Book Description

"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat." As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst.The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction.(Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell 10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Stephenie Meyer Q: Were you a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Angel? What are you watching now that those shows are off the air? A: I have never seen an entire episode of Buffy or Angel. While I was writing Twilight, I let my older sister read along chapter by chapter. She's a huge Buffy fan and she kept trying to get me to watch, but I was afraid it would mess up my vision of the vampire world so I never did. I don't have a ton of time for TV, and my kids get rowdy when I have on "mommy shows," but I do have a secret fondness for reality shows (the good ones, at least in my opinion). I always TiVo Survivor, The Amazing Race, and America's Next Top Model. Q: What inspired you to write Twilight? Is this the beginning of a series? Why write for teens? A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. There are sequels on the way--I'm hard at work editing book two (tentatively titled New Moon) right now, and book three is waiting in line for its turn. I didn't mean to write for teens--I didn't mean to write for anyone but myself, so I had an audience of one twenty-nine year old (and later one thirty-one year old when my sister started reading). I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that. Q: What is your favorite vampire story? Fave vampire movie? A: I guess my favorite vampire story would be The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice, simply because it's one of the only ones I've ever read. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula, because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Again, I'm afraid to read other vampire books now, for fear of finding things either too similar, or too different from my own vampire world. Ack! I can't even answer the movie question. I can't remember ever seeing a single vampire movie, outside of clips from Bela Lugosi movies on TV. I don't like true horror movies--my favorite scary movies are all Hitchcock's. Q: What other young adult authors do you read? A: My favorite young adult author is L.M. Montgomery I also enjoyJ.K. Rowling (but who doesn't?), and Ann Brashares. As a teen, I skipped straight to adult books (lots of sci-fi and Jane Austen), so I'm rediscovering the world of teen literature now. Stephenie Meyer's List of Books You Should Read Anne of Green GablesRomeo and JulietDragonflightTo Kill a Mockingbird The Princess BrideSee more recommendations from Stephenie Meyer Amazon.com's Significant SevenStephenie Meyer graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven. Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?A: The book with the most significant impact on my life is The Book of Mormon. The book with the most significant impact on my life as a writer is probably Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, with Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier coming in as a close second.Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?A: The CD is easy: Absolution by Muse, hands down. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility--the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. One book is impossible. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy, too.Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?A: My lies are all very, very boring: "No, you really look great in hot pink!" "My children only watch one hour of TV a day." "I didn't eat the last Swiss Cake Roll--it must have been one of the kids." That's the best I've got.Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.A: It's late at night and the house is silent, but I'm still (miraculously) full of energy. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse, Coldplay, Travis, My Chemical Romance, and The All-American Rejects. Beside me is a fabulous, and yet mysteriously low in calorie, cheesecake....Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?A: I'd like it to say that I really tried at the important things.I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. Under that, I'd want a list of my favorite Simpsons quotes.Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?A: I'd love to have a chance to talk to Orson Scott Card--I have a million questions for him. Mostly things like, "How do you come up with this stuff?!" But, if he wasn't available, I'd settle for Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse).Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?A: I'd want something offensive, rather than defensive. Like shooting fireballs from my hands. That way, you're really open to going either way--hero or villain. I like to have choices.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-10-10

This book was and is everything they said it would be! It is a very gripping read.

What can I say...Amazing.......2007-10-10

O.K. so I am not a Young Adult anymore but I fell in love with this book and, of course, Edward. I sacrificed much needed sleep to stay up until 5 in the morning to finish this book. I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a book.

I have read all the books in the series and this book is the one to read. It is far superior to the other 2. It is refreshingly clean and original. I was perfectly comfortable having my 16 yr. old daughter read it. I can not say as much for Eclipse.

Best series ever!.......2007-10-10

Twilight is one of the greatest love stories ever! Edward and Bella are going to be known like Romeo and Juliette, Rhett and Scarlett, and Cinderella and Prince Charming. You won't be able to wait for the other books in the series. Don't just buy the Twilight. You're going to want New Moon and Eclipse, also.

