking for a clever 'pulp' retelling, stick to Alan Moore's "Tom Strong").

Set in the distant future, humanity has explored the stars and made contact with an alien race who possess the secret of immortality (and who look suspiciously like chickens). Back 'home', animals and robots have been forcibly evolved into sentient slave races, on the edge of revolt. Over the course of the three books of Twilight, centuries are spanned, gods are born (and destroyed), intergalactic crusades begin (and end) and, generally speaking, it all goes berserk.

The story is told from the point of view of Homer Glint, a Karl Rove/Alastair Campbell style spin-guru for the rich and powerful. Although he detests most of his clients (at best, having a love-hate relationship with them), he still eagerly helps them chart their various paths to fame and splendor.

The first book - dedicated almost solely to the introduction of the sixteen-odd 'main' characters, seems like a perplexing collection of unrelated scenes. Yet, somehow, by the close of the final volume, you wind up understanding and appreciating every one of the massive ensemble cast, a testament both to Chaykin's writing and Garcia-Lopez's ability to draw incredibly expressive characters.

The overall feel - perhaps because of the manic and epic pace - is much like a classic British comic. The closest comparison would be Alan Moore's "Halo Jones" - a fragmented epic journey detailing the entire future of humanity in strangely-framed comic book form. Garcia-Lopez's art only helps this comparison. Although a color book (which you wouldn't suspect from the cover), the focus is always on the characters - almost entirely on their faces. He also aptly avoids the square-jawed supermen of the convention. (Strangely, the future of the super-man is surprisingly similar to the semi-transvestite film performance of Darius in 300. Disconcerting, and oddly effective).

Certainly not to be read in a hurry, or whilst intoxicated, Twilight is a surprisingly good artifact from the early 1990's.

It is an excellent book that provides a new point of view for those interested in the wide history of Spain.

The book does not give historical data on the facts of the history of Spain but on the circumstances which encouraged the Spaniards to act in a certain way or to accomplish certain not very well understood actions, like the colonization of America, the inquisition or the civil war.

The demystification of certain believes widely spread, like the understandable Spanish People behavior.

This Philosophy books teaches us a bout the importance of Spain in building up the western civilization and participation in the creation of Europe.

Already beginning in Kindergarten, content standards across the nation include economics, and the topic of natural resources is usually one of the first that students learn. What better way to introduce children to natural resources than this delightful book, with its interesting discussions, vivid illustrations, multicultural characters, and illuminating facts. The reader learns how chocolate is made, how to harvest pecans, the importance of potatoes as an international food source, the reason why tomatoes are considered a vegetable, where papayas come from, and why the United States is the world's largest consumer of vanilla. While older children may be more drawn to the fact-filled backgrounds of these food items, readers of all ages will appreciate the accompanying haiku poetry. At first glance this book appears to be about food, but lurking within are valuable economics lessons about natural resources, consumers, producers, and international trade.

Until the recent b&w edition, I hadn't read Tintin in the Congo since reading the French edition as a child (5 or 6) in Canada. I was hoping that the color edition would be nicer than the b&w, as I remembered this as a fun and amusing story.
Not much fun, not much amusement.
Aside from the things that others complain about (the racism and hunting of animals), this is just not that interesting a story. The only other Tintin that is this humdrum is Tintin in America (another that didn't make it into the collection that I grew up with).

Our family all love Tintin (5th and 6th graders), but this book requires more explanation. Herge was embarrassed by this book later in his life because of its terrible racial stereotyping and the way he drew the black Africans. I only recommend it for children old enough to understand the concept of ignorance of other cultures, and to understand that the characterization of the Africans in this book is insensitive and wrong.

This book was great to have to complete our Tintin collection, however, the time period in which this was written leads to some interesting writing. Don't purchase this book for a child!!! It tends to be racist and there is big game hunting involved. I am glad to have it as part of my collection but my children will not be reading it.

