A Tangled Web (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 5)

Book Description

Ferus Olin's allegiance is to the Jedi. But when he's summoned to see the Emperor, the Sith Lord makes him an offer he can't refuse. If he can manage to prevent a planet from plunging into chaos, the Empire will spare Ferus's captured friends. And if he doesn't . . . they'll die. Another heart-stopping Jedi adventure from bestselling author Jude Watson.

Customer Reviews:

Fun for Star Wars fans of all ages.......2007-07-22

Former Jedi Padawan Ferus Olin has been captured by Inquisitor Malorum. Now, imprisoned on Dontamo, he faces certain death--unless his friends find a way to help him escape.

Once again, Jude Watson has given us a great Star Wars story: simple enough for younger fans to understand but with enough complexity to keep adults interested. The book is nicely paced, with early chapters alternating between Ferus in prison and his friends back on Coruscant fighting a battle of their own. Later on, the action moves to Naboo where Ferus and Malorum face each other in a dramatic confrontation. The book ends with a startling cliffhanger that will leave you scrambling to get your hands on the next installment.

Very popular with the Star War crowd.......2007-02-19

I purchased this to complete our Last Jedi series in the high school library where I work. These are always hot items for the Star Wars devotees.

WARNING = this is a Kids book. Not a normal star wars novel!.......2007-01-24

WARNING = this is a Kids book. Not a normal star wars novel!

SW Last of the Jedi, Book 5..........2006-11-03

Pretty good SW EU series. Although it's a Scholastic book writtn with kids in minds, it's an easy read that puts you in the SW universe.

I'm looking forward to Book 6.

Great series.......2006-10-30

This book just continues a great post clone wars series. While it is technically a young adult book, it is a good read for any true Star Wars fan.

Hollywood gothic: The tangled web of Dracula from novel to stage to screen

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Hollywood gothic: The tangled web of Dracula from novel to stage to screen
David J Skal
Manufacturer: Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Adaptations | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Trading Places
Very enjoyable, tangled tale
This book is a delight!
Very Enjoyable
Tangled

Tangled Web
L.M. Montgomery
Manufacturer: Seal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0770422454
Release Date: 1989-08-01

Book Description

Over the years sixty members of the Dark family and sixty Penhallows have married one another--but not without their share of fighting and feuding. Now Aunt Becky, the eccentric old matriarch of the clan, has bequeathed her prized possession: a legendary heirloom jug. But the name of the jug's new owner will not be revealed for one year. In the next twelve months beautiful Gay Penhallow's handsome fiance Noel Gibson leaves her for sly and seductive Nan Penhallow; reckless Peter Penhallow and lovely Donna Dark, who have hated each other since childhood, are inexplicably brought together by the jug; Hugh and Joscelyn Dark, separated on their wedding night ten years ago for reasons never revealed, find a second chance--all watched over by the mysterious Moon Man, who has the gift of second sight. Then comes the night when Aunt Becky's wishes will be revealed...and the family is in for the biggest surprise of all.

Customer Reviews:

Trading Places.......2007-04-05

A set of twins trade lives for a time. This novel is the sequel to Deceptions. It's full of suspense, surprises, and tears.

Very enjoyable, tangled tale.......2006-11-14

A Tangled Web is the perfect title for this story, which criss-crosses through the lives of several main characters. It can be a little hard to get your bearings through the opening chapters, which introduce many characters, but it's a very enjoyable story once you're into it, and one I've personally read several times.

The main thread of the story is that Aunt Becky died, leaving a highly-prized family heirloom to... who? She leaves her will with a trusted member of her clan but refuses to say what criteria will be used to choose who will inherit it. As a result, many members of her clan change things about their lives they knew she wouldn't like, and many interesting events take place as a result.

There are love stories a-plenty, of course

Those familiar with L. M. Montgomery's style, characters and plot devices will recognise many of them in this story - lovers splitting up over a trifle, bitter grudges held for years, clan loyalties and rivalries. There's a lot of her characteristic humour and charm.

This book is a delight!.......2006-11-03

Don't be fooled. This is not a children's story. It is a wholesome story but it is so much more. This is one of Lucy Maude Montgomery's best! (and that is saying alot) Her characters are mesmerizing. The plot twists surprising. You can't put this book down.

Very Enjoyable.......2006-06-26

I recommend this book to any L.M. Montgomery fans an absolute delight this and The Blue Castle are among my favourites.

Tangled.......2006-02-21

This is definetly L. M. Montgomery's best book. Intricate and beautifully written, it is the only one besides The Blue Castle that is mostly written for adults. The characters are vivid and realistic, and the plot is certainly tangled. If you look at the part where Aunt Becky bequeaths all of her items (excepting the jug, which plays the major role), then you will have a good example of a tangled web. Read and love!

