Book Description
The Assassin King opens with the arrival of a mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, who endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc. At the same moment, two gatherings of great import are taking place. The first is a convocation of dragons, who gather in a primeval forest gladethe site of the horrific ending of Llauron, one of the last of their kind. They mourn not only his irrevocable death, but also the loss of the lore and control over the Earth itself that it represents. The second gathering is a council of war: Ashe and Rhapsody, rulers of the alliance that protects the Middle Continent; Gwydion, the new Duke of Navarne; Anborn, the Lord Marshall; Achmed, the King of Ylorc, and Grunthor, his Sergeant-Major. Each brings news that form the pieces of a great puzzle. And as each piece is added it becomes quite clear: War is coming, the likes of which the world has never known.
Customer Reviews:
Wait for the paperback.......2007-08-21
Unless your collecting the series in hardback just wait for the paperback with this one. It is written as well as the others and introduces one interesting character but at less than 400 pages there just isn't much to it. As it is a cliff hanger it is a must read but don't blow hardback money on it.
3 years wait for under 400 pages? Ridiculous!.......2007-05-30
The Bad: This book was obviously put out prematurely due to a deadline being long overdue. After a 3 year wait we get an unfinished book that's way to small. I can understand breaking the story off without finishing if your into 1000 plus pages, but to not finish a book that's only 400 pages is a disgrace. I am very upset that I paid over 20 dollars for this book.
The Good: I like the story and I am only so upset because I feel this book didn't do the overall story justice since it was cut short.
A frustrating read (but in a GOOD way!).......2007-05-03
I fell in love with Rhapsody, Achmed, and Grunthor in the first trilogy. I didn't enjoy the next books as much. But, I found my self really enjoying THIS book.
YES, it clearly is setting up the next book. But, I feel it did it in a reasonable way, and it really contributed to the overall story and character building.
I say it was frustrating to read because of how many bad things happen to the good people and how many good things happen to the bad ones. I REALLY got into it. And, so it was frustrating to see how close the good guys would come to success but not quite be able to reach it. [sigh].
But, that's why I say it was frustrating in a GOOD way. I'm totally involved -- invested -- in the outcome.
I'm very much looking forward to the next book and hope it comes sooner rather than later.
Great new installment.......2007-03-30
This book is definitely worth the read for those following The Symphony of Ages series. Some of the new authors who have attempted to write a series that equals the greatness of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time or Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth, tend to loose their audience after two or three books because they can't hold a strong storyline. Haydon continues to write captivating plotlines complete with interesting characters. I was kind of glad that Ashe and Rhapsody are more separate in this book, though, because their love life can sometimes draw away from the power of the story. All in all, this is a great new installment to Haydon series and definitely worth the read even though it is too short! I felt like it was over too quickly. I can't wait until the next one!
Dissapointed Yet Still Intrigued?.......2007-03-25
After anticipating this book for 2 years, I will say I am dissapointed. While Haydon's characterization and fluid writting remain enchanting as ever I could not help but feel I was being grounded with facts rather than reading an enjoyable story.
The overall feeling of this book is that its only purpose was to prepare you for the sequel and, while there is a need to develop the plot and input the information you will need for the next book, I felt there could have been more meat to this book than there was, instead of just a casual glaze over the information. Many key points were left without much depth and only a few pages of writing, although this isn't to say that many important and emotional peaks won't be met, especially were Achmed is concerned. Important wheels begin to turn here, yet, as already noted near the end the book it begins to feel that those wheels are the only thing that's in it.
As discouraging as it is, the general page volume of the books has declined since Requiem of the Sun and I can only hope that with the next book of the series (of which there are 9 in total) will come a revitilization of the overall symphony.
Don't give up just yet! The way the characters are protrayed and the feeling of the world still remain consistent and rich, if rushed, and I am still optomistic that this is only the lull in the storm. As with many great series, it is hardest to pull of the middle/transition book and I still believe Haydon did a fair job at it.
Just remember, a writer doesn't write for her fans. She writes for the beauty of writing and the integrity of the story. As long as these things remain true, I believe this story will finish as a masterpiece.
Lupus
Amazon.com
Rhapsody is high fantasy, descended from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings through Eddings's Belgariad and Malloreon series, complete with an elf-like people, cannibalistic giants, fire-born demons, and dragons. Inquiring fantasy readers will wonder whether it can live up to such distinguished predecessors. The answer is yes. Haydon's first fantasy is a palpable hit. The three protagonists are well-realized characters whose adventures are by turns hilarious, horrific, and breathtaking. Best of all, though elements are drawn from familiar sources ranging from Norse myth to Mozart's The Magic Flute, Haydon's magic worldbuilding is convincing, consistent, and interesting.
Rhapsody, a young woman trained as a Namer, can attune herself to the vibrations of all things, tap the power of true names, and rename people, changing their basic identities. Her magic lies in music: "Music is nothing more than the maps through the vibrations that make up all the world. If you have the right map, it will take you wherever you want to go," she tells her adoptive brothers. They are "the Brother," a professional assassin able to sense and track the heartbeats of all natives of the doomed Island of Seren, their homeland, and his giant sidekick Grunthor, a green-skinned Sergeant Major who enjoys making jokes, using edged weapons, and honing his cannibalistic palate. Inadvertently, Rhapsody has renamed the Brother Achmed the Snake, breaking his enslavement to Tsoltan the F'dor (a fire-born demon). Tsoltan sends minions in pursuit to rebind Achmed. The three escape into the roots of a World Tree, Sagia, emerging transformed into another country and century. But have they truly escaped the F'dor's evil? And how does all this relate to the prologue's story of Gwydion and Emily, two young lovers brought together across history and then separated by the mysterious Meridion?
Like most first volumes, Rhapsody contains a lot of background information and foreshadowing, though Haydon ties up numerous plot lines at the end. The dislocations in time can be confusing, and some readers may find that the very 1990s dialogue clashes with the epic storytelling of the descriptive passages. Overall, however, Rhapsody is a smashing debut that delivers hours of great reading and will have you impatient to read the rest of the series. --Nona Vero
Book Description
Elizabeth Haydon is an important new force in fantasy. Equipped with a quick wit, Haydon has a sharp ear for dialogue, panache with characters, and that essential ability to transport her readers into her own fantastical worlda world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsodys aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron. Rhapsody marks the beginning of an important new series from Tor, a series with all the magic, all the beauty, and all the power youve come to expect from our bestselling fantasy. In the tradition of Robert Jordans Wheel of Time and Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth, we bring you Rhapsody. An extraordinary adventure has begun. Join us in discovering where it will lead. Movingly written epic fantasy that works on many levels. I read this book with a growing sense of pleasure, impressed not only with the authors deft plotting but also with her use of language. Haydon is a writer. Morgan LlywelynA powerful novel, lucid, interesting, well paced, adventurous, magical, and with characters who are original. This author will surely go far. I am amazed by the growing number of strong new voices that are appearing these days in fantasy, hitherto mostly male. Elizabeth Haydon is sure to change that. Piers Anthony
Customer Reviews:
A Beautiful Fantasy.......2007-06-03
I got this book at a bookstore a few years ago, not thinking much of it, just that i wanted 'something' to read. This is without doubt, my favorite book in the entire world! Its a little bit of all my favorite genres: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction... so i was really impressed and hooked right away. The tie between the three main characters is inseperable and the humor of this book is practically tangible. I loved this book! I couldnt put it down and as soon as i finished it i ran to the bookstore to get the other two of the first trilogy! I highly recommend it!
