History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Hopeville Fire Department: A Boy's Tale of Betrayal by One of New England's Most Notorious Priests

Average customer rating:

Thank you Tony for sharing your story with us.
Heartbreaking, but a great book
I was amazed
Great Read!
Why are they still around?

The Hopeville Fire Department: A Boy's Tale of Betrayal by One of New England's Most Notorious Priests
Tony Lembo
Manufacturer: Prose & Pictures, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Child Abuse | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

The Queen

ASIN: 0979349109

Product Description

The Hopeville Fire Department is the true, first person account of a victim of sexual abuse by one of New England's most notorious priests. In the heartland of devoutly Catholic, working-class, 1970s New England, few took notice of Connecticut State Police and fire chaplain Father Stephen C. Foley racing around in a car full of teenaged boys and young men, visiting firehouses, chasing fire engines, showing up at fire scenes and pretending to be firemen. But hidden in plain sight, Father Foley was a central figure in a network of firehouse groupies across New England that, for more than two decades, used the candy of firehouse and police culture to lure boys into violent sexual initiations that left their lives shattered while the Catholic Church looked the other way. This is the story of one of those boys, and a look inside one of the most bizarre and callous cases of pedophilia ever uncovered among the Catholic clergy. It is a tale of evil and hypocrisy still unfolding in today's headlines as the Diocese of Hartford continues to pay out millions to keep the truth from being told, while providing Foley with shelter and defense against a growing chorus of victims.

Customer Reviews:

Thank you Tony for sharing your story with us........2007-08-07

We all need to be aware of clergy sexual misconduct and what happened to Tony Lembo is why. So many victims of sexual abuse silently suffer alone. We all need to be aware of this problem as this is the only way we can begin to hold accountable these pedophiles.

To think Father Foley has never been charged and is free to molest more boys is insane. Let us all wake up to this now.

Heartbreaking, but a great book .......2007-06-06

This book is well written and straight from the heart. The abuse is sickening and the method of grooming these boys is just pure evil genius--what kid can resist cruising around watching firemen work? What courage to have brought this out into the fresh air and sunlight, to refuse to keep silent and be a victim one more minute.

I was amazed.......2007-06-04

This book is easy to read, straight from the heart and interesting. I can't beleive those [...] are still free to violate other young children. I didn't realize people could act that terrible. I would reccomend this book to anyone with a few hours to sit down and read. You will have a hard time laying the book down once you start reading it.

Great Read!.......2007-05-16

This book was hard to put this book down. Unlike typical expose books on the Catholic Church, Tony tells us that he can't understand the motives behind Father Stephen Foley who assaulted him, or the Catholic Church who covered up years of Foley's assaults on uncountable victims, because that is not the point of "The Hopeville Fire Department." The point of this book was for Tony to tell his story and explain the life of a victim of betrayal and sexual abuse. Tony brings us into his life at an early age and we travel from his Catholic upbringings through his assault, to an adult coping with this horrific memory. He goes further than any media outlet ever can by explaining, in his own words, what's it like to live your whole life with a secret so humiliating, it takes 30 years to confess. I would recommend "The Hopeville Fire Department" to anyone because of its honesty and quick-read quality. This is a topic that everyone should be aware of.

Why are they still around?.......2007-04-15

This book touched me deeply. I finished the book in two parts. I'm so glad Tony wrote this book no one really knows what these priest did, only thing we hear is that the church is paying hugh amounts of money. His story blow me away. After reading this book I logged onto Tonylembo.com to find all kinds of media attention on this book. When I realized that this priest is still living the life, driving the same car I was stunned and sick to my stomach. If your children aren't safe with the priests of the Catholic Church who can we trust?

Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox

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Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox
Rico Petrocelli , and Chaz Scroggins
Manufacturer: Sports Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

History | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field
Impossible to Forget: The Story of the '67 Boston Red Sox
Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits
Yastrzemski (Icons of Major League Baseball)
75: The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball

ASIN: 1596701919

Book Description

The 1967 Red Sox defied their critics and emerged victorious in that summer's pennant race. Petrocelli, a major force on the T67 team, gives long-time fans an opportunity to relive that magical, unforgettable season, and younger fans a chance to learn about one of the most popular organizations in sports.

