price：$19.99
Adamant Media Corporation
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Hidden Treasure in the Shadow of Gatsby. . .) 『The American reading public seems to reduce `classic authors' to one-hit wonders: The Stranger, Catcher in the Rye, Vanity Fair, Frankenstein, Catch-22, Oedipus the King, etc. One great work seems to exhaust us and we move on. The only real exceptions are situations in which the author has two great works of moral equivalency: Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four, Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Iliad and The Odyssey.
A victim of the one-book limit on our memories is The Beautiful and Damned. No, it's not as good as The Great Gatsby. But then again -- to paraphrase Joseph Heller -- neither is any other American novel. If it weren't for Jay Gatsby, however, this other work by F. Scott Fitzgerald would likely get suggested more often as `the Great American Novel'.
I was blown away by it. The novel is divided into roughly three parts, following the third decade of life of a useless Harvard alum living in New York City named Anthony Comstock Patch. The first period is youthful exuberance. It reads like it was written by a kid who woke up one day being after being anointed the Chosen One by the gods of literature. It's got this `Wow, I can write beautiful prose about anything!' euphoria to it. The prose dazzles and sparkles as it careens from one pointless bit to another as it lampoons the East Coast elite. It shifts tenses for no reason, abruptly goes into the format of a play for couple of pages at a stretch and generally dances its way through the nonadventures of several extremely wealthy young men. The words on the page are relentless brilliant. Even getting up to leave is memorable: `Anthony arose and punched himself into his overcoat. . .'
This first section is hilarious. Typically, when I discover something from before WWII that was meant to be humorous, I cringe to myself because it's so not funny. The opening of this book, after a slightly dry description of Anthony Patch's familial background, satirizes the wealthy, their pretensions, their sense of entitlement, their superiority, with unerring accuracy. It's laugh-out-loud funny but never mean-spirited.
I hate spoilers. Suffice to say that the second and third sections get uglier as relationships get more serious. What we forgive in the young we find more disappointing in people as they age. (A Peter Pan with a puffy-eyed hangover at thirty is not a pretty sight.) The prose loses little momentum as the story flirts with disaster.
In addition to the writing itself, what really struck me was how Fitzgerald could create a sense of empathy for such appalling characters. If Anthony Patch was a real person, he'd be the poster boy for Marxism. Yet Fitzgerald can get us to care about him and his ilk, people who are in truth little more than lazy, absentmindedly racist, decidedly misogynistic alcoholic snobs. (Indeed, this novel could be read as the parable about the consequences of misogyny on men.) If someone told me that it would be possible to write a novel in which you feel for a character who jokes about kicking a kitten -- we're left hoping it was a joke -- I would have said it was impossible, but there you have it.
The novel also makes the time period covered, from shortly before WWI to the Roaring Twenties, come vividly alive. Anthony Patch becomes the embodiment of America, starting in innocence, becoming disillusioned with war and ending in the boozy disillusionment of Prohibition. (And no, that's not really a spoiler.) It's not simply Anthony: the novel is animated by consumer products of the period, suggests a critique of suburbia forty years head of its time and is filled with fascination with those new technologies, the car and the feature-length film.
In short, The Beautiful and Damned probably offers more per page than just about any other novel you might read. Except The Great Gatsby.
This review is based on an out of print hardback from the library, not this particular edition.』
(Great Book for any Fitzgerald Fan!) 『Great book for any Fitzgerald fan! This was my guide to living life in my twenties, lol! I've heard it called a hard book to read, and I can see that. But there is great satisfaction upon finishing the book. I guarantee it!』
(the title says it all) 『The Beautiful and Damned is Fitzgerald's second novel and the title says it all.Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert are two self asorbed people who desire romantic love and they fall in love with each other. They have no desire for productive work and they desire lives of luxury. They receive allowances from their parents and Anthonys grandfather gives a little as well but Anthony has no desire to wotk and Gloria is obsessed with being an actress which irritates Anthony. Both are alcoholics which adds fuel to their self destructive situation. In the end ,Anthony becomes wealthy winning 30 million dollars by challenging hsi grandfathers will he is stricken from it despite being the only direct descendant but the money makes neither he or his wife happy. Their narcissism combines to damn them to misery despite their exterior beauty of which their wealth is a large part of.At times the book rambles into clever phrases that have no point and it is too loose at times but it is still a book worth reading though not quite as good as This Side of Paradise』
(My favorite of his novels.) 『Some readers discover Fitzgerald by accident, by reputation or, perhaps in school. My exposure came via the first possibility through a worn paperback copy of 'The Crack Up' soon afterward I read a paperback semi-bio called 'Crazy Sundays, F Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood'. This was in the early Seventies and at that time I couldn't find anything in print and only found his books at yard sales and used book stores. I read Gatsby, Tender is the Night and even a collection of short stories reprinted from Fitzgerald's magazine writing. Now, over thirty years later I have re-read many of those books and I find his short stories mildly enjoyable and his novels, flowery and antique. Sure, you might say, they are old books however, I re-read my other favorites from my Seventies bookshelf: Sinclair Lewis and Mark Twain and find that their styles have aged very well by comparison (and of the two, only Lewis can be considered a contemporary, Twain is even older). What does this have to do this novel? It holds-up the best in the ways that his work generally has not held-up. Perhaps it's the themes or the biographical elements but either way, this book deserves a look if you have already read his other novels and are giving up on him!』
(read it only on a rainy day and if there's nothing else) 『the great gatsby is a better novel. fitzgerald's writing is elegant, but manages to be accessible, but i just couldn't get into the characters. there was nothing about them that made me want to keep reading. i am way more patience with books than most, some people read a paragraph or chapter before deciding if they want to stick with a story...i gave this 200 pages before i put it down...life is too short to read books that are boring....』 『This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1922 edition by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.』
price：$11.62
Little, Brown and Company
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (I never thought...) 『I never thought about these things until Collins put it in her book. I always made fun of the domestic houswife in the fifties, but this book made me see that these women were just a product of their time.』
(A swell book!) 『I bought two, for my daughters. I don't know if they read it! Read it first for yourself. Yes, it's about the women's movement, but really it's about all the liberation movements starting with 1960. Gail Collins is such a swell writer, you can't get mad at her. Check out her "Scorpion Tongues" too, and her New York Times Op-Ed pieces.』
(Take me back ... but do not leave me there.....) 『"When everything changed" took me back in time (high school graduate '68) and reminded me of so many things that I was tempted to write to Ms. Collins just to give my version. The contents were all relevant and as usually happens, you live through the moment and do not realize it is going to be part of history. I fought for pantsuits at a Miami law firm in 1969-1970; it took a while but by the end of 1970, we were wearing pantsuits. The book is a good read and for me it was a page turner that I did not want to put down. I bought a copy for my sister. I would be curious to see how relevant the contents are to a female in her 20s today. It might be the response of Kendrick in the movie "In the Air" thanking Vermiga's character for all that her generation did; I will have to email my niece and tell her not to lose my ERA button! For me some of the points in time were very familiar: the secretary, the independent traveler, going back to university after a divorce, and retiring in 2009 after 20 years as a flight attendant (very different from the 60s-80s style flight attendant). The book is a reminder to me of a "been there, done that" moment. Time to move on but interesting to look back. Thank you, Ms. Collins for a fun read.』
(suprisingly familiar) 『A great read - intellectually stimulating and enjoyable at the same time. It brought back forgotten memories of blatant sexism encountered in the 70s and 80s - before I was old enough to recognise it fully. A good reminder that we can't be complacent about equality for women. There is too much in here that still resonates today.』
(Encyclopedic, in a good way) 『"When Everything Changed" is encyclopedic, if the encyclopedia were narrated by your best friend who knew all the subjects personally. Organized chronologically, in brief profiles and anecdotes, this book reveals history bit by bit. You'll find yourself smiling in recognition, and more than occasionally outraged by the events of the very recent past.』 『Gail Collins,New York Timescolumnist and bestselling author, recounts the astounding revolution in women's lives over the past 50 years, with her usual "sly wit and unfussy style" (People).