Spellbound: My Journey Through a Tangled Web of Success

Average customer rating:

What a tragic loss for so many
The Wonders of Modern Capitalizm
Awesome Journey Thru The World of Networking!
Decent
Looking behind the smoke and mirrors at Equinox Int'l

Spellbound: My Journey Through a Tangled Web of Success
Robert Morgan Styler
Manufacturer: Sandy Creek Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0966237307

Customer Reviews:

What a tragic loss for so many.......2007-04-09

In the early 90s my former wife got hooked into the NSA MLM program in Baltimore. She chased her dreams of fortune at the clip of $4,000/month for desk rental, phone rental, seminar training for herself and paying for others to attend as she tried to con them into her new world. At one point the first office had to be closed, and several senior reps opened a new office. The idiots asked me to sign the lease contract, as none of them had the money or good credit to do so. I refused, and was immediately branded an enemy. The NSA product line was soon after moved to Equinox, and the heat for new recruits was turned up.

After that who I met Bill Gouldd once in a Building Blocks seminar my former wife forced me to go to (yes, I also paid $300 to go, plus she paid again). What a smooth operator, spawned from the loins of Satan himself. I saw right through the hype. But my wife saw glamor and riches.

After that came the Journey seminars for herself and others she tried to recruit. $2,500 a crack, and she paid for these folks in the hope they would buy into her dream. I finally called American Express to advise I was no longer going to pay for her card use. It was her account, they refused to close it. I never paid another dime for her account. I hid every dime I had left after she burned through over $80,000!

I remember she did not want to pass on shipping charges or sales tax. She absorbed it, as though magically losing money was going to help her break a profit. I was all about getting new suckers in her downline, the hell with good business sense.

So much of what this book says is so true, the cult mentality was so pervasive, and the attempt to alienate new recruits from other Neg Heads permeated everything. After the former wife burned through over $200,000 (most of it conned from my own parents behind my back), and wound up all but bankrupt (my CA home was in my name, and I had my own credit and money - now I am independently wealthy due to hard work in the computer software business), she decided I was to blame (more Gouldd cult influence) and filed for divorce. Good fu@^ing riddance. She was later impregnated by some Peruvian guy who bolted out of the USA upon hearing of the pregnancy. Poetic justice. The last I heard she could not afford to pay for repairs for her BMW, left it for the repair shop to sell to cover the bill, and wound up in a rusted out Taurus from her parents.

Drawing and Quartering of Bill Gouldd would not be enough to mete out justice. Bravo for the author to have come out so clean in the end. I do not blame Bill Gouldd, or anyone else, for my rather nasty turn in life. His influence merely brought a basic fault in the ex-wife to a very costly head. I survived financially, and kept my own pride intact, but so many others were deep into a downward spiral even in the earliest days of my seeing all this going on. All in denial, the next big deal was just around the corner, just had to get to some more $eminars... Meantime get a fancy car before going totally broke, "If you can't make it, fake it." Gawd, the memories...

The Wonders of Modern Capitalizm.......2007-02-22

A cautionary tale of greed gone oh so wrong, Spellbound made me thankful that my experiences with direct marketing have all been with a company that actually wants its sales force to make money. For those of us who believe in capitalism and have done direct sales with a well-run and fair company (Mary Kay Cosmetics), this book comes as a sad surprise.
What particularly left me with respect for the author is that Styler makes no victim of himself, instead admitting his own culpability in everything that occurred; and makes no hero of himself for helping to bring down a selfish and dangerous man who gave direct marketing a bad name.
Spellbound is a readable book. The tone is confessional but without maudlin sentimentality. Pick it up when you have plenty of time to read; you won't want to put it down.

Awesome Journey Thru The World of Networking!.......2007-02-22

This books took a tremendous amount of courage. First to walk away
from a lot of money because Styler discovered unethical practices,
then to stand up against a $200 million dollar company and later shut
them down with his testimony...that takes character. When you read
the story, what is really surprising and interesting is how honest
Styler is. He does not make himself out to be a victim. He owns his
faults and learns from them. It is a fascinating read.

Decent.......2007-01-31

Decent read on the "behind the scenes" aspects of Equinox. I worked with Styler briefly in the Santa Barbara, CA office, and really have a much lower opinion of him than I do Bill Gouldd, unfortunately. I can't wait until someone comes out with a book about Styler...that will be interesting reading!