Imaginative & Very Entertaining.......2006-12-27
Refreshingly creative. I was given this book and I ended up buying all the other books in the series because the author is creative, witty, descriptive, and has a superb vocabulary. I had to reach for the dictionary more than once. When I want to escape reality, I delve into Haydon's fantasy world. Very entertaining. I can't think of better fantasy books.
Good Read.......2006-12-26
If you a looking for a good story, I recommend it. If you are looking for high literature, like some of the reviews seem to be looking for, then read War and Peace.
This story is interestingly different from the beginning. Yes it stretches the imagination in places, but it's FANTASY, duh! My acid test is: Do I identify with the characters, and this has a big YES for as an answer.
A good start for the trilogy.......2006-09-27
I liked this book. Yes, it did start out with a romance novel twist. I think this book will sit better with female readers, such as myself, but who is to say men don't enjoy a good bit of romance? It just is not your usual sci-fi/fantasy start. Other reviewers have felt that this romance beginning does not connect with the rest of the story. However, you must read the trilogy to realize that it indeed is laying the framework for a vital part of the story to come. This first book is like so many other first books... it is laying down the foundations for bigger things to come.
I connected with the characters, caring about what happened to them next. Rhapsody, while far from innocent in some ways, provides the soft heart of the group, the truth teller, the namer. She is in direct contrast to Achmed, who has lived the life of the assassin and is in no way innocent to the evils that exist. Then there is Gunthor, the big hearted, giant bolg who despite his tough exterior has a disposition that lies somewhere between Achmed's dry, pesimistic attitude and Rhapsody's sometime's syrupy demeanor.
All in all, I found the action to go along at a suitable speed, but the time in the root was a little long-winded for my taste. I did at times find Rhapsody's behavior quite exasperating. She continues to exude an naivity that one would expect to improve with the perils she has faced and I did find her love of children to go a bit overboard at times. But as a whole, a good first book in this trilogy.
A beautiful letdown, to steal a phrase........2006-09-14
Haydon has the surprising ability to describe scenes both breathatkingly beautiful and nightmarishly terrible like nobody's business. Her word usage is great, and she paints a vivid picture for the mind's eye. Achmed is a wonderful character, and so is Grunthor, both of whom play sidekicks of sorts to the main character, Rhapsody.
That, however, is the end of the positives. For those of you familiar with the net term "Mary Sue", the main character, although starting out well enough, quickly degenerates into one of these mindless, perky and perfect drones who spread love and defecate fairy dust. For those of you unaccustomed to the above terminology, I shall define it for you. A Mary Sue, and her male counter part, the Gary Stu, is a term coined for characters whom the author has made flawless. They can do no wrong, or if they do there's always a way to fix it, they are always attractive, alluring and yet somehow innocent in some way. Everyone loves them or lusts after them, usually even the villain in a sort of twisted way, and they are usually some long-lost royalty or become royalty later on. Often there is a tragic past to overcome, but it leaves them scarred only in their wee little hearts and is to be mended by their one true love with tears and the kind of love-making ONLY found in fiction. You know, the perfect kind. The sort that somehow goes from tender and tearful to lustful and ravaging and back again, and one might expect a fluffy bunny to hop across the bed or a wispy cloud to form a heart over the love-at-first-f*** couple. That aside, they have abilities that not only defy logic, but quite often just manifest out of the author's brain when he or she has written themselves into a corner that the character's other abilities and the author's waning wits do not have the capacity to escape from.
Such is the case with Rhapsody. Her beauty puts a bulge into the pants of evry man who happens to glance her way, and he instantly falls into love and lust for her. That same beauty brings a tear to every lesser female's eye and a sigh from every comparably imperfect breast. This is not just in the first book, no. It happens in at least the first three, which is as far as I got before I became so sick of it I could take no more. Only Achmed and Grunthor, who play second fiddle to the perfect demi-goddess, kept me going that far. If I ever pick up the series again, it will be for them alone. Sadly doubtful. Oh, and I should mention that if one perfect maiden (whom, at the risk of a small spoiler, was once a prostitute but is now made a VIRGIN again) isn't enough, her leading man is the Gary Stu to end all. Though he is less glaring than she, primarily because you are forced to read more about her than him.
If you loved R.A. Salvatore's tired series about recycled plotlines, races and ideas stolen from Tolkien, and re-re-revived dwarves, barbarians and an unfortunate Drow who transforms from great character into the perfect Stu (although admittedly still far better than many of the other characters) the farther he goes, then this series is for you. Particularly if you are female and the hormones are driving you toward romance novels with just enough swords and sorcery to be called "fantasy". May Rhapsody's heartbreaking beauty bring a tear to your eye and a stirring in your breast. I know it did this for me, although the tears were over my wasted dollars, may they forgive me, and the stirring was a mild case of nausea.
Book Description
Book Five in the USA Today bestselling Symphony of Ages-'An epic saga worthy of Eddings, Goodkind, and Jordan.' (Romantic Times Bookclub) legy for a Lost Star sets the stage for a major turning point in the Symphony of Ages. With the dark plans of assassins and despots, as well as a confrontation that shatters the relationship of the Three, the seeds of chaos have been planted. Soon there will be war, an epic struggle that will, by its end, consume half the world. Elegy for a Lost Star represents a great entrypoint into this nationally bestselling epic fantasy series: it not only sets up the next grand epoch in the saga, it is an excellent stand-alone novel that pits son against mother in an epic struggle between two dragons, with Rhapsody caught in the middle.
Customer Reviews:
disapointed.......2007-03-18
the whole book was people talking. Nothing really happend. I also dislike how Ashe is never there when everything goes wrong with Rhapsody. I also do not understand what the point of Anwyn was. She was like a page filler.
Dirge for a Rushed Tale.......2006-06-18
Fair warning: I will discuss some events in reasonable detail. If you dislike reviews that provide relative descriptive about events that take place in a book, please kindly scroll down.