This is the second in the 24 Tintin adventures. Tintin the reporter is sent to the Belgium Congo where he does some big game hunting, very little reporting, and busts a diamond smuggling ring run by Al Capone's gang in America (third book is "Tintin in America" where they meet).

Tintin looks like the Tintin in subsequent novels and his character has 'gelled' (See my review of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets). Herge's depiction of Africans is dated (1930s) and may be offensive to some. However, his treatment of Africans in the plot is evenhanded; just as there are good and bad white characters, there are good and bad African characters.

All in all, a must have for a complete Tintin collection.

This is the second Tintin album (1930 remake 1931) and it is my least favorite Tintin album for reasons that I will explain later.

Tintin and his talking dog Snowy (Milou in French) travels to the Congo to hunt for trophies, take wild life photographs, and to write a story for his newspaper. The trip is very eventful and Tintin and Snowy encounters criminals, American gangsters, a shark, a lion, snakes, crocodiles, other wild animals, hostile natives, an evil medicine man and much more. Tintin's dog Snowy is also made into a King by the natives and they are eventually worshipped as Gods. The story is fast paced and entertaining. The dialogue is witty and the illustrations are colorful and eye catching.

This edited version is not as bad as the original version with the exploding Rhinoceros; however, it still is problematic. The Belgian Colonists are depicted as the white nice masters while the Africans are depicted as lesser knowing primitive people that are unable to govern themselves. The book is never hateful or intentionally offensive but it is still borderline racist.

The favorable depiction of the Belgian Colonists is also disingenuous considering the problematic history of Belgian Colonial rule in the Congo. This story takes place just 20 years after the end of the Congo Free State. The Congo Free State was a corporate state privately controlled by Leopold II, the King of the Belgium. During this time Congo was plundered of its resources and the population was decimated through what could be described as genocide. An estimated 10 million people were murdered during this time. To gain perspective; 2-15 million Native Americans were killed by European Colonist (Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English) during a few hundred years and the Nazis killed 16 million people through Genocide (see R.J. Rummel). It should be noted that Herge probably did not know any better.

As a kid in Sweden I enjoyed reading all of the Tintin albums and my American kids have also read them. All of the albums are quite entertaining but some of them are less entertaining or have problems, like this one. What ever you do don't let this album be your first Tintin Album. However, if you already have several of them I would still recommend it.

Finally I would like to list all the Tintin albums in order from my favorite to the one I liked the least. I will make this list into a list mania list next but put it here for easy access.

Skip this list if you don't want to read it (I know it is very long).

(1) Tintin in Tibet (5 stars). It was published 1960. It is my favorite Tintin. Tintin's friend Tchang (from Blue Lotus) is lost in a plane crash in Tibet. Everyone thinks he is dead, but not Tintin, who sets out to find him against all odds. It contains adventure, humor, and mystery; however, it is also about the human spirit, and compassion. Therefore it is also a very inspiring and thought provoking adventure.

(2) Blue Lotus (5 stars). This is Herge's first master piece; it is one of my favorites. This Tintin adventure from 1934 takes place in 1931 but is still the second best Tintin (after Tintin in Tibet) as far as I am concerned. Tintin is fighting Opium gangs in China when Japan invades. This adventure is dark, scary, exciting and fun. It is also a history lesson to a certain extent.

(3) Flight 714 (5 stars). This book was published in 1968. Tintin and his friends are invited to fly in the private jet of the billionaire Lazlo Careidas. The private jet is hijacked and they are taken by their kidnappers to a very mysterious Island. This adventure is filled with surprises, humor, it is fast paced and exciting, and is therefore one of my favorites.

(4) The Crab with the Golden Claws (5 stars). This was the first Tintin I read as a kid (in Swedish). It was also the first Tintin movie I saw. This is the book where Tintin met Captain Haddock for the first time. Just like the other later works by Herge it is exciting, and well drawn, but this is one is also very funny. It will make you and your kids laugh out loud.

