Maine Books

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I felt like I knew the characters and was sad when I finnished reading it. Great for a weekend read and I felt completely satisfied. I would encourage anyone to read it!

I read this book a few years back after getting it from the library. I now want to buy it because even though much time has passed, the characters and the story still fascinate and haunt me. This is a story you won't forget, and it's a great one!

This is the story that Hannah Grey has waited a long time to tell. It's the story of what happened to her the summer she was seventeen, living in Maine. The summer she met Conary Crocker, the wild boy she fell in love with.

It's also the story of what began to happened with the Haskell family who lived in isolation on an island off the mainland of Dundee, Maine back in the late 1880s.

It's part love story, part ghost story.
And the two stories eventually collide...

I thought this was very well done. The characters were realistic, and well developed and I found it to be an easy and satisfying read. I will look for more books written by Beth Gutcheon.

MORE THAN YOU KNOW

This is my first Beth Gutcheon book but certainly will not be the last. I really enjoyed this book. It was cool how past and present were totally tied in with each other.

Hannah Gray tells of the summer she met the love of her life, Conary Crocker, resident bad boy. This is a summer during the Great Depression. Hannah and her half-brother and nasty, mean step-mother summer in Dundee, Maine. Not only does Hannah meet Conary, but they also meet some nasty, evil ghosts who are haunting the house where Hannah and family reside.

We also meet the Haskell family from 100 years earlier. They are a miserable, mean, unhappily wed couple who also have two children. Claris, the mother, marries Danial, which is odd due to the fact that Danial is a strange man, mean, cold, nasty, rude. Claris comes from a fun-loving, music-loving, happy, close-knit family and marrying Danial turns out to be the BIGGEST mistake of her young life.

All of these characters become involved with each other through ghosts and/or lost souls -- what have you. This book is a story of two couples and their relationships and how both of these relationships are intertwined even though they lived 100 years apart. The book tells of love, hate, hauntings, murder, great secondary characters, good story line, and history.

The wildly happy couple -- Hannah and Conary and the miserable, hateful couple -- Danial and Claris -- will stay in your mind for a long time. The book tells the stories of these two couples and their families in a way that will delight and scare you. This is good writing. I also enjoyed the history of the area, be it true or not!

This is a very well written book, one I thoroughly enjoyed, and one I will highly recommend to my friends/family.

Thank you!!! Pam

In "More Than You Know," Beth Gutcheon tells two stories, both set in a town in Maine, at once: first the story of Hannah Gray and the summer she spent with her irritating stepmother and the love of her life, Conary Crocker and second the story of the Haskells, a family that could not stand each other. As Hannah faces her own struggle with Edith (her stepmom), a spirit from the past begins to haunt her. At the same time, she begins to look into the Haskell murder mystery, which occurred many years before her time. The novel is about discovering our pasts and the importance of moving on--the danger of closing our minds to the world around us. Hannah becomes freer in her relationship with Conary while discovering what isolated and unhappy lives the Haskells lived because they were alone on an island and would not admit their anxiety and anger. This discovery is important to what happens later in Hannah's life: a reverence of the past, tradition and family, but not a slavish devotion to it. The ambitious, well-written and impressive novel is crafted beautifully and effectively. The problem is, in the end, the storylines are not all that exciting. Gutcheon's story needed more pizzaz, more flash and more style to draw the reader in more. She does all she can with the spare storyline, but to really accentuate the meaning of the novel, she needed to highlight it, rather than watercolor it across the page.

I saw this movie by Costa Gavras a couple of years ago at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. The movie moved me so much...that I decided to buy the book a year later. I loved reading it but it was so much like the movie that I knew what was going to happen...I probably should have read the book before the movie...I don't know. The MOVIE is simply excellent. I couldn't help seeing excerpts from the film as I read the book. It's a scary dark noir thriller of what could happen with outsourcing jobs to other countries and how one's home country could falter for it...very interesting reading.

This is the best book I've read in years for one reason: You almost become the main character, an out of work psychopathic murderer. Now, you may be asking yourself why you'd want to become a out of work psychopath, but trust me you'll like it... in a weird way which makes you worried about yourself when you finally put it down. The book is written in the first person with very little dialogue, due to this you get such an intimate bond with the character, through his thoughts, that you don't want him to get caught... because your so involved you feel like your at risk of being found out too. You sympathize with this guy to a degree that I didn't think was possible to feel for a killer, but you want him to succeed, you want him to kill again... It's a strange sensation that is wonderful and scary at the same time, like you're doing something you're not supposed to. If you want a read that you'll never forget, this is it. Westlake at his very best.

Although first published in 1997, "The Ax" remains relevant ten years later as the downsizing in corporate America continues unabated. The downsizing of white collar jobs is still topical and should continue to be for years to come. Dark, satirical, and surprisingly moving, "The Ax" is the crown jewel of Westlake's bibliography.

Last week I coincidentally read the above two books -- The Negligence of Death and The Ax...one right after the other. At the end of both, my reaction was the same. Chilling! Although they have quite different storylines, I saw a number of similarities:

...I didn't like what I was reading, but couldn't stop.
...Though fiction, I felt their "realness."
...They are perfect illustrations of the impact of society on one (or more) individual.
...Killing is a by-product -- a means to an end.
...Though I didn't like reading them, I am thankful I did.

Vietnam. The 60s. Many of us knew people who were in that war. Many of us wondered why few of those who returned were unwilling to talk about it. In The Negligence of Death by Jerome Gold, we learn why.

The story revolves around the life of Dixie, a green beret. Some might say he is the main character. He's not. Death is the main character in this book. As a silent voyeur, the author takes the reader to Vietnam into Dixie's life -- his "daily" life in Vietnam. After a few pages, you really don't want to be there; you don't want to see and hear through Dixie...you want to go home, AWOL. But you can't; you're in for the duration . . .just like Dixie.

This book has just 179 pages. Fast reading -- if you can stand it. You join Dixie in his sixth day, when he tells you "the worst part was the bodies. They reeked, some were five or six days dead and the troops . . .did not like being reminded how negligent was Death." From then on, the book could easily be titled How Many Ways are There to Die?

And there is sex. "The woman lay on her back in a cave dug into the side of a trench. As I passed she opened her legs. I went on to wake up a man who was sleeping. When I saw her again, a Ranger was on top of her."

