Prime: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Poppy's Voice

Prime

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE BOOK

I love the Rickey and G-Man books!

Culinary and Personal Intrigue.

Prime: A Novel
Poppy Z. Brite
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Liquor: A Novel

Soul Kitchen: A Novel

The Value of X

The Devil You Know

D*U*C*K D*U*C*K

ASIN: 1400050081
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Book Description

Two years after the opening of Liquor, New Orleans chefs Rickey and G-man are immersed in the life of their restaurant, enjoying a loyal cast of diners, and cooking great booze-laced food. All’s well until a bad review in a local paper not-so-subtly hints that their “silent” backer, celebrity chef Lenny Duveteaux, has ulterior motives. When Lenny is accused of serious criminal activity by eccentric D.A. Placide Treat, Rickey and G-man realize it may be time to end their dependence on him.

When Rickey is offered a plum consulting job at a Dallas restaurant, it seems the perfect way to beef up their bank account. But taking the gig will mean a reunion with Cooper Stark, the older chef with whom Rickey shared an unsettling cocaine-fueled encounter back in culinary school, as well as dealing with gung-ho Texas businessman/restaurateur Frank Firestone. At G-man’s urging, Rickey finally accepts the offer and revamps Firestone’s menu to rave reviews.

Home in New Orleans, Rickey has just settled back into his daily kitchen routine when he receives disturbing information that forces his return to Dallas. As Placide Treat’s machinations grow ever more bizarre, G-man learns that there’s more to the story—and that Rickey is in Texas-size danger.

Customer Reviews:

Poppy's Voice.......2007-07-28

I can think back to countless examples where a band would release a new album, and, having attempted something different, the fans become devided. Add a new singer or drummer in to the mix, and the sound changes, and what was old is new again. Even in genres that practically require innovation, this can prove a stumbling block for fans. Critics, meanwhile, always have a choice of options: they can pan a band for doing something different, or they can pan a band for sounding the same as they did last album. A lose-lose situation.

Doc Brite has received a lot of flak for leaving behind the world of vampires and blood sucking beasts and goth kids, especially from that latter segment, who want her to write another Drawing Blood or Lost Souls. Those books are great - I quickly devoured every single one of her books I could get my hands on. While I certainly enjoyed the sense of horror she built into the stories, more than vampires and vamping goths, I enjoyed her writing itself.

I don't want to say Prime is the same - it's not in so many ways - but there is still an undeniable voice, and, I believe, I would have been able to identify the author from nearly any snippet. There is something about her writing itself that I like. A recent discussion in an online community (circa Spring 2006) was based on how some readers would like to hear about all the minute, mundane details she cut to build a good story. I'm sure I'd have to count myself in that camp - although at the same time I don't begrudge her for removing those pieces. I have a feeling Doc could write an instruction manual and I would simply have to read it, and in as few sittings as possible...

I'm sure that it doesn't hurt that her current subject matter - of chefs and the restaurant business - is of particular interest to me, with my backburnered dreams of starting my own restaurant. This book is much more palatable on a full stomach - or at a time and in proximity to the means to come to that state.

I tend to pick things up quick, and having been a member of the aforementioned online community for a few months, I have picked up bits and pieces as to what happens in these two books (and, to some minor degree, in the forthcoming books as well.) That said, I still managed to completely and quite obviously select the second book first, leaving Liquor still on the shelf... a situation I will have to rectify as soon as I can. Although I made it through alive - and quite enjoyed the experience - I would probably advise reading the first book, well, first. It will help you not know things that are, I am sure, revealled deliberately at a certain point in Liquor. Even with the spoiler effect, I expect to thoroughly enjoy that book as well.

Oh, and one final note for those die-hard fans of Doc's early stuff: there are still plenty of blood suckers - they just don't have pointy teeth and drink blood, but they are lawyers, so that is - to me - even more horrifying!

Prime.......2007-01-12

Bit long to receive since sent from USA to Europe, but great, no problem.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE BOOK.......2006-04-12

Poppy Z. Brite tells a story that is both entertaining and enlightening. It is so easy to stereotype gay men. (eg. Will and Grace, Queer Eye) Rickey and G-Man are regular guys with regular jobs that just happen to love each other. Her characterizations are so vivid, the city of New Orleans and the food are almost characters themselves. A great read! Can't wait for Soul Kitchen to come out! It is great to read a book in which you become so enamored of the characters, you don't want the book to end.

I love the Rickey and G-Man books!.......2006-03-31

I read Poppy Z. Brite's LOST SOULS years ago (I thought it was one of the best modern vampire novels I've read) but then hadn't caught up with her for a while. Then one day, I saw a book by her called LIQUOR on the new paperback table at the front of a bookstore and picked it up.