(5) The seven Crystal Balls (5 stars). This Tintin published 1948, is eerie, mysterious, and exciting. It is the first one of a series of two, the second being "Prisoners of the Sun". In this adventure the members of an expedition that investigated the tomb of Rascar Capac an Inca King, become sick with a strange horrible disease. The mummy taken from the tomb mysteriously vanishes (escapes?) during a fierce thunderstorm.

(6) Prisoners of the Sun (5 stars). This is the second book of a series of two. Tintin and company end up in Peru. They save a boy Zorrino from Peruvian racists. Zorrino guides them to the Inca Empire which still exists underground in the Jungle. Towards the end Tintin saves himself and his company by using his knowledge of a coming solar eclipse. It was later plagiarized by Mel Gibson in Apocalypto.

(7) The Castafiore Emerald (5 stars). This adventure was published 1963. It is absolutely the funniest of them all. It is filled with a lot of good humor. However, to get all the jokes you need to be familiar with Tintin and Captain Haddock already. So I would not recommend this as your first Tintin.

(8) The Red Sea Sharks (5 stars). This adventure was written in 1958. Tintin stumbles into an organization selling African slaves (slavery still existed in the Middle East and Africa in 1958). A lot of old crooks from other books show up here, including Captain Allan, Rastapopolous, Dr. Muller, etc. This book is intensely exciting and full of action and is therefore one of my favorites.

(9) Tintin and the Picaros (5 stars). This adventure published 1976 is full of fun and adventure. Castafiore is being held by General Tapioca innocently accused of plotting against him. Well if you know Castafiore you now feel sorry for the poor old dictator.

(10) Explorers of the Moon (5 stars). Written 1954 this is the second book in a series of two. This book is a lot more exciting and fun compared to the first (Destination moon). The movie is, however, better than the comic book (they are the same but this comic makes a good movie). However, reading this science fiction style comic book is a lot of fun.

(11) Land of the Black Gold (4 stars). This book was published in 1950 (original version 1948). It takes place in the middle east and is about oil, war, and the fight against criminals like Dr. Muller (German villains were no longer taboo). Prince Abdullah the son of the Emir of the Arab Emirate of Khemed is kidnapped and Tintin and company sets out to rescue him.

(12) Red Rackham's Treasure (4 stars). This is the second book in a series of two, the first one being "The secret of the Unicorn". In this adventure Tintin and Captain Haddock goes on an expedition to find the treasure of Sir Francis Haddock. It is in this book we meet Professor Calculus for the first time. His underwater machine turns out to be invaluable, even though Tintin and Captain Haddock at first reject it.

(13) The Secret of the Unicorn (4 stars). This adventure was published in French 1943. This is the first book in a series of two (the second being Red Rackhams treasure). In this adventure it is discovered that Captain Haddocks forefather was a feisty sea captain who fought pirates and left a treasure behind. It is not as fast paced as many other Tintin adventures and contains a considerable amount of detective work.

(14) The Calculus Affair (4 stars). In this adventure Professor Calculus is kidnapped in Geneva and Tintin and Captain Haddock set out to save him. It turns out that Professor calculus is working on a secret weapon that the fictional country of Borduria really wants to have. It is an exciting adventure but not as humor filled and exhilarating as some of the other adventures. It was written 1956.

(15) The Cigars of the Pharaoh (4 stars). The Cigars of the Pharaoh is the first of the better Tintin books. In this adventure Tintin is on a holiday cruise but ends up traveling to Egypt and India on a dangerous adventure. It is an exciting and mysterious adventure that is not objectionable (unlike the three first ones).

(16) The broken ear (4 stars). This story from 1937 takes place in South America. Tintin fights dangerous crooks, gets caught up in political turmoil, is nearly executed, travels through the rain forest, encounters piranhas, and lives among the Arumbaya Indians. This is where Tintin meets General Alcazar for the first time. Lots of action but it is still not a top quality Tintin.

(17) King Ottokar's Sceptre (4 stars). Published in 1939 this book is an allegory for fascist aggression. In this adventure Tintin visits the mythical Kingdom of Syldavia. The leaders of Borduria, a neighboring country, plot to unseat King Muskar. They attempt to seize the symbol of the Syldavian monarchy, which is "King Ottokar's Scepter". This adventure was exciting but still not a favorite of mine.

