Authors Books

I also own "Strange Travelers," a previous short story collection, and I thought it was very inconsistent. One story would be fascinating, the next would be ho-hum. I'm pleased to report that Starwater Strains is extremely consistent, and almost every story in this thick volume was a joy to read. The topics covered are all nominally "science fiction," but within this grouping Wolfe manages to cover a wide range of topics, and the tone of his stories run the gambit, from more classic-style hard, cold space science fiction, to dreamlike tales that could be set almost anywhere, at any point in history, the future, or the present. As is usually true with Wolfe, there are also tinges of horror throughout - not Steven King style gore, but subtle, horrifying little twists that will burrow into your mind and stay there, rising to the surface every so often, long after you're finished reading.

Many of his stories concern a speculative near future, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of these had a strong social or political message about our modern lives, always elegantly included so that without the message the story is still interesting if you don't agree with his stance or don't care for politics in your fiction.

I'll finish by saying that after I received this book for Christmas, I had several mornings at work where I could barely stay awake because I'd been up until 4am the night before, reading "just one more story" over and over again. It's a fine collection.

I am always eager for a collection of Wolfe's short stories even if I have read some of them in other places. I particularly loved the cover of this book...it's so clever/humorous. Thanks for putting this book together!

to have a writer like Wolfe *consistently* writing great stories. If you like thinking for fun, if you enjoy inventive storytelling, if you enjoy the feeling of being in hopelessly over your head, but in the hands of a chuckling, mostly benign master of his art, then by all means read Wolfe.

This collection contains:
Viewpoint
Rattler
In Glory Like Their Star
Calamity Warps
Greylord Man's Last Words
Shields of Mars
From the Cradle
Black Shoes
Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon?
Of Soil and Climate
The Dog of the Drops
Mute
Petting Zoo
Castaway
The Fat Magician
Hunter Lake
The Boy Who Hooked the Sun
Try and Kill It
Game in the Pope's Head
Empires of Foliage and Flower
The Arimaspian Legacy
The Seraph from Its Sepulcher
Lord of the Land
Golden City Far

Some notes:
Wolfe has some typically intriguing and all-too-brief comments on each story. Each! Story! which excited me.
"The Arimaspian Legacy" is linked to, and evidently happens *before* the short story "Slow Children at Play from Wolfe's _Innocents Aboard_. Hint: Wolfe likes Herodotus.
"Lord of the Land," as Wolfe notes, is Wolfe doing a Lovecraft story; it was first published in _Cthulu 2000_ and also appeared in a Tor anthology, _Lovecraft's Legacy_ (1990).

Calling Gene Wolfe a great science fiction writer is a mere literary understatement, since he ranks, along with Ray Bradbury, not only as one of the premier elder statesmen of American science fiction, but more importantly, as one of the finest literary stylists in American fiction of any genre. "Starwater Strains", his new short story collection, merely reaffirms his splendid literary gifts for writing brilliant, evocative prose and marvellous storytelling. Most of these stories in this collection were written in the past decade, ranging emotionally from horrific to suspenseful to tranquil, covering themes as vast as contemporary fantasy to space opera harkening back to his "The Book of The New Son" series of novels. My own personal favorite is "In Glory like Their Star", which is an absolutely refreshing, polished literary gem of a tale about the religious connotations of First Contact by space travelers visiting a primitive planet inhabited by pastoral, devout believers. But it is not the lone gem, which I think also includes such diverse tales as "Of Soil and Climate", "The Fat Magician", "The Boy Who Hooked the Sun", and "The Seraph from its Sepulcher". The ones I've omitted citing are, in their own way, almost as riveting as those cited above. "Starwater Strains" will certainly delight those unfamiliar with Wolfe's impressive body of work, as well as his long-time fans and admirers.

I always enjoy his short story collections. Even the stories I rated 2 out of 5 are worth the read. There are some I did not enjoy at all, but that may be simply my taste.
Of Soil and Climate
The Dog of the Drops
From The Cradle
Empire of Foliage and Flower
Lord of the Land
The Boy Who Hooked the Sun
being my least favorites.

The stars of this collection (for me) are
In Glory Like Their Star
Calamity Warps
Graylord Man's Last Words
Hunter Lake
Pulp Cover
The Seraph from the Sepulcher

Well worth your time. I've enjoyed ever Wolfe collection I've read and I believe I'm up to date on all of them.

Don't miss
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories
Stories From the Old Hotel

A book that reminds me of the Sufi saying, "If I can get through this life without dying, I'll be amazed." Editor Carol Wierzbicki tells her own tale of the relationship triangulation between lover-caregiver, medical-caregiver, and fatally ill patient. One interesting poem by Hortensia Anderson mourns the loss of a transplanted kidney. I only wish there had been more.

After my best friend got diagnosed with kidney failure, I searched for a book on dialysis and kidney transplants from the patient's point of view and was disappointed to find almost nothing. Somebody told me about this book and the poem "Obituary" by Hortensia Anderson. It and the other poems and stories had a very humbling effect on me. A lot of the book deals with cancer and although the writing is great, I have a lot of books on that (from my father's lung cancer)and want to find more on dialysis especially. I enjoyed reading the whole book and recommend it to anybody.

