The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

Book Description

The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Timothy Egan's critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic chapter of American history from the shadows in a tour de force of historical reportage. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, Egan does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, "the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect" (New York Times). In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, "The Worst Hard Time" is "arguably the best nonfiction book yet" (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-10-10

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

This is an outstanding book! I had no idea how bad the Dust Bowl was. I was so impressed with the book that I bought a copy for each of my 3 siblings.

Unbelievable!.......2007-10-03

This book was fantastic. Although the majority of books I read are fiction, I'm not hesitant to read good non-fiction. This book was so well written that it reads like a taut novel. Along with Seabiscuit and The Devil in the White City, it is one of the best historical books I've read. Very well researched and thought out. You almost can't believe that this could have actually happened. You feel like you know the characters, and you certainly root for them even though you seemingly know how it will turn out. I would recommend this book to any avid reader - fiction or non-fiction.

Hopefully, we will learn from our past.......2007-10-02

This is an important event in US history that is so relevant today, supplying more fuel for both side of the ongoing debate on global warming.

I found it a bit difficult to stay connected to the characters. In spite of that, the story remained interesting, showing the plight and hardships endured by the generation before us, and bringing us an awareness of our fragile ecosystem.

Eye Opening and Hard to Put Down.......2007-09-25

A must read for history buffs and readers in general. Information places the midwest, its people, and past in an entirely different light of appreciation. (Absolutely Facinating)!

Fine story, good history, a little light on analysis.......2007-09-18

Egan's *Worst Hard Time* is intriguing and largely well done, if a bit relentless. Granted, he's writing about a phenomenon that dragged on for years, repeatedly raising and dashing ever-slimmer hopes; the people who lived the "Dust Bowl" years were literally worn out, but Egan needed to do something more with the material than recreate that sensation. Toward the last third of the book, in particular, a kind of sameness creeps into the narrative, as if Egan didn't really know what else to say -- which I suspect is connected to my sense that he relied too much on too few sources (including a diary that he overuses) -- and his slightly jerky style gets distracting (he's not a great one for writing transitions). For me, one failing is that Egan never explains, in any specific way, the origin and cause of the "black dusters" and other freakish weather phenomena of the "Dust Bowl" era. He tells us that the dust storms came because the topsoil had been carved off by overfarming (and then aggravated by the abandonment of unsuccessful farms), but a meteorological or ecological explanation - even a nontechnical one - wouldn't have been a bad idea. His description of the CCC efforts at re-grassing the plains left me with significant questions that he doesn't answer: Given that the dust storms continued unabated throughout the effort, what was the government's strategy for protecting the newly planted grass during the time it would have taken for it to mature enough to hold the soil? And how did they water it? In addition, I'd have appreciated a more substantive "bring us up to date" chapter at the end that explained more clearly what happened in the wake of the human and policy failures of the Dust Bowl. Nor would a little class analysis have hurt -- other than wagging a kind of general finger at get-rich schemes perpetrated both by private interests and by the government, he seems careful not to accuse anybody too directly of creating an ecological disaster, of maiming (psychologically and literally) and killing tens of thousands of people, or of engaging in a kind of class warfare that embodied the ferocious social Darwinism of Depression-era capitalism. Finally, I'd just point out that the book isn't really the story of "survivors" of the Dust Bowl; there are essentially no survivors, and this is no movie-of-the-week tale of grit, courage, and heroism that win out in the end. The people Egan follows are bleak and broken, and their desperation is palpable. *Worst Hard Time* begs the question: Is there any redemption? I think Egan knows there was none, but he seems loathe to say it in so many words.

Average customer rating:

Lost the Magic
Going for a New Audience?
Not disappointed
I liked it!
An Excellent Read

Dust: A Richard Jury Mystery
Martha Grimes
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0670037869
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Book Description

Coming in January—Richard Jury returns to the back streets and back rooms of London in The New York Times bestselling series

When an old friend pulls Richard Jury into the investigation of a wealthy bachelor's murder, Jury's not sure what's more perplexing: the circumstances of the fellow's death, the conflicted stories of the man's past, or the motivations of the case's lead detective—the beautiful and forbidding Lu Aguilar. What Jury is sure of is that he's in over his head, both with the inscrutable and challenging Aguilar and the false leads surrounding the once-charismatic Billy Maples, last seen in a club named Dust.

A web of clues draws Jury to the trendy Clerkenwell galleries, clubs, and hotels, to the dark stories behind Maples's family, and to the Sussex town of Rye, where Billy had temporarily taken up the tenancy of Lamb House, the charming home where Henry James composed his three masterworks . . . and a place with secrets of its own. With Melrose Plant investigating Lamb House, Aguilar interceding, and the appearance of Maples's mysterious young nephew, Scotland Yard's finest—and now infamous—will need every bit of his intelligence and quiet charm to crack the case.

Customer Reviews:

Lost the Magic.......2007-10-07

Frankly, I was pleased that a number of the reviewers had the same general reaction to "Dust" that I did: disappointment and a a jot of disgust. I have read all of the Inspector Jury novels of Martha Grimes, except for "The Old Wine Shades".

What I like best about the Jury novels is their leisurely pace, the rather quiet, some what tentative inspector with his rather unhappy and unsuccessful attempts at success in love; Melrose Plant -- the star of the novels and his wonderful motley crew of eccentrics and "characters". These books did not hold my interest because of the crime and its solution --- I just wanted to spend some time with the characters -- the murder was just a hook to hang the plot on.

Now, instead of a rustic country pub -- we have a raucus "nightclub". Instead of the somewhat backward Inspector we have a man who is so filled with lust he can't isn't diffident but compulsive.

The reviewer who wrote that Grimes may be losing interest in the novel and the reviewer who said she is trying to appeal to a wider audience ----may be right. If the latter person is correct---Grimes has lost my interest in reading any more Jury tales.

Unless, I hear differently --- I've just crossed any novels to come in this series --- off my personal reading list. That's not to say, I won't pick up one of the earlier ones --- where she still had that magic touch.

Going for a New Audience?.......2007-09-30

I've read most of the Jury mysteries, and I would eagerly await each new installment. I enjoyed the familiar format and the eccentric characters, particularly the Racer-Fiona-Cyril love triangle. I started reading Dust, and all I can say about Jury is, "Who IS this guy?" Have sales been down so significantly that Jury has had to undergo a sexed-up makeover? Sure, sex sells, but does a well-liked, established hero have to become a love stud to generate book revenue? This incarnation of Jury, who must be approaching age 70, is not the fellow I used to know. Maybe Martha Grimes is trying to attract a younger reader base, but she's going to alienate those of us who liked the series before Jury started playing musical beds. The story is somewhat compelling, and the literary allusions are appreciated. However, Grimes has definitely produced stronger work. For me, Dust was, if you will, a one-night stand.