As I mentioned, I already had good associations with the name Poppy Z. Brite, but LIQUOR just reconfirmed them all in a big way.

A year or so later, there was PRIME on the same new-release table, and I was ecstatic. Now I notice there's a new one called SOUL KITCHEN coming out later this year (I hope it's another Rickey and G-Man book). I look forward to yet another course in this fine culinary series.

Culinary and Personal Intrigue........2006-02-24

This is the sequel to LIQUOR, the first of the Rickey and G-Man mysteries. This one is more fun, and I believe, more finely crafted. There is less of the culinary aspect in this book, and more of the mystery-intrigue-New Orleans corruption "stuff', that makes these plots fun. Rickey is his usual impulsive and volatile self, and G-Man, ever steady and calming, evolves into a more complex and active character. Lenny is there, but he does not occupy too much of the book. There are a few surprising "twists" in the plot, and if you are an astute reader, you will "pick-up" the clues. If not, and that is VERY OK, you will find the resolution to the story line fascinating, and quite frankly, plausible. I'm looking forward to the "3rd" in the series, if there is to be one.

Prime Cuts: All-Male Strips from Gay Comix, Meatmen and Elsewhere

Average customer rating:

Amateurish.... NOT recommended
fooled by the title
Excellent Transaction
A Fine Collection

Prime Cuts: All-Male Strips from Gay Comix, Meatmen and Elsewhere
Howard Stangroom , Stephen Lowther , and William Morgan
Manufacturer: Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3861877236

Customer Reviews:

Amateurish.... NOT recommended.......2007-06-05

I was disappointed by this book. I have all the "Meatmen" series of erotic art and was expecting this work to be on the same high level. It's not, not at all. The drawings are almost "cartoonish", not at all realistic or erotic. The Meatmen collection is high quality, very erotic and imaginative work. This stuff looks like it was drawn by a guy with a dirty mind who can't draw very well. Not recommended.

fooled by the title.......2006-08-28

I guess I hadn't realized when I purchased this that the work was all from one artist (and one whose work is not particularly appealing to me). The title made me think that it was a compilation of different artists, so, shame on me...

anyway, if you like this artist, and there are many reasons to like him, then you will enjoy this collection. his imagination is great and his stories run a wide gamut of themes. the most enjoyment for me comes in watching what looks to be Southern California locales become populated with men and women speaking with British dialects.

Excellent Transaction.......2006-02-23

Great communication. Easy payment options. Fast Secure shiping. Would definiely do business with them again.

A Fine Collection.......2006-02-05

The publishing house of Bruno Gmûnder recently released a compilation of gay comic strips by the creative team of Howard Stangroom and Stephen Lowther title PRIME CUTS. Over the past couple of years we've seen collections of Chelsea Boys, Adam and Andy, Kyle's Bed & Breakfast, and thankfully, Tales of the Closet. It's very satisfying to have a trade paperback that collects a selection of hard-to-find stories by Stangroom and Lowther.

This volume includes a good number of stories of varying lengths from shorts that are one to four pages and others in the 10 - 15 page ranges. The lengthiest is "Hot Pursuit." Themes range from space opera with a gay twist, a tribute to Millie the Model, slice of life, and social commentary in a super hero spoof, and romance and sex, and a little more sex.

In "The Gift" an alien space ship visits London during a Pride Parade, and imbues three men and three women with super powers to fight bigotry. What I thought was a story with political tones turned into commentary on gay culture.

"Can We Do It Till I Need Glasses" is an autobiographical peak at Stangroom's family. We've all had those fleeting fantasies involving a doctor, waiter, deliveryman, or the grocery stock boy. Howard's no different and I love the contrasting emotions that Lowther shows so well between Howard's family and fantasy.

Teenaged drama plays a part in the lives of the Archie's-like crew in "Ride the Wild Surf." Girlfriend Mollie is riding high, having achieved her goal of surfing champ. She can't understand why her red-haired boyfriend Flicker, of whom she dreams of marrying, is becoming colder to her. There's a happy ending, along with the message that love can come unexpectedly to one and all. Lowther mentions elsewhere in the book that Stan Lee's early Millie the Model gang served as inspiration for their characters, and not Archie.

"Out of the Blue" is about the mission of a tall, dark, hot, and hairy human looking alien whose mission is to study Earth culture in depth for a year. His craft crash land on the lawn of an equally attractive blond guy's home in the country, and what follows is some sweet romance and hot sex. I liked this story especially, because, well, honestly, I'm a sucker for romance, even when it involves an unexpected visitor from another world.

Clones have become a basis for fantasy in the future sex-positive world of "Don't Dream It, Be It." Your erotic dreams become hot sex when you select the clone of your desire (smooth, hairy, thin, muscular, you name it) and bring him home after having a test run.