Elegy for a Lost Star is the fifth book in Elizabeth Haydon's "Symphony of the Ages" series, which began with a core trilogy (Prophecy, Rhapsody and Destiny), then added on Requiem for the Sun, Elegy and forthcoming Assassin King (due in 2007, and that can't get here soon enough!). If you haven't previously read the first books, I cannot stress the importance of doing so. Some series you can jump into at any central point and pick up the thread; this is definitely not one of those. While Ms. Haydon goes over the basic sketch of history that brings the reader to the present through the chronicles of the three main characters, Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor, you owe it to yourself to immerse in the world.
I finished Elegy for a Lost Star after reading Requiem for a Lost Sun and revisiting the core trilogy the day or two before. Therefore, all the events sparkled fresh in my mind as I transitioned from one book to the next. While I found the core trilogy engrossing and impossible to put down, the speed slowed slightly through Requiem as I appreciated the detail more than anything else. However, the vagaries of Rhapsody being trapped in a sea cave became a bit wearing. Elegy's slim size, especially compared to the 800-plus pages of its predecessors, worried me a bit.
My initial judgment on Elegy is that it is a condensed novel, and while keeping the high standard of Ms. Haydon's writing skills, it lacks a certain sparkle. The plot wandered at points, picking up different story threads and weaving them in for a time, then discarding them again. Case in point: the hodgepodge use of Anwyn, the oracle of the past and now wholly a dragon, and Llauron, Rhapsody's father-in-law and also a dragon whose transformation completed three years earlier. From the cover, an informed reader clearly discerns Anwyn and Llauron looming over Rhapsody and her baby, Meridion. It should come as no surprise the dragon finally enter the limelight of the story. Unfortunately, they don't enjoy centerstage quite so fully as they should.
Anwyn's awakening jerks into the machinations of Talquisst, the highly unsavory regent for the troubled, divided nation of Sorbold (incidentally Ylorc and Tyrian's uneasy neighbour). The transition comes roughly and left me rather in the lurch, trying to figure out what happened with Anwyn's current struggles to regain her memory and exact her revenge on Rhapsody. Usually Ms. Haydon executes these different shifts in the storyline with a deft touch, but Elegy's movements lacked that particular elegance.
Another concern that dropped my initial rating from four stars to three lies in her treatment of the dragons. While we get background information through Elynsynos about how wyrmkin interact with their parents, and the sacrifice of the eldest dragon to seal the vault of Living Earth that keep the F'dor imprisoned in the heart of the earth, we lack more important details... Notably, Llauron's involvement with protecting Rhapsody, newborn Meridion, and her friends against his rampaging, furious mother. It feels as though Llauron suddenly manifests (no pun intended) in the story at some point, flits out of existence, then shows up when it matters most again. This form of deus ex machina disappoints me because Llauron's uneasy relationship with Rhapsody, Ashe, Anborn, and Achmed certainly changed after becoming a dragon and the first Cymrian Council meeting. The story covers very little of this in Elegy, beyond exchanging annoyed words with Ashe and Achmed's wry, superb brand of blunt-spoken displeasure.
Instead, we wander along between Sorbold's decline spiced up with scenes with Constantin, the Patriarch (and a new appreciation for the Chain of Prayer), the ongoing despair of Faron after washing ashore and ending up with a carnival of monstrosities, a sort of fantasy horror show (bearded lady, duck-footed performers, and other misfits apply here!). Faron makes for an interesting enemy because you have to feel some sense of compassion for the offspring of a tortured ancient Seren and a F'dor host, a lost soul tormented from the very beginning. Against Anwyn, the foil provides an entertaining level of comparison but it doesn't reach its fullest flowering.
The scattered state of the story comes as a surprise given Elegy's overall short length. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I felt rushed in places and hopelessly without direction in others. Major milestones such as Meridion's birth came as an anticlimax and the distinct lack of Grunthor was a real shame. We at least see a good deal of Achmed, a truly excellent character in fantasy for the realism in his flawed person (versus Rhapsody's near divine perfection).
On the whole, this isn't up to the standard of Ms. Haydon's other books but I hope it will redeem itself by the segue into The Assassin King and a re-reading. The apparent shadow of doom and destruction layered over the continent by Anwyn's bloody campaign of vindiction and Talquisst's use of the deck of Sharra lacks the treatment it really deserved, but hopefully things will pan out well in the forthcoming sequel.
Getting more back in the swing!.......2005-09-24
Just a comment to P. Pollak: Definetly, definetly read the first books. And then you'd know immediately to what that 'Elegy for a Lost Star' is referenced. You'll understand SO much more. And the first three books are much, much more enjoyable.
This book was better than it's predecessor in the series. Haydon seems to get a slightly better grip on her character's personalities. It's definetly a book that's just moving you along in action until the next volume is available. Still interesting and with some surprising twists and turns. The child is born (though a few lines in that section were REALLY drama-queeny and plain annoying for a RPGer like me) and, horror of horrors, Anwyn is back. And MAD.
Again, how I lament Faron, the maligned! *poses dramatically* I am eager to see what happens to the poor... uh.. fish-living-stone-man-thing.
Elegy for a Lost Title.......2005-08-02
This was my first exposure to Elizabeth Haydon and she deserves between 3 and 4 stars for spinning a tale with a number of very creative elements. Character development is not bad, although I'd probably be more intrigued had I read any of the earlier volumes in the series, which brings me to my main complaints. Publishers and book sellers: If youre going to publish (carry) series novels, please carry them all so that people can start at the beginning. Second, I don't know who comes up with the titles for these books, but it can't be the author because the title rarely has any connection to the book.
very very sad.......2005-08-01
Not the story itself, but the book. It has no heart, it has no intellect, it's just a bunch of pish posh. Belongs in the slush pile.
Amazon.com
Three cheers for Elizabeth Haydon! One great book (Rhapsody: Child of Blood) might be a fluke. But its sequel, Prophecy: Child of Earth, keeps right on developing great characters in a believable fantasy world without sacrificing the momentum of a terrific story. Best of all, Haydon promises to bring the current adventure to a conclusion in the next book, so no need to fear TNS (the never-ending saga).
Prophecy continues the stories of Rhapsody, the Namer who uses song, herb-lore, and affinities with fire and starlight to heal and protect, and her adoptive family: Achmed the Snake, an obnoxious former assassin and King of the savage Firbolg race, and Grunthor, his huge, cheerfully cannibalistic sidekick. Rhapsody travels in the company of the mysterious Ashe, who becomes much less mysterious as the story progresses. She meets a dragon, trains with a Lirin swordmistress who once carried Rhapsody's fiery sword, Daystar Clarion, and races to prevent the assassination of the Patriarch of Sepulvarta. Meanwhile, Achmed and Grunthor discover secrets of their mountain stronghold and learn more of their own powers. Together they repel renewed attacks by the F'dor, a demon seeking apocalyptic destruction. But they have not yet identified the demon's host or disarmed all of its agents, and time is running out.