Not disappointed.......2007-08-06

I waited to say anything about any of the Richard Jury series till I have finished it all. That was the quest I set out for myself at the beginning of the year and have now completed.

Admittedly I read the last two books Wine Shades and Dust with a bit of trepidation with all the negative reviews. I am glad to say I disagree-I rather enjoyed both books. Perhaps I enjoyed Wine Shades which I thought was a bit more creative in its approach better.

I am beginning to wonder about some of these mystery writers. Granted a series should follow with some degree of continuity but the last three Grimes novels seem really too connected, especially the last two. What is up with Harry Johnson and Mungo? Is he Jury's Moriarty. I had a problem with David Hewson and his Nic Costa mystery The Lizard's Bite which was a real sequel to Lucifer's Shadow or Elizabeth George's last two. I don't know how good idea it is for a writer to have this kind of serial mentality expecting any reader to be in with the writer every step of the way. For someone just picking up a Grimes book for the first time like Dust-not a good introduction.

I think like Susannah Gregory and her Matthew Bartholomew-it is really not the crime and its solving which is the primary focus. It seems to be a more "getting to know you" reading experience. I do believe as someone mentioned Grimes seems to have Jury in the last two novels experiencing some kind of life realization-a sort of ephiphany to change (and somewhat for Plant regarding his parentage) or alter the direction of is life's direction. Lu probably represents the need for Jury to get some passion in his life-wild unrestraint passion unlike the other "relationships" romantic that came before. Maybe in her next Jury novel ole Dick may actually fall in love-something he does not appear to be able to do.

In other words (and some of the later novels like Winds and Wink have been pretty heavy in topic) she wants to lighten up the stories and the characters. Now she just has to do something with Harry Johnson. And who knows in the end Jury might end up with a dog of his own.

I liked it!.......2007-07-21

I can understand why people didn't like the book. It seems to me that the issue wasn't that the book wasn't well written, it is that Jury...our beloved Jury, is screwing around!! He is cheating on Dr. Nancy!
I really think that upset a lot of folks, I know I didn't like reading about it, not a moral code I have, but more of a "I want Jury to someday find real happiness" wish.
I enjoy Plant and characters other than Jury tremendously, so it doesn't bother me if Jury's plotline takes a break(I actually like Plant better). There are so many interesting inhabitants of Grimes' books to keep one entertained while Jury is off having "fun".
I thought that the book was a good one, and if you become upset when Richard Jury takes off his "perfect man" cape, then you won't like this one....but Jury has taken a break before, most recently in a hospital bed, and fans pounded their fists on the table then.....so here we go again.
The book is a good read, and if you are really into the Jury books , and the other characters, you will enjoy it!

An Excellent Read.......2007-07-11

I've read all of Grimes novels and I was real happy with "Dust". It is an easy read and made an excellent companion for our trip to the beach. I would recommend this book if you enjoy either a mystery.

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp

Average customer rating:

Beautiful and Inspiring
Connecting Childen to History
Children of the Dust Bowl
Readable for ages five (with help from parent) and up.
Children of the Dust Bowl

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp
Jerry Stanley
Manufacturer: Crown Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517880946
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Book Description

Illus. with photographs from the Dust Bowl era. This true story took place at the emergency farm-labor camp immortalized in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Ostracized as "dumb Okies," the children of Dust Bowl migrant laborers went without school--until Superintendent Leo Hart and 50 Okie kids built their own school in a nearby field.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and Inspiring.......2007-10-09

This book is a beautiful testiment to the human spirit, and the resilancy of the American spirit.
It is also the story of taking a chance on people that other's find useless.
A beautiful book and a beautiful story.

Connecting Childen to History.......2005-09-09

this book is an excellent companion to the historical ficiton book "Bud, Not Buddy." By reading aloud sections of Children of the Dustbowl, teachers could build some of the background knowledge that would help children understand how the daily lives of the average person changed as a result of the Great Depression and the 5-year drought in the Midwest.
Given the devastation of Hurriicane Katrina, this book also offers insight on what can happen when large numbers of people must migrate because of weather-related disasters.

Children of the Dust Bowl.......2005-09-08

The book appeared to be new, no marks, and sent immediately.

Readable for ages five (with help from parent) and up........2002-04-04

The writing in this book is excellent, flowing evenly from page to page. Many of the photographs within are pure art, having been taken by Russell Lee, Dorothea Lange, and others. These two people are the Pieter Bruegel and Thomas Hart Benton (depicting plain, everyday folk) of American photography. This book relates a small chunk of American history, to be sure, but more than that, it relates universal themes of the human condition. Overall, the book relates the brutal conditions of the dust bowl, the migration over the mountains and desert, taunting and prejudice from settled Californians, and eventual attainment of excellence, as revealed by the construction and maintenance of the Weedpatch School, which eventually became a model school in the community. My 5 1/2 year old enjoyed reading every page, and found particular mirth in the unusual daily chore that the dust bowl children did with their cows. The description of this unusual chore is worth the price of the book. What was this daily chore? One way to find out is to borrow or purchase this book.

Children of the Dust Bowl.......2000-07-26

I am a student at St. Lawrence University, and doing a summer fellowship about the works of John Steinbeck. This book, while written as a children's book, is a valuable look at the Arvin Federal Emergency School, the conditions of the Dust Bowl, American attitudes about the poor, and Leo Hart, the man whose vision for a "broader curriculum" among his students was so influential and inspiring.

Amazon.com

Like the Oklahoma dust bowl from which she came, 14-year-old narrator Billie Jo writes in sparse, free-floating verse. In this compelling, immediate journal, Billie Jo reveals the grim domestic realities of living during the years of constant dust storms: That hopes--like the crops--blow away in the night like skittering tumbleweeds. That trucks, tractors, even Billie Jo's beloved piano, can suddenly be buried beneath drifts of dust. Perhaps swallowing all that grit is what gives Billie Jo--our strong, endearing, rough-cut heroine--the stoic courage to face the death of her mother after a hideous accident that also leaves her piano-playing hands in pain and permanently scarred.