And there are drugs. "I was in great pain and the medic on board gave me morphine. In Saigon they gave me morphine again. It was a wonder to me that I did not die of good care, but I kept my mouth shut and waited for them to administer each shot."

Somewhere along the way you discover Dixie's real name and that he is a radio operator/communications officer. But it is really unimportant; it could just as well have been through Mitch's eyes, as he tells: "So these other two Arvins who are standing around take their oranges and put them between the guy's legs. And they're laughing. He's got half his face blown away and he's going `uh-uh-uh' and pointing to those goddamn oranges, and laughing."

There is no storyline . . .it could just as easily be actual tape transcripts of daily conversations and actions by those stationed in Vietnam. Oh yes, this is a story about Dixie, who is in Vietnam. He gets wounded and goes back home. You might think the book ends there.

But Dixie reenlists, to share one last scene: "...one of the small green uniforms appears in front of me and I fire a short burst, it is so pure and sweet and clear, like sudden knowledge, like certainty, and the small green man flies backward, it is as though he were flying, his arms lift, his back arches, his feet raise off the ground, it's Superman! Ha ha. Now almost to the perimeter, there are Americans, and I fire off the rest of the magazine, ha ha, they fall, they are so surprised...I fire right into them ha ha ha, I am hit again ha ha...it is so funny, everything is, and I feel such love . . ."

Read The Negligence of Death. Understand Vietnam.



Burke DeVore got The Ax. Vietnam is our history. Getting "the ax" is today. Vietnam was at war. Burke DeVore fights his own war (ours).

Burke DeVore is unemployed. He has been downsized. He was once a middle manager with a promising future. Then one day he was told "your job is not going forward."

Burke's wife has taken on two part-time jobs. His daughter is in college; his son in high school. Burke has been unemployed for two years with no prospect of gaining a similar job with a similar salary. Although everything they could do has been done to cut expenses, they are now facing loss of their home, schooling -- everything.

One day the history of the United States will reflect that, during the 90s, many middle managers were abused, harassed, and dismissed without regard. Those affected had no way of fighting back. Being excellent loyal employees was not enough to keep a job. The bottom line dividends ($) to the stockholders, to the owners, boards and other regulators was what mattered; people didn't. Burke DeVore is making history...but he might not make the history books, though he's fighting a war. I pray he is the only one that chooses his method of fighting.

Burke was not alone when he got axed. One-fourth of his company was cut; Burke's product line was dropped completely. (He was a production line manager at a paper company.) You may immediately empathize with Burke -- we hear about similar situations on the radio or read it in the newspaper every day.

The Ax is a story about many of us. Working from the bottom up, after 25 years Burke had become a specialist in his field. His loyalty, hard work and experience had allowed him to arrive at a place where he had finally been able to "buy" (which means a long mortgage) a home and provide for his children's higher education. He had planned his career, toiled diligently and reached a goal...and then was told, "Don't go away mad; just go away." Oh yes, his company tried to ease the action. Burke went through counseling, he took a class on how to prepare a resumé, and received a generous severance. With all of his accumulated vacation and sick leave, he even got a flat sum of "four thousand, seven hundred, sixteen dollars, and twenty-two cents." Then Burke adds, "To tell the truth, if it had been nineteen cents, I doubt I would have known the difference."

Burke needs a job. "More and more of us are out here now, another thousand or so every day, and we're chasing fewer and fewer jobs." Burke prepared a new resumé, hunted for a job, and interviewed numerous times, doing exactly what his former employer had taught him to do. He tried to do it their way.

You first meet Burke as he considers, "what now? I've never actually killed anybody before, murdered another person, snuffed out another human being . . . How do you know beforehand that you can do it . . .This has to work. I have to get out of this morass, and soon. Which means I'd better be capable of murder."

After doing all the right things, no employer had hired him. And, after just receiving the ax, like so many others, he knew he could not change these employers who cared nothing about their people. So, there was only one alternative that Burke could see; eliminate the competition for the available jobs.

Establishing a fictitious company and placing an ad for an individual who would apply for "his" job, as anticipated, Burke receives hundreds of applications. After studying each one, he finally, objectively, arrives at six candidates who are either better or equally qualified. He establishes a plan to eliminate his competition, then proceeds to kill each man. Studying trade journals to keep up with the job area, he reads an article about a nearby plant and visits there. Deciding that the job he wants is at this plant, he adds the elimination of one more competitor, the present manager, to his plan of action. The first elimination succeeds. The second, however, is a fiasco, and he winds up killing both his competitor and his wife. He then meets his third victim and they commiserate with each other: ". . .this is the first society ever that takes its most productive people, at their prime, at the peak of their powers, and throws them away. I call that crazy." But this becomes a problem, the competition has become a person, and Burke works to ensure that future kills do not become personal. He's merely eliminating the competition.

Thus the story follows Burke through his family life and the problems they face as a result of his unemployment; we follow Burke as death provides for his future.

Until the day occurs when he goes for the interview for "his" job, and requests, "Wish me luck."

After having just completed The Negligence of Death, upon finishing The Ax, I couldn't help but visualize that Burke never got that job, and he is still out there, quietly using death, eliminating his competition.

Another coincidence happened yesterday as I started preparing this review. A friend sent me an online joke, showing a man sitting at a computer, pointing out that the year 2000 has come and no computer bug has occurred. Two seconds later, a giant bug jumps out of the computer and pulls the man into the machine. It was funny the first time I saw it months ago. But yesterday, I remembered the following from The Ax:

...I think about the circumstances that have led me here, to this place. And I think about the millennium. Strange, that. I'd never thought about it before, that the simple arbitrary numbering of years could have an effect on us, but it turns out to be so... 2000; and it all stops. Maybe that is what they're doing. It's as good an explanation as anything they've offered. They're trying to make everything neat and perfect for the end... This kind of business management that has never been seen in the world before, trashing productive people from productive careers in productive companies, is happening because of the millennium. Because of the year 2000. I'm out of work because the human race has gone mad. On that thought, I fall asleep. It's only later that I wake up in terror.

Chilling, isn't it? Two time periods. One is our history; one is our future. The 60s were a major part of the history for many of us. The 90s has "changed" history for many of us. Prepare to be a part of history. Read these books. Prepare to wake up in terror.

This was my first Donald Westlake novel and surely not my last. I picked it up after reading Stephen King's much praised "On Writing". At the end of King's book, he gives a list of his all-time favorites and this was one of them. I am a huge King fan so I checked this one out at the library and will be adding the hardback to my collection.