Fans of epic fantasy will find Haydon a worthy successor to Tolkien, ranking with Robin Hobb and Guy Gavriel Kay. Just don't start reading too late in the day--once you've begun, you won't want to stop. --Nona Vero
Book Description
In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged: Rhapsody, a Singer of great talent and beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, the giant of jolly disposition and deadly skill with weapons. Prophecy continues this powerful epic. These three may be their worlds only hope, heroes spoken of in The Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running short. They must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all. Praise for Rhapsody: Distinguished by superior wit and intelligence, this fantasy debut opens what looks to be an outstanding saga. This is one of the finest high fantasy debuts in years. Publishers Weekly Starred Review Movingly-written, epic fantasy that works on many levels. I read this book with a growing sense of pleasure Morgan Llywelyn A powerful novel. Piers Anthony The action is fast-paced, the battle between good and evil is sinuously complex and intriguing. The St. Johns Telegram
Customer Reviews:
Prophecy: Romance, Magic and Adventure does it get any better??.......2006-08-06
Romance, Magic and Adventure, does it get any better?? I think not. The suspence and mystery only improve the story and the visions created by this author are magical and action packed. I truly enjoyed this book.
Stop after Rhapsody.......2006-08-03
The heroine is frequently called intelligent, but never proves this. Despite her intelligence, she's completely unaware of the effect her utter physical perfection has on everyone that meets her. She is called fair and compassionate despite being haughty and judgemental.
However, the absolute worst of it is any interaction that involves Ashe. Aside from the fact that he comes off as a player character someone rolled up for a d&d campaign (see, I'm this half-dragon...), his presence turns any chapter from fantasy to bad romance.
If you seriously browse the romance section when choosing a book, you may just love this, though.
A Waste of Potential *Slight Spoilers*.......2006-07-27
I really wanted to like this book. I liked "Rhapsody" well enough and thought that it had a lot of potential as a first novel. Unfortunately, "Prophecy" is a huge step backwards for Haydon.
The Good: Haydon has a knack for vivid description. All of the locales in the novel are evocative and well written. She's also a pretty fair action writer, as these things go. Her world is well developed and interesting. Rhapsody's Naming magic is generally interesting, as are the general elemental magic abilities. Several of the minor characters (Elynsynos, Lord Stephen, Lord Trystan) are better than the main characters.
The Bad: Haydon strips all of the endearing character traits from her two best characters, Achmed and Grunthor, and turns them into annoying charicatures. Instead, the entire book focuses on Rhapsody.
This is a huge problem, because Rhapsody is a fundamentally uninteresting character. She's "perfect" in every way: perfectly beautiful, perfect student, perfect lover, perfect friend, perfect warrior, perfect diplomat, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Her only "flaw" is that she doesn't realize how beautiful she truly is, and is self depricating because of it. Of course, that never makes any difference, because she never fails at anything she attempts and ends up getting the perfect man anyway. The only plus here is that she spends less of this book going from emotional equilibrium to indignant rage at the drop of a hat. Speaking of Ashe/Gwydion/Sam, he's an empty suit for Rhapsody to have sex with.
I mentioned above that Haydon's descriptive writing is strong. This is outlined all the more because her dialog is utterly insipid. Achmed answers everything with an annoying question or a "cutting" quip (such as when he shows a diplomat several examples of fabrics and wines that are of a manufacture the diplomat has never seen before. The diplomat asks, quite reasonably, where Achmed acquired them. Achmed's withering response to this perfectly reasonable question? "Don't be an idiot"). However, even that pales in comparison to the "banter" between Rhapsody and Ashe. If teen couples in ice cream parlors cooing "I love you!", "No, I love you more!" cause you to roll your eyes, stay far, far away from this book.
Finally, there are structural issues with the book. Not a lot happens in the first place, but the story slams to a halt when Haydon decides it would be worth the time to have Rhapsody and Ashe have sex for 35 pages. No really. They continue to have sex and coo at each other intermittently for the final 200 pages of the novel. In addition, a minor character is raped, "Rosemary's Baby" style, in teeth gratingly awful detail (note to fantasy authors: most of us don't read fantasy for vivid descriptions of rape, it's unpleasant). The demon that rapes this character looks exactly like Ashe, yet when Rhapsody discovers this she's so perfect that she never has any difficulty around Ashe. Apparently she has no imagination.
Anyway, after this interlude we get a false climax, where the novel seems like it's over. But it isn't. It continues for another 130 pages, most of which is setup for the third novel in the trilogy and could easily have been put elsewhere (like in the third book).
In addition, Haydon writes mostly in third person limited. However, at certain points she switches,without warning, to third person omniscient. This book needed to be locked in a padded room with a savage editor for about a month. Several hundred pages could easily have been shaved off of it.
I had intended to end the review with a section devoted to the moments of unintentional comedy. My favorite is when Rhapsody enters a forest and uses her naming magic to know the forest's exact dimensions, take strength from the forest, and know the positions of four expert trackers that are following her. However, several days later she is ambushed by a platoon of the same trackers and is taken utterly by surprise. That happens within the same chapter, by the way. However, I can't in good conscience recommend the book on those grounds because the comedy scale drops in the later stages. I couldn't even muster up more than a groan when Haydon used the phrase "make love" just about every other word during the "sex romp" portions.
The bottom line here is that the only thing stopping this book from being forgotten in the Harlequin Romance section of your local book store is a little bit of tarting up with magic, dragons, and several hundred pages of unnecessary length. Do yourself a favor and read any of the myriad other fantasy writers who do it better.
Very Good but from critical View.......2006-06-15
This was a good add on to the Symphony of Ages trilogy. Comparing it to the first book Rhapsody it was well done. The flow of the story was pretty fast and not slow because the writer jumped around quite often with one plot to another but with sometimes longwinded. The characters still there but a bit less of Grunthor. The good side about the characters is how Ashe is one person in the beginning then he is discovered to be someone else. Elizabeth Haydon throws in some funny plots also that I just could not stop laughing about. From my opinion I will look at the good and the bad.
Good Sides to the Book
1. Flow is pretty fast and well written.
2. In some portions of the book you get a very intimate and sensual writing. Parts of the book are a bit graphic if you must know.
3. Characters are well written. The plots of each character sometimes are angry, happy, sad, sexual, and at times funny.
Bad Side
1. Rhapsody at times is still in her life saving mode. Even when trying to kill the demon she questions should she do it. The writer makes the plot in those parts londwinded.
2. Parts of the book too much sex. I am not too interested in sex and intimate parts. Maybe once or twice but not 5 times or more. I just laughed when the writer kept writing about making love again and again.
3. The ending is quite abrupt. Not a very well ending but this is a trilogy so if you want to read more okay ending but if you wish to stop the ending leaves you hanging.