Looking behind the smoke and mirrors at Equinox Int'l.......2003-04-23

This book is an absolutely fascinating read for anyone who came into contact with Equinox International, the Multi-Level Marketing company that flared across America in the early 1990s and lured thousands of Americans into handing over their money, time, and, most often, their self-respect in pursuit of quick fortunes. Equinox, led by charismatic leader Bill Gouldd, used slick promotional materials and pop psychology-based training techniques to induce thousands of people to purchase environmentally friendly products(water filters, vitamins, hair and skin care products) to resell to friends and family for profit. Eventually the US Government shut down Equinox for legal and ethical improprieties and fined Gouldd millions, but not before many people who had bought into the Equinox dream were left with empty pocketbooks and caseloads of unsold Equinox products collecting dust in their garages.
Rob Styler, a former Equinox Executive Director who was part of Gouldd's inner circle, sheds light on the machinations of this defunct company. Through a first person narrative Styler illustrates the way Gouldd helped prey on the naivete and blind desire of people; at its peak, Equinox was convincing lawyers, nurses, insurance agents, and other professionals to leave their stable careers to join the Equinox dream. Inevitably, the inherent flaws of Multi-Level Marketing led to the vast majority of Equinox participants making little to no money while Gouldd and a select few walked away with bundles. Styler interweaves his personal experience with the larger Equinox story to shed light on the workings of this simultaneously fascinating and horrifying company.
Styler's style is accessible and quick; I read the book in one sitting without strain, finding it difficult to put it down. The only minor quibble is Styler's devoting the last section of the book to describing a New-Age spiritual transformation on top of a South American mountain; this is the least interesting part of an otherwise fascinating book. Nevertheless, the majority of the book is devoted to recounting the Equinox story, which is a telling story of the perversion of the American Dream. If you didn't experience Equinox in the 90s this book will still be interesting, but for those who came into contact with the company, it is absolutely stunning. Kudos to Styler bringing the truth to light.

Tangled in the Web: Understanding Cybersex from Fantasy to Addiction

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weak
This is an excellent step-by-step recovery guide!

Tangled in the Web: Understanding Cybersex from Fantasy to Addiction
Kimberly S. Young
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0759622884

Book Description

Tangled in the Web offers a critical look at cybersex fantasy and its potential for addiction and provides a comprehensive plan for recovery to help individuals hooked on adult chat rooms, online pornography, web cam sex, or a cyberaffair

Customer Reviews:

weak.......2004-08-25

skip this one if you are researching this topic; it's mostly anecdotes and pop-therapy.

This is an excellent step-by-step recovery guide!.......2001-10-03

I have struggled with cybersex problems for over a year, and this book is the only one that really helped me overcome and address my addiction. I spent nearly 40 hours a week in sex chat rooms and this caused a great deal of pain in my work and marriage. Dr. Young's book provided a simple yet comprehensive recovery plan that helped me to stay off the computer for sex chat while still being able to use it for work-related purposes. She outlined why cybersex is so appealing and provided practical and concrete exercises to stay sober even when relapse was a mouse click away. While the book focused on the individual cybersex addict, there was plenty of material that helped my wife understand my problem and a chapter on how couples can rebuild trust and communication. My wife found this very helpful and we really have made a new start. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with cybersex addiction.

The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain - Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman

Average customer rating:

Truth is Better Than Fiction
A most fascinating book.
Notes from the author
Best Chicago Crime Related Book I've Read
Fascinating Read

The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain - Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman
Michael J. Cain
Manufacturer: Skyhorse Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1602390444

Book Description

“Richard Cain was possibly the most corrupt police official in the history of Chicago.” — Federal Bureau of Investigation

Here is the dramatic story of Detective Richard Cain’s criminal career as revealed by his half-brother. Cain led a double life—one as a well known cop who led raids that landed on the front pages, and the other as a “made man” in one of Chicago’s most notorious mafia crime families. Michael Cain weaves together years of research, interviews, family anecdotes, and rare documents to create a comprehensive biography of this complex, articulate, and self-contradictory criminal genius. In a story that reads like the plot of Martin Scorsese ’s The Departed, Cain played both ends against the middle to become a household name in Chicagoland and a notorious figure in both the Mob and the world of Chicago law enforcement. Eventually murdered in a café by two masked men wielding shotguns, he lived and died in a world of bloodshed and violence. Cain left behind a story so outlandish that he has even been accused of being involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Filled with fascinating and until-now unknown facts, The Tangled Web tells the full story of this one-man crime wave.

Customer Reviews:

Truth is Better Than Fiction.......2007-09-19

Imagine having a half brother who was both a highly decorated police detective and a "made" soldier in Chicago's Giancana crime family. That is the story that unfolds as Michael Cain describes the double life of his half-brother Richard. Richard Cain was rumored to be involved in the CIA plots to assassinate Fidel Castro and he was also named as one of the mob hit men supposedly involved in the assassination of JFK. He was appointed Chief Investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's Department at the same time he was on the payroll of mob boss Sam Giancana. What is amazing is that Richard Cain's corruption was widely suspected yet it did not prevent him from moving up the ranks of law enforcement. Along the way he also found time to bug foreign embassies, pass himself off as a psychologist and become and informant for the FBI. The book is mesmerizing read and covers many aspects of organized crime in Chicago from the 1950's to the early 1970's.

