Clubs Books

My first reaction to this book was, "650 pages to cover just one summer? I hope Konrath never writes a memoir!" I'm glad that first impressions weren't lasting, as the quasi-autobiographical novel really does not have much that could be cut out.

The story covers the summer of 1992 for John Conner, as he struggles with a painful breakup, the possibility of failing out of school, perpetual money troubles, and the challenges of picking up women via computer 10 years before it becomes trendy. Top it off with a diagnosed case of bipolar disorder, and you have a trying summer.

Although it helps to have lived in Bloomington to appreciate the precision of Konrath's descriptions, the book's deeper messages of alienation, struggle and coping with change make it appropriate for broader audiences.

Summer Rain is the obsessively detailed, fictional memoir of a type I bipolar living out a penniless summer in Bloomington, Indiana. The action takes place in the late pre-Internet era, probably a year away from the advent of Mosaic/Netscape Navigator, and much of the narrative sweep has to do with computers and early networking. John Conner, the narrator, lives mostly in his boiling imagination, creating a world of his own out of chaotic death metal, bottom-feeder jobs and meticulously described fast-food meals (you can feel the protagonist's hunger--will this be my last scrap of food until payday?). He yearns for the One True Love that he is certain exists somewhere. She does, but only in his fevered, pharmaceutically fueled dreams, tantalizingly out of reach. The most interesting parts of the novel are when Conner goes off the deep end of either depression or mania--shoved there by the girls who initially want him, then send him packing when they become overwhelmed by his intensity. This happens enough to keep the book percolating until it simmers to a close.

VAX, drugs, and rock n roll: John Conner's metaphorical rainy world of terror is rampant with uncooperative co-eds, cheap alcohol, bad food and death metal. Ever wondered what it's like to be stuck in a college town when there's barely a college in session? "Summer Rain" is a darkly humorous depiction of two long months in Bloomington, Indiana.

When I was in college, one of the big important books you were supposed to read was Coupland's _Generation X_. But the big secret was that I was never able to finish it; this was a source of guilt for years, until I came to terms with the fact that this book and this buzzword simply did not speak for me. Back then I'd found even the 80s minimalists more engaging. Well now this generation has come of age and grown and this book documents that sliver of time in the early 1990s when everything was so ripe and promising with the golden hue of youth. Who would be first to write about those early days of TCP/IP computer networks, university Internet access and Usenet that we all learned and lived through in college? Jon Konrath. He was there and that's what he wrote about in this first book of his, a big thick novel about heavy metal college radio and midwestern campus life at its Nineties slacker apex. It's honest, evocative, and funny as hell at times. You should buy it now in this first edition and greet him in the beginning of what is sure to be a long career.

Hi, I'm Jon Konrath, the author of Summer Rain, and I thought I'd thank everyone for reading these reviews and tell you a bit about the book. The story is based on the first summer I spent at Indiana University in 1992. John Conner is broke, flunking college, and just lost his girlfriend. He's living hand-to-mouth in a quiet college town, exploring the underworld of strange characters, slackerdom, and high-tech computers while trying to find love, money and happiness. It's a story about making the decision between a life of success and boredom versus a life of creativity and uncertainty, and would interest anyone who grew up in the early nineties or went to a college surrounded by cool people. I hope you check out the book, and visit my web site at rumored.com for more information on my writing. Thanks!

This book was interesting, but choppy. It is titled after Sanibel Island, which I know & love....we bought the book on Sanibel. However, it barely has anything to do with Sanibel. The setting is more in Holland,MI, Spain and Tarpon Key and a little bit in Captiva, which is right by Sanibel.

At times, it feels like a college student's writing. Other times, it's brilliant! I never got a sense of the character. She didn't feel 3-dimensional at all. What does she look like? Besides mentioning blonde hair, you just don't know. What values does she really have? What does she believe in her core? What are her parents like? They were in & out of the story so quickly.