I didn't want to read this book, but it was assigned for a class so I had to and I am so glad that I did have to because it made me think AND it made me laugh. Stories has both prose and poetry and I was excited to find one of my favorite internet poets Hortensia Anderson (who I found on the internet)who did an obituary to her transplant. The editing is wonderful and has many wonderful offerings. Don't miss John Penn's stories about his chemotherapy either. You won't believe it but you will laugh.

We will all have to deal with sickness and death in all of our lives. I have often found myself trying without success to imagine Kristan Ryan and her dealings with ms, John Penn fighting 2 battles at once - cancer and AIDs, Hortensia Anderson and a life on a dialysis machine. All because of a book I bought on the suggestion of a friend with fibromyalgia. There are many lessons to be learned from STORIES - I have had the privilege of a life not yet touched with sickness. But all of the poets and writers in STORIES by disclosing theirs, humbles me. STORIES is not at all preachy - the purpose seems simply to wake us up and make us aware. This, it does without technical jargon nor self-pity. STORIES is a heart-wrenching and truly elegant book.

Virginia Woolf predicted that some day the world of illness would become one of the major topics of literature. In "Stories from the Infirmary" that time has arrived. These stories and poems are literature at its best; real, interesting and enlightening. The contributors to this collection are not a bunch of sick people feeling sorry for themselves. They are people fighting for their lives, their loves, their dignity and sanity. The issues at stake here are those at stake in each of our lives, ill or well. Will a partner continue to love inspite of disability? Can joy be found even if one has to receive blood transfusions? How do you share a parent's or a child's disintegration? Courageous is the word I would use to desecribe these people. These works are full of wonder as much as they are honest about pain. This book is extremely well written and powerful.

In this anthology about "women and fatness," fat women eat, exercise, laugh, cry, love, give birth, and are abused and exploited. In fact, they experience the joys and tribulations of women everywhere, but what defines them, or sets them apart, is their body size.

The American interest in fitness seems to have begun in the late 1800s, when urban sophisticate May Welland of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence was compared to the hunt goddess Diana and noted for her slimness and athleticism. By the 1920s, thinness was firmly established as the fashion, with characters such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby) representing the slender, athletic, almost boyish ideal. In Koppelman's collection, Octavia Thanet's "The Stout Miss Hopkins's Bicycle" (1897) is an early example of how women suffered socially for their weight and how they began trying to manage it through exercise--an unthinkable notion for ladies of previous generations. One hundred years later, 1997's "The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe" (Hollis Seamon) also pairs two woman who to the world appear to have eating disorders--Suzanne Brown, who prefers the fullness of flesh, and Theresa, a teenager with apparent anorexia.

Some stories, like "Fat" (Grace Sartwell Mason) play purposely to the popular stereotype. Mrs. Payton Tierney substitutes a constant supply of rich foods for the love that no longer exists between her and her husband. Food is the problem and the solution as "The prison of her flesh received her" and the story ends in a surprisingly predictable way.

Stories like "Good-Bye, Old Laura" (Lucile Vaughan Payne) and "Skanks" (Rennie Sparks) capture the respective times and experiences of their teenage protagonists. Laura and Janine are complex characters whose peers influence their feelings about themselves and their bodies, with disturbing results for both. "The Hershey Bar Queen" (Elena Diaz Bjorkquist) is a teenage revenge fantasy, although the protagonist's food obsession and child-like simplicity and gullibility make the supernatural ending disappointingly ineffective.

If Mrs. Tierney, with her bonbons and distaste for exertion, is the stereotypical fat woman, the husbands in "The Feeder" (Maria Bruno) are alpha males whose wives fight back by taking control of their food, their bodies, and their weights--the thin wife consciously, the fat one less so. This story stands out for the disturbing image of a trapped, dying bird, wings broken, that is not worth saving to the insensitive husband.

"Perfectly Normal" (Lesléa Newman) is about the fat hatred and other prejudices of an anorexic wife. After making her promise not to get fat like her active, happy, lesbian sister, her husband sends her to a sanitarium before she wastes away even more. The combination of the wife's first-person perspective and the extremities of her opinions ("The least she [sister] could do was rip out the labels [of her clothing] so she would not have to be embarrassed" [about her size]) puts this story at the border of two-dimensional for the sake of making a point.

That is part of the problem with any focused collection like this; the focus on food, fat, and fat attitudes casts a blinding glare on the issues rather than truly illuminating them. It's interesting to see attitudes over the past 100 or so years, but questions arise, such as: How do those attitudes compare to those toward fat men, or to those who are different physically in other ways? If, as is claimed, only 10 percent prefer a fat partner to a normal-sized one, can the bias against fat be so definitively said to be social and cultural? Are those influences that widespread and strong? If the claim is true, are fat women really powerful erotic symbols to any but a few? It's mentioned that Lillian Russell, at more than 200 pounds, was a sex symbol of her time--but is that because she was fat or despite the fact she became fat with age?