Investment Banking: A Tale of Three Cities

Average customer rating:

Great book for understanding I-banking

Investment Banking: A Tale of Three Cities
Samuel L. Hayes , and P. M. Hubbard
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Banks & Banking | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

The Business of Investment Banking: A Comprehensive Overview

ASIN: 0875842208

Book Description

The authors trace the development of the financing profession from its early days to the present, revealing the events and personalities that have given it shape. The book shows how securities markets and major firms evolved in the financial centers of London, New York, and Tokyo.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for understanding I-banking.......1998-06-12

This is a good book for anyone interested in seriously understanding the business of I-banking with its history and future implications. The portrayals of the different firms and the system as a whole are very informative. A Great text.

Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales

Average customer rating:

A Pleasant read
Great for book lovers
A charming book about books and collecting
The Goldstones get going
The Goldstones are Back!

Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales
Lawrence Goldstone , and Nancy Goldstone
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Books | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
The Friar and the Cipher: Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World
Among the Gently Mad: Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the 21st Century
Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World

ASIN: 0312304285

Book Description

n Warmly Inscribed, the Goldstones investigate one of the dirty secrets in the world of book collectingforgeries. The tale of the New England forger is one that rocked the antiquarian book world in the late 1990s, with its effects still being feltand with forged copies still on the market! The Goldstones not only reveal how the forger managed to fool collectors, but also how many booksellers chose to turn a blind eye to the suspicious books. With their typically warm and insightful style, the Goldstones both inform and entertain in their latest excursion into the divine madness that is book collecting.

Customer Reviews:

A Pleasant read.......2007-01-17

I always enjoy the Goldstones' book travelogues. Perfect for the beach or whenever you need a light and enjoybable read.

Great for book lovers.......2006-01-23

This pair write tales for bibliophiles, and this is their third book-about-books, featuring every aspect of the bibliouniverse, including: collecting, libraries, book fairs, catalogue and Internet trading, rare book dealers, independent booksellers, readers, and writers. In this volume, we meet Ken Anderson, the `New England Forger' who specialized in Pound, Yeats, and Eliot signed volumes before he was caught; we visit the Library of Congress, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Reading Room of the British Museum, and the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale.

The two highly likable writers/readers/collectors, sometimes with daughter Emily in tow, warmly open their lives to their readers who, like them, get excited by books and appreciate the connections with people across time and place, with all their idiosyncrasies and passions. The Goldstone's books are not-to-be-missed gems.

A charming book about books and collecting.......2004-05-10

Authors Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone are also book collectors and, in "Warmly Inscribed," they share their experiences in the used, rare and antiquarian book world. The tales are charming and anecdotal, filled with their love of books, and come across very conversationally, as if you were chatting with them over coffee instead of reading their adventures in a book. Also, it makes that particular world seem less stuffy and very accessible to everyone.

Each chapter shares a small bit of the vast world of books and booklore, from the first chapter that deals with the immense colleciton of the Library of Congress (as well as their lovable eight-year-old daughter Emily and a missing teddy bear) to the true story of the New England forger Ken Anderson who created quite a to-do with the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. Plus, they give much of the history of books, bookfairs, and even a glimpse into the life of writer Max Beerbohm.

This is a wonderful book to read, whether you're into book collecting or not.

The Goldstones get going.......2004-02-27

I liked this book better than their first two. The somewhat precious plural narration is considerably more charming when it's not so constant, and their travels here are usefully varied. Most of all, this book is meatier, which really helps. The informative section about the New England forger adds a needed note of factual reportage. For me it anchors the rest of the book.