Also, there are weird experiences such as tarot cards, ghosts directing her to dig up treasure, lighthouses shining (where there are no lights), etc....and it leaves a reader wondering if she'd dabbling in the demonic realm or something more Judeo/Christian-like such as angels....it's difficult to understand her story at this point. It's called a "fiction" book, but it's clearly based on her life.

I enjoyed the Spain section immensely. It felt real and true. Her boyfriend was interesting and well-described.

The Tarpon Key section seemed reallly bizarre. The characters and the references to the house "Mr. Too Faced" was hard for me to get past. I almost quit reading it because it was annoying for a few chapters.

But, I finished it & enjoyed it and would recommend it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character is a great combination of naive and insightful, which makes the reader feel like they are learning about life right along with her. This is a very clever way to educate the reader without making them feel like -they- are the ones getting educated.
I was also thinking that this would be a great Oprah Book of the Month. This is the type of book that should be read once a year to refresh oneýs perspective.

This is a terrific novel of a young woman making choices, setting goals, and being true to herself! In addition to that, Ms. Lemmon weaves in Vicki's coming to terms with her own morality and fears. I enjoyed the story tremendously because I just visited Sanibel Island this summer. The descriptions of the woman's thoughts as she makes decisions about her education,work, takes risks, and goes to Spain are so interesting. As the main character grows, her choices change, and she finds her own place in the world. It is great to see a novel where the woman becomes strong on her own without following a man around and letting him make her choices. This book is a gem!!

I was so struck by the parts of the book set in Spain! It vividly recalled my own experience as a student there, in 1972. The feelings, impressions, and reactions to so many Spanish ideas, ideals, and people were so similar. Christine has managed to capture the whole summer there so well. Her storytelling skills are exemplary -- kept my interest right to the end. I was sorry to say goodbye to the characters, as I closed the book. A roller coaster of emotions -- delightful!!

Christine Lemmon proves that a journey in grief does not have to be a tragic or morbid experience, yet it's something that all people need to do because death is a part of life -- there is no escaping it. What Christine shares with her readers are insights that come from facing death, greater knowledge of ourselves and internal spiritual growth -- and all of this with gentle and often delightful humor. This book is a candidate for Oprah's Book Club.

I was very happy with this book. It was very easy to understand and full of very interesting and helpful information. RDM from TexasTibetan Spaniel (Comprehensive Owner's Guide) (Comprehensive Owner's Guide)

This is an excellent book about Tibbies, and one of the few out there. Very helpful info, especially since it's breed specific. And the pictures are excellent.

This is a very comprehensive and easy to follow guide to owning a Tibetan Spaniel and I think it is excellent.

The material in this book was thorough and well-written, easily the best book we've come across on the subject of Tibby's. Very reasonably priced, too.

I love this book! I have one much-adored Tibetan Spaniel, and when I decided to get him four years ago, I went to great effort to get every book I could find anywhere, out of print or not. I wish this had been available then.

I love the pictures, but even better, all of the information is well-researched and breed-specific. A lot of dog breed books have a little bit about the breed and a lot that is generic - not this one. There's history, lifespan and health care information, grooming information, dietary specifications, dog care and training, and showing information, all of it well-illustrated with Tibbie pictures.

Ms. Cunliffe did a wonderful job on this book, and if you are thinking of getting a Tibbie, or already have one, this will be a great addition to your library.

I was expecting a set of books, instead of it being in one cover.(The picture is a bit misleading.) The writer is very complex and has a lot of relative symbolism. I enjoyed it, but it is hard to think of this set as "kid's books".

READ THESE BOOKS ADDICTIVELY IN 5TH GRADE AND LOVED THEM. HAVE PASSED THEM ONTO YOUNG READERS AS AN ADULT AND THEY CONTINUE TO BE LOVED NEARLY 40 YEARS LATER. A GREAT READ.

One of the series that I read as a young boy.....very captivating and entertaining the stories kept me glued to each and every book which I promptly finished after I started....little or no stopping with these books....one of those stories that'll stick with you.

