Book Description
I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.
Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen”–a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.
The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor.
Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy.
Alison Weir uses her unmatched skills as a historian to enliven the many dynamic characters of this majestic drama. Along with Lady Jane Grey, Weir vividly renders her devious parents; her much-loved nanny; the benevolent Queen Katherine Parr; Jane’s ambitious cousins; the Catholic “Bloody” Mary, who will stop at nothing to seize the throne; and the protestant and future queen Elizabeth. Readers venture inside royal drawing rooms and bedchambers to witness the power-grabbing that swirls around Lady Jane Grey from the day of her birth to her unbearably poignant death. Innocent Traitor paints a complete and compelling portrait of this captivating young woman, a faithful servant of God whose short reign and brief life would make her a legend.
“An impressive debut. Weir shows skill at plotting and maintaining tension, and she is clearly going to be a major player in the . . . historical fiction game.”
–The Independent
“Alison Weir is one of our greatest popular historians. In her first work of fiction . . . Weir manages her heroine’s voice brilliantly, respecting the past’s distance while conjuring a dignified and fiercely modern spirit.”
–London Daily Mail
Customer Reviews:
A Compelling Tale of Grandeur, Betrayal, and Innocence.......2007-10-04
The story of Lady Jane Grey, the tragic Nine Days Queen, is well known to most people familiar with the Tudor period. Nevertheless, she exerts a powerful attraction because she was kin to Henry VIII's children and became a pawn through no fault of her own, coming to the fore during a crisis in the Tudor succession following the death of Edward VI.
"Innocent Traitor" - acclaimed historian Alison Weir's entry into the historical fiction arena - brings Jane Grey to life in a unique and vibrant way. Through a medley of voices, including Jane's own, that of her mother Eleanor of Suffolk, her devoted nursemaid, and even Jane's royal cousin Mary Tudor, we experience the maneuverings and intrigues of life at court through various perspectives and opinions. We also come to know Jane as an emotionally abused child of gifted intelligence; as a young woman of staunch faith and honor; and as a reluctant queen whose pure reformist vision cannot overcome the depredations of her father-in-law and his ruthless associates. Helpless to stem the forces moving against her, Jane records her fate with stoic dignity and a keen eye.
It's to be expected that any book by Ms. Weir will be full of intimate details about life in the era; nevertheless, she does not overwhelm the narrative but rather expertly seasons it with facts that display her painstaking commitment to authenticity. In addition, she imbues even such unpleasant characters as Jane's parents with foibles and vulnerabilities of their own, giving them flesh-and-blood dimension. Jane's mother in particular dominates with her leonine pride in her royal blood, her rapacious ambition and her lusty marriage to a man who is her intellectual inferior. A true survivor of her time, she does not concede defeat, bending to obstacles when she cannot mold them to her will.
Readers of historical fiction should not miss this compelling debut by one of England's foremost authorities on the Tudors - a tale of grandeur, betrayal and innocence, framed by one woman's journey from throne to scaffold.
Queen Jane 'the Nine Days Queen': a pawn in the hands of others,.......2007-09-19
Alison Weir writes a wonderful novel about Lady Jane Grey.
While the novel is sympathetic to Jane Grey, it is not sentimental about her fate. As the pawn of ambitious parents and those who held power while Edward VI reigned, her uncrowned reign was both opportunistic and, I believe, unlawful.
This was not her doing, though, and it is hard to not to feel considerable sympathy for an intelligent young woman who was only 17 when she was beheaded.
Mary I really had no choice, but it is difficult to see that she took any great joy in executing her 'misguided' cousin. The 'real' villains are Lady Jane's parents and the Duke of Northumberland.
Highly recommended to those who would like some insight into the tragically short life of Lady Jane.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Unlucky Lady.......2007-09-19
"A beautiful daughter, my lady," announces the midwife uncertainly. "Healthy and vigorous." I should be joyful, thanking God for the safe arrival of a lusty child. Instead, my spirits plummet. All this-for nothing.