I knew the Washington book scene fairly well at one point, and their account is a mixed success. The section on the Library of Congress is nicely done, but they managed to miss the two best bookstores in town: Booked Up, which they knew about but somehow couldn't manage to get into (?), and Andy Moursund's Georgetown Books in Bethesda. Also, although it's true that more people should know about it, I feel their appraisal of the Folger is lame and tame--the Folger always struck me as a really odd museum, consistently barely interesting enough to warrant a visit yet almost ludicrously top-heavy with Shakespeare First Folios. In this day and age, is there any conceivable need to have 79 First Folios in one place? Any independent-minded curator, it seems to me, would divest two-thirds of them to fund a broadening of the collection and an enlivening of the exhibits. (It's also almost anti-conservationist to have all of them together, where they might all be destroyed at one fell swoop by a natural disaster or an act of terrorism. It would be much better for their safety to spread them around a bit.) I would have liked a more critical viewpoint here.

The Goldstones are not only savvier book people now, which is a relief (I found the "Duh, what's a nice book?" tone of "Used and Rare" too benighted), but they're getting to be better writers, too. The set-piece about Bearite is a hoot, and, despite her sparing appearances, Emily is strongly characterized as a sidekick--I really laughed at the vision of her sitting in the audience at sparsely attended book signings asking her parents how long it took them to write their book. I hope she figures more prominently in book #4. Next time, England? Archer? Get going, Goldstones!

The Goldstones are Back!.......2002-02-28

The third of the Goldstones' collecting books (after Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World and Slightly Chipped*: *Footnotes in Booklore) is just as charming and whimsical--and educational--as the first two. The Goldstones are a delightful couple with a warm writing style that is easy to read and keeps you coming back.

Apart from the title of the book, which seems to have no relation to its contents, I have only one complaint: the central story of the New England forger goes on for too long. I was kept interested throughout, but I felt that it could have ended sooner.

Customer Reviews:

Magick not History.......2001-11-20

As a student of mysticism and the occult myself I am consistantly astounded by the western mind's inability to integrate the use of the creative, mythic and dynamic imagination with the intellectual capacity to reason.

Those who have given this book a poor review, in my opinion, haven't one whit of experience in magick or pathworking. Pathworking requires trust in subjective experience while at the same time taking cues from history and "myth". It isn't one or the other. To make it only imaginal is akin to a daydream while to make one's journeys purely historic is to lose the symbolism and meaning of the "essense" of the material.

The Arthurian Quest by Amber Wolfe is quite good and is a pathworking and magickal system, NOT A HISTORICAL, ACADEMIC WORK! It contains valuable and insightful uses for the myth cycle in a shamanic and magickal manner and merely provides tools, doorways in a manner or speaking, to contacting the currents or powers behind the symbols and stories.

The power of the Arthurian tales (pre-christian celtic) is in the messages and power between the words and what is gained from the pathworking or ritual experience. Without the validation of experience and commitment to the work, the tales are just tales and useful for nothing more than a good story on a cold evening.

There are plenty of speculative "historical" works on the Legends of Arthur and Camelot, but the fact is that they are all speculative. Keep this in mind. Enjoy the tales, do the pathworkings, rituals and visualizations with the mind of a mage or even an Archmage and they won't only make sense, they will get profound results.

In Light and Love.

Magick not History.......2001-11-20

Those who have given this book a poor review, in my opinion, haven't one whit of experience in magick or pathworking. Pathworking requires trust in subjective expeirence while at the same time taking cues from history and "myth". It isn't one or the other. To make it only imaginal is akin to a daydream while to make one's journeys purely historic is to lose the symbolism and meaning of the "essense" of the material.

In Light and Love.

Where Joseph Campbell left off . . . Uniquely useful........2000-04-27

This is a very useful book. Where Campbell and others have described the factual details and mythical implications of the Celtic Arthurian traditions, "Arthurian Quest" is an organized and descriptive war chest of related tactical tools. The uses for these tools for enhancing one's traditions and psyche, as well as their derivation and historical background, are included and well written.

The book makes no pretence that it contains ancient, secret, mystical information. The historical and mythological data within is well established. The ideas put forth are based on common sense folk wisdom crafted with modern psychology and sociology. It is clearly up to the readers to apply these tools strategically and intelligently to achieve their personal or group goals.

