Windsor Books

I enjoyed this Nevil Shute novel about as well as I have all his other books I've read. I've read a majority of his novels, and these all have had rich and interesting characters. I enjoyed Pied Piper, and my personal favorite is Trustee From the Toolroom. If you're a reader and you haven't read any of his work, you owe it to yourself to dive right in. Other than an English idiom or two that may take a second or two to digest, I predict you'll enjoy Shute's stories, characters, and writing style.

Peter O'Toole starred in the 1990 TV film version with Mare Winningham and it was titled "Crossing to Freedom." I remember really enjoying the movie although I have yet to read the book. I checked, but this movie doesn't appear to be on DVD or VHS.

This is a very well written story that shows how amidst war and destruction there are still people who can keep their humanity. The author also demonstrates that advanced age is no barrier to good deeds and perilous undertakings.

I first read this book as a child when, identifying with the children who could have been my compeers, I saw the movie at least five times. I loved the book then, and I love it now. The story is simply told, from the point of view of an elderly Englishman, whom we first meet in his London club during the Blitz. Too exhausted to move to a shelter, he begins to tell his tale to a stranger, who has also decided to sit out the raid, while the Luftwaffe's incendiary bombs fall closer and closer. The old man's story unfolds slowly as tells of a fishing holiday in the Jura--the mountains that border France and Switzerland--in the early months of 1939. The story may, in fact, unfold a bit too slowly for some modern readers who have been exposed to the terse squibs that proliferate novels nowadays, but Nevil Shute is such a skillful storyteller that he draws the reader almost unawares into the narrative, rather in the manner of an expert angler reeling in his fish.

Even though I know the story well, I could not put the book down until the very end. I was, after all these years, inextricably hooked.

I have been a Nevil Shute fan for a long time. Many have never heard of this author. This is one of my favorites along with "A Town Like Alice" and "Trustee From the Toolroom". I'm glad to find it in print again so I can replace my very tattered copy and get my 16 year olds to read it!

Kirk Douglas story of growing up one of the seven - children in an Amsterdam New York Jewish family, and of working and fighting his way to the top of his profession is in one sense a typical American rags to riches story. It is the triumph of ability and will and courage, and another startling example of how the American dream can be realized. It is also on a parallel track a story of assimilation in America, of denial of one's own identity.This is also often part of the American reality. In Douglas case however this was modified by his return to his Jewish religion and identity after having gone through a serious accident. This story has something of the energy and vibrancy of Douglas' screen personality. It is rich with anecdotes including many celebrity anecdotes as Douglas and his wife were long a part of Hollywood's social world. The question of his morality in relation to women , his many 'conquests' is a real one. But all in all he beside being one of the best American actors in the past half - decade has made a very positive contribution to his society.

This book tells the story of Kirk Douglas, from his humble beginnings in a small upstate New York town to his years in Hollywood. Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky, the son of illiterate Jewish immigrants. As a Jew, his father could not be hired in the mills or other up-and-coming enterprises in town, so the only work available to him was to go about in the street collecting old rags which he sold to paper mills. Much of this story focuses on the relationship between Issur and his father-Issur felt that his father never gave him recognition, support, or respect. All his life, he struggled in vain to get a single pat on the back from his father. In any case, Issur's life wasn't at all tragic. He showed talent for acting at an early age, managed to get a scholarship to attend college, and then went on to acting school. It was during summer service in a theatrical company that he chose his stage name Kirk Douglas, which he later took as his legal name. This book goes on to tell of Douglas' successes on the big screen and marriages and affairs.

In addition to the struggle for approval with his father, another recurring theme of the book is Douglas' battles with anti-Semitism. The book is no great literary classic, but it can be engaging, and does tell an interesting story for Douglas fans. The details of his early life as the son of poor Jewish immigrants are particularly interesting for the documentation they provide of this little-known chapter of American history.

I was quite surprised to like this book as much as I did. As Kirk Douglas' autobiography, I expected it to be a little egotistical and over-explanatory. You know, typical celebrity autobio stuff.

Kirk describes his humble beginnings (a ragman's son) quite capably. He also describes his successes and failures in what appears to be a candid and honest manner. His life has been remarkable, and his written story is believable.

I hope to read his second book soon.

Born in 1916, little Issur Danielovitch grew up in upstate New York, the poorest of the poor. Son of illiterate Russian/Jewish immigrants, taunted by the other children, Issur breaking past every barrier imaginable became the great Kirk Douglas. This is his life story from birth through 70 years of age(before the stroke).

As his life story unfolds in this well written account, you will feel like the tales of his climb out of poverty are being told to you by an old friend. Kirk doesn't hold back. He's as open about his misdeeds as he is with his fine accomplishments.
And he doesn't hesitate to name names either!

He talks about everything. From his troubled boyhood and distant relationship with his father, his dream of making it big on stage, his time spent in the service, his escapades, his loves and family, relationships with the rich and famous, his good-will tours around the world, and of course his films. It is nice that the films are discussed chronologically, and you will know exactly where he was physically and emotionally during the filming. Almost all the films are touched upon and some including "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "Lonely Are The Brave", "Lust For Life" and Spartacus", have whole chapters devoted to them. The directors, other cast members,and Hollywood in general, do not get away scott free either.

His writing is funny, poignant, inspirational and heartfelt. There are times when you may not even like the things he has done, and other times may get you thinking deeply or angered about life's circumstances. But you know that he's being about as honest as they come.

There are also many personal photos included of his family, fellow actors, and the good-will trips he made for the United States.

Closing the book after the last page, I was sad to be at the end. Kirk Douglas's words touched me as much as his work in film, and...made me feel not only proud, but lucky to be an American. I am looking foward to reading his other works as well.

"The Ragman's Son" is highly recommended for fans of Kirk, aspiring actors and writers(this is a great example for writing memoirs), and for those who loved to be touched or inspired by a good book.