Sexual fantasy clashes with stark reality and the need for companionship in the post-apocalyptic world of "Second Chance." It's a short story for which the pair received some criticism from, I imagine, some overly-PC folks because it manages to challenge some ideas of sexuality. Who cares? The one guy is hot and burly!

There's also plenty of sex and lust in sci-fi "Hot Pursuit," the longest story in the collection. Our hero, Steven Alpha, witnesses his warrior lover, Richard Nova, abducted by an arch villain. Alpha's hot pursuit for Nova takes him via teleportation to new worlds where he both introduces a world to the pleasure of gay sex, and in turn learns a thing or two from other cultures. Alpha's desire is crushed in the end, but fear not. He's landed on Pleasure World where no one is alone for very long.

"Creatures of the Night" seems to be the strongest reflection of its time, during the years of Section 28. A gay man is walking when he's singled out for gay bashing. A mysterious and queer figure appears from nowhere to rescue him. While I enjoyed the Gay Ghost, as he's later dubbed, sense of irony, the character's speech was a bit preachy. Then again, I imagine in the context of Thatcher's England that the frustration experienced would warrant this commentary. I remember life being more frustrating during Ronald Reagan's presidency, especially his second term.

The story with least appeal to me is "Harry the Flying Pyramid." Harry is a flying pyramid that escapes from Lowther's imagination and is followed by a large number of slug-like Grums that attack people. Harry encounters the eccentric Gran who believes she's the "true" Queen. Gran also shares the "real" Buckingham Palace with her gay grandson Jeremy. In fact, I think Gran, Jeremy, and his boyfriend Bill are the real stars and could provide more material if ever there are new shorts done.

All of Lowther's original art is presented here in color for the first time. His style has a consistent and enjoyable quality to it, and he delivers a variety of male eye candy for readers. The crisp, matte paper shows it off well, and even has a good feel to it. I've admired the production values in the couple of other books published by Bruno Gmûnder I have, and it's very nice to have them applied here as well. The book has itself has a substantial weight to it as well. An interview with the pair supplies behind-the-scenes information on their partnership and the stories.

All of these stories were new to me. It's odd to me knowing that I lived in Chicago at the time, and somehow didn't come across any of these at the time. Then again, I also missed Strip AIDS, AARGH!, and Tales of the Closet, and all of Gay Comics except for the first issue, and I definitely was not living in secrecy. It's taken me patience, luck, and a little fortitude to track down some of these and other LGBT comics. They're all a part of our cultural history. As records, nothing should be lost, especially now when in America our culture and government is leaning more and more to the conservative right, just as it was under the Reagan and Bush administration.

Stangroom's and Lowther's work deserved a handsome collection, and the opportunity for readers either new or old, to have the opportunity to enjoy a sampling of their collaborations. I certainly think future volumes are warranted.

The Prime Minister (Anthony Trollope's Palliser Novels)

Average customer rating:

Morality
Outsiders and Insiders
Not for the uninitated
The Pallisers in Power.
Another book to read and cherish

The Prime Minister (Anthony Trollope's Palliser Novels)
Anthony Trollope
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

ASIN: 0195208994

Customer Reviews:

Morality.......2007-08-10

I have little to add to what others have already said about The Prime Minister. Ferdinand Lopez is a vile man. He seems to have no sense at all of moral right and wrong - totally oblivious to it. Palliser (the Prime Minister) on the other hand, is invariably fair, considerate, just, and so on. His defects are not moral. He is overly sensitive to criticism: `Thin skinned' as we are told over and over again. He tends to hide his feelings, and withdraw into himself - things like that. Trollope's depiction of the relationship between Palliser and his wife is wonderful, very perceptive.

Trollope was, I think, a racist. In addition, he looks down on Jews in general, not just Lopez. Furthermore he holds that women should, if possible, worship their husbands as `gods.' (So far as I know, he nowhere says that husbands should worship their wives as goddesses.) The racism is explicit in his account of his travels in the Caribbean. Of course in this regard he was only endorsing the attitudes of his time and class in England.

I would rank The Prime Minister among the top three of the 15 or so Trollop novels I've read.

Outsiders and Insiders.......2004-07-18

This book seemed to me to represent a return to form after the previous two rather plodding entries in the Palliser Saga. Trollope's depiction of relations between the intensely private Plantagenet and the injudiciously extrovert Glencora is a dead-on accurate portrait of middle-class marriage, and the fact that P. is made prime minister gives Trollope the chance to show interaction between the personal and political spheres in a way that I found absolutely fascinating.