Loved it, but Maybe More Adult than Young Adult.......2007-10-09

Since there are over 1,000 reviews of this book that cover just about everything you could say good about it, and I only just read it the first time myself, I'll just add that after a while I was feeling that the way the narrator, Bella, spoke was a little more sophisticated than most 17 year olds speak, and I found myself looking up some of the words in a dictionary. (Of course I noticed Stephanie Meyer has a degree in English Lit.) For instance, I've never heard a 17 year old girl describe the way a man stands (Carlisle) as having an "urbane stance" among other wordy descriptions I found. But that's the only negative I could see, hate to point it out when I was totally hooked into the book and read it in about 4 days. I found the romantic story to be nearly adult in nature other than the fact that there was no actual "lovemaking" and they went to high school. It seemed like a couple of adults going to high school. Maybe that was part of the mystery and enchantment. Can't wait for the other books and the movie, even though I'm hoping the movie doesn't disappoint.

Lakshakie!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!.......2007-10-08

I love this book series. New, inventive, creative, read series in 3 days and started all over again. I'm rereading it for the 3rd time. Mom takes the books away to punish me. That is the only way for me to be grounded. And each time I cry. Rataksha boo lakaa boo.

Average customer rating: A great book, but not exactly pleasant reading Lolita Erotic and erudite A case study of a pedophile I'll hear Irons in my sleep for some time to come

Lolita Vladimir Nabokov Manufacturer: Vintage ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Nabokov, Vladimir | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Nabokov, Vladimir | ( N ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Classics | Literature & Fiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Pale Fire Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books Invitation to a Beheading Ulysses A Clockwork Orange ASIN: 0679723161 Release Date: 1989-03-13

Amazon.com

Despite its lascivious reputation, the pleasures of Lolita are as much intellectual as erogenous. It is a love story with the power to raise both chuckles and eyebrows. Humbert Humbert is a European intellectual adrift in America, haunted by memories of a lost adolescent love. When he meets his ideal nymphet in the shape of 12-year-old Dolores Haze, he constructs an elaborate plot to seduce her, but first he must get rid of her mother. In spite of his diabolical wit, reality proves to be more slippery than Humbert's feverish fantasies, and Lolita refuses to conform to his image of the perfect lover.

Playfully perverse in form as well as content, riddled with puns and literary allusions, Nabokov's 1955 novel is a hymn to the Russian-born author's delight in his adopted language. Indeed, readers who want to probe all of its allusive nooks and crannies will need to consult the annotated edition. Lolita is undoubtedly, brazenly erotic, but the eroticism springs less from the "frail honey-hued shoulders ... the silky supple bare back" of little Lo than it does from the wantonly gorgeous prose that Humbert uses to recount his forbidden passion:

She was musical and apple-sweet ... Lola the bobby-soxer, devouring her immemorial fruit, singing through its juice ... and every movement she made, every shuffle and ripple, helped me to conceal and to improve the secret system of tactile correspondence between beast and beauty--between my gagged, bursting beast and the beauty of her dimpled body in its innocent cotton frock.

Much has been made of Lolita as metaphor, perhaps because the love affair at its heart is so troubling. Humbert represents the formal, educated Old World of Europe, while Lolita is America: ripening, beautiful, but not too bright and a little vulgar. Nabokov delights in exploring the intercourse between these cultures, and the passages where Humbert describes the suburbs and strip malls and motels of postwar America are filled with both attraction and repulsion, "those restaurants where the holy spirit of Huncan Dines had descended upon the cute paper napkins and cottage-cheese-crested salads." Yet however tempting the novel's symbolism may be, its chief delight--and power--lies in the character of Humbert Humbert. He, at least as he tells it, is no seedy skulker, no twisted destroyer of innocence. Instead, Nabokov's celebrated mouthpiece is erudite and witty, even at his most depraved. Humbert can't help it--linguistic jouissance is as important to him as the satisfaction of his arrested libido. --Simon Leake

Book Description

Awe and exhiliration--along with heartbreak and mordant wit--abound in Lolita, Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America. Most of all, it is a meditation on love--love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.

Customer Reviews:

A great book, but not exactly pleasant reading.......2007-09-08

I've read "Lolita" twice now, and it's very difficult for me to explain how I feel about this book. On one hand, I think it's brilliant. Vladimir Nabokov's amazing prose makes "Lolita" one of the most celebrated 20th century novels ever written. It's clever and shocking and absolute genius. However, the story also revolves around a pedophile/murderer, Humbert Humbert. In the first few pages of the book, we learn that Humbert is writing "Lolita" as a confession while he rots away in a jail cell. Humbert has always had an obsession with "nymphets," which is his affectionate term for sexually desirable girls ranging from nine to 14 years of age. He ends up marrying a woman just because he's hung up on her 12-year-old daughter, Dolores (a.k.a. "Lolita"). Humbert and Lolita eventually begin an affair, and Humbert's overwhelming desire for her ultimately leads him to commit murder.