This is a story that hits close to home, being that I'm currently on the market for a decent job after being laid off from a promising career.

I could not put this book down. I brought it to doctor's visits, restaurants, read it in the car when my husband was driving (feat in itself!) and into the bathtub with me.

Westlake succeded in fleshing out a man on the verge of losing everything in the wake of being laid off from a sixteen- year job and brings to light the corporate swine that ultimately makes those kinds of decisions. In a world of tough competition in the job market, Westlake gives new definition to the term "Dog eat dog world".

The pace was fast and had you rooting for the main character which in this case was the killer. A very difficult thing to do for any writer but Westlake does it flawlessly.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good dark comedy-thriller.

This crime novel has great descriptions of the area, wonderful langauge, great character names, and an interesting story. The character Legion is very evil and divine intervention "gets him" in the end. I love the Dave Robicheaux series .

Jolie Blon's Bounce, A good story, a welcome addition to my "Dave Robicheaux" collection. I do worry that the author is about to kill "Dave" off. The other characters in the story seem to feel that was also. I do hope this is not so, as I really enjoy Dave's adventures in New Orleans.

I won't add to the well written reviews and comments written so far. I mainly want to refute the reviewer who complained about the narration of Mark Hammer. It took a few minutes to get into but I think it's perfect for the bayou setting. The reader's voice seems etched with all the cares and woes of the characters who are woven through this fine novel. I hung on his every word and replayed many tracks to cement the impact of the incredible writing as transformed by the cadence and haunting voice of the reader.

I haven't been there physically, but James Lee Burke does a masterful job in placing you in the story. You can feel the heat while watching lightening flash across the night's sky. Your skin crawls with desperation of a depressed area. Your heart races with disgust as you are faced with one literature's most vile villains.
Very good read and very smooth prose.

James A. Forrest - Eye of the Storm

Like many of the Dave Robicheaux books, this one is filled with violent people, many of whom the best can be said is that some day they will kill and be killed by one of their own kind. It's the in-between time that the rest of us have to be fearful. This one starts out with the murder of two woman in a similar way, both have been beaten brutally and raped prior to being murdered.



But the real story is the one that follows Dave around during the whole of the investigation into the murders, and that is how do you deal with real evil without becoming part of the pattern. Dave almost goes off the wagon by taking pills after he is brutally beaten by a man who is proud to go by the name "Legion". Legion is one of the devil's disciples/minions who is mentioned in the "Book of Revelations". So there is a lot, a lot of allegory going on in this book about people and the sources of evil and what people do to aide and abet evil.



In the end, the story plays out pretty much the way you expect it to if you've read any of the previous books by JLB, but this one ends with a quirky bit about a criminal that Dave calls the "Easter Bunny". EB is an albino who doesn't just break into peoples houses he does so for many reasons. In one segment Dave tells how EB broke into a Pet Store, and stole two large South American parrots. He then breaks into the house of a well-known ex-KKK leader (who is overseas), steals his computer records (which he sends to the FBI and IRS) and lets the birds loose in the guys house (they of course leave 'deposits' all over the place). I hope he brings this character back sometime in the near future.



All in all, though it is a little heavy handed at times, and has more violence than I think is necessary (IMHO), it's an enjoyable story.

I bought "Under Orders" 2 days ago and just finished reading it this morning. Housework and eating fell to the wayside as I entered the world of Sid Hadley, Jockey turned Private Investigator. Dick Franicis never fails to weave several plot lines together for an exciting ending. This book also lets the reader enter the real world of Police Departments lack of funding, how computers are enabling "easy to get away with" crime and how science is making sure that the right person is caught, not just an easy patsy. I'd recommend this book to any mystery lover.

This was one of the most boring books I have ever read.

The plot was uninteresting and plodding and all the characters were just cardboard cut outs; completely superficial and predictable and with no depth at all. The female characters were particularly unbeliveable and some of their dialogue was just awful.

I am at a loss to explain how so many people gave this book high ratings, perhaps it is due to his earlier work being of a higher standard? (It'd have to be surely for this writer to have had such a career.)

I am always worried about long time authors' ability to turn out another entertaining book. However, in my opinion, rarely has Francis failed to please and Under Orders is no exception. I welcome the return of Sid Halley (honestly, how has it been that there has never been a decent, mainstream series picked up of this character on television? With the dismal choice for watching these days, Sid would be a perfect vehicle for a really decent show that doesn't have CSI in front of the title.) as a happier more well adjusted hero. I disagree that there is any excess in bringing him back. This was another fast paced, hook me in tight from the first page Francis novel. I'm a little worried about reading the next one, as other parent/child torch passings have never lived up to my expectations but I am really pleased that we have at least one more novel in the cadre of Francis books. I think it's amazing with the volume of work he has done that he's managed to turn out mostly solid, entertaining books time after time. Please spare me the "formulaic" complaint. Mr. Francis has had a formula that was apparent since about book 3 but it has rarely failed to still be an interesting character driven piece with believable motivations. If you don't like the formula, stop reading after your third novel. But I think, as his popularity shows, its a formula that works, is intriguing and obviously appealing and his ability to draw me in to a story has shone through once more.

Another winner from Dick Francis. His later works depend rather much on a tried and trusted formula especially with hero Sid Hailey. However this very predictability has appeal at least you know what you are going to get. Heroes are brave, clever and underestimated, baddies are loud, brash and ruthless and women are beautiful and compliant.Great stuff!

I am a Dick Francis virgin, that is to say Under Orders is my first Dick Francis novel. Unlike some of the other reviewers I have no fond memories of his previous works and writing style and therefore I present my review based solely on my experience with the content contained between the covers of this book.

I was immediately drawn into this tale of a one handed former jockey, now surviving as a moderately successful P.I., and his main squeeze, a vivacious, blond, Dutch cancer research specialist as they navigate the perilous waters of steeplechase racing and internet gambling. They cross paths with a variety of characters including horse trainers and jockeys, who are suspected of being paid off to fix races, a journalist whose paparazzi tactics are less than honorable, a grieving father, an ex-member of MI5, a couple of English Lords, and a plethora of supporting cast members.