A most fascinating book........2007-05-26

You have to keep telling yourself that yes, this is a true story. For a leading character that came from such humble, mundane background, Dick Cain let a most extraordinary life. The book does an excellent job of tracking his life, from a pseudo-inside perspective. It adds to the appeal of the book that the author has a vested interest in the subject, but not involved enough to have a stake beyond discovery of the truth. No over the top dramatics but a very straight forward, well told story.

The book leaves you wanting more, which is a good measure of its success. Dick Cain did great things, terrible things, but great. You read his story and he seems to be just a run of the mill tough guy, but by the end of the book you realize just how many adventures he had and just home much of this era's history he saw. It was hard to put down and was told in a very personal, well pace manner.

This is a great view of organized crime from the inside. Not from someone who made it big in a financial sense or a power sense, but from a person who actually survived as long as he did without achieving either of those measures of success. Not a stooge but not a star, which makes it, in my experience, a unique and fascinating book.

Notes from the author.......2007-05-13

This book represents the culmination of many years of research both inside my family and inside the government agencies that were a part of Richard's life. I'm proud of the work I've done and encouraged by the feedback from people who have read it.

In the true sense of the old Chinese curse, Richard was a man who led an interesting life. I'm not proud of my brother, but I made a decision that his story was worth telling for all its fascinating twists and double dealing. When I was approached by the FBI and told (with implied threats) that I should not pursue the research, I knew that I was onto something that was worth my efforts. I hope you'll agree, and please feel free to send your comments to michaeljcain@gmail.com

Best Chicago Crime Related Book I've Read.......2007-05-04

I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of this book right after its release. This is one of the few "can't put down" books that I have read in ages. The narrative written by Michael Cain flows natuarally and made this book very easy to follow and read. How the author was able to find out some of the stories related is incredible. If one wishes to read not only about how the "system" worked in law enforcment decades ago as well as follow the rise and eventual demise of one of its key players-don't pass this excellent book.

Fascinating Read.......2007-04-20

While some people live double lives, Richard Cain led triple lives, and this book fills in many of the blank spots in the lives of this dark, but fascinating mob and CIA figure.

Forgotten Realms Starlight & Shadows: Gift Set (Daughter of the Drow, Tangled Webs, Windwalker)

Average customer rating:

I've never fell so in love with a series
Fantastic journey from our unpleasant modern reality

Forgotten Realms Starlight & Shadows: Gift Set (Daughter of the Drow, Tangled Webs, Windwalker)
Elaine Cunningham
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0786938161
Release Date: 2005-08-25

Book Description

Beloved series by The New York Times best-selling author Elaine Cunningham is now in a gift set!

This collection of Daughter of the Drow, Tangled Webs, and Windwalker brings together for the first time three magical books about a member of one of the most popular Forgotten Realms races.

Customer Reviews:

I've never fell so in love with a series.......2007-01-09

I read this entire set and was completly blow away. The characters really came to life for me , I would love to see this series made into a movie.Everything you could ask for in a book, adventure,romance, suspense, heartache and humor.I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Fantastic journey from our unpleasant modern reality.......2006-05-09

Trial Tribulations, plots in Plots, surprise this has them all and the writing style of Elain Cunningham once again tied me to this trilogy until I had finished it, which then prompted me to hunt for more of the same from this author, especially having read all of her earlier works. I hope there is more to come

Average customer rating:

More than you ever wanted to know about Dracula...
"I want no souls. Life is all I want."
Fascinating History of Dracula's Path to the Silver Screen.
Nice Revision to an Already Great Book
Nifty little book about the granddaddy of vampires

Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen
David J. Skal
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adaptations | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0571211585
Release Date: 2004-10-07

Book Description

The primal image of the black-caped vampire Dracula has become an indelible fixture of the modern imagination. It's recognition factor rivals, in its own perverse way, the familiarity of Santa Claus. Most of us can recite without prompting the salient characteristics of the vampire: sleeping by day in its coffin, rising at dusk to feed on the blood of the living; the ability to shapeshift into a bat, wolf, or mist; a mortal vulnerability to a wooden stake through the heart or a shaft of sunlight. In this critically acclaimed excursion through the life of a cultural icon, David Skal maps out the archetypal vampire's relentless trajectory from Victorian literary oddity to movie idol to cultural commidity, digging through the populist veneer to reveal what the prince of darkness says about us all.

Customer Reviews:

More than you ever wanted to know about Dracula..........2005-09-16

I first heard of David Skal from the Universal Classic Monster series of DVD's. David was on the accompanying documentary and did the audio commentary for Tod Browning's 1931 classic, Dracula. If you own the set and have run the documentary and, particularly, the commentary, then you've already experienced about three chapters of this book. What remains is a rich mine of details about every aspect of Dracula, the book, movies, and culture. And what a lot there is.