Being the phenomenal writer that he is, Nabokov makes the child molester Humbert appear charming and almost sympathetic to the reader. This man is a completely wretched human being, but due to the author's exquisite manipulation of language, we're forced to view Humbert in a very different light. I think "Lolita" is a fantastic story, but the whole pedophilia aspect has always soured my experience of reading this book. I can appreciate "Lolita" for its innovation and brilliance, but it's just not the kind of story I genuinely enjoy reading.

Lolita.......2007-09-05

One of the best books I have read, by one of the best writers ever. Many are drawn to this book because of its forbidden and erotic nature. But once you begin reading it you become trapped in Nabokov's tale of love and obsession and can't let go. It is a literary masterpiece. Reading Lolita is something beyond being witness to what happens in the story as an outsider. The reader is eventually a part of the tale and it becomes a test of one's own morality.

Erotic and erudite.......2007-09-03

Of course many will find this book to be offensive, as middle-aged European Humbert Humbert, now in America, concocts a plan to seduce and entrap 12 ½ year old Lolita, the daughter of his landlord. For others, while the subject of pedophilia is undoubtedly troubling, what is most noticeable is the incredible depth and smartness of the writing - almost spellbinding.

There are very few sexually explicit descriptions to be found in the book. Far more time is devoted to the mental state of Humbert and his justifications, delusions, and stratagems in taking up with Lolita on a year-long cross-country journey. It is hardly the author's purpose to directly condemn Humbert's actions, instead, he steadily shows that obsession with a nymphet can have no other than an ignominious end.

There is no shortage of observations concerning the uniformity and ordinariness of American life in the 1950s, not to mention subtle commentary on attraction, desirability, and morality. The story line of the book is more than a bit farfetched, yet the book is incredibly erotic and intriguing.

A case study of a pedophile.......2007-07-21

I have read many reviews (not all 442) but no one seems to be picking up on something very important to this tale. Humbert was an unreliable narrator. It isn't that he was deliberately dishonest, rather, these were the thoughts a man trying rationalize his horrible choices and borderline delusional thought processes. His "explanation" of why he desired young females, using his memories of Annabel, were thinly constructed ways of vindicate himself to his readers and himself. Oh, of course! Isn't everything in life a result of childhood trauma? Doesn't that make it ok?
Delusional thoughts? A magazine ad posted on Lolita's wall contained a handsome man who, of course, looked as handsome as Humbert. That must mean she wanted him. A young girl sharing her sexual experiences at summer camp must be telling him because she desires him in the same way. In other words, Humbert is just an every day, ordinary pedophile who wants to see himself as a romantic hero, instead of a rapist
What has rankled me about some reviews is their vision of Dolores Haze. She has been described as manipulative, a willing participant in Humbert's folly, that she was the one pulling the strings. This is what her captor wants us to think in order to feel better about what he has done to her. Every now and then, it seeps into his narrative and his consciousness, that he has done something horrific to someone who was truly innocent. People have remarked that her willing acceptance of gifts in exchange for sexual favors must mean that she enjoyed the experience in some way.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Dolores was an orphan, she had no other visible family members or anyone else she could rely upon. Additionally, she had a captor who let her know, very forcefully, that he was all she had in the world, that she would end up in a horrible foster home if she didn't stick with him. What, exactly, would these readers expect a 12 year old, one who had just lost her mother, expect her to do? What she did was manage her situation the best she could. Her life in captivity was made bearable by magazines, socks, eating at the restaurant of her choice, a tiny amount of personal power in an almost powerless situation. Humbert also gets to feel better about himself, that he is treating her like a princess despite the fact that he is raping her on a regular basis. In the end, Lolita behaves just like any victim of sexual abuse. Her choice of friends is less than savory, worse than her captor and she is, for the most part, damaged beyond repair.
Nabokov is masterful because he has taken something truly ugly and horrible and made it feel compelling and authentic yet beautiful. There were points where I felt dirty and voyeuristic while reading of their trip across America. As characteristic of the poet, Nabokov vividly describes every emotion, obsession, sunset, frustration, landscape, hotel or anything else is such aching detail that it is easy to forget that Humbert is a common pedophile. The duel between his impulses and his conscience are amazingly heartfelt. I can imagine that Nabokov read many case studies of pedophiles and their behavior before synthesizing this into his poetic masterpiece.