Murder, suicide, and muggings replete with an ample amount of blood and gore are the order of the day and the author's vivid description of the intricacies of internet gambling as well as his speculation as to the devious methods which could be employed by gambling site owners to ensure them windfall profits was quite enlightening.

Additionally, Mr. Francis obviously has his finger on the rather jaded pulse humanity as illustrated by an incident in his story depicting the publics' mournful reaction to the death of a racehorse and the news coverage generated by that event when compared with the apathetic reaction to the death of a jockey on the same day. It would appear that we are a species more willing to empathize with and bestow our compassion on an animal than on our fellow man.

I found this offering to be a quick read and a pleasant diversion and particularly impressive when one considers that the ingenious plot is the brainchild of an 86 year old author. Cheers to you, Mr. Francis.....and three and a half stars too.

I have to say that author Elizabeth McCracken has written a classic novel about a small town between Peggy Cort, a single librarian, and a young man, James, who is literally a giant. The story takes place decades ago where a relationship between Peggy and James bond over a love of books. Their relationship evolves from a friendship into a romance. McCracken writes clearly and precisely. The writing is not too difficult to understand. It's written in the first person from Peggy's point of view. There are other characters like Mrs. Sweatt, James' mother, and other characters. It was nominated for a National Book Award in fiction when it first came out in 1997. The book has an Oprah appeal to it too.

I read this book years ago, and have never gotten it out of my head. Simply marvelous. One of my favourites ever.

I read this book and truly was shaking my head through most of it. If this is getting published then I am speechless. After reading the positive comments here I can say that the people who liked it and actually called it a romance probably liked it because they like the National Enquirer also. The author's "hook" is using a freakish person as bait to draw you in to see what happens between these two characters. People keep reading thinking of that odd love affair that they will witness. This isn't a "love story" or a "beautiful story of a man and a woman." It is an author's attempt to sell a book by presenting the promise of something bizarre and tittilating. The characters are not developed, the whole premise is just the main character one day seeing the tall boy and, what, she suddenly loves him? He is 11? And she is 25? And she wangles herself into his life and his family and they just accept her as one of them? What kind of story is this? It is beyond odd. It is pure nothing. I read the whole thing because I always read books all the way through. But otherwise, I would have tossed it out on garbage day unfinished. And the ending? Baloney. This author is on the wrong track.

The tallest boy in the world, and a convoluted librarian with the biggest heart in the world, this was an enchanting read, complete with loveable oddball characters you'll worry about even long after you turn the last page. This book became an obsession, and is a great flash of lightning on the horizon, for the beauty of McCracken's next novel, "Niagra Falls All Over Again." Deep author, and this book will delve into your heart, deep.

The Giant's House is a biography of James Carlson Sweatt, a young man afflicted with giantism. Six feet tall at the age of eleven, James reaches a height of eight feet seven inches before he passes away. James' biographer is Peggy Cort, a librarian, who, until she meets James, is in danger of living a life of loneliness and quiet desperation. Peggy tells the tale of James'short life, chronicling the many triumphs and heartbreaks. She also describes the bond between her and the gentle giant, an attachment which grows into a deep, abiding love.

Reminiscent of the best of Ray Bradbury, and of Katherine Dunn's Geek Love, The Giant's House is an outstanding achievement. McCracken has a keen eye for descriptive detail, especially small town life. It's probably not for everyone, but if you value good writing, give it a try.

great summer read, thriller, fast paced and love the central character scot harvath. am a robert ludlam fan and thor's books are similar in the intrigue, mystery, action. right now reading a fourth book of his. can't beat it for reading on the deck and we all know there is nothing on tv.

One word to describe Brad Thor's latest: Vince-Flynn-Wannabe. While there is nothing BAD about this national security thriller, there isn't one good thing about it either. Simply put, the prose is lifeless and the plot is wholly derivative. Why drink (flat) beer when you can lift a flute of champagne? Forget about Thor and stick with Vince Flynn!

Brad Thor has written another page-turning pulse-pounding thriller here, and this one is going to have you flashing back to the above-named movies as the action races through a New York City gone wild due to terrorist bombings on all bridges and tunnels. Thankfully, Scot Horvath is already in NYC and its up to him to save the day. Suspend your disbelief and you'll be propelled into a terrific thriller. Start thinking about it and you'll be rolling your eyes.

I recommend it highly for sheer entertainment value. Seek literary greatness elsewhere.

Great writer His books always are great!!!!!! Try to get them all.

This book is a bit how you would expect it to be. Islamic terrorists strike New York City killing scores of people and wreak havoc on Manhattan, which also happens to be the current location of covert officers operating under the law. Not surprisingly, weapons are quickly assembled, information is gathered and a chase ensues. The story moves rapidly and I stayed interested until the end, but the book is average for this genre. The author left the book wide open for a sequential story. Who knows if I'll get to the next book or not.

This unique book addresses decorating styles based on personality - the visionary, the artisan, the idealist and the adventurer. It contains quizzes to test your style and then shows examples of each type of room for each of the four styles. I liked the page of each style section that states -"You may be an artisan if ..." and it lists different traits. Also at the end of each style is the alphabet for each style - and it gives buzz words for each style. Very unique and creative; fun to read with good ideas.

I liked this book, I ended up giving it away to a friend and I will purchase it again and again. You will be able to share with your group of friends the personality test and understand why you like some stuff and why your friends like other things.

My wife and I have eclectic tatses. Our home consists of a 300+ cookie jar collection all the way through to antique tables, beds and chairs. We have spent many years collecting/decorating, and are constantly seeking opportunities to bridge the gap between our differing design points of view. It is important to us both, that as we personalize each room, and balance is achieved to mesh our combined tastes. Since we entertain frequently, our environment is very important, as we seek to provide warmth and coziness, while at the same time, provoke thoughts of curiosity and of course, smiles. We achieve this through our art, furnishings and use of space, and are actively searching for additions to furnish. The Intuitive Book of Home Design helped us to focus on identifying our unique personalities to ensure that we achieve balance. The test was particularly revealing, not to mention fun. We did find ourselves somewhat on the edge of more then one type, which might explain how the mix of my wife's taste and style, while different then mine, can work well as we developed a greater understanding and appreciation for our unique points of view through our reading.

Thanks Judy.