Meanwhile, Billie Jo's silent, windblown father is literally decaying with grief and skin cancer before her very eyes. When she decides to flee the lingering ghosts and dust of her homestead and jump a train west, she discovers a simple but profound truth about herself and her plight. There are no tight, sentimental endings here--just a steady ember of hope that brightens Karen Hesse's exquisitely written and mournful tale. Hesse won the 1998 Newbery Award for this elegantly crafted, gut-wrenching novel, and her fans won't want to miss The Music of Dolphins or Letters from Rifka. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Introduce your students to a Newbery Award winning book with this engaging teaching guide. Includes an author biography, chapter summaries, creative cross-curricular activities, vocabulary builders, reproducibles, and discussion questions.

Customer Reviews:

Gritty.......2007-10-08

Wow, this powerful book left me thirsty and choking from the grit of the Oklahoma plains. A great coming of age story, Hesse gives us the feminine perspective of what is important - what is worth living for - during a time of extreme poverty and hopelessness. The drought, the dust storms, the grasshoppers, "The Path of Our Sorrow" (p. 83-84) has taken away any hopefulness for a fruitful harvest. But Billie Jo and her family are some of the more fortunate ones. They are able to keep their farm; they have a house and some food, even if they have to "chew" the milk because of the dust. (p. 22) The piano offers some comfort, too, until the accident.
In addition to the Great Depression, Billie Jo has to deal with her own depression, a result of the accidental death of her mother and the disfiguring hurt of her own injuries. Was it Billie Jo's fault? Her Father's? Will she be able to forgive him, or herself?
Billie Jo is bitter. Bitter from the dust, from her father's silence, from her mother's absence. She tries to run away from her hurt, "Out of the Dust" (p. 197-8) but she finds that the hurt follows her, and it is in this realization that she is finally able to forgive her father and herself. She is ready to begin living again.

Jacky shares his thoughts.......2007-08-30

This book has a lot of poems about the main character, Billie Jo's childhood. She has many sad stories that make me feel upset; also she has some happy stories too. Her poems are really good. I can imagine the area that she wrote about and feel the way she feels. Finally she was happy, which makes me really glad. I really love this book. I sympathize with the experience of her mother and brother dying, her friends leaving, and her hand being burned. These poems really describe Billie Jo from her outside to her inside. Her life wasn't happy most of the time, because she couldn't even play piano or forget the pain in her hands and heart. Her stories to the world make me feel very touched; when she is happy I can feel it, when she sad I share that with her. The last part is my favorite because they are finally out of the dust and they have their family back together. She described it perfectly; I can see the picture of the story. While reading the book, I looked up information on the internet and watched a movie (The Grapes Of Wrath) to learn more about the time period and understand more.

Not just for Children.......2007-08-07

Though "Out of the Dust" is marketed at a YA selection, it is no more a children's book than "The Grapes of Wrath" or "To Kill a Mockingbird." With a series of perfectly rhythmed prose poems that capture the sensations of the 1930s dust bowl, "Out of the Dust" tells the story of a young girl in Oklahoma who must overcome her own guilt when her mother is killed in a house fire. This is one of the most vivid, painful and, in the end, joyous stories I have ever had the great fortune to find.

Billie_Joe's escape.......2007-06-03

I thought that this book out of 10 was a 10.It was a great book and I just hope that after reading this book review that you will want to read it, too.I hope that everyone will read this book(if they like my book review about it).Well this book was my favorite book that I've read so far and i hope that you will love it, too.

back to the prairie.......2007-06-02

Out Of The Dust (Apple Signature Edition) is the 2-year diary of an adolescent Oklahoma girl, Billie Jo. Each 1-2 page entry is a prose poem that relates the dust-bowl setting to the lives of Billie Jo, her family, and community.

Karen Hesse's free-verse prose is serviceable, reminiscent of Masters' Spoon River Anthology (Signet Classics). It serves simply to control the flow, tempo, and idiom of the narration.

Through most of the book, I feared that the story would seep away into despair and inevitability. Instead, at the end I recognized the toughened and tangled strands of Billie Jo's life rising from the dust in a perfect metaphor of the prairie sod.

For a completely different, but equally wonderful treatment of this metaphor I recommend PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country.

Average customer rating:

good reading
Rarely have I gotten a book with this much filthy language
4 and 1/2 Stars
Lack of suspence ... boring
Not what I expected...better

Dust to Dust
Tami Hoag
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553582526
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Amazon.com

Minneapolis has more than its share of interesting cops (Lucas Davenport of the John Sandford thrillers, for one), and Tami Hoag's homicide dicks, Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska, join the club in this thoughtful and surprisingly moving novel of dirty cops and cover-ups. Internal Affairs investigator Andy Fallon is a suicide--or is he? The word around the department is that Andy, son of Iron Mike Fallon, an old hero of Sam's, killed himself because Mike turned his back on him when Andy told him he was gay. Or maybe it was because a lover dumped him, or even (snicker, snicker) a perverted sexual practice gone wrong. That's the gossip, but Sam feels he owes it to Mike to investigate.

Sam is a familiar type in this genre, and his self-awareness is almost painful at times. "You're a stereotype. The tragic hero," he's told by Amanda Savard, the strong-but-vulnerable Internal Affairs lieutenant whose determination to keep the Fallon case closed foreshadows her personal history. "The twice-divorced, smoking, drinking workaholic," Sam agrees. "I don't know what's heroic about that. It reeks of failure to me, but maybe I have unrealistic standards." But Sam's droll sense of humor is matched by his deeply ingrained crap detector. When Iron Mike apparently kills himself too, you can almost feel its needle vibrate. Then Sam and Nikki open another closed case, this one almost two decades old, and find the connections that threaten to unravel past crimes and future promises. Hoag is a writer very much in command of her craft: the pacing excels, the characters are complex and interesting, and the details well worked out. Readers will look forward to another Kovac and Liska adventure. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Sorry. The single word was written on a mirror. In front of it hung the Minneapolis Internal Affairs cop. Was it suicide? Or a kinky act turned tragic?

Either way, it wasn’t murder. At least not according to the powers that be. But veteran homicide detective Sam Kovac and his wisecracking, ambitious partner Nikki Liska think differently. Together they begin to dig at the too-neat edges of the young cop’s death, uncovering one motive and one suspect after another. The shadows of suspicion fall not only on the city’s elite, but into the very heart of the police department.

Someone wants the case closed–quickly and forever. But neither Kovac nor Liska will give up. Now both their careers and their lives are on the line. From a murder case two months old to another case closed for twenty years, Kovac and Liska must unearth a connection the killer wants dead and buried. A killer who will stop at absolutely nothing to keep a dark and shattering secret . . .