When Everything Changedbegins in 1960, when most American women had to get their husbands' permission to apply for a credit card. It ends in 2008 with Hillary Clinton's historic presidential campaign. This was a time of cataclysmic change, when, after four hundred years, expectations about the lives of American women were smashed in just a generation.
A comprehensive mix of oral history and Gail Collins's keen research--covering politics, fashion, popular culture, economics, sex, families, and work--When Everything Changedis the definitive book on five crucial decades of progress. The enormous strides made since 1960 include the advent of the birth control pill, the end of "Help Wanted--Male" and "Help Wanted--Female" ads, and the lifting of quotas for women in admission to medical and law schools. Gail Collins describes what has happened in every realm of women's lives, partly through the testimonies of both those who made history and those who simply made their way.
Picking up where her highly lauded bookAmerica's Womenleft off,When Everything Changedis a dynamic story, told with the down-to-earth, amusing, and agenda-free tone for which this belovedNew York Timescolumnist is known. Older readers, men and women alike, will be startled as they are reminded of what their lives once were--"Father Knows Best" and "My Little Margie" on TV; daily weigh-ins for stewardesses; few female professors; no women in the Boston marathon, in combat zones, or in the police department. Younger readers will see their history in a rich new way. It has been an era packed with drama and dreams--some dashed and others realized beyond anyone's imagining.』
price：$5.95
Signet Classics
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Incredible and well told) 『"Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl" is the incredible life journey of Harriet Jacobs (a.k.a., Linda Brent) from oppression to freedom. One could scarcely believe the lengths a human soul would suffer to attain it.
I was engulfed in Harriet's story. There were things I never put much thought to, like the lives of the slaves of kind masters were held so delicately in balance, for when they die, life can change so quickly; and even the granting of freedom upon death can be no guarantee of freedom. Harriet makes a passionate argument for why slaves, even under kind masters, should be set free.
Harriet describes things so hard to believe, I did find myself doubting, like hiding in quarters so cramped, she could not stand up . . . for seven years. It's not that a person wouldn't want to do that given the alternative of slavery and she didn't know initially how long she would be there. It's implausible because this storage shed was on her grandmother's property and that property was under suspicion so that it was searched inside and out and no one thought to search the shed just because no one ever went in there? The attic of that shed would have been the first place I'd have looked, even if it didn't look like it had a door. Her children weren't supposed to know she was there but her son figured it out, because he heard her cough. Well, he was just a little boy and he figured it out. Surely, others heard noises, as well.
Secondly, her master sought her as he would try to woo a girlfriend. When she ran away, he searched for her and offered rewards, as would be expected of slave owners. However, after seven years, neigh even more, he continued to travel north in search of her. Even if he were smitten with her, I wouldn't have expected it to last that long. Considering she was his slave, I would think he would have thought her forever lost property; and she'd been replaced, except for maybe outstanding reward money. Harriet said slaves were treated like dogs, and people don't usually travel the states for seven years looking for lost dogs.
Overlooking those details, I was able to enjoy the book. Harriet Jacobs was a talented writer. I lived her life through her words. Though it sometimes read like fiction, it could not have been better told. 』
(Excellent Novel!) 『Wow! Where do I start? This novel is the epitome of a well-rounded slavery novel! The details were nothing short of amazing! At any given moment, I can find myself vividly imagining the scenery and ambience that the novel speaks of! This is one of my favorite pieces of literature and I believe everyone should experience this vivid account of Harriet's difficult ascent from slavery to freedom. I only wish there was something to tell of how Harriet's life progressed where the novel leaves off.』
(Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl) 『I ordered the Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl as one of two books required for an American History Course in which I am enrolled. The first book (a Pulitzer Prize winner), American Lion, is excellent (I'm 2/3 of the way through it), and based upon the reputation of the Professor teaching the course, I can only guess that the Slave Girl will be equally good. Both books arrived in excellent condition and on time. 』
(Important insights into American slavery with implications for today) 『I've always been fascinated by slavery in America, and I've read several dozen books on the subject. But "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs was a real eye-opener. It's the first narrative I've read by a woman who escaped from slavery, and it has significant differences from male slave narratives. Jacobs talks about the unique misery of being a female slave, writing that "Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women." I always wondered how the wives of slaveholders reacted to the knowledge that their husbands were having sex - and fathering children - with their human property. Jacobs answers that question in full, with chilling details. Instead of blaming their husbands (sons, brothers), female slaveholders often blamed the victims - the female slaves and their children. Female slaveholders often treated their husbands' sex slaves - and the resulting children - with special malice and cruelty. And that's just one of the questions addressed by this observant, emotional and well-written narrative. I recommend this book highly, especially for those who have not considered how slavery turns masters into monsters.』
(Truth about slavery) 『I don't do well just picking up a book, reading it through and keeping interest throughout. This book was part of a history course and I have found it very interesting as well as informative. Growing up I always heard of how slaves were treated but when you actually read it from a "SLAVES" view, it brings a whole new perspective. I would recommend it for anyone. 』 『In one of the most significant slave narratives ever written, Harriet Jacobs, born a slave to mulatto parents in 1813 North Carolina, recounts her remarkable story. From her sale to an abusive master, to her bid for freedom as the lover of a white man, to her ultimate and harrowing emancipation, this work is an outstanding example of a woman's extraordinary courage--and one of the most provocative first-person accounts of slavery in American history.