David's writing, like his speech, is precise, educated, and loaded with literary allusions. While no dilettante, I consider myself well read and was still left with the occasional "what the hell is talking about?" moment. The language is rich and occasionally reminds me of the mental images drawn by Anne Rice at the height of her powers. However, David is no snob and is not merely parading his impressive intellect - it's just that he knows so darn much about the subject.

And if I had any criticism of the book that would be it - David seems driven to exhaustively document every possible aspect of Dracula's existence. The detailed (and seemingly never ending) battles between Florence Stoker and the makers of "Nosferatu" is described in such detail that I wanted to scream "OKAY!! We get it! Nosferatu was a Dracula rip off and Flo didn't like it!!" But eventually the tale moves on and sets the stage for intricate negotiations between the Stoker estate and Universal. In retrospect (and considering how handsomely the studio profited) it's interesting to see that Universal bought almost unlimited use of the vampire for the paltry sum of $25,000.00 and is still making oodles of money hand over fist today. David covers all aspects of vampire lore from Byron's "The Giaour" (1813) to Mel Brooks' "Dracula, Dead and Loving It" (1995). And everything in between. Trust me, if it can be construed to be in any way connected with Dracula, it's in this book.

If you have any interest in gothic culture, or the movies that spawned it, this is a must have. Reading it is like enjoying an evening of conversation with a much beloved, if slightly eccentric, old friend, preferably over brandy in front of a glowing fireplace on a cold, cold night.

"I want no souls. Life is all I want." .......2005-08-28

Down deep, we all agree with the fly-eating Renfield. That's why we can't get his Master out of our system. David J. Skal's book Hollywood Gothic explains a lot of the reasons why.

Hollywood Gothic is like David Skal's Screams of Reason: Mad Science and Modern Culture. Hollywood Gothic and Screams of Reason both take horror motifs we know mostly from movies and trace them back to literature, where they originated.

Screams of Reason looks at the mad scientist figure in fiction, from central European vivisectionists like Dr. Frankenstein to postwar American A-bomb scientists. Hollywood Gothic is more narrow - - it covers Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, the plays adapted from it, and then the movies inspired by it - - F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu, then the Universal and Hammer horror films.

Skal goes into detail about Bela Lugosi's career as Dracula on stage and film. He also digs up a lot of interesting information about the Spanish-language Dracula made simultaneously with the Bela Lugosi movie by producer Paul Kohner and cinematographer George Robinson - - who was responsible for the look of later Universal horror films like Dracula's Daughter and House of Dracula.

Kohner fell in love with and married the real star of the Spanish-language Dracula, Lupita Tovar as Eva - - the Mina Harker character - - and who could blame him. Skal calls her a "truly ingenuous ingenue." In Mexico she could barely go out in public without being mobbed.

Except for Bela Lugosi himself, almost everything about Kohner's Spanish version is better than Browning's. (That's my opinion from watching the movies, not just reading Hollywood Gothic.) Skal quotes people who worked on Tod Browning's Dracula that Browning was barely paying attention to the movie he was making.

For instance, when Dracula welcomes Jonathan Harker to his castle from the top of the staircase, in the English version a huge spider web is off to the side behind Dracula, but in the Spanish version Dracula is framed in the center of the web. We see Dracula rise from his coffin in the Spanish version where Browning just shows him suddenly standing there. (Seeing Christopher Lee rise from his coffin, or be destroyed in it, was always a high point of the Hammer movies for me.) Every night Kohner's director George Melford looked at the film Browning's crew shot during the day and improved on it for their version.

But there was (and is) something in the idea of the vampire that makes readers and audiences forgive hack storytelling.

If you haven't seen them already, you should watch the films before reading Hollywood Gothic. The Universal Legacy Collection of Dracula contains the Lugosi film, the Spanish-language version, Dracula's Daughter, and Son of Dracula. (There's more, but those are the best. Universal's release of the Legacy Collections of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man are the only good thing to come from the marketing of the movie Van Helsing.)

Hollywood Gothic has a lot of illustrations, many of which are theatrical and film ephemera from Skal's personal collection. (Yesterday I saw The Aristocrats - - Penn Gillette's documentary about the world's filthiest joke - - and one of the comedians was wearing a T-shirt with Dracula's face from the cover of the first Modern Library edition of the novel. SIDE NOTE: See The Aristocrats - - it's about how to tell a story and keep an audience hooked as much as it is about the history of blue humor.)

Reading Hollywood Gothic made me finally read Bram Stoker's novel. Because I've seen so many movies that tell the story I never read the book. While the writing style isn't great, at least it moves along, and you're introduced to Dracula right away.