In her defensiveness about fat, Koppelman writes, "There is nothing in women's fiction to affirm the calamitous claims of health risks made by the bariatricians, the exercise gurus, and the weight reduction mavens." Koppelman cannot be so single-minded as to confuse what appears in fiction with what happens in reality. Obesity, like other extremes, not only comes with serious health risks (for example, diabetes and all its complications), but also can limit the fat person's activities in ways that have nothing to do with societal bias (for example, I am too heavy for horseback riding, which I would love to be able to do). Koppelman's logic seems to be that, until a woman writes fiction about obesity-induced illnesses, they are not an issue for women.

The big question here is, "What does fat mean?" To the 5'7" patient in "Perfectly Normal," it means weighing more than 100-115 pounds. "The Hershey Bar Queen" weighs more than 400 pounds, as must the sideshow attractions in "Noblesse" (Mary E. Wilkins Freeman) and "Even as You and I" (Fannie Hurst). Suzanne LaFleshe weighs a little over 200. It's an important question because an active, confident, 200-pound woman, while fat by medical and social standards, may fall within the realm of normal deviation, while a girl like "The Hershey Bar Queen," enormous and obsessed with food, is a clear case of pathology. People fear pathology, whether it's morbid obesity, autism, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe {and Other Stories of Women and Fatness} is hampered by the restrictions and biases of its focus. A few stories stand out, but many are slices of life that lack depth, context, and subtlety. Another issue is that the book copy was not proofread; there are numerous typographical errors throughout, sometimes several on a page, so that the trustworthiness of the texts is in doubt--an unfortunate problem in a work produced by an academic professional like Koppelman. Still, it's worth reading for the handful of gems.

There were a few stories in this book that I didn't like. Many of the stories presented the heroines as not just *feeling* badly about themselves, but also as somehow *objectively* bad. In one, "The Hershey Bar Queen," I still remember that in the main character's worst, most rock-bottom moment, the description we get of her eating her candy bars is of shoving them into her "cavernous" mouth. Ugh. I would have preferred to see more stories in which we understand the struggles and difficulties one faces as a large person in the world, but one which didn't present those of us who are as being objectively revolting.

With that said, context is everything, and many of these stories require a little more history around them to properly understand just how subversive they really are. Susan Koppelman provides this context in the Afterward, which changed the way I saw several of the stories by providing the cultural context for the times in which several of them were written. "Juanita," for example, which was written in the late 19th century, struck me at first as being a story that simply reinforces the notion that fat women are drab and dowdy, and can only get the sorts of men that no one else would want. After reading the portion of the Afterward dedicated to providing context for "Juanita," however, I see it now as a deeply feminist story dedicated to the ideas of choice and freedom and independence.

There are also several stories in this collection which made me laugh out loud, such as "A Mammoth Undertaking," which is filled with moments of delicate and delightful humor, and relieve the often deadly seriousness of the subject of weight. "This Was Meant To Be," was hands-down my favorite story, in which the reader is witness to the fickle and capricious nature of society's aesthetic values. Our heroine need do nothing but be herself to be a smashing success, and all the world changes around her. I wanted to cheer when I finished it.

In stark contrast is "Goodbye, Old Laura," which is by far the most compelling piece in the collection. The writing is brilliant, and immediately I was drawn into the world and the achy inner landscape of Laura, the 200 pound teenage protagonist. Just how far I was drawn in made the ending that much more horrible. (I won't say why, to avoid spoiling it.) The worst part is that I can't tell whether the author approves of what her characters do at the end or not. Is she endorsing the gruesome ending or condemning it? I just don't know, and that is much of where the power in the story lies. I read it almost a week ago, and I am still thinking about it, and the choices we make as fat women to please those around us, and am still left wondering how many of those choices really make us happy.

There are still some stories that I don't think do justice to the fat woman's experience, and could have done without reading. However, those are more than outweighed by the rest. The very fact that so many women's voices were reclaimed from obscurity makes this book worth reading. Susan Koppelman is a brilliant author in her own right, and I strongly recommend reading the Introduction and Afterward (which I often skip). All in all, this is a book filled with excruciating pain, incredible wit, fantastic writing, and a depth and breadth of women's experiences that is both heartbreaking and wonderful.

I suppose we all have days when it seems hopeless--days when the so-called "War on Obesity" is so overwhelming, so pervasive, and so apparently effective that it seems impossible that we will ever get our point of view across. I was having one of those days when Susan Koppelman's book of short stories arrived.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this book lifted my spirits and gave me hope again. Koppelman asks in her introduction "What could women accomplish, how powerful might we become, if all the energy we turn toward our own bodies were released onto the world?" The introduction is a reaffirmation of the truth that the personal is the political, and a concise statement of the connection between feminism and fat liberation.

The book itself is arranged chronologically. "Juanita" and "The Stout Miss Hopkins's Bicycle" are both wonderful nineteenth-century stories. These women's voices from the past gave me historical perspective and made me feel a part of an inexorable tide, rather than a drop in the bucket. I especially enjoyed Lesla Newman's "Perfectly Normal," and the story by Hollis Seamon that gives the anthology its name, partly because they create memorable characters, but also because both of these stories deal with the strong connection between fat oppression, the dieting mentality, and eating disorders.