Overall the book is very well written. This wasn't a fast book slapped together it was fairly well done. I still enjoy this book and the first because there are funny parts when a person is all the sudden nice then turns it a wild monster. Makes me laugh at times. Ashe half dragon is funny when he lets his dragon side take control. If you like fantasy total fiction and a sensual story this book is good but read it with the rest of the trilogy. If you are wanting just one book and lots of guts, gory, and killing then you will partially satisfied but not completely. If you are thinking of a book for dragons, death, pirates, or just plain action you might be disappointed. This book is best read along with the trilogy so you understand the whole story.
no plot, no real personalities, no point.......2005-10-30
Ugg. The promise in Rhapsody was totally lost in this book. I can't even take the time to write a decent review of it. Basically, this book has no real plot. Things happen, and then more things happen, but there seems to be no real goal for this series. The heroine Rhapsody is the most annoying mary sue ever written about, and there really is no point in reading this book. Look at the Truth series by Dawn Cook instead.
Book Description
Harlem has captivated the imagination of writers, artists, intellectuals, and politicians around the world since the early decades of this century. Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance examines the cultural reawakening of Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s as a key moment in twentieth-century art history, one that transcended regional and racial boundaries. Published to coincide with the exhibition that opens in England and travels to the United States, this catalog reflects the Harlem Renaissance's impressive range of art forms--literature, music, dance, theater, painting, sculpture, photography, film, and graphic design. The participants included not only artists based in New York, but also those from other parts of the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.
Richard J. Powell and David A. Bailey present selected works that focus on six themes: Representing "The New Negro;" Another Modernism; Blues, Jazz, and the Performative Paradigm; The Cult of the Primitive; Africa: Inheritance and Seizure; and Jacob Lawrence's Toussaint L'Ouverture series. The visual arts from 1919 to 1938 included in the book suggest the extraordinary vibrancy of the time when Harlem was a metaphor for modernity. In spite of the importance of the Harlem Renaissance to early twentieth-century American culture and to the artistic climate of "Jazz Age" Paris and Weimar Berlin, few art exhibitions have been devoted exclusively to the subject. Rhapsodies in Black will be welcomed for its unique presentation of this creative time.
Customer Reviews:
expanding the scope of a central moment in modern art.......1998-07-27
This book provides those who are more likely to have believed the Harlem Renaissance to be entirely literary and entirely Harlem-centered with evidence of the all-encompassing scope and international import of this crucial, modern, blackened artistic surge. The exploration of black identity and construction of black nationality called the Harlem Renaissance is insightfully revisited through the social and artistic problems enacted in the works, within the voices, and upon the bodies of protagonists: Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, and surprisingly, Orson Welles. This book is a fine complement to books which focus on literary-hitsorical aspects (such as David L. Lewis' _When Harlem was in Vogue_) and those which focus on music such as Angela Davis' _Blues Legacies and Black Feminism_ and Albert Murray's _Stomping the Blues_). It is a a fabulous expansion of the artistic territory encompassed in black art. Maya Angleou has said: "I am human, and therefore nothing h! uman can escape my grasp." I believe that black art has languished too long in the storage bin where fads and fanices go to die. _Black Rhapsodies_ rescues the Renaissance from this fate by positing black art as a philosphical stance, therefore attainable in varied ways throughout the post WWI world--not as the exotic and undisciplined, irregular expressions of primitive black jungle souls on the drum-pulsing streets of 20s Harlem. I couldn't agree more, and I hope that the idea that black art is both a real category and a complex one full of contadictions is adopted in the teaching of the Renaissance.
My one complaint is minor and may stem from my own unfamiliarity with the indexing system of books on art. I found it difficult to locate quickly the visual art being described in certain passages. If there were a more convenient way on idexing the art or of expaining the system to the novice reader, it would be appreciated.
Book Description
When a feisty ninety-two-year-old Mainer took up residence in an assisted-living facility, he found there were at least four things he could do about it: move, die, get over it, or write this book.
For the past forty-two years, Down East Yankee John Gould has written about and been a staunch observer of the human condition. Here, Gould turns his perceptively critical lens toward lives as they are lived in an assisted-living facility. Five years ago, even though growing old still felt like an afterthought, Gould and his wife needed to move to an assisted-living community, henceforth known as "Rhapsody Home." Captivatingly charming, sarcastic, despairing, flip, taciturn, erudite, and altogether wonderful, Gould-an American original and a perfect narrator-tells the disagreeable truth about the move to Rhapsody Home. From the chef who quit because he couldn't stand the food to the apartment windows that were designed never to open, Gould, with razor sharp wit and a knack for turning a phrase, proves you can write a funny book about this very serious subject.
With a new epilogue, this is a mixture of personal narrative and skillful reportage-a remarkable first-person account of what it's like to live in an assisted-living facility, and a much needed look at the way we provide for our elders.
Amazon.com
American Rhapsody is a gleeful act of outrage, simultaneously an assault on the Clintons and a bridge-burning, tell-all Hollywood memoir in the wicked spirit of You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again. Joe Eszterhas's narrative is a torrent of consciousness with no consistent sense of direction, but it all erupts from a plausible organizing principle best articulated in the chapter "Bubba in Pig Heaven": Hollywood is where Clinton really belongs. The author claims Bill watches Blazing Saddles six times a year, and says that Gennifer Flowers got him blazing by enacting a Sharon Stone-like crotch-shot scene years before Basic Instinct. When a sarcastic Clinton allegedly told a Hollywood producer that his enemies would soon be accusing him of coupling with a cow, the producer sent him Eszterhas's 1989 screenplay Sacred Cow, in which a president does just that. Eszterhas claims Spielberg dropped the film because of his friendship with Clinton. But he still thinks Clinton would be great in the role.
The Lewinsky saga really should be ho-hum by now, but American Rhapsody's Evel Knievel-like leaps of free association and mad brio breathe life into it. You've never been properly introduced to Linda Tripp and Lucianne Goldberg until you've read "The Ratwoman and the Bag Lady of Sleaze," its uproarious take on the pair. American Rhapsody gives dozens of stars time in the sweaty spotlight: Matt "the Scavenger" Drudge, heroic Larry Flynt (whose threat to report Republican scandals Eszterhas credits with quashing impeachment)--almost every big political scandal victim in memory. And there are lots of Hollywood types behaving badly: Bob Dylan, Warren Beatty, Ronald Reagan, Farrah Fawcett, Sharon Stone, Robert Evans, Sly Stallone (who wanted to portray Jesus onscreen), and even Joe Eszterhas. The fantasy chapters, printed in boldface, are sometimes funny (e.g., "Kenneth W. Starr Confesses"), but mostly they're both over the top and below the belt (e.g., "Willard Comes Clean," the confessions of the president's penis). What holds your interest is the main narrative, a heady mix of showbiz gossip, personal essay, and Lester Bangs-style prose mania. --Tim Appelo
Book Description
The setting . . .
