Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Tale of Two Novels) 『For me, The Line of Beauty has a sharp dividing line between a novel I was bored by and a novel I enjoyed very much.
The entire novel is very well written. Hollinghurst conceives what is a very interesting concept. The main character, Nick Guest is a middlish class young man who has graduated from Oxford and is now staying with a very rich family of an univesity classmate headed by a Conservative member of parliament. Nick is openly gay and just beginning to act on his desires.
The world of the rich that Nick inhabits consists of characters that could have existed in any Jane Austen novel despite the time being the late 20th century. The Lords, Ladies, Dukes etc. don't seem to act much differently than their families have for centuries. This backdrop contrasted with Nick's journey into gay sexual promiscuity should make for an interesting combination. It doesn't really work for me though. I found the focus on the societal norms of the circle he interacts with to be frightfully boring. I found the first 250 or so pages to be really hard work. If I'd reviewed the book after 250 pages, I would have said well written, good concept but poor execution.
The last third of the novel really turns things around. The plot points are more interesting. The spectre of AIDS becomes a big part of the picture. Additionally scandal touches the family and friendships are tested. Nick's societal acquaintances really start to realize that perhaps he isn't the right quality of person to be interacting with.
The great scene that marks the turning point is when the head of the family that Nick is staying with holds a large party where Margaret Thatcher is the guest of honor. It is an very well written extended scene where 1980s Thatcher Britain is captured at a point in time. From this point on, I very much enjoyed The Line Of Beauty.
Several people have remarked that there's a lot of gay sex. I'd simply say the lead character is a young gay man who is learning to express his sexuality. What the heck would you expect? The gay sex scenes are not particularly explicit and fit quite well in the story.
Overall, I recommend the book but the boredom factor in the first part make it a reserved recommendation.』
(Lovely rendering of a young man learning to love and live in his 20s encompassing the bigger themes in 1980s London) 『The Line of Beauty... It's difficult to find words that do it justice. Nick Guest is a young man just out of Oxford, one who doesn't quite belong to that rarified world of his classmates, and who yearns for it in a way only someone who doesn't belong can. At the start of the book he has just moved in with one of his Oxford's classmate's family, the Feddens, in a gorgeous house in a posh part of London. Gerald Fedden, the patriarch, is a rich charismatic MP (though not titled) and his wife Rachel is elegant, serene, the daughter of an Earl, and a wonder to Nick. Their son, Toby, Nick's friend, is the picture of good-natured British privilege - he takes it all for granted and his simplicity is a foil to Nick's complexity. The Fedden's daughter Catherine is emotionally closest to Nick. She is self-destructive, an ex-cutter, and scorns the world her parents and brother so easily move in. Hollinghurst paints a stunning and absolutely exacting portrait of the world these characters inhabit and their interactions with each other. Nick meanwhile is also discovering his own sexuality and falls in love with a young man Leo during these formative years. The book occurs in three parts, skipping forward first 3 years and then 1 year, covering the formative years of Nick's life. This plot device is incredibly moving as it highlights the contrasts of Nick's younger self with how he changes throughout the years. As stated in the book's blurb, The Line of Beauty is a stunning examination of the issues of class, money, and sex, but it's also about beauty, the way beauty manifests itselfs and is heart-breakingly thrilling but ultimately fleeting. Beauty which is pure and shining in a brief moment of time. It is also that rare book that so perfectly captures the human condition - love, yearning, jealousy, self-loathing, fear, uncertainty, envy, lust, heartbreak, and grief.』
(On the Outside, Looking In) 『One of the biggest challenges of any novelist is to provide a perspective that's accessible to us and helpful in understanding what's being portrayed. Alan Hollinghurst has achieved remarkable results by stationing his narrator, Nick Guest, outside of all the worlds he inhabits. Guest is like a spirit rising amused over the action that can draw us a picture while recording every sound that's created or uttered.
Here are the worlds that Guest helps us explore:
-Tory MP life during the Thatcher years -Young Oxford graduates looking for a place -A young man exploring his homosexuality -Wealthy British on the make for more -Middle-aged married life -Inner life of a young manic-depressive
The book's overall theme is about everyday hypocrisy and the large price that has to be paid by those who pretend to be other than what they are and believe.
The story evolves in three time periods: 1983, 1986, and 1987. In all three years, Nick Guest resides with the family of an Oxford friend where the father is a rising conservative MP. Nick has an unofficial role as low-cost lodger to keep on eye on the friend's troubled sister. The family knows that Nick is looking for a boy friend and is open about accepting his sexuality. The three years give us a chance to learn more about the characters and to see how their relationships change. The 1987 period brings all that had been known in private into public with large consequences for all.
The book is filled with great scenes where nuances of knowledge, awareness, perception, accent, and perspective separate and unite the characters. Often, contrasting scenes occur back-to-back so that the contrasts are even more obvious. You'll gain a deeper insight into British society than you could on your own.
Ultimately, I feel that a work of fiction must be judged by how successfully it takes you into a world you have never been in before and allows you to understand that world much better. Any novel that can help me understand what it's like to be gay during the AIDS epidemic while giving me a strong sense of Thatcher's leadership has to be pretty terrific because those dimensions are outside my experience and normal reading.