Afterword by Myrlie Evers-Williams
"One of the major autobiographies of the Afro-American tradition."-- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.』
price：$9.16
Riverhead Hardcover
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Compelling psychological novel of class and change) 『Half way through this book, about midnight last night, I found myself amazed by the author's skill in keeping me compulsively reading EVEN THOUGH NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. This is smart and polished writing. The Little Stranger is incredibly evocative, well researched, insightful - a great psychological study and sociological analysis in the skin of a ghost story.
Publishers these days aim to please book groups with questions for discussion at the end - the last book I read was Sarah's Key, a pleasant, unchallenging read that hardly needed a key for discussion. I'm not sure what there would be to discuss there; it's that straightforward. Not so for The Little Stranger. This book cries out for a readers' key, beginning with:
Is this a ghost story?
Is it a book about politics? Psychology?
Is the narrator reliable?
Who is `the little stranger'? Is that a good title for the book? Why `stranger'?
Did Caroline figure out the truth, in the book in her father's library?
How is the party a turning point?
Is the last line of the book key?
Is it possible that our subconscious can do evil - or good - in the world? Subconscious implies that we're not aware of it, that it's not `on purpose,' right?
Are we responsible for our unconsciousness?
What makes a book scary? There are two paranormal explanations for what is happening at the house. Which is scarier?
Were there sympathetic aspects to the disappearing class system with its strict class divisions? Were the Ayres sympathetic characters? What aspects of class division are still with us?
Why did Waters begin her book with Faraday's visit to Hundreds Hall as a boy? Was what he did as a boy a foreshadowing?』
(At Times A Masterpiece But Ultimately A Painful Disappointment) 『
Sarah Waters often brilliantly terrifying but ultimately dismaying Little Stranger begins as a deceptively straightforward story of an isolated clan of landed gentry in financial decline in a post-war England dominated by a Labour government intent on changing life as most Britons know it. So settled into its characters and their lives is Waters' claustrophobic tale that by page eighty a reader begins to question whether the supposed ghost story central to the plot will ever develop amid a slow but satisfying story of genteel decline, a la Iris Murdoch.
However, once the story transforms itself, long after a firm sense of place has been established, there is no looking back and pages speed by to present one of the most genuinely eerie ghost stories I have ever read. I am only too happy to admit Sarah Waters did the near impossible and creeped me out good and proper in broad daylight with her understated, frightening tale of a family which may or may not be under siege from a silently malevolent and unseen force possibly intent on bringing insanity and death to related individuals already reeling from far too many hardships. By page two-hundred, after reading through episodes of torment, madness, animal mauling, exploited maternal grieving and a multitude of Henry James-like psychological twistings, I was cheerfully prepared to place The Little Stranger in a league with Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, as a bona fide masterpiece of the genre.
(By the way, the night after I began the novel I, who grew up reading Poe and King, was sleeping with my head covered up. Yes, at times it was that spooky.)
Alas, such cold fire is difficult to sustain, and by the book's conclusion I had lost my earlier infatuation with The Little Stranger and traded it for a sense of frustrated letdown. I wanted to scream. I wanted to demand answers. How could such a fine story go so detestably wrong? Why was this done to us? From such a rich canvas how could we ultimately be left with so little? What happened?
Yes, Waters presented realism here, a scary ghost story (or not) that any paranormal skeptic on earth must admit could all have happened exactly as told, but I finished this book in dismal spirits, angry that so much build-up should come down to such scant payoff. In my complaints I could go more specifically into the plot but in doing so I would give too much away. What I will say is rarely does a book fall so far so fast, from greatness to muddled mess.
I am still willing to give The Little Stranger four stars (I nearly rated it three), but `round about its middle pages there seemed no way this was not going to be a gloriously five-star read, which should speak volumes about its shift in tone and identity.
Added twenty minutes later:
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE LAST PAGE OF THE LITTLE STRANGER PRESENTS, PLEASE QUIT READING HERE. YOU ARE WARNED.
If you're still with me, then a question about something that's been bugging me as I sit here in my dark old house all alone on a winter night.
Given the nature of the dream Doctor Faraday had in his car the night that....that the final "event" took place at Hundreds Hall, was I alone in feeling there may have been more than there seemed in Waters' quick little reference to Faraday seeing only his "own face reflected in windows" as he wandered the empty mansion looking for the ghost? He looked for the entity and saw HIMSELF.
Was...this a suggestion (among many divergent suggestions) that he was in fact an unconscious catalyst for the events? Remember the other doctor's theory on how humans can be such a thing? The haunting, if real, did, after all, begin only after Faraday's contact with the family, and the first "victim" of the events was Gyp, Caroline's dog and Faraday's rival for Caroline's affections. In seeing first Gyp, then Caroline's brother Rod, the heir to Hundreds, then the mother about whom Caroline cared so much, all serially removed from the scene, wasn't Faraday left conveniently poised to become master of an estate that loomed large amid the feelings of social inferiority present in his childhood?
Is it the case, then, that Waters waited until just that last page of her tale to quietly slip in such a glaring clue to the solution to it all? I admit, I do not know what to think, but it's possible.
Isn't it?
』
(Psychological horror ...) 『I'm fond of Sarah Waters because she tells good stories in original ways. I was especially excited to read this one because it's a haunted house story (sort of) and I do love a haunted house story.
Set in the crumbling Hundreds Hall in Warwickshire in the 1940's, this is not a ghost story full of obvious scares. It's not The Shining - it's The Turn of the Screw and The Haunting of Hill House crossed with We Have Always Lived in the Castle. As with these books the fear is psychological and caught out of the corner of your eye as you move from room to room. Was that spot on the wall there the last time I looked? How long has that cabinet been broken? Is that a voice I'm hearing in the night?