Amber Wolfe is ignorant of medieval history........1999-06-14

Amber Wolfe is ignorant of medieval history. As an historian whose focus is the middle ages, I can state unequivocally that Amber Wolfe is completely ignorant of medieval history. She is so obsessed with discrediting the medieval church that one wonders whether her historical blunders are intentional or not. The book is a complete waste of money.

Nothing but fabrications, and innaccuracy........1999-04-11

Fiction and Fantasy Another book about so-called non-fiction researched by one of the worst writers to appear on Amazon. Don't waste your money. Nothing but fabrications, innaccuracy, fantasy, and bogus claims. If you want to know the facts, visit your library and find a book written by someone who knows what they are talking about.

The Complete Novels and Selected Tales: Volume II (Complete Novels & Selected Tales)

Average customer rating:

The Complete Novels and Selected Tales: Volume II (Complete Novels & Selected Tales)
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales (Norton Critical Editions)

Average customer rating:

"I seek for truth." -- Elegant Work from a Beautiful Mind...
the master of allegory

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales (Norton Critical Editions)
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe (Norton Critical Editions)
Melville's Short Novels (Norton Critical Editions)
Emerson's Prose and Poetry (Norton Critical Editions)
Moby-Dick or, The Whale (Penguin Classics)
Walden and Resistance to Civil Government (Norton Critical Editions)

ASIN: 0393954269

Customer Reviews:

"I seek for truth." -- Elegant Work from a Beautiful Mind..........2002-06-19

This Norton Critical Edition of 21 of Hawthorne's
tales and sketches (arranged chronologically according
to date of publication -- from "My Kinsman, Major
Molineux" [1831] to "Feathertop: A Moralized Legend"
[1852]) is a truly wonderful anthology. But the editor,
James McIntosh, in the excellent Norton Critical
Editions manner, has also included the major "Prefaces"
from Hawthorne's collections of tales ("The Old
Manse"-- from _Mosses from an Old Manse_ [1846];

"Preface to the 1851 Edition of _Twice-told Tales_";
and "Preface to _The Snow-Image_), as well as
Letters, excerpts from Hawthorne's notebooks, and
finally, an excellent series of critical essays,
extending from Hawthorne's own time up to 1980
[among these is a full inclusion of Herman Melville's
wondrous essay of praise and idolatry, "Hawthorne
and His Mosses" -- first published in _Literary
World_ on 17 and 14 August 1850.].
Even though one might have one's own reasons for
having bias against Hawthorne the man, still the
quality of literacy and the insight into human
psychology and feelings is of such an exceptional
artistic and genius sort that one must leave those
qualifiers outside the temple when one comes inside
to ponder and meditate upon the spirit and wisdom
of this artist.
The best words in speaking of him, of honoring him,
perhaps come from himself and from others who knew
him and read him and were influenced, in whatever way,
by him.
* * * * * * * * *
"Lightly as I have spoken of these old books, there
yet lingers with me a superstitious reverence for
literature of all kinds. A bound volume has a charm
in my eyes, similar to what scraps of manuscript possess,
for the Mussulman. He imagines, that those wind-wafted
records are perhaps hallowed by some sacred verse; and I,
that every new book, or antique one, may contain the
'Open Sesame' -- the spell to disclose treasures,
hidden in some unsuspected cave of Truth."
--Nathaniel Hawthorne; "The Old Manse."
* * * * * * * * *
"When a new star rises in the heavens, people gaze
after it for a season with the naked eye, and with such
telescopes as they may find. In the stream of thought,
which flows so peacefully deep and clear, through the
pages of this book, we see the bright reflection of a
spiritual star, after which men will be fain to gaze
'with the naked eye, and with the spy-glasses of
criticism.' The star is but newly risen; and ere long
the observations of numerous star-gazers, perched up
on arm-chairs and editors' tables, will inform the
world of the magnitude and its place in the heaven of
poetry, whether it be in the paw of the Great Bear, or
on the forehead of Pegasus, or on the strings of the
Lyre, or in the wings of the Eagle. [from Norton
footnote: Constellations, here representing -- rough
power, dynamic inspiration, musical grace, lofty
majesty.]
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; from an unsigned
review of _Twice-Told Tales_, 1837.
* * * * * * * * *
"No man can read a fine author, and relish him to
his very bones, while he reads, without subsequently
fancying to himself some ideal image of the man and
his mind. And if you rightly look for it, you will
almost always find that the author himself has somewhere
furnished you with his own picture. For poets (whether
in prose or verse), being painters of Nature, are like
their brethren of the pencil, the true portrait-painters,
who, in the multitude of likenesses to be sketched, do
not invariably omit their own, and in all high instances,
they paint them without any vanity, though, at times,
with a lurking something, that would take several
pages to properly define."
-- Herman Melville; "Hawthorne and His Mosses."
* * * * * * * * *
Wondrous praise for this Artist of the Beautiful
and Insightful -- Revealer of the Heart and Mind...

