Victims Books

The author is an expert on self-defeating personality disorder, and makes a good case for bundling varied symptoms such as fear, anxiety, self-absorbtion, low self-esteem, and depression under this diagnosis. She devotes each chapter to a different aspect of this disorder (its linguistic expression, its causation, its appearance in literature and film, its effect on interpersonal and work relationships). She explains why SDPD is an elective, maladaptive behavior, and how having chosen it, one can reject it. A couple of the chapters, such as the one on self-defense and the one on the psychology of the victimizer, seemed to stray a little far afield, but overall it was a tautly presented argument. The chapters on the linguistic defenses and interpersonal relations of an SDPD sufferer were particularly fascinating.

Throughout the book, Dr. Shainess offers concrete examples and advice. Unlike many self-help authors, she is not glib and offers no panacea. The book is well researched with a lengthy bibliography and does not talk down to the reader. The author is realistic about the seriousness and pervasiveness of the problem, and the necessity of long hard work if it is to be overcome. Despite its prevalence in women, the author has also treated male SDPD patients, and several of her examples draw on these experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with issues of self-esteem and assertiveness.

NATALIE SHAINESS IS A PROMINENT PSYCHIATRIST IN MANHATTAN.
SHE HAS WRITTEN THIS ASTOUNDING BOOK BASED ON HER REMARKABLE
KNOWLEDGE OF WOMEN, SELF-ESTEEM, AND HOW TO BREAK PATTERNS OF MASOCHISTIC REACTIONS. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK HIGHLY. IT IS A LIFE CHANGING BOOK, WELL WRITTEN, EASILY UNDERSTOOD, AND QUITE CHALLENGING TO ANY PERSON INTERESTED IN SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS.

READ IT IN THE 1990S, AND AM READING IT AGAIN. TREMENDOUS BOOK.

READ THIS BOOK IN THE 1990S. A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE WRITTEN BY A HIGHLY RESPECTED MANHATTAN PSYCHIATRIST WHO IS ALSO A GREAT WRITER. RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TOTALLY FOR ALL FEMALES WHO HAVE BEEN SOCIALIZED OR CONDITIONED TO GO ALONG TO GET ALONG. THIS BOOK IS OUTSTANDING. DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ONE. I AM A CRISIS INTERVENTION WORKER AND HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK TO MANY.
THOUGH THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY, IT MOST DEFINITELY SEEMS THAT WOMEN BENEFIT ENORMOUSLY FROM THIS BOOK.

DO HOPE YOU GIVE IT A READ. YOU MAY WANT TO TELL YOUR DEAREST FRIENDS AFTER YOU READ IT. IT'S SO ENLIGHTENING AND SO EMPOWERING. GOOD LUCK!

As a professional counselor I have recommended this book to many of my clients since it first appeared. They have consistently told me that Sweet Suffering has clearly and effectively described the patterns of communication and interaction with others that set us up to become unwitting victims in relationships. Also included is a powerful section called "Digging Out" which gives the tools needed to overcome these self-sabotaging habits. I wish this book would be reprinted.It's truly a classic! In my personal top ten!!!

If there ever was a book that needs to be reprinted it is Sweet Suffering. I read constantly and I cannot remember when a book had such an impact on me as this one. Dr. Shainess is honest and forthright about how we all(I believe men and women) invite insult and attack by being submissive as a way of warding off harm. In fact, as Dr. Shainess points out, this submissive posture is the very behavior that can prompt people to 'kick us while we are down'. I have often wondered why a person who is so nice to one person maybe nasty to another (we all do this on some level). Dr. Shainess helps the reader to understand how we are the true 'common denominators' in our lives and that we must look at what we are doing to invite such responses from others. THIS IS NOT VICTIM BLAMING!! Dr. Shainess gives concrete examples of behaviors that promote unpleasant responses from others, and she also gives you the tools to understand them and deal with them. This book is good enough to study and if there ever was a book that should be manditory teaching for our young people it would be this one! If anyone has a spare copy they would like to sell, I know of 12 people who are interested in purchasing one!