While this book is reminiscent of those others I mention, it is very much its own thing, as well, being more concerned with the way Hundreds Hall and its aristocratic family are falling literally to pieces as the world changes around them. The (very unreliable) narrator, Dr. Farraday, a village boy made good covets the house and its occupants and sets about to save them. Or does he?
Ultimately Waters tells the tale of the end of things - of a house, of a family, of a class, of a way of life, of an era. The book's story builds at a snail's pace that manages to be utterly appropriate since it allows you to savor small moments in a way a faster-paced novel would not. The first two-thirds of the books is picture-perfect, but the last third tends to flit all around and has a quality of many elements thrown against the wall to see what sticks. It begins to feel a bit rushed and as if the story got away a bit from its author. Some readers will find the lack of a clear finish disappointing, but I did not. Mostly, I enjoyed the evocation of a time and place and the telling of one small story located within it.』
(spooky) 『Spooky and atmospheric! A quick, entertaining read. I loved the ambiguity of the supernatural in this story. Much of what occurs could be up for debate and analysis.』
(Watch out for layout errata in Kindle edition) 『Enjoyable yet somewhat overwrought novel. It felt a bit laborious and thin for a supernatural thriller, but description of small-town England as the old class system begins to unravel is superb.
Watch out for some typos in the Kindle edition:
Highlight Loc. 891: Dr Franken stein's [broken word] Highlight Loc. 1179: unhand-some [extraneous hyphen] Highlight Loc. 1368: floun dered [broken word] Highlight Loc. 1810: Ray mond [broken word] Highlight Loc. 2026: hu mouring [broken word] Highlight Loc. 3222: Sup pose [broken word] Highlight Loc. 3554: Mr Gan dhi [broken word] Highlight Loc. 4425: tap ping [broken word] Highlight Loc. 4766: par lour games [broken word] Highlight Loc. 5058: susur ration [broken word] Highlight Loc. 5344: Caro line [broken word] Highlight Loc. 6961: frustrat ingly [broken word]
I have notified Amazon about the mistakes.』 『A chilling and vividly rendered ghost story set in postwar Britain, by the bestselling and award-winning author ofThe Night WatchandFingersmith.
Sarah Waters's trilogy of Victorian novelsTipping the Velvet,Affinity, andFingersmithearned her legions of fans around the world, a number of awards, and a reputation as one of today's most gifted historical novelists. With her most recent book,The Night Watch, Waters turned to the 1940s and delivered a tender and intricate novel of relationships that brought her the greatest success she has achieved so far. WithThe Little Stranger, Waters revisits the fertile setting of Britain in the 1940s-and gives us a sinister tale of a haunted house, brimming with the rich atmosphere and psychological complexity that have become hallmarks of Waters's work.
The Little Strangerfollows the strange adventures of Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. One dusty postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline-its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his.
Abundantly atmospheric and elegantly told,The Little Strangeris Sarah Waters's most thrilling and ambitious novel yet.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Not as good as I hoped. Have better suggestion) 『I was disappointed in this book. A much better book on the same subject is "Look Up For Yes" by Julia Tavalaro. Her story started in 1966 when awareness of locked-in syndrome was much less known, and technology to help was not available but had to be invented and improvised for her. She wasn't even recognized as being anything other than brain dead for 6 years, but she was very aware of everything and tells us of the treatment she received and the remarkable story of her progress once this was discovered. She was 31 when she went into a coma for 7 months as a result of two strokes. She lived until she was 68.』
(Free Minds: a Lesson on the Power of Attention) 『Many life lessons may be distilled from this book. However, one of the most powerful is the degree of control our minds exert over feelings of fulfillment and life meaning. If we increase our attention to everyday details and our reflection on memories, we can have minds as free as butterflies, even when confined to the diving bell of normal life.
Plot Summary In his previous life, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor in chief of Elle magazine in France. His was always quick-witted and expressed a zeal for life's luxuries and an appetite for new experiences. When he was 43 years old, this all was abruptly arrested by a massive stroke. After two weeks spent in a coma, he awoke to his new life as a victim of "locked-in syndrome;" an individual in this condition is still fully cognizant, yet unable to accomplish any volitional movement. By an arguably cruel twist of fate, Bauby was still in control of the muscles in his left eyelid. Using this limited capability, he was able to blink his selection of letters to his infinitely patient speech therapist as she repeatedly read him the alphabet. Through this painstakingly slow method of communication, Bauby was not only able to compose correspondence to his friends and family, but also wrote this eloquent and surprisingly cheerful memoir.
Confined, yet Free Because it is written by a man condemned to a fate many would consider worse than death, the jovial topics addressed in most of the anecdotes which comprise this book come as a surprise. Even his occasional lapses into self-pity are expressed in such a mercurial manner that the reader's pity is offset by admiration of his enduring mirth. His body, whose constant immobile state is conferred by what Bauby lovingly dubs an invisible diving bell, exercises no constraint on his mind. In fact, Bauby's situation, which would conventionally be bemoaned as extremely unfortunate, seems to actually yield a degree of freedom neither experienced nor contemplated by physiologically normal individuals. Like a butterfly, Bauby's mind is free to roam, distracted neither by movement nor responsibility. Atention previously preoccupied by these is redirected towards the minutia of everyday experience and towards memory.
Benefits of Attention Although most people would never wish locked-in syndrome on their worst enemies, the whole of humanity would benefit from the resulting redirection of attention which Bauby so eloquently recounts. Because of the repetitious nature of everyday events, our appreciation for them is often muted, if not altogether absent. Bauby's nostalgic description of the mundane tasks of his previous life-such as shaving and dressing himself-cast them in such a tragically positive light that the reader is prompted to stop and appreciate similar events in his/her own life. Even in his paralyzed state, Bauby is careful to note the comfort of his weekly bath and the colors cast on the wall of his hospital room at sunset. With this book, Bauby extends an invitation for the reader to join him in his diving bell, even though it promises to take them into unexplored territory; he invites us to abandon our focus on the stresses which seem so important and pressing at any given moment, in favor of the quite pleasures that are all too often overlooked. If we were to allow ourselves to learn from his experience and afford a heightened level of acknowledgement to simple details of our experience, our lives would undoubtedly be richer and more fulfilling than achieved with our current benumbed attention.
