Nebraska Books

The text is an intimate engagment with a question of relation. Perhaps it is not in anyone's (including Blanchot's...) interest to somehow portray a more "accurate" picture of the world, to write a "better" narrative or récit, rather, perhaps there is something more fundamental at stake which places even the practice of reading into question. And if this is at all true, it one of the foremost reasons why I hold almost all of Blanchot's texts in the highest regard.

This book is a foray into the deepest heart of relationships, and leaves one unguarded (as few other books have attained) to experience the letting-go that is so difficult for any of us to do, both as singular individuals and in our relationships with our significant others. This *experience* of letting-go is remarkably accessible in this book, and is remarkable for that fact alone, as few books can produce this sort of insight into the human condition of the notion of property, both in our relationships and in our daily experiences. It is an unsettling, uncanny book that stays with you after you have read it. Highly recommended.

Imagine yourself a leading French theorist: here is a recipe for that troublesome new 'recits'- return to an earlier work (in this case, his first, 'Death Sentence'/L'arrete de Mort')- find a germane incident within that book- rip those pages out. Now set up two charatcters in a situation that mirrors the originary fictional incident- have those two characters try to analyze the event's 'implication' from within the same setting. Digress frequently. Sound a little too Stoppardian for you? Not sure you'll find the Godot-like intertextual rib-tickles very compelling? For fiction his short-stories 'The last word', or 'The idyll' are easily a thousand nights more lucid; for heavy theory, 'The Writing of Disaster' is detonative. This work sadly's just oblivious...

As a museum director in Livingston, Montana, and teacher of a class on the history of the Yellowstone basin, this book is my foremost recommendation as an introductory survey to the breadth and depth of the regions history. Material covers only the "White European" history of the area with the early la Verendrye and Lewis and Clark explorations. Then there is the fur trade, Bozeman and Bridger Trails, Northern Pacific Railroad surveys, Sioux Wars including the Battle of Little Big Horn, founding of Yellowstone Park, early settlement, cattle industry and rustling including the Johnston County Wars developments and the demise of the Native way of life and open country, all of which are enticingly explored.
Numerous characters of intrigue are mentioned. There is a mention of contributing works at the end. Drawn maps are helpful for orientation. The one criticism is that the book has no footnotes. Also, some very significant books have recently been published that cover smaller areas of the story in greater depth. Several are: Jay Cook's Gamble by Lubetkin, Calamity Jane by McLaird, The Lance and the Shield by Utley and Frederick Billings by Winks.
Again, it is a great starting point and highly recommended!!

This is one of the best books I have read on the history of the Yellowstone basin. My interest in this area is fanned by the fact that my great grandfather was a mining engineer and Sherrif at Virginia City, MT prior to the turn of the Century.

this is a must read for anyone who is going to travel to South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, etc.

It being on the reading list aside, this author unwellknown in the United States, is well. I dont have time to write a review that does it justice, but this is what it feels like to be young. Well, for me..I guess I had a bleak childhood.

I read this book in Spanish and have some good things to say about it and some other comments.

The novel is written in a rushed, but exciting prose that picks up one of its themes, that of flight and escape. Matute has a great talent for this style and once you become involved( right from the start) it's hard to put the book down. The descriptions of rural Spain are a startling revelation for the yankee reader, and the conflict between "los de abajo( the under dogs) y los de arriba( those above)is beautifully done.

The pueblo, Lower Artamila,is not a friendly place and Matute seems to have been born and raised there even though we know she is from Barcelona the capital of Spanish sophistication. The conflict between Juan and Pablo, half brothers in blood and social standing, is lopsided because we learn so much about Juan, the inheritor of of his father's estate. The land where the action takes place and its workforce. Yet we are given the one dimensional portrait of Pablo which to me was not satisfying.

As good as Pablo is we see in counterpoint how evil and confused Juan has become. There is a definite family bond that is emotional at one plane and sexual on another. Mix this with envy and loneliness and you have Juan reavealed as a kind of little monster who is the opposite of the good but boring little half brother Pablo. What goes on inside Juan's head is where the novel both succeeds and fails.