As a person who enjoys art, I was most impressed by the way that the ogee was worked into the story to provide a connecting metaphor for our common humanity.
Bravo!
』
(Life among the plutocrats.) 『On one level, this exquisitely wrought novel is a social satire -- a wickedly frank view of the monetarily and politically privileged in Thatcher-era England as seen through the eyes of an insider Outsider. On a more personal level, it might be called a tragedy of manners, the first-person account of an all-too-flawed (some might say parasitic) hero whose hubris is his desire to belong. The rather too obviously named narrator, Nick Guest, seeks his place in the world among the sexually active homosexual set, the wealthy movers and shakers crowd, the aestheticist/intellectual exclusivists and the secret coterie of drug culture initiates. Nick's fall from grace stems from his careless disregard of the boundaries that separate them. AIDS, Margaret Thatcher, Henry James (Nick's thesis subject and literary godfather) and Cocaine are the spirits that reign over the proceedings, but they are not spirits who reside comfortably together.
Nick's sexual initiation with a lower-class black man takes place in the within the exclusive gated community where his hosts, the wealthy, politically ambitious Feddens, reside. Prophetically, this relationship is consummated in a chilly garden, the participants warmed by the compost heap they use for leverage. Sexual prowess and, later, drug use lead Nick to carelessness, blurring his sense of propriety. And although drugs and sex are the great equalizers that allow Nick entree into the world of his social betters, they ultimately bring about his expulsion from Society. Everything he desires, either betrays him or is betrayed by him. His college mate's family, of which he so desperately wants to be a member, actually regards him as a servant, the sister's keeper (a position at which he finally, catastrophically fails). His first lover casts him aside without explanation and his long-term partner, the stunningly handsome, wealthier-than-is good-for-him Wani, is too drug-addled and promiscuous to be capable of real love and regards their relationship as one of sexual convenience. It is this relationship that will, in the end, prove to be the undoing of Nick and those he most admires.
Hollinghurst's themes are appropriately Jamesian: the dilemma of the artist in an artless society (Wani's money-worshipping, boorish father incessantly refers to Nick as "the aesthete"), and the clash between an independent innocent and a corrupt though attractive feudal establishment. Symbolic details are handled delicately and effectively as in the case of photographic references. Nick is disappointed when a photo of his crowning moment in Society, his dance with the Prime Minister, does not appear in the tabloids. When a photo of him is, in fact, published, it is the scandalous catalyst of his expulsion from that society. And, as he leaves his long-time residence, he comes across a snapshot of his sexually unavailable schoolmate, Toby, for love of whom he came to stay in the Fedden household in the first place. The photo shows a beautiful, sexually alluring Toby as he once appeared in a school play, but whose real-life, indolent subject has subsequently gone to fat.
Nothing is what one hopes it will be and all desire is betrayal. The line of beauty is only skin deep, leaving "The Line of Beauty" a lovely portrait of unlovely, ultimately unlovable people. 』
(What a Beauty indeed.) 『In my estimation this will go down as one of the best pieces written in the English language this or any other century. I found the charaters believable and highly entertaining. I would imagine that many, many people, particularly gay men, would find Nick to be alot like themselves. I wanted to keep going back to the book, night after night as I was entranced with the story and the characters. Well written and thought provoking, what a beauty indeed.』 『In the summer of 1983, twenty-year-old Nick Guest moves into an attic room in the Notting Hill home of the Feddens: conservative Member of Parliament Gerald, his wealthy wife Rachel, and their two children, Toby-whom Nick had idolized at Oxford-and Catherine, highly critical of her family's assumptions and ambitions.
As the boom years of the eighties unfold, Nick, an innocent in the world of politics and money, finds his life altered by the rising fortunes of this glamorous family. His two vividly contrasting love affairs, one with a young black clerk and one with a Lebanese millionaire, dramatize the dangers and rewards of his own private pursuit of beauty, a pursuit as compelling to Nick as the desire for power and riches among his friends. Richly textured, emotionally charged, disarmingly comic, this U.K. bestseller is a major work by one of our finest writers. 』 『
Interview with Alan Hollinghurst Alan Hollinghurst's extraordinarily rich novelThe Line of Beauty. has garnered a new level of acclaim for the author after winning the 2004 Man Booker Prize. Hollinghurst speaks about his work in our interview.
price：$4.78
Bella Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (This is a well-told story) 『Keile's Chance is a sweet and gentle story about two women who have been severely damaged by other people and are trying to learn whether or not they can move on with their lives.
Keile Griffen's early life was shattered when her parents abandoned her to a foster care system that provided for her physical needs, but not the emotional nurturing she craved. She moved into adulthood determined to be successful and prove that she could take care of herself without anyone's help. As an overworked, but extremely gifted planning consultant, she's achieved her goals, but her personal life, what little there is of it, is lonely. The most constant being in her life is her dog Trashcan, who brings her great happiness, but not really enough. One day when she takes Can to the dog park a little boy wanders out of nowhere and latches onto Keile, who he insists on calling "Mama." Reuniting Kyle with his mother Hayden Davenport turns Keile's life upside down. Keile feels an overwhelming and unexplainable love for this little boy and seeing his mother deal with him causes Keile to have feelings she's never experienced. Hayden finds Keile funny, smart and terribly attractive, but she's careful with her heart. Her previous partner walked out on her as they were planning their family and Hayden doesn't want to expose herself or her child to that kind of heartache again. Slowly, surely, Hayden and Keile begin to build a relationship that has great possibility for both of them, then Hayden's former partner shows up. Keile's life spins out of control as she feels the rejection of her childhood being repeated and Hayden shuts down her emotions as she fears that she's making the same mistake with Keile that she made before. Can the love of a little boy lead them to a place of mutual happiness?