Way To Go, Issur...Way To Go!
Enjoy....Laurie

I read very few "star" auto-biographies so have little to judge this one by. But I must say, I was impressed. The writing was good, the story seemed to be truthfully told and it held my interest. I have always enjoyed Kirk Douglas the actor and was pleased that I was able to enjoy Kirk Douglas the autobiographor. Mr. Douglas has certainly led an interesting life and has seemingly been able to keep his prespective on life. As I said, I am impressed and highly recommend this one.

i read that short story in my lit class. i loved it. it caused me to read Eva Luna and it is also the reason that i have given this book 4 stars. thats how good And of Clay are we Created. i'm not sure if all the storys are worth it. its very erotic. and i don't remember most of them but i do remember liking quite a few of them. however , the best one is the last one.

Allende's socio-economic, political and feminist agendas are melded together in the lives of the residents of Agua Santa. Her use of the short story genre is masterful. This is truly a can't put down book, leaving its readers clamoring for more Allende. Viva Isabel!

This review is for the English language Bantam Book paperback edition published in February 1992, 367 pages. THE STORIES OF EVA LUNA did not appear on the USA Today top 150 best sellers list, although four of the author's novels have appeared on that list.

THE STORIES OF EVA LUNA is a collection of 23 short stories set in a fictional Caribbean country. Written in the style of magical realism, these are tales about the lives, loves and lovemaking of impoverished but hearty folks, including bandits, scoundrels and prostitutes, who confront cruelty, misfortune or death.

Although only six of the stories incorporate the characters and events in Allende's novel EVA LUNA, they do constitute a sequel of sorts, especially the final story. For an overall richer experience, read EVA LUNA first.

These stories were so amazing, creative, and vivid. I enjoyed them very much. I especially loved the shortness of each story that lends itself for quick evening reading. This book I will add to my library of "must" reads, that I'm creating for my daughter. I'm now reading each of Allende's books one by one.

Isabela Allende's "The Stories of Eva Luna" is truely a masterpiece not only in its origional Spanish edition, but also in this English translation, which fully gives the reader a feel for Allende's tone. Each story is consice, yet powerful and filled with allusions to everyday life. Allende covers a wide range of topics from politics and the story of Eva Peron (in "Two Words") to the complexity of love (in "Toad's Mouth). The way in which the book parallels "1001 Nights" is amazing, as well as the way in which Allende is able to incorporate the novel "Eva Luna" into this work. My personal favorites were "The Little Heidelberg" (possibly the best example of magical realism that I have ever read) and "And of Clay Are We Created" (a moving story based on a real event).

Second straight entry in the series that didn't live up to O'Brian's standard. Not bad, just missing the spark of action, comedy, and comradery that makes the Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin pairing so much fun to read.

But its a long series. Better is ahead.

Tenth in the series: The Far Side of the World (Aubrey Maturin Series)

I started reading this series a little more than a year ago, and have been pacing myself. I found that once I had gotten used to the style of the first novel, I could easily consume the series and decided to slow down. A year later I arrive at this installment. It took me a few days to decide how I felt about it, but I have decided that its one of the best in the series.

Like other reviewers, I agree that this series is much like one long novel, and that each volume could be considered a chapter. This is not one of the more action oriented installments, but is full of intrigue and complexity which is itself exciting. I have found that while some of the books are more "broadside and boarding axe" heavy, others are more character driven, as is this one.

Probably more surprising than the activities of Mr. Wray, is the demise of Admiral Harte, whom we assume is lost in an explosion during one of the few battle scenes in the book.

I suggest this to any fan of the series, but like others I strongly suggest starting with the first volume and working towards this one.

I truly do not look forward to reading the last book in this fantastic series by Patrick Obrian. Every book in this series is written with an attention to detail and history that I have only seen among very few authors. It will be difficult to find a book of interest after I read the last in this series.

I continue to marvel at how strong a series Patrick O'Brian has created with his beloved Aubrey-Maturin books. Now into their ninth novel, Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin have lost none of their appeal.

One of O'Brian's best decisions was to have Aubrey and Maturin play two dramatically different roles while serving together. Aubrey is a duty-driven fighting captain, good for plenty of gallantry and traditional British heroism. In certain novels, such as "Master and Commander," Aubrey gets to take the lead. Maturin, on the other hand, is a spy as well as a naturlist, humanist, and physician. O'Brian lets Maturin take the lead in other novels where dueling broadsides play less of a role. And thank goodness he did so, for after a few novels the stories of Aubrey leading ship after ship into combat would grow more than a little dull.

"Treason's Harbour" is one of the series' espionage-oriented novels. The novel opens in the titular harbour in the island of Malta. Aubrey's lucky ship "Surprise" is in for much-needed repairs, and Aubrey must confront the extortive practices of the local tradesmen in order to get his ship fixed. Maturin must confront the attempt by the French to seduce him using a charming local lady whom they have blackmailed. O'Brian masterfully injects humor into the scenario as Aubrey tries to rescue the lady's beloved (and mammoth) dog, who has fallen into a well. Despite falling in himself, Aubrey rescues the dog, who thereafter treats Aubrey with such affection that the local gossip swiftly becomes that Aubrey and the lady must be having an affair.

After this entertaining episode, it is off to the Red Sea for Aubrey and Maturin for more diplomacy. While there is plenty of time for seamanship, this mission is more in Maturin's line than Aubrey's. O'Brian treats the reader to several fun and thrilling passages, whether it is Aubrey trying to negotiate the desert on a camel, or Maturin using his new-fangled diving bell to explore the sea floor, or an unfortunate swimmer being devoured by a shark.

The pages of "Treason's Harbour" will fly by as Aubrey and Maturin move from scrape to scrape, eventually ending up in a sea battle with the French. All in all, a well-rounded entry into the Aubrey-Maturin series. I only give this one four stars to distinguish it from the best novels in the series, but this is by no means a criticism - sometimes you must discriminate between the very good and the excellent.