Customer Reviews:

good reading.......2007-08-15

I really liked this book. My first Tami Hoag book was Kill the Messenger and although I really enjoyed it, it didn't get me to put Ms. Hoag on my must read more list. I got Dust To Dust on audio as it was the only mystery book I could find in the library just before going on a long road trip. I wasn't expecting much due to my earlier experience with her book, and was very surprised that I got hooked right from the beginning and listened to it for the whole 12 hours straight. An interesting bonus for me was that I was driving through Minneapolis and then western MN for the first time ever while listening to this book, so it made it a bit more personal or real for me.

I really love the Sam Kovac- Nikki Liska characters and found that at the end I wished I could get to know more about them. Although Kovac is your stereotypical rough around the edges, tough guy, with the heart of gold, Ms. Hoag gives a depth to him that makes him very appealing and more 3 dimensional than most authors do with the same type of character. I love his self depreciating, what you see is what you get attitude. Liska is the tough wise cracking lady detective (she cracked me up), one of the guys, yet deep down she is vulnerable and worries about her two boys all the time. Both are straight up characters who will go against the grain if it's the right thing to do.

What I really liked about the book was that Ms Hoag did keep me guessing as to what was really going on. It's not your typical whodunit, but several complex stories involving many characters all involved in a chain reaction to a certain event that happened years ago, with a side story to throw you off track here and there. It's more of a who are these characters and what secrets do they hold as opposed to who actually did it. I usually figure out whodunit well before the end, but in this case I had no clue.

I also liked the hint of romance in this book. I prefer not to have big romantic story lines going on in a mystery/thriller, but I do like to know what makes the main characters tick and their romantic side is part of that. In all fairness, the romantic angle of this book was what kept my interest in this book, even though it wasn't such a big part of the book. I actually couldn't wait for the interactions between Kovac and Savard, the IA that keeps Kovac's interest with her cool and aloof exterior.

Ms Hoag's prose is very colorful, descriptive, gritty, and intense sometimes, adding dimension to what would just be an ordinary thought or sentence. However, sometimes Kovac's lines do resemble Raymond Chandler's character, Philip Marlow's. I still enjoyed it for what it was and got a chuckle out of it.

The ending was a bit of a shock to me and very unexpected. Without giving away the ending, I will say that there was some redemption for the beleaguered Kovac and Liska in the support that they are able to give each other, a way of relating that could not happen between two male detectives' characters, which I felt counter balanced the ending.

I give this book 5 stars because when I read fiction or watch a movie I want to be transported and left affected by and wanting for more. This book left me wanting for a lot more of the characters and story to the degree that I went out and got the other two books in this series and read them both within 3 days.

Rarely have I gotten a book with this much filthy language.......2007-07-30

In search of a new author, I ordered Dust to Dust. I was only able to make it to page 7. There was more unacceptable language in the first 6 pages than any other 3 books combined that I have ever read.

This book is in my wastebasket, not to be passed on. Sorry.

4 and 1/2 Stars.......2007-03-29

Tami Hoag has evolved into a writer that doesn't feel obligated to give you a a fuzzy warm ending. She writes for the sake of the story.

The characters in Dust to Dust are believable and likeable whether they're the good or bad guys. In fact, some of her bad guys are so well crafted that becomes the hook to keep the pages turning. This book delivers smart detectives that don't go doing stupid things that frustrates readers. These characters behave consistent to how they are developed and overall the story unfolds logically, piece by piece. Since many have synopsized the story before me I'll just add that the book built nicely to its end.

Lack of suspence ... boring .......2007-03-28

This was my first reading of Ms Hoags and she was recommended by my son . To me the book didn't hold my interest and was boring from start but I gave it fair chance by forcing myself to read to page 130 , To me there was no suspence and her details were just to drawn out and detective Kovac reminded me of the old columbo (Peter Faulk ) detective on TV .

Not what I expected...better.......2007-01-03

Okay, I like Tami Hoag so I expected a good book, but I thought I was in for an adventure tracking down a serial killer. What I got was a real investigation into what may or may not have been a crime to begin with. The two prime characters, Kovac and Liska were terrific characters. smart and competent. No serial killers, but some serious bad guys. And then there was Amanda Savard. As I was reading this novel I was wondering about a sequel and what part she would play as the main investigating officer. I loved her and her demons and the way she dealt (if you can call that dealing) with them. I also liked the way her relationship with Kovac developed. This was an excellent read, one that held my interest throughout. It was a little slower than some of Tami Hoag's other works, but that was only for a lack of violence not a lack of intelligence. All in all, I would say this is one of the finest mystery/thriller books I have ever read. A better than average Tami Hoag book, and an average Tami Hoag book is usually very good. An easy 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

Solid book
The dust doesn't know
Good, but not Fante's Best
and the little dog laughed
A Pleasure to Read.

Ask the Dust (P.S.)
John Fante
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060822554
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Amazon.com

This book is another sterling recommendation from the Saltzman workshop. The under-appreciated Fante's second outing details the adventures of his alterego, Arturo Bandini, as the struggling young writer tackles Los Angeles in the late 1930s. And take it from personal experience, tackling L.A. as a destitute young scribe some decades later isn't much different. In other words: Fante gets it right and sets it down in his Chianti-steak-and-potatoes style, with prose both simple and rich. This Black Sparrow edition has a bonus: Charles Bukowski's great preface on how Fante stacks up against writers that were at once more famous--and far more anemic.

Book Description

Ask the Dust is a virtuoso performance by an influential master of the twentieth-century American novel. It is the story of Arturo Bandini, a young writer in 1930s Los Angeles who falls hard for the elusive, mocking, unstable Camilla Lopez, a Mexican waitress. Struggling to survive, he perseveres until, at last, his first novel is published. But the bright light of success is extinguished when Camilla has a nervous breakdown and disappears . . . and Bandini forever rejects the writer's life he fought so hard to attain.

Customer Reviews:

Solid book.......2007-07-22

This book is so good that being keep taking it from my shelf. I read this as a senior in high school. Recently I returned to it and found that its held up over the years. It may be better now that I've gone through some crazy women, plus fits of jealousy over them. I love the scene where he's reading his rival's story... great.

The dust doesn't know.......2007-06-20

Beautiful, melodic language and a poignant character drive this novel, and I can see how those who might identify with Bandini and/or like the Hunter-S.-Thompson-style of story telling (seemingly aimless wanderings and interactions) would get something out of it. Not enough happened for me though, and I am not particularly driven to read any of the other Bandini stories.