So begins the story of Lady Jane Grey. Historian and gifted author Alison Weir, in her first foray into the realm of fiction, has brought the world of Tudor England vividly alive in her version of the events that took place after the death of Henry VIII. Through first person narratives by Jane herself and a number of the other central characters, Jane's brief, tragic life unfolds. Known today as the Nine Days Queen, this maltreated girl was the innocent, unwilling pawn of her parents' political ambitions and victim of the vicious religious conflict that tore England apart during the 16th century. All the pageantry, plotting, and maneuvering of the royal court swirls around Jane as she grows, until the age of 15 when she is horrified to find that she has been declared Queen of England in place of the rightful heir, the Catholic (soon to be "Bloody") Mary. Vibrant characters, a plot that's hard to believe but true, and accurate period detail make this first novel an enthralling page-turner.
If Jane had been the hoped-for son , would her fate have been different? Would her brother's? Somehow, with the the Marquess and Marchioness of Dorset as parents, that's doubtful. The dearth of male heirs was a plague on the house of Tudor.
Weir should stick to nonfiction.......2007-09-13
Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Gray, is the story of Lady Jane Gray. Raised alternately by her overbearing and ambitious parents, who wanted her to marry King Edward VI, and by Katherine Parr and Thomas Seymour, she became Queen of England after her cousin's death, only to be executed nine days later. The narrative is told through the eyes of Jane, her mother, Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's sixth wife), John Dudley, and others.
I read her book on Mary, Queen of Scots and thought that that book was well done--great research and writing. But sadly, even though Innocent Traitor is well-researched, it felt as though I was reading nonfiction as told through a first-person narrator--it was simply a recitation of dry facts. I had a problem with the narrative being told in the present tense, and I also thought it was a good idea that the reader was reminded constantly of how old Jane was, otherwise I would have thought that the story was being told by an adult. For example, I found it hard to believe that a ten-year-old Jane would fully grasp the significance of the political and sexual intrigue of the time, her intelligence notwithstanding. Also, I was glad of the headings that told us who was talking, otherwise I would have thought that the story was all told by one and the same person.
I agree with the previous reviewer, who said that historical fiction of this caliber is best left to writers such as Philippa Gregory--at least Gregory brings her characters to life in ways that Weir wasn't able to in this novel.
Disappointed.......2007-09-07
Let me begin by saying that I love Alison Weir. I've read most of her non-fiction historial works and found them to be well-written, engrossing, and instructive. However, I think that in order to tell Lady Jane Grey's story, she should have stuck to her forte--dealing in facts.
It was a good idea to indicate which character was speaking at the beginning of their respective narratives, because there were no defining characteristics between each of the players. Each one had the same voice, the same level of self-awareness, and the same manner of speaking. Perhaps the novel would have been stronger if narrated by a third person.
Ms. Weir is a great historian, but the historical novels are best left to Philippa Gregory or Sharon Kay Penman.
Book Description
The year is 1450, a dangerous time in medieval Britain. Civil unrest is at its peak and the legitimacy of the royal family is suspect. Meanwhile, deep in the forests of western England, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne.
Fifteen years later, England emerges into a fragile but hopeful new age, with the charismatic young King Edward IV on the throne. Anne, now a young peasant girl, joins the household of a wealthy London merchant. Her unusual beauty provokes jealousy, lust, and intrigue, but Anne has a special quality that saves her: a vast knowledge of healing herbs. News of her extraordinary gift spreads, and she is called upon to save the ailing queen. Soon after, Anne is moved into the palace, where she finds her destiny with the man who will become the greatest love of her life -- the king himself.
Download Description
"A sweeping saga of lust, conspiracy, and betrayal, The Innocent is a bold and gripping tale of forbidden love set in fifteenth-century England. The year is 1450, a dangerous time in medieval Britain. Civil unrest is at its peak and the legitimacy of the royal family is suspect. Meanwhile, deep in the forest of western England, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne. Fifteen years later, England emerges into a fragile but hopeful new age, with the charismatic young King Edward IV on the throne. Anne, now a young peasant girl, joins the household of a wealthy London merchant. Her unusual beauty provokes jealousy, lust, and intrigue, but Anne has a special quality that saves her: a vast knowledge of herbs and healing. News of her extraordinary gift spreads, and she is called upon to save the ailing queen. Soon after, Anne is moved into the palace, where she finds her destiny with the man who will become the greatest love of her life -- the king himself. "
Customer Reviews:
I loved this book..........2007-03-18
I am a voracious reader of English historical novels and biographies. I loved this book and cant wait to read the sequel. I stayed awake into the wee hours to finish it-couldn't stop reading. A wonderful storyline and accurate period details made for a great read. There was just enough
historical fact to keep the story real for me.