I am currently in therapy and this book has been a God send! It has made my experiences in therapy much more meaningful. Also has made my therapy process easier to handle during all those difficult times. Great book to have if you currently going through your own CSA therapy!

Although this book is written for therapists and analysts -- not their clients -- I found it invaluable. Reading it as an accompaniment to my ongoing therapy helped me to listen better to myself and to my therapist, and to understand the many obscure and puzzling episodes and interactions that were taking place during sessions and outside of them. The authors are clearly experts in their field. Their book contextualized and provided insight into both my own history of childhood sexual abuse and the twists and turns of the therapeutic process in general. Despite its sometimes highly technical language for which I had to consult a dictionary, this book is the most focused and helpful work on the subject that I have read. I'm very grateful to its authors for writing it and recommend it without reservation.

As a psychology intern from a psychodynamic background working with numerous childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors, I found this book extremely helpful and inspiring. The conceptualizations about working with CSA survivors and the integration with trauma research are solid and insightful. The case material is effective in clarifying the concepts and bringing to life the importance of this healing process and the meaning to be found in it. In addition, I found the broader perspective on modern, relational psychoanalytic psychotherapy clear and rich. It helped reconnect me with the value of this approach and with the complexity of the therapeutic interaction.

I imagine this book would be too technical for most therapy clients/patients as it was a demanding, dense read for me after several years of coursework and experience, but who am I to say?

Excellent book.Every worker in mental health should read it.It offers a deep, wise and well informed psychoanalytic approach to the issue of abuse. I feel I'm a better person and psychoanalyst after reading it.

As a therapist who works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, I am always searching for books which provide new perspectives and formulations on the topic of sexual abuse. The book by Jody Messler Davies & Mary Gail Frawley provided a cogent argument for the importance of a psychoanalytically informed framework in treating adult survivors. The authors do an excellent analysis of the bodies of literature from the fields of psychoanalytic thought and trauma based research/therapy. The reader is then shown perhaps previously unnoticed connections between the two bodies of literature. There are numerous case examples throughout the book to illustrate the various concepts that are discussed.

I gave this book five stars, because any book which causes an individual to reexamine their theoretical orientation/mode of conducting therapy, should definitely be sitting on their bookshelf at home.

this book is excellent. it is so detailed and once you start reading it, you can't put it down. it explores the profiles of serial rapists, how the police create profiles, and it gives you the chilling feeling like you are there observing the crime scene.

I am a Dallas native who grew up around the time the Ski Mask Rapist was hunting in North Dallas, so I was very interested to read this book. It was so scary to read about my neighborhood in this book. But the book is great, very readable, and gives a great insight into the mind of Gilbert Escobedo.

This is the most enlighting book I have ever read. Maybe because my husband is the dective that is portrayed in this story, never the less it sure woke me up to the facts of life. I had my daughter and granddaughter read it as well. you never know who to trust. I am looking forward to reading others by Howard Swindle.

Swindle has done an excellent job here of walking the reader through not only the investigation of the rapes committed, but the background and personality of the criminal, Gilbert Escobedo. The fact that Swindle was able to visit and interview Escobedo several times during his incarceration was, I am sure, immensely helpful. I feel that books like these can actually help prevent crime...in this case rape...by arming potential victims with crucial knowledge. The first thing they have to realize--and this is immensely obvious in the book--is that they ARE a potential victim. Escobedo committed upwards of 100 rapes, and even managed to maintain some "normal" relationships on the side...even going so far as to initiate not only an intimate relationship, but also a business relationship with an unsuspecting woman who, coincidentally, was previously one of his victims. She never even knew until he was finally arrested. You really can't make this stuff up.