I'll hear Irons in my sleep for some time to come.......2007-06-12

I first discovered that the well known name and label Lolita was not what I had thought while reading comments and watching interviews about my favorite Lolita (though that label really does not fit), Alizée.
I borrowed this audio version from the library and am quite glad that I did. Jeremy Irons gave a spectacular performance in reading the novel to me. His voice will forever color the way I see Humbert Humbert. I may have to go back and read it again some day, probably with an annotated version to get all those various references and especially the French phrases, but I just don't know if I could bear to go through all that again. Though, I'll definitely watch the newer movie with Irons as Humbert.
Yes, this is one of those books that is difficult to tell most people that I even read. Trying to describe it is likely to cause misunderstanding. As people have said throughout the decades, it is the witty quality of writing that makes the book so great and the expression of the incredible obsession of love and lust that consumed our protagonist. In the first half I would say that the story line was not really even that interesting compared to the more typical fantasy stories. It was really just so much of ordinary life, albeit not typical. By the end, I realized that was one of the things that is so incredible about the story. It's so real. By the end of the book, I have been convinced that to really have given it a chance, one must read it to the very last word (or listen to Jeremy narrate it in this case). This was some real 'quality' writing. It does beg the question, how does one come up with this stuff? This book will leave you thinking, for sure.

Average customer rating: The Quiet Man. Character study, not a story No thrilling page-turner, but a deep, honest look into the heart of man! The Meaning of Life doesnt stand up over time

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Oprah's Book Club) Carson McCullers Manufacturer: Mariner ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books McCullers, Carson | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Classics | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books Similar Items: A Virtuous Woman (Oprah's Book Club) Anna Karenina (Oprah's Book Club) Drowning Ruth (Oprah's Book Club) East of Eden Black and Blue (Oprah's Book Club) ASIN: 0618526412 Release Date: 2004-04-21

Book Description

With the publication of her first novel, THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, Carson McCullers, all of twenty-three, became a literary sensation. With its profound sense of moral isolation and its compassionate glimpses into its characters' inner lives, the novel is considered McCullers' finest work, an enduring masterpiece first published by Houghton Mifflin in 1940. At its center is the deaf-mute John Singer, who becomes the confidant for various types of misfits in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s. Each one yearns for escape from small town life. When Singer's mute companion goes insane, Singer moves into the Kelly house, where Mick Kelly, the book's heroine (and loosely based on McCullers), finds solace in her music. Wonderfully attuned to the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition, and with a deft sense for racial tensions in the South, McCullers spins a haunting, unforgettable story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated -- and, through Mick Kelly, gives voice to the quiet, intensely personal search for beauty. Richard Wright praised Carson McCullers for her ability "to rise above the pressures of her environment and embrace white and black humanity in one sweep of apprehension and tenderness." She writes "with a sweep and certainty that are overwhelming," said the NEW YORK TIMES. McCullers became an overnight literary sensation, but her novel has endured, just as timely and powerful today as when it was first published. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER is Carson McCullers at her most compassionate, endearing best.

Customer Reviews:

The Quiet Man. .......2007-09-27

An outstanding and realistic examination of the human condition. It's an indirect examination ("thoughts that wound from behind" as the great philosopher/storyteller Soren Kierkegaard put it) and that's what makes it so effective.
Everyone is so caught up in their own problems and acting out their desires that nobody notices the quiet suffering of the saintly central character. When he exits his void is felt yet no one can fathom the reasons for his disappearances. Maybe Jean Calvin was/is right about that thorough-corruption doctrine.
Carson McCullers sounds Kierkegaardian in showing the limits of organized religion and social action. The men of purposeful action (street preacher Simms, vagabond Jake Blount, and house-calling Doctor Copeland end up estranged, embittered, and feeling a lack of accomplishment. Meanwhile, the non-formalists (John Singer, Mick Kelly, and Biff Brannon) are better-adjusted and seem to have done more for the world. McCullers doesn't forget the "middle path" either by giving us Portia Copeland, a decent and generous church-goer who talks a little too much.
Our author echoes the sentiments of fellow Southerner William Faulkner on the civil rights issue. Both McCullers and Faulkner despaired at the suffering of blacks under Jim Crow but were wise enough to know the situation could not be legislated away (after all Jim Crow was a creation of government too.) Racism is a human failing to see The Other as a fellow child of G-d. It's an animalistic impulse, as Rabbi Daniel Lapin (a teacher of mine) rightly points out. Trying to speed the undoing of this impulse through legislation and protest marches, while not completely unhelpful, risks bloodshed. Having the faith/attributes of Biff (who runs a restaurant/hospitality center in the spirit of Biblical patriarch Abraham, the father of faith), Mick and Singer makes peaceful change possible in time.
Doctor Copeland and Jake Blount foreshadow the professional protestors of our era. Their enjoyment in physical confrontations tells us a good bit about the psyche of poverty pimps and union thugs.
Singer's life shows the truth of what another of my teachers (the saintly Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT"L) once said -- "It is the quiet man that is respected." The public activist hero portrayed in Hollywood and TV news misleads many into thinking that they must pour forth a constant stream of verbiage to make an impact and promote "understanding." Rabbi Miller and other sages know better -- Most talking is counterproductive.
McCullers (who was 23 at the time "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" was published) proves herself the Great American Prophetess of the Great American Loneliness. Widespread ambivalence and inarticulateness amid the Information Age and cell-phone-driven communications "revolution" wouldn't have surprised Carson McCullers.
To close, here's a gem -- "He (Biff) had known his loves and they were over. Alice, Madeline, and Gyp. Finished. Leaving him either better or worse. Which? However you looked at it."