Power of Memory The majority of the anecdotes offered in this book are written as a stream of consciousness-Bauby relates memories as they come back to him. The fact that his memories are, in effect, his only remaining connection to normalcy reflects the importance of memory to all of humanity. We all rely on memories to ground us to our past and form educated judgments of future actions. He relies on them not just for this sense of identity, but for improving his quality of life; even though his only form of nourishment enters his body via an IV, Bauby mentally treats himself to the tastes and scents of memories of gourmet meals. If taking the time to appreciate his past had such a profoundly calming and life-affirming effect on Bauby during the bleakest times of his bedridden life, one can only imagine the positive ramifications such appreciation would produce in our own lives.
Brain Plasticity Although his brain and spinal cord suffered catastrophic damage during the stroke, Bauby was able, by the time of completion of this memoir, to `grunt the little song about the kangaroo.' He also regains his ability to shake his head and even muster a loud grunt. The recitation of this French children's rhyme and reacquisition of limited movement serve as testimonies to his brain's ability to reorganize itself. As popularized by current theories on the subject, brain plasticity can result in drastic changes, so long as therapy is repeated and afforded absolute attention by the patient. This is yet another display of the importance of attention-if we are to make any meaningful change to our own bodies or lives, we must increase the attention we pay to efforts towards that end.
Words to Potential Readers The structure of this memoir lends itself to quick reading, but its content demands the attention which can only be given during slow consideration. Do not be deceived by its short length-for what it lacks in page numbers, the book overcompensates with its emotionally charged and witty content. I have read each anecdote several times, every time extracting more subtle, exquisite nuances unnoticed during previous readings. Bauby's wit, along with his unabashed optimism, is at once awe-inspiring and life-affirming. It shows that, even though we are all confined to a certain extent by the diving bell of responsibility and the limitations of our bodies, we can maintain minds as free as butterflies by being selective with our attention to our surroundings and appreciation of our past. This was an absolutely wonderful book which I would recommend to any reader with an open mind. You shouldn't read it unless you are ready to shed some tears and have your life views radically challenged. It is not sad, but instead poignant- a powerful testament to the durability of the human spirit. Be prepared to want to read it multiple times. 』
(The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) 『What a remarkable book. It's small, not lengthy at all, and I read it in one sitting. Then I read it again, and again! It it a totally amazing accomplishment by this doomed writer, this extraordinary, talented, charming, life-loving man, to have written this inspiring, touching book by blinking one eye at each correct letter shown him, and having it become this stunning account of a terrible tragedy. What a testament to his will and determination, to his intelligence and creativity. Anyone who reads this gorgeous book can NEVER indulge in self-pity ever again. I keep it on my bedside, and read randomly from it, from time to time, to remind myself how fortunate I really am.』
(Honest and funny account of a horrible situation.) 『The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a testament to the power of the human imagination, which, after a stroke that leaves him completely paralyzed, is all the author has left. Bauby records his thoughts and dreams in little vignettes, each one a clever little slice of his daily life. Despite the depressing nature of his locked-in syndrome, Bauby is surprisingly funny (I laughed aloud several times), and his prose is light and jaunty. The book skips along at a brisk pace and can be read in one or two sittings. One comes away from the book admiring a man with such courage and mourning the fact that he is no longer with us.』
(Not a comfortable read, but contemplative) 『It is impossible for me to separate out the content of this book from the manner in which it was written - dictated one letter at a time by blinking after a massive stroke. It is a book both triumphant and acutely sad, and although a quick read in real time, the narrative plays on the theme of time itself, forcing you to slow down for the duration of the read and consider the implications of being trapped by your own body and stripped of both movement and a spontaneous voice - a prospect any sane mind, mine included, instinctively shies away from. It is not a comfortable read - it is too sobering for that - but it a contemplative one. (Lisa McKay, Author of My Hands Came Away Red)』 『In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of FrenchElle, the father of two young childen, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem. After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book.
By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an "inexhaustible reservoir of sensations," keeping in touch with himself and the life around him.
Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication ofThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
This book is a lasting testament to his life.』 『We've all got our idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing--a special chair we have to sit in, a certain kind of yellow paper we absolutely must use. To create this tremendously affecting memoir, Jean-Dominique Bauby used the only tool available to him--his left eye--with which he blinked out its short chapters, letter by letter. Two years ago, Bauby, then the 43-year-old editor-in-chief ofElleFrance, suffered a rare stroke to the brain stem; only his left eye and brain escaped damage. Rather than accept his "locked in" situation as a kind of death, Bauby ignited a fire of the imagination under himself and lived his last days--he died two days after the French publication of this slim volume--spiritually unfettered. In these pages Bauby journeys to exotic places he has and has not been, serving himself delectable gourmet meals along the way (surprise: everything's ripe and nothing burns). In the simplest of terms he describes how it feels to see reflected in a window "the head of a man who seemed to have emerged from a vat of formaldehyde."』
price：$15.99
Adamant Media Corporation
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Worth reading if you enjoyed Little Women...) 『Little Men was a quick read and a lovely way to continue Jo's story. I didn't think it was nearly as good as Little Women, perhaps because there are more characters and it takes place within a shorter period of time... so there is less development in each character and even more moralizing as each short story within the book has a lesson to be learned!』
(LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT) 『I love this book almost as much as Little Women. They just don't write good wholesome books like these classics anymore. Read it and you'll love it!』
(great book) 『i got this book because i had fallen in love with little women when i read it. I had no expectations for this book, but i enjoyed it sooo much! Its nice to read a wholesome, family orientated book. Its just as awesome as little women, i would say. im looking forward to reading Jo's Boys and finding out what happens to these wonderful children when they grow up!!!! Great read!!!』
(a most excellant story) 『I bought this book for my mother and I knew it was good when she could hardly put it down. I asked her to give me her opinion of the story and she told me that it was a wonderful story! The children are so funny and amusing that it was impossible not to get attached to the characters in the book. She would recommend it to anyone, and if I don't read it before hand that after I have children of my own she will give me the book and tell me to read it.She wished she had read it many years ago when I was younger because the examples of how to help little boys to become young men where amazing.』