In "Treason's Harbour" Lucky Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin continue their adventures in the Mediterranean; only this time Jack's well-known luck fails him. The story picks up where "The Ionian Mission" left off, and CPT Jack Aubrey is dealing with the refit of both the Worcester and the Surprise. In the shipyards of the 1800's - Malta in particular - corruption is rife and while Aubrey deals with the frustrations of naval command's less glamorous details Stephen Maturin finds Malta to be a den of spies, loose lips and competing intelligence agencies. Here Patrick O'Brian continues to expand and excel with Maturin's espionage activities. Significant to this novel is the introduction of a villain who spans more than one volume. I will not spoil the surprise, but he has been previously encountered to those familiar with O'Brian's series. This quality makes "Treason's Harbour" a great read from the intelligence perspective: the reader is given Maturin's knowledge and the Villain's knowledge, and can see the interaction of their various skills and chance, and how this plays out into reality.

Stephen Maturin runs counter intelligence in Malta, attempting to use and save a woman who is being manipulated by deadly French agents, and due to leaks within one of England's compartmentalized and competing intelligence agencies, is at a severe disadvantage that he can only suspect. Needless to say, O'Brian's forte in writing includes both naval action and tense espionage.

Soon the Surprise is dispatched on a mission to Arabia, where CPT Aubrey is ordered to attempt another minor coup similar to what he performed in the Ionian: take a small but strategic island, and through the use of subtle and well plied political intrigue and military maneuver, oust the French and their agents, ensure the installation of a ruler friendly to the interests of His Majesty's Empire and confound Bonaparte's minions to boot. Well, as you will see, all that is easily stated in war plans is not so easily executed on the ground, and the crew of the Surprise are soon terrified by evil Jin spirits in the Arabian deserts and fighting an enemy completely outside of their element.

Following the conclusion of their attempt in Arabia, Jack is dispatched once more to deal with a small potentate along the Barbary Coast, who has been playing both sides in England and France's struggle for dominion. The conclusion of the book will leave you at the brink, wanting more, and racing to the library or the bookshop to get the next adventure. "Treason's Harbour" is a great book by any standards, and excels even by the elevated expectations that O'Brian continues to set.

One of the best of the series, and its combination of stirring adventure, strong characters, and gentle good humor leaves me a bit ahoo that only one more remains in the series.

Seventeenth in the series: The Commodore (O'Brian, Patrick, Aubrey/Maturin Novels, 17.)

From the opening chapter of "The Wine-Dark Sea," the 16th book in Patrick O'Brian's hallowed Master & Commander series, the reader knows that something special is going on. Aubrey and Maturin sail their privateer, the Surprise, into waters made lethal by an erupting volcano that has just emerged from the sea, spewing lava and death. No other writer could so effortlessly blend natural beauty and naval drama (for an enemy American ship is close by).

"WDS" is a rollicking novel, even if it is one of the shorter books in the series. There is plenty of naval action, both as the Surprise matches broadsides with enemy ships as well as fighting through the icebergs of Cape Horn. Maturin is also charged with a daring political mission as he attempts to finance a coup in Peru - an enterprise that sends him fleeing over the Andes and minus a few toes.

And then there are the characters. And what characters! O'Brian seems to work overtime to get almost every beloved minor character shoe-horned into this book, and nobody minds.

This is definitely a book that should be read in its proper order - you will miss too much back story if you dive in right here, although if you do you will surely love the action and gorgeous travel-writing O'Brian brings to bear.

Grab Master & Commander and start sailing!

Very impressed with this book. I really enjoyed when they went to Peru. This is my 3rd of his books and really enjoyed this.

. . .without first reading Truelove. Wine Dark Sea is the 16th
book in the Aubrey/Marturin series and as usual, the writing
is as rhythmic and sensual as the sea itself. O'Brian does his
usual great job of spiking the plot with layers of meaning and
twists and turns. He is also at his best in emphasizing the
'novel' part of his historical-novel niche.

If this is your first experience of the series though, you might
find the characters and motivations a bit hard to follow, especially
since so much groundwork was laid in Truelove. Some diehard
fans may be disappointed by transport of so much of the action
from the sea to the mountains.
Still any O'Brian is better than no O'Brian at all and this is one of
the best books in the series.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and
bang BANG: A Novel ISBN 9781601640005

Wine-Dark Sea is the sixteenth in Patrick O'Brian's wonderful 20-part nautical series. It is also the final in a four-part mini-series, as volumes thirteen through sixteen are an ongoing circumnavigation of the world. In this installment, Aubrey and Maturin and the HMS Surprise finish their adventures in the Pacific, land in Peru and then round the Cape into the Atlantic on their way home to England. For fans of the naval wars, there are some good 'ol rip-roaring chase and battle scenes. The Maturin crowd will find their hero high in the Andes examining wildlife and carrying on his intelligence activities. A wonderful worthy addition to O'Brian's series.

Johnson died December 15, 1784. Acquaintances were willing to sit up with him. The Thrales had a mansion at Streatham. Johnson's presence drew others to the Thrales. The Thrales had a daughter. When Johnson visited the Thrales in a bad mood he lost his temper with Thrale's mother-in-law. Johnson's wife, Tetty, had been dead for ten years.

When Johnson was sick the Thrales went to fetch him. They gave him clothes worn by another of their guests. By her third year the pet name for their daughter was Queeney. Hester Thrale believed that Johnson needed her undivided attention. After four months at Streatham Park Johnson returned to his house in London weekly. Johnson lived at Johnson Court off of Fleet Street. Mrs. Desmoulins, Mrs. Williams, Frank Barber, and Dr. Levet were house mates. He came to regard Streatham as his real home. Johnson was subject to tics and mutterings. He claimed he knew almost as much at 18 as he did at 50. Queeney remembered Garrick, Goldsmith, Reynolds. Dr. Johnson had spoken of Queeney as a prodigy. Hester Thrale liked Johnson's strong convictions and roughness of manner.