Washington, Hollywood, and the landscape of the American Republic.
The writer . . .
Joe Eszterhas, ex-Rolling Stone reporter, National Book Award nominee for Charlie Simpson's Apocalypse, and screenwriter of such blockbusters as Basic Instinct and Jagged Edge.
The stars . . .
Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Al Gore, John McCain, Ken Starr, and Monica Lewinsky.
The supporting players . . .
Warren Beatty, James Carville, Sharon Stone, Larry Flynt, Vernon Jordan, Linda Tripp, Matt Drudge, and Bob Packwood (with cameos by Richard Nixon and Farrah Fawcett, Eleanor Roosevelt and David Geffen, Robert Evans and Richard Gere).
The story . . .
The most basic, and basest, in many years -- an up-close and personal look at the people who run our world. A tale filled with humor, tragedy and romance; suspense, absurdity and high drama; and, of course, lots and lots of sex.
In
American Rhapsody, Eszterhas combines comprehensive research with insight, honesty, and astute observation to reveal ultimate truths. This is a book that flouts virtually every rule, yet joins a rich journalistic tradition distinguished by such writers as Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe.
A brilliant, unnerving, hugely entertaining look at our political culture, our heroes and villains,
American Rhapsody will delight some and outrage others, but it will not be ignored. What Joe Eszterhas has produced is a penetrating and devastating panorama of all of us, a fun-house mirror held up to our own morals, hypocrisies and desires.
Download Description
Political satirist Mark Russell pictures President Clinton being sculpted onto Mount Rushmore--"from the waist down." Eszterhas, the author of such fine screen plays as F.I.S.T. and Betrayed and such stinkers as Sliver and Showgirls, provides literary justification for Russell's vision in this farcical waist-level panorama of the Clinton years, in what could be the offspring of the mating of The Joy of Sex and Portnoy's Complaint. Readers are probably aware of the media hype surrounding this book, especially the role of Willard, the "longer than Willie" presidential phallus, which in a rousing climax reveals the true source of President Clinton's power. The author's probing analysis and extensive reading results in a novel that rings more true than many of the "nonfiction" accounts of the President and First Lady Hillary. Eszterhas and his coauthoring "Twisted Little Man" alter ego create often sidesplitting and frequently poignant dialog spoken by such characters as Richard "Night Creature" Nixon; Larry Flynt, the pornographer-in-chief who may have saved the presidency by threatening to blackmail right-wing attackers in no position to "cast the first stone"; presidential pal Vernon Jordan; one-time Republican presidential contender John "Wayne" McCain; Vice President Al Gore; and, of course, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. This political fable could have been nicely shortened if the author had left out his too many stories about his experiences in Hollywood and as a reporter for the Rolling Stone. Yet it is strongly recommended for public libraries as a painfully funny and all too excruciatingly real expos of Clinton's America.--Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
Customer Reviews:
Irresistably preposterous-- But know what you are in for.......2005-09-15
Eszterhas the book writer is more intriguing and ideosyncratic than Eszterhas the screen writer. Be prepared for a 60's counter culture apologia pro vita sua with interesting detours (such as a tribute to Barry Goldwater).
The book is ultimately a tour of America the Horny across the life span of baby boomers. "Life span" is the proper term, since there is raunch enough for a lifetime. The organizing principle is that Bill Clinton is the avatar for the sexual acting out of the rock and roll lifestyle. Clinton is not particularly revered here, although Hilary is portrayed as so cold (and maybe gay) that Bill had little choice.
There is a lot of malicious gossip here, but some is true. The challenge is distinguishing between gossip that is malicious and that which is false and malicious.
For all the astoundingly diverse sexual activity described, there is a clinical detachment. Eszterhas uses few words (save when quoting others) that the New York Times would not print.
Eszterhas narrates lots of the book and is not an especially skilled reader-- although the ring of authenticity he gives keeps it from being annoying. Ed Asner is a fine reader.
Be prepared for Eszterhas's substantial ego.
?????.......2004-04-03
I tend to vote Republican but refuse to align myself with the Right Wing or Moral Majority. I'm the guy in the middle that the candidates are really after. I say that as any review on this book should be tempered by the politics of the reader. JE is an avowed Democrat with socialist leanings. Read his most recent book "American Animal" to verify this. So it was surprising as I read the first third of this book that after an initial bow to Clinton as the Rock & Roll Prez, one of "us", he then seems to chastise him for his fatal flaws. This part of the book is interesting, engaging, but also somewhat repetitive. I still couldn't wait to read it my allotted hour a night.
But there is only so much you can talk about this subject and JE rambles on and on until he finally manages to really offend me. How? Well, I just finished his most recent book, "American Animal" an autobiography which I immensely enjoyed. Full of Hollywood stories. But reading this, I see that JE has included many of the stories I enjoyed from his autobiography in this political commentary/fantasy. So is he a writer with a message or is he just repeating his few stories to make a buck?
I don't know what to make of this book, thus my title. Did I enjoy some parts? Yes. Are there some interesting stories? Yes. But there is a lot of waste. It's like wandering thru a jungle with a machete looking for your trail. When you find it, it's worth the work. So maybe the only item I can add of interest came from reading this with some years of aging. JE takes on Arianna Huffington who he spends quite a bit of time describing her history to show what a bad person she is and how she climbed to the top while stepping on other people's faces. But would JE have included these chapters in this form if he had known that within a few years she would shift sides and now disavow her right wing leanings? I think not.
This is not a great book. But if you enjoy reading, maybe you will enjoy it.
Decent and Deplorable- in prose from the spheres........2002-10-06
This is the truth! I never read any other of these exposes and during the majority of the media coverage of the episode that led to Clinton's impeachment- I switched to the animal planet. After reading some reviews on Amazon, I bought this book and I'm glad I did. "The Comeback Kid" takes plenty of flack from the author, but Eszterhas spares none. I like the names: The Big Kielbasa- Wilt Chamberlain, "The Bag Lady of Sleaze"- Lucienne Goldberg, the lady who got the story into the media,"Hilla the Hun," "The Night Creature"- Nixon- "The Manchurian Candidate"- McCain- "The Rat Woman,"- Linda Tripp, it goes on to the current president named, "The Crown Prince." The coarsest individual does have the funniest lines, i.e. LBJ- too much to repeat here. The few who seem to get off lightly, like Monica, and believe it or not- Barry Goldwater and Newsweek Magazine who had the story and never printed it.