the master of allegory.......2000-11-18

This is very well edited and prepared collection of Hawthorne's tales. It has everything what a critical edition needs. But the real value of this book are, of course, Hawthorne's tales themselves. For a long time Hawthorne was almost forgotten author, forgotten for common readers I mean, and he was only a name from literary history. But he did not deserve that. His place is among his readers. His tales are among the finest allegories ever written. "Wakefield" is maybe the only real predeccesors of Kafka's works. "Young Goodman Brown" reminds of "Twilight Zone". Hawthorne's tales are great and exceptionally and surprisingly modern.

Average customer rating:

A Misunderstanding
Retold... Revamped... Folktale
Delightful book with wonderful illustrations
a little scary
Hilarious tale of forest adventure.

Pancakes For Supper
Anne Isaacs
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
Library Lion
Chickens to the Rescue
Move Over, Rover!
Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich

ASIN: 0439644836

Book Description

When her family's wagon hits a bump, golden-haired Toby Littlewood is hurled into the sky and lands deep in the snowy forest. There she meets a prickly porcupine, an enormous bear, and a hungry cougar, among other fearsome creatures. Cleverly, she talks each one out of eating her by offering up her fancy clothes. In the end, in a competition to be the grandest beast, the vain animals chase each other around and around a maple tree, where they turn into maple syrup! Isaacs' clever, rollicking text and Teague's animated animals in Toby's clothing are sure to delight the youngest reader.

Customer Reviews:

A Misunderstanding.......2007-08-02

I believe the poor review of one reviewer was based on a misunderstanding of the story. It's a tall tale that relies on hyperbole for its humor and charm. Very young children won't get it, and may be frightened by the scary animals. It takes just a bit of the sophistication, say, of a fifth grader and above, to appreciate a tall tale.

Retold... Revamped... Folktale.......2007-05-07

Isaacs, A. (2006). Pancakes for supper. New York: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: Based on Helen Bannerman's (2003) folktale, The Story of Little Black Sambo, Anne Issacs puts her own twist on this amusing story. Toby is a pioneer girl riding on the back of her Ma and Pa's wagon when suddenly they hit a bump that sends Toby flying high into the air. When she lands with a bound, she is presented one by one of several animals that would like to create menace for Toby. In an effort to appease each animal, Toby offers each of them an article of clothing. The animals find hilarity in these pieces of clothing and go away feeling they are each "the grandest beast, west or east". Readers find each animal's reaction hilarious and ridiculously funny. In Bannerman's tale, the tigers melt into butter. However, in Isaacs' version, the animals' melted form is absorbed by the maple tree which produces the sweetest tasting maple syrup thanks to an exuberant woodpecker. Toby and her family have quite a feast and continue their journey westward with full bellies and big smiles.

Evaluation: Anne Isaacs and Mark Teague pair up to make quite an amazing twist on Bannerman's (2003) original tale. Readers are drawn into this story by its lyrical language, purposeful rhythm, and fantastic illustrations. It is quite a treat! Teague's brightly colored oil paintings mimic 1930's American cinematic pop art. His vivid illustrations and imagination capture Toby's quick wit and the animals' boastful swaggering pride. The energetic illustrations are a perfect match to the bouncy and lyrically written text. The New England forest landscape with its indigenous North American animals and Toby's plucky song about her clothing, do not make this story an instant classical tall tale. However, Isaacs gives this classic tale a new and spirited heroine.