The Thrale Brewery failed. Johnson and the Thrales visited Litchfield. Johnson said his father had lived in straitened circumstances. Mr. Thrale provided Johnson with a company wig. Johnson, the Thrales, and Baretti, the Italian master, traveled to France. Johnson caused them to spend many hours in dusty libraries. Marie Antoinette commented on the prettiness of Queeney. Johnson suffered from lack of ease because he was away from London. He said the French were silly. They had beggary and nobility.

The relationship of Hester Thrale and Johnson was that she needed an audience and he needed a home, Queeney contended. Johnson was variable in mood. He had a melancholy disposition. Following the death of her son Harry, Hester Thrale moved between the resorts at Brighton and Bath. Johnson was bored at both places. Queeney met Fanny Burney. For LIVES OF THE POETS Johnson said that he was not paid too little, he wrote too much. Sir Joshua Reynolds was Johnson's chief mourner.

Bainbridge has pulled off a real feat of reconstruction in this book.

Certainly this is a well-crafted piece of historical fiction but populated with such a cast of selfish and unlikeable characters that I actually resented having to spend time in their company as the book progressed.

An impressive piece of writing but not an enjoyable read. Approach with caution.

"According To Queeney (ATQ)", Beryl Bainbridge's historical fictional account of the last 20 years of Samuel Johnson's life, will appeal especially to readers who have some background of the subject but it won't shut out the rest of us who don't. Although Bainbridge parades her huge supporting cast of characters to readers with scarcely an introduction as if we're on first name terms with them, it doesn't take long for us to catch up...and we make the effort because after a slow start, we're intrigued as we read on. Bainbridge's disciplined, economical yet eloquent prose stimulates our curiousity and brings to life a subject the non-literary minded may justifiably consider esoteric.

ATQ doesn't seek to compete with Boswell's biographical masterpiece because it is fiction. What Bainbridge offers is a personal and intimate profile - warts and all - of a great lexicographer and an eminent man of letters who in his twilight years has become a sickly, strange tempered and eccentric old man. This profile is developed from his imagined life as a permanent house guest of Southwark brewer, Henry Thrale and his wife, Hester on whose emotional support he grows increasingly to rely. Through the eyes of young Queeney, the Thrales' eldest daughter, we observe the lifestyle of Johnson and the Thrales, how they behave, the fellow artistes they consort with and their meticulously organised travels to Europe. More interestingly, we detect the development of a curious relationship between the crotchety Johnson and his hostess, the unhappy and shallow Hester. Not quite "the story of unrequited love " suggested by critics, it is nevertheless a relationship founded upon mutual need and one that isn't in the least obvious or easy to discern. That it should end the way it did doesn't surprise. The story is also littered with incidents of spite, bitterness and petty jealousies among the servants in Johnson's own household as they compete for their master's affection. There is ironically a subplot of "unrequited love" in the story but not where you expect to find it. Queeney's voice is sour and reluctant throughout. She was a precocious child - that's why Johnson was so fond of her and became her Latin tutor - but the sentiment isn't especially reciprocated. Her letters as an adult to various Johnson researchers seeking corroboration and evidence reveal a less than enthusiastic friend, if ever she was one. What does that tell you about Johnson's success as an individual ?

ATQ is a quietly confident historical novel of Johnson's erratic life that will appeal to the literary minded, afficionados as well as those who simply love good writing. Bainbridge must be the most often shortlisted fictional author - ever - for the Booker Prize. She's earned her dues and played bridesmaid long enough. Let's hope she wins it some day. ATQ didn't make it beyond the longlist. More's the pity because so few contemporary writers today possess Bainbridge's virtues. With her, less is more.

In reviewing "According to Queeney"[review excerpted above],Publisher's Weekly wrote: "...few novelists now alive can match Bainbridge for the uncanny precision with which she enters into the ethos of a previous era."

Uncanny? Yes. Very weird. Precise? I absolutely don't think so-unless you'd believe that 18th century upper-class people lived in a constant state of misery due to(among other things)clinical depression, sexual repression, religious fanaticism and/or hypocrisy, disease, and the lack of indoor plumbing. My main problem with this book is its unremitting unpleasantness, both of tone and character, and its rather superficial assumption that there's some kind of need to dispel an imagined rosy picture of "ye olden days" by swinging wildly in the other direction: a modernist, disaffected, determinedly downbeat view of humanity.
There isn't a single likeable person in the book, nor does anyone seem to escape either madness, disease, bitterness, selfishness, hate, gluttony, stupidity, addiction-or a combination of the above. It's one thing to make one's central characters complex, another to divest them of anything positive, save, supposedly, intelligence. An author runs a great risk-and takes on a huge responsibility-when she chooses to write a fictional "novel" using real people, places, and events. Perhaps it's just me, but I believe that she owes these onetime living, breathing people something better-at least, something a little more considered than simply using them as objects on which to hang some imagined psychodramas. Yes, Johnson was a strange man...that's hardly news to anyone who's read anything about his personal life and habits. As for "Queeney's" mother, longtime Johnson friend Mrs. Thrale, well, gosh, she must have been something more than the histrionic shrew Bainbridge makes to bulge, faint, redden, pinch, hit and kick her daughter, her husband, and her friend Johnson by turns. This was a woman who was wealthy, witty, and a very sought-after hostess and guest-and yet in this novel her life is an unending misery...somehow I tend to think that she was bit more complex than that. But everything-every scene, every inner thought-is made into a kind of creepy horror for these "characters"...in this "narrative", poor Johnson can't even show up from an errand buying treats for his beloved cat, Hodge[a real incident recalled, like much of the basis for this novel, by James Boswell in his "Life of Johnson"], without this simple act being given new shades of direst import by Bainbridge's pen: the paper bag containing the liver seeps and drips with blood...give me a break. It's a short book, easily read in one or two sittings. The author has done research, yes-all of it obvious and based on easily available sources, though not resulting in anything more amazing or unusual than can be found in a standard book on "life in Johnson's London"(there actually is such a title-and many like it). Finally, when you decide to write a novel with a couple of real-life geniuses as your main characters, you'd better be at least as witty as they were. Bainbridge isn't up to that task.