Swindle handles a disturbing and incomprehensible subject with the vivid and intriguing storytelling ability of a novelist. He presents his subject, which readers look at like they would observe a horrific scene with face-covered hands, barely seeing through the cracks of their fingers, with a reverence of the oppression women endure. He handles the gruesome facts without painting an unnecessary violent picture of the details, although the violence is very real, rather implied without being glorified, whenever possible.

We see into this sick world without having to re-live the victim's overwhelming and terrorizing experiences almost vicariously, which may be the reason I was able to not only eagerly finish the book, but even broach reading about the subject to begin with. Subjects such as stranger rape, being attacked in the supposed safety and sanctity of one's private space, chills most women (and probably most men; however, I would venture to point out that it is not a frequent occurence for most men and thus men probably do not share the same level of terror with women for themselves, but possibly share some level of fear for the safety of their loved ones.)

Reading a book about rape runs the risk a lot of women aren't willing to take: that this is a topic that, even though a part of life, women don't want to explore. Everyday experiences such as the trepedation of entering a home alone in the dark are all too frequent reminders of the fear that rape invokes. Many know that this subject runs a great risk of stirring up complicated emotions few women want to ponder.

This is a must read for the realistic and inquistive mind, ever wanting to know more about human nature and the psychological and social forces that drive us, even when those forces are severely disturbed. For some readers of the subject of rape, it is almost as if gaining ab understanding of an issue allows some readers to lose, somewhat, the level of fear usually associated with such topics. It is for those indiv! iduals who want to solicitously broaden their dimension of knowledge about rape that I would recommend this straight-forward and expert handling of an extremely sensitive and terrorizing subject.

Donna's experience of trauma and survival is enlightening and incredibly inspiring for all survivors and families. This book gave me insights and knowledge that I have used in my life, that I couldn't have learned anywhere else. All HEALTH CARE Providers should read this book. It is a great teaching tool. Should top everyones list.

Upon reading UNDYING WILL, I became engulfed in Donna's vibrant use of language as she revealed to her reader, the tumultuous accounts of her experiences during and after her horrific rape. As her truly remarkable struggle to gain back her innocence, while fighting for justice, begins to unravel; I became absorbed in her accounts and it became even more riveting to me, and I was unable to put the book down until I had finished it. Being a rape survivor myself, I could not help the trigged emotions I was feeling, and was overwhelmed by the sudden rush of my own memories. Ms. Ferres was so articulate in her writing that I actually felt that I was right there with her, able to feel her every emotion. For someone who has never experienced such a treacherous event in their life they are soon able to feel what the experience was like for her, as she journeys through the accounts of that dreaded day, all the way through to the prosecution of the perpetrator. Like most victims Donna felt scared, hurt, lonely, bitter, and (Sadly enough) guilty, unfortunately these are the feelings that most survivors experience. These accounts truly bring survivors feelings to the forefront, letting others know that it is not only normal, but most of all that it is O.K. to feel this way. It should be mentioned that for any survivor of a sexual crime this book will trigger emotions that are not felt in their every day life and therefore should be in a "safe" place.
Marlena (mrs88888)

This is the first book I have read actually written by the victim. Ms. Ferres is an excellent story teller with the book unfolding with her inner feelings and strife. Coming to within and inch of her life at the hands of a maniac she manages to get through the physical part of the trauma, being stabbed and beaten only to have the emotional beating nearly cause her demise later. Her accounts of the interaction with family, friends and people she doesn't even know brings to light our tremendous lack of understanding of the full impact of violence on our lives. While she relates that it just never goes away, the book is wonderfully written as it tells of the life she goes on to create for herself despite the obstacles she faces. I have never read a story like this. The messages in this book need to get out to the public. It will serve to create a better understanding and possibly stop the violence and misunderstanding of victims once and for all. This book is one that I read cover to cover on an emotional roller-coaster but ending on a high note of vindication and validation for all women and crime victims. It was a great experience and increased my understanding of victims tremendously. It is well written and packed full. All other books I have read on this line were written after the fact. This is different. This needs to be on Oprah.