You have little to lose in reading this short book and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't put Lower Artamila on my travel plans, nor woud I want to have as my next door neighbor Juan Medinao.

it saved me in ap spanis

Black Wood Ashes, who was called Charcoal by the whites, caused one of the most famous manhunts in Canadian history. It began when his wife, Pretty Wolverine Woman, disgraced him and compromised her status as a holy person, by having an incestuous affair. He killed her lover. As a result, Charcoal believed that, according to white man's law, this would result in his being hanged. So he decided that he would die in the traditional manner for a warrior who knew that he was going to die, by "sacrificing" himself, that is, by seeking out battle so that he can die a warriors death. I have to say that this was a fascinating read. It is an unflattering expose of the manner in which Canada went about conquering its part of the prairies, how the various Indian bands were herded into reservations, where they lived on a starvation diet and were expected to adopt the European concepts of law and "civilization".

In this slim volume Hugh Dempsey, a man who knows the Blackfoot intimately, guides the reader into the subtle world of a First Nations man. Charcoal lived in a society forced to undergo overwhelming -- and often disastrous -- changes. In this crucible Charcoal kills a man who was having an affair with his wife. The murder, Charcoal's flight from the authorities, his eventual capture and execution have previously been described only from the perspective of the NW Mounted Police who arrested him: an account which portrayed him as a murderous, renegade Indian.
Dempsey takes us beyond the assumptions of white society, to see this story in the context of "Charcoal's World", his cultural viewpoint and standards. A very different story appears, one of an intelligent, proud man trapped between two very different worlds. A man who, unable to solve an ethical dilemma in a manner acceptable to white society, to action in the only way he truly understood.
Hugh Dempsey's knowledge and insight allow us to share that understanding.

Charcoal's World gives us a glimpse into the differing paradigms of First Nations people of North America and those of the Newcomers societies. It shows how the Newcomers values imposed on the First Nations people can lead to injustice. Charcoal's killing of his wife's lover may be a crime by western and modern standards but for the people of his time it was a way of "saving face," and upholding the laws that governed his people. To put it into perspective, the Ookaan ceremony that is sponsored by a woman indicates the importance of the fidelity required of a woman by the Blackfoot peoples. It is only a virtuous that can vow to build the Sun a lodge (Ookaan) in order to secure the help of Naatosi (Sun) in life and death matters such as ensuring the safe return of a husband who had gone off to battle, or in return for the survival of sick relative. To the Blackfoot survival (Kaamotaan) of their people is always a major concern. If a woman was not virtuous the option of a woman vowing to build the sundance lodge in return for survival would be eliminated. This is just one reason for a woman to to be virtuous. In hindsight and in the light of the values of the Blackfoot of that time, Charcoal perhaps should not have been prosecuted and consequently have spared the life of the North West Mounted Policeman. The book is also a good source of history even for members of the Blood Tribe. As with other Dempsey books the research conducted for this book is extremely valuable for those who wish to investigate their own Blood history. Many of his sources are no longer living making his quotes and cites all the more valuable. His record of that information is invaluable to all Blood and Blackfoot. I recommend reading this book especially for those who want to begin to understand the values of the Blackfoot and how those values and norms have evolved or have been corrupted with the coming of Newcomer societies. It is only a beginning... The book is a good read even if just for the sake of reading a good book.

As a Montanan cowgirl myself, I found Chip of the Flying U truthful and entertaining. The characters are real and the story is innocent. B.M. Bower knew the characters she created and it shows.

This book is just a cute little book definately from a time gone by. Easier read than a Lamour, but still a pretty solid western, even by today's standards.

This is a terrific escape book, one that deserves a "10" rating for its entertainment value. The characters are appealing, the language is incredibly clean by today's standards, and there is much laugh-aloud humor. "Chip of the Flying U" is tremendous fun!

This book was written in the 1800's so a lot of the language is "old-fashioned". I found it to read almost like Homer's Illiad. I high-lighted several quotes that I found interesting and someday maybe worth reciting. This book is worth it just for it's portrayal of Indians, Frenchmen and The English.

This is Vol. 1 of Francis Parkman's excellent account of the major uprising of the Great Lakes tribes in 1763-1764 whose orchestration is generally attributed to the Ottawa chief Pontiac.

Pontiac's Rebellion, as it is often called, is generally seen as a epilogue to the French and Indian War. At the end of this conflict, France was forced to concede defeat, and to hand over control of all their former forts and settlements to the British. The complex relationship between the Britsh, French, and Indian tribes in the Trans-Alleghany region was in a delicate situation after the fall of New France. The great lakes tribes, allies of the French and tradionally tied to them trough trade and inter-marriage, were fearful and suspicious of the British conquerors. The British were generally eager to establish trade with these new tribes, which had up until now been exclusively partnered with the French. But the view held by some in the upper British echelon, particularly General Jeffery Amherst, the commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America, was extremely biased against the Indians, whom they viewed as dangerous savages.