Beryl Bainbridge is nothing short of a genius. Her According to Queeney is a witty and wonderful masterpiece and reveals a side of Samuel Johnson little seen. The focus of the novel is his friendship with the Thrale family, in particular, Hester, the wife and mother. The Queeney of the title is Hester's eldest, and very precocious, daughter. In the novel, Johnson is portrayed as brilliant, but difficult--moody, depressed, obsessed, the list goes on. Bainbridge's novel is witty--full of sparkling dialogue and wonderful prose. Enjoy.

I really like the Mrs. Pollifax series. They are interesting and fun reads. THey don't have a lot of the crude lanuage that other "spy novels" are full of. If you are looking for really in depth reads these are problably not for you. These books are an easy and fun read.

In the follow-up to the charming debut novel, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman writes another book filled with intrigue and heroism. Mrs. Pollifax, a widow who enjoys teas and garden clubs, sets out on her second courier job for the CIA, a mission which starts in Istanbul. Searching for a missing woman (an agent with international ties), Mrs. Pollifax poses as a tourist to track down the woman and smuggle her safely out of the country. Protected by only an agent, who has no idea what her real mission is to be, Mrs. Pollifax must use her newly acquired knowledge of karate and her unflappable nature to charm her way out of some sticky situations. Hair-raising as always, Mrs. Pollifax's second adventure will leave you wanting more!

I was thrilled to read the second adventure of Mrs. Pollifax, and enjoyed every moment spent with her on the case. Mrs. Pollifax is not a person that you would initially feel would make a good CIA agent. She is elderly, loves to wear outlandish hats, and finds a way to talk and get to know everyone around her. But it is just these qualities that make her so invisible in the world of spies, and even the most cynical of agents falls under her spell. I loved the fact that Mrs. Pollifax learned karate (since she hates guns I worried about how she could plausibly protect herself) and that she was just as lovable yet determined as she was in the previous book. If you have not tried this series, pick up a copy of this book and the previous book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, and join the millions of others who are charmed by this beloved character!

The first book in the series is called "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax". Enjoy!

Ms. Gilman has created a delightful character in Emily Pollifax - adventuresome and resourceful. Tough too. And always refreshing!

After her first adventure, Mrs. Pollifax figured she'd never hear from the CIA again. Naturally, when Mr. Carstairs calls and asks her to do another bit of currier work, she's surprised. She recklessly agrees to go. And this time, Carstairs is taking no chances. He's assigning another agent to follow Mrs. Pollifax around and keep her out of trouble.

A notorious Soviet agent has recently defected, and Mrs. Pollifax is to go to Turkey to meet her and help her get to US soil. Naturally, every agency in the world is after this agent, so the danger will be fierce.

Her first night in Turkey, Mrs. Pollifax makes contact, only to be arrested by the local police. Then her shadow is murdered. Alone in a foreign land, Mrs. Pollifax has only her instincts and a young man she just happened to meet to help her. Can she get herself and the agent safely back to the States?

While the first book needed time to set up the premise of the series, this book starts right away. Like Mrs. Pollifax, it can leave the reader a little breathless. Fortunately, there's a little set up before the plot starts in earnest, but once it starts, hold on! The pace is fast and the danger almost constant. Again, there are some plot points that seem a little far fetched, but the book is such fun the reader won't care.

Part of the fun is the characters. Mrs. Pollifax herself is a dear. Her unique perspective on the world makes anything fun. She's taken up karate between books, a skill that comes in quite handy through the rest of the series. In this book, great characters surround her. The heroes are lovable and the villains menacing.

This book was first written in 1970, a fact that is key to a few moments in the story. The historical context of the book helps bring things to an even more vivid life.

While coincidence shows up a time or two, the overall effect is minor. This second book in the series is another winner. You'll be turning pages desperately trying to find out what danger awaits Mrs. Pollifax next.

In the follow-up to the charming debut novel, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman writes another book filled with intrigue and heroism. Mrs. Pollifax, a widow who enjoys teas and garden clubs, sets out on her second courier job for the CIA, a mission which starts in Istanbul. Searching for a missing woman (an agent with international ties), Mrs. Pollifax poses as a tourist to track down the woman and smuggle her safely out of the country. Protected by only an agent, who has no idea what her real mission is to be, Mrs. Pollifax must use her newly acquired knowledge of karate and her unflappable nature to charm her way out of some sticky situations. Hair-raising as always, Mrs. Pollifax's second adventure will leave you wanting more!

I was thrilled to read the second adventure of Mrs. Pollifax, and enjoyed every moment spent with her on the case. Mrs. Pollifax is not a person that you would initially feel would make a good CIA agent. She is elderly, loves to wear outlandish hats, and finds a way to talk and get to know everyone around her. But it is just these qualities that make her so invisible in the world of spies, and even the most cynical of agents falls under her spell. I loved the fact that Mrs. Pollifax learned karate (since she hates guns I worried about how she could plausibly protect herself) and that she was just as lovable yet determined as she was in the previous book. If you have not tried this series, pick up a copy of this book and the previous book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, and join the millions of others who are charmed by this beloved character! Enjoy!

A Cozy Mystery Lover

In Volume 11 of The Chronicles of Conan, the reproduction by Dark Horse of the classic Roy Thomas graphic fiction run, Conan is more than his usual barbarian. Accompanied by Belit, the she-pirate, he ventures into untrodden lands around Stygia, and meets with a heavier dose of sorcery than most other volumes. What I find interesting here is the social undertones of the plots and characters.
In "The Sorceress and The Swamp" we get a clear hint at Africa. The soroceror Toroa is the black tyrant who terrorizes the lands. We find out that there is war between Stygians and blacks. I was stunned by the demonization of both, with clear hints at Stygians resemblance to anceient Egyptians, enhanced by Chaykin and Chan's drawing of their costumes, and the blacks as African tribes. This might sound clearly racist, but apparently an attempt to lighten the racist element makes Conan befriend a Stygian, and later on refers to the black corsairs on Belit's pirate ship.
The other stories introduce the play with feminist aspects. The illuminating comments by Roy Thomas in the Afterward (one of the best features of this series), tells us how he feminized the word Zulu into Zula to create the black warrior who assists Conan to save Belit in "Two against the Hawk City." The twist is that the "a" is feminine in English but masculine in many African languages. What is more, Zula is given a Mahawk haircut, thus adding to the ethnic background of the character.
As for the artwork, it is as good as can be. John Buscema is the Conan aritst and his version of Conan is indisputably the one that will linger for ages.
In short, the reprint of the Chronicles of Conan is a superb work. My favorites are the issues where John Buscema takes part (Volumes 5 to 13). If you were a Conan comics fan, you will be brought back to the good old days. If you are not already a Conan fan, it is about time you become one.