Character study, not a story.......2007-09-13

I read tons of "pulp" novels and I've started adding some classics to my wish list--largely to see if the books I abhored in high school would be more enjoyable if they were not assigned reading. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was no better now.
As a character study it is superb; the main characters are deep, believable, and unique. I understood the characters, or at least why they didn't understand themselves. Each chapter with Mr. Singer made me smile with anticipation while I waited for something magical to happen to make the characters happy.
That was the problem with the book. Each chapter barely moves the story forward, and in the end nothing happens. There is so much potential for characters to talk and understand and change, but it never happens and the potential hangs over the entire book like a cloud. The book simply ends. No character is better off than they were in the beginning, no character's life path is appreciably changed from those of their next door neighbors. In short, with the exception of Mr. Singer, there was no reason to write about these characters in terms of their participation in events that are worth writing about.
The book was not a labor to get through, but I was largely unsatisfied with the resolution. I don't need a happy ending, but atleast give me a sense that the previous 200 pages somewhat affected that ending.

No thrilling page-turner, but a deep, honest look into the heart of man!.......2007-09-09

It's no fast-paced thriller, nor is it a gripping page-turner, it is however, an incredibly deep look into the heart and soul of man. Not until you finish the very last page and reflect on what you have read, can you truly begin to understand the simple truth behind the title, `The heart is a lonely hunter.'

The heart of man is lonely, always seeking, always needing something... elusive. We all share the need to feel connected, to be part of a whole. To know truth, and be at peace. We are so many disjointed voices that few of us are ever really heard.

Set in the deep South, Carson tells of a deaf mute named John Singer and a group of frustrated individuals that gravitate towards his serene and kindly nature--a young girl, desperate to follow her dreams; a drunkard, willing to impart his wisdom on the uninformed; a black doctor, eager to lift his people to equality; and a café owner, stuck in the routines of life.

Each seek Singer's company and tell of their woes with a deep believe that he, and only he, truly understands their ply. In him, each sees a kindred spirit. But what, exactly, does Singer see in them?

The Meaning of Life.......2007-08-29

"Seek and ye shall find," Jesus is quoted as saying in the Bible. All of us, no matter what our religious affiliation--or lack thereof--are seeking out a dream, a little piece of happiness. Sometimes this process is conscious and sometimes a subconscious imperative drives us forward towards that piece of happiness.

The five main characters of "The Heart is A Lonely Hunter" are all seeking their dreams in an unnamed mill town in the South in the late 1930s. For teenaged Mick Kelly, the dream is a career in classical music that her impoverished family can't afford to provide. For the relentless black Doctor Copeland, the dream is freedom and equality for his people. For restaurateur Biff Brannon the dream is having children. For vertically-challenged drifter Jake Blount the dream is a Marxist revolution to level the playing field for all people. And last, but most important, the dream for deaf-mute John Singer is to be reunited with his long time partner Anatopolous, who was committed to an institution.

Singer becomes the prime focus for the other four. One by one they inadvertently seek him out and spill their wishes and desires to him, although he often doesn't understand them. To Mick he is a secret friend who understands her. To Copeland he is a wise man who understands the struggles of the black minority. To Blount he is a comrade in arms for the revolution. And to Biff he is a kindred spirit, a fellow observer of humanity.