The book starts out slowly as Donna takes you along with her on several visits to her Psyciatrist. However, once she begins to come to terms with what happened, the story begins to unfold and takes you on such a graphic journey that you can almost feel her agony. This book is a must for anyone who has ever had the misfortune of being a victim because as you read it, you can relate to her feelings. The fear and bitterness, hatred, lonliness, the feeling of being misunderstood and the guilt. The guilt Donna felt for something that she had no control over. She also shares the horrible aftermath she endured. Something most people would never anticipate happening, and how she was able to deal with it. The disappointment and sickening frustration she felt when she learned that her perpetrator had recanted his guilty plea, and the false accusations and physical assault from a family member or friend of her perpetrator. This book is also very helpful to any woman because when Donna finally reveals her deepest secret, she helps us to realize how vulnerable we all really are. She shares with us the thoughts that raced through her head as this thing was coming down on her. Before, during and after. She helps the reader understand how important it is to notice what your surroundings are and how important it is not to allow a stranger to talk you into going anywhere, even if it is just outside the door for a 2 minute helpful deed. Donna's account also helps makes you aware of the strain on family members that something like this causes. It helps us to see how crime committed not only affects the victim of the physical violence, but also how it has an affect on the whole family. This book also provides insight to the perpetrators family about the victims and their families, and just how the violent actions of their loved one has affected the lives of all involved, forever.

Actually I could not put the book down. Donna's details of her experience just kept me reading on and on. Hence I read the book in one evening. Every woman who is trusting of others should read this. I had my daughter read it just so she will be aware of crazy people out there that appear to be harmless. A must reading for all women.

I really enjoyed this book and learned from it, but found it less compelling than "A Shining Affliction". Possibly I felt that Rogers was trying very hard to convince me of the validity of Lacanian theory. It felt a tad defensive - as though somehow she was warding off a critical audience in her use of Lacan to understand what some of her patients were going through. And yes, at times the word-play felt a bit excessive and the meaning forced.
However the reason I loved this book and Rogers' work is her ability to tolerate ambiguity and nuance, and find a way into relationship with patients who are desperately alone in their experience and their minds. I always learn from her, and so appreciate her willingness to share the struggle for understanding in the name of healing and connectedness.

I am not an expert in this field.
This book was an introduction to a deep way of thinking about humanity.
About Freud and psychoanalysis.
The book takes the reader through a process. The authors experience, clues, cases, clues, structure, clues. Trusting the reader, Ann Rogers takes the care to let our consciousness unfold. The material and stories of the girls and of her reactions is frightening. Horrifying. Her technique of not blaming the perpetrator nor leaving the victim in the sole role of victim was difficult but at the same time open doors to understanding the past, the behaviors and the future.
I can't recommend it more highly.

I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I'm just beginning to deal with it at the age of 17. An older friend of mine sent me this book in hopes it would help.
I didn't expect it to help so much.

I went through it with a highlighter, marking all the meaningful, important lines; each page is near fully yellowed.

I read this book in a week. I could not put it down.

Highly, highly recommended--not only for CSA survivors, but for psychologists, and anyone else interested in understanding.

With an emphasis on words and the associations we make with them, Rogers unveils how some children continue to re-experience and re-live past trauma. First, she describes her own childhood crises in a narrative that is both revealing and intimate. She describes her state in ways that allow one to experience it as she had, instead of something simply as foreign and "over with." Then, through example, we follow her as she tries to understand what the children's gestures and words are trying to "say" without their being able to verbalize it. However, she uses the children's own meanings of things (instead of simply standard symbolic meanings) to re-explain to them what has happened and how it continues to persist in their lives, unwittingly. This is what keeps it fresh and real. Moreover, throughout the book, there is an unstated underlying stream of empathy and relatedness. A great book.