I am trying to collect the books I loved as a youngster in hardback to pass along to my children. I received this one as a gift and was unaware of all four books combined under one cover. I love it! The books themselves are a wonderfully captivating read that employ your imagination... page-turners, all of them. Re-reading them has been as much a pleasure as reading them the first time around. I can't wait to read them to my children.

A Wrinkle Time was one of my first chapter books and I can still honestly say when I see my copy I want to pick it up and read it. I have read all of these books, multiple times and I love them all to death. If I could give these more than 5 stars I would. BUY THEM, not just for you but for generations yet to come.

Anyone moving to Tokyo will benefit from this book. In addition to great information on sight seeing, entertainment, and even outings with kids, there is also essential information on international schools, finding a doctor and other medical needs, introductions to neighborhoods where the typical expat lives, and more. I wish this book was available when I first moved to Tokyo. After more than 3 years here, I find this a great resource for making my life easier.

Anyone going to Tokyo needs to have this fact filled, interesting and fun book. A real life guide.

Tokyo Here and How is not only an easy-to-carry travel guide, it is a must have for anyone attempting to navigate the streets or subways of Tokyo. It is written without favor to the businesses and companies it highlights, so the reader is given accurate information about what is truly the best of Tokyo. This book gives the experienced Tokyolite as well as the novice travler to Tokyo, valuable information about how to navigate this city...from where to buy clothes that will fit, to how to take a bullet train out of the city, to the best places to take your kids for lunch that won't cost an arm and a leg! This book is packed with power, just like the remarkable women at the Tokyo American Club Women's Group who published it!

Moving to Japan is the first step in an incredible adventure and this book takes the questions out of visa issues, shopping, living and the best part: traveling. Filled with coupons, fun facts and more information than you could get from any seminar, relocation consultant or stack of books. This book has all the answers whether you will be in Japan for two weeks or two years. If only this had been written before I lived there!

A must have for any expat moving to or living in Tokyo! Lot's of great tips, that take a new arrival years to find. These ladies did their homework and were accurate and detailed. The coupons included with the book take you to some of the best "finds" in Tokyo!

Anna Cotman is a sweet, pretty, vulnerable girl who has just moved to Redmarsh with her grandmother and facing the first trials of a new school, making friends and adjusting to her new life. But luck isn't on her side, and Lindy Miller snaps her up at school: "a bossy girl, quick to quarrel and slow to forgive." After running through her own friends, she looks upon newly arrived Anna as a blessing and quickly snaps her up, announcing "you're my best friend."

Anna is delighted and eager to please, which is how she gets caught up with initiation into the club known as the Society of Masks (or the Som for short). Started by Lindy's brother Jeremy Miller and including all of his school friends, the Som is designed to prevent bullies and provide comradeship, including all the codenames, secret passwords, elaborate rites and junk food feasts that you'd expect from such a club.

Of course, Jeremy didn't want his little sister to be a part of it, but his stepfather (who gives him the key to the abandoned factory in which they have their meetings) insists that they all be involved. And so Lindy is allowed, as is one of her friends, and Anna makes the vow of loyalty to the Som. At first she is happy - she's is accepted, she has a friend, and she's under the protection of the popular Jeremy Miller, who wears a golden mask at meetings and is known as the Goldmaster - she's in awe.

But a friendship with Lindy has its costs; she is manipulative, jealous, spiteful and extremely difficult to get along with. But Anna has been raised to keep her promises and be loyal to her friends - despite her reluctance; she is now a part of the Som.

And then things begin to go very bad. More people are initiated into the club - people that aren't school children and who control and bully the younger kids. On top of this, they never take of their masks. The Yellow Lord in particular makes life difficult for Anna, forcing her to do several menial chores about the place. Soon the youngest children are being forced to shoplift and work themselves to exhaustion. Anna wants to tell, but she can't - she's sworn an oath of secrecy.

Finally the catalyst comes - Anna stands up for one of the smallest members of the club and is labelled a traitor as a result. She is to be put on trial before the Som, and with more and more sinister goings-on at the factory, the Goldmaster himself under the influence of alcohol, and Lindy seemingly abandoning her, poor Anna is almost in a state of nervous collapse as the trial date moves closer and closer.