After the departure of the brilliant Barry Windsor Smith, Marvel's "Conan the Barbarian" reached its artistic peak during the "Queen of the Black Coast" story arc which began with issue 58 and ended with issue 100 (COC volumes 8-12). Following the death of Belit, the series started a steady decline which kicked into overdrive with the departure of Roy Thomas. This volume collects the last of the Roy Thomas stories. I wish I could say that he went out with a bang. Sadly, the quality of the stories here ranges from mediocre to just plain awful. You can't really blame Roy too much. Most of the hardcore REH material was being published in the adult oriented "Savage Sword of Conan" magazine, there was the comics code to deal with, and after the Belit story arc was finished, I guess he was having a hard time coming up with new and exciting stories that rose to the same level of his previous efforts.

The first story "Moon Eaters of Darfar", is okay, as it provides a link to the REH's "Man Eaters of Zamboula" and "Servants of Bit Yakin". I really hate sidekicks, though, and the little Stygian sorceror Erfu is just horrible, and it doesn't make sense for Conan to ally himself with him. Conan hates sorcery, and most of the original stories center around him battling one sorceror or another. Stygian sorcerors, even minor ones, derive their power from Set, the evil serpent god of the Hyborian age. To make Conan's sidekick a junior sorceror makes about as much sense as teaming Indiana Jones up with a member of the Hitler youth.

Sadly, he remains with Conan through several more issues. Next up, an adaption of "Sons of the Bear God", by Norvel Page. Apparently, this was a novel whose main character is a Conan clone; so close in fact that Thomas just changed it into a Conan story. And its bad, really, really mind-numbingly bad, and it goes on for four issues. Of course, its just my opinion. If you like midgets and giant bears, then maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. It's really hard to take seriously when legions of midgits rush at Conan to be slaughtered one after another while shouting, "The overtall oaf thinks himself our equal! We'll soon show him where he's erred!" It comes off like a Monty Python skit.

This is the Hyborian Age, not Middle Earth. There's a reason REH's world isn't populated with cute little creatures like Hobbits and Dwarves. REH's world is about barbarism vs. civilization, and about survival of the fittest. Dwarves have no place in it.

"The Devil in the Family" is another really lame story, this one involving the son of a demon. Yawn. At least Conan got rid of his annoying sidekick. "Shadow of the Beast" starts out promising, but quickly sinks when Conan goes up against...are you ready...a talking dog. I'm not kidding. Apparently this was "freely adapted" from an non-Conan REH story. Conan fans are used to him battling formidible foes, such as giant snakes and Lovecraftian horrors. Talking dogs just don't rise to that same level. As you'll read in the Afterword by Thomas, even he acknowledges how lame this story turned out.

Roy's final issue, 115, is a double sized issue with special guest star Red Sonja. I wish I could say it was great, but its pretty lame as well. Fans will note that the film "Conan the Destroyer" borrows a plot device directly from this story. However, the plot device was lame and definately not in character for Conan. It doesn't work in either medium.

When I was a small boy I used to subscribe to CTB. Shortly after Roy Thomas left, I let my subscription run out. Now I remember why. Thanks for the memories, Dark Horse.

I gave it three stars because the artwork by John Buscema and Ernie Chan is breathtaking, as always. If you're a sentimental collector like me, you'll want this as part of your collection. However, for the quality of the stories themselves, I can't recommend it. You're better off buying the new Dark Horse series, or the "Savage Sword" reprints. Better yet, forsake graphic novels altogether and just read Robert E. Howard.

Dark Horse's reproduction of Roy Thomas's Conan in the form of The Chronicles of Conan are a real festival not just for for Conan fans, but for graphics novels' readers as well. My favorites are the issues that have John Buscema and Ernie Chan art with Roy Thomas's writing (volumes 5 thru 13). Each volume contains around 6 to 8 issues.
Volume 7 "The Dweller in the Pool" shows the last adventures of Conan before he is accompanied by Belit. What is more, Red Sonja receives a lion's share as co-star.
John Buscema gives us Conan as we have always loved him, brawny, raw, self-confident and down-to-earth. Red Sonja is drawn as a counterpart to Conan. The firey red head is sexy and intimidating at the same time. Buscema manages to give us this combination perfectly with strong contour lines that contrast with feminine details.
Characterization is the strong point in this volume. Thomas highlights Red Sonja's complexities. She is undoubetedly strongly attracted to Conan but her mistrust of men remains stronger. Her independence echoes a rising feminism that seems to have unsettled the machismo Robert E. Howard instilled in his fiction. In the Conan-Sonja advntures, barabarian man and woman are on equal footing. One of my favorite scenes is when Red Sonja knocks Conan unconscious after he has saves her and runs away. She does not want to feel weaker than him, grateful to him or dependent on him.
It is such psychological depth that takes the Chronicles of Conan above most Sword and Sorcery fiction. This is not just the stereotype slay'em all blood and gore. The realistic streak of characterization, both in writing and drawing, makes these volumes unique.

This entire series of reproductions of the classic Conan comics from the 1960s and 1970s is superior. The details are incredible and the colors are more vivid than in the originals and the paper quality is superior and you will not have to worry about preservation. A great substitute for the originals ( and more affordable).