Predictable and a little far fetched.......2007-01-09
This was a fair book, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone that is looking for more classic, Medieval action, and I don't mean under the sheets.
The storyline is a bit far fetched in consideration with the time period, and I wasn't thrilled with the allusions to mythical gods. The main character, Anne, is likable enough but again far fetched. The things that she does in the book just wouldn't have happened. It bordered on a fantasy novel.
All in all, it was OK. Just OK.
Vacuous light entertainment.......2006-10-17
Entertaining enough, the historical period was obviously well reseached, however, it was written with simple and often repetitve language. The author teased us with the idea of herbal simples and pagan beliefs but never really developed the ideas with any kind of detail. It took me half the book to become hooked, but 'simple' or not, in the end I couldn't put it down. A historical Jackie Collins!
Only ok.......2006-10-11
This book isn't bad but it's not really good either. It's just a light bit of fluff. Aside from the historical inaccuracies mentioned by a previous reviewer, the main problem is that the book is predicatable and the main character is a "Mary Sue". She's talented, good-hearted, virtuous and irrestible to all men. Note the lack of realistic and interesting flaws. To the reader, she's just dull. But if you just want a quick romance, you could do worse.
good read/too descriptive.......2006-09-17
I enjoyed reading this novel and it made me curious to know more about King EdwardIV, the person and his court. I was disappointed with the graphic rape and sex description and felt that it was not necessary to help the reader understand the depth of what was going on. I skipped whole pages to avoid some of it and still felt bombarded. Generally I enjoyed the book and will read the other two in the series. Hopefully they will be more tasteful in those areas.
Book Description
Kayla Shaw is a private banker in Arizona—smart and capable but underpaid and underappreciated. Rand McCree is a haunted man who paints landscapes in the Pacific Northwest, burning with a need for answers about the terrible event that shattered his world. They are two strangers with nothing in common . . . until their lives entwine—and explode.
On what at first appears to be an ordinary day, everything changes for Kayla, as she barely escapes a kidnapping attempt and finds herself accused of a shocking crime: the illegal laundering of hundreds of millions of dollars. Damned by lies and false "evidence," she is trapped with no place to run.
After five agonizing years, Rand has finally been offered what he desires the most: the name of his twin brother's murderer. Hungry for vengeance, he accepts a job with St. Kilda Consulting that will place him in the killer's orbit . . . and tantalizingly close to Kayla Shaw. The cold-blooded international criminal responsible for Rand's brother's death has targeted Kayla as his next victim. Since she can't turn to the police, who believe she's guilty as sin, she must place her life in the hands of the shadowy, secretive man who has come out of nowhere to protect her.
Suspicious of each other, needing each other, they are two against the world—with unknown enemies on all sides and even the government itself suspect—as the violence of the past erupts in the present. And now innocence alone will not be enough to keep Kayla Shaw alive. . . .
Customer Reviews:
cookie cutter.......2007-09-20
Elizabeth Lowell has been an auto buy for me for over a decade, but slipping the last few years. Not her best effort, again...kinda cookie cutter. Ms. Lowell is beginning to sound self righteous...bad guys are overpoweringly evil, goverments (including ours) are corrupt and/or inept, officials desire to do good but are ineffective & puppets of crooked superiors. Only her heros (self discribed as operating in legal gray areas) can save the world...much ego Ms. Lowell?
The hero & heroine run around breaking laws, spouting off about high moral values & world peace, yet reap no repercussions for illegal activity. Needs a dose of reality.
Wishing for the return of the author who used to write REALLY GOOD books.
Lives turned upside down.......2007-09-12
Lowell is back with another great thrilling romance, with the St. Kilda Consulting team assisting.
Rand McCree is a painter, living in the Pacific Northwest; Kayla Shaw is a private banker, an outdoorsy type living in Phoenix. Shaw had been given the huge new account of Andre Bertone's, a ruthless, obscenely wealthy and mysterious man with a beautiful and socially ambitious wife, Elena.
Bertone has Kayla Shaw in a tough position. He asks her to deposit a check for $20 million, no questions asked. When she tries to explain banking laws to him, he counters with the information that he is the buyer of her family ranch--for over the market value, and it will look like a bribe--so she's guilty already.