I read over half of the 600-page novel The Historian - - apparently foredoomed to be a bestseller and a blockbuster movie - - and the character Dracula still hadn't made an appearance. I skimmed to the end and read the climax, but I was disappointed. When you build Dracula up as such a powerful being, it's hard to destroy him in a way that doesn't seem anticlimactic. (That's one of the reasons Kim Newman has given for why he started writing his Anno Dracula series - - if Dracula is such a terrible force, how could he be tracked down and killed so easily by an insane Dutch doctor and three upper-class twits who belong in the Drones Club with Bertie Wooster?)
And why do characters in The Historian struggle to find copies of Bram Stoker's novel at university libraries? It's been out in paperback all over the world since the early 1900s. Go to any W.H. Smith.

Filmmakers who've told the Dracula story understand something novelists sometimes don't - - Dracula shouldn't be just a menace offstage, he's the protagonist of the story. Dracula is the hero. He's the one we want to see - - and be. That's why our mothers were displeased when they caught us watching monster movies on TV when we were kids. Mom knew what we were thinking. The reason Stoker's novel works at all is because we're introduced to Dracula at the beginning, when Harker comes to Translyvania. What makes the novel disappointing is that we hardly see Dracula again after that.

But Skal reminds us that "La sangre es la vida." Dracula isn't going anywhere.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION: Check out Vampires: Los Muertos (see my review), the sequel to John Carpenter's Vampires, and an underrated movie. To me, it's a vampire movie that shows the monster as a Third World victim of globalist Van Helsings. (A rich white American woman can get the medicine she needs to stay alive (un-undead), while the brown vampire, stolen from her peasant family by a rich landowner, has only one way to get the sangre she needs. (I also like vampire movies that show how vampires might experience time differently than mortals - - Queen of the Damned also does this in an interesting way.) There's a scene of slow-motion slaughter in Los Muertos that the monstrous child in me responded to. Los Muertos also has the most sexist line I've every heard in a vampire movie, but you still identify with the female master vampire.

Fascinating History of Dracula's Path to the Silver Screen........2005-05-06

In "Hollywood Gothic" David Skal tells the story of "Dracula" that came after the classic of gothic horror was published in 1897. It's a fascinating, fact-filled tale of colorful personalities, legal battles, Hollywood politics, and a culture still captivated by the King of Literary Vampires. The book's seven chapters begin with author Bram Stoker, end with the Count's recent incarnations on stage and screen, and include the most insightful analysis of "Dracula"'s origins that I have read in the course of my minor obsession with the novel.

Chapter 1 explores "Dracula"'s literary and theatrical predecessors before moving on to discussion of the intellectual and sexual climate into which the book was published in 1897, the life and elusive character of its author Bram Stoker, and how the novel was received in its own day. David Skal does an impressive job of pulling together the relevant details, from diverse perspectives, of the novel's birth.

Chapter 2 details the legal battle waged by the Bram Stoker's widow, Mrs. Florence Stoker, to suppress the first cinematic adaptation of her husband's novel, 1922's "Nosferatu", the unauthorized German production directed by F.W. Murnau, now recognized as a masterpiece of silent cinema. Chapter 3 sees Mrs, Stoker finally authorize an adaptation to British dramatist Hamilton Deane, whose wordy, plodding "Dracula" play nevertheless achieved great financial success, attracting the attention of American theatrical producer Horace Liveright. Liveright enlisted journalist John Balderston to rewrite the play for Broadway and make it a smash hit on this side of the Atlantic.

Chapter 4 moves to Hollywood for the protracted negotiations over "Dracula"'s film rights. "Dracula"'s path through the early 20th century was mined with legal battles, and it is a credit to author David Skal that he is able to make interminable and constantly mutating negotiations into absorbing drama. Chapter 5 follows the winding road to the production of the first Hollywood "Dracula", the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, which, although made cheaply and lazily, was the first horror talkie and a financial life preserver for Universal Studios. Happily, Skal has dedicated Chapter 6 to the superior Spanish language version of "Dracula" that was filmed simultaneously, on the same sets, as the English version of the 1931 film, but with a different producer, director, cinematographer, and cast.

Chapter 7 tells us what became of the principle person's associated with the two 1931 films. Then it follows the legacy of "Dracula" from the 1930s forward, through its incarnations in film, plays, musicals, ballets, and other performances. Appendix A is a list of notable stage performances of "Dracula", 1897-2003. Appendix B is a list of about 200 films, 1921-2004, which feature the "Dracula" character or name. Thankfully, there is an index.

In outlining the contents of "Hollywood Gothic", I may have made the book seem dry. But the story of "Dracula"'s continuing life in film and on stage is as lively as the novel that inspired it -and it is written a good deal better. David Skal's tireless research and engaging style never fail to impress. "Hollywood Gothic" is an absorbing literary and cinematic history that "Dracula" fans shouldn't miss.