Andrew Koven - A satisfied and enlightened Fan

I guess I must be one of the few people that didn't like this book. The quiz may be simple, but it is not very helpful. I was excited to learn what personality Type I was, but when I looked at the photos, I didn't feel like it fit my design style. I think that only four styles is way too few to encompass the varity that is present in interior decoration. I was also disappointed in a similar book called Yes/No Design. Sometimes, if a book doesn't have very useful tips, but beautiful photos, I might still buy the book. The photos don't save this book from the reject pile.

I think that people are much better off choosing their own unique style of interior decoration then trying to have it dictated to them by a quiz. Sometimes, interior decoration is about breaking the rules and going with your own intuition.

Recommendation: There are other books that will give you better guidance towards developing your own style. Good luck!

Other Resources:

The Ultimate Home Style Guide by Katherine Sorrell is the best book on the broadest range of styles that I have seen. Almost all styles are represented here with enough details on colors, fabrics, and other style elements to create the looks yourself.

The Architecture and Design Library series are excellent primers on different design styles. Each book focusess on one style, such as eastern style, Arts & Crafts, French Country, and Retro Modern to name just a few.

Color in Your Home by T. Evelegh has one of the best primers on how to use color. The photos are beautiful. The style is modern country and/or feminine (but not overdone) color schemes.

Color Design File by Geddes-Brown also does a great job of covering the basics, and there are beautiful photos. I like the fact that there are pockets for swatches and magazine inspirations. This book shows primarily Loft style.

Not only was the "quiz" extremely easy to take, fun to read and quite inciteful but the illustrations, the content and presentation of this book was absolutely an A+ for me. It doesn't matter what level of "expertise" you categorize yourself in with respect to interior design...this book touches everyone at every level. It's also a great gift idea!

This book is interesting and easy to read. It seems to give a good detailed view of what it was like for some of the westerners involved in the Boxer Rebellion.

And that is also it's fault and why I only gave it four stars.

Even though the author tries to give some historical background and makes attempts at being even handed she falls short.

After reading the book I still do not feel I have a good grasp of what it was all about, nor do I know anything about how it was perceived or what the reactions were among the Chinese.

It seems to be a westerners view of what happened with a subtle bias against the Chinese, and unspoken support for armed invasion resulting in a multitude of deaths, atrocities, and crimes against history in order to rescue a few hundred westerners. As another reviewer said this book could have been written in 1905.

With the usual disclaimer of not knowing enough to judge the scholarship of the work I think it is worth reading considering the short amount of time it takes to finish.

The author does an excellent job of writing and researching this book however, it is obviously based from the point of view of the imperial powers. This would be fine if she expressed this clearly and emphatically in the Prologue or even added a chapter at the beginning describing the opium wars and a more thorough description of the actions of the imperial powers leading p to the rebellion.

Later in the book Ms. Preston mentions several quotes from German military and political leaders but fails to follow up on their implications in future events. Comments from German officers about the inadequacy of French troops and statements that they could defeat "all of America with a Berlin Fire brigade" clearly set the tone for Germany's attitude towards the armies they would later attack. Germany's' other ominous statements are also glossed over "the Chinese "would feel the iron fist of Germany heavy on their necks"" (p.25) and later "You must know my men, that you are about to meet a crafty, well-armed foe! Meet him and beat him! Give him no quarter! Take no prisoners! Kill him when he falls into your hands! Even as a thousand years ago. the Huns under king Atilla made such a name for themselves as still resounds in terror through legend and fable, so may never again will a Chinese dare to so much as look askance at a German." (p.209) The author also mentions that most of the Chinese modern weapons and war ships came from Germany and especially from the krupp family but fails to follow up with the fact that the Krupps would continue to enrich themselves by selling arms to both sides in many conflicts and by encouraging the following world wars. Despite the fact that they would be tried for their crimes the Krupp manufacturing empire still thrives in plastics.

In summary Ms. Preston seems to fail to put the long term effects of the boxer rebellion especially of the multinational rescue force that would later be fighting each other, into a larger historical context. This leaves the book as a fascinating first hand account of the besieged and their rescuers viewpoints, but fails to adequately explain the reason for the uprising in the first place, and its long term results. This combined with the lack of a Chinese point of view results more in a collection of personnel narratives, impressions and feelings and less of an analysis of the Boxer Rebellion and how it "Shook the World".

R Philip Reynolds
Research Education Librarian

Preston's book is typical of the ethnocentric views characteristic of the previous literature on the subject. Although written in the politically correct present, it still harbors those biased sentiments of the past. Little is said about the arrogant Western powers running ramshod over China, grabbing land, carving spheres of influence and insulting the locals. Little is said of an incident during the Boxer rebellion in the Amur River town of Blagoveshchensk, where all Chinese inhabitants of the neighboring 64-villages were driven at gun-point into the Amur to drown en-masse. Thousands died and what was Chinese terrritory was taken over by the Russians. On the cultural side, the plunder of art treasures by both troops and diplomatic personnel went unchecked. The rape of civilians and summary executions by the occupying troops followed. The famous Admonitions scroll, one of the oldest masterpieces of Chinese painting, now in the British Museum, was looted at the time fom the Imperial Palace. The horrendous indemnity levied against the Chinese, 450 million taels of silver, one tael per person when most Chinese were barely making a few cents, is downright criminal. When the indemnity was paid in full by 1939, China was suffering the ravages of the Japanese invasion while the West continued to sell Japan the oil and other raw materials that allowed her to prolong the war. History is not one-sided as some people might wish to interpret it. The definitive Boxer Rebellion has yet to be written and is eagerly awaited.

Preston's book has a number of fundamental weaknesses which belie its title and ultimately can only be characterized as racist in their utter indifference to the lives and personalities of the Chinese. Preston again and again quotes the racist drivel of the White officers and politicians, without once taking distance from such remarks, without once calling them what they were--despicably racist. I very much agree with the first review that, the Preston's book presented "`good Europeans' vs. the `bad" Chinese" and that, "Rudyard Kipling would be proud."

Throughout the book Preston repeated refers to the Chinese men with the racist epithet -- "Chinaman," and repeatedly and uncritically quotes the racist U.S. and British troops and government officials calling the Chinese "chinks." Preston also frequently uses "coolie" without clarifying the usage of this term for Chinese men as cheap laborers, or who have been press-ganged into labor or indentured servitude. It is certainly considered racist and Preston should have clarified why she felt she had or could use it, instead of simply saying "laborer" or a Chinese man.