Reference:
Bannerman, H. (2003). The story of little black sambo. New York: Handprint Books

Delightful book with wonderful illustrations.......2007-04-19

Pancakes For Supper is a delightful book. The illustrating is excellent and most of the fun of this retelling of an old story. My kids love this book and never fail to laugh at the illustrations. As they'd say, "It's an owner, Dad!"

a little scary.......2007-03-05

Toby is a young girl that takes a fall out of her parent's wagon. She finds her self in the forest. She encounters many animals along the way. The animals try to eat the girl. Each one she meets she trades in an article of clothing in exchange for her life! Does her trick work? Will she escape the forest alive? Read this book to find out!

Hilarious tale of forest adventure........2006-12-10

Anne Isaacs' PANCAKES FOR SUPPER! receives Mark Teague's fun and large, colorful illustrations as it tells of Toby, all dressed up in bright new clothes when she's hurled out of her parents' wagon and deep into the forest, there to meet a hungry wolf! A cougar is next - and only her cleverness can keep her from being eaten in this hilarious tale of forest adventure.

CENTENARY ED WORKS NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE: VOL. IX, TWICE-TOLD TALES (The Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, V. 9)

Average customer rating:

Stretching Yarns
Smokefree
The best of Twice Told Tales
Average
some of the best american stories-but a poor edition of them

CENTENARY ED WORKS NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE: VOL. IX, TWICE-TOLD TALES (The Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, V. 9)
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
Manufacturer: Ohio State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mosses from an Old Manse (Modern Library Classics)
The House of Seven Gables (Bantam Classics)
The Marble Faun (Oxford World's Classics)
Piazza Tales (Melville)
The Blithedale Romance (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 0814202020

Book Description

Allegorical, supernatural and symbolic themes permeate these strange tales. Included are: "Legends of the Province House", "The Grey Champion", "Prophetic Pictures", "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", "The Ambitious Guest", "Wakefield", "The Great Carbuncle", "David Swan", "The May-Pole of Merry Mount" and "The Threefold Destiny". (Four 90's).

Customer Reviews:

Stretching Yarns.......2006-12-05

A minister dons a black veil over his face he takes to his grave. A man abandons his wife and family for a home across the street, from which he watches her fill in the hole he left in her life. A scientist develops an elixir of youth he tries out on three worn oldsters who immediately resume the vanities of their youth.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was master of the allegory, and in "Twice-Told Tales," 39 pieces written during the 1830s and collected originally in two volumes, you get the glory of his earliest, simplest fiction. Not the best, necessarily; the later "Mosses From An Old Manse" has perhaps his best short stories, and later came classic novels like "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Blithedale Romance." But from his mock-humble preface to his transcendental yearnings to his obsession with New England's Puritan past, "Twice-Told Tales" offers a concentrated primer as to what made Natty tick.

The allegory is a limited model for fiction; where a central object is understood to represent a single idea. Sometimes here you get a very obvious point hammered home with all the subtlety of a very special episode of "Facts Of Life." "The Great Carbuncle" introduces us to a group of people who seek a valuable stone, and naturally all fall short of their desire except a couple who realize no stone can outshine their love. "The Gentle Boy" alerts us to the peril of intolerance, while "The Threefold Destiny" tells us there's no place like home. Sometimes Hawthorne concludes a story by repeating the title in capital letters, like Jonathan Edwards delivering a sermon.

Yet Hawthorne was evolving all the while. For all his dated stylings and roundabout locution, you find yourself catching in these stories, as well as the many sketches and contemplative essays also in this book, a number of brilliant passages, moments of entertainment and of wisdom that reach across the sea of time, as when Hawthorne gazes at the Atlantic in "Foot-prints On The Sea-Shore" and notes "the infinite idea of eternity pervading his soul."