The most intriguing part of the book, though, are the sections that deal with Ferdinand Lopez, a Jewish "outsider" to upper class London society, toward whom Trollope seems to have had a fascinatingly unsettled and ambivalent attitude. Is he a tragic figure whose relatively small-scale vices only bring about his downfall because he is trying to gain entry into a self-enclosed world of unearned privilege, or is he really the unscrupulous "adventurer" that the other characters all regard him as being? The fact that the author himself never really seems to have made up his own mind on this topic is perhaps a weakness in some sense, but it shows that Trollope was able to retain at least some of his intellectual honesty as the curious, inquisitive liberalism of his youth began to give way to the slightly paranoid toryism of his old age.

Not for the uninitated.......2004-07-02

A reader of the Palliser novels will find THE PRIME MINISTER supremely satisfying, a splendid reward for the intermittent longueurs and annoyances of the previous four books. It's a little like climbing a mountain: only when you get to the top can you see where you are and be sure it was worth the trouble to get there. Trollope is working on a very broad canvas, and here we finally see the fruition of the Pallisers' marriage and of Plantagenet's political toils, if not ambitions, all rendered with sensitivity and truthfulness.

But this, the chief interest of the novel for me, is doomed to feel weirdly flat and over-detailed to a reader who comes to THE PRIME MINISTER cold. Phineas and Marie, Lord Cantrip, Mr Monk, Gatherum and the Duke of St Bungay will seem only ciphers to readers knowing nothing of their histories, and they may even think the Pallisers themselves unworthy of the attention devoted to them. For them the chief interest of the novel will be the Lopez-Wharton plot, which has plenty of dazzle and drive to sustain it -- but when Lopez is dispatched they may find themselves frustrated and at sea, with a book in their hands that is no longer the book they thought they were reading. Emily Lopez thereafter is not good company, perhaps not a false creation so much as one we see about 30 pages too much of.

The technical presentation of the novel is very fine. Trollope loves characters and situations, those are where his genius is most on display, and sometimes seems to regard plot as a necessary evil. Too often, elsewhere, he commits himself to subplots that canot really engage his interest, seemingly for no better reason than that is how novel-writing was supposed to be done. But here there are only two plots, with the marvelous Ferdinand Lopez serving as the hinge between them. (Trollope may have taught himself to do this in THE WAY WE LIVE NOW, where Felix Carbury serves a similar purpose. But in that book Trollope still felt obliged to rely on the uninspired subplot of Paul and Henrietta's romance.) The simplicity of the structure allows Trollope to do what he does best -- planning, rather than plotting, vivid scenes of intensity and character collision. The incidents of THE PRIME MINISTER are planned with a wonderful intelligence.

(My edition of the Palliser novels is not the Penguin but the Oxford World's Classics one, and I don't have a word to say in its favor. The notes are annoyingly overlong and too numerous; and the editors' introductions, with the exception of that to PHINEAS REDUX, are dumbfoundingly irrelevant, seeming not to have even the simplest grasp of the virtues and appeal of the work being introduced. They're like reading a disquisition by Plantagenet Palliser himself on the merits of decimal coinage.)

The Pallisers in Power........2003-03-25

Plantagenet Palliser reluctantly becomes the Prime Minister of England. Lady Glencora continues her self-appointed task as a meddler in affairs of the heart and now politics. We are glad to see the couple back at the forefront of our story, the 5th entry of the Palliser saga. Re-appearing characters Lizzie Eustace and Phineas Finn are present, but only in minor roles. The delightful Marie, now Mrs. Finn, stands by Cora in triumph and trouble. Lopez slithers on the scene and courts Emily Wharton, much to her family's dismay. The novels of Anthony Trollope are the Victorian equivalent of daytime TV dramas. They are lightweight, but entertaining. The pace is leisurely, and the book goes on for 700+ pages. Graham Greene once wrote that Trollope's novels ease stress levels because nothing much happens. The stylish presentation in smoothly written prose compensates the reader nicely. Besides, nobody captured the comic essence of Victorian manners and morals as Trollope. The unyielding men and women are often the cause of their own dilemmas. This book is a pleasant contrast to the noise, bustle, and electronic hardware of modern life. Recommended reading. ;-)

Another book to read and cherish.......1999-06-11

Anthony Trollope has created yet another book full of twisted plots and fatal loves. Another book to read and cherish.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Vivat Grendel!
Excellent companion piece

Grendel: Past Prime
Matt Wagner , and Greg Rucka
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569713987