It's probably not a coincidence that it is difficult to put into words what Annie has communicated in her book about the hidden language of trauma. Through her entrancing and lyrical use of language, she somehow magically illustrates how the invisible marks of trauma on the body repeatedly surface through the spoken--and more importantly non-spoken--language. In her work with traumatized children, Annie mirrors back traces of their unconscious she remarkably detects in both their words and silences, and ultimately helps the child to give voice to the haunting "unsayable."

Admittedly, I am still trying to process all that was said in this book. And as I do so, I take comfort in Annie's final words of the book when she said: "..if your body in pieces has begun to speak, and if you are now brimming with words and their sounds--and you're no longer sure of what you're hearing or saying...you are the one person I've written this for, the one to whom I entrust these words."

Waiting for Peace is a real eye-opener. These real-live vignettes paint a very honest and heartfelt picture of what it must be like for the "everyday-person" to live in Isreal today.

This book is as informative as it is enjoyable, and yes, heart-wrenching.

Buy it -- you won't be disappointed !

A breath of fresh air to read about realities of Israeli life without the bias and sensationalism of the press. What an amazing story of hope and courage, determination and strength. The authors have done a magnificent job portraying the Israeli mindset and keeping the reader engrossed.

WFP is not an easy read but one that evokes strong emotions. Reading the stories of terror survivors and their families fills me with awe at their strength and faith. These people and families are not so different from you and me and yet the unthinkable has happened to them. Some how they carry on with courage and it inspires me.

Wow....The authors's radiated deep devotion and courage to accurately portray what life is like in Israel after generations of unrest. Heart-felt and engaging life stories from young adults to seniors fill every page with bittersweet and solomn moments that can never be erased. This is a must read for young people as well as the more mature to get a reality check on what is truly going on in Israel.

I was truly touched after reading Waiting For Peace: How Israelis Live With Terrorism. This is powerful book that presents an eye opening view of Israel and the people. Each interview is real, heartfelt and amazing. Anyone interested in a different perspective of Israel not portrayed in the media should read Waiting For Peace: How Israelis Live With Terrorism.

I went to the website, www.waitingforpeace.com. It will give the reader a small glimpse into the book.

There was a time that I thought that I had no where to turn. Using the principles of this book have allowed me to hope and begin to live from a place of power.

I encourage anyone who is challenged with life to learn the skills in this book. I believe it will be a life changing event.

Susan

In any abuse situation (physical, emotional, substance) we tend to divorce ourselves from our bodies and our feelings and walk through our lives disconnected from our essence. "What will set you Free" companions the reader every day of their journey to healing. At the beginning of the book the question is asked "If there were no blocks how would you live your life?" What follows is a workbook that is much more than just another self-help book. It is a workbook for life change which will transform the reader from abuse to wholeness. Cynthia James has written an easy to follow road map to reconnection with your true self.

Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Readers View (5/08)

Cynthia James has given readers the chance to make a positive change in their life through her own stories, practical exercises, journaling and a wonderful meditation CD.

It has been a while since this reader has read a book so compelling, one that gives advice you can use right that moment and one so caring. Each chapter is filled with stories of her own life of abuse, neglect, finding the wrong relationships and trying to find who she really is. Don't we all do that? Many of us have been harboring secrets for most of our life and can't figure out why we aren't happy.

"What Will Set You Free" gives clear understanding of how we sabotage our goals and ourselves. We continually play the victim and blame others. Ms. James teaches us how to stop doing the negatives and focus on the positives we have with such exercises as: writing your story- word for word, making no changes. She asks, "Does your story drain you and make you fatigued?" Then follows with after reading your story ask yourself "Do you want to let go of the story and move on."

As a psychologist I have read many self-help books, but none show this amount of enthusiasm or sincerity in helping you make a change in seven weeks. This is a book that I would recommend my students in my "Children and Violence" class to read and re-read. Even if we have taught ourselves to believe that we have had a perfect life, Ms. James will help you realize that there is no "perfect" life-- we all have issues, but you don't have to let them rule. "What Will Set You Free" is a very incredible read.

