Three Junes
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Lacks fierceness and depth
  • An unforgettable character study
  • One of the best novels I've read
  • A slice of life in thrice
  • a story with no agenda
Three Junes
Julia Glass
Manufacturer: Arrow Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0099460297

Book Description

Three Junes is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family. In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret
sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul’s death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family’s future. A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements—until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love.

Love in its limitless forms—between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children—is the force that moves these characters’ lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future. Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, Three Junes is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and live fully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart—how family ties, both those we’re born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.


From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

The 2002 National Book Award winner for fiction, Three Junes, is a vividly textured symphonic novel set on both sides of the Atlantic during three fateful summers in the lives of a Scottish family.

In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, the recently widowed patriarch, becomes infatuated with a young American artist while traveling through Greece and is compelled to relive the secret sorrows of his marriage. Six years later, Paul's death reunites his sons at Tealing, their idyllic childhood home, where Fenno, the eldest, faces a choice that puts him at the center of his family's future.

A lovable, slightly repressed gay man, Fenno leads the life of an aloof expatriate in the West Village, running a shop filled with books and birdwatching gear. He believes himself safe from all emotional entanglements -- until a worldly neighbor presents him with an extraordinary gift and a seductive photographer makes him an unwitting subject. Each man draws Fenno into territories of the heart he has never braved before, leading him toward an almost unbearable loss that will reveal to him the nature of love.

Love in its limitless forms -- between husband and wife, between lovers, between people and animals, between parents and children -- is the force that moves these characters' lives, which collide again, in yet another June, over a Long Island dinner table. This time it is Fenno who meets and captivates Fern, the same woman who captivated his father in Greece ten years before. Now pregnant with a son of her own, Fern, like Fenno and Paul before him, must make peace with her past to embrace her future.

Elegantly detailed yet full of emotional suspense, often as comic as it is sad, Three Junes is a glorious triptych about how we learn to live, and live fully, beyond incurable grief and betrayals of the heart -- how family ties, both those we're born into and those we make, can offer us redemption and joy.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Lacks fierceness and depth.......2007-09-21

I really found Three Junes by Julia Glass to be tedious beyond belief. In a way she seemed to be copying The Hours. The triptych, the gay man, etc. But her novel can't hold a candle to The Hours, since her narrative is pointless and sentimental too, which makes me realize that sentimentality (apart from its other flaws) is a smoke screen for the kind of writers who write emotionally dishonest work. So that the choppy sentimentality becomes a technique these writers hide behind so they can be evasive, chatty, charming, shallow and disingenuous.

Glass looks nice in her photo, though.

Not that this matters. And she's obviously intelligent. But she should stop writing for the book clubs and try to write something that has some fierceness and depth.

There! I've had my little tantrum...and she is only one of literally thousands of writers who treat novels as if they are potluck: a little of this and a little of that and let's hope for the best.

5 out of 5 stars An unforgettable character study.......2007-09-19

Some books have transcendent plots that carry you away on a fictional journey. Others are like fine works of art; you read them to be swept away by the sheer beauty of the prose. Still others are clever or thrilling, always staying one step ahead, compelling the reader to try to figure out the what is going on and why. Then there are the detailed character studies--these books bring a single character to life so effectively that readers feel they know this person better than almost anyone else.

Every novel tries to deliver deeply wrought characters that spring to life off the page. But once a reader puts a book down, and goes on to another, generally these characters slowly disappear from memory. But not all fictional characters fade away; with some novels the entire focus of the work is on such fine and deep characterization that readers will remember that character for the rest of their lives.

"Three Junes" by Julia Glass is just such an incredible character study. The character we come to know so deeply is Fenno McCloud. It's a brilliant creation...no wonder it won the National Book Award in 2002!

And what type of character did Julia Glass bring to life in Fenno McCloud? Is he some larger-than-life role model? No, Fenno is just another decent human being struggling to live a good life in a difficult world. Perhaps he is unique because he possesses a strong moral compass and this is what attracts us to him. Fenno is gay, but his sexuality is not important in the overall scheme of this book; also, there is nothing in this book that is titillating.

Through its artistic three-part structure, Fenno McCloud comes alive. Much of the depth of the character study is derived from the book's unique structure. The author describes it as a triptych--a three-part work consisting of a large center novel flanked on either end by two small novellas. Each piece could stand alone, but together they perform symbiotically to create something far greater. It is a structure that allows the reader to learn about Fenno from different perspectives.