Amazon.com

Crime writer Greg Rucka expands the Grendel mythos a step farther in Grendel: Past Prime, a short novel with more than 80 illustrations by Matt Wagner. It follows the sordid and brutal adventures of Susan, a young veteran of the future Grendel Wars, as she finds purpose in finding and aiding the cyborg savior of her kind. The story moves quickly, but though the intricate, soap-opera-like details aren't quite overwhelming, fans of the series will have a much easier time of it. Nobility, honor, and extreme violence are the themes Rucka chooses to explore, and they serve to light a dim view of the future. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Matt Wagner`s award-winning comics series takes on new life as an illustrated prose novel, written by acclaimed wordsmith Greg Rucka, renowned for his popular crime novels featuring detective Atticus Kodiak (Keeper, Finder, Smoker). The ranks of Grendel warriors have now disintegrated into leaderless anarchy, but a savior exists, and one lone Grendel seeks the key to restoring the empire--and she won`t take no for an answer. Writer Greg Rucka (Whiteout) tells this compelling story of Susan Veraghen`s search for Grendel-Prime. With 50 striking pen-and-ink illustrations and a stunning cover painting by Grendel creator Matt Wagner, Grendel: Past Prime is fast-paced, hard-edged adventure laced with thematic depth and visual firepower.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-31

A female Grendel is the last of her clan. The rest of them committed suicide when the Grendel ruler was assassinated by his lover, as they had failed in their duty.

Susan, however, took and different path, and went looking for the mightiest and incorruptible Paladin, the Grendel Prime.

The various Grendel states have degenerated, so plenty of problems just staying alive to try and start bringing some order back to things.

Vivat Grendel!.......2006-03-03

Similar to a comic book read, the action moves along a bit like a screenplay and doesn't delve too deep, but is enjoyable nonetheless. Expands the Grendel and Grendel Prime mythos with a decent backstory (and origin) and rewards those who admire honor, loyalty and warrior ideals. This is also a great book for those who can't get enough of the Grendel Prime character.

Excellent companion piece.......2000-08-05

This book is for the fan who has followed Grendel from the early eighties. The story retells the original story of Susan, a disenchanted Grendel in search of her redemption in the form of Grendel Prime. The book expands a little on the Grendel story line. In this respect it makes is a good companion piece to the fans of the comic book line. As a stand alone story the book does well until the end where you are left hanging. Hopefully more of the stories will be presented in this genre. I have enjoyed the novelizations of some of the comic lines, and to some this may be a "legitimate" way to enjoy comic books. Additionally, the price is not all that bad. As a trade paperback it is far less than a hardcover, and with the Wagner artwork the price is easily justified.

Average customer rating:

A great romantic manga
One word. Amazing!
Worth your money
Provocative, compelling, and unmistakably shoujo!
Great manga from one of the greatest shoujo manga artists!

A, A¹ (A, A Prime)
Moto Hagio , and Matt Thorn
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569312389

Customer Reviews:

A great romantic manga.......2003-11-18

This manga trilogy contained in one volume chronicles relationships between humans and genetically engineered people called Unicorns. In the title story, Regg lost his great love Addy in a tragic avalanche on a distant planet, so when her replacement clone arrives on the research station, he is conflicted because this Addy does not have the memories of the woman he loved, and yet he still loves her. In "4/4 (Quatre-Quarts)", young Mori is flunking out of the ESP training program until he meets the mysterious Unicorn girl called Trill. He's drawn to her, but she affects his powers, making them erratic and dangerous. When Mori discovers the secret Trill's guardian is hiding, he finds himself at a crossroads that could destroy his relationship with Trill. "X + Y" takes place years after "4/4" and finds Mori much older and working as a scientist. He meets another Unicorn named Tacto, and is quickly attracted to the young man, but uncomfortable with the notion of same-sex relationships. As the two young men puzzle out their own relationship and find ways to work together as scientists, they also unravel Tacto's hidden history. "A, A¹" is a fantastic romance manga that explores some intriguing questions about love, gender, and sexuality.

One word. Amazing!.......2002-10-16

This manga is the best I've read in a while! The stories are unforgettable, and I highly recommend this manga to everyone who loves love stories. This is not a waste of money, and this is coming from someone who is quite careful on what she buys. BUY THIS NOW!! =D!

Worth your money.......2002-03-31

While most manga, even if you buy a 500 page perfect collection, is read and tossed in about 10 minutes, this is quite different. Of course this doesn't take any longer to read, it's just that the stories within touch a nerve and stay in your head for quite some time. The art and the writing are both equally beautiful. So instead of throwing money away on the next volume of Inu Yasha and forgetting about it 5 minutes later, try this. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

Provocative, compelling, and unmistakably shoujo!.......2000-05-10

A, A Prime is a trilogy of short stories that are sci-fi and yet shoujo in nature. This is not kiddie fare though as mature themes like homosexuality come into play. In the first story, "A, A Prime", a young woman named Addy is killed on duty as a researcher in outer space. A clone of herself is sent to take her place. Generated from Addy's own cells and implanted with her memories, is this Addy truly Addy? Addy's lover Regg wonders. The second story, "4/4 [Quatre-Quarts]", is about a teenage boy named Mori. Mori can't seem to control his psychic abilities. That is, until he meets a beautiful girl named Trill. With Trill, Mori's powers are not only controllable, but amplified beyond comprehension. But Trill is not even human. The third story, "X+Y", features a young man named Tacto. Tacto has always been a guy, until a medical examination reveals that he has pre-developed female reproductive organs inside his body. But that can't be, can it? After all, medical records from his childhood all say that he's male. Besides, he's already got a girl he's interested in...