Yet for as much as he represents to them, they mean relatively little to Singer. His thoughts are consumed by his love--platonic, we assume--for Anatopolous, the one he thinks understands him. But much as Singer is a false idol to the other four, Anatopolous is a false idol for him, a lazy, selfish, slovenly person incapable of appreciating Singer's love. In the end these troubled souls are left to pick up the pieces after the false idols shatter, as they inevitably do. This leads each of them to make a decision and to enter a new phase of life.

What makes this book so wonderful to read is the profound understanding of humanity shown here. All of us at one time or another have felt the pent-up ambition Mick feels at wanting something that remains just out of reach. We've felt the righteous anger to right a terrible injustice like Doctor Copeland. We've felt the isolation of being the outsider like Blount. We've all felt the confusion after a loss like Biff. And those of us fortunate enough--or perhaps unfortunate enough--have felt the heartache of an unrequited love like Singer.

These people all seem real because their hopes and desires are those hopes and desires we all have. Their dreams aren't altogether different than those each of us seek, whether we're aware of it or not. We know their longing and desperation to find someone who understands them, even if that someone is a deaf-mute who can only nod along.

Because of that, the book touches something deep in our consciousness, something primal within all of us--the need to seek out for something greater. The most astounding thing about "The Heart is A Lonely Hunter" is that the author was only twenty-three years old when she published this. At a time when most of us are just getting out into the "real world" and discovering ourselves, McCullers already had it figured out.

This is truly a literary achievement that you should seek out at your local bookseller or library at once, those who haven't already done so based on Oprah's recommendation.

That is all.

doesnt stand up over time.......2007-08-13

Lula Carson Smith was my favorite author for a long time. However i must have outgrown her, because i found a recent re-reading of 'the heart...' to be a little tiresome. i agree with another reviewer who noted it was easy to tell the characters were developed by a 23 y/o.

Average customer rating: NOT MUCH OF A DANCE Couldn't put it down 5 stars Much better then Glass Houses 4.5 stars. Leaves a lot of threads dangling.

The Dead Girls' Dance (The Morganville Vampires, Book 2) Rachel Caine Manufacturer: Signet ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Spine-Chilling Horror | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Spine-Chilling Horror | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Similar Items: Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, Book 1) Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires, Book 3) Thin Air (Weather Warden, Book 6) Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 2) Kitty Takes a Holiday (Kitty Norville Series, Book 3) ASIN: 0451220897

Book Description

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Customer Reviews:

NOT MUCH OF A DANCE.......2007-10-05

I did enjoy reading it; however it did not live up to the 1st book. The character development is interesting though. Feels like it's slightly unfinished. Not a stand alone book-read book 1 first.

Couldn't put it down.......2007-06-15

I was lucky enough to pick this up just days after I'd read Glass Houses and had cooled off from facing the unwelcome cliffhanger that topped off what was otherwise a terrific book. As the other reviewers say, this picks up moments later and the action is non-stop until the end -- where we get another cliffhanger, though not QUITE as traumatic. I mean, this one you have to think about for the full scope of the potential trauma to set in.

The characters are getting more dimensional and interesting and the worldbuilding shows how intricate it is, hiding so many mysteries that we want to investigate. I don't usually like vampire novels, but this series has lots of original ideas in it -- and its characters carry them to even higher levels. The cliffhangers are frustrating, but I'm currently writing a series that has its own set so I guess I should welcome this as setting a precedent. Be assured that the basic plot of the book is complete within it; you won't be dissatisfied.

You'll also get some really good scares. Have fun reading it! (And Rachel Caine: WRITE FASTER!!!)

5 stars.......2007-06-12

Picking up right where Glass Houses ended, the story of Claire, Shane, Michael, and Eve not only continues, but turns up the volume and intensity. A cold war, cold as only vampires could make it, has been declared now that Shane's father and his vampire hunters have arrived. When one of the "leading citizens" among the undead is killed, Shane is implicated and his life forfeit unless his three friends can do something to stop it. Even those who claim to know he is innocent refuse to help, and so, Claire and Eve are forced to take desperate risks to save him. None of them could have foreseen the terrible prices that will have to be paid for the sake of love.