(not the copy I thought I was getting) 『It's a story I've read many times, but I did specifically want the cover that is pictured with this item (to match the others I have in the series), and that's not what I got. Very disappointed, a complete waste of money on my part, but not worth returning by the time I pay for interational shipping.』 『Follows the adventures of Jo March and her husband Professor Bhaer as they try to make their school for boys a happy, comfortable, and stimulating place.』
price：$1.80
Prometheus Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (No functionality whatsoever) 『This reads exactly like a book...You aren't able to access the individual books of the Bible or do any searches. All you can do is hit the next page and it takes forever to get out of the Prefaces and Author comments. This is all well for those who want to go from next page to next page, but if you want access to Revelation...it's going to take you a long time to get there.』
(The Woman's Bible) 『I was completely surprised and repulsed by its feminist stance. I couldn't bear to read much of it as I believe the Bible is the unerring Word of God. Women's stature in organized church has grown significantly and I would not want my daughter's and granddaughter's minds poisoned by these ideas. I have several women friends who have gone into the ministry and have been very successful. I know this is an old writing but it came off my Kindle the minute I saw the problems Stantan had been trying to express. She must have been a terribly abused girl to have such bitterness.』
(Groundbreaking!) 『This book isn't what it seems- it isn't anything like a new translation of the Bible with women's perspectives in mind. It is a collection of varied and insightful early feminist Biblical criticism. Groundbreaking and a must-read for anyone interested in women's studies or open-minded Christians.』
(The Woman's Bible) 『missing pages, older version is okay, this new one the 1999 one has the missing pages』
(Unfinished Business) 『This is the book that got Elizabeth Cady Stanton booted out of the official women's movement of her time. Woman Suffrage was by no means the only work left undone at the time of her death. Stanton knew how damaging the Bible was to women. What most people do not realize is that her co-authors also knew about the Goddess and the fact that she preceeded male gods by thousands of years. They stuck to the "scriptures" as the best ammunition and they also cleared ground for women who wish to move beyond. This book is an excellent foundation for any intellegent woman who is also interested in religion. Still radical after all these years.』 『American feminist leader and suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton was also an outspoken critic of the Bible because the scriptures often portray women as inferior and have been used by men to justify unequal treatment of women in society. The 1870 revision of the Authorised English Version of the Bible prepared by an all-male committee from the Church of England so greatly dissatisfied Stanton that in response she courageously decided to compile a commentary by prominent feminists on the many Bible passages that refer to women. The result was "The Woman's Bible", a fascinating book that explores, among other things, the documentation that Jesus believed in equal rights for men and women; the ignorance, arrogance, and hypocrisy on the part of the church hierarchy; and the slaughter of women who were slaves, wives of drunkards, or were believed to be witches. The insight that Stanton and her fellow commentators provide into biblical writings and into the minds of women of her era is enlightening and serves as an inspiration to today's feminist movement.』
price：$7.02
University of California Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great concept, isolated population of study) 『Well first off I am a currently a freshman male in college required to read this book.
Dude You're a Fag is a very interesting review of the development of masculinity and gender in high school. The author Pascoe takes an observer role in a high school for 18 months. She treads the lines between student and adult therefore she manages to build a rapport with a great number of students. This method brought a great deal of information to her study that would have been otherwise impossible if she was an authority figure.
Although I found the examination presented in this book thought provoking, it was also extreme. Having just graduated from high school, I was very surprised to not relate to very many of the behaviors the students exhibited. While the students were hormonally laden and certain behaviors are expected, I was under the impression that the administrators and teachers did not care what went on in their school besides open sex education (which they cowered in fear of). There was a point in the book when a gay student recollected the bullying he faced where I almost had to stop reading the book. I know without a doubt most of the teen behavior described would not have been allowed and would have been disciplined at my high school. Maybe public school in Wisconsin are completely different, but I was simply appalled at the content of this book. I would be eager to read the results she would find by repeating the study in my high school. Then we could tell if the school was that bad or if there was some bias introduced.
So I guess in summary, I do recommend this book but not whole-heartedly. The basic themes identified and suggestions for improvement were all great, but I would caution all readers to not base their thoughts on teens and high school from this one account.』
(yuk) 『Waste of money. If she got a PHD on this, we are in trouble.』
(A high school teacher for 36 years speaks.....) 『During the 36 years I taught high school science I occasionally came across a modified type of behavior Pascoe speaks of. I consider that I was "tuned in" to what was going on around me in the "student world." However, although there were times when students (both boys and girls) would be "picked on" for one reason or another - and, although teens can be hurtful to one another I never experienced kids as vicious nor as "sexual" as the boys who attended Pascoe's River High. River High had a much smaller attendance than where I taught - so - maybe kids at River interacted more frequently and knew each more intimately than the kids at my school. We all know that hormone levels are running high in teens, but at River High it seems like hormone levels were in "flood stage."』
(Excrement on paper) 『And even that is being too kind for this vile blob of feminist tripe. I've read many books but almost none have reached the level of thinly masked hatred on paper that "Dude, You're a Fag" is filled with. While the title, alone, is offensive, the content is even more repugnant than what one might expect. I was forced to read this book for a class. While I tend to be rather accepting of many things (and admittedly have limited tolerance for others) this book is, without question, one of the most bigoted piles of misandrist garbage imaginable.
After getting over the initial shock of the childish title and glancing through the book - it appears that the topic of masculinity and sexuality in high school is genuine. Nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, if one can get past the title, the book appears be worth reading. It didn't take long, however, to figure out that not only does the author have an agenda (to bash males) but the "research" she conducted for this book also served as part of her dissertation at UC Berkeley. Pascoe makes it quite clear, from the beginning, that she is looking at male behavior from a "feminist perspective" and launched into her shocking "research" that served only to reinforce her hatred of all things with a phallus.
Pascoe spends a considerable amount of time at the pseudonymous "River High," a school located somewhere in Northern California (apparently, near the San Francisco Bay area). Her main "subjects" included the boys in weight lifting and auto shop classes (ostensibly bastions of "maleness"), drama groups, the school's Gay/Straight Alliance club, and the "basketball girls" (a self-identified group of loudmouthed tough girls). Sounds reasonable to me - NOT! While there is nothing wrong with any of these individual subsets of students found within the educational milieu - I've known plenty of wonderful people (male and female) who are interested in weight lifting, auto mechanics, and sports, as well as many fine people who are gay - Pascoe goes out of her way to find the most dysfunctional kids possible (especially boys) and then generalizes that each is representative of all others within that population.