(18) The Black Island (4 stars). FOUR STARS: This one was written 1937. It takes place in England and Scotland. I saw the movie version, and read the book in several languages. In this adventure Tintin is hunting down a gang of forgers. The drawings have a higher quality than "The broken ear" and the story flows smoothly. However, I find the story to be somewhat tedious and too British for me, and this is not one my favorites.

(19) Destination Moon (4 stars). First published 1953, this is the first book in a series of two (the second being Explorers of the moon). It is a very good concept, a sort of Tintin science fiction. However, it is not fast paced and at times tedious.

(20) Tintin and the lake of the sharks (4 stars). Published 1974 and based on a film from 1972, it is a little different than the other Tintin adventures. It is not directly written by Herge, but Herge supervised the creation of the film. The drawings are not typical either; they look like still pictures from the movie. It is also a little shorter. However, it is still a good adventure and my kids like it, so I give it four stars.

(21) The shooting star (4 stars). In this adventure (from 1941) the world comes close to annihilation when earth almost collides with a star. Tintin and Captain Haddock sets out on an expedition together with a team of international scientists to find a piece that broke off and landed in the Ocean. Well, stars are not solid and pieces don't brake off stars, but there are a lot more oddities in this unlikely story.

(22) Tintin in America (3 stars). Tintin in America" portrays America with an old fashioned European prejudice that is unrealistic and unflattering. His portrayal of the Indians is borderline racist, and the plot is essentially "gangster tries to kill Tintin, Tintin miraculously escapes" repeated a couple of dozen times. Having said that, the book is still entertaining, in its own way.

(23) The adventures of Tintin in the land of the Soviets (3 stars). This is anti-communist propaganda, which I don't mind; however, it does not make a good comic book. The drawings are also not that good. However, this comic book shows that people knew about the Soviet horrors back in the 1920's.

(24) Tintin in the Congo (3 stars). It was an exciting adventure with some interesting and fun twists. However, the quality is very far from that of the more modern Tintin books, and it is borderline racists.

I agree with those who say the first half is better than the rather stale ending, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'm really writing to say that I just finished a great book by Chavarria called Lo que dura, dura, -- a somewhat untranslatable pun on dura "hard" and dura "to last long" -- that I bought in the Negra y Criminal bookstore in Barcelona, though it's a "mystery" only by a stretch: It's about an outbreak of priapism in the Cuban countryside and an attempt to make a Cuban herbal-based Viagra. But it's really a portrait of Cuban society through the lives of four guys who grow up together in a post-revolution neighborhood where professionals live in close contact with "marginals" (two become doctors and two become criminals), and about Cuban attitudes towards penises, homosexualtiy, sex roles, etc. Unfortunately it's not translated -- and I think it would be hard to translate well. (The Spanish (Spain) paperback edition even has a glossary of Cuban slang.) Chavarria is a wonderful writer in Spanish so now I'd like to go back and read Adios Muchachos again in the original.
To respond to a couple of previous reviewers: Chavarria is not at all young, he has a long association with Cuba including teaching literature at the U of Havana, and he has published fiction and non-fiction in several fields, including a novel about ancient Greece.

Just a warning - even though the excerpt is in English - imagine my dismay when the book was delivered to me in Spanish! Upon closer inspection of the description, it does say the language is Spanish, but unfortunately I didn't pay enough attention. I can read Spanish, but it's harder and I was hoping for a quick read.

I had read very optimistic comments on this book and its author in the New York Times for some time, so I finally decided to get into the Latin mood. The expectations were high and the starts very promising, really amusing. But little by little the emotion goes down. It's like you are expecting some twist in the story or something great to happen but there is nothing. It is just that. The story is told in a fast pace but it lack interest, at least to me. Only can I save from drowning this book the gorgeous hips of that belle cuban female, or that's how she seems to me.
As a side note, I should say that the idea of touring Cuba for good and cheap sex -taking advantage of their slavery- is not a laudable one, on which the author doesn't seem to agree.
No problem of conscience?