Preston also refers to some of the Chinese solders, the Kansu, as "braves." While the term "Kansu brave" was the common racist term used at the time, there is no reason for Preston to repeat it.

Even the conservative and historically racist dictionaries such as Websters and the OED are clear on the matter:

--"CHINAMAN: 1 capitalized : a native of China : CHINESE often taken to be offensive" Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

--"COOLIE: [...] b. S. Afr. [Afrikaans koelie (also used).] An Asian or Indian, esp. one of the lower classes. Also attrib.
1920 Cape Times 1 Apr. 3/2 Great Public Sale.+ No coolies. 1959 L. Lerner Englishman xiv. 220 It was his girl the other one took, the one who slept with koelies. Ibid. xv. 226 You wont, you koelie girl. 1967 Guardian 4 Oct. 13/7 In South Africa the word `coolie' is used by some whites to describe Asians, and is as bitterly resented by them as the word `Kaffir' is resented by Africans." Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

No doubt such was the despicable language of the time and the author should accurately quote this reality, but it is also true that to fail to distance herself from this racism, makes her susceptible to being identified with it.

As is often the case with most "histories" of events involving whites and people of color, the history is written from the perspective of the whites. Rather than a history of the Boxer Rebellion, Preston writes a gushing and admiring history of the lives of the elite whites from the various legations (embassies of the day) that were under siege. Preston makes no effort to explain or analyze what events had taken place that led to this uprising. She also failed to provide any background of the persons in the legations. Rather than admirable heroes, these ambassadors or ministers were the persons in charge of imposing the humiliating and murderous policies of collecting crippling payments of "reparations" imposed at gunpoint by invading forces, as well as deleterious trade policies forced on the Chinese by occupying forces. Preston fails to make any mention whatsoever of this very important background that explains in good part the ire of the Chinese people toward these foreigners.

Why were so many millions of Chinese enraged against the foreign invaders who had imposed their presence in China at gunpoint, who had killed thousands of Chinese, and forced the sale of opium addicting millions of Chinese?

Why were so many Chinese enraged at the missionaries? The book does mention in passing what it characterizes as the "high-handed attitude" of the racist missionaries. It fails to mention the slave labor utilized by the missionaries, the humiliations and beatings and worse of Chinese at the hand of the missionaries. These missions were usually established on stolen lands, often using false accusation to force the Chinese authorities to handover lands they desired.

Preston fails to mention all this and much more. Preston refers with great sympathy to the killings of missionaries, calling them "murders" and using inflammatory terms such as "gruesome" to describe the acts. Yet such language is missing from any description of the terrible murders of tens of thousands of Chinese in their own country at the hands of foreign invaders. Preston makes great effort to arouse the reader to the alleged atrocities against the foreign missionaries. Yet the murders of the Chinese are largely presented as trifles by Preston. In Preston's book murder is reserved only for the death of whites. It would appear that Preston does not assign Chinese lives the same value.

Only briefly does Preston mention the near apocalyptic famine killing millions of Chinese peasants between 1887-1901. Another publication, "Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third Word, by Mike Davis, does a good job of documenting the fact that these famines were in part due to droughts but in fact they were largely due to the inhuman demands of the European governments for "reparation" payments imposed on the Chinese.

Preston also fails to provide any background to the readers concerning the procolonial character of the missionary societies. In fact, the missionary societies served as spies and provocateurs, and provided pretexts to justify colonial demands and attacks against the Chinese. An example was the use by the French of alleged slights against missionaries as the pretext for invading and seizing Vietnam. The author Mike Davis explained, "The first phase of drought, which lasted from 1897 through summer 1898, caused acute distress in the western and southern counties of Shandong, where anti-foreign anger was already at a fever-pitch because of repeated German military interventions on behalf of Catholic missionaries."

Other than a handful of Chinese elite generally described unflatteringly by Preston, there are no Chinese people in her story. In Preston's book, the Chinese are largely nameless caricatures who simply serve as examples of primitive cruelty, except for the noble and servile Christian converts. Of the thousands of converts being held in the legation not one has a name. Interestingly, even the Japanese other than their commanding officers have no names, and no accounts are given by Preston. It seems odd that none of the Japanese would have written diaries nor given interviews about their experience. Indeed, the descriptions of the social life and partying of the interventionists does not include any descriptions of the Japanese, except to refer to their military bravery and discipline in killing Chinese, and their subsequent mass rapes and slaughtering of the Chinese.

Another example of Preston's viewpoint is provided when she writes "for most the diet was a monotonous one of horse, pony, or mule and rice, which gave many people digestive problems and make the feel `out of sorts'." The "most" that Preston refers to are the white Europeans, which is eloquently revealing of Preston's values. While the colonialists are bored with meat, the Chinese converts are left starving, eating tree bark, or if they are lucky, Preston describes the Europeans occasionally leaving the Chinese the largely inedible head and guts of a horse, after they took all the meat.

Preston's descriptions of the Europeans are the usual adulatory tripe of the jolly good and decent, noble and brave white men and women, who faced the hordes of savages with a touch of humor and a dash of fashion. In one part of the book Preston describes the dashing whites who, notwithstanding the inconveniences of the war, were sure to keep clean and wear clean clothes. Preston describes a laundry service for the whites. Unsurprisingly, she does not clarify who was doing the washing. Obviously, it must have been the Chinese hostages who had been forced to keep the Europeans' clothes clean, while the Chinese were filthy and dying. Moreover, as the Chinese were severely malnourished, imposing such hard physical labor as washer-men and women can only have hastened their misery and death. But Preston expresses no concern for with such matters while she spends most of her book describing the parties, food, gossip and hardships, for the white Europeans, which an occasional obligatory mention of the Chinese hardships, and European discrimination.

"When a shell burst into the bakery and killed on the Chinese bakers, Madame Chamot kept the others [Chinese] to their work by brandishing a rifle." [page 159] How quaint!

Preston describes the rapes of the Chinese schoolgirls among the converts by the white soldiers, using a grotesque euphemism "unfortunate incidents" [page 182]. Preston belittles the horror in a titillating humorous tone that is absolutely shocking.

A far more thorough critique of Preston's book is certainly needed, as I have barely scratched the surface.

The short lived, generally forgotten Boxer Rebellion took place in North China in 1900. The Boxers were Chinese rebels who hated foreign Christian missionaries, their converts, and the foreign diplomats who had taken up residence in China during the last century. They wanted China to be rid of all of them. They were called "Boxers" because of the martial arts they practiced and the poses they assumed. It was very short lived, put down in a couple of months by a coalition of troops from Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Germany, Italy and the United States.