Although the three stories are separate, the premises in which they take place are the same. It is the future, and traversing from one planet to another is as simple as going abroad. Ms. Moto Hagio places another common denominator -- the Unicorn race. Unicorns look like humans, but they have a distinctive strip of red hair (their mane) in the middle of their heads. Unicorns were originally developed to handle computers, thus they were created without emotions to prevent errors. But as you'll see in the trilogy, Unicorns aren't as unfeeling as they are widely perceived to be. A, A Prime is a unique manga experience -- a truly seamless union of sci-fi and shoujo elements. A good grasp of scientific principles is evident in the way the stories are written. At the same time, A, A Prime manages to be emotionally charged. Ms. Hagio pulls off quite a feat, and she pushes it to the limit. The art is good, albeit quite different from what most of us are used to. No cutesy stuff here. Be warned that A, A Prime contains some homosexual themes. Not to worry, it's all tackled in a very tasteful manner, which is another positive point.

Great manga from one of the greatest shoujo manga artists!.......1999-12-11

Moto Hagio is one of the "HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI", literally, the "Magnificent Twenty-Four-Year Group". "Twenty-Four Year" refers to Showa 24--1949. These women revolutionized shoujo manga in Japan and raised it to the level of a literary genre. As such, it certainly is fair to call Moto Hagio one of the greatest shoujo manga artists of Japan ever to live.

A, A' is the sole work by one of the HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI to still be commerically available in English translation. It is a mature, insightful collection of 4 tales all unified by the presence of a member of a genetically-engineered race of variant human beings called "Unicorns", who all possess a sheaf of red hair and an inability to express the emotions that they feel. Even Unicorns can experience the love of another...but can they learn to love themselves...?

Hagio's storytelling is brilliant and beautiful, a masterpiece of rare intensity worthy of any reader's bookshelf. However, the reader should have an open mind. The HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI are also renowned for their treatment of sexual ambiguity and male-male romance. This proclivity is clear in A, A'; still, I firmly believe that it is in good taste and treated with appropriate delicacy and understanding. There is nothing graphic in A, A'...only four emotionally powerful and majestic stories that will surely enrich the hearts and minds of any who take the time to partake of them. A, A' will move it's readers to laughter and tears.

Book Description

Optimus Prime and Megatron have opposed each other since the Transformers began, and their fight continues even into this year's big-screen movie. And now, this collection looks back at many of the most awe-inspiring match-ups of these two polar opposites, spanning decades of Transformers comics.

Customer Reviews:

Ok, But Only For Action Buffs.......2007-08-23

If you don't have the series that these are pulled from, or are a big action fan, you'll probably enjoy this collection.

However, owning where they all come from makes them redundant. And there's very little context within or introduction as to what the current conflict is over.

If you're into action and fight scenes go for it. If not, skip it.

The Shining Ones (Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime, Vol 6)

Average customer rating:

A brilliant if somewhat confusing finale

The Shining Ones (Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime, Vol 6)
Paul Preuss
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0380753502

Book Description

Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities of superhuman dimension -- the product of advanced biotechnology.

World-renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a furious blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship.

But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why, and soon, from a mysterious alien from an unknowable culture, little knowing that what is about to unfold will determine the future of Earth. As the alien ship charts its ancient course, the scheming Sir Randolph Mays and Sparta unwittingly head for their final battle through the eons in the midst of an ancient galactic civil war.

This star-spanning adventure brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss.

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant if somewhat confusing finale.......2000-06-18

Was quite suprised with this book. Blake and the crew of the "Ventris" are taken on board of the the Worldship that was Amalthea, joining Sparta who had made contact with the alien, Thowintha. The alien entity on board takes them on a journey of knowledge through space and time, which changes many things for them, perceptionally and in Sparta and Blake's case, physically (gills are somewhat handy when living in a vessel that is filled with water). The finale of the book leaves a lot of questions, and you sit back a little thinking, "ok, how?" but typical of Preuss's good work, it is a very enjoyable story.