Dark Horse continues its re-printing of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian series with Chronicles of Conan Volume 12. This trade paperback collects issues #91, and 93 to 100 of the original Conan series as Conan concludes his travels along the Black Coast kingdoms of the south and has to cope with the death of his beloved mate, Belit, Queen of the Black Coast. The Belit saga was certainly the longest of Conan's career, at least as far as comics go, beginning a few years earlier in Conan #57.

You have to give Roy Thomas a lot of credit. With this stretch of some forty issues over three years, Thomas managed to keep the stories fresh and exciting. Outside of only R.E. Howard himself, he is the best Conan writer ever. One of the things that Thomas did so well was to take many of Howard's non-Conan Stories and turn them into Conan stories. An example of this is found in Conan #99, "Devil Crab of the Dark Cliffs". This is adapted from the Howard tale "The People of the Black Coast" although the black coast of that story is not the same of the Conan tales. Howard was nothing if not pragmatic and he often re-used plots and character names freely. Thomas is pretty hard on this story in the commentary section at the end of the book and didn't think it worked very well.

It certainly doesn't have the feeling of complete helplessness that the original story had. In that story a lone man battles off wave after wave of giant crabs before finally, and inevitably succumbing to their vast numbers. Here, Conan, Belit, and several of their warriors find an abandoned Argossean ship along the black cliffs far to the south. They go ashore to explore the mysterious site and find a race of giant, intelligent crabs who have the crew of the Argossean ship held prisoner. Conan, Belit, and their crew have to free them from their prison and battle their way through a horde of devil crabs back to their ship. Thomas has a point with his criticism of the story...upright walking crabs looked just a little too ridiculous and one can make the easy assumption that artist John Buscema just wanted to get this issue done as fast as possible.

The final story from Conan #100 features the death of Belit. She is killed by a winged ape, a descendant of a once powerful race of winged men, which degenerated into bestial forms when their civilization collapsed. This is one of the very few times we see Conan mourn. Thomas would employ elements from this story into the first Conan movie. When he is helpless before the winged ape, the spirit of Belit appears to aid him, just as the spirit of Valeria did in the film.

The real bonus to the Chronicles of Conan is the commentary by Roy Thomas at the end of the book as he shares his thoughts on each of the stories. He has such a special bond for the character that I could listen to him all day discuss plots and whys and hows...

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

The Brainship series is set in a far future, when mankind has long out grown Earth and the immediate vicinity and spread to the stars. The bureaucracy of this vast empire known as Central Worlds is run by a few powerful families who have raised nepotism to an art form. Despite the great techological advances Central Worlds enjoys they are still plagued with the age old human problems of greed, corruption, incompetence and graft. They have also not yet managed to prevent or cure all forms of birth defects or injuries either although they have come up with a unique way of helping at least some of the victims. Infants who have catrostrophic birth defects but normal brain function are placed in shells which take over all the functions that their bodies are incapable of. Upon adulthood these shellpersons have a choice of careers available, piloting brainships, running cities, planets or, like Simeon of this story, a space station.

As the story opens Simeon has been running a remote space station servicing various mining colonies located at the fringes of Central Worlds. Simeon is upset because his long time 'brawn', the able bodied partner that each shell person relies on handle those tasks they cannot has finally retired, much to Simeon's displeasure. Central Worlds has managed to find a candidate that meets Simeon's rather extensive list of requirements much to the displeasure of both Simeon and Channa, the brawn in question. The one thing the pair could agree on is that while they were stuck with one another for the short term, they definitely needed the term to be as short as possible. Unknown to them however, events were conspiring to keep them together.

In an even more remote area vicious raiders had laid waste to a long forgotten colony of religious zealots. The original colonists had fled Central Worlds' decadent society with it's many races, machines and other abominations to follow their own beliefs. A small group of colonists has managed to escape from their ravaged world, heading for Central Worlds' protection, unfortunately with the raiders in close pursuit. When they arrive at the nearest outpost, Simeon's unarmed station, it takes the combined forces of Simeon, Channa and an orphaned child to defend the station and it's inhabitants.

Some of the entries in this series are young adult fare and the plot outline of this one could suggest that this one would be as well, however it most definitely is not. There are many scenes and plot themes here that are of an adult nature, including incest, rape, graphic violence and child abuse.

It is a well written, interesting story in this long running series, one that introduces characters that will return in later volumes as well as referring to characters introduced earlier. It would not be absolutely necessary to have read any earlier volumes in this series to enjoy this one. After reading this one most readers will probably be looking for more stories from this series.

While most Anne McCaffrey fans seem to gravitate towards her Dragons books, I love her brainship books.

If you aren't familiar with the series, start with "The Ship Who Sang" and enjoy the ride! The premise of the series is that infants who have too many physical birth defects to survive, but have intelligence unaffected by their unfortunate births are cherished and grow as "shell persons" they live encapsulated in life support which also connects their brains to a web of databanks, computers, and to spaceships or cities. This makes them superhuman, but still very human.

In this book Simeon, a city-bound shell person, is attacked by hostiles while also breaking his a new partner ("Brawn").

The story is rich in it's supporting characters, villians, children, victims, and heroes! If you've read any of the brainship books, you need to read this one, it is one of the very best.

I've been a McCaffrey fan for over a decade, I've read 98% of her books and the Brain/Brawn books have become my favorites. Joat, Channa and Amos are interesting characters, though I think Simeon steals the show. While there is more violence than most of Ms. McCaffrey's other works, with the exception of the Generation Warriors trilogy, I feel it fits the plot and situation and is not excessive. The comic relief is great and the plot interesting and solid. A must read along with The Ship Who Sang and The Ship Who Searched.