The first part, named "Collies," tells the story of Fenno McCloud's father, Paul, during June of 1989--a time in his life when he is vacationing in Greece recovering from the death of his wife, Maureen. There are many flashbacks where we are introduced to many of the major characters in the novel including Paul's eldest son, Fenno. There is a young American woman on the trip named Fern. Paul finds her disarming, and soon he is telling her his innermost secrets.

The long central novel, named "Upright," is set in June of 1995. Fenno is living in New York at the height of the AIDs epidemic. And the mantra that runs through his head is "stay upright and you will stay alive." In this section we are introduced to Fenno's friends and move with him through his everyday home and work life. There are numerous flashbacks where we learn about Fenno's Scottish family.

In the third part, named "Boys, " and set in June of 1999, Fern again plays a pivotal role. Fenno and Fern meet each other in New York, never knowing that Fern knew Fenno's father in Greece ten years earlier. Just like his father before him, Fenno finds Fern disarming, and soon he is opening up to her and telling her his innermost secrets. That father and son, would find Fern and both see her as the perfect confidant...well, that makes the serendipity of their coming together even more magical.

The three sections permit us to view Fenno not only from his own point of view, but also from the points of view of those people who are most important to him. The action of the book is centered around Fenno's relationships--those with his father, his mother, his two brothers, the brothers' wives and children, his friends and lovers in New York, and even his beloved parrot, Felicity.

This novel is not for everyone. If you need a strong plot or a compelling storyline, look elsewhere: this novel is decidedly a realistic portrayal of everyday life, nothing more. If you love a novel with deep character development, look no further: this book is about as good as they get.

If after finishing the book, Fenno becomes so much a part of your life and you want some more time with him, you will be happy to know that Fenno reappears as one of a group of major characters in Julia Glass' latest novel "The Whole World Over." Both novels are excellent and highly recommended, but "Three Junes," is truly exceptional.

5 out of 5 stars One of the best novels I've read.......2007-08-03

Julia Glass is a masterful storyteller. Her characters are real and complex. This is one of the most engaging novels I've read in the past 5 years.

4 out of 5 stars A slice of life in thrice.......2007-07-24

This well crafted story, especially about the interrelationships between members of a family, but also between those with whom they interact, starts slowly, but improves in speed and quality. Taking place in Scotland, Greece and New York City, three chunks of time, during which the month of June falls, are covered, each period narrated by a different person. The first, "Collies 1989" (55 pages) is told by a melancholy widower during a group vacation to Greece. Although it is the dullest section, the middle part "Upright 1995" (205 pages), narrated by one of the man's sons, more than makes up for it. The descriptions are wonderful as are the characters, especially a sarcastic witty gay man named Mal. The writer delves into the relationships between Paul, his three sons, and their spouses and children. The loose ends are neatly tied up in the final section "Boys 1999" (85 pages), which is narrated by a woman unrelated but connected to the others. Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award, is a literary treat. Also good: The Hours by Michael Cunningham.

5 out of 5 stars a story with no agenda.......2007-07-06

Reading this book made me feel as if I was watching life. No conclusions, no moral of the story, no agenda. I thought the story telling was fluid - one of the few novels I have read where I didn't have the impulse to flip through the pages looking for the ending.
Poincare and the Three Body Problem (History of Mathematics, V. 11)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Stiff reading
Poincare and the Three Body Problem (History of Mathematics, V. 11)
June Barrow-Green
Manufacturer: American Mathematical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

AstronomyAstronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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Differential EquationsDifferential Equations | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0821803670

Book Description

The idea of chaos figures prominently in mathematics today. It arose in the work of one of the greatest mathematicians of the late 19th century, Henri Poincaré, on a problem in celestial mechanics: the three body problem. This ancient problem--to describe the paths of three bodies in mutual gravitational interaction--is one of those which is simple to pose but impossible to solve precisely.

Poincaré's famous memoir on the three body problem arose from his entry in the competition celebrating the 60th birthday of King Oscar of Sweden and Norway. His essay won the prize and was set up in print as a paper in Acta Mathematica when it was found to contain a deep and critical error. In correcting this error Poincaré discovered mathematical chaos, as is now clear from Barrow-Green's pioneering study of a copy of the original memoir annotated by Poincaré himself, recently discovered in the Institut Mittag-Leffler in Stockholm.