The Prime of Life: The Autobiography of Simone De Beauvoir

Average customer rating:

Engaging personal experience of a worldwide story
readable, juicy, challenging, fascinating

The Prime of Life: The Autobiography of Simone De Beauvoir
Simone De Beauvoir
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1569249563

Customer Reviews:

Engaging personal experience of a worldwide story.......2003-01-02

This is the second volume of de Beauvoir's five-volume autobiograpy, and it covers 1929 to 1944.

This one was harder to break into than the first, I felt, as she began somewhat vaguely about her philosophy, the things she was working on, etc. The first part of the book vaguely and distantly describes the beginning of her relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre, so the personal is perhaps rather squashed here (maybe that's why I found it less engaging than "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter" at first). But as I made my way forward, I found the same compelling qualities of the first, and more -- as de Beauvoir is older: Her interests and her circle of friends are expanding.

This book is interesting on so many levels, and I would recommend it to stand on its own (it doesn't have to be read as part of the whole), as well. It's interesting, as the first one was, for the way she describes her life in Paris at the time (she names all the cafes, neighborhoods, etc., that she frequents), and, as the first one, because it still dwells on how she is beginning her professional life that would lead her to be one of the foremost twentieth century philosophers and writers. So it's got something on both personal and broader themes.

But this book also adds the elements of the writer, as during its years, de Beauvoir writes her first books "She Came to Stay" and "The Blood of Others." I like to read about how writers work, their processes, and de Beauvoir very interestingly dissects her work in retrospect, writing things like, "What I was trying to accomplish at the time through Francoise's character was... but I see now that she comes across as ..." De Beauvoir was a very vigilant and disciplined worker, researcher and writer, and she writes of these routines. For writers interested in how others work, where they get their ideas and how they edit and redraft, I would certainly recommend this.

But this work is also interesting on another level; its most compelling part is when she details the beginning of WWII and the occupation of Paris. Rather than summarize it with the view the passing years have given her, de Beauvoir excerpts her diaries from the time, so that the reader feels the fears, understands the unknown dangers that she felt and gets the immediacy and intimacy of the worries of Parisiens such as de Beauvoir. I really couldn't put these sections down as she wrote about fleeing the Nazi occupiers, then deciding that if Sartre were released, he would only be able to find her in Paris and her desperate journey home again.

The book also starts a theme I can see will continue in all of them, outlining her travels as she (sometimes alone, sometimes with Sartre or others) goes around France and abroad and writes of how she feels and what she discovers there. In this volume, to name a few, she goes to Greece, Spain and all over
France.

The voice of these autobiographies is somewhat distant and aloof, which I find useful, as she seems intent on presenting her life very objectively, but when Sartre is attacked or criticized, she loses this coolness of tone and makes personal attacks on his critics.

The last aspect I'll mention of this long volume (nearly 500 pages) is the circle of friends she creates. She happens to befriend Alberto Giacometti, who is my favorite artist, in Paris and writes very fondly of his intellect and engaging conversations. She meets Hemingway and is an aquaintance of Picasso and his longtime lover Dora Marr. She also meets Cocteau through Sartre's theatrical work.

I found the wartime writing of this second one particularly engaging and probably of wider interest than the episodes of de Beauvoir's daily life later on... but we'll see!

readable, juicy, challenging, fascinating.......1997-04-21

This is my favorite volume of de Beauvoir's autobiograghy. It covers her life from her graduation at age 20 to the beginning of her fame after the war, when she was about forty. This book paints a vivid piture of now famous Left Bank intellectuals; their philosophies, politics, love lives, travels, and various predicaments they inevitabley get themselves into. I stumbled across this book by accident as a teenager and read it only because I was bored. It opened up an entire world for me;existentialism, feminism, socialism, French history and culture, all of which I now study at university. This book is aslo a great introduction to de Beauvoir's THE MANDARINS, which is a fictionalized account of the same people and places

Average customer rating:

A 200-page idea in 600-plus pages
Victorian generation clash.
The Duke's Children?
A battle between generations ends the Palliser series.

The Duke's Children (Penguin Classics)
Anthony Trollope , and Dinah Birch
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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

ASIN: 0140433449

Product Description

The Duke of Omnium, ever the perfect gentleman, is sorely tested by his children's college escapades and the matrimonial choices of his son, Lord Silverbridge, and his daughter, Lady Mary. This wonderful story is full of love and laughter. Twelve 90-minute cassettes and three 60's.