The nice aspect to Keile's Chance is that it has characters that are totally believable and pacing that allows the story to develop instead of just spilling out. Keile and Hayden are tentative and deal with real issues. They don't just jump into a relationship and then into bed. The reader gets a chance to see how they wrestle with their pasts, the impact that has on what they are doing and the bumps in the road. The only contrived plot point involves Keile and Hayden's brother, but though forced, it is possible that something of that type could happen. As a whole this is a very enjoyable book to read, a well-told story.』 『Sometimes, life offers you a chance to see what you've been missing...
Everything Keile Griffen ever loved was taken away, including her family. Surviving a youth in Child Support Services has left her driven to succeed as an adult--and she has. A successful, sought after planning consultant, she maps out solutions for other people, but never for herself.
When Hayden Davenport's partner walked out on her in the midst of planning their family, she decided to go it alone. It hasn't been easy, and she's not used to help. When her missing son is found by a stranger at the park, she's overwhelmingly grateful to the young woman. When her gratitude blossoms into something more, her first impulse is to protect her child--and her battered heart.
All Keile knows is that fateful day in the park she fell for a pair of big, brown eyes. But if she wants a family she has to take a chance, a big one. She could win it all...or lose everything.
Dillon Watson's tale of unexpected love unfolds in the beautiful southeast, and introduces an insightful new storyteller who explores the passionate commitment that leads to love and family.』
price：$5.10
Insomniac Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『
Private detective Russell Quant is perplexed. From the middle of the Pacific to the middle of Canada, he's missing clues and proposing answers that only beg questions. The parking lot murder of a passing acquaintance draws Quant to a poem that just might be a treasure map. But is it treasure or extortion he is trailing?
Unsure of his commitment to a case he wasn't even hired for, Russell uncovers the hidden history of Saskatoon through an early homestead, a fallen sports hero, and a second-run movie house. As his search progresses, he becomes the quarry being hunted. What exactly did Russell Quant commit to?
In this fast-paced mystery, Russell tries to balance his professional life with the demands of a wedding, a memorial, and at least one home-cooked meal at mom's. While Russell is reluctantly uncovering the past, the present demands his attention. Murder begets blackmail begets murder. And, with the Hawaiian sand barely shaken free from his hair, Russell is confronted, professionally and personally, with the harsh consequences of indecision.
Anthony Bidulkais an award-winning writer who, like his protagonist, lives a big life in a small city on the Canadian prairie. He also loves to travel the world-meeting people, sampling local foods, walking sun-drenched streets, making good use of swim-up bars, and being awed. Please visit his website at www.anthonybidulka.com. This is the sixth book in his Russell Quant mystery series.
price：$1.80
Samhain Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Stolen Away by Fairies...) 『Joey first sees the fairy warrior, Braeden, when he is five years old. His mother tells him it was probably a bad man and to never trust him, but Joey knows a fairy when he sees one (he was tall and pale and naked and had large beautiful wings). As Joey grows up, he fully expects the fairy to return some day, as promised.
After Joey is grown and living away from home, he feels increasingly unwell and loses consciousness... and awakes in a cabin in the mountains where Braeden tells Joey the secrets of the past and the threat of an evil fairy who will kill Joey if Joey can't kill him first. Braeden is there to help protect him and train him.
The plot isn't terribly extensive or involved. The story is on the short and light side--although moving also. The characters are just interesting enough to want to see them succeed. And the sex is fun and hot.』
(Not What Was Expected) 『The story was very light in all aspects. I was never able to get a real feel for any of the characters or be able to come up with a mental picture of them. Considering that he's lived for centuries, Braeden seemed to be very naive and inexperienced about life in general. Overall, it was a disappointment and definitely not a keeper.』
(Fantastically and Beautifully Written) 『Fireflies was a fun read because it takes you out of the realm of reality and into one of excitement and fantasy. The characters in this book really make you smile and churn at their playful and rough love for one another. Simply breathtaking.』
(Enjoyable) 『I read the book once and then when back and re-read it, just to make sure I hadn't missed anything and I hadn't. I loved the book but I felt that the character of Braeden wasn't completely developed. For instance I don't know how old Braeden is exactly and what kind of life he led prior to his forced exile. I would have liked to see more about Evangeline (Joseph mom's) past. The story is truly enjoyable but the plot could have been developed a bit more.』
(Better Than the Cover Would Indicate) 『Not especially original, but fairly well written nonetheless. Both characters are fairly masculine--which makes me wonder about the excessively twee cover! Anyway, there is a nice sweetness about this book that surprised me. I appreciated the restraint of the "fairy" character, and was amused by the rather coarse, but charming, half-human kid. Making him biracial was rather a nice touch; fairies probably aren't racist, and abduct people of every color!