Poincaré and the Three Body Problem opens with a discussion of the development of the three body problem itself and Poincaré's related earlier work. The book also contains intriguing insights into the contemporary European mathematical community revealed by the workings of the competition. After an account of the discovery of the error and a detailed comparative study of both the original memoir and its rewritten version, the book concludes with an account of the final memoir's reception, influence and impact, and an examination of Poincaré's subsequent highly influential work in celestial mechanics.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Stiff reading.......2007-01-06

This book is somewhere between an historical essay and a blow-by-blow analysis of one of Poincare's most important papers, which gave rise to many significant developments in 20th-century mathematics. You have to really like the subject of differential equations to get into this.
Suffering Is Optional: Three Keys to Freedom and Joy
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Three Keys
  • Buddism for the masses
  • Great book ! Cut to the chase
  • The best approach I've found
  • Zen for every day life!
Suffering Is Optional: Three Keys to Freedom and Joy
Cheri Huber
Manufacturer: Keep It Simple Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0963625586

Book Description

Suffering Is Optional: Three Keys to Freedom and Joy centers around three basic aspects of Zen practice: pay attention, believe nothing, and don’t take anything personally. As ending suffering requires that one sees how suffering happens, the book urges readers to be willing to be quiet and pay attention to the process of suffering in effort to see each moment as an opportunity to step beyond illusion into freedom. It also argues that examining beliefs, abandoning them, and returning attention to the present is essential to ending suffering, as is living in the awareness that nothing in the universe is personal.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Three Keys.......2007-08-07

Great book. Great condition. excellent read. You can read this over and over and get more out of it. She is an excellent writer. Very helpful.

5 out of 5 stars Buddism for the masses.......2007-08-01

I have read just about every Cheri Huber book, and given them as gifts to friends. She has impacted my life in a very positive way. I highly recommend any of her books to anyone who is open to seeing life in a new way. The books are very easy reads, and the type of books you read more than once to let the information truly sink in.

5 out of 5 stars Great book ! Cut to the chase.......2007-07-04

Focuss on the core of suffering...No pep talk but realistic talk ! Anyone who has courage to step into her path ! You have already won half the battle

5 out of 5 stars The best approach I've found.......2006-03-20

I've read a lot of books on Buddhism of various flavors - Zen, Tibetan, etc. Most Zen books I've read are either very abstract, or very straightforward but lacking in detail for how to practice day-to-day. Cheri Huber has written the ultimate book that is pretty much buzzword-free and extremely simple to put to the test.

/Suffering Is Optional/ is not really a Buddhist book, or a Zen book. It happens to have been written by a Zen teacher, and there are a few Buddhist-y words (mostly "karma") that are used to highlight points for which Western culture tends to lack solid terminology. But for the most part, this is simply a book about freeing yourself from the ways you (often unknowingly) punish yourself. Suffering is indeed optional, and Cheri Huber shows how to see that.

This is a very fast, very simple read, but do not be fooled. /Suffering Is Optional/ does not set out some pie-in-the-sky path to happiness that involves no effort on your part. Quite the opposite, as the author herself is quick to point out:

"I remind people with annoying regularity that if this practice were easy it would be more popular. Consider that, please. Look around and see what has thousands or even millions of 'adherents.' What do those things have in common? I would suggest that they all share the quality of people being exactly as they are while having something hopeful to believe. Very popular. Compare that with a practice that encourages people moment by moment to go up against, see through, and embrace the worst stuff in life. Not popular."

Not popular, maybe, but I feel it is very beneficial.

There's a lot of hands-on exercises to try in this book... Not of the SIT PERFECTLY STRAIGHT IN YOUR CHAIR MAKING THE SUCH-AND-SUCH MUDRA WITH YOUR HANDS sort. No, miss Huber invites you to be AWARE of the things that go on in your life, and inside you. What things lead to joy, and what things lead to suffering? She doesn't preach or politicize any of it - all she asks and guides you to do is to be aware. Through awareness and genuine commitment, much can be revealed about our interactions with this world and how often we get in the way of our own happiness.

If you're ever stressed, or angry, or frustrated, I highly recommend this book. It's conversational, caring, and does not require you to run out and purchase a saffron robe and begging bowl. I've yet to discover a more wise or more powerful way for discovering "the path to freedom and joy."