This is not Koppelman's first anthology of women's stories, each of which is grouped by theme. The scholar in me appreciated the extensive backmatter, explaining how each story fits into the history of weight obsession and women's self-empowerment. The activist in me loved the classic size acceptance quotes that accompany each story--many from books I have read, but not for a long time. We all need to hear those pithy statements over and over.

This book reminded me that the fight against fat oppression is part of the fight for women's liberation and self-empowerment. Of course the powers that be are arrayed against us. Of course it seems like an impossible battle at times. One of our most powerful weapons is surrounding ourselves with words that outrage, inspire, and uplift us--expressions of our beauty and worthiness. The stories in this anthology serve exactly that purpose.

This book of short stories is in the best tradition of the feminist movement. It raises consciousness. Few women manage to grow up in our culture oblivious to issues of weight. Most have struggled one way or another with it, some all their lives. Susan Koppelman's collection honors all these women and tells them they are okay. They are not lacking in willpower, or morally corrupt, or selfish, or greedy, or any of the other negative judgments society has visited upon them. They just are who they are and what they are. The net effect of the range of stories is to raise our awareness of the presence in our lives of women who are too often absent in our art and culture. But The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe isn't simply a political statement and it certainly isn't just for fat women! It's a wonderful collection that spans decades, giving us a cultural history cooked up in many different literary flavors to savor. And it stays with you. When you read it, you are both satisfied and hungry again -- for more anthologies edited by Susan Koppelman.

Great choice of stories, never before gathered in one place. I used this for a women's lit class I teach, and it was the most popular book. Students related to it as a fascinating group of stories, not just as a textbook. I'll share just one of many student comments: from one who starts med school in August, "I know I'll be a better doctor because I read this book."

Nice book. But in this edition, there is no chapter title on each page, so it's a little difficult to track the chapters.

no hype. i couldn't stop laughing as i was reading this. and i mean laughing out loud. in a cafe. with everyone staring at me. but i didn't care. and i couldn't help it if i did. it's just too hilarious.

Like the heading says, this is the funniest book I've ever read. Leacock was a comic genius and this is his best work. Buy it, read it, love it.

Perhaps the finest comment about Stephen Leacock in the last half century is that "he is a
Will Rogers for the 90's."

Rogers, of course, is one of the most beloved of American humorists -- he was killed in
1935 when his plane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska. Leacock died on March 28, 1944.
Like Rogers, he had been Canada's favorite humorist for decades.

Sunshine Sketches is about Orillia, Ontario, Canada, where Leacock had his summer home
on Brewery Bay (he once wrote, "I have known that name, the old Brewery Bay, to make
people feel thirsty by correspondence as far away as Nevada.") His home is now maintained
as a historic site by the town of Orillia. I lived there for almost 30 years, and the people of Orillia are still much the same as Leacock portrayed them in 1912.

These stories about various personalities in town were printed in the local newspaper in the
1910 - 1912 era, before being compiled into this book which established Leacock's literary
fame. The people portrayed really lived, though some are composites; the events are of a
kindly humorist looking at the foibles of small town life. Once they came out in book form
and soared to national popularity, everyone in town figured the rest of the country was
laughing at them because of Leacock's book and he was royally hated in Orillia to the end
of his life.

Gradually, and this took decades, Orillians came to recognize that genius had walked
amongst them for several decades. (It's hard to recognize genius when your own ego is so
inflated.) Orillia now awards the annual "Leacock Medal for Humor" -- Canada's top literary
prize for the best book of humour for the preceding year.

Leacock died when I was six, but I did know his son, who still lived in town. I delivered
papers to the editor of the "Newspacket," Leacock's name for the Orillia Packet and Times
(where I worked) and the rival Newsletter. The Packet had the same editor in the 1940's as
when Leacock wrote about him in 1910.

But the book is more than Orillia; it is a wonderfully kind and humorous description of life in
many small towns. The American artist Norman Rockwell painted the same kinds of scenes;
it is the type of idyllic urban life so many of us keep longing to find again in our hectic
urban world.

Leacock realized the book was universal in its description of small towns, and in the preface
he wrote "Mariposa is not a real town. On the contrary, it is about seventy or eighty of
them. You may find them all the way from Lake Superior to the sea, with the same square
streets and the same maple trees and the same churches and hotels, and everywhere the
sunshine of the land of hope."

True enough, which gives this book continuing appeal nearly a century after it was written.
All great writing is about topics you know, and as a longtime resident Leacock knew Orillia
well. As for Leacock himself, he wrote, "I was born at Swanmoor, Hants., England, on Dec.
30, 1869. I am not aware that there was any particular conjunction of the planets at the
time, but should think it extremely likely."

He says of his education, "I survived until I took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
1903. The meaning of this degree is that the recipient of instruction is examined for the last
time in his life, and is pronounced completely full. After this, no new ideas can be imparted
to him."

In reviewing Charles Dickens' works in 1934, Leacock wrote what could well be his own
epitaph: "Transitory popularity is not proof of genius. But permanent popularity is." The fact
his writings are still current illustrates the nature of his writing.