When the British took control of the Forts in the Great Lakes region, Amherst immediately instituted a harsh trade policy which essentially punished the Indians, preventing them from obtaining gunpowder and ammunition for their muskets needed for hunting. Amherst and his cronies, warm and safe in their lush surroundings in New York, failed to grasp the unique relationship that had evolved between the Indian and the white traders since the early days of European settlement. The Indians could no longer support themselves without the trade goods from the whites, particularly guns and ammo. Amherst also eliminated the traditional giving of "presents" as a diplomatic offering to the Indians, which was seen by them as a major breach of trust and friendship. This proved a recipe for disaster which was forseen by many in-the-know on the Frontier, particularly men like George Croghan and Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of Indian Affairs and a well-respected figure among the New York Iroqouis. But all their warnings to Amherst and the high command were ignored. The result was one of the largest Indian uprisings in American history.

Parkman's account is an extremely detailed retelling of the uprising from it's beginings at Fort Detroit to it ultimate defeat by British troops at the Battle of Bushy Run and Colonel Henry Bouquet's march into the Ohio Country. Some people may find Parkman difficult to read and his language can be dry at times. Some modern readers will find his 19th century view on the Indians, whom he often refers to as savages, as offensive. However, Parkman was a 19th century American writing at a time when the war to conquer the American continent was still being waged and white animosity and racism toward the Indians had not been tempered. Even so, Parkman does seem to give them more credit than many of his contemporaries.

The war's outcome did not bode well for the Indians and Pontiac's tragic fate seem to foreshadow dark times to come for the native tribes. Even the tribes close with and allied to the English began to realize that their days were numbered and that the attitude toward them was changing for the worse. Soon, the British, who had once been heavily dependant on trade and military alliances with the tribes would no longer need them now that the French had been vanquished. The fears of the Indians, that the whites would soon come to drive them out and take their land, were beginning to be fulfilled. The fallout from this tragic conflict, a despreate attemtpt to cling to the traditional relationship that had existed between the whites and the Indians, would echo down the long years of history. In later years, great Indian leaders like Joseph Brant, Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, and Tecumseh would try to recreate what Pontiac attempted in 1763: To preserve their homes and way of life, a struggle that would ultiamtely prove a failure.

I have a love for history as it happened, and this book was as good as it gets with regard to "telling it like it is" and the explanation about the environment and the character of the people involved. I understand more about the Indian people and the French and the British (at that period of time) than I knew before reading the book. As to the book it shows how the French lost most of America and Canada, when they were better positioned (they had made friends with the Indians) to take over than the British. The author of the book lived in a period where he could visit and speak to persons who were affected by the French and Indian wars (which period is almost forgotten). It also explained who was "Pontiac", an Indian chief of amazing leadership(& who is not a car). I had heard his of his name in a movie and I was curious to what he represented. I had read the "Lewis and Clark expedition" book before this one and both books complemented each other very much. A movie, regarding the Indian assault on a desperate Fort Denver should be made (I believe there is one with Gary Cooper and a young Lloyd Bridges, but it is not completely - historically speaking - reliable).

La vie qui traverse les personnages d'Eric Chevillard est revisitée, réinventée avec une loufoquerie si délicate et si légère. Ils ont le charme des vrais originaux, comme mon grand-père.

I love this book because I often wonder if there are any boundaries to imagination ( The English scientist and SF writer Arthur C.Clark once said that the only way for travel into space is by imagination ).
Why the title The Crab Nebula ? Modern physics tells you that chaos rules the universe and if you can say one thing for sure about Crab: he is chaotic.

This novel has no story. The Crab Nebula is comprised of fifty-two chapters that provide insights into the existence of this nebulous man named Crab.

This novel explains the possible relationships between a writer and his character.
On the cover the publisher says: " A postmodernist novel par excellence, The Crab Nebula, parodies literary conventions, deconstructs narrative and meaning and brilliantly combines absurdity and hopelessness with irony and humor."

Yes, Crab is a very strange man. In fact he doesn't exist. Well maybe he exists but only through language. Language is the essence of his personality. But if language is his essence he can only exist in the mind of the writer.
You see, the writer is in control of everything: he invents his own laws of nature and logic, in his mind the Earth can be flat or square.