5 out of 5 stars Zen for every day life!.......2003-03-28

Hi,

I love Cheri's books. I find them to be WONDERFULLY enlightening, interesting, deep and profound, yet fun and funny. A FANTASTIC way to understand deep Zen teachings and apply them to every day life. The books "There is Nothing Wrong With You" and "Suffering is Optional" especially spoke to me.

I REALLY like the handwritten look text. It is both easy to read, and seems more "fun" somehow than regular book type. Her approach is very conversational and fun, and at times, humorous. She draws me in, and I don't want to stop reading (except to do the exercises).

I previously tried to read some of the Zen classics, by both oriental and western writers, but their writings just seemed to philosophical, too dry, too hard to understand and apply, not to mention too small type to read comfortably. I just happened on Cheri's books at my local bookstore. Once I read one, I was hooked! I've read 5 and counting!

Thank you Cheri!
Junes
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Junes

    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: B000NRXJ44
    Three Months in the Southern States: April-June 1863
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • History at its best
    • Disappointing
    • Very Interesting.
    • An interesting journey:
    • A different perspective on the civil war.
    Three Months in the Southern States: April-June 1863
    Arthur J. F. Fremantle
    Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0803268750

    Book Description

    The American Civil War was at a turning point in 1863 when Lt. Col. Arthur J. L. Fremantle of the British Coldstream Guards toured the Confederacy. Mildly predisposed toward the Union side because of his dislike of slavery, he was soon awakened to the gallantry of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and his generals, ordinary Johnny Rebs, and the women left at home. From April to early July 1863--the critical period of campaigns at Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg--Fremantle traveled from the Texas frontier to northern Virginia, recording in a diary his experience of the war. Three Months in the Southern States, published upon his return to England later in the year, has long been considered a classic of wartime writing, especially in its description of the Battle of Gettysburg. Filled with biographical vignettes of Lee, Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Sam Houston, and others, this book offers a kaleidoscopic view of the Confederacy at floodtide.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars History at its best.......2007-06-17

    A quick but pleasant read, I struggled to lay it down. In nearly fifty years of studying the War Between the States, I had seen Fremantle quoted many times, but had never read his actual work.
    Picked it up in a book store, read until closing time, did not want to quit, had to finish it later.
    Never mind biased haters who detest anything positive about the South. If you want to read first hand what the leaders, people and attitudes of the Confederacy were like, this is a fine source. Remember, this was written by an English army officer, who was on leave, and had come to observe the war.
    And like all of Gods children, he has his prejudices. But is in the end, I feel, as fair and honest as he can be, except to the Irish.
    Interesting prose, filled with facts and humor. I recommend this to any student of American history.

    3 out of 5 stars Disappointing.......2007-01-08

    After reading this book, I can only conclude this guy must have been in the pay of the Confederates in one way or another, or of someone else who wanted to help promote their cause in Europe or at least in the UK. Who paid for his trip anyway? Perhaps the historians out there can enlighten me. This is the only explanation, as I can see it, for how he can misread the direction the war was taking so badly (willfully?) when he had in some cases first hand experiences of the events (Gettysburg) and evidently direct access to the main decision makers. The way he accepts the southerners explanations that some slaves might have been beaten, but only by "Northern born" owners is frankly a joke, as is the repeated emphasis on how culturally connected the "gentlemen" leading the Confederate cause are to UK aristos. The disappointing introduction doesn't address these - and the many other issues his diary raises - at all adequately. Fremantle is poorly understood - there's more to this guy and his three month mission than is picked up here.

    I am surprised by all the four and five star reviews that describe this as a must read and yet arrive at the same conclusions about where this book is weakest.

    That said, I'm in a quandry over the number of stars to give it - it's entertaining but see it as a piece of spin rather than the account of a super source.

    4 out of 5 stars Very Interesting........2003-08-17

    Succinct yet powerful, this volume is a treasure trove of information. The personal observations of Colonel Arthur J.L. Fremantle of His Majesty's Coldstream Guards, this volume covers his travels and experiences as a British Army observer from his landing at Matamoras, Mexico up to and including his observations at the Battle of Gettysburg. Fremantle is extremely observant. This short, quick read describes conditions, thoughts and attitudes in the South during the spring and summer of 1863. It is surprisingly well written. Colonel Fremantle had an eye for detail that is second to none.