Ally Blue is a skilled writer; all she needs now is someone with equal skill to design her book covers!』 『
A Sidhe warrior in exile. A young man with powers he's only beginning to understand. In their hands, the fate of two worlds. A childhood encounter with one of the Sidhe sets Joseph Vines' life on a fateful course. Unable to forget the beautiful creature who promised to one day return for him, Joey spends the next twenty years learning, dreaming and waiting. Braeden Shay, a warrior of the Sidhe, has spent those same twenty years watching Joey from a distance, waiting for Joey's heritage to make itself known. When the time is ripe, Braeden steps in to protect Joey from those trying to kill him, and to help him deal with the changes turning his life inside out. During the days that follow, as Braeden teaches Joey to harness and control his newfound power over the natural world, Joey finds himself falling for the gentle, patient Braeden. Braeden, who has watched over Joey for most of his life, is already deeply in love with him. When the forces targeting Joey for death catch up with them, it will take all their magic-and the power of their love for each other-to survive, and to save both their worlds. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit male/male sex, graphic language, violence, and inappropriate use of plants.
price：$14.99
MLR Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A great addition to a great series!) 『I don't read a lot of mysteries or as many GLBT fictions as I'd like. I review children's literature&the big boy books I get to read are few and far between. I always make room in my reading schedule for the Don Strachey mysteries (because I grew up--as a gay man--reading them).
I have to admit I had a few misgivings when I saw that Don&Timmy were not going to be in or near Albany (which has been nearly a character in its own right through out the series)...and being a Buddhist further misgivings at the golden Buddha on the cover--but Richard Stevenson (AKA Dick Lipez) came through with an enjoyable mystery...well, more of a thriller with plenty of dry wit&a touch of slapstick.
If you are a fan of the series, this is a must&if you are just a casual reader of gay mysteries (or mysteries in general really) this is a good bet. You don't need to know the characters to enjoy this, but knowing their history deepens the experience. Well worth your time (as are the movies on HERE!) Hopefully there will be more of both books and movies!』
(Get The Latest Installment) 『The tenth in the long-running Don Strachey PI series represents a departure for Stevenson, and it is a good one. Strachey and his lover and sidekick Timothy Callahan travel all the way to Thailand when the ex-husband of an Albany woman goes missing with 38 million dollars. The intricate plot involves political corruption, celebrity astrologers, and shady business deals. However, it is the interweaving of exotic Thai cultural practices and beliefs that give this enjoyable thriller its unique flavor. It is also sexy and often quite humorous. Five stars』 『Gary Griswold, cheerily dim gadfly scion of Albany old money, late of the Key West artists colony, goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him - not to mention his 38 million dollars in cash. Turns out that religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand, where corruption has its own etiquette. Soon, Albany's only gay PI, Don Strachey, is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible and a daft plan to buy 38 million dollars worth of good karma. #10 in the award-winning Donald Strachey Mystery Series』
price：$4.47
Alyson Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A book that lives up to its title.) 『This is one of the better collections of lesbian erotic short stories I have come across. The writing is quite good and the stories are indeed quite graphic and realistic at the same time. I am not much of a visual person; I do not really get turned on by pictures or movies, but reading many of these stories certainly got the juices flowing. I suppose having a vivid imagination helps, and I suppose having "been there, done that" does not hurt, but this book certainly was well named. After reading a story or two you will be much like the title of the book.』
(Damp) 『Sorry, a little disappointed. I would have called this book "Damp" or "Moist" or "AllMost" or "AllMoist" ....but not "Wet". Close but no cigar...』
(Sexy Lesbian Love) 『Both lesbians and anyone interested in lesbian sex will enjoy this erotic collection of short stories. The title says it all! 』
(GOOD BEDTIME STORIES) 『Not a lesbian, but LOVE this book. Great, real stories. HOT!!! The Title says it all.』
(Soaking wet) 『Loved it! What a turn-on. Another great new book is "The Call Girl Actress, Confessions of a Lesbian Escort" by Erica Black.』 『
Intense and vibrantly real lesbian erotica in the spirit ofSkin Deep, these quick and dirty true stories revel in hot lesbian sex. As they peek into the diary of a very busy (and very bad) girl, readers will be panting hungrily as women from around the world reveal their most intimate lesbian encounters.
Nicole Foster edited the best-selling books,Skin Deep, Awakening the Virgin, Body Check, andElectric. She undresses in front of her window in Los Angeles.