He can toy with Crab as much as he likes, he can send Crab this way and at the same time the opposite way.
Therefore to us readers, Crab acts like a man who cannot make up his mind, he's a victim and an evildoer at the same time.

When you read this novel you have to keep one thing in mind and one thing only: language and imagination are in control

Reading this book is like having a disjointed series of intellectual dreams after eating too much spicy chili before bed. What's real one minute, or one page, is ethereal the next. Like reading Nostrodamus, the messages are sometimes obscured by the text, but there are so many messages to be found that it doesn't matter. Basically, this book makes one laugh, think, and rub the chin in joyous confusion. If Kafka had Vonnegut's sense of humor, he might have written this book

Great book for any research project on state legislature. Great reference for any political science student.

Probably no one has examined state legislatures from an academic perspective more intently than Alan Rosenthal. This Alan Rosenthal book examines legislative ethics. We learn from Mr. Rosenthal's knowledgeable observations that legislators generally are honest and the legislative process is basically ethical. Unfortunately, he warns legislators may not heed warnings that the public is demanding ethical standards higher than the ones they now set for themselves.
The public historically has held skeptical views of politicians. The past generation of political leaders, which includes those involved in Watergate as well as legislative scandals resulting in convictions in several states, has lowered public confidence in politics. An Eagleton Institute survey found over one third of those surveyed assume over half of all legislators receive bribes. While Alan Rosenthal believes there was more corruption amongst legislators in the historic past, increased media scrutiny and criticism of legislators have weakened the legislative image.
Ironically, legislators today, compared to the 1960s, better respond to public demands, are more responsive to overseeing administrative functions and curtailing government abuses, are more independent of powerful political forces, are more competent as they have improved access to staff and information, and are more proportionally representative of the public with more women and racial minorities serving as legislators. Alan Rosenthal argues legislators accomplish more today than in the 1960s. Still, he warns "the instituion fabric of the legislature is unraveling."
When legislative scandals occur, legislative bodies often react by passing increased ethical requirements. Unfortunately, ethics becomes a political weapon. Challengers raise ethics issues in political elections against incumbents. Alan Rosenthal sees these debates creating more tense divisions amongst those legislators who are elected.
The climate of hostility and scrutiny is discouraging people from running for the legislature, Alan Rosenthal warns. He further offers his opinion that some of the better legislators have left legislative careers to escape the increasingly bitter legislative climates.
While Alan Rosenthal does not believe legislators are less ethical than other occupations, there is room for ethical improvements. There have been increased prosecution of legislative improprieties. One result of the Watergate crisis was the creation of a Public Integrity Section within the U.S. Justice Department. Prosecutions of public officials increased ten fold.
Another result of improved legislative abilities and increased legislative attention is more outside concerns are being impacted by legislative actions. The late 1980s saw a 20% increase in the number of lobbyists. Increased lobbying enhances opportunities for more illegal legislative lobbying activities.
Legislators are not blameless for their ethical lapses, Alan Rosenthal scolds. Some legislators have developed an arrogant disregard for the proper use of power. Some less powerful legislators have been convicted for accepting bribes of as small as $400, not because they needed the money yet because they wanted the feel that someone else thought they were powerful and influential. Legislators need to retain their sense of propriety.
Alan Rosenthal believes it is very important that legislators follow ethical standards. He observes that legislators place their own values and their constituents' values before those of contributors. On the other hand, he warns that legislators who argue contributions have no effect on them live in denial. Contributors are apt to receive greater attention.
This is another book of fascinating observations from Alan Rosenthal. The strength of his personal deductions from years of studying legislators is also this book's weakness. Little emprical evidence is presented to back up his claims. Still, as Alan Rosenthal practically is the only political scientist watching legislators, his experiences make him the best qualified field observer of legislators and his field guides to the legislative process are the best available. This book is highly recommended to students of state legislatures.

Currently, an ever- increasing amount of issues challenge State Legislatures. For one, their ethical behavior continues to plague public perception and job approval. Alan Rosenthal's Drawing the Line attempts to confront this augmenting problem. Rosenthal defines the book's intention as "I would like legislators to take ethical considerations into account, be conscious of ethical questions, reason with ethics in mind, and incorporate ethics into their judgments (Rosenthal 20-21)." He attempts to achieve his goal by dissecting through a range of factors. Factors such as; describing the ethics-related dilemmas legislatures confront, exploring the scope of legislative ethics and through reasoning making judgments on proper ethical behavior. After reading the text, I feel that Professor Rosenthal successfully accomplished his original intent. The book thoroughly examined ethical factors that influence components of the policy-making process at the state level. I found it enticing and very educating. I recommend it to anyone stimulated by the State and Local government subdivision of Political Science.