City Who Fought is an amazing book which I really love. The characters are all very real and three-demensional. I found myself so drawn into the story that I forgot about many other things, including my favourite tv show. I stayed up til...bout 2:30 AM reading this book, so that I could find out what happened to Simeon, Joat, Channa, and the rest of them. My favourite character was Simeon, of course, but Joat, Channa, Joseph, Seld, Patsy, Chaundra -- okay, all of them, just about -- are also wonderfully three-demensional. Simeon is my favourite brain -- favourite character -- from any of Anne McCafferey's B&B books. The only problems I found with this book were a) that it was much more militaristic than I like, but I knew that when I began reading it, so I can only blame myself, and b) the Kolnari were a bit..flat, and 2-demensional, not something I personally like in a book, especially for the villians. One thing that I read in another review of this book was that it was not a good book for children, having a lot of sex and violence in it. My opinion on this is: It's not MEANT for children! It's an adults book, and the person who wrote that review should have realized that.

This book is highly insulting to women! He sexual alludes to situations that either cannot happen according to the storylines or physically happen according to human biology. This did surprised me since I have read many of her works of fiction. I cannot believe that Anne McCaffrey would have anything to do with this novel. It is highly offensive to women and is not worth reading!

The book is a nice, though a bit longish, detective story - it's about detecting a crime that was imposssible to be committed in the first place, and about Harriet Vane's and Lord Peter Wimsey's rather unpromising, but interesting, romance.
And it's howlingly funny at parts. Unfortunately, not the parts that the writer intended to be funny.
For a writer who always was so painstakingly correct about timetibles, technicalities etc, Ms Sayers had made an astounding mess with her facts.
The victim is a Russian - and Pavlo is his name. Sorry, Dorothy, had he been a Russian, his name would have been Pavel or Paul, given that we're supposed to be talking about Russian aristocracy. Pavlo is an Ukrainian name. It tantamount to calling a character Pierre and insisting he's an Englishman.
Also, if one insists on the poor victim receiving letters with Czechoslovakian stamps, one should not make the evil-doers send them from Warsaw. Polish stamps would surely be better.
Thirdly, it doesn't do to make seemingly intelligent characters speculate that an illness which can be inherited only through female ancestors could have been a proof positive that the sufferer is a descendant of a specified man... not after the female-line business was thoroughly explained in a previous paragraph, anyway.
And, top of the tops, there comes a scene when the good British jurors are not too slighly ridiculed for thinking in cliches about the foreigners... Pavlo the Russian, letters from the capital of Poland with Czechoslovakian stamps on them - Dorothy Leigh Sayers, you've made my day!

My first encounter with Dorothy L. Sayers was the Mobile Mystery Theater series showing on PBS. I now have all three DVD's of the series ("Strong Poison", "Gaudy Night" and "Have His Carcase".) They never produced "Busman's Honeymoon" Dorothy sold the rights to Hollywood and BBC could not get them back. The Resulting movie is "Haunted Honeymoon"(1940)
Naturally the TV media cannot fill in all the details that you would pick up from reading the book.

So I read the book. This added more depth to the story, now I appreciate Dorothy L. Sayers more than Agatha Christie. Dorothy not only fleshes her characters out better but her side trips into philosophy and psychology make the story that much more interesting. And just when you say what is the relevance to this conversation it is wrapped up in the final solution.

This is the second of the book series. The story is complete and can be used as a stand-alone story. The notorious Harriet Vane is out for a walk and takes a nap. She wakes up and finds (you guest it) a body. If not for her trusty camera, no one would believe her. As it is the authorities think it was suicide. Wimsey thinks it is murder. Naturally everyone, especially the main suspect has an airtight alibi. The real interest is the interaction between Lord Peter and Harriet.

Carcase is a variant spelling of carcass. To be tried for murder is good publicity for a crime writer. Harriet Vane was busy.

In June Harriet went on a walking tour. On a beach she discovered a corpse. The tide was coming in. She was eight miles from Wilvercombe. Harriet took pictures of the discovery, of particular interest since the body was liable to be carried away on the tide. After walking six miles she called the police and the newspapers to report the existence of the dead body.

Lord Peter arrived to meet Harriet at her hotel, much to her surprise. A journalist had rung him up, it seems. The dead man had been a professional dancing partner, a police inspector told Harriet and Peter. A Mrs. Weldon, friend of the deceased man, sought Harriet's company. She claimed she and the decedent were to be married.

The murder weapon was an Endicott razor with an ivory handle. Wimsey learned from a Mr. Endicott that ivory-handled ones were in short supply. The notion that a bearded man had in his possession an old-fashioned razor of good quality presented a problem.

When the body came to shore there was an inquest, and the investigation of shifting identities began. As in real life, the story thread meanders.

The most interesting aspect of this book is the relationship of Hariet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey and the author's philosophy of female independence in which their relationship is cast.

Dorothy Sayers had the gift of respecting all of her characters. Any one of them (including the villains) could be a member of your family. All were flawed with humanity. The mystery is always secondary to the individuals involved. This is a great read that gets better with each reading.

The mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers are intricate and intelligent, models of perfectly maddening puzzles that readers can barely solve. "Have His Carcase" is no exception, a fine round and round-about mystery that keeps readers (and the two detectives) searching till the final chapter.

The story finds Harriet Vane, recently acquited of murder, on a walking vacation. Mystery has a way of following her, and she encounters a dead body on the beach. Was it suicide or murder? Knowing that the tide is about to come in, Harriet takes pictures and clues to preserve what she can, and searches out the local authorities. Lord Peter Wimsey, gentleman detective, comes to Harriet's aid and also delves into the crime, a case of murder with a baffling array of suspects and alibis. Every clue and every alibi makes a strong case for suicide, but Wimsey knows it to be a murder, if only he could prove it.

"Have His Carcase" is a story with a lot on its plate; the wide cast of characters creates a web of further mystery and cluelessness around the death. This is all layered in with the flirtation between Wimsey and Vane, a delectable pairing of romance and comedy, as Harriet rebuffs Wimsey's marriage proposals at every turn. Sayers is perhaps almost too intelligent in her mysteries, giving her detectives almost unlimited knowledge on a wide range of topics. The chapters involving ciphers are particularly hard to decipher, but do little to distract from the excellent mystery at hand. And while the story does seem to go round and round, it comes full circle in the end.