It seems like every year the Edgar committees nominate one book that is so unusual that it stands out amongst the usual fare. Sometimes these books are excellent and would otherwise have remained undiscovered. For example, immediately comes to mind OUTCAST by Jose Latour, which was first published in English by the same publisher as this book. ADIOS MUCHACHOS is a black comedy that also could be considered a noir fiction. Characters are quite wacky and the plot extremely clever.

In Havana, Cuba, Alicia literally pedals her wares as a bicycle hooker. However, she isn�t simply out for money. She views each �client� as a prospective ticket out of her poverty-laden life via marriage or a long-term commitment. With the help of her pragmatic mother, Margarita, she seduces her johns with food and drink prior to their sampling of her sexual wares. Into this set up wanders her latest john, Victor King. Victor is involved in hunting for treasures on shipwrecks around the island. The people backing him are extremely wealthy. At first Victor uses Alicia for his own purposes. Later he proposes using her for his plan entailing voyeurism. However, a very unfortunate accident might possibly, with a bit of scheming, leave Alicia and Victor extremely wealthy. The question is, can they pull it off by outwitting the wealthy backers?

The rampant descriptions of blatant sex would preclude placing this book among the ranks of the cozies. For those who enjoy hard edged humor, this book will very well fit the bill. The characters, all despicable creations are a pure delight. In spite of their immorality, the reader will find them quite sympathetic. Interest never wanes as the reader roots for Victor and Alicia to succeed in their deception. The book never tries to be a social commentary in that the living conditions in Havana never plays a central role. ADIOS MUCHACHOS is a definite winner and is my pick as the best of the paperback original nominees. However, I really don�t think it will win in that it is too unconventional.

Usually, a novel that splits right down the middle -- like a house divided against itself -- cannot stand. This one manages to, just barely. The first half is a raunchy romp with a Havana prostitute named Alicia, who manages to fall off her bicycle in an interesting way, and who strives to "trade up" toward a higher class of client. When she tangles with a shady international entrepreneur named Victor King, she finds her match until ...

Well, I shouldn't say what happens midway through the book, if only because it is so surprising and outlandish that it should be experienced without any lead-in. Suffice it to say that, quite suddenly, one finds oneself in a standard crime caper novel of the shaggy dog variety. The author's style metamorphoses into another genre, and the lovely Alicia is relegated to a subordinate role.

Only the ironic ending keeps me from downgrading the book to three stars. Daniel Chavarria obviously has talent as a writer, and has some of the juiciest sex scenes in recent literature, but he is no master of the genre. Paco Taibo, whose praise appears on the back, stands head and shoulders above him with his Hector Belascoaran Shayne novels. Yet I suspect that Chavarria is still young and has room to grow, and I look forward to reading his other works.

Not the strongest book of the series but still a must read to keep up with the story line. From the last book to this a lot has happen which was tied in with Infinite Crises story arc. It would seem the Spectre has been on the rampage and much turmoil has happen. Dr. Fate missing in action but without having to invest in all the other stories in the IC story arc this book is rather disjointed and empty.

I like these heroes because they have glaring faults, inter-society squabbles and families

This TPB is an interesting mixture of stories. Each has a relation to Infinite Crisis, but also insights into the heroes, which makes them more three dimensional. In my opinion, the JSA is most fascinating series that DC currently puts out.

Mordru, here's a tip for you. When Wildcat starts mouthing off, kill him. Obliterate him. Erase him from existence. I know what you're thinking, `but Wildcat's a pussycat'. Sure, and you know what's gonna happen. You're gonna find yourself momentarily weakened... as you ALWAYS do... and Wildcat's gonna haul off and punch you in the face, shouting something like, `PAYBACKS A B!TCH'... You're an immortal, ultra-powerful wizard but when Wildcat pastes you with one of his haymakers you're gonna look like a punk and the heroes are gonna chuckle behind your back and Wildcat's gonna tell ALL his loser friends down at whatever greasy pub he hangs at how he punched out Mordru.