    4 out of 5 stars An interesting journey:.......2003-01-25

    Freemantle offers us a interesting look as if opening a time capsule of information in 1863. Freemantle enters Texas and his journey starts there. Soon he discovers how soldiers and civilians of the south live and handle the hardships of war. Freemantle meets many popular Southern leaders such as Johnston, Davis, Lee, Longstreet during his travels. He is very fortunate to give us interesting views of the people involved in hardships and conflicts in various cities of the south such as Jackson, Vicksburg, Richmond, Winchester and others. His information certainly documents the timeline. I was most interested in reading about his Gettysburg exploits as he has become more famous in modern times most likely due to the movie, "Gettysburg" in which he presented. I was curious to read about his opinion and eye witness accounts which helped support explanations regarding the Battle of Gettysburg. Freemantle doesn't involve himself in many details of battles or conflicts. He likes to write about people and share his opinion of them. After Gettysburg Freemantle travels north to board the ship China which will take him back home to England. In doing this we are offered more interesting commentary as he writes about northern views and how northerners are coping with the draft, slavery and the war. Overall this is a quick book to read although it is vital for any historian looking to understand people and places during the early summer of 1863. I recommend it!

    5 out of 5 stars A different perspective on the civil war........2002-12-31

    Lieut. -Col. Arthur Fremantle has not given us in this work a tired and boring look at strategy and tactics. He has also not told us anything new about the leading men of the Confederacy. What the reader will get is an excellent look at day to day life in the Confederate army and in the southern nation itself.

    The lack of tactical detail could result from the fact that Fremantle, although a career military man had never seen combat until Gettysburg. It could also result from his desire to avoid aiding the north by giving away secrets while the war was still in progress. There are, after all, instances in the book where Fremantle makes it clear that he is not writing about all he saw for that very reason. Whatever the reason, I'm happy he left out the tactics for it would have only slowed down a marvelous account of Fremantle's trip through the Confederacy.

    It is obvious early on that Fremantle is very taken with the south and some of his stories about happy slaves might reflect a bit of propaganda. Overall however, his stories of individual behavior are more than credible and drive home the point that this war was affecting the lives of real people, not historical figures. The stories of hotel keepers in northern territory that were hesitant to let him have a room until he produced gold coin for payment, the slave of a Confederate officer leading a Yankee prisoner by a rope tied around the poor prisoner's neck, and the several stories of southern women being far more antagonistic toward the north than were the men, all help bring the human side of the civil war to life. Reading Fremantle's account of General Lee's behavior as his broken troops returned to Seminary Ridge after the disaster now called Pickett's charge almost makes the reader feel as if they were there.

    Read this book with a small grain of salt, remembering that Fremantle is writing this book in England while the war is still in progress. His anti-Irish bias kept getting under my skin but as with the rest of the book, you must keep in mind who is writing the narrative and when it was written. Overall however, I think the reader will find that Fremantle's observations are both entertaining and enlightening.
    Tres Junios / Three Junes
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Tres Junios / Three Junes
      Julia Glass
      Manufacturer: Roca Editorial
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 8496284069
      Happy birthday, Wanda June: A play in three acts
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Wanda June
      • excellent experience
      • a disappointment after Cat's Cradle and other masterpieces
      • The Vonnegut on Stage!
      • The scenes in Heaven are semi-amusing
      Happy birthday, Wanda June: A play in three acts
      Kurt Vonnegut
      Manufacturer: Samuel French
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Wanda June.......2006-02-03

      I read Vonnegut's first play "Happy Birthday, Wanda June," and thought it was really good. The basic plot of the book is a man who used to be considered a hero, but after an eight year absence from society, comes back and sees that he is no longer seen as he used to be. In this play Vonnegut expresses his protest of the Vietnam War. Vonnegut does this with the character of Harold Ryan and his family. Harold Ryan symbolizes a Vietnam veteran who comes back to the States after fighting. Just like the Vietnam veterans, Harold is seen as a warmongering brute by his wife. She now is interested in a man who doesn't believe in violence and is an intellectual. Vonnegut uses this to represent the protests of the war and the honor draft dodgers received by some Americans. The symbolism of the protagonist reveals Vonnegut's theme of the play: Times changes along with political viewpoints of society and the portrayals of heroes. Vonnegut is able to strengthen the theme by structuring the play in a linear fashion like a timeline. This is a great play that withstands time and can be seen now with the war in Iraq. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Vonnegut's style of writing and viewpoints.

      5 out of 5 stars excellent experience.......2005-04-07

      The book I purchased was in excellent condition upon arrival. Special care was taken in the shipping as well.
      The seller really came through. I was and am very happy with my purchasing experience!