Of the kids Pascoe studies, she focuses on those with a plethora of problems - the outcasts and kids on the fringe of society and those who display the most deviant behavior. If I remember correctly (I had to constantly guard against my gag reflex from overcoming me) only one of those kids (the lesbian homecoming queen - now, isn't that a paradox in itself?) aspired to attend college. The heterosexual boys were all oversexed fornication machines with one purpose in life (you get one guess as to what that might be) and no matter how bizarre or sexist the girls behaved, their actions were often described as "playful" (isn't that nice?). Just as disturbing is that in contrast to anything the boys might do, girls who engaged in sexist behavior were described as cute. For example, one girl likes to wear men's ties which, of course, anyone familiar with psychoanalytic theory should immediately associate with a giant phallus. Granted, the obvious association is very clear, even if psychoanalytic theory is now as old as stale bread. Sadly, it would appear that Pascoe also relies upon psychoanalytic theory (which, again, is extremely sexist) as one of the models she utilizes for her "research."
Another rather disturbing thing is that Pascoe frequently refers to the "masculine literature" - something which, of course, she never really identifies and which is certainly lacking from her rather extensive references (nearly all of which come from feminist sources). It came as no surprise when Pascoe finally identified herself as a lesbian at the end of her book. It's one thing to conduct unbiased research but Pascoe's clear predisposition as an angry misandrist shines through from the beginning. Hopefully, someone will eventually examine the topic of masculinity and sexuality in high school in the future - and we can only hope that will be done without the obvious hatred of men that Pascoe spews.』
(I'm Glad I Read This) 『This is a fantastic book! It's easy to read, insightful, and incredibly thought provoking. As a teacher and as a man (not that this is a requirement), I whole-heartedly recommend this book to all those interested in society and our schools' reflection of it. It's a great contribution. Thank you.』 『High school and the difficult terrain of sexuality and gender identity are brilliantly explored in this smart, incisive ethnography. Based on eighteen months of fieldwork in a racially diverse working-class high school,Dude, You're a Fagsheds new light on masculinity both as a field of meaning and as a set of social practices. C. J. Pascoe's unorthodox approach analyzes masculinity as not only a gendered process but also a sexual one. She demonstrates how the "specter of the fag" becomes a disciplinary mechanism for regulating heterosexual as well as homosexual boys and how the "fag discourse" is as much tied to gender as it is to sexuality.』
price：$32.99
Adamant Media Corporation
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Tale of Wickedness Uncovered) 『Reviewer : N, Seattle : A classic tale that I had never read before and thoroughly enjoyed. This mystery stands with the best in the storyline, characters and resolution. I look forward to reading this again and recommend it highly.』
(One of my favorites) 『The story begins as Miss Lucy Graham, a beautiful and mysterious governess, meets the wealthy widower, Sir Michael Audley. Sir Audley falls desperately in love with Lucy and begs her to marry him.
Lucy agrees to the marriage, but doesn't tell Michael she is already married to a man she hasn't seen in three years and believes him to be dead.
Lucy's husband, George Talboys, unexpectedly, returns home to find his wife's father has declared her dead and buried. This is where the mystery begins! Does George find his wife who has married another man? What will happen if and when he does?
I've read several Victorian novels in the past, but this is definitely one of my favorites. It has everything a good read should have--romance, murder, suspense, a surprise ending. It is fast moving and holds the reader's interest.
The author has become one of my favorites and I'll certainly look for more of her books in the future. Expect more reviews to come.』
(I must thank Tasha Alexander for peaking my interest in Lady Audley's Secret) 『I read three Tasha Alexander novels with a wonderful character, Lady Emily Ashton. The third book in the series was "Fatal Waltz". Throughout the book, Lady Ashton kept giving "Lady Audley's Secret" to her friends and family to read because she thought it was so splendid. I had never heard of the book and decided if Lady Emily Ashton loved it, it must be good! :) Thank You, Tasha Alexander, the author of those three books.
I just finished Lady Audley's Secret and must say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. While parts of the book were somewhat wordy, the characters, plot and ending were fabulous. Lady Lucy Audley was easy to dislike.... A perfectly wretched and evil woman. Barrister Robert was easy to like even though he was lazy and took his life and position for granted. Baronet Michael was easy to see as blind/naive/lovestruck/foolish, but who wouldn't want a husband who adored you so much? He was such a mensch. George was.....interesting? Sometimes a bit high strung (the passage from Australia...can you say HYPER??) and somewhat depressing to be around (poor Robert!) And the plot held me until the end.....which I loved. The book's ending made me sigh and smile. I like that. It ended just as I wanted it to...which almost never happens for me.
"Lady Audley's Secret" was an unexpected delight and I'm happy I read it. I would recommend "Lady Audley's Secret" if you enjoy Historical/Victorian mysteries. While you're at it, try Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily Ashton series! They too are very enjoyable.』
(Perfect mystery for a mid-week read) 『Since this is one of those books that to tell too much of the story would ruin it, I'm only giving you the bare bones. Baronet Sir Michael Audley takes himself a young, beautiful (but penniless) wife, but his eighteen year old daughter Alicia is not quite so enthralled with Lucy's charms. Sir Michael's nephew Robert Audley greets his old friend George Talboys on his return from the gold-fields of Australia, but George is anxious to reunite with the wife and child he left behind when he was unable to support them. An unexpected death notice in a local paper sets George's world upside down, although a trip with Robert to Audley Court opens up.......
Well I'm not telling more than that, I am not into spoilers. This was a highly entertaining and readable mystery - yes you'll guess some of what's going to happen but trust me the author has a red-herring or two and plenty of twists and turns ahead for the reader. Braddon's style was very light and readable, not as heavy handed as some 19C authors can be and I really enjoyed her descriptions of the settings, particularly the very very old Audley Court and its grounds. This book should appeal to mystery fans as well as those looking for something new in 19C lit and perfect for those days when you're looking for something light, albeit with some substance as well. 4/5 stars.』
(Delightful) 『In Lady Audley's Secret, Sir Michael Audley marries Lucy Graham, a governess. She's a fragile-looking young woman of about 20 or so, whose outside appearance belies the deep, dark secret she'll do anything to protect. But when a young man named George Talboys goes missing, his friend Robert Audley steps in and resolves to figure out what happened to him. Robert, a dissolute barrister, has a strong suspicion that his step-aunt is connected to his friend's disappearance.
I'm not going to give away (much) here, because it would spoil virtually the whole book and a lot of the enjoyment that goes with this reading experience, but suffice it to say that this novel was one of the great works of Victorian sensationalist novels that were published in the 1860s. It was sensationalist because it took the ideals of Victorian family-hood and turned them upside-down: it was nearly inconceivable that a woman could be capable of the acts that Lady Audley perpetrates here. Even today, this novel is still fascinating, filled with ghosts and murder and arson and bigamy. Braddon displays a wide range of outside knowledge, from Classical literature to literature of the time (she even mentions Wilkie Collins, to whose The Woman in White this novel is probably indebted), to history (the English Civil War), current events (the US Civil War), and beyond.