In contrast to the sometimes sardonic humor of modern times, Sunshine Sketches reflects
Leacock's idea that "the essence of humor is human kindness." Or, in the same vein, "Humor
may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic
expression thereof."

Granted, this book is not what he recognized to have widespread appeal to modern readers.
In his own words, "There are only two subjects that appeal nowadays to the general public,
murder and sex; and, for people of culture, sex-murder." Yet, anyone reading this will
remember scenes from it for much longer than anything from a murder mystery.

In today's world, where newspapers almost daily track Prime Minister Tony Blair's dash to
the political right, Leacock wrote, "Socialism won't work except in Heaven where they don't
need it and in Hell where they already have it."

He described his own home as follows, "I have a large country house -- a sort of farm
which I carry on as a hobby . . . . Ten years ago the deficit on my farm was about a
hundred dollars; but by well-designed capital expenditure and by greater attention to
details, I have got it into the thousands." Sounds familiar to today's farm policies ?

It's what I mean by this being a timeless work.

Leacock himself noted, when talking about good literature, "Personally, I would sooner have
written 'Alice in Wonderland' than the whole of the 'Encyclopedia Britannica'." This is his
'Alice' and it well deserves to be favorably compared to Lewis Carroll's work.

By all measures, it is still the finest Canadian book ever written.

There is at least one author who may remind you of Stephen Leacock, namely Garrison Keillor of Lake Wobegon fame, but Leacock should be recognized as the ultimate master of quaint, bucolic humor. Leacock, who died in 1944, became arguably the most prominent Canadian humorist of his day (and probably of all time). What is ironic about that claim is that Leacock worked for most of his life as a professor of economics. We do not usually equate economics with humor, preferring to think of that profession as one of bow ties and supply and demand charts. Throw that presumption out the window and pick up a copy of "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town," Leacock's best known work available through the New Canadian Library series.

For me, one of the funniest sections of the book was the introduction written by Leacock, where he gives you some background about himself and his profession. This short piece of writing quickly gives you an idea of the type of humor you will find in the actual sketches: a very sly, very quiet and clever type of humor that often takes a while to sink in. Leacock does not rely on rim shot jokes or manic posturing in his writings. Instead, he creates the fictional Canadian town of Mariposa and populates it with small town archetypes that are wonders to behold.

All of the characters are hilarious in their own way: Mr. Smith, the proprietor of the local hotel and bar, full of schemes to earn money while trying to get his liquor license back. Then there is Jefferson Thorpe, the barber involved in financial schemes that may put him on the level of the Morgans and the Rockefellers. The Reverend Mr. Drone presides over the local Church of England in Mariposa, a man who reads Greek as easy as can be but laments his lack of knowledge about logarithms and balancing the financial books of the church. Peter Pupkin, the teller at the local bank, has a secret he wants no one to know about, but which eventually comes out while he is courting the daughter of the town judge. All of these characters, and several others, interact throughout the sketches.

Leacock has the ability to turn a story, to make it take a crazy, unexpected twist even when you are looking for such a maneuver. That he accomplishes this in stories that rarely run longer than twenty pages is certainly a sign of great talent. By the time you reach the end of the book, you know these people as though you lived in the town yourself, and you know what makes them tick.

Despite all of the crazy antics in Mariposa, Leacock never lets the reader lose sight of the fact that these are basically good people living good lives. There seems to be a lot of feeling for the citizens of Mariposa on the part of Leacock, which comes to a head in the final sketch in the collection, "L'Envoi. The Train to Mariposa," where he recounts traveling back to the town after being away for years, with all of the attendant emotions that brings as recognizable landmarks come into view and the traveler realizes that his little town is the same as when he left it years before.

I suspect there is a historical importance to "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town." These writings first appeared in 1912, a time when many people living in the bigger Canadian cities still remembered life in a small town. In addition to the humorous aspects of the book, the author includes many descriptive passages concerning the atmosphere and layout of Mariposa, something instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in such a place. Nostalgia for the simpler life of the small town probably played a significant role in the book's success.

I look forward to reading more Stephen Leacock. While much of the humor in the book is not belly laugh funny, it does provide one with a deep satisfaction of reading clever humor from an author who knows how to tickle the funny bone. You do not need to be Canadian to enjoy this wonderful book.

Like the rest of this series, this novel is full of action, and gives a clear answer to the problem of terrorism; hunt them down where they live, and execute them, and their entire families with extreme prejudice!
If we are ever to have peace in this world again, we must root out, and destroy terrorism, and those who support it, and not let politics get in the way of what is a military problem.
All known terrorists must be put on a bounty hit list, for millions of $$$$ and hunting them down, and killing them should be a highly profitable business!
There was no crime a hundred years ago, because criminals were put on a bount list, and hunted down, and killed, for a financial reward. Hunting down terrorists should be treated the same way! If they're on the run, they can't plan, or execute their next attack on our country, or our interests!

In the ultimate chapter of this short but magnificent four volume series by Mack Maloney, we see both the author and his characters achieve a near-rapturous level of comprehension and undersatndomg of what it takes to destroy evil.