Customer Reviews:

A 200-page idea in 600-plus pages.......2004-07-11

The Trollope lover will not think of missing this, the culmination of the Palliser novels, but will love Trollope a little less after reading it. It is all the things detractors of his work complain of -- plotless, rambling, dull, fussy, trivial. It is a story written not from an irresistible energy to tell it, but from a pair of good ideas: to echo the circumstances of the Duke's own marriage to his late beloved Glencora in an ironic way, and to show that the social changes brought about in part by his own lifetime of Liberal politics have resulted in a world and a way of thinking that Palliser himself cannot accept. Maybe a Henry James could put enough flesh on this scheme to render the narrative human and alive, but THE DUKE'S CHILDREN is sadly inert. It is the sort of book that tends to make a good movie: its conception is more interesting than the pages inside it.

The Duke's children are too slight and too dim to hang a novel on; and the characters from previous books who never fail to engage us -- Marie, Phineas, and Palliser himself -- are mostly either absent or seen in isolation, fuming alone in studies and drawing-rooms. The obligatory hunting and shooting scenes are engaging but beside the point, and the presence of Major Tifto and his racetrack story are a great annoyance. The bitter, disappointed Lady Mabel adds some intermittent liveliness whenever she appears, but even she wears out her welcome. (And she is, conceptually, much too near a relation to Lady Laura in PHINEAS FINN and PHINEAS REDUX.)

Finales are never Trollope's best event. He will muff them or mute them or present the scenes of his happy endings as if viewed from a distant tree-top. I could wish the Palliser saga ended at THE PRIME MINISTER, which is superb, with perhaps a little coda telling us how Trollope saw Plantagenet Palliser's future life. That the little coda should be bloated into a mammoth vexation like this one is not uncharacteristic, but is surely unfortunate.

Victorian generation clash........2004-03-11

Lady Glencora Palliser is dead. This must be understood or nothing wonderful can come of this tale. The last installment of Trollope's Palliser series begins with this sad development. Long Victorian faces grow even longer with grief. Now ex-Prime Minster, Plantagenet Palliser must cope alone with the foibles of his three adult children. As the reader discovers, their expectations are not consistent with their father's ideas. Typical of Anthony Trollope, the story unfolds leisurely for 600+ pages. Regardless, the quiet little story urges one to keep turning the pages. 19th century British politics, social customs, and romantic attitudes seem quaint, even amusing, by today's standards. Much as the writings of Jane Austen, reconciling marriage and money drive the story. Trollope's elegant style is a delight. The reader is lulled into a quiet sense of relaxation. No great truths or insights to report, but good downtime reading. Appreciate the novel as you would a fine painting or a delicate antique tea set. If one seeks a pleasant diversion from the noise, clatter, and electronics of modern life this is recommended reading. Relish the experience. ;-)

The Duke's Children?.......1999-06-11

Rascals and confusion, Trollope wrote with all the elements that excited that of readers from the Victorian Era, and that can also excite ones from our age.

A battle between generations ends the Palliser series........1998-09-05

One of the brightest lights of the Palliser novels is extinguished in the first chapter with the death of the Duchess Glencora. Bereft of her vivacious influence the grieving Duke, already reserved and traditional, sinks into stodginess. Far worse than this, he is left with three young adult children whom he fails completely to understand. To say that they cause him many heartaches is to greatly understate the situation.

The eldest, heir to the title, Lord Silverbridge has already been booted out of Oxford for a silly prank. Now he goes into horse racing with questionable companions and winds up as the victim of a major scandal, which costs his father a huge sum. Next he deserts his father's choice for his bride to woo an American girl whose grandfather was a laborer.

The Duke's daughter, Mary, wants to marry a commoner, son of a country squire, a good man, but with no title and little money. The outraged Duke is adamantly opposed to such a match, but Mary vows to marry no other and is constantly miserable.

The youngest son, Gerald, who plays a relatively minor role in the novel, is forced to leave Cambridge because he was away without permission attending a race in which his brother's horse was running. Later he loses several thousand pounds in a card game.

The Duke bemoans his children's foolishness and their lack of respect for the traditions of their fathers. He pays for their mistakes, but vigorously opposes the two unwise marriages. But although he is a strict, authoritarian man, he is also a compassionate and loving father. Will he yield to the fervent desires of his rebellious offspring? The resolution of this clash of generations brings the Palliser novels to a satisfying conclusion.

As always, it is Trollope's great gift of characterization which makes THE DUKE'S CHILDREN an outstanding novel. From the outwardly firm but inwardly doubting Duke to the very sincere but frequently erring Silverbridge to the tragic Lady Mabel Grex, who has the young heir in her grasp only to let him slip away, these are well-rounded figures with whom the reader lives intimately and comes to understand thoroughly. With the perfectly depicted ambience of upper-class Victoriana as the setting, this novel is an absorbing work of genius.

Average customer rating:
The Prime Minister ; the Palliser Novels

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Trollope, Anthony | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000I3F31U

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