price：$1.70
Dreamspinner Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Eric Folke wakes after a night of heavy drinking and looks reality straight in the eye. He's been hiding his true self behind unhappiness, anger, and a girlfriend he doesn't want-and it has to stop. Making a critical decision, he attends a dance, trying to face his true feelings rather than hide them. There he meets Nick Bertolli, a fabulously beautiful man filled with an ocean of love he needs to share, love that will help Eric heal and grow. As Eric accepts what is in his heart, he and Nick will face several obstacles on the road to happiness. Eric's ex-girlfriend, Nick's abusive former partner, and a terrible act of violence will test them, but their affection and desire for one another will never falter. Of one thing they can be sure: they will always love one another. Read and Eric and Nick later in their relationship in "Saving Trevor."』
price：$5.10
Seal Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great book, very inspiring!) 『I just finished this book and I loved it. It was very interesting from beginning to end. He writes about his childhood, his family and on up until he has the baby. I can't believe what a bad childhood he had, but at the end, it made him who he was and now he'll be one of the best fathers out there. This book made me cry at times, and I don't usually cry that much. But knowing this is a true story, you can't help but feel for him. I saw Thomas and Nancy on Oprah and People magazine. I always supported them and couldn't understand why people had such a problem with them wanting a baby. I am very happy for them and am very proud that they didn't let society's negativity stop them from fulfilling their dream of starting a family. I highly recommend this book if you like true stories that are different and are about people facing huge obstacles, but somehow finding a way to get through them. Nancy and Thomas are so brave and I wish them nothing but the best.』
(drive to reproduce) 『More than 150 MILLION children in the world have no parents. Orphaned and abandoned children wait for families to offer them a home. In two thirds of the world, enormous expenditures are made on medically assisted reproduction. This does not make sense.』
(What we do for love........and money.) 『A well written book about a woman who chooses to live as a man. This is not a "man" having a baby, Thomas was born with female reproductive organs is having a baby a most "normal" way. I believe that Thomas and Nancy Beatie are probably very good people and deserve their happiness. I understand Thomas need for gender-change and his love for Nancy. I do not believe that men can physically give birth. Born a woman, Thomas lives is a man who merely wants to live a "normal" life? Why the national TV appearances and writing books? In reading this book I was more interested in why one would seek the publicity. What we do for love.....and money.』
(Extraordinarily honest) 『What a surprising read. I remember hearing about this and being surprised, to say the least. Then I read more and thought "well, it's a woman living as man, kinda sorta, but it's a man... wow, that's confusing". I first will say that I think reproductive organs should, in fact, have some say in your gender, but at the end of the day, who really cares? If Thomas feels more like himself as a man, did it legally (pretty intense step for someone to take I would think), then more power to him. He isn't hurting anyone. His wife, Nancy, seems happy to be with him, his kids will only know that he loves them.
Do I agree with him? I dunno - but do I have to? Does it truly matter what you or I think? I have tremendous respect for he and his wife for talking about their unique circumstances. I would gladly shake his hand and consider him a good neighbor. He seems like a genuinely good guy who is trying to make his own way in the world, like the rest of us.
I was amazed at how well written this book was. I lived in Hawaii for several years in the mid-90s and he took me back there again, to the beaches, to the roads of Honolulu, to the outstanding beauty. But more than that, it felt honest. I never thought he was glossing over anything, not even about his own family. This was written from the heart with a lot of feeling.
My heart does go out to Thomas and Nancy, and I hope the hub bub of their recent announcement of another baby dies down quickly. I understand and respect their decision to go public, but I also worry about the crazy people in this world. Even people I consider friends have said things that made me do a double-take.
While I've always been ultra liberal, some of this story pushed even my own boundaries, but ya know... at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. He's happy, she's happy. What business is it of mine, really?
Give it a read, it did give me some unique insight into Thomas. An extraordinary story for sure.』
(A Triumph of Love and Family) 『Two things stand out in this book: the normality of the Beatie family, and "the system's" astonishing resistance to their desire for children.
Normal? Sure. Thomas had a difficult childhood, but so do lots of people. Thomas became legally male by choice - slightly less common, but still a choice a lot of people make and succeed at. Thomas and Nancy love each other, built a marriage and a business together, and wanted children.
In the second half of the book, we learn what happens when this all-American couple tries to have a child. There's one minor issue... well, it should have been minor. Thomas has female reproductive organs, and Nancy doesn't. So, with typical American make-it-work-ism, they decide that Thomas will carry their baby.
This is the shocking part of the story: not the "pregnant man," but the reaction of institutions that should have supported this family, or at least remained neutral. Several doctors sabotaged their attempts to get donor sperm. Other health care professionals broke confidentiality, eventually forcing the Beaties to make their story public before people they cared about heard it from the rumor mill. Gay, lesbian, and transgender organizations withdrew support. Some Americans threatened them with death - though their neighbors were supportive.
The story of the Beaties is simply heartwarming: a couple triumphs over a tragic childhood and technical difficulties to have a loving family and a baby. But the story of the reaction to them is uncomfortable reading. This book will make you think. I highly recommend it. 』 『
Thomas Beatie electrified the world in April 2008 with his announcement that he was seven months pregnant. He recounted his amazing story onThe Oprah Winfrey Show,and was later featured in a Barbara Walters Exclusive, where he announced that he and his wife, Nancy, were expecting their second child. While Thomas’s story made global headlines, there’s much more to his story than his pregnancies.
Labor of Lovechronicles Thomas Beatie’s unique life experiences: his less-than-idyllic childhood in Hawaii; his transition from female to male; his marriage to his wife, Nancy; his legal battles to live as a man; his fight to conceive a child; and the birth of their daughter, Susan, in late June.Labor of Loveis a groundbreaking book because it tackles social, political, and legal questions about gender, marriage, and family. Thomas and Nancy’s uphill battle to have a baby is both fascinating and touching. They are a normal couple who wanted a family, and yet the circumstances surrounding their desire to get pregnant and their journey to get there are truly extraordinary.