This was not one of the better JSA compilations. It started out with more of the sad trials of Atom Smasher followed by a series of Infinite Crisis tie-ins that go nowhere. Finally the action started with Mordru attacking the wizard Shazam and then going after the disembodied form of Nabu dressed as Dr. Fate and a handful of JSAers. Meanwhile another crew is out searching the fifth dimension looking for Jakeem Thunder who disappeared during a battle with The Specter.

The JSA and JLA have always had a problem with juggling characters of wildly varying powers. The JSA in particular had the godlike Specter fighting alongside Sandman. Gardner Fox was a brilliant writer but he used to employ an extremely tiresome technique to minimize the heavy hitters in the JLA that included copious amounts of Kryptonite for Superman, fire for J'onn J'onzz and yellow for Green Lantern. Geoff Johns just seems to fill the weaker characters with so much pluck and spunk that no villain would kill them. If I were Mordru I would be laying waste. It's been established that the beings of the fifth dimension have near unlimited power. I mean this is where Mister Mxyztplk hails from. Yet the heroes stoll through strutting as confidently as if they were walking down Main Street at Disney World. Courtney (Star Girl), in particular, is quite a petulant brat to one of the fifth dimensions less friendly residents. He could, say, snap his fingers and cause her to immolate but instead he merely endures it.

Despite being a disjointed mess Mixed Signals has some good points. It advances some storylines and the final tale focussing on the relationship between Star Girl and her adopted father Pat Dugan is a pretty good story. My suggestion for die hard JSA fans is to set your expectations low and you might find it decent.

I am a fan of JSA but this book was an 80% disappointment...We learn that Thunderbolt has a son who is married to 'peachy pet' that cartoon character from the 40's Johnny Thunder...When in the heck did that happen.
Shazam sends Captain Marvel off to find the Spectre..We only see him in three more panels fighting Superman and Batman..Where? How? Why? and we never do see The Spectre..Air Wave and the Green Lanterns go off on some wild escapade and suddenly disappear...There is a great story about Stargirl coming to terms with her family which is why it gets two stars instead of just one...A Bummer...

I picked up this book in the hope of learning something
interesting about the Spanish and Mexican Culture. I was sadly disappointed.
All of the people in the story are walking in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS and relying on
themselves to make all the right choices for their lives.
There is no looking to The Lord Jesus Christ and asking for his guidence. No wonder their lives are in shambles and everyone is living a LIE!!!
These people need a Jesus.

I loved it! The women that Lopez-Medina portraits are strong and full of courage. First Rosario, then Pilar, then Amparo. Each story more moving than the one before. A unique way to look at heritage and culture. I own two copies of this book and read it over and over. I definitely recommend it. It makes you think about your own families. Although this is her first book, Sylvia Lopez-Medina writes a powerful and captivating. book.

Ms. Lopez Medina perfectly blends traditional beliefs with contemporary contemplation. It was such a beautiful story I could not put the book down until I was done. THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK!!!

I read the first three chapters last night & don't know if I can take any more. Overwrought, melodramatic, and cliqued are the words that come to mind. I want to like this book because I have great interest in Latin America, but it seems like a telenovela. Will it be a waste of time to keep reading?

Cantora is the best book that I read that was assigned by a schoolteacher. Even if I hadn't read for a grade at the time I first read it, my thoughts about it would have remained the same. It was very popular with my 11th grade English class(three years ago), and most of the students kept reading passed the days' assigned pages. Although I'm a person that's inclined to read sci-fi books, I found nothing in Cantora that I didn't like. Depicting a young woman's family history through several generations, this is a book that everyone can relate to, and even though it is a fictionalized history, it is believable that it could be mistaken for a real family history. Whether it's based on a real history or not, I do not know. Culture and struggle is everywhere in Cantora, and the characters are very well developed. In each generation, there is some sort of struggle against tradition, and it deals mainly with the women of the family. Cantora is a fast read because the the pages are not filled with many words that a person might look up. This is a real advantage that the book has for those people who aren't fond of reading. Many excellent are filled with hard language. But because Cantora has simple language, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, will get hooked by the second page. Even the people who are most notorius for hating to read will find nothing boring in this book. I guarantee that non-readers and readers who prefer different genres will find out that this is an excellent book. It is impossible to actually loathe this novel. Cantora really needs to be more widely reconized.