"The Trial of Anna Cotman" is absolutely riveting, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and a book that should be on every child's reading list. Vivien Alcock creates an incredible and realistic story, with perfect representations of bullying, insecure friendships, corruption and values among children, and the small seed of evil that can germinate in groups that rely on secrecy, control and unquestioning loyalty - in many ways it is a "Lord of the Flies" for younger readers.

Alcock creates many memorable characters, and I'm certain that almost everybody in their lives has known a Lindy; she is vividly portrayed as the girl on the playground who has to have it *her* way, who is never to blame for the misfortunes inflicted upon her, and who is a master at dissembling and fibbing. Likewise is the sad reality of her family - a distant mother, a woebegone stepfather and a perfect elder brother that is everything Lindy wants to be - and isn't. There are other perfect little portrayals of human character and behaviour in Tom Smith, the friendly best friend of Jeremy who tries to help, and Peter Elkin, the petrified boy under the power of the malevolent Yellow Lord. Speaking of which, the Yellow Lord is certain to give anyone nightmares...

Anna Cotman herself is a thoroughly likeable, intelligent young girl, who has been raised the best way, but put into the wrong situation. Taught to be loving and forgiving, she's the perfect tool for Lindy and the Som to manipulate, but eventually learning to stand up for herself and the injustices of the Som.

This is a terrific book, meticulously displaying the interactions between children and adults, the shadowy world that children can create for themselves, and the strength that they can display when faced with corruption of the system. Some of Alcock's insights into the ways and minds of children made me gasp with their accuracy - this is a woman that remembers what it was like to be a child and the hierarchy of the playground.

This book is great! The first time I started to read, I couldn't finish. It is about a girl who goes to a new town. The snotty Libby declares the new girl, (Anna Cotman) her best friend. Libbys brother has a club and they let Anna join. in the biggining, the club seems fun. But when time goes on, a world of problems is opened up.

This is a different, creative book that could be kind of dark for a children's book. The plot is interesting, when a new girl, desperate for friends, joins up with a girl who is in a secret club. The club bosses Anna (the new girl) around for a time, until more members are introduced. When Anna is put on trial for sticking up for a younger member, the action starts to pick up. Overall I liked the book, although in some parts it is a little bit slow-moving, but the author makes up for it by adding suspense, like the part when Anna is made to sit on the roof to spy on one of the club's leaders. It has a dark side to it, when kids start taking their own "secret societies" a little too seriously. The characters are extremely well-developed and I really cared about some and hated others. I definitely recommend this book.

Anna Cotman is a sweet, pretty, vulnerable girl who has just moved to Redmarsh with her grandmother and facing the first trials of a new school, making friends and adjusting to her new life. But luck isn't on her side, and Lindy Miller snaps her up at school: "a bossy girl, quick to quarrel and slow to forgive." After running through her own friends, she looks upon newly arrived Anna as a blessing and quickly snaps her up, announcing "you're my best friend."

Anna is delighted and eager to please, which is how she gets caught up with initiation into the club known as the Society of Masks (or the Som for short). Started by Lindy's brother Jeremy Miller and including all of his school friends, the Som is designed to prevent bullies and provide comradeship, including all the codenames, secret passwords, elaborate rites and junk food feasts that you'd expect from such a club.

Of course, Jeremy didn't want his little sister to be a part of it, but his stepfather (who gives him the key to the abandoned factory in which they have their meetings) insists that they all be involved. And so Lindy is allowed, as is one of her friends, and Anna makes the vow of loyalty to the Som. At first she is happy - she's is accepted, she has a friend, and she's under the protection of the popular Jeremy Miller, who wears a golden mask at meetings and is known as the Goldmaster - she's in awe.

But a friendship with Lindy has its costs; she is manipulative, jealous, spiteful and extremely difficult to get along with. But Anna has been raised to keep her promises and be loyal to her friends - despite her reluctance; she is now a part of the Som.