Dismayed, she turns to her boss, Steve Foley, for help, and he tells her he'll take care of it. When she next looks at the account, it has more money, and she panics. She attends a museum fundraiser at the Bertone estate, a timed landscape painting contest, which McCree attends. McCree saves her when she is stalked by a killer at the party, and Kayla decides she has to trust him, and they flee together. McCree explains he is working for St. Kilda Consulting, and that they are after Bertone and his money, earned through arms sales. He also has a very personal reason for wanting Bertone dead: he murdered Rand's twin brother.
Over the course of the next few days Kayla and Rand find their lives turned upside down. For the first time in years Rand has allowed himself to care about someone. Kayla has to learn to trust these fascinating strangers from St. Kilda, and her powerful feelings for Rand.
Bertone wants Kayla, preferably dead, and St. Kilda wants Bertone's money returned to the African nations it decimated by fomenting war. Who will win?
innocent???.......2007-09-01
I enjoyed this novel. I don't think it was very realistic, but.... I did enjoy the read.
The Best in Years.......2007-08-12
I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Lowell's work. However, since she made her transition from romance to main stream fiction some of her books have been a bit lacking in my opinion. This one however was not. It kept me interested from the first page to the last. I still miss her romance books but I'll take what I can get. A great read!
A Great Adventure!.......2007-08-11
Innocent as Sin is a terrific, can't put it down, story.
Kayla Shaw is a bright, world traveled free spirit who's finally settled down to work at a bank and ends up in the world of private banking, personally taking care of a few very wealthy clients.
Rand McCree is an artist and former agent trying to recover from a life changing incident.
One of Kayla's clients, a REAL bad guy, ends up bringing them together and sending them on the run.
I don't want to give any details away but, as usual, Elizabeth Lowell has written a wonderful romantic suspense. I love how she gives great detail about her characters and their lives and I find myself always learning about something new in her books (Like all the info about the gem industry in her great Amber Cove series)
I couldn't put it down...dinner was late tonight...LOL...and I loved every minute of it!
Elizabeth Lowell has done it again!
Book Description
Here is our third exciting collection of crime novels in the alphabet mystery series by New York Times bestselling author, Sue Grafton. Featuring former cop turned private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, one of the most popular female sleuths in modern mystery fiction, these three complex stories demonstrate the intricate plots, conflicted relationships and strong heroine that Grafton consistently portrays. Loyal fans and new friends alike will welcome this hardcover volume of bestselling novels, where G is for great read, H is for highly entertaining, and I is for instant classic.
Customer Reviews:
Gotta Read!!.......2007-07-07
I love all the alphabet books, but even better was having three in one!
I am currently reading K is for Killer, each one gets better and better!
Wonderful, I love Kinsey.......2007-06-14
I have read almost all of Grafton's books, I still have a few that I have missed, she is ingenious, every single novel is original. The reading is easy, I can devour a book in one to two days, and then I am looking around for another. I have just finished J,K,L,M, am working on N, and am now looking for the ones in between that I have missed.
Dorothy Harper, Northridge, CA
I loved them all.......2007-06-03
I've read the whole series and can't wait for the next one to come out.
"G" is for Gumshoe.......2007-05-14
This novel by Sue Grafton is very light hearted and fun to read. Reading a novel about Kinsey Millhone is addictive! I can't put it down.
Splendid.......2006-11-11
Sue Grafton's writing is catchy and her characterization is superb. I don't want to regurgitate what must be countless remarks regarding how great it is to have a believable strong female character, but suffice to say I want to be Kinsey Milhoune when I grow up.
The collection of three is a lot more convenient for someone who plows through books like I do. I don't have access to a bookstore, so Amazon is my primary source of books right now. This way I can order the collection and take the time to move through three books while placing the next on order and not have to worry about running out of reading material or dealing with numerous paperbacks taking up space. Also, even though you can really pick up the books at any time throughout the series, you still get a better sense of continuity this way.
Average customer rating:
- Excellcent!!
- Good vs. Evil
- An Engaging Story
- Lovely.
- Nice art but....