The author lived with a violent upbringing too - being hurt and worse quite frequently. It affected everything in her life until she decided that "yesterday" wasn't going to affect "tomorrow" anymore!

She wrote this book as a gift back to the world to help others accept and transcend the pain that brought them this far. The program and meditations are a safe path through facing the past and releasing their hold on your future. You owe this to yourself! You're worth it!

This book is brilliant in it's approach. It's laid out in such a simple way to follow the daily and weekly practices and tools for healing old wounds, judgments and unhealthy beliefs. I'm so grateful to have these tools which I'll be able to use throughout time whenever I'm in need of support. I also found the personal life stories written by various individuals to be quite helpful. Hearing other poeple's stories, insights and healings offered me a deeper inroad to addressing with compassion my own challenges. I'll be recommending "What Will Set You Free" to anyone I know that is in need of support.

I was unprepared to hear my 5 yr. old disclose that our neighbor had molested her. The Sheriff's department focused on her and as a parent I needed to understand what to do for her and for me. This book helps teach you how to respond to your child when they disclose. With so many children being molested, the likelihood is greater than you think. If you are not prepared, your emotions get in the way of supporting your child when they need it most. If I'd have read this book before, I would have responded differently. I recommend reading it even if your child hasn't been molested.....yet.

This is an excellent book to help parents, friends, teachers, everyone and anyone interested in helping a child following a disclosure of sexual abuse.

This book had some great practical guidance for the family going through the trauma of child abuse. I highly recommend it!!

I wish this book had been given to me the first time we started to uncover this mystery with my 4 1/2 year old daughter. Once we entered the "system" the experts seem to forget that the parents are starting at "ground zero" and have a lot to learn. Even after begining counceling, working with Children Services etc... there were so many unanswered questions and our personal struggle with denial - ("it can't be what she is describing".) This booked helped me so much, expecially the list of "signs". Thanks to this book, we were finally able to understand that many of the behaviors that our daughter was showing at the time stemed from her trauma, and helped us move through the process of healing. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK if you are going through this with your child. The most important aspects of the book for me were 1) the list of "signs" 2) reassurance that children don't usually make these stories up unless it was real and 3) that children don't tell the complete story at first - so they don't hurt the parents / and their own fear. Which is why it is so important to listen to your child and give them the love and assurance they need. ( and take the information your child is telling you seriously) In the end - this book helped us put most of the pieces together and helped more than the councelors to bring "peace" to us as we moved through the healing process, and reassured us that what we were feeling and the family process were actually normal. (and we were not alone)

This book offered many worthwhile suggestions for dealing with a difficult subject.

The only bad thing about Robertson Davies' Deptford Trilogy (FIFTH BUSINESS, THE MANTICORE, WORLD OF WONDERS) is that it had to end! Sparklingly clever, bawdy, poignant, erudite, and laugh-out-loud funny, Davies entertains in a wonderfully rich, old-world style.

A friend of mine (who recommended the books, and to whom I will be forever grateful) put it this way: "Reading Robertson Davies is like sitting in a plush, wood-paneled library--in a large leather chair with a glass of excellent brandy and a crackling fire--and being captivated with a fabulous tale spun by a wonderful raconteur."

This is the best novel of the century's best English language novelist. The plot is sure-fire (kid runs away with the carnival), the characters memorable (sideshow freaks, revealed to be--human beings! theater people, great and small, revealed to be--human beings!), the sins enormous (pederasty, pride, perhaps even murder), the virtues marvelous (love, devotion to love). The theme of this book, as with the other books in the trilogy, is search for self--the main character of this book lives four different lives during his life. This book works on every level; it reads well as a story, gives you something to think about, and stands up to any number of readings you'd care to give it. (I've given it at least five.)