Perhaps the most effective and distressing part of the book is when Eszterhas does a mini retrospective of all the things we didn't want to know,but did over the years, here are a few: Sen. Harkin blowing his nose on CNN without a handkerchief, Bush Sr. throwing up in China, Buchanon saying "Congress is an Israeli occupied territory," Bob Dylan and Elizabeth T., LBJ turning to the side and taking a whizz at an outdoor press conference, Nixon and Kissinger kneeling together and praying, Spiro Agnew, "If you've seen one city slum you've seen them all," Michael Jackson and his chimp, David Bowie and Mick Jagger. (?)
Eszterhas obviously knows more and remembers more than is probably good for him, but his prose is stunning as is the manner by which he weaves the book together- even with some fiction. The author was the screenwriter for Fatal Attraction and had a relationship with Sharon Stone- who also takes some upper cuts and was rumored to have been intimate with Clinton as well. I definitely recommend reading this- for the humor and frankly, The gossip is completely consuming.
MUCH more than smutty tell-all.......2002-02-02
What a memorable and highly rewarding read. This book is much more than the sum of it's salacious and often repugnant contents; it's also a lecture on morality and a history lesson as well. I don't see how someone who reads this book can be derisive regarding the interlacing of fiction or the sheer amount of sordid detail. Given Eszerhas' talent for script writing and keen interest for the underbelly of the American society, how his book is put together should be no surprise. It's certainly not a novel or a bucket of heresay poo.
I am one who is generally both revolted and amused by the tabloids, and shows like Entertainment Television. But I could not put this book down. The book is informative and revealing, and I found myself lauging out loud and cringing, often while reading the same paragraph. I particularly enjoyed the moments where Eszterhas reflects on his own life; it's probably the most engaging aspect of the book. Expecting to find a smutty and over the top tell-all, I found something rich in intelligent, values-based writing.
Thank God for Joe Eszterhas!.......2001-08-19
In the age of hypocrisy, defamation of character, finger-pointing, lying, manipulating, dirty tricks, and political warfare known as The Clinton Era, here is a book that tells it all. But guess what, no one can call Joe Eszterhas a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. He's as far to the left as they come, and this book details exactly why those from the left should despise Bill Clinton and everything he stood for. There's a good reason why Richard Nixon's shadow pops up throughout this narrative. Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon are so similar that it's scary. This book looks at the hope the Flower Children had in Bill Clinton when he was elected President, and then goes on to explain why he was the antithesis of what people like Eszterhas had hoped for in him. Bill Clinton's Presidency, Eszterhas argues, wasn't about any great cause other than Bill Clinton. But Eszterhas doesn't just go after Bill Clinton. Hillary, Al, W., Dole, and others all get the same treatment here. Eszterhas hates hypocrisy and here he goes after it. Unfortunately for America, there is a lot to go after.
Book Description
Down East Yankee John Gould, age ninety-two, has spent most of the last century observing and writing about the human condition. Now he presents a whole new perspective on life as he leads us into the brave new world of the assisted-living facility. Charming, sarcastic, despairing, flip, taciturn, erudite, and altogether wonderful--with a razor sharp wit and a knack for turning a phrase--Mr. Gould is an American original and a perfect tour guide. Whether he's complaining to management about his apartment windows that don't open or socializing with the other "inmates" at happy hour; whether wondering why they put a napkin over the stone-cold bread at dinner or taking comfort in the memories ("making do with the reruns") of his loving and eccentric collection of old friends and colleagues from Maine, Mr. Gould proves that you can write a funny book about a serious subject, namely, how we treat our elderly.
Customer Reviews:
John Gould has prepared me for my turn in 'Rhapsody Home'.......2002-06-19
I purchased my copy of John Gould's "Rhapsody Home" when vacationing on midcoast Maine near his hometown of Rockland. Knowing that Gould was somewhere nearby made the reading that much more meaningful for me. I also related in these ways: There may be a 'Rhapsody Home' in my not too distant future. Also, unable to contain my enthuisiasm for the book, I read select passages aloud to my wife who retired as the head RN at a 'Rhapsody Home.' The nature of her responses validated for me the authenticity of John Gould's rhapsodic musings.
Gruffly charming, and wise.......2000-12-30
Odds are this is the best book by a nonagenarian you are likely to read this year. Gould, a Down East Yankee and columnist for the Christian Science Monitor since 1942, offers a collection of short commentaries from an assisted living center. The book isn't simply a humorous indictment of the foibles and peculiarities of life in a retirement home (though there is plenty of that, from comments about food to the saga of the unopenable window and the familiar refrain "There is nothing to be done about it"). The author ranges across all his 92 years to draw on memories of doctors, raising bees with his Grandfather, and the perfect tomato.
This is a great book for reading out loud, my wife and I found -- the sentences tend to be short and simple, belying the emotional nuances and complexity of the thoughts underneath. The author is not a simple, genteel sort, despite the appearance of his prose. There are passages on the joys of farting humor, reproductions of the light verse with which he lampooned the failures of the management (these never survived more than three minutes on the bulletin board because they "offended the staff"), and a truly fierce (but nevertheless funny) indictment of the insurance industry.
Think of this book as Robert Fulghum in a retirement home and you'll be close to it.
A must for anyone who is, knows, or plans to be, an elder........2000-12-14
A long term care and assisted living administrator for manyyears, this book amused me, unnerved me, angered me. I hooted withlaughter and got choked up with sympathy. A gifted wordsmith and storyteller both, Gould spun a tale I couldn't put down. I thoroughlyenjoyed digesting his delicious words and phrases. Educational,entertaining and absorbing; a must read for any aged reader. LindaLaPointe,MRA,...