***** Book one in this series left me emotionally spent, in a good way. The intensity is cubed in this latest entry. It was hard to put this down for even the slightest break and, forget what happens to the kid with the scar and glasses, I want to know what happens next in Morganville. If you love to read about characters with whom you can get deeply involved, Rachel Caine is so far a one hundred percent sure bet to satisfy that need. I love her Weather Warden stories, and her vampires are even better. *****

Amanda Killgore

Much better then Glass Houses.......2007-06-06

I just recently finished this book and I definitely enjoyed it a lot more then Glass Houses. I sped through GH and didn't take it all in and on a second reading I was kind of disappointed (I would rate it 3 stars). But Dead Girls' Dance is a LOT better.

The story isn't as crazy this time around, all the introduction of the characters and the town is over and done with so you can now concentrate on the story itself which is turning out to be interesting.

I felt Glass Houses was a bit rushed, like Rachel tried to fit in too much stuff into the book. This one is much more even. The story is non-stop as it usually is in all of Rachel's book, but it doesn't feel rushed or overdone.

This book is short, but it squeezes a lot in - deaths, vampires, a crazy party and even a bit of romance. I'm glad Claire and Shane got together even though he still thinks Claire is a little bit too young for him.

When I finished Glass Houses I wasn't so enthused to read Dead Girls' Dance as I didn't enjoy the 1st book but I'm glad I read it now as it's a LOT better.

This book ain't no Weather Warden book (Rachel's other series, one of the best book series ever written), but it's still loads of good fun and a great quick read. I'm looking forward to the 3rd book, released in October. 4 stars.

4.5 stars. Leaves a lot of threads dangling........2007-05-22

Claire Danvers is a genius. She thinks studying and learning are fun. Since she is only sixteen, her parents will not allow her to attend college far away. They want to be able to drive up anytime they believe Claire needs them. Therefore, Claire attends Texas Prairie University (TPU). Due to problems with the previous dorm's popular girl, Monica Morrell, trying to kill her, Claire lives off campus at Glass House with three other house mates.

Claire is only now getting used to knowing that vampires rule the town and the local humans are pledged to certain vampires as life-long servants and blood donors. Anyone without a bracelet showing that he has Protection is nothing more than meat if he roams the streets after dark. It is a little more tolerable, thanks to her roommates. Eve has become Claire's best friend. Shane has become Claire's boyfriend. David is still strange, even though Claire now understands why David is never seen during the day. No, David is not a vampire, but that would be a blessing compared to what he is now.

Now a fraternity is throwing its annual Dead Girls' Dance. Amazingly, Claire and Eve have been invited. They have no idea WHY they were issued the invitation though. Since Claire is so young, she would have declined, except that Shane's father, along with a gang of bikers, are on a vendetta to kill all vampires. If humans get in the way, that's just too bad.

***** This book picks up EXACTLY where the first left off. If you have not read book one (Glass Houses), then you will find yourself lost a few times. Thankfully, this time the story does not end in the middle of something horrible, like a murder. It does, however, leave many threads dangling. I am still confused on when Claire's two days dead line got extended by her parents. Did the author forget about it? Loop hole? Who knows? Hopefully, the dead line will be explained in the third novel (Midnight Alley), due for release October 2007. Teens and Young Adults will not be the only ones to be enthralled by this series. If you like vampires, this is for you! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Average customer rating: She loves it My 2 year old daughter LOVES this book!! BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU INTRODUCE THIS Not bad, not great A must have!

The Potty Book - For Girls Alyssa Satin Capucilli Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover State & Local | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Toilet Training | Health | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Fiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books State & Local | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Fiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Toilet Training | Health | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books General | Health, Mind & Body | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Similar Items: Too Big for Diapers (Too Big Board Books) Big Girls Use the Potty! My Potty Reward Stickers for Girls: 126 Girl Potty Training Stickers and Chart to Motivate Toilet Training My Big Girl Potty A Potty for Me!: A Lift-the-Flap Instruction Manual ASIN: 0764152319

Book Description

Every little girl's graduation from diapers to the potty is always a very important moment—and one to make both parents and toddlers proud! In The Potty Book, Hannah needs to have her diapers changed so she can go out and play. Then mom and dad bring home a big box, and Hannah is anxious to open it up and see what's inside. Is it a rocking chair? A bed for Teddy? No, it's a potty—which means that it's time for Hannah to graduate from her diapers. This gentle and humorous little story is charmingly illustrated and told in verse. Little girls will enjoy looking at the pictures and having the story read to them. Meanwhile, they'll start getting the idea that it's time for them to grow up, exactly like Hannah. So that at last, they'll be able to say—"I'm off the potty!"