The author is an Oxford trained historian, writer and broadcaster. As she states, the book is a popular history, telling the story of what happened, not necessarily why. It is published by Berkley Books, a division of Penguin Group which has specialized in best selling authors. While it is intended for a general audience and has been a best seller, the support and documentation for the narrative would make any scholar proud. Relying upon many published sources and unpublished letters, diaries, and statements of the Western survivors, many of them women, the book, which contains extensive endnotes, sets forth the day to day resistance of the foreigners and converts encircled in the diplomatic area of Beijing. To a lesser extent it chronicles the movements of the allied troops slowly coming to relieve them. Finally, assuaging the understandable curiosity of the reader, she tells what happened to the major characters as the disastrous twentieth century progressed. For those readers who have no familiarity with this long forgotten war, the book reads like a novel. The tension every novel must have is present in the slow revealing of how the end came and who survived.

The causes of the war are stated very briefly and without extensive Chinese citations. In fact, this war cries out for a history written by the Chinese, perhaps similar to Arthur Whaley's The Opium War Through Chinese Eyes. The cause, in summary, was that the Boxers were angered by the Christian missionaries (mostly Catholic) and their converts, the "rice Christians." They were also incensed by the disruptions of traditional Chinese life by the construction of railroads and the establishment of other businesses by foreign companies. The diplomatic missions were imposed upon the Chinese as a result of a conflict with the French and English in 1860. Concessions to the Japanese were made as a result of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1894. By 1900 there were 672 foreign companies in China, more than half of which were British. The takeover by the foreigners of sections of Beijing and their unilateral actions as occupiers, were not endearing to the Chinese. They certainly were entitled to strongly resent their presence.

The actions of the various nations involved were harbingers of the events to come later in the century. The European powers present in China, as in Africa, were competing for colonies and economic concessions and were keeping more than just an eye on each other. The British had the largest fleet and controlled much of Chinese shipping. The French conversely appeared to have no stomach for armed conflict. The Japanese, on the other hand, were willing to fight and die with the tenacity the world would witness forty years later on Iwo Jima and other South Pacific Islands. The United States, although most of the missionaries were American, was the one nation that just wished everyone would leave China alone. Finally, the Chinese demonstrated a disastrous lack of cohesion and leadership, especially of their military forces.

The barbarity of the Boxers is on display throughout the book. They tortured and killed tens of thousands of missionaries and converts, hacking them to pieces, skinning or burying them alive, or burning them to death. Like the Taliban of recent history, they destroyed churches, temples and other buildings, tore up railways which they particularly hated, and destroyed buildings. They also burned the Hanlin Academy and the only surviving copy of the "fabulous Yung Lo Ta Tien, an encyclopedia completed in 1408 by 2,000 Ming scholars and comprising about 12,000 volumes bound in yellow silk." (139) This was in spite of British efforts, while under attack to extinguish it. Religious fervor or hatred then, as now, seems to lead to the bloodiest acts. The author does not dwell on why.

The characters of some of the players in the drama are well drawn. Of course, pictures help. The British minister to Peking, Sir Claude MacDonald, looks like a British minister should look and he acts the part, leading by undramatic example rationing food, directing the placement of defenses and not being shaken by any of the many small defeats that occurred. The senior American officer present, a future Chief of Staff, Major General Adna Chafee, has an equally representative countenance. His threatening eyes matched his aggressive and courageous actions in directing the American soldiers and in paying respect to those who had fallen. Perhaps the most remarkable is the description of a few members of the diplomatic corps who hid in the British legation compound during the fighting, surfacing to sit outside and drink what appears to be an endless supply of champagne during the lulls. They are contrasted to the women who spent most of the time cooking, making bandages and filling sandbags. The extensive looting that followed the occupation of The Forbidden City is set forth in detail, seemingly accepted as the right of victors.

The Empress Dowager, "the old Buddha," Tzu Hsi, "a woman of unimaginable sexual appetites and political ambition who murdered anyone" (xiii) is a central figure. She and her "state department," the Tsungli Yamen, equivocated; waiting to see if the Boxers would prevail. They judged wrong and threw the weight of the government and its nearby available troops in with the Boxers. Although armed with some of Krupp's most recent weapons they lacked the marksmanship of the U.S. Marines and the discipline of the British and Indian troops. After one false start, led by a British Vice Admiral, Sir Edward Seymour, with only the soldiers and sailors available from the foreign ships in the area, which was repulsed by the Boxers, the allied countries brought in over 20,000 troops from the Philippines, India, Japan, Russia and Indochina. With very little preparation, they fought from the port of Taku through Tientsin, where the first attempt was halted, to Beijing, arriving on August 14 to relieve the encircled missionaries, converts and diplomats.

The questions left open by this book are numerous. Why did the Empress equivocate, letting a rebel group within her country destroy infrastructure and kill missionaries? Why were the diplomats so out of touch so as not to see the violent rebellion coming? What intelligence did they have? After all one of an embassies most important functions is to find out what is going on in the country in which it is located. The leaders of the Boxers are not identified, who were they? We are told the fates of some of the major characters, but are left wondering what their thoughts were, and where all the loot resides. That being said, the author intended to write a popular history and has written a very detailed and interesting one. Many war histories are dulled by endless recitation of where units moved, body counts and rounds fired. This one is not. The author has combined the actions of the civilians in defending themselves and avoiding starvation with the courage of the troops, or the lack of it in a few instances, in rescuing them with little time to spare.

This is one of Anne Rivers Siddons best. Great book with a wonderful twist. Her characters are so real life. My only "complaint" about her (and it's not much of a complaint) is that you need a dictionary next to you when you read any of her books. It's a bit superfluous (see what I mean?). I had a hard time putting this book down. I heartedly recommend this.