Average customer rating:
- LBI Rapsody
- Take a vacation at the Jersey shore
- The name says it all "Island Rhapsody"
- For anyone interested in LBI
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Long Beach Island Rhapsody: Paintings of the Island by Sixty Contemporary Artists
Manufacturer: Jersey Shore Pubn
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Island Album: Photographs & Memories of Long Beach Island
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Long Beach Island (NJ) (Images of America)
ASIN: 0977707717 |
Product Description
This limited-edition, oversized, coffee table art book features more than 280 paintings of Long Beach Island by sixty contemporary artists. Each painting has been exquisitely reproduced and is accompanied with text by the artist. The stunning works of art contained in this gorgeous folio not only show the Long Beach Island of today but also preserve many of the Island's past landmarks and scenesnow gone forever. The artists' charming and informative writings describe their motivations and creative processes as well as insights into the Island's loveliest locations, history, lifestyles, and more. Its five comprehensive chapters include On The Beach, Along The Bay, Landmarks & Homes, 32 Views Of Barnegat Lighthouse, and The Shack On The Causeway. Also included is an Introduction to the works by editor and publisher George C. Valente, brief biographies of each of the artists, and an Index to the artists' works in the book. "Long Beach Island Rhapsody" is one of the most beautiful books about the Jersey Shore ever published. Never before has there been a book of paintings of the Islandnor of any area of the Jersey Shoreon this magnificent a scale. It is a tour de force full of delight, warmth, and uplift, and is sure to bring many sittings of viewing pleasure. It will also make a great gift for special occasions and the holidays. Gorgeously printed and bound to the highest standards, it is a book you, your family, and friends will treasure for years to come. ~~~~ Featuring Paintings Of The Island By 60 Contemporary Artists: Susanna Anastasia Ada Barber Al Barker Don Bernhardt Frank J. Bernhardt Jeannette M. Bond Lisa C. Budd Elizabeth Case Janice Collinson Carol J. Colvin Marlene Craig Kate Leigh Cutler Cathleen Engelsen Dede Esenlohr Thomas M. Foster, Jr. Carol Freas Ellen A. Gavin Beverly Golembeski Tine Kirkland Graham Stephen Harrington Ann Hayes Theresa Troise Heidel Linda Hejduk Scott Henderson Gwenn Hotaling Russ Johnson Beth Kantor Rose Killmer Sandra Kunz Steve Kuzma Dick LaBont Louis Lanzafama Jane Law Joyce Lawrence Ted Marko Joyce McAfee Julie McGowan Susan Walsh McLean John T. Meehan III Carla Coutts-Miners Margie Moore Raymond Moran Joyce Motyka Sue T. Oliver Donna Reid O'Neill Virginia Perle Lael Rutherford Thomas E. Rutledge Robert Sakson Linda A. Saladino Gloria Salmestrelli Sandy Sandy Pat Shepherd Carolyn Soltys Judy Stach June Ann M. Sullivan Joseph S. Tarella Helene Thorpe Lee Wagner Susan Zoon ~~~~ Our luxurious collector's editions are beautifully printed and bound, with many features not found in most books... Oversized (12 1/4" x 12 1/4") to enhance the reading and viewing experience Features two special full color 36 fold out art maps of the Island! Precious gold type and accents are stamped on the cover and spine, adding distinctive, classic beauty Superbly printed on archival quality, acid-neutral paper that will not yellow with time Sturdy hand-sewn binding (Smyth-sewn), inspected at every stage, ensuring strength and durability throughout the years Bound in satin ribbon bookmark
Customer Reviews:
LBI Rapsody.......2007-09-15
Well done! Interesting to see scenes that are familiar to me through the arts eyes.
Take a vacation at the Jersey shore.......2007-02-17
Put this book on your coffee table and no one will ever leave your house. The art work is not only inspiring, but historical as well. Some paintings show parts of the island that are gone now. I loved some of the artists so much that I actually purchased several of the prints shown in the book. If you love the ocean you will love this book.
The name says it all "Island Rhapsody".......2006-10-29
I am a Realtor on Long Beach Island and live just off the island. This book has some of the most beautiful pictures of the past and present in it. I originally bought it because my last name is Anastasia and the first artist in this book is Anastasia, but the art work in the book is magnificent. Everyone I show it to just loves it. In my family room I have pictures of lighthouses and everyone is in this book. And Jane Law is a favorite artist of mine and I also have one of her pictures of the "Shack" which I just love. If you love seashore art and especially Long Beach Island you will love this book. It is a beautiful coffee table book. The picture on the cover is one of my favorites.
For anyone interested in LBI.......2006-10-19
This book is extrememly well done. The reproductions on the page are excellent with rich, deep, and vivid colors. The variety of painitngs is wide as is the subject matter. Not every painting will appeal to every viewer. But every painting will give every viewer a new perspective on this unique island which is changing fast and forever.
Average customer rating:
- The customer service was good.
- Nothing Plain about this Collection
- you've got to read it!
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Rhapsody in Plain Yellow: Poems
Marilyn Chin
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
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The Phoenix Gone, the Terrace Empty
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Mars Being Red
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Avenue of Vanishing (Triquarterly)
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Vintage Hughes
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One Stick Song
ASIN: 0393324532 |
Book Description
A fusion of east and west, high culture, popular culture, and ancient Chinese history mark this distinguished collection. In traditional narratives and playful song, Marilyn Chin elegizes the loss of her mother and grandmother and unravels the complexities of her family's past. She sings out the trials of immigration, exile, thwarted interracial love, and social injustice— personal revelations leading to a universal cry for compassion and healing.
Customer Reviews:
The customer service was good........2005-10-02
Unfortunately when I received the book I opened it and the pages fell out. I notified the seller and they said they order them from the publisher and sometimes they aren't up to their own standards. They offered to send a new book at no charge.
Nothing Plain about this Collection.......2005-01-15
Summoning imagery from contemporary life in southern California as well as from ancient China, and places in between, including words and symbols from both languages, Marilyn Chin creates a poetic narrative that is both personal and political. Dwelling on themes of race, history, love and nature, these poems examine the transitory moments of our fragile existence. In "Cauldron," Chin asks: "What is destiny, but an angry wind-plagues and salvages, / death knocking on your neighbor's door, and you dare look out / your window, relieved that you were spared for another hour" (37). In the moments of that hour, with the pages of this book, Chin offers a risky, dynamic collection of poetry, gifts of her particular vision and sensitivity.
you've got to read it!.......2004-04-07
I've been a fan of Marilyn Chin's poetry for years. She never fails to surprise me with her intelligence, brilliance, craft and daring. She can write everything: blues poems, ballads, long meditations, hymns, political anthems...There's a big beautiful banquet in this book. And, she's funny as hell, but while you're laughing, you realize that the joke is on you, or that she is able to sneak in a life lesson. Not enough room here for all the praise she deserves. Read all her books; you'll be a fan forever.
Books:
- The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions (101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions and 99 More Unuseless Japanese Inventions)
- The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence
- The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future
- The Code of the Woosters
- The Code of the Woosters
- The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (Sandpiper Books)
- The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel
- The First Man-Made Man: The Story of Two Sex Changes, One Love Affair, and a Twentieth-Century Medical Revolution
- The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy
- The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- African Friends and Money Matters: Observations from Africa
- The COMPLETE GUIDE TO FURNITURE STYLES
- Soundtrack Available: Essays on Film and Popular Music
- Red Threads: The South Asian Queer Connections in Photographs
- The Dynamics of Persuasion: Communication and Attitudes in the 21st Century
- The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment
- Teonanacatl: Hallucinogenic mushrooms of North America : extracts from the Second International Conf
- Business Turnaround and Bankruptcy Kit
- Shaping Globalization: Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding
- Carchitecture: When the Car and the City Collide
Elegy for a Lost Star (The Symphony of Ages)
The Floating Island (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme)
Sons of the Oak (Runelords)
Crusader (The Wayfarer Redemption, Book 6)
Destiny: Child of the Sky (The Symphony of Ages)