Labor of Loveis much more than the story of a unique pregnancy and birth—it’s a beautiful and controversial love story, a story of going against the tide, and a powerful and important statement about the evolution of family in the new millennium.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Well...duh) 『The book is good i will admit but reading it made me feel like i was 5. Most of the stuff is pretty ovious for example: on page 122 of the book under chapter 8, sex, there's a section titled "Why bother?" and it goes on for about a page as to why you should have sex! I feel this just stupid, and space comsuming.』
(A very understanding and helpful work) 『What can I say here that has not already been said? This is certainly a five star book in more ways than one. First and foremost, it is a book about relationships. I am in wholehearted agreement with the reviewer that stated this is a work that should be read by everyone, lesbian or heterosexual. It is about people getting along, learning to live with each other (and without if need calls), and the simple necessity of give and take in this life.
Yes, sometimes the road that chose us is a rocky road and it is made more difficult by society in general, family, friends, lovers, exlovers and possibly future lovers. In this day and age of extreme polarization, we find ourselves caught up in a situation where we are not only social torn, but religiously and politically. The last thing that most of us need is unresolved and situations in our personal relationships that we have difficulty coping with. Who of us has not been there at one time or another and who among us can absolutely say for certain that we will not be their, try as we may, somewhere down the road?
I am not inclined to place much credence in most "self help" books but I have to say that I make an exception with this one. I am one of those people who pretty well feels she has her "stuff" together and am immune someway to the foibles I see many of my friends trapped. Not so! Looking back, had I considered the information I found in this book, I would have treated some of my life situations quite differently. I am currently in a relationship; we have both read this wonderful work, and it has indeed helped greatly. Now don't take me wrong. There are aspects of this work that I disagree with greatly. I have and always have had a wondering eye. I strongly suspicion that I always will be a bit wayward; that is just me. This has cause a lot of pain to others over the years and indeed, caused myself quite a number of sleepless nights. In fareness to myself though, I must say that i have never expected something from one of my lovers that I was unable give myself. This being said, this work has helped me understand the consequences of some of my actions and I think I will be a better person for it in the future; anyway, we can all hope so.
The book is well written and is filled with understanding and compassion. I found it to be quite un- judgmental and non condemning. It merely stated facts, revealed situations, and suggested a correct way to handle the situations encountered.
As I said, non-lesbian couples could learn from this and it might do some of them some good in that I feel it might help some understand where people like myself are coming from.
I very much recommend this work. 』
(Very Helpful) 『I have had this book for years and I have to say it has help me a lot in learning and now in my new relationship. Its a great base to have the best relationship of your life.』
(The Owner's Manual to (Lesbian) Relationships) 『Though I've always been a bit skeptical about self-help books, I am supremely impressed by "Lesbian Couples." So much so that I have also, like another reviewer, recommended it to my straight friends. Never have I seen such a comprehensive, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and helpful book. Although I did recommend it to my straight friends, I highly appreciated having a book written by and for women loving women. I particularly appreciated the chapters relationship phases, maintaining separate identities, and negotiating conflict.
My partner and I communicate well and have built a strong relationship, but I can already see how little things I picked up on in the book have reshaped our relationship for the better.
I hardly think of books I read as worthy of 5 stars, but for it's comprehensiveness and quality insight into relationships, I can say nothing bad about it.』
(Enlightening look at lesbian relationships) 『This book helps seperate the similiarities and differences between lesbian and straight couples. It helps dispel some of the myths and assumptions and helps you look at your own relationship with a new understanding. Fabulous!』 『Two experienced lesbian therapists give lesbian couples the tools they need to handle issues such as living arrangements, work, money, coming out, and conflict resolution. Included is new material that addresses personal and community issues such as monogamy and open relationships, transgender identity, bisexuality, butch-femme roles, and s/m.』 『Surely there are couples who don't need books like this: blessed as they are with flawless unions, enduring passion, and equitable chore distributions, with never a sharp word, a demanding ex-lover, or a roving eye. The rest of us can consult Clunis and Green every 45 minutes. With sections on building intimacy, making decisions, communicating, and addressing issues of race and age difference, among other topics,Lesbian Couplesat least touches on most of the conflicts that a lesbian couple will face (a list of resources at the back will help readers pursue specific interests). The chapter on conflict resolution is exceptional, but the chapter on sex seems brief and perfunctory by comparison, perhaps because it has been written about so extensively elsewhere. This major revision of a lesbian self-help classic may be illuminating not only for couples but also for single women hoping to build the qualities needed for successful relationships, especially in the wake of a break-up.--Regina Marler』
price：$17.99
Adamant Media Corporation
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant) 『Having left Dickens until later in life, I just completed Barnaby Rudge as part of my attempt to go through his novels in chronological order, starting with Pickwick. Barnaby Rudge is a very different animal from the 4 prior novels, patterned after it was on the swashbuckling historical style of Scott. It's so different from Old Curiosity Shop, which he was writing at the same time as Barnaby Rudge, that it's hard to believe it's the work of the same author, except for the quality of exceptionally vivid characterizations that pervade all the books.
I knew nothing of the historical events upon which the book is based, that, at the time of original publication, were well known to most Londoners, almost as well known as 9/11 is known by contemporary New Yorkers. Dickens seemed to have anticipated this problem, as the historical recreation is so beautifully folded into the melodrama that I never felt left behind. DON'T READ THE INTRODUCTION as too many plot points were given away and spoiled some of the dramatic impact for this reader. Save the introduction for afterward.