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Innocent Bird Volume 1: (Yaoi)
Hirotaka Kisaragi
Manufacturer: Be Beautiful
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Casino Lily
ASIN: 1598168312
Release Date: 2007-03-13 |
Book Description
Part of the angelic bureaucracy, Karasu is sent to earth to retrieve a demon living among humans. However, he's surprised to discover that the demon Shirasagi wants to throw away his heritage and his powers, and live as a human--and a holy human at that. As he works out of a bar in the city, Shirasagi teaches children and is generally an all-around wonderful person. But Heaven and Hell both want him back and it's going to be quite a battle…
Customer Reviews:
Excellcent!!.......2007-05-28
This book is very well written. Its about an angel and a devil who fall for each other through unusual circumstances...The angel is suppose to take the devil back to where he belongs but finds out that the devil is actually a priest, wishing to be human....
The artwork is pretty good and and beatufully drawn. There is one drawback, these no yaoi in this book but more of a seducation kind of thing going on....
Good vs. Evil.......2007-05-13
An angel sent to earth to send a demon back where he belongs. But wait! Could it be that said demon isn't evil after all? That little twist makes this story very intriguing. The artwork is crisp and clean, and the boys sure are pretty. I can't wait to see what happens next.
An Engaging Story.......2007-04-29
I just bought this the other day, and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next volume. I thought the main story was very well written and I found myself unable to put it down until I finished it. There aren't many books that do that.
The little side story was rather cute and fluffy, if a little cavity-inducing in some areas XD. I wonder if there will be a continuation to it?
If you like moral conflict between Heaven and Hell, or stories of pure fluff, I'd recommend checking this title out.
Lovely........2007-03-30
The first volume to a very touching story, though, since it plays off the Christianity religion, readers should be liberal before picking this up. This is also Kisaragi's semi-earlier artform, so some of the drawings are a bit rough. Still, they're very beautiful nonetheless. For a BLU title, the Mature rating is quite misleading, because throughout this volume, there are no smut scenes. Innocent Bird is more seduction rather than smut, more plot driven. For those who are expecting sex, you'll be disappointed, but for a bittersweet fantasy tale, it's a plus.
Nice art but...........2007-03-25
This is the first of a 3 volume series by Hirotaka Kisaragi, better known as an illustrator in Japan than manga artist. It's a story about angels and demons - vaguely reminiscent of Angel Sanctuary. The art is quite good and I liked it, but it may depend on the taste of the reader. Her color illustrations are definitely much better than the actual manga art inside, which is somewhat rough in its finish. The story is rather choppy and difficult to follow. There seems to be a attraction between the two main characters but this storyline progresses very slowly, with not much happening in this volume. I have read the Japanese version of 2 and 3, and there is little yaoi in it until the end of vol. 3, and even then, it's very little. While this book may satisfy those who are looking for soft yaoi romance with angel/devil theme, the story isn't quite as good as other non-yaoi fantasy manga, and not much happens for true yaoi fans. I would rate it a 3.
Average customer rating:
- Really good when you think back over it
- Dark Days
- The thrill lies not where you expect
- A startling and fascinating tale
- I have conflicting feelings about this book
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The Innocent: A Novel
Ian McEwan
Manufacturer: Anchor
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ASIN: 0385494335
Release Date: 1998-12-29 |
Book Description
Leonard Marnham is assigned to a British-American surveillance team in Cold War Berlin. His intelligence work—tunneling under a Russian communications center to tap the phone lines to Moscow—offers him a welcome opportunity to begin shedding his own unwanted innocence, even if he is only a bit player in a grim international comedy of errors. Leonard's relationship with Maria Eckdorf, an enigmatic and beautiful West Berliner, likewise promises to loosen the bonds of his ordinary life. But the promise turns to horror in the course of one terrible evening—a night when Leonard Marnham learns just how much of his innocence he's willing to shed.
Customer Reviews:
Really good when you think back over it.......2006-04-19
I'll agree with everyone else in that for the first 3/4 of the book, I had no idea where I was headed. And then 'it' happened and the last 1/4 redeemed the entire story.
Although the first 3/4 is a bit lacking in action, it contains images of war-torn Europe and wonderful characterizations of the people who lived among the ruins that I will never forget.
Begin it, stick with it, and enjoy it.
Dark Days.......2006-02-23
In bleak 1950s Berlin, a top secret Anglo-American tunnelling project is under way with the aim of tapping secret Soviet phone traffic. Involved in the project is Leonard Marnham, who although in his mid-20s is a virgin, uncomfortable both with his role in the US-run project and especially with women. Leonard's life is changed by a chance meeting with a local German woman. The only threat to their happiness is her ex-husband Otto, a violent drunk.