And then things begin to go very bad. More people are initiated into the club - people that aren't school children and who control and bully the younger kids. On top of this, they never take off their masks. The Yellow Lord in particular makes life difficult for Anna, forcing her to do several menial chores about the place. Soon the youngest children are being forced to shoplift and work themselves to exhaustion. Anna wants to tell, but she can't - she's sworn an oath of secrecy.

Finally the catalyst comes - Anna stands up for one of the smallest members of the club and is labelled a traitor as a result. She is to be put on trial before the Som, and with more and more sinister goings-on at the factory, the Goldmaster himself under the influence of alcohol, and Lindy seemingly abandoning her, poor Anna is almost in a state of nervous collapse as the trial date moves closer and closer.

"The Trial of Anna Cotman" is absolutely riveting, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and a book that should be on every child's reading list. Vivien Alcock creates an incredible and realistic story, with perfect representations of bullying, insecure friendships, corruption and values among children, and the small seed of evil that can germinate in groups that rely on secrecy, control and unquestioning loyalty - in many ways it is a "Lord of the Flies" for younger readers.

Alcock creates many memorable characters, and I'm certain that almost everybody in their lives has known a Lindy; she is vividly portrayed as the girl on the playground who has to have it *her* way, who is never to blame for the misfortunes inflicted upon her, and who is a master at dissembling and fibbing. Likewise is the sad reality of her family - a distant mother, a woebegone stepfather and a perfect elder brother that is everything Lindy wants to be - and isn't. There are other perfect little portrayals of human character and behaviour in Tom Smith, the friendly best friend of Jeremy who tries to help, and Peter Elkin, the petrified boy under the power of the malevolent Yellow Lord. Speaking of which, the Yellow Lord is certain to give anyone nightmares...

Anna Cotman herself is a thoroughly likeable, intelligent young girl, who has been raised the best way, but put into the wrong situation. Taught to be loving and forgiving, she's the perfect tool for Lindy and the Som to manipulate, but eventually learning to stand up for herself and the injustices of the Som.

This is a terrific book, meticulously displaying the interactions between children and adults, the shadowy world that children can create for themselves, and the strength that they can display when faced with corruption of the system. Some of Alcock's insights into the lives of children made me gasp with their accuracy - this is an author that remembers what it was like to be a child, and the very real existence of a playground hierarchy.

I recently re-read this book and didn't find it as interesting as I once did, but of course that's because I'm not ten years old anymore. However it is an excellent book for younger people, and it's not such a bad idea for "adults" to read either. It tackles issues like friendship, betrayal, addiction, struggle to fit in, using a very unique setting. The world is that of any adolescent, but has been made dark and frightening by a "game" gotten out of hand. The Society of Masks is intriguing, color-coded and led by "lords" who impose tasks and duties upon the lower-ranking "companions". It takes the reader to a different world, despite the fact that it's only some kids with some masks in an abandoned shop. The trial scene is strangely symbolic, and the ending is perfect (a rare thing for me to say, as I never like the ending of a book). Read!! ~Raksh:)

I purchased this book as a supplement to a classroom play that I do every year on the General Slocum disaster of 1904. Most people don't realize that this was the worst disaster to hit NY until 9/11 but few if any have heard about it. Rather than weigh the reader down with technical details, it gives a heart-wrenching account from the main character's pov (who is dead) of the senseless acts that went on before and right after the burning of the ship. Although not completely accurate, it may get some kids reading more about this forgotten travesty. As a complement book, read, Ship Ablaze, which is a non-fiction account and also extremely good.

The Unresolved is a deceptively slim book about an actual historical tragedy. In 1904 fire on the steamboat General Slocum killed more than 1000 people, mostly woman and children, mostly German immigrants, on New York's East River. Many people suffered, and many people were to blame.

In this novel by T. K. Welsh, the spirit of one of the dead, Mallory Meer, is unable to rest until she uncovers the reasons for the disaster. Mallory, as a spirit, isn't very strongly anchored in time, and her thoughts and experiences drift backwards and forwards in a somewhat stream-of-consciousness manner. For example (from page 2):

"My name is Mallory Meer. I'd turned fifteen the week before, and in an hour -- thanks to the only boy I've ever loved -- I would be dead.