Nice Revision to an Already Great Book.......2005-01-05

David J. Skal is as readable as ever is this newly revised edition of the definitive Hollywood Gothic as he covers the history of Dracula from his creation by Bram Stoker to the various and multiple version on screen and stage. The thrust of the story is, of course, on the novel and the iconic Bela Lugosi movie, with an additional nice, but smaller, chunk on Nosferatu. The author is particularly effective in combining, in an interesting fashion, the creative, financial, and legal elements. His analysis is always clear and interesting and will definitely send the reader on a viewing frenzy. Vampire movies seem always to be streaming forth from Hollywood and Dracula is and always will be the most tempting of the bunch. This book brings this fascination to life, as it were. A very good job.

Nifty little book about the granddaddy of vampires.......2004-10-08

I read this book years ago. It's good to see it's coming back into print.

Skal charts the history of Stoker's book, beginning with early drafts extant, following the tangled film history, including the legal battles over Murnau's "Nosferatu", Universal Studio's struggle to get the rights for the Lugosi pic, and everything that happened after.

It won't change your life, but its fascinating stuff. Skal's style is quick, clean, and to the point. This book is a lot of fun, giving insights into publishing, film, theater, and the audience reaction to and participation in all of those mediums. A must for all vampire buffs, film students, and those who are curious about the inner workings of popular culture.

Average customer rating:

A Good Sequel to Deceptions
Passion, Intrigue, Exotic Locations
Deserves an Oscar......
A GREAT STORY, MUST READ!
Like Deceptions - absolutely un-put-downable!

A Tangled Web: A Novel
Judith Michael
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Sisters | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671798790

Book Description

Glamorous, divorced Sabrina and her quiet homemaker sister Stephanie never dreamed that their light-hearted game of switching places for a week would end in passion and tragedy. But Sabrina fell in love with her sister's husband, cherishing their children as her own -- and Stephanie, in the midst of an affair with a powerful London socialite, was killed in an explosion on his yacht. Torn by loss and remorse, but deeply a part of her new family, Sabrina made the decision to assume her twin's role forever.

When A Tangled Web opens a year later, only one person knows Sabrina's true identity -- her husband, Garth. Deeply in love, he has forgiven her for her deception. Then a friend swears to have seen Stephanie in Europe. Sabrina feels the past and present collide, threatening to shatter her new happiness. Is her sister really dead? Or is the deception even deeper, darker, and more complicated than she ever imagined?

Customer Reviews:

A Good Sequel to Deceptions.......2007-02-15

"Deceptions" was the first of two books about identical twins Sabrina and Stephanie. On a lark, they switch places and are unaware of all the heartache and turmoil it will cause. "A Tangled Web" is not a stand-alone book, but the sequel which continues the where "Deceptions" left off. This is a good book, as far as sequels go, but the story gets a little contrived and outlandish in places. Some of the complex problems are resolved too easily and unrealistically. I enjoyed the portions of the book that concentrated on antiques, art, design, and the Provence area of France.

I liked the main characters, especially Garth. That man deserves a gold star for what he is put through! Sabrina is the most confident of the twins, but is almost too perfect and seems to fall into the role of mother way to easily. Stephanie is the more dependent twin and becomes almost too much of a "head-case" toward the end of the book. This may be the author's attempt to show a paradox that no matter how close identical twins are, they can have very contrasting personalities. I guess the moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have and that envy can have heartbreaking results.

If you liked Deceptions, I would recommend reading this sequel.

Passion, Intrigue, Exotic Locations.......2000-05-25

A Tangled Web gives us an extended view into the lives of Stephanie, Sabrina and Garth. The authors continue with the wonderful character development of twins, Stephanie and Sabrina, who switched places in the first novel, Deceptions. This time, we visit the lovely south of France to learn about Stephanie's struggles with amnesia (yes, another soap opera plot, but well-written). The theme again is how strong the bond between twins can be. The romance between Sabrina and Garth, now husband and wife, is Judith Michael's ode to marriage. The children, Penny and Cliff, complete the domestic scene. There is intrigue on the international scale as Stephanie and Max hide from black market hit men and at the more local level in the scientific community as Garth and Sabrina fight to protect Garth's position as a researcher. Worth the read for descriptions of Provence and character sketches of a fictional European elite, A Tangled Web is a good sequel to Deceptions for those who wanted to share more time with Sabrina and Garth.

Deserves an Oscar.............2000-04-07

I really,really enjoyed reading this book. Wow I could not put it down or sleep all night, or just have a spare moment..The book is full of suspense, surprises, love, tears, and cries.Everything that a good book must have. The characters come so alive as you read more and more and you either hate one of them or love them both. It's a must read.