McEwan paints a picture of a bleak Cold War Berlin filled with unsure Britains, cocksure Americans and Germans caught inbetween. The novel becomes gradually more gruesome and macabre, and I suppose that each reader's judgement of the novel will in a large part depend on the reaction to those sections. I thought the novel succeeds by its sense of place, time and atmosphere, of people caught in events they find alomost impossible to control, leading them to act in ways they would not have thought possible. Or perhaps is that really the case? Is Leonard really that much of an innocent?
An interesting and at times disturbing read.
G Rodgers
The thrill lies not where you expect.......2005-08-14
McEwan creates well the atmosphere of a post-war, pre-wall Berlin, amplifying our imaginings. The interaction between Brits and Americans is full of subtle humor, and as it later turns out, great regard and humane understanding. The narrative is smooth and concerns an everyman, virgin, British geek assigned to an American intelligence project consisting of building a tunnel crossing the border into the Russian zone to tap underground phone cables through which presumably important matters are discussed (remember, we are in 1948, almost a decade before Sputnik). Love interest and sexual education is provided by an experienced German girl to our Brit, the virgin geek. The writing is so smooth that one doesn't realize one is turning pages and reading on at a rate as if one were reading a chock-full-of-events thriller when in fact not much is really happening; the tunnel is just chugging along. But McEwan is a "smooth operator" and he is moving you along, hinting at tension, to the point you are expectant of actions or revelations in the intelligence component of the novel to pop-up any minute and throw everything topsy-turvy.
Rest assured McEwan is too smart to do that. Nothing happens as such that you are aware of for three quarters of the book until our everyman, the somewhat endearing British geek is plunged into a grand guignol not of his making and totally alien to the place where you would have expected the excitement you were owed to come from.(After all, you bought the book and it was sold to you as a thriller, and after all, it takes place in thriller-city and all major protagonists except two are freeks and geeks and goons and guards mostly in uniform and with varying levels of security clearance in the intelligence services of the powers which split this city. At times it looks as if each agent has his little black book which lists the interests they are called uypon to protect, investigate, eliminate, whatever, and thus move quickly about, talk with other similar blokes and keep moving about. The Tunnel provides a country-club of sorts for those connected with the project. There are body parts indeed, but they do not come from there.
So, much activity occurs in our atmospheric tunnel, yes. But nothing happens there really. The unwelcomed death occurs elsewhere, has nothing to do with Military Intelligence. The neatly wrapped body parts do not bring the Tunnel down, it's the disguise they wear. But the story does not end there.
Many years later a mature, no longer virginal Brit geek comes back to Berlin, post wall, to revisit sites, and carries with him a letter explaining what precipitated events at the tunnel and freed him of any trace of guilt, if any such he held.
The explication at the end of the book is clear, surprising, and truly closes the nattarive in an intelligent, satisfying way.
Endearing Love, after such an unforgettable opening and the obsessive development remains my favourite McEwan novel so far. Saturday is contrived, feels Thatcherite and stacked against the lower orders. Nonetheless I appreciated the medical tracts. (It's up for a Booker). In short, I liked "The Innocent" Better.
A startling and fascinating tale.......2005-06-15
The term "breath-taking" is one that book reviewers toss about with more ease than readers believe. but McEwan's post-war/thriller/romance can leave you breathless as it slips cannily from the everyday to the astonishing. People who could not imagine being caught up in webs of intrigue and deception find their lives turned topsy-turvy in most imaginative and startling ways. The more I read of the McEwan list the more I am amazed by his artistry, and variety of plot and characters. Every bit as fine a read as "Amsterdam" and "Atonement."
I have conflicting feelings about this book.......2005-04-27
This is such an old school novel. I was thinking for the first half that it bore a striking resemblance to the better Graham Green. But as I kept working my way through the pages, the laconic prose kept putting me off. Don't get me wrong, the pages in this book flow like a molasses dream. But the story builds so slowly that it becomes frustrating. The main character is not very intelligent, and as a reader you will be jumping ahead of him, screaming at him like he was the blond bimbo in a horror flick to run out of the house. So as the story builds at its slooooow pace, and the `unsophisticated postal technician' Leonard Marnham frustratingly gets batted about like a moth in a box, we are left not as entranced readers, but as frustrated onlookers. That is my main beef with this story. I could not enjoy myself spending time with this character or the circumstances. McEwan did a remarkable job in writing this and pacing the story, he just never gave us a character that we as readers could relate to.