The theme of the novel "World of Wonders" by Robertson Davies, is "search for self"(Warlton 4) Through ought the novel, there is a constant search for who the main character, Mangus Eisengrim, truly is. The majority of the novel is Mangus telling his life story. During this story, Mangus lives "four different lives"(Warlton 5) First he was born with the given name Paul Dempster, a Reverend's. At the age of ten he ran away with the carnival and became Cass Fletcher and controlled a mechanical card-playing machine as a carnival act. Later he named himself Fastus LeGrand and worked as a stunt double in a travelling play. He finally became Mangus Eisengrim, a world famous illusionist. Countless times during his story he asks the question, "Who was I?"(61).

At the beginning of Paul Dempster's life there was no trouble with who he was. He was born prematurely and so, right from the start, he was a survivor. He also was a Reverend's son, and his mother was known to others as a "hoor"(24). He knew exactly who he was, but anted to be someone else. After running away with the carnival, or as he said "The carnival ran away with me.", he recalls that he was "prepared to do anything rather than go home." At the carnival he became known as Cass Fletcher. This initial change in who he was was the first sign that there was a conflict with who he was.

His time spent as Cass Fletcher, roughly eight years, was the most conflicting time of his life. In the carnival Cass operated a card-playing machine called "Abdullah"(49). He would sit inside the machine spy on his opponent's cards and slip better ones into Abdullah's hand. At point in his life Cass spent most of his time inside this contraption, perfecting his spying and card slipping and when he ate, and that was seldom, he would do it inside Abdullah as well. He was almost never seen or spoken too. This neglect and abuse led him to believe that he was nobody. He mentions "I was Nobody... I did not exist.". At this time his "search for self" came to the most obscure solution possible. He believed himself to be Nobody. However, when he was seen and acknowledged, it was mostly when he was on stage as "Abdullah, the undefeatable card-playing machine". This caused him to think that when he was not Nobody, he was Abdullah. His answer to "Who [am] I?" was either Abdullah, an inanimate object and a machine to trick an audience, or nobody at all. It wasn't until he was about eighteen, when the carnival he was working for went out of business, that he escaped being trapped in Abdullah. He moved to France and became a street performer. His fake passport had "Fastus LeGrand" as his name. So finally he was no longer, and would never again be, Nobody.

Early in Fastus LeGrand's career as a street performer he was offered a job as an actor in a play called "Scaramouche"(162). He was hired as a stunt double for a man named Sir John. All Fastus had to do was walk a tightrope and juggle some plates, but he had quite a problem imitating Sir John. A fellow actor said that he couldn't "get Sir John's rhythm."(167). As he began to get the idea, he realized that he was again hiding from the audience as he had done with Abdullah.

Was this to be another Abdullah? It was, but in a way I could not have foreseen. Experience never repeats itself in quite the same way. I was beginning another servitude, much more dangerous and potentially ruinous, but far removed from the squalor of my experience with [Abdullah]. I had entered upon a ling apprenticeship to an [egotism].

Fastus had to become Sir John. Eventually he succeeded, so much so that he was later accused of eating Sir John. "You ate Sir John... You ate the poor old ham."(224). Another crisis in his identity. Fastus learned to walk, act, speak, move, stand and probably even blink exactly the same as Sir John himself. During Fastus's time with the play he was known to most as Mungo Fetch. The name was decided on by other actors who thought it sounded appropriate for a man whose job it was to copy someone else. Fastus LeGrand, the only name he picked for himself, was thought to be far too noticeable, and a stunt double was to be kept secret. Again he needed to be hidden from the world. But when Sir John retired, Fastus was no longer Mungo Fetch, nor Sir John. He was beginning to win himself back. Once again, he was known only by a single name. But "Fastus LeGrand was still not who [he] truly was, or who he was meant to be."(Pierce 318)