Good, but not Fante's Best.......2007-06-07

"Ask The Dust" seems to be John Fante's most popular novel, but I'm not sure why. Perhaps its because it's the title mentioned most by Charles Bukowski. It started out strong up until the Earthquake bit, but from there on out it seems as if he was just trying to find ways to finish the book. Still, most of it is excellent writing (The conclusion to chapter 14 highlights what Fante is really capable of... truly profound powerful writing!.) However, both "Wait Until Spring..." and "Dreams from Bunker Hill" supercede "Ask..." by a substantial margin. The best aspect is how Fante, like Bukowski later did, paints a fantastically vivid picture of a bygone era in Los Angeles. Overall worth adding to your collection for any Fante, Bukowski, or Los Angeles history fan, but please read Fante's other books-- they are far superior. I sometimes think that "Ask..." gets most of its praise from Bukowski loyalists. Just remember: Blindly following what Bukowski thinks about something goes against everything he stood for! Happy reading!

and the little dog laughed .......2007-06-03

Ask the Dust didn't revolutionize writing. It didn't create a new genre. There are others like Hamsun, Bukowski and many more that have written in this genre or style, but for me Ask the Dust stands taller than all the rest.

This book is such an emotional roller coaster that from one minute to the next you will alternate being choked up and depressed, to laughing out loud, to reveling in the hero's triumph and then right back to choked up and sad ready to start the ride all over again.

I enjoy this genre immensely, but Fante's Ask the Dust is the only one that I find myself continually pulling out of my book case to peruse the pages for nth time. Just seeing the book conjures up those emotions I remember from my first reading. The only bad part about reading this book was the knowledge that I would never be able to read it again for the first time. That was my only disappointment with this book.

Ask the Dust is just a really good book. I have recommended it to all my friends and loaned it out numerous times (thankfully it has always found its way back to me, so far) and have found that it gets generally very good reviews from those that I know. Now I'm recommending it to you.

A Pleasure to Read........2007-05-14

This book had me laughing outloud so many times, I almost thought it was a comedy. I enjoyed reading it so much that I didn't want it to end.

Woodshop Dust Control: A Complete Guide to Setting Up Your Own System: Completely Revised and Updated

Average customer rating:

This is a good book
Complete it is not
A complete guide
Great Book on Dust Control and Collection Method
Details, details, details

Woodshop Dust Control: A Complete Guide to Setting Up Your Own System: Completely Revised and Updated
Sandor Nagyszalanczy
Manufacturer: Taunton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1561584991
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

Woodshop Dust Control provides all the information woodworkers need to protect themselves from wood dust -- a serious health hazard. With over 100 color photos, this completely revised edition includes charts and graphics, up-to-date information on the latest products and examples of actual shop systems.

Customer Reviews:

This is a good book.......2007-06-08

Very detailed, Easy to read, very helpfull in setting up shop.

Complete it is not.......2007-05-07

Basically what I found is just when the book was getting into enough detail to be useful the section would end.

The book is fine if you haven't ever read an article on dust control. But a two page section on dust control from sanders right at the end of the book??? Come on give us a little meat here. Little detail is given on how to control dust with jigs or with equipment that doesn't have dust control.

I gave it 2 stars because I found it wasn't technically detailed enough to be useful and very vague in areas that really needed attention. Took me 3 hours to read it..I'll put it on the book shelve where ironically enough it will probably gather dust.

A complete guide.......2006-11-21

A very good starting point for anyone interested in woodshop dust control. Does a good job covering the hazards and methods of control of sawdust. It then goes on to describe methods for designing and installing a central dust collection system.

Great Book on Dust Control and Collection Method.......2006-07-04

This book provides a complete and detailed writing on the methods for woodshop dust control methods. It covers different strategies for controlling dust from simple respiratory protection devices(masks), shop ventillation and air filtration and dust collecting machines (portable and central units).
It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method for different situations and how to optimize each strategy for a given situation. Great and interesting book. Written in practical and easy to understand manner.

Details, details, details.......2006-03-26

Very good book. Unfortunately it brings up all the little details that I would have preferred not thinking about. Most people probably don't realize how dangerous dust is, and the author covers all the bases. After reading this book, you will have no excuses...

Average customer rating:

Gentle and Endearing Style
Straddling 1947
A success
A taste of India
A Powerful, Beautifully Written Novel Of Two Women & India

Heat and Dust
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Manufacturer: Counterpoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1582430152

Book Description

A profound and powerful novel, winner of the Booker Prize

Set in colonial India during the 1920s, Heat and Dust tells the story of Olivia, a beautiful woman suffocated by the propriety and social constraints of her position as the wife of an important English civil servant. Longing for passion and independence, Olivia is drawn into the spell of the Nawab, a minor Indian prince deeply involved in gang raids and criminal plots. She is intrigued by the Nawab's charm and aggressive courtship, and soon begins to spend most of her days in his company. But then she becomes pregnant, and unsure of the child's paternity, she is faced with a wrenching dilemma. Her reaction to the crisis humiliates her husband and outrages the British community, breeding a scandal that lives in collective memory long after her death.

Customer Reviews:

Gentle and Endearing Style.......2006-09-04

Heat and Dust concerns itself largely with the love affair of Olivia, the wife of a minor English imperial official Douglas Rivers with the local prince, the Nawab, as related by the granddaughter of Rivers and his second wife when she travels to India 50 years later. The granddaughter's experiences are quite similar to Olivia's, in fact one wonders whether she is conscously mimicking Olivia.

India's impact on these English is strong and not necessarily beneficial. The extremes of weather, exotic food, languages, religions, indeed the heat and the dust overwhelm. A particularly interesting character is 'Chidi', a young Englishman temporarily turned Hindu mystic.

Jhabvala is an enormously accomplished author and screenwriter with an intriguing background. Born to Polish parents in Germany, moved with them to ondon to escape Hitler, and married an Indian architect and lived in India from 1951 to 1975 and now resides part-time in NYC. Jhabvala won the Booker Prize (best book by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland in the English language)

Told in a gentle, open and endearing style.

Straddling 1947.......2005-05-31

The British experience in India is a subject that has been given thorough literary treatment during the past century, and most of these books have tried to highlight some aspect of the cultural contrast between east and west. E.M. Forster's "A Passage to India" is perhaps the most comprehensive of these, but Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's "Heat and Dust" makes an admirable effort to contribute to the Forsterian legacy by updating the milieu to a post-independence setting while keeping one foot firmly in the past.

The novel concerns a young English woman, the narrator, who arrives in Bombay intending to make it her home for a while and to reconstruct the story of the doomed marriage of her grandfather, a law officer named Douglas Rivers, and his first wife, Olivia, from a collection of intriguing letters that Olivia had written to her sister Marcia. From the beginning Jhabvala splits the novel into two parallel narratives, alternating between the Riverses in 1923 and the narrator in India fifty years later, who presents her adventures, thoughts, and reflections in the form of a journal.