I have never read McEwan before, and I am looking forwards to trying my hand at another of his novels. It was courageous on his part to create such a novel as this, and I respect him greatly for doing so. But I just don't think that this book worked very well.
Book Description
The whole world was about to change, and no one would be affected more deeply than Dorothea and Iris Crosby, sisters—identical twins—born to the wealth and social standing of New York City's Park Avenue. It was 1914, and while life in Manhattan seemed to center on grand balls and exotic parties, in Europe everything was coming undone. World War I was about to explode, and when it did it would involve many thousands of young Americans already heading overseas.
Aroused by the perils of the rest of the world, Dorothea and Iris decided to join the American Red Cross in France. Sent immediately to the battlefront, they became immersed in a daily struggle to help save lives, and when that wasn't possible, to at least make death less terrifying for the young French soldiers in their care. Beautiful and mysterious, the twin sisters were dubbed
les anges, the angels, by the wounded men.
They charmed the Americans as well, among them a fighter pilot with whom Iris fell in love—the first threat to the singular bond that held the sisters together. As the losses mounted, however, the link between the sisters grew stronger. Finally, when the battles ended, they awoke to the reality that the world they had known was forever gone, and home seemed a distant and alien place.
A powerful story of spiritual awakening, of innocence lost, and of the emotional toll of war,
The Innocents is sure to appeal to readers of such outstanding historical novels as
Regeneration by Pat Barker,
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, and Rebecca West's classic
The Return of the Soldier.
Average customer rating:
- The Hobo Philosopher
- Perfect Gift
- Review of INNOCENTS ABROAD by Mark Twain
- As always a wonderful read
- Timeless Twain
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Mark Twain : The Innocents Abroad, Roughing It (Library of America)
Mark Twain
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Roughing It (Enriched Classic Series)
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A Tramp Abroad
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Mark Twain: Collected Tales, Sketches, Speeches, and Essays: Volume 2: 1891-1910 (Library of America)
ASIN: 0940450259 |
Book Description
The Innocents Abroad is one of the most prominent and influential travel books ever written about Europe and the Holy Land. In it, the collision of the American “New Barbarians” and the European “Old World” provides much comic fodder for Mark Twain—and a remarkably perceptive lens on the human condition. Gleefully skewering the ethos of American tourism in Europe, Twain’s lively satire ultimately reveals just what it is that defines cultural identity. As Twain himself points out, “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” And Jane Jacobs observes in her Introduction, “If the reader is American, he may also find himself on a tour of his own psyche.”
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-15
I think that I must be one of the few people who has read all of Mark Twain's non-fiction and practically none of his classic works of fiction. I think that Mark Twain is one of the cleaverst philosophers who has ever lived. There is more to be learned in reading Mark Twain than in reading Plato or Aristotle as far as I am concerned.
I think that this was the second Twain travelogue that I read. It is a laugh a minute. I just love this guy. When they say the "wit and wisdom" of Mark Twain they are not kidding. He is really too much ... and he is fun! How can you beat it.
Perfect Gift.......2007-03-05
If you don't know the person for whom you're buying a gift, well get them this. It's laugh-out loud funny even for someone who doesn't read much or who has never heard of Twain.
Review of INNOCENTS ABROAD by Mark Twain.......2007-01-15
In what must have been the first organized tour by Americans of the Old World, Mark Twain tells of his experiences as a member of a party of 150 taking a cruise steamer to tour the European mainland, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
The "innocents" of the title applies to Twain and his comrades. It shows partly in their naivete such as being flattered by a French shopkeeper into buying a tawdry piece of apparel, and in their assumption that every native guide must be telling the truth. It shows partly in their attempting behavior that seasoned travelers would not attempt, such as riding a donkey all day, or making an evening foray to the shore of Athens--in violation of the quarantine--to observe the Parthenon under the moonlight. It shows mainly in Twain's sense of wonder at the monuments of civilization which tower over him in what seems the first confrontation of American culture with Europe and the East.