Customer Reviews:

She loves it.......2007-09-04

This a short and fun potty book. If you're thinking about potty training in the near future, or even if it's further down the road, I definitely suggest this book.

My 2 year old daughter LOVES this book!!.......2007-07-17

My 2 year old loves Hannah! We would read it several times when she went to the potty. We actually started reading it to her before we potty trained so that she would get the idea. She potty trained in 1 week and is diaper free (even at night).

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU INTRODUCE THIS.......2007-07-10

Our 2 year old was quite comfortable using the potty to pee. When a friend recommended this book to us and in order to move to the next stage we bought it. Error on our part. Our daughter who had never had "an accident" and knew that she needed to pee in the toilet said that it was okay to pee on the floor as Hannah did.

We now skip that page but have to say sadly that we believe this book has pushed us backwards.

If your child is already using the toilet occasionally then this book might not be the one for you.

Not bad, not great.......2007-04-14

I have a 20 month old, and this book just doesn't hold her attention as well as others that have more vibrant images. This book wopuld be better suited to an older child.

A must have!.......2007-04-11

My children wanted me to read this book over and over again. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating: Fascinating story, great protagonist A book that never leaves you breathtaking I loved it! Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (rpkg) (HarperClassics) Avi Manufacturer: HarperTrophy ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Other | Fiction | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Fiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Adventure & Thrillers | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books Avi | ( A ) | Authors, A-Z | Teens | Subjects | Books Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books General | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Other | Fiction | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Fiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books ( A ) | Authors, A-Z | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Adventure & Thrillers | Literature & Fiction | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books ASIN: 0380728850 Release Date: 2004-08-10

Book Description

A vicious captain, a mutinous crew --
and a young girl caught in the middle

Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating story, great protagonist.......2007-08-09

Charlotte Doyle is a prim and proper 13-year-old lady in the making. Having completed schooling in England, she sets sail to rejoin her family in Rhode Island -- but her father's carefully made travel arrangements, including escorts and chaperones, go awry, and she boards the ship alone. Before she can debark to make other arrangements, the Seahawk departs from Liverpool and begins the several-week journey across the Atlantic. Charlotte finds herself alone with the crew, an unsavory lot to a man, and the captain, who seems utterly charming and refined despite his unpopular reputation.

But before the voyage can get very far, Charlotte finds herself embroiled in shipboard plots, mutinous rumblings, betrayals, brutal punishments and murders. Her schooling has not prepared her for anything but the most genteel of society, so the young girl is forced by circumstances to adapt to this new and dangerous situation. She also faces a hard choice in choosing her loyalties on this volatile ship.

"The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" is an engrossing, exciting book that is suitable for younger readers but will hold the interest of adults. As historical fiction, readers will find it filled with details about life on a ship in 1832, and it's obvious Avi has done his research about the period. As both a nautical adventure story and a murder-mystery, the novel has both a riveting plot and several rich, well-developed characters to hold your attention.

Charlotte herself is a fascinating protagonist, growing from her refined but naive beginnings into a decisive, self-assured young girl. She is an excellent role model for teen readers.

I highly recommend this book to all but the youngest readers. In particular, fans of L.A. Meyer's "Bloody Jack" series should enjoy this seafaring mystery, a deserving recipient of the Newbery Award.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

A book that never leaves you.......2007-07-31

I read this book as a young girl, and it enthralls me still. It stands out in my mind as an almost perfect novel- one of the greatest (children's or otherwise) I have ever read. Highly recommended!

breathtaking.......2007-06-10

Charlotte Doyle, a proper young lady from england, becomes something so unexpected. She stars in this breathtaking, suspensful story, of action, murder, and mutany aboard a ship in the middle of the atlantic ocean.

I loved it!.......2007-06-06

I read this book for the first time when I was about 10 or 11. I am 25 now and I still remember this as being an excellent book! I am planning on buying it so that I can read it again.

Charlotte Doyle.......2007-06-05

I LOVED the book, but I wish I could connect with it more. I would have never thought of reading this book if it weren't for our reading class! It all starts with Charlotte, a girl of high class living in 1832. She must travel to Providence to meet her family. From there, the story has many tragic events all leading up to a suprising twist. I LOVED the book because it brought me and my BFF Kayla really close in the tragic parts of it because we both got REALLY into it. I would deffinatly recomend the book "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" to all young adults.

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