Olivia Rivers is a bored housewife who has little to do besides playing the piano and chatting with the other British officers' wives until she becomes enamored with the charming Indian prince, called the Nawab, who governs the district Douglas serves. A living emblem of amoral corruption and aristocratic gluttony, the Nawab dwells in an ancestral palace that arrogantly overlooks the wretched slums of the neighboring town and supports an entourage of servants and sycophantic companions including an effeminate Englishman named Harry. Jhabvala employs these elements to shape a dramatic arc that leads from extramarital attraction to adultery and finally to Olivia's disgrace following an ugly scandal for which she could never be forgiven back in England.

The narrator's analogous existence within the pages gives the novel an even broader context; she too falls in love with an Indian man, although a much humbler one, a meek clerk named Inder Lal. She also observes that India is a magnet for Europeans in search of a certain spirituality that they have failed to find in Western religions; in particular she meets a young Englishman who has become a Hindu ascetic, calling himself Chid, but who cannot handle the hardships of a land of such disease and poverty. The novel's title refers to the general climate of the region of which the narrator writes, a scorching exacerbation of the hopeless squalor in which the vast majority of the population lives.

I am aware that Jhabvala has written screenplays based on classic novels, including Forster's, for the Merchant-Ivory film team, and I confess that I somewhat expected "Heat and Dust" to be a pastiche of Forster, but I was pleased to find that Jhabvala, although like Forster a lucid and elegant prose stylist, has a distinctive literary voice, specifically in her shrewd eye for the particularities of Indian culture. From the suttee stones, morbid monuments to Hindu widows who have immolated themselves in their husbands' funeral pyres, to the British cemeteries memorializing the soldiers fallen in the 1857 mutinies, "Heat and Dust" is a valuable tour through 1920s and 1970s India.

A success.......2005-03-10

I've read this book twice, and each time I had the same feeling about it. Very satisfied.
one could feel the heat and dust coming from the story as if he were living with the characters.
Ruth Jhabvala is very talented in describing every little detail and makes you live inside the scene, especially when she comes to describe the state of India and the crowed, disgust, infections, and poverty.
I really felt disgusted reading some lines that I had to stop for a moment thinking of what I've just read.
What I liked the most is having two parallel stories separated by two generations.
The first woman is the narrator who travels to India to discover more about the scandal of Olivia, and unconsciously she follows the same path
claiming that India changes whoever lives there and finally the two characters experience the same end.
The language of the book is simple and fascinating I think everyone would enjoy it .

A taste of India.......2005-03-08

Olivia Rivers, married to Douglas, a civil servant in India, caused a scandal in 1923 in the small town of Satipur when she eloped with and Indian prince. In the 1970s, Olivia's step-granddaughter goes back to the heat and dust of Satipur to solve the mystery of the outrage caused by Olivia's flight.
Mrs Jhabvala's novel sounds like a warning. Both Olivia and the narrator do not seem to withstand India because they are fine and sensitive people who come to love the country very much, too much perhaps. Indeed there are many things to love in India: the landscapes, the history, the music and the physical beauty of men and women which may become a danger to the European. The characters in this novel are immersed by the Indian culture - and in Olivia's case, destroyed by it - they seem to be softened by an excess of feeling for India and finally they are dragged over to the other side. But according to Mrs Jhabvala's description of India - the smells, the sounds, the poverty, the filth, the beggars and cripples - it is difficult to imagine that Europeans can be as totally immersed in that culture as were both Olivia and the narrator. Is it plausible at all that such a foreign culture can be powerful enough to lead one to perdition?

A Powerful, Beautifully Written Novel Of Two Women & India.......2004-04-17

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's powerful and beautifully written novel of an "outrageous" Anglo-Indian romance in 1920s Khatm and Satipur won the Booker Prize in 1983. The author has crafted parallel tales of two young women, distantly related and separated by two generations. Anne, the story's narrator, travels to India to discover more about the mystery surrounding her grandfather's first wife, Olivia.

Douglas Rivers, an upper echelon English civil servant, married and brought his adored wife, Olivia, with him to India in 1923, during the British Raj. She was a beautiful, spoiled and spirited young woman, who found it difficult to adjust to life in the British colonial community of Satipur. Feeling suffocated by the inbred group she was forced to socialize with, Olivia longed for independence, intellectual stimulation and a more passionate life. She hoped that a baby would solve her problems but found it more difficult to become pregnant than she had thought. Shortly after their arrivel in India, Douglas, Olivia and some of the more important members of the community were invited to the palace of the Nawab of Khatm and she was immediately intrigued by the handsome, charismatic prince. He courted her friendship aggressively and then the friendship turned passionate. When faced with a crisis Olivia was forced to make life altering decisions which would have far reaching effects and cause scandal throughout British India and England that would last for generations.

Anne stays in the town where her grandfather and Olivia lived fifty years before. Trying to piece together the puzzle that was Olivia and discover what motivated her to change her life so drastically, Anne visits the places her "step-grandmother" frequented and interviews people who knew her or knew of her. She also reads the letters and journals that Olivia wrote so long ago, and oddly enough, Anne ventures into experiences similar to Olivia's adventures, but more acceptable in our modern time. Anne's spiritual and sensual journey in the 1970s parallels Olivia's as the color, heat, exotic landscapes, and people of India penetrate her western upbringing. Anne writes in her own diary: "Fortunately, during my first few months here, I kept a journal, so I have some record of my early impressions. If I were to try and recollect them now, I might not be able to do so. They are no longer the same because I myself am no longer the same. India always changes people, and I have been no exception."

This short and delicately written novel packs a powerful punch and paints an extraordinary portrait of British colonials in India, with their sense of cultural and moral superiority over the local population. However, even more compelling and unusual, is the story of two women, generations apart, who follow similar paths under the spell of India.
JANA

Average customer rating:

Great Book!

I loved it, my daughter loved it!

Delightful and imaginative storytelling.

Fairies abound

Very Nice!!