This is an interesting book, a compilation of first-person accounts of women's affairs. The women range in ages and reasons, but all cheated on their husbands and fill these pages with the sagas.

There is something exhausting and sad about reading page after page of the dissatisfaction these women had with their husbands. Many married simply because they were ready to have children. Almost all the men were emotionally distant, sexually cold or even cheating themselves, and a few were abusive.

Some of the women had several affairs. Some left their husbands. One woman had a one-time fling and regretted it. A few warn, even beg, women readers not to cheat.

It's hard to imagine so many women are so unhappy, that this is so common that the book somehow reflects reality. It makes one feel jaded and cynical, even kind of trashy, to steep in the sadness and the sordid stories.

That said, a person struggling with issues of fidelity or marriage may find something profound within the pages. The editors have certainly captured many different stories, and the stories are well-written and compelling, if very sad.

It might not be a book to give to a newly engaged friend, but a fine book to give to someone dealing with the issues of infidelity.

This book is about as upsetting as anything a man, married or otherwise, is likely to read this year. Even men who, like myself, have careers that when practiced almost definitively reveal the hidden sides of married women who take part in often scandalous affairs will be kicked in the stomach repeatedly by what they discover here. Publisher's Weekly said this book "demoralizes more than it enlightens." That, is an understatement.

Without judging any of the women in particular, there are a few common themes that continuously resurface. One is the archetypal Biological Clock Woman who is so afraid of never becoming a mother that she never actually becomes an adult, and therefore never learns what love and intimacy as a wife is all about. Several of the women admit (as their anonymity is insured by the women writers who chose and compiled these stories) that they never actually were in love with their husbands at any time. They saw him as a "catch" of some sort that would make a good father--i.e., make them pregnant--before their ovaries stopped producing fertilizable eggs. As they were pretending to be in love with their fiancés right from the start, the deceit in their marriage started before it even began. (Staying with their husbands afterwards was done, several said, almost purely for money and childcare-related reasons. [And naturally they believed this little trivial point, given how all men are just sexual animals with no souls anyway, would not effect his sense of attraction or his love of being married to them on a daily basis.]) For these women in the book, the later affairs that are its subject are just a natural progression of an entire adult life of selfishness and deceit, fostered by a profound contempt for men in general. Which I believe is the reason why they are, ironically, suffering little to no guilt from the actual act of the affairs (almost none express guilt over any of them), or the deception that follows.

A second reoccurring theme in the book is women thinking like twelve year olds and being addicted to the pleasure principle associated with romance. Anything even resembling talk about marriage being more like two architects putting on hardhats and standing in the middle of an unfinished structure they have pledged to build together is anathema to them. They went into the marriage wearing Walt Disney/Harlequin Romance rose-colored glasses, believing they had found a man who could make EVERYDAY feel like their dream vacation and the first day of their dream job combined with their dream honeymoon; something not even Jesus Christ and all twelve of the apostles could do for them if they wanted to. These women, in a choice between a) confronting the innate immaturity of this vision that they were holding their husbands responsible for bringing to life, and b) blaming their husbands for (of course) failing in the attempt, chose the latter nine times out of ten. Though some actually admit their spouses didn't deserve such behavior or betrayals, for these women this irrational resentment STILL became the triumphant justification for many of the affairs that took place--and the double lives they lived afterwards.