The best stories here show Hawthorne's deep mind at full boil, like the famous "The Minister's Black Veil," where the Parson Hooper appears before his congregation wearing a black veil on his face he never takes off. The irony is that Hooper is the same gentle soul beneath the veil, yet the veil still serves to cut him off, in a small but marked way, from those around him. Is he at fault? Are they? Hawthorne moves beyond allegory here by not giving a definite answer.

The same is true to a lesser extent with the two other tales referenced at the outset of this review, "Wakefield" and "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." But Hawthorne's greatness here is more in the broadness of his focus, as he draws inspiration in everything from a town pump to shopping with a child and makes each a diverting ramble. He even shows an ability to channel mystery and suspense a la Ed McBain in his amusing and slightly bawdy "Mr. Higginbotham's Catastrophe."

Hawthorne didn't produce that many books, but what he did write he filled to the brim. "Twice-Told Tales" is an early rill from the pump worth a visit; if you tough out some occasionally stale notes you may find yourself staying awhile.

Smokefree.......2006-08-05

Read this book slowly, because there aren't that many of it's type.

Yes, the stories are uneven. The first two are so rocky that you'd perhaps think you've made a mistake--that these are the first inchoate rumblings of an unpolished master.

But by the time you read story #3, Ministers Veil, you won't regret the wonderful prose, the delightful use of symbolism and allegory, the economy of construction-- in short, all that which puts Hawthorne on a very short list of American master writers.

The only thing you might consider over buying this book, is one which includes ALL of Hawthorne's short stories. Young Goodman Brown for example, or Rapuccini's Daughter--maybe two of the greatest short stories in Western Literature, are not going to be found in this particular compendium of his early work.

The best of Twice Told Tales.......2003-05-13

This Modern Library edition of Hawthorne's Twice Told Tales is one of the better I've seen in a long while. (A reveiewer below has mistakenly reviewed a Reader's Digest edition of the stories in this space. There are no illustrations in this book, and contrary to that reveiwer's estimation, the selection of stories here is very wise indeed.) Any good collection of Hawhtorne's stories should include the classics such as "Wakefield, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, "The Maypole of Merrymount," and "The Haunted Mind," as well as a few of the lesser known stories, of which there are many. This collection holds an excellent mix of both, with an amusing and insightful introduction by Rosemary Mahoney, and very informative notes by Gretchen Short. Hawthorne was, and remains, the American master of the dark, psychologically driven tale. I would challenge anyone to read, "Wakefield," "The Gentle Boy," or "The Hollow of the Three Hills" without feeling at least a little frightened and thrilled. These are among Hawthorne's best stories in a handsome new collection. I highly recommend the book.

Average.......2003-01-30

I would agree, this edition is pretty lackluster. Not only that, the stories are inconsistent. Some are extremely well done, especially the better-known stories;and the writing is great, but the symbolic devices, such as paintings and mirrors, are way over-used.

This lends a repetitiveness to most of the stories. The gloomy tone, revealing the hidden darkness of man, pervades throughout. For someone of his talent, Hawthorne repeats himself. I think his novels are far better than his short stories. I would recommend Scarlet Letter and House Of Seven Gables instead.

some of the best american stories-but a poor edition of them.......2002-09-30

Hawthorne is one of the greatest short story writers of the English language--of any language. I won't go into too much detail of the stories that make up Twice-Told Tales (I'm saving that for the Library of America edition), but I want to take a minute to talk about this Reader's Digest Edition. It only contains the 'Twice-Told Tales', but those are some of Hawthorne's best known stories: 'The Minister's Black Veil' and 'Dr. Heidegger's Experiment'. It's a well made volume with nine illustrations that aren't very well done. Really, you are better off getting the Library of America edition of Hawthorne's Tales and Sketches. It's more complete, better crafted, and doesn't have those horrid illustrations. What is interesting about this edition are two reviews contained. One by Poe and the other by Longfellow. Unfortunately they are here 'in an adapted form' which is a problem Reader's Digest seems to have. It's nice to have them here, but it would be nicer if they were in the original form. I give a five for the stories, but a 2 for the Reader's Digest edition. So I've settled on a three for this review.

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