The characters are so memorable, it is painful to have to complete the book and say goodbye to them. Especially John Willet, and his double-chin, which almost deserves billing as a character in and of itself, Sir John Chester, a poetic achievement to whom Oscar Wilde and Shaw owed enormous debts, Maypole Hugh, and Grip the Raven (from whom Poe got his idea for the poem "The Raven), are high water marks of achievement.
While I preferred some of the intensely personal, experimental style of the latter half of Oliver Twist and much of Old Curiosity Shop, the confident and bold tone of the narration in Barnaby is a shot of adrenaline in every chapter, and the power of description in Dicken's cinematic viewpoint is incredibly powerful and pulse-poundingly entertaining, while the whole time maintaing a savvy, but never cynical outlook when it comes to the socio-political themes.
Don't miss it.』
(A wonderful and meaningful book) 『Barnaby Rudge is one of Charles Dickens' lesser known and read novels--and that's a pity. The book is interesting, full of the kind of characters that Dickens is noted for, and full of action and exciting scenes. More significantly, it is one of his most thought provoking works, with a relevance that is applicable to today's world. It will leave you cheering for the good guys and grateful to see that the bad guys (and gals) get what coming to them. The book is divided cleanly into two parts, the first taking place in 1775, depicts the comings and goings of four families and their assorted relations and friends. The second occurs five years later and focuses on an historical event, the riots which shook London to oppose rights for Catholics.
The book begins at the Maypole, an inn located just outside London and presided over by John Willet, a pompous know-it-all who intimidates his friends and dominates his son, Joe, to the point that he leaves to join the army by the end of this part. Hugh, an uneducated and violent man works for Willet handling animals. Down the road is the residence of Geoffrey Haredale, a country gentleman, and his niece Emma, a beautiful and gracious girl. Her father was mysteriously killed 22 years previously and the mystery runs through the book. Haredale is a Catholic and an antagonist to John Chester, an oily, Machiavellian, highly ambitious character. The only thing the two men have in common is their mutual desire to keep Chester's son Edward from a romance with Emma. In this they succeed and Edward, too, leaves at the end of part 1. The third household contains the Varden family. Gabriel, the father, is a locksmith kindly and a moderating influence throughout the book. Ultimately he plays a hero's role. His wife, Martha, constants nags him, aided and abetted by their servant, Miss Miggs, a comical character given to hysterics. Their daughter, Dolly, is beautiful and vivacious, but flirtatious and at this point does not return the love that Joe Willet shows for her. Simon Tappertit, an apprentice to Mr. Varden, also resides there. He is a ridiculous person with an exaggerated sense of himself and the clandestine leader of a group of similar apprentices with designs on engaging in violence against their masters. Finally there is the residence of the title character, Barnaby Rudge, who is a mentally deficient but happy and charming young man. He lives in genteel poverty with his mother. Mr. Rudge, who was the steward to the murdered Mr. Haredale, was also allegedly a victim. The cast of characters interacts in typical Dickens fashion for the first 33 (of 80) chapters.
The scene and mood shifts abruptly in the second part which gives a detailed and graphic account of the so-called "anti-popery" riots that took place in London in 1780. The reader would do well to read an independent account of these events before reading Dickens' version. The above cast of characters is joined in part two by an additional group including some from actual life (Lord George Gordon, the instigator of the riots and Ned Dennis, one of the ringleaders to name but two). The riots bring out the best and the worst of all the characters. Barnaby is conned into joining the rioters and ends up in prison condemned to be hanged, the Maypole Inn is sacked and John Willet, humiliated, bound and gagged, the Haredale residence is set ablaze and Emma and Dolly taken prisoner, many houses are burned, people killed, Newgate prison is broken into, destroyed and all the prisoners released. The riots end with a harrowing scene is which dozens of people are burned to death by flaming alcohol.
The execution scene, where three of the "ringleaders" are to be hanged is one of the most powerful parts of the book. Dickens gives a vivid account of the conditions and circus atmosphere that surrounds this event. In Hugh's powerful and eloquent speech Dickens also gives a condemnation of British society that creates such persons. Hugh at this point is the most moral person in the book and goes to his death with bravery and courage. This scene alone is well worth reading the book for.
In the end, of course, everything is sorted out, justice is delayed but not denied and we have a happy ending.
If the book can be said to suffer it is from the lack of a strong central character around whom the plot revolves. There is no real hero here or even a singular villain. Joe and Edward, either of whom might have filled the former role are largely absent from much of the book and only show up again after the riots have ended. Gabriel Varden comes closest to that role but is more acted upon than actor until the closing chapters. The most likely candidate for villain, John Chester, likewise disappears at the end of part one. Hugh, Simon and Dennis emerge as a trio of rouges joined by Gashford, secretary to Lord Gordon and a blind man who cries plaintively, why must I be good just because I am blind? The murderer, of course, is also lurking around. But none of these individuals stands apart from the rest and the hero versus villain theme is muted. The book is really about events and how these events shape and change the life of the characters for better or worse.
In the end you will find yourself thinking about Barnaby Rudge for days afterward and it will leave a mark on your life. Nothing more positive can be said about any book.
』
(Audio dramatization way over the top) 『 This is a review of the BBC Radio dramatization version of this book.