Soon after Fastus stopped acting in Scaramouche, he was hired to fix toys for an old rich man. It took months just to fix a single toy because of the minute tinkering took to perfect the movement. But there were hundreds of toys that needed to be fixed. So Fastus spent almost every waking hour of his time working on them. Thus, he had virtually no contact with the outside world. He was even given residence with his employer, so he didn't even have to leave the old mans mansion. Now, instead of hiding behind Abdullah or Sir John, he was hiding behind his work. It was during his time fixing toys that Fastus changed once again. As he continued fixing toys for the old man, Fastus met the old mans niece, Lisel, whom he fell in love with. Since Fastus LeGrand was not his real name and he didn't care for it much they decided to change it again. Fastus would by no means return to being Paul Dempster, and even less so did he want to go back to Cass Fletcher. So Lisel named him Mangus Eisengrim. Becoming Mangus was the "final conflict with who he was."(Pierce 553) Mangus was finally rid of his former lives and had come to the end of his search for self. He had answered the question "Who [am] I?". He lived life as Mangus and became a world famous illusionist and eventually returned to acting, since he had such a skill with imitating people. He was, from then on, Mangus Eisengrim.

I've just finished a Davies marathon: the whole Deptford trilogy in 3 days. I think it a testament to Davies' great storytelling ability that I could not put down any of the three books. I suggest reading them in close succession because the second book (The Manticore) sheds a lot of light on the other two books. It's interesting that in this book (the 2nd), we get 250 pages or so written from the point of view of a minor character: Boy Staunton's son. If you stop to think about it, the whole trilogy is structured around the question "Who killed Boy Staunton," so it shouldn't be surprising to read an account by his drunken son, the famous lawyer of his counseling sessions in Zurich. Rarely does one find such well-drawn characters these days in novels -- by the end, you'll feel like you've known Paul Demster for years, along with the simian Liesl, level-headed Ramsey and of course Demster's character, Eisengrim.

This book is a bit "deeper" than the first two as we find ourselves transported to an almost magic-realism portrait of myth and fantastical events in the World of Wonders. I actually enjoyed the first two books more although I still think this last book is a master work. Occassionaly Eisengrim's recounting of his life gets a bit tedious, but only because we are dying to resolve the mystery which finally gets solved in the closing pages. All in all, a memorable trilogy and a gripping read by one of the great 20th century writers.

Davies uses the 'accidental' revelation of a great magician's life--by the magician himself--to complete the Deptford Trilogy and answer the mystery: "Who killed...?" Davies is at his storytelling best here, spinning out a strange, fascinating life story that begins when a young boy is captivated by a carnival magic show. By far the best book of the trilogy, this novel stands brilliantly on its own and is head and shoulders above the two recent novels that use almost the same plot: Mr. Vertigo, by Paul Auster, and Millroy the Magician, by Paul Theroux

I've read this book about a year ago, and it still haunts me. It's one of the most moving and gripping books I've read, and as someone has written above, I can't recommend it highly enough. All of my friends who've read it loved it. Be sure to read it too!

Once I started this book I could not put it down! A great writer for a first time novel. I laughed and cried. When it ended I was lost without it. Please read this book and I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy it so please buy it now!

I picked the book out of instinct, and then read it without any expectation. Indeed it's a very interesting book. Actually it has fascinating surprise elements, even more so if you hadn't read the reviews here!

This is a story of a mother's love for her son, and how the pair cope with an unexpected twist of life. Captivating, for getting us to take a peek at how someone like John deals with his new life, someone like Sonja perceives things, and someone like Joan handles it all.

The alternating narrative reminds me of the book "Mendel's Dwarf". Such a style of narration risks being confusing, but at the same time triggers our curiosity.

If you only read one new author this year, give Jules Hardy a try. I just loved this book and cannot
recommend it highly enough. I have bought it for severeal friends and they all loved it too. I know that everyone
is raving about Lovely Bones (which I have also read) but this is even better.) Give it a go, you won't be
disappointed.