I float around the white memorial in Middle Village, Queens, among the other insubstantial figures. We are the unidentified remembered -- the unknown, unforgotten victims of the General Slocum who continue, unresolved, like Tantalus, to grasp at something slightly out of reach."

Mallory travels through time and space, haunting the survivors and those culpable in the disaster, though most don't know that she's there. She learns things about their backgrounds, and their actions, and gradually pieces together the chain of events that led to so many unnecessary deaths. But it's a difficult non-life for Mallory, visiting with person after person, reliving traumatic events over and over again, and trying to communicate with the living.

This book is a haunting chronicle of the ways things can go wrong, one decision at a time, and the way people hide from the truth, and lie to protect themselves. There are also interesting tidbits about immigrant life in New York, and the way that breweries work. Although the writing style takes getting used to, I found the story riveting, and read it in a single sitting. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction, especially mysteries, and fans of ghost stories.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 3, 2007.

Before the tragic events of 9/11, the greatest disaster in New York history was the fire aboard the General Slocum steamship in 1904, killing more than a thousand people on a church outing. Welsh's fictionalized account is narrated by the ghost of one of the victims, fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer. Her boyfriend Dustin Brauer, the Jewish son of a beer brewer, is accused of starting the fire, and he and his father are persecuted by the Lutheran German community of Kleindeutschland. Mallory's spirit and soul will not rest until justice is achieved. As the story of Dustin's alleged involvement in the fire spreads, the anti-Semitic and bigoted views of his neighbors are exposed. A unique and spooky departure from the typical historical novel, The Unresolved, while disturbing and haunting, is also compelling and captivating.

Mallory Meer turns fifteen the week before she boards a steamship in 1904 on what will be her last voyage before the steamship burns and kills her and a thousand others. Yet she lingers, a ghost, unable to leave her love or family until the fire's setters are brought to justice. Turn-of-the-century Manhattan comes to life in a wonderfully different kind of ghost story.

Mallory Meer, 13-year old Lutheran German immigrant, dies on the deck of the General Slocum, a steamship, as she sails up the East River during a church outing, in New York, 1904. We learn this in the first paragraph of The Unresolved, a mesmerizing, often brilliant new historical YA novel by T.K. Welsh. Of the 1,200 or so who set sail that fateful summer morning, over a thousand perished: drowned or burned to death aboard the blazing General Slocum. Mallory keeps a rendezvous with a beautiful young teenage boy named Dustin Brauer, a poor kid, and Jewish, with whom she shares her first kiss ... and it is he who is blamed for the disaster by the grieving citizenry of Kleindeutchland, on Manhattan's lower east side, as they struggle to cope with the loss of their loved ones.
Caught in that netherspace between this world and the next, there is no place where Mallory belongs. She cannot remain, now that she dangles upside down from those shipboards, and quite dead, burned black and in pieces - all now that remains of the General Slocum. Nor can she finally move on - though she'd like to - to that other space, until those responsible for the tragedy are exposed, judged and punished, the dead finally avenged, and her hunger to linger with Dustin dissolves.
There is a public trial. None of the ship's safety measures lived up to their promise. Life vests disintegrated as they soaked up sea water, dragging the desperate who wore them down to a watery grave. Fire hoses burst like overstuffed sausages. The lifeboats were lashed to the deck, contemptuously rigid, uncompromising. The crew was both cowardly and untrained. Those responsible were indicted and ultimately paraded before a public inquest by the city coroner, cross-examined and often found guilty. In the end, however, it was only the captain who fell, the tastiest of lambs, already cooked by the fire.
And there is a private trial, as Dustin - the sad, handsome boy Mallory loves - is reviled as the cause of the tragedy, and the rest of his family are disgraced and debased by the anti-Semitic community.
The Unresolved is a story of a love that's so great the rupture of death cannot break it. It's a story of a girl's spirit, unresolved yet resilient, betwixt this and what follows; neither child nor adult; neither lover nor friend. It's a story of the ultimate outsider.
What a startling, evocative and promising debut! The Unresolved, T.K. Welsh's first novel for young adults, is at turns mesmerizing, breathtaking, informative, entertaining, heart-breaking and redemptive. Clearly constructed upon a platform of exhaustive research, you will soar upon its language, while feeling yourself drawn downward, downward, into the dark whirlpool of this beautiful new novel. Set in the 1904 German immigrant community of Kleindeutchland, on Manhattan's lower east side, Mallory Meer's dark, curious world is yours for the page-turning. A must for any teenage girl, aged 13+, who likes historical fiction, who feels uncertain of her place in the world, and who has ever been in love.