Angela Bianchini tells the story of the last Italian refugees to make it out of Europe to the US as the Second World War began. She also brings out the importance of class differences among all the Jews who were caught in the vise of the Nazi war machine, and the ways in which class influenced chances for survival. Anyone who feels that Italy somehow is not "as much to blame" as Germany for the holocaust will find this book enlightening.

Don't let the awkwardly translated beginning pages of this beautiful novel discourage you from 'taking in' a very different view than is normally offered of a young woman's escape from Europe during WWII. This is a novel where deep emotions underlie a restrained narration. The characters are richly depicted. The scenes of Lisbon, utterly delightful.

Highly recommended -- Europe is falling apart and a young girl is making her way from Italy to safety in the United States. She stops off in Lisbon -- the 'edge of europe' -- about which one learns a great deal as she spends her days wandering the city alone, and in the company of the family charged with shepherding her to America. A small but fascinating slice of pre-war life, beautifully imagined -- chapter 17 alone is worth the price of the book.

It is often said that America is composed of a vast mosaic of cultures. This pattern is confirmed when we look to the significant number of Scandinavians who made their homes along the endless plains of our upper Midwest. Johan Bojer provides us with a microcosm for this epoch.

In the 1880's a band of Norwegians, mostly poor and disenfranchised in their homeland, emigrate to the Red River region of the Dakotas with high hopes of lassoing the American dream. Yet the harsh reality of the new land soon squelches any sense of euphoria. During their first year as homesteaders, thoughts frequently yearned back to Norway's resplendent mountains, azure-blue fjords, and quaint rustic villages in the face of a monotonous, alien nothingness. What they would do just to have a few morsels of herring or cod. But now only a never ending diet of milk and porridge..yuch! If wild wolves or coyotes were not eyeing their emaciated livestock, wildfires scorched the land of its plant life. The extreme elements were worst of all. Contemplate the endless winter months spent in barren homes built of sod and heated by burning dried animal dung. To think, even the organizer of the expedition succumbed to exposure while searching for his wayward livestock during a devastating blizzard. Nevertheless, in the years ahead the settlers, for the most part, acclimate and prosper in their new environment. And, believe it or not, in one generation alone the primitive colony is transformed into a burgeoning town with a church, retail stores and links by rail and roads to the the rest of America--a sharp contrast to the 'Old World' where everything seemed to evolve at a snail's pace.

I think this novel provided an important link in understanding the Norwegian contribution to the American cultural experience. Yet I don't think Mr. Bojer did as effective a job in bringing alive the characters and setting that he had done in a number of his other novels. First, I felt Bojer was a little too sketchy in describing the nuances of the Midwest. He left me with the feeling that his somewhat stereotypical discriptions of the animal life and environment was derived from book-learning rather than through actual experience. Also, I felt that he could have done a better job at the beginning of the book in providing a more thorough description of the backgrounds and natures of the multiple characters. I found myself always referring to the editor's synopsis on the back cover of the book to find out how each character fit into the mix.

For further information about Johan Bojer see: 'Columbia Dictionary of Modern European Literature' (Second Edition) pg. 99

A look at the life of early american pioneers through the eyes of emigrants from another country. After reading so many books on American Pioneers, I found it interesting to read about the reasons someone from another country would want to come to this one and eak out an existence on the bleak ,completely different new frontier.

Johan Bojer was a Norwegian novelist who came to America briefly a few years before writing this book to gather information about the immigrant experience, especially of the Norwegians who had settled on the northern Plains. The resulting novel is a classic account, full of life and tragedy, and hope for the future.

Erik Foss, after living in America, returns to Norway to convince a group of farmers of the advantages of living in America. Poor and disadvantaged, the group sails off anyway and settles in the Red River Valley. The hardships they face are dramatically told - the droughts, sick cattle, crop failures. Foss gets lost in a blizzard searching for lost cattle; his feet become frostbitten and he dies. Another character is blinded when an oil lamp explodes. A third is a drunkard and gambler. But many are able to go beyond the adversity and prosper: wheat is soon growing from horizon to horizon, they begin to earn money for their labors, one goes off to school in St. Louis and returns a minister. They become Americans, though they keep alive their old Norwegian customs. Powerfully written, the book is profoundly emotional and moving. A classic of its kind.