      2 out of 5 stars a disappointment after Cat's Cradle and other masterpieces.......2004-12-15

      Written in 1970 or so, I think this one is a good example of how opinionated people really need to disguise their personal opinions better in order to keep a story interesting. That doesn't mean you can't express your opinion; you just have to be subtle about it. Vonnegut is better at this in some of his other writing.

      One of the characters is a one-dimensional brute (possibly based on Ernest Hemingway) who treats his wife and son as things and has filled his house with taxedermised animals he has killed. The other characters are similarly simplistic, and the plot is even weaker. In fact, it's difficult to believe that the same person who wrote this play is also the author of such classic literature as Cat's Cradle.

      4 out of 5 stars The Vonnegut on Stage!.......2004-10-29

      Happy Birthday, Wanda June is an anti-b.s. play. Anti-macho nonsense, anti-abuse, anti-syncophant, anti-war mongering, anti-violence, anti-abandonment. All the "living" characters in it are trying to be someone else....except Harold, who is so much himself (or forgone) that his personality is deadly against the others.

      This is a very funny, bizarre, timely play. Now, as America is back in a questionable war, as we were when this was written in 1970, and blatant aggression is somehow acceptable here is Vonnegut standing up to show us all how ridiculous we are, and ridiculous just about everyone in the play is.

      Harold is single-minded and aggressive enough to not see its effect on others. Penelope, who is lost throughout most of it, is stuck and needs the borishness of Harold to see the error of her ways. Woodly is patently lost in a field of peace, joy and positivity full of rage, but smitten by the myth of manliness. Shuttle is an idol worshiper and caught in an Americana sport/brotherhood fetish. Looseleaf is in a haze of wonder and awe at his past, shocked by his own inhumanity. Paul is angry, needy for a father, but protective like a fatherless child is of his mother. The three "ghosts" are ironic and a hope for us all. Since this world is ridiculous and stupid, belief that the next one is anything but remains a peaceful possibility.

      A good play, full of social commentary, Vonnegut's wit and black humor. Recommended, especially in this day in age, and for Vonnegut fans.

      1 out of 5 stars The scenes in Heaven are semi-amusing.......2004-06-28

      Ya know what I really hate about The Von? (Besides everything.) It's his constant harping on his midwestern innocence. Or on Marsha Mason's midwestern innocence. *What* innocence? It doesn't exist outside of his own head. But The Von is too smugly solipsistic to realize it. He & Marsha are almost as insufferable as Holden Caulfield and his precious baby sister.

      Don't get me wrong. I'm glad The Von survived Dresden. (SOMEBODY had to.) But his boring bleeding-heart Jesus-mongering really drives me up the wall when it's coming from a goddam atheist. (Either believe or get off the pot, Kurt. You remind me too much of that atheist nun at the end of WHITE NOISE.)

      Where the hell was I. Oh yeah. Have you ever wondered why the Germans constantly put verbs at the end of sentences instead of in the middle of sentences where they belong? It's an expression of German machismo. Germans think that it's macho to do everything the hard way. This trait gets mentioned in WANDA JUNE.

      Major Siegfried von Konigswald says: "Harold Ryan said he killed maybe 200 guys. I killed a hundred times that many, I bet. That's still peanuts, of course, compared to what that crazy Looseleaf did. Harold and me---we was doing it the hard way. I hope the record books will show that. There should be a little star or something by the names of the guys who did it the hard way."
      Early Childhood Special Education: Birth to Three
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Early Childhood Special Education: Birth to Three

        Manufacturer: Council Exceptional Children
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Special Education | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 086586179X
        1963 Book Three: Tales of the Uncanny June 1993
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          1963 Book Three: Tales of the Uncanny June 1993
          Al Moore
          Manufacturer: Image Comics
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Comic
          ASIN: B000WEHYIA
          1998 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, Volume Three of Three (June 7-12, 1998 Baltimore Convention Center)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            1998 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, Volume Three of Three (June 7-12, 1998 Baltimore Convention Center)
            Eric Funk, John Cruz Raymond P. Meixner
            Manufacturer: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000UTGNY8

            Books:

            1. To Love a Thief (Warner Forever)
            2. Twilight (Twilight, Book 1)
            3. Twisted Roots
            4. Waiting: A Novel
            5. What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America
            6. Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn
            7. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
            8. Akira, Vol. 4
            9. AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island
            10. Babylon Sisters: A Novel

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