The most recurring theme of course is this: virtually none of the women in this book ever saw a problem with choosing not to actively discuss their innermost feelings on this specific issue with their husbands at any time. True, a couple of women did: they got stupid men who, running scared, ignored or judged them; setting themselves up to be cheated on in the end for their wife's troubles. But most of the women never admitted telling their husbands that the house is on fire was an option, before or after the affair. The mixed messages and secrecy about their inner lives became the order of the day long before the orgasms with their secret lovers ever took place. SOME WOMEN, KNOWING THEIR DOUBLE LIFE, ACTUALLY RESENTED THEIR HUSBANDS FOR TRUSTING THEM AROUND OTHER MEN. That in some cases is the only logical explanation for their husband's behavior when he was surreptitiously confronted by their wife with the man who, unbeknownst to him, actually replaced him in his marriage bed. The excruciating choreography of a cuckolded husband's blind trust of his cheating wife (or his secretly hoping against hope after intuiting the evidence) some women conveniently redefined as evidence of his hateful arrogance: his belief that no other man would ever dream she was sexy and desirable and would take her away from him. Further justifying, in their minds, more non-communication, more secrecy, more resentment, more betrayal...and more lies.

Naturally, there are several wonderful women in this book who are being emotionally and physically abused by their pathetic husbands. (I have no sympathy for those guys.) And there are those who (as to be expected) are survivors from deeply dysfunctional families: young rape victims; children of sexually abusive and absentee fathers; children of duplicitous, verbally abusive and emotionally indifferent mothers. This, these women survivors grew to understand, was the true genesis of their issues with men, sex, communication, intimacy and integrity that put them out of control in their adult married lives. (Adult Attention Deficit Disorder may in fact be the root cause with several of the others: see Dr. Edward Hallowell's amazing DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION.) Again, while a few women in the book do not inspire the least bit of non-judgmental understanding (considering the nightmare of a wife they had to have been before, during and after the affair), all women in the book ironically succeed in bringing you to terms with how hard marriage is. And, how hard it is just to be human. As such, the words forgiveness & understanding become what make you read page after page, until the (anticlimactic and uninspiring) end.

This is a powerful, painful book that serves as a lesson for women--and a warning for men--everywhere. Know thyself, and marry well...or divorce, fast.

26 women tell why they are having, have had, or fantasized about having affairs outside their marriage. The editors of this book are not social scientists, but they are intentionally non-judgmental. However, this work seems to verify what social scientist John Gottman has found in his extensive research on marriage and relationships-- that a happy marriage/relationship simply cannot grow out of too much emotional distance and lack of shared nurturing and vision in a marriage. (See THE RELATIONSHIP CURE and 7 PRINCIPLES FOR MAKING MARRIAGE WORK.) The book easily held my attention, and gave many insights into the dynamics of troubled marriages, but exclusively from the wife's point-of-view. I recommend it to those who wish to better understand the dynamics of troubled marriages, especially where at least one outside friend/lover may be a factor.

If more sexual detail were present, this could easily make a series of stories for True Confessions magazine. That is how poorly this books reads; the stories of the women in this book are presented in template formula. If the authors had possessed strong interview and editing skills and the proper backgrounds, the book could have been compelling and relevant. Instead, it was an easy way for an attorney and a novelist to make money. Shame on Hyperion for sensationalizing this subject in such a fashion and for publishing such trash.

I really enjoyed this book. Curl up with a hot cup of tea and this book and I swear in less than 2 hours you'll be thinking about marriages today and wondering what your friends do behind closed doors. See, I picked up this book knowing full well that one of my good friends is having an affair. When I read this book, I could not help but see her situation duplicated many times over by other women. My friend is not a bad person although others would beg to differ just based on her actions. Like many of the women in this book, she doesn't want to hurt her husband. She just wants some attention and romance and perhaps she never grew up. I really don't understand why she does what she does but I can tell you this - based on what I have read in this book: she is not alone. Affairs are becoming increasingly common among women in suburbia today. Women don't talk about it much even with each other. This is a hard look at the girl next store. Highly recommend for a book club read - it will definitely open up group discussion!