The story is a good one, filled with politics of religion, sympathetic characters and Dicken's inimitable prose.
However, this audio version is WAY over produced, with blaring, overly-dramatic music that seemed reminiscent of the worst grade B silent films.
The actors screamed, ranted, raved and wept hysterically more than they spoke. Unless someone already knows the basic plot and characters, they may have difficulty following the action (particularly, as a previous reviewer pointed out, the thick accents will be hard for Americans to decipher.).
The entire production needed to be toned down quite a bit for Dicken's voice to be heard above the clamor.
It might be better to read the book in this case. 』
(Barnaby Rudge: A Pleasant Surprise - from, G. Lafitte, a Dickens Fan Who Has Tried Them All) 『This is the last of all the Dickens's novels (including the five shorter Christmas Books) that I have either read or attempted. I had saved it until the last because it has not been held in very high esteem either by the critics or the reading public. I was pleasantly surprised.
Whereas there are several Dickens novels that I was unable to finish (namely, The Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewit, Dombey and Son, Little Dorrit, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and all the Christmas Books except A Christmas Carol), Barnaby Rudge never dragged even though it is one of Dickens's longer novels. Barnaby Rudge is as filled with memorable characters (especially the secondary ones - Miss Miggs, the Vardens, the Chesters, Hugh, Mr. Tappertitt, Dennis the hangman, etc.); places (the Maypole Inn, the locksmith's shop) and incident (the Gordon Riots) as any of his greater novels.
Stylistically, Barnaby Rudge is akin to Dickens's earlier picaresque novels (Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby). After those early successes of the 1830s, Dickens was struggling to find his mature style in my opinion. Most of the longer and shorter novels I was unable to finish come from the 1840s. (The Mystery of Edwin Drood is Dickens's last novel, but it was only half-finished at his death so it is really not fair to blame Dickens for my failure to respond to it.) Even though The Old Curiosity Shop comes between Nicholas Nickelby and Barnaby Rudge, Barnaby Rudge demonstrates all the strengths of Nicholas Nickelby and avoids the weaknesses of The Old Curiosity Shop. Barnaby Rudge is still early Dickens in my opinion.
G. K. Chesterton described a taste for early Dickens as similar to a taste for new potatoes as opposed to mature potatoes. Some people prefer new potatoes. Barnaby Rudge is not Dickens at his greatest. (I reserve that description for David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Bleak House. Along with the three novels of the 1830s already mentioned, I place Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities and Our Mutual Friend and now, Barnaby Rudge, on the second tier of Dickens's novels.) We must remember, that Dickens at his worst is better than most writers at their best. If Barnaby Rudge were a newly discovered work by an otherwise unknown author, or by one of Dickens's contemporaries, it would be hailed as a masterpiece. As it is, Barnaby Rudge is an eminently enjoyable and readable effort by a great writer.』
(Dickens fifth novel is a novel of genius by Britain's greatest novelist of the Victorian Age.) 『Barnaby Rudge (1841)originally appeared as a weekly serial in Dickens' weekly newspaper Master Humphrey's Clock. The novel is the most obscure work by the master. The story is well worth reading. It is an exciting story of the Anti-Roman Catholic riots of 1780 led by the eccentric George Gordon a member of Parliament. The second half of the book focuses on the riots in a cinematic depiction of the mobs who ran amok in London during a hot summer of hatred, prejudice and murder. Character rather than complicated Victorian plot is why we read Dickens. This book adds many memorable folks to the gallery of Dickens characters. In this long novel we meet: Barnaby Rudge-the title character is a feeble witted lad whose pet is the famed raven Grip. He lives with his mother. We later learn his evil father Rudge Sr. murdered Lord Haredale's brother. The father is hanged but Barnaby lives to spend time at the Maypole Inn. Years before Dostoevsky's novel "The Idiot" Dickens took a mentally ill person as his hero. Barnaby is pardoned for his participation in the Gordon riots. Gabriel Varden, his shrewish wife and buxom daughter Dolly live in London where Mr. Varden is a locksmith. After Joe Willet leaves England to fight in the American Revolution he returns home to wed Dolly. A charming love story. The Haredale family tells us of the love of Mr. Haredale's beautiful niece Emma for Edward the son of John Chester. Chester is a Protestant and a sworn enemy of the Catholic Haredales. Minor charactes such as Hugh (the illegitimate son of Chester); Dennis the hangman; Miss Miggs the man crazy maid to Mrs. Varden and others populate the pages of this fast paced tale of murder,mystery and intrigue. Barnaby Rudge is a fine book which deserves to be better known. It is not Dickens best novel,his longest novel or his most famous novel. Yet it still appeals in its exciting look at the events of 1780. It and the much more famous Tale of Two Cities were the two historical novels the author produced. YOu will never forget Grip the Raven (said to be the inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven") or Barnaby and his friends and enemies. Curl up with this good book and let your mind and heart wander back to the year of our Lord 1775 when the novel begins. The book is well illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Browne in charming art work.』 『This edition is published in 2 volumes, sold separately.』
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Alan Hollinghurst's extraordinarily rich novelThe Line of Beauty. has garnered a new level of acclaim for the author after winning the 2004 Man Booker Prize. Hollinghurst speaks about his work in our interview.