After being loosed by the governemnt to punish Islamic fundamentalists in a way we - all right-thinking Americans, that is - would want to do, Bobby Murphy and his band of brothers finally realize and accept you cannot kill all your enemies. (If only those self-same Islamic fundementalists would learn that!)

Instead, the story closes - after a thrilling plot, in which external and internal bad guys are eliminated - with the team learning that change must come from within if it is to be lasting.

Maloney's writing continues to improve with every volume. While this book is - as are all his others - not politically correct, they are still marvelous entertainment in the John Wayne mold.

Let me start by saying that this author is the same author of the RAPTOR FORCE series. That series is a very good series. I had a very very big problem with the ending of that series and I wrote the author. He answered my post and told me to try this series. The only book of this series that I could get was this one.
This book is one of the best of this genre. The author in a very few pages and with quick strokes creates fully developed charaters that the reader imediately likes and then charges on with the plot and action. This is a simple revenge plot, however the reader is fully on the side of the good guys. The attack on the stronghold of the terrorists by a small handful of soldiers is great and one that stays with the reader.
HOWEVER, the ending resulted in me throwing the book across the room and cursing the author for doing it to me again. The author is very frustrating. He writes great series and then he ...... well let me say tha you have been warned!

from Mack. if you haven't started with "Alpha" and worked your way thru Delta, you need to start aat the beginning. he has a sense of continuance thru all his books, and personaly I can't wait till "Echo" comes out- hopefully there will be an Echo and more!

This book is more than just an exhilarating read for armchair warriors and teenage Rambos, it also contains the solution to international terrorism.

Alongside the highly-believable storyline, Maloney has cleverly constructed a blueprint for winning the war against insurgents/terrorists/guerrillas/rebels and all the other bad guys hell-bent on overthrowing the forces of law and order.

If only my ancestors had followed his sound military strategy of indiscriminate mass slaughter, the illegal insurgency led by that terrorist Washington would have been ruthlessly crushed by King George III, the rightful ruler of the American colonies.

This book was purchased as part of a study prior to a production of 'A Fiddler on the Roof'. It proved invaluable by providing background to the way of life and conditions during the period of the musical play. Since it is the 'base work' for the musical there can be no better reference for director, actor and all the cast.

A set of short stories - some lifeless, some fairly amusing. Much to my surprise, I found Aleichem's other stories to be livelier than the Tevye stories. I especially liked some of the stories with surprise twists, such as "It Doesn't Pay To Be Good." (If I told you the twist, it would of course spoil the surprise!)

What struck me most about these stories, in addition to the sensitive and thoughtful translation and the wonderful Tevye character, is that they don't really depict the long-lost, static, traditional culture of the Eastern European shtetl (Jewish village). By the time Sholem Aleichem wrote these stories, the life of the shtetl was disintegrating. It was a transitional time, when emigration to America, the influence of Western culture, the pull of socialism and other radical movements, and many other forces were already acting upon traditional Judaism. Tevye, whose knowledge of Jewish sources is picturesque but not very deep, was one of the most knowledgeable people in his town. That pretty much says it all.

The Tevye stories are unforgettable, the "railroad" stories of more mixed quality. That is why I only gave the book four stars. Still, highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the entire book! The ones associated with Fiddler on the Roof as well as all the others. These stories gave a more in depth perspective of the Russian Jews and the pogroms that they as well as other targeted Russians had to endure. It showed their incredible strength, faith and sense of community that helped them survive. Thank you for a really good book! History at its best!!!

Hillel Halkin is a master translator. His translation of the Sholem Aleichem stories takes out what might be called a 'corny archaic ' element in some other translations.
Sholem Aleichem's humor and pathos, the non- ending dialogue of his Tevye with God, the Yiddish world of Eastern Europe now lost, the questioning ironic often tender tone, are all here.
Read and enjoy.

Wendell Berry reveals the hardy Depression-era souls of the Kentucky soil in their intimate rhythms of survival and subsistence. Stretched to their limits by the harshness of tedious labor, they remain decent, sociable, collaborative, resilient, and committed. Their modest dreams are often crushed, but they persist by honoring the traditions of their ancestors.

As surely as the Kentucky River runs through the fictional community of Port William, so the theme of "Membership" runs through these wonderful Port William stories by Wendell Berry. He writes of membership in family, in community, in human industry, in each others' lives, in the past, in the present.

This collection of short stories centers on those now-oldest residents of an up-to-mid-20th century Kentucky farming community who still are of an age to remember and of a bent to cherish ancestral roots, traditions, and habits, and by so doing have brought the past along with them to familiarize and to endear the present. These slices-of-life accounts lovingly highlight a community's stories that have, in their joyful retelling, become part of its lore. They laughingly reminisce over both the serious and silly everyday dilemmas of past-unintended folly. They record the ingrained farm-work ethic of a time now likely gone forever. They revel in relationships of ordinary people doing ordinary things with family and neighbors. And, yes, these stories even include occasions of deaths of and among loved ones of the "membership." It is not the events, themselves, however, that are exceptional; it is Berry's telling of them.