A GREAT STORY, MUST READ!.......1999-11-10

I think this story id really interesting. it talked aboutthe twin sisters Sabrina and Stephanie. Stphanies was an American housewife, mother of two and had a failing marriage and Sabrina was divorced and lived in London. They both agreed to switch their indentification for a week. Sabrina went home as Stephanie and Stephanie went to Sabrina's home in London as a divorced single. But things didn't end up the way they wanted. Stephanie had an affair with a wealthy man in London and killed in a yaht explosion while Sabina fell in love with Stephnaie's husband, Garth. After Stephanie's death, Sabrina told Garth the truth and they both decided to saty and live together. However, the whole story started to tiwst around when Sabrina's best friend told her that she saw her in France but in fact, Sabrina had lived in U.S. the whole time. She decided to go to France and find out the truth. Then she found out something unexpectedly. It was a surprising ending. A must read book!

Like Deceptions - absolutely un-put-downable!.......1999-07-02

I love this book (actually in the middle of it) and like the sequal seems just as good as the first book "Deceptions".

Its totally addictive reading and I can't wait for lunchtime so I can read some more and then in the evenings I have done nothing else apart from reading it.

This is NOT a trashy novel, the authors have sat down and spun a captivating story with so many threads that weave together to make the whole.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining.......2006-07-21

Spider-Man volume 2 features a three part story by Bruce Jones and Lee Weeks, a one issue story written and illustrated by Kaare Andrews and a story written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke.

Bruce Jones (Hulk, Scarecrow Year One) is a very good writer. He really knows how to blend a moody niorish story into a superhero world. Lee Weeks (who drew the Hulk for Peter David's return, after Bruce Jones left) is also very good with moody settings. Without giving too much away, there's a cab driver who has some sort of connection to Spider-Man. This cabby has a problem in his brain which may be operable though it's risky, but he can't afford it anyway. He's seperated from his wife, and his son also seems to be ill. So this cabby sets up a theft and gets the crooks to help him by promising them Spider-Man, and he just might be able to make good on that deal.

The story wasn't bad, though it was a bit confusing. Jones bounces around in time, and we don't see what the cabby's connection to Spider-Man is until the very end. Whatever illness his son suffers from goes unnamed. And, to be honest, I don't think this story needed three issues, because nothing much happens in the first two, and it could easily have been compacted and been just as effective.

Kaare Andrews is a man of many talents. The work of his that I've seen most often have been his digital paintings which have graced the covers of Spider-Man and the Hulk (during Bruce Jones' run . . . this is getting weird). His story here is also done digitally. There are two brothers. The younger one is watching an "Insect-Man" cartoon on TV. The older brother of course says that superheroes are stupid. Then Spider-Man comes crashing through their wall. A fight between Spider-Man and Electro ensues in their living room. Needless to say, by the end of the fight the older brother is thinking superheroes are pretty cool. It's a simple and predictable story, one we've seen before, but it's still cute.

The last story is written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke (DC: New Frontier, Catwoman). Mr. Cooke is one of the best in the business right now. This story takes place on Valentines Day, and while being distracted by worrying about his Aunt May, and bills, and his duties as Spider-Man Peter Parker has accidently agreed to dates with two women. To top it off, Spider-Man has an intense fight with the Vulture which sends him falling twenty stories into a dumpster. Unfortunately he doesn't regain consciousness in time to make his date, not that he remembers in the first place. J. Jonah Jameson is in his usual demeanor watching the fight between Spider-Man and the vulture out his window. And the Daily Bugle's intern meets a nice girl while getting coffee.

There are five characters in the story who get equal face time, and at least five more characters in supporting roles, but Cookes masterful writing and art style makes each character distinguishable and the story easy to follow. And it harkens back to the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man who has nothing but trouble in every aspect of his life.

There's nothing truly groundbreaking here, but it's definately a lot of fun.

Cool comic Writers Do Spiderman One-shots.......2003-02-18

Tangled Web is a great concept. Cool writers get to do Spiderman related stories. Volume 1 has some of the best stories including Flowers For Rhino (Rhino becomes super smart) and Severance Package(which shows what happens to one of Kingpin's lieutenants after Spiderman messes up an operation). Sadly, as a whole, the series is uneven.

This edition of Tangled Web is volume III. I cannot attest to the goodness of this volume because i have not read all the issues it collects, but it contains my favorite issue of Tangled Web, #13 which features a villain bar populated by Doc Oc, Matador, Stiltman, and Whirlwind. The story centers around a Mystery Man, The Vulture, and Kraven meeting in a bar and swapping stories. The Vulture/Kraven dynamic is hilarious but the last two pages of the story would stun any spiderman fan. I don't want to spoil it, so just find the back issue or buy this book.

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