What a hoot! Millard Fillmore gets in more trouble than [anyone]. Don't pass it up! The "Photographer's Scene" is absolute pure genius. Never underestimate the power of constant tumescence. Wish more writers were as "crazy" as this poor 44288 guy was purported to be way back in his time.

Sit back and unbuckle your belt for this one because the old stomach muscles are going to get one helluva work out. Constant Tumescence? You gotta love that euphemism. This 44288 guy rides this little pony to a super wonderful surprise ending. This book's worth it at thrice the price.

The premise of constant tumescence is worthy of a Mel Brooks book and movie and if he's secretly floating this book as an advance script, I'm sorry to out it. But this is wild stuff that gives you whole clusters of great Mel Brooks guffaws that shakes your chucklings all over... only this book takes bites out of the butts of America's obsession and conflicted attitudes toward sex. I still can't get over the "photographer's scene." A riot. It causes me to break out laughing in strange restaurants even now. I hear this 44288 was some Ohio Beautiful Mind type with serious work under his belt in his Some Die Mad quatrain. OK, so add another title. How about comic genius? But I gotta ask: "Izzat you, Mel?"

What a romp! You'd think a one trick plot like this would fizzle quick, but not in 44288's hands, he just keeps getting funnier and funnier with this constant tumescence gimmick. No wonder they locked the guy up and probated him; he was 35 years ahead of his time. History has a way of doing that. I'm going to buy his Some Die Mad quatrain because if he's half the tragedian as he is comic genius then it's got to be Pulitzer and National Book Award time... that's fer damn sure!

...write outrageous laugh tracks like this. It's funnier than a rubber crutch. But the afterburn tells the real story. When the laughter pauses and you pick yourself up from rolling on the floor you realize this guy just pilloried the whole sexual scene of America in the era of the Seventies, if not the entire American sexual scene period...

The Independent Literature Institute is proud to announce that Christopher WunderLee's "A Wanton Gyre" has been chosen as the winner of the 2002 "Ulysses" Award for Superior Fiction. The "Ulysses" Award is given annually to the best independently published novel of the year. "A Wanton Gyre" was chosen due to its literary merit and socially provocative subject matter.

I know that I shouldn't love this book, but I do. I know what other poeple have said about it, but I think they're near-sighted. This is better than "The Corrections," better than "Infinite Jest", better than "Ya Ya Sisterhood", better than anything I've read in years. Why? Because Christopher WunderLee does not live in the twenty-first century, he lives in eternity, like he already knows that his work will be immortalized. The characters are immortal, the writing is beautiful, the shocking fear of it is almost pyschic. I love this book, I know it is scary for many, but it deserves far more attention than it's received. I just wish America would pay attention to real authors. Thank you Mr. WunderLee, this is true art.

It's been a long time since I've read a book of this calibre. I've been geting so disenchanted with modern fiction, all the hype but very little talent. Wunderlee's novel fulfills all that I hoped modern literature would attempt, an understanding of the past, a focus on the present and an incredibly well prepared main character. Some may say it is sexist, elitist, etc. but this novel deserves more scrutiny, it deserves respect. If you read one book this year, "A Wanton Gyre" should be it. There is no better example of a modern American novel.