Having read Jayber Crow, Hannah Coulter, The Memory of Old Jack and now That Distant Land, I feel as if I have been poring through family albums that have been unearthed from Port William, KY. And from these I have come to know several generations of strong, gentle, principled people whose lives, by choice, have been pretty remote and mostly detached from the rest of a changing world. These are people of good heart who are intimately linked to each others' care and well-being. This carefully constructed fictional genealogy of the Port William membership comes from an author who, to say the very least, certainly has a way with words! Even if you have not read any of Wendell Berry's work, you will nevertheless be enchanted, I believe, and drawn into the sweetness and the cadence of these beautifully told tales of family, heritage, community, and, of course, membership.

As usual, Wendell Berry continues to prove his place in the American literary tradition; if only his place were more widely recognized. His prose flows onto the page as natural as flowers spring from the soil or rain falls from the sky. I think that is an apt comparison since many of his stories consider the relationship between man and nature. "That Distant Land" is a collection of twenty-three stories, many of which have been published previously. They are brought together marvelously, arranged in chronological order from the 1880s to the 1980s, flowing in and out of time with the neighboring stories.

Berry's fiction focuses on the invented town of Port William, a small farming community in Kentucky. For those who have read his novels, the characters and the town are familiar; for those who haven't, Berry's world is so infused with natural grace that one automatically feels at home in Port William and among its inhabitants. "That Distant Land" gathers together assorted stories about Port William's characters, some that are familiar and told from a different perspective, and some that might be unknown, but no less familiar.

I especially enjoyed the stories that told of Ptolemy Proudfoot and his wife, Miss Minnie Quinch. "A Consent", the story of their odd courtship, is a story that leaves your soul beaming at the simplicity and overwhelming power of love. The Proudfoot-Miss Minnie stories add a dimension of humor to this collection that is absent in other stories. Berry does not rush any of these stories along; some are short, light-hearted anecdotes - others are long, meandering wanders through time and memory. Perhaps the two most poignant stories in the collection are "Fidelity" and the title piece. Centering around Burley Coulter and Mat Feltner respectively, both are about the end of life, of the memories and people who shape our lives and the memories we will leave behind.

While telling his stories, working his way through the history of Port William, Berry affirms time and again a world alive with possibilities, to be what it is and also what it once was. A farmer in the oldest tradition, he is in love with the land and saddened by the 'advances' technology and urban growth have created. "That Distant Land" brings this home as it covers nearly a century of change in the world, and the decay that inevitably hits smalltown America, whose inhabitants feel that perhaps they have nothing left to offer their children that would entice them to stay and carry on their way of life. Berry, time and again, offers this hope, perhaps as a way of challenge.

I have deeply loved all of Berry's fiction. That Distant Land is particularly satisfying for showing the unfolding of many of his characters in a linear historical progression. The wealth of inter-relations and the handy genealogical tree of the characters brings all the characters into a full richness.

Wendell Berry's fictional town of Port William, Kentucky has proven to be fertile ground for a legacy of graceful, lovely stories about the place and its citizens. Berry has a knack for honing in on the key moments in his protagonists' lives when they reach very personal revelations about themselves and those around them. Add to this a gentleness of style, whether the stories are funny, tragic and/or all points inbetween, and you have narratives that stay with you after you've finished reading them.

This collection of stories about Port William spans the late 19th century to the tail-end of the 20th century. Most of the stories have been anthologized in other collections, but taken together here in chronological order, this anthology makes for a novel-like whole about people, their town and their ways of life that are either gone or gradually disappearing. Rather than sadness, though, the overall sense I get from Berry's tales is one of gratitude that such lives and such times came to pass and that they could be chronicled.

Idealized and parochial visions? Perhaps, but in a USA that these days seems so broadly fragmented across social, political and geographic lines, and where so much time and energy is spent detailing the worst aspects of an American dream gone wrong, it's heartening to read fiction by someone who remembers the good if flawed humanity that we all possess. This anthology and Berry's other fiction about Port William are storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

What can I say about this book that the other reviewers have not already said! The plot and characters were great as always. A beautiful and touching time travel romance with Elizabeth finding a path to the 1870s while wearing her Aunts necklace. She is desparate to divert a tragic fire that claimed the life of Dr. Jonathan Fortner and his daughter.

This book is one of my favorites....I have re-read the first and second book over again. You will really enjoy!

Elizabeth and the necklace, what a story! I was mesmerized from the first couple of pages and read into the wee hours. Finishing the book this morning, I can tell you that you will travel with Lizzie into the 1800's and realize that it is not what you have materially that counts in life.
I am glad that I bought many more Miller books on sale at the bookstore.

AFTER STARTING MANY BOOKS & LEAVING THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HOLD MY INTEREST, I FOUND "BEYOND THE THRESHOLD." THE BOOK IS 2 COMPLETE NOVELS IN ONE, "THERE & NOW" AND "HERE & THEN." I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN & CAN'T WAIT FOR MY SISTER TO READ IT. GOING BACK & FORTH FROM MODERN DAY TO THE 1800'S GIVES THE BOOK A MUCH MORE INTERESTING READ. I AM DEFINATELY RECOMMENDING THIS BOOK.