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg
Gail Carson Levine , and David Christiana
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

In the Realm of the Never Fairies (Disney Fairies)

Fira and the Full Moon (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

Vidia and the Fairy Crown (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

Beck and the Great Berry Battle (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

ASIN: B000HEYVQ8

Amazon.com

The island's only hope is for some brave fairies to take the egg pieces to Kyto the dragon and ask him to restore it with his fiery breath. But first, the fairies must collect treasures with which to bribe the evil dragon. Mother Dove chooses Prilla to be part of the fairy team to undertake the quest for the egg. Can one little no-talent fairy help save Neverland from certain doom? While Fairy Dust is unabashedly based on Disney's Peter Pan, Levine's companion version feels wonderfully fresh and original. The charming maxims of Levine's fairy world (fairies say "Fly with you," instead of "Pleased to meet you," and need dust made from Mother Dove's feathers to fly) along with David Christiana's sumptuous illustrations breathe new life into a beloved classic. --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Seasoned fractured fairy tale tellerGail Carson Levine provides the captivating back story of Tinker Bell and Co. in this lavishly illustrated addition to the Neverland canon. Freckled and eager to please, Prilla is a brand new fairy, born of a baby's laugh. Upon her arrival to Neverland, she is dismayed to discover she has no talent for any of the fairy avocations. Tinker Bell (a pots-and-pans-talent fairy) takes Prilla to see Mother Dove, whose single blue egg holds the secret of the island's eternal youth. But before the wise bird can advise Prilla, Neverland is shaken by a terrible hurricane. Mother Dove is thrown off her nest, and the precious egg is shattered. Immediately, Neverland folk begin to age. The island's only hope is for some brave fairies to take the egg pieces to Kyto the dragon and ask him to restore it with his fiery breath. But first, the fairies must collect treasures with which to bribe the evil dragon. Mother Dove chooses Prilla to be part of the fairy team to undertake the quest for the egg. Can one little no-talent fairy help save Neverland from certain doom? While Fairy Dust is unabashedly based on Disney's Peter Pan, Levine's companion version feels wonderfully fresh and original. The charming maxims of Levine's fairy world (fairies say "Fly with you," instead of "Pleased to meet you," and need dust made from Mother Dove's feathers to fly) along with David Christiana's sumptuous illustrations breathe new life into a beloved classic. --Jennifer Hubert

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-05-15

This is another in the Disney Fairy series. My seven year old loves these books!

I loved it, my daughter loved it!.......2007-03-27

I read this to my five year old. She absolutely loved it! We read all the other fairy books and they kept referring to the quest, so we read it and it was so fun!
I love Vidia! She adds so much to the book and plucks feathers from the sacred mother dove, and that just adds to her character. I also love RANI and what she does to save the egg.
VERY cleverly written, although the ending with prilla was a little disappointing, overall, it was a great read.
The illustrations are GORGEOUS! It is a beautiful book to have, even if you never read it.

Delightful and imaginative storytelling. .......2007-03-23

I loved this book. My 7 year old daughter and I are reading this together, but I couldn't wait and finished it on my own. Don't worry, I will continue reading it with my daughter. This is a lovely story. While I agree that it is too sophisticated for most 5 year olds, I strongly disagree that the ending was too simplistic.The story deals with real issues. The story tells how Prilla, a new fairy to Neverland, struggles to find her talent (which all the fairies have and are grouped by) and her place in Pixie Hollow. Her talent is getting human children to believe in fairies. As she discovers her talent and place in the fairy world, she uses her talent to save Mother Dove. This is the a real climax. Although I resisted, I had an urge to clap as I read. It's a beautiful book. The illustrations only enhance the verbal imagery. The story can be used to encourage discussion with a child about things other than fairies.....such as.... How do you choose your friends? What makes a hero? What is your talent? What dreams do you have?

Fairies abound.......2007-02-01

My daughter loved this. She loves fairies and this is a great addition to her collection.

Very Nice!!.......2007-01-11

We bought this for our niece and it looks like a wonderful book! A MUST for thr fairy lover!!

Average customer rating:

Society Novel About Adultery
Wodehouse meets Greene
A Very Good Book With A Very Bad Ending
As Good As it Gets: Surreal, Amoral, Aristocratic Decadence
World Between the Wars Satired

A Handful of Dust
Evelyn Waugh
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

"All over England people were waking up, queasy and despondent."

Few writers have walked the line between farce and tragedy as nimbly as Evelyn Waugh, who employed the conventions of the comic novel to chip away at the already crumbling English class system. His 1934 novel, A Handful of Dust, is a sublime example of his bleak satirical style: a mordantly funny exposé of aristocratic decadence and ennui in England between the wars.

Tony Last is an aristocrat whose attachment to an ideal feudal past is so profound that he is blind to his wife Brenda's boredom with the stately rhythms of country life. While he earnestly plays the lord of the manor in his ghastly Victorian Gothic pile, she sets herself up in a London flat and pursues an affair with the social-climbing idler John Beaver. In the first half of the novel Waugh fearlessly anatomizes the lifestyles of the rich and shameless. Everyone moves through an endless cycle of parties and country-house weekends, being scrupulously polite in public and utterly horrid in private. Sex is something one does to relieve the boredom, and Brenda's affair provides a welcome subject for conversation:

It had been an autumn of very sparse and meagre romance; only the most obvious people had parted or come together, and Brenda was filling a want long felt by those whose simple, vicarious pleasure it was to discuss the subject in bed over the telephone.

Tony's indifference and Brenda's selfishness give their relationship a sort of equilibrium until tragedy forces them to face facts. The collapse of their relationship accelerates, and in the famous final section of the book Tony seeks solace in a foolhardy search for El Dorado, throwing himself on the mercy of a jungle only slightly more savage than the one he leaves behind in England. For all its biting wit, A Handful of Dust paints a bleak picture of the English upper classes, reaching beyond satire toward a very modern sense of despair. In Waugh's world, culture, breeding, and the trappings of civilization only provide more subtle means of destruction. --Simon Leake

Book Description

A HANDFUL OF DUST satirizes that stratum of English life where all the characters have money, but lack practically every other credential. Murderously urbane, it depicts the breakup of a marriage in the London gentry, where the errant wife suffers from terminal boredom and becomes enamored of a social parasite and professional lunch-goer.

The depravity and polished savagery of these characters offer an opportunity for Waugh's rapier wit and subtly to "show us fear in a handful of dust."

"Waugh's technique is relentless and razor-edged...by any standard it is super satire." (Chicago Daily News)

Customer Reviews:

Society Novel About Adultery.......2007-09-19

Evelyn Waugh's "A Handful of Dust," first published in 1934, was, of course, quite popular in its time, with both critics and readers. As a society novel about adultery, it was considered to be quite satiric and witty, and an accurate portrait of the vicious upper-crust London society between the twentieth century's two great wars (And so it seems to be.) The book has been described as the story of the 19th century fictional French character, Mme. Bovary, literature's most famous female adulterer, as rewritten by Noel Coward, one of twentieth century England's greatest society wits. However, these days, most people know Waugh, one of the outstanding twentieth century English novelists, only for his more mellow post-World War II "Brideshead Revisited," as filmed and frequently shown on public television -- if they know the author at all.