The author tends to be melodramatic, which turned me off a bit, and her writing style just isn't that good (Braddon tended to write in fragmented sentences). But the story itself sucked me in, and after reading a few pages, I knew that I just had to read the rest. Its definitely true that Braddon is the master of writing plot, and everything ties together perfectly. While considered trashy in the 1860s, the novel contains a strong statement about women's roles in Victorian England.』 『This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1862 edition by Bernhard Tauchnitz, Leipzig.』
price：$5.10
University of Minnesota Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The book behind the movie.) 『Great story behind the current movie. Unfortunately much of the book is omitted in the movie version. I especially enjoyed the account of the class given by the chief character to his college students. (This is largely omitted in the movie version.) Great introduction to Isherwood's writing.』
("The readiness to remain at cross-purposes...") 『Concise - from a mechanically detailed opening of the daily start-up of George, to his increasing fluidity during the day's course to the guttering sputter of his own engine at the book's close. The conflict of his grief over his partner's death and the act of getting on with life - and at moment's enjoying himself, with and without guilt. The taughtness is excruciating. George's moments longing for release are always so close but just of of reach - not witheld, but self-denied.』
(Singular) 『I've had a raggedy copy of this book kicking around my collection for years. A regulation sized paper back from the early seventies with bad cover art, I never bothered to read it because I was certain any book about a gay man written in 1962 would have noting relevant to offer a modern audience.
Boy was I wrong.
Now I understand why this book has never gone out of print and why it is considered a classic. This is by no means merely a dated account of a closeted homosexual man in suburban America. As a matter of fact, I found the protagonist's gayness, as it were, to be almost entirely beside the point. It's actually a very universal story of grief and healing. All the action takes place over the course of one day in the life of George, an ex-pat British college professor living alone in Southern California, after the untimely death of his lover, Jim. Because George narrates, the book is peppered with his wry observations delivered with typically mordant English wit. While it's hardly short of humorous moments, the character's fresh grief is always tangible just beneath the surface. And what a moving and realistic portrayal of bereavement it is. Anyone who's lost a loved one can relate to the way George clings to even his most negative feelings - old jealousies, for example - as a way to somehow maintain his fading connection to Jim.
The book's strength is in George's unique voice and his scrupulously chosen words. I can't imagine how director Tom Ford has managed to translate this to the screen. No film could be even half as affecting as being privy to George's thoughts, even with the talented Colin Firth in the role.
While I don't want to downplay this book as a "gay" classic, the character of George is a misfit for so many reasons, and being gay is only one of them. He's an Englishman amongst Americans. He's an older man surrounded by college kids. He lives alone in a neighborhood of couples and families. With George, Isherwood has created a classic fish out of water living in a kind of bitter, self-imposed emotional exile until he re-discovers [almost too late] how to engage with life by, quite literally, diving right in the water.
The reason I finally chose to tackle A Single Man is because I received a promotional copy of the unabridged CD version, apparently issued as a film tie-in. Initially I found it tougher to follow than other recorded books I've tried because it's very wordy and somewhat philosophical in parts, but Simon Prebble did an amazing job of pulling me into the story. His delivery is precise, funny and moving. Plus, this would make a great introduction to CD books because, at under five hours, it's relatively short. All in all, highly recommended.』
(Insightful and Nuanced Character Study) 『A Single Man is a tour de force of narrative subtlety and ambiguity. Beginning with the title itself (does it mean "single" as in "unattached, without a partner," or does it mean "single" as in "one individual, merely one out of the many"?), Isherwood creates an intriguing character study of George, a 58 year-old gay college professor who struggles valiantly through a single day (there's that adjective again). The book begins with George wakening from sleep and concludes with George going to bed--and what occurs in between is both mundane and profound. We meet the cast of characters that George encounters throughout his day, much as you would meet the cast of characters (both random and expected) that you would encounter throughout the course of your own day--but Isherwood invites you inside George's head to share the thoughts and feelings these encounters provoke in him. You won't enjoy this novel if ambiguity vexes you, but it is well worth the time if you appreciate narrative artistry for its own sake. The book's plot is subordinate to its style and character development--A Single Man is a beautiful literary portrait.』
("Overwhelming Sloth of Sadness") 『This was the most poignant phrase in the book to me - the "overwhelming sloth of sadness." Isherwood's portayal of George, a gay man in California in the '60s going about his life after the sudden death of his partner Jim, lets us glimpse into that mirror of that pervasive sadness veiled by normality; it forces anyone who has ever lost someone important to them to remember that life does go on, despite the fact that it now seems like a facade. And George does remind me of a sloth, albeit a self-medicated one - he is wading through the jungle of his "same old" life as if nothing changed, trying to survive just this one day, and then he'll see what the next one brings, if anything. Who hasn't felt like they are watching themselves just go through the motions after such a deep and affecting grief event? I have seen the ads for the movie that is out now - I haven't seen it yet, and wanted to read the book first; but from what I heard about the movie, the plot line differs significantly. SPOILER: Nowhere in the book does it mention that George is contemplating or planning suicide, although the end result at the book's conclusion is the same (which although fittingly tragic was a disappointingly quick and too-convenient ending for me). I kept waiting for something in the pages to pop up alarmingly regarding the movie's subtext, but it didn't happen, and I closed the book disturbed.』 『Fiction
The author's favorite of his own novels, now back in print!
When A Single Man was originally published, it shocked many by its frank, sympathetic, and moving portrayal of a gay man in midlife. George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner, and determines to persist in the routines of his daily life; the course of A Single Man spans twenty-four hours in an ordinary day. An Englishman and a professor living in suburban Southern California, he is an outsider in every way, and his internal reflections and interactions with others reveal a man who loves being alive despite everyday injustices and loneliness. Wry, suddenly manic, constantly funny, surprisingly sad, this novel catches the texture of life itself.
"A testimony to Isherwood's undiminished brilliance as a novelist." Anthony Burgess
"An absolutely devastating, unnerving, brilliant book." Stephen Spender
"Just as his Prater Violet is the best novel I know about the movies, Isherwood's A Single Man, published in 1964, is one of the first and best novels of the modern gay liberation movement." Edmund White』
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