The time travel element gave an intriguing and refreshing twist to the romance. Elisabeth found herself in the same house one hundred years back when she worn the magical necklance. I was intrigued by the kind of shock and bewilderment that I imagined that I would experience, just like Elisabeth. Furthermore, she met and fell in love with Jonanthan and his daughter, Trista. Jonanthan was a loving and devoted father to Trista, despite his hectic life as the physician of the town. But we felt his loneliness and sadness. He was a man in need of a woman's love. And Trista, adorable and yet at times appeared to be too mature for her age, yielded and deserved a mother. Elisabeth just fit the role perfectly, except that she was from the time a century away. I was touched by the extent of commitment one would need to overcome to realise the dream of being with the loved ones, separated by a century. At the end, I wished there was more. It would be better if there was greater room for character development.

I bought this book on the advice of a former friend, and I still can't get over the colossal waste of time I invested in it. I shudder to think that if I had died in a horrible accident while reading this book, it would have been the last thing I ever read.

Each piece stands as its own monument to drivel, but taken as a whole, this collection is a masterpiece of unbearable whimpers obliterating unwritten truths. You could learn more about love in a whorehouse. Or a crackhouse, for that matter. My god, whose idea was this wretched tome? And aren't there laws against this kind of tripe?

O.K., the piece by Michael Burke is a gem, but its luster is lost in this tar-black bucket of muck. And who invited that Edward Underhill guy to throw in his two cents' worth? That floundering piece is a miasma of asinine cliches unparalleled in the history of western literature. It would have made more sense to me if the writer (hah!) had presented it in Esperanto. If he is the same Underhill who works as a waiter at that little bistro on Lunt Avenue, he should focus on his tables and leave writing to those whose literary background goes beyond Bazooka Joe bubble gum wrappers.

That's the best and the worst, and the rest aren't worth mentioning, so I won't.

Anyway, buy this book. The Michael Burke piece is worth the few dollars. When you are done with that, maybe you can test my theory and translate Underhill into Esperanto. Just imagine - quantum literature in a universal language. The possibilities abound.

It's rare to find a collection of stories, poems and plays that keeps a reader as thoroughly involved as this one. Good writers that they are, the contributors to this anthology succeed in reminding us that love is a complex emotion, and that those who are touched by it can just as easily be redeemed as they can be destroyed. As with any anthology, some pieces remain in memory longer than others, yet all are worthy of one's attention. What's more, the journey from first page to last enriches both heart and mind. So much so that this reader awaits the Press's next release with happy anticipation.

It's difficult to find an anthology that has as much stopping power as this one. Reading it, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the authorial voices, but also by their veracity. Each story, poem and play seems to have come straight from the gut. What's more, the contributing writers help to remove our blinders; particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. Love, they argue, is nothing less than a battlefield on which each of us daily chances victory or defeat.Those seeking to enter the contest fully armed would do well to buy this book.

Anthologies are not my usual choice of reading material, but as this was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While I could not relate to some of the pieces here, I enjoyed the underlying topic immensely. The poetry, drama, and short stories were a good blend. The Thing About Love Is... an enjoyable and fast read, but has a peculiar lingering effect that required that I return to it for further exploration. It's a perfect book to read from the relative comfort and safety of your best chair, where you know that you can dip into the joy and angst of love and for once, walk away unscathed.

If your idea of love is limited to visions of puppies and balloons, The Thing About Love Is... probably not for you. In Polyphony Press' first effort, the heavy topic of love is tackled in gritty, gutsy pieces that cut to core of this complex emotion. Sometimes it's bliss, sometimes it's bizarre, and quite often it hurts, but regardless of its form, love is always intriguing. This anthology is in keeping with that notion. With a variety of styles and voices, the works featured here are unanimous in their ability to draw the reader in and keep him hooked. It is truly a great read that may challenge one's personal definition of love. Call it an enjoyable experiment in mind expansion!

This book is a different style of poetry from others that I have read. The poems are very nicely written and touching in their own little way. I can place myself in some of those poems on my own personal life. Excellent poetry. When will I see more?...

Very emotional. I belive that we all have thoughts and ideas that we keep close to our heart. I was given a copy of this book and read throught it with joy! It cronicals the stories and chapters in this authors life. I envy the person that wrote this, I think how difficult it would be to show the world what you feel. Somewhat exposed! Keeping an eye out for the next edition...

Most people think of things that they would like to say to each other, but they can't put them into words. The author of this book is able to put thoughts into words and make it look easy, it's an encouragement to say what you feel, when you feel it. Don't let the moment pass. Very, very nice.

I thought that this was a great book, we often think of many things to say to each other, but can never express them in words. The author has brought to light many things that would go unnoticed otherwise. Very, very nice.

Wow! When i read this book i got chills. So many of us so many times in our lives if we look back,realize "i wish i had said so many things"and we don't note them at all. This Author has talent im hoping to be able to read another of this Author's Books. Come on #2.