The regular, Oprah book club reader will not appreciate "A Wanton Gyre". There is nothing simple about this book. I consider myself a well-read person, this book recalled so many great works of literature (never mind the allusions and references that literally hide within the words) that I found myself pulling down book after book from my shelves to find why it occured to me. It wasn't because of similar style or that the author used the same words, it was because of the classical construction. I know that Camus and Kafka are important influences, also Hesse and Mann, but "A Wanton Gyre" is not a reflection of them. It is not an updating, a homage, it simply reminds while forging forward into a new place. This book is the author's fullest expression, a warning, a challenge, a retreat, and a duel (with the reader).

I found Maxwell Taylor to be an abhorrent protagonist, one that I could not ignore. I hated him, but I also was intrigued by him. He is an existentialist who isn't aware that it's out of fashion. He is a Modernist who doesn't know that post-modernism exists. He is a hedonist that blatantly expresses it. He is the Marquis de Sade in today's world. Maxwell Taylor is a vicious, unforgiving, and powerful figure. The only true criticism I give of this book is that he's too important, too powerful. None of the other characters are capable of competing, they fall into the backdrop even when a scene does not include Maxwell.

The setting of "A Wanton Gyre" is exploratory, it is not now or then, it is a jumbled collage of times. There is almost a mystical sense of time, a hallucagenic quality to the events, we read them as though they are simply happening. Like Maxwell, we don't seem to have the capacity to feel anything about them. This book captures the psychology of the main character so well it shrouds the entire work in his mood.

The plot of the novel is as the title suggests, great swooping gestures that never seem to go forward, but seem to circle the main theme like birds of prey, ready to attack at any moment. We read as he's arrested, then we read about his childhood, then we read about his arrest, then we read about a date he's recently had, then we read about his arrest. Yet, none of it seems out of place, it is the confusion, the clastrophobia of the protagonist in every word.

Book II breaks free, for the most part. It differs greatly from Book I, strutting forward in a clash of ideals and beliefs, between lawyers and victims, priests and atheists, men and women, between the reader and the writer. I think that is remarkable. I had a girlfriend read it and she couldn't go on, she grew so upset. And that is the genius of it, the book forces you to dislike it, to argue with the narrator, to question everything being said and described. And this is when you learn your limitations, can you see passed your own convictions and acknowledge the injustice? Can you accept the truth even if it makes you vomit?

"A Wanton Gyre" is such a well crafted chronicle that we will be studying it for years. It will continue to challenge us until we acknowledge the hypocricy in our own beliefs. We are not ready, I don't think.

What struck me about this novel was how exceptionally well crafted it was - I couldn't believe how remarkable Mr. Wunderlee told of Maxwell Taylor's arrest and trial. When I discovered why he had been arrested (I won't give away the secret) I was enthralled with the plot construction, I began to recall all that I had read and was mistified how well it came together. Maxwell Taylor is easily one of the most memorable characters I have ever read, strong, vibrant, full of life, he seems to be an "outsider" who's discovered living amongst us. I think this book deserves more attention, as a professor of English Literature, it's very rare that I read a book that impresses me. "A Wanton Gyre" is more than impressive, it is inspiring, scary and perfect, the plot matches the mood, the characters are well constructed, and the inventiveness of the purpose of the novel is exceptional. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in twenty-first century literature. This book will truly change the way you think about the culture we live in.

an excellent adventure, spiced with hints of symbolism. I loved the dialog between the characters. Well worth reading.

A candid look into the future as this conflict grows. Religon and science are the two giants of civilized mankinds mental and social discourse. The continuing conflict is something which involves all of us. Well done.

The use of people to personify the forces of religon and science was well done. I especially liked the charecter of Thomas. He adds a magical quality to the book.

The use of people to personify the forces of religon and science was well done. I especially liked the charecter of Thomas. He adds a magical quality to the book.

An excellent novel, of the growing dispute between church and state, the scientific state. Setting the novel in Pennsylvania with it's rich religous history was ideal. The development of juvenile law principles, and the rising use of behavior modifying drugs in this system is timely. Cudos to this author for being brave enough to say so.