I Loved the book, but when I got to the end part of the book was missing.
I had to get another book from my bookclub to finish the book. It would have cost to much to return.
Jonie

Ann Rivers Siddons does a good job of recreating a dysfunctional family and how toxicity reverberates throughout generations; unfortunately, one gets the impression that Siddons is unconscious of the dysfunction and expects us to admire her main character. I was left wondering how autobiographical the work was. While the story is engaging and the prose poetic, Siddons introduces a textbook codependent relationship and wants us to buy this as a model of transcedent love. Sorry for the spoiler but in the end we discover that Maude murdered a baby, allowed her son to take the blame for her husband's misdeed, and allowed the spirit of her daughter to be destroyed but, hey, she did it all for codependency er, I mean love. I confess that I always used Siddons as light reading; her novels are hardly Pulitzer material and her women are far from our society's most enlightened beings (with the exception of "Smokey" in "Downtown") but her books provided good escapism. I was so repulsed by this book that I have sworn off Siddons. One word sufficiently summarizes-EWWWWW....

This book was interesting to read, it covered several generations of families and time periods. It was quite long, but it was never boring. One thing that got a little repetitive was that only bad things seemed to happen during the summers, while the families were summering in Maine. Also, it did seem like MANY depressing and tragic things happened to the family. The characters were very real due to the descriptions, situations and dialogue, but especially because the reader knows them their entire lives. The setting in Maine was also extremely descriptive, and by the end of the story I had the entire colony mapped out in my mind. The ending included some twists and surprises that I honestly did not see coming. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I will definately read more by this author in the future.

Boring is the only word I can use to describe this book. I am usually a big fan of the author; but not this time. It just goes on and on and on and on. Do you get the picture. I have about 100 pages to go of this over 600 page book and I can not wait to finish it. I have seriously thought of tossing it; but I have too many nights invested in reading it and I am usually a fast reader. There is so much happening with this family it is difficult to believe. Each generation has horrible things happen. I really keep hoping it will improve---- maybe maybe ?? I dont think so ! anyway that is what I think of the Colony.

This is not for me (also I'm lawyer), is for my daughter who study philosophy at University of Buenos Aires and will learn the book when we arrive home next Jan 22.

The amount of praise given to this work does not surprise me given that there is a widespread, yet subtle, socialist movement in America as well as in Europe. Despite this, the book is a failed attempt at reconciling the ideal with reality. Rawls commits one of the many age-old flaws of collectivism, attempting to force morality on immoral beings. Rawls' entire work is fundamentally flawed in that the hypothetical situation from which the entire theory relies, selectively allows certain knowledge, assumptions, etc. while conveniently eliminating others. For instance, empirical evidence that shows capitalism outperforms other economic systems cannot be known in the original position. This is profound when one considers that we live in a hostile world that requires nations to invest in security of which economic power is imperative. Thus, capitalism may be a necessary injustice in order to safeguard liberal democracy. If we compare the human condition prior to capitalism, one can see that perhaps a collectivist system that may contribute to capitalism's downfall is immoral, if it leads us back in this direction. Consequentalism perhaps? Despite this, the people in the original position cannot have this knowledge. Therefore, information that is direly relevant to the construction of a social system in a hostile world cannot be used in determining its structure. Somehow though, the people do understand the important of the right to vote, equality, etc. This is absurd and impractical. Rationale beings need to analyze as much information as is available and pertinent to any decisions they make. Rawls continuously attempts to explain his "tweaks" as rationale but it is obvious that they are all implemented in order to discount human nature and proceed in theoretical terms. On a side note, Rawls' first principle calls for the right to vote, what would his state do if citizens began to vote for a more capitalistic system that defied his "justice"? Iron fist? Nevertheless, it is quite obvious what Rawls is attempting here. In a hypothetical situation where we all have to fear being born without intelligence, strength, status etc. we will take the safe route and ensure ourselves the highest index of goods. This may be true, or it may not (human nature seems to embrace risk taking) however this situation is irrelevant because of its exclusion of relevant information. Hobbes for instance accepted human nature and the potential for a wide array of circumstances in his hypothetical Natural Condition. While Rawls may have some strong arguments in declaring that his two principles are the epitome absolute justice, this does not mean they are practical in a hostile world. Essentially, what Rawls is saying is that none of us deserved to be born intelligent, responsible, hard working, but that we were simply lucky in the natural lottery. Because of this arbitrary distribution, he believes that we all must compensate for those unfortunate souls that were born unintelligent, lazy, and perhaps even immoral! I'd admonish Rawls not to attempt applying his insane reasoning to the criminal justice system (Poor, unfortunate murderer). If Rawls believes that the laziest, dumbest, and most immoral person still deserves a living wage despite not working, he has contradicted himself in that this justifies slavery, forcing individuals to work for other individuals without compensation. This simply cannot be justice as "fairness". Nevertheless, I'd recommend it to all free market advocates simply to strengthen their positions. As a warning however, be prepared for a work that lacks brevity, organization, coherence, and most importantly, reality.

Rawls clearly sucks in great chunks of political thought - Kantianism, Utilitarianism, free market capitalism, utopian socialism, the Enlightenment idea of human progress in this capacious work. At the crux of his thought is the difference principle - the notion that inequalities can only be justified if they benefit the least well off.

Whatever you make of his theory, it can't be ignored. Anyone even remotely interested in 20th Century Liberal thought must consult A Theory of Justice, as it is the precursor to so much that has been written in the last 35 years. Check out any political journal and there will still be several articles anually which assess some part of Rawls' legacy.

In the 1970s, when Rawls' book came out, many people thought he had cracked liberal thought. Since then OPEC crises, divisions over the welfare state, the problem of benefit traps, pension funding shortfalls and a whole menangerie of other problems have beset contemporary liberalism. But to go back to a brave, well throught out articulation of one great thinker's view of liberal equality, seek out Rawls.

I suppose one of the great attributes of the internet is that it allows the juxtaposition of the good, the bad and the ugly. Where else could one find reviews of one of the twentieth century's towering works that variously describe it as a recipe for a police state, an incitement to theft, or as written by someone with no understanding of philosophy (my personal favourite - thanks Adrian!)

A Theory of Justice is surprisingly accessible, even to those of us without extensive training in philosophy. Rawls briefly examines two of the most influential Western liberal philosophers (Locke and Mill), and then proceeds to construct his own Theory which builds on Locke and Mill while solving for some of the deficiences in each.

As Rawls admitted, the gist of his Theory can be gleaned from the first part of the book, though the book reads easily enough that one should be able to get through the whole thing fairly quickly.

I highly recommend this book to those who think of philosophy as convoluted jargon written long ago by men in powdered wigs and robes, as well as to those who are unsure of the philosophical basis for much modern liberal political thought. A remarkably accessible and important development in liberal thought.