There are some memorable moments: Twain's audience with the Czar in the Caucasus; his arduous trek through the Syrian desert to the Holy Land; his measuring the blocks of the Baalbek temples and deciding they were as big as railroad cars; his being harassed by beggars in every town in the Middle East; his being made a virtual prisoner by his guide as he labors up the great pyramid in Egypt. And we realize that throughout this tour of the antiquities, some things remain as they were in 1867. Tour groups are still largely made up of the gray-haired, the Louvre with its miles of art galleries is still overwhelming, the sphinx remains inscrutable, and Arabs still hate Christians.
INNOCENTS ABROAD is typical Mark Twain, full of his humor, irony, and exaggeration. Brevity is not its virtue, however.
I found this non-fiction work useful for its travel information, but even more readable for its digressions: those anecdotes, legends, spoofs, and mini-essays that liberally infuse the book. Twain's reproduction of a fancied playbill for the Coliseum of 2,000 years ago is hilarious. His well-evidenced argument that Egypt is the wellspring of western culture is a startling one. His portrayal of his experience in the Tomb of the Holy Sepulcher shows a devoutness that we do not associate with this American iconoclast. In fact, he marshals a fund of knowledge of the Bible and Christian history in demonstrating that Ephesus, now largely in ruins, is really the most important city in Christendom.
I purchased INNOCENTS ABROAD after I read it. It is the only book of Twain's that I own, because I will want to read its passages again and again, to myself and to others.
As always a wonderful read.......2006-12-02
Twain is not only timeless but his observations may seem all the more timely. This excellent read follows him on a journey to Europe and then the Middle East in the 1860s. We learn much about the time period and his observations are helpful in learning about the past, we see the brutality od the slave market in Istanbul where European slaves are sold, we see the arrogance of the europeans and we see the true view of the 'Holy Land' as Twain puts to shame former romantic accounts of the land of the Bible and brings it to life in its brutal squalor. Twain is ever cynical and whitty and in this the read sheds light on a nascent quinitsential Americanism. The American culture of Twain is not taken in with old europe, he is not impressed by luxory and he is not easily taken in with romance, there is no Lawrence of Arabia in Twain, there is skepticism about religion, about the Catholic church. People are not inherently good or evil, but jaded, Twain has a sense of justice but he dares to challenge his contemporaries and ironically the way his contemporaries viewed say the European or the Arab beoduin, has not changed in 140 years. Twain dared to challenge popular thought and in that he was one of the first Americans.
Seth J. Frantzman
Timeless Twain.......2006-11-14
Journey to the east in 1860's with the best travel writer ever, Mark Twain.
Colorful descriptions of people, places and events abroad with Twain humor. If you love travel stories, this will delight you.
Book Description
New Yorker cartoonist Danny Shanahan wittily portrays litigious living in this hilarious volume of 120-plus cartoons on lawyers, legal matters, and courtroom antics. From corporate contretemps to judicial jujitsu, Innocent, Your Honor, a new addition to Abrams' popular line of books by New Yorker cartoonists, covers a wide compendium of colorful characters and twisted tales.
Law is the profession we all love to hate, and this book shows us why. From an aspiring attorney, who confesses, "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. After that, law school was pretty much a given," to the mythical Hercules signing a contract where ". . . she gets the house, the chariot, and custody of the kids. You get to keep the lion skin," to a terrifying future in which "everyone will be a lawyer for fifteen minutes," Shanahan's offbeat humor is sure to delight anyone who is involved in the legal profession or who has an upcoming day in court. Just don't sue him if you hurt yourself laughing! AUTHOR BIO: Danny Shanahan has published more than 700 cartoons, covers, and illustrations in The New Yorker since his work first appeared there in 1988. His work has appeared in Playboy, Esquire, Time, and many other periodicals, and he has illustrated a number of humor and children's books. He lives in Rhinebeck, New York.
Customer Reviews:
Great gift!!.......2007-07-25
These cartoons are funny, and the book is great for lawyers or for anyone. Nice gift for someone who has "everything," or for an unusual gift for an office party.
Average customer rating:
- it was ok, the manga was betther though.....
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Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood
Masashi Kishimoto
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ASIN: 1421506033 |
Customer Reviews:
it was ok, the manga was betther though............2007-09-11
the book was pretty bad.....it was basically just someone writing with a picture every 5 pages..... and they only wrote up to when zabuza dies. i recommend the manga, because this one was nothing special, and the manga rocks! the anime is pretty good too, so don't waste your money on this.
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