The title "A Handful of Dust," to begin with, is a quote from the lengthy poem "The Wasteland," by T.S. Eliot, famous Anglo-American poet of the early twentieth century. "Dust," the book, really only novella length at about 210 pages, concerns Lady Brenda and Tony Last, young couple. Tony is considered to be too involved with Hettam, his family home, then considered a hideous Victorian pile, and with trying to lead a proper Victorian lord of the manor life, to pay proper attention to the selfish Brenda and to realize she's bored silly. So she starts an affair with John Beaver, bounder, and soon enough seeks a divorce.

All sources agree that this book was Waugh's revenge on his first wife, who was then seeking a divorce. All sources, including the author, writing himself, in this book, further agree that, having got that far, he was at a loss for how to end it. So he incorporated a previously-published short story of some note, folding Tony into that action, and having this character, somewhat puzzlingly, going off to explore Brazil. The effect of this is that, for the relatively minor sin of inattention, the more sinned-against than sinning Tony meets what most of us would agree is an extremely sad end; whereas the author has Lady Brenda marrying Tony's wealthier, member of parliament (and thus generally resident in London) friend Jock Grant-Menzies, MP, thus appearing, at least, to have come out ahead. This was what Waugh intended: he wrote,"Fortune is the least capricious of deities, and arranges things on the just and rigid system that no one shall be very happy for very long." The author definitely did not believe in offering his audience any easy consolation.

Interestingly enough, the author had still to provide another ending for the American edition of this book: an American magazine had published, and owned the copyright on, the story he used to end the British edition. The alternative ending he came up with, also printed here, is much shorter than the other. It has Tony coming back unharmed from the foreign travel then expected of a divorcing man, to be met at the dock by Brenda, already regretting her adventure with Beaver. And Tony has begun to think of spicing up his life, much as Brenda had previously done. Either way, it's obvious that nobody really comes out ahead here.

Wodehouse meets Greene.......2007-08-18

This novel begins in fine comic form in a world that might come straight out of P. G. Wodehouse; it ends (more or less) in the jungles of British Guiana, in the world of Joseph Conrad or Graham Greene. The journey between one and the other is always interesting and often amusing, but it lacks internal logic. This is a book that its author began with total mastery, but did not quite know how to end.

The Wodehouse world is one of 1930s high society: luncheon and cocktail parties in town, weekend house-parties in the country. The "Bertie Wooster" character here, known as Beaver and deliberately vapid, basically waits around for invitations to make up the numbers at one of these gatherings. His club, Brats, might as well be Wodehouse's Drones. Due to an error, Beaver turns up alone one weekend at the ancestral home of Tony Last (a squire very much devoted to his house and village) and his wife Lady Brenda. Before long, Brenda and Beaver are in an affair, and the book truly begins.

The result, as William Boyd describes it in his excellent introduction to the Everyman edition (though NOT to be read before the book itself), is "MADAME BOVARY rewritten by Noel Coward." The comic tone persists almost all through the novel, and it includes many scenes that are hilariously funny (for example, the Vicar who recycles sermons first preached thirty years before in India without adjusting any of their topical details). But Waugh is less loving as a comedian, more satirical, more ruthless with his characters. About halfway through the book, something occurs that absolutely does not belong in a comedy. The jolt is shocking, but the truly horrible thing is that it hardly shakes the comic mechanisms at all. Despite occasional glimpses of true feeling, one thing continues to lead to another on the plot level, dictated more by circumstance than by character. There are still many funny moments, but one is conscious now of the author manipulating his people, less to let them grow than to pay them back.

And so to that ending in the Amazon jungle. The Everyman Library edition has the advantage of including the alternative ending that Waugh wrote for American serialization, since the short story that he remodeled as the final section of the British book had already appeared in America under a different publisher. This alternative is much shorter, and it is not entirely clear where it would have been grafted on, but in its acerbic brevity it is much more true to the prevailing tone of the book than the longer version. Brilliant though Waugh's Amazon conclusion is, it also seems arbitrary and willful. But in retrospect, so is the entire book, so is the nature of Waugh's comic genius. He may be a Wodehouse or a Coward -- superior to them even -- but he is no Greene and certainly no Flaubert.

A Very Good Book With A Very Bad Ending.......2007-07-23

The final section of A HANDFUL OF DUST feels as though it came from somewhere else, which apparently it did. This could have been such a fine book. As it stands, it is a disappointment of a novel best read as "how not to end a book." EW should have known better.

As Good As it Gets: Surreal, Amoral, Aristocratic Decadence .......2007-07-23

"And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu.
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du? "
The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot 1922

Evelyn Waugh has given us a dark, witty, satirical novel that takes aim at the post World War I upper class society. His writing is biting and sharp and sometimes hilarious. Tony Last ( the last of the dwindling English gentry ) is smitten, smitten with his boring life at Hetton, his ancesteral, crumbling home. His fortune has dwindeled and there is not much left for his family. His wife whom he adores, Brenda, is smitten also, but not with Tony. She is bored and has found a lover, John Beaver (yes, Beaver). He is a sponger of life and of Brenda and ultimately , Tony. Brenda has rented a flat in London from John's mother- what goes around, comes around. She is smitten with the social life. Tony is unaware of any of the happenings- he trusts his beloved Brenda and is too busy with his life. Their son, John, is a slightly annoying pawn in this tragic comedy. Waugh has written a disaster of scathing proportions and the family such as it is, falls apart. None of these characters are in the least likeable. Not one could bring some semblance of order and honesty to this aristocratic crowd. There is wit, but with the humor comes a feeling of loss. Tony becomes his own person when he goes on a trip to the Amazon. That portion of the tale is interspersed with Brenda's social life in London. The ending is amazing and Dickensonian,if you get my drift.

"My novel also included a happier ending for an American audience, which doesn't surprise me at all. Go and read it and see if you are a tough Britisher or a wimpy Yank who would prefer some Canderel with their Waugh." Peter Walker

A most riveting novel, entertaining and sharp. One I shall remember for a long time to come.

Most Highly Recommended. prisrob 7-22-07

Waugh Abroad: The Collected Travel Writing (Everyman's Library)

Diaries of Evelyn Waugh

World Between the Wars Satired.......2007-07-19

The story of Lady Brenda and Mr. Tony Last in 1930's British society. A stinging satire of the upper